CAMERA MODULE MANUFACTURING METHOD, CAMERA MODULE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20130314810A1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sekimoto, Yoshihiro, Fujita, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,568,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/823
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/021 for more than one lens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/023 permitting adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/025 using glue
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/08 adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/09 adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0007 Movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur imaging systems in general using optical elements for stabilisation of the position of the image G02B27/64
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0069 using electromagnetic actuators, e.g. voice coils
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4978 Assisting assembly or disassembly

Abstract

A camera module (40) of the present invention includes: an optical section (1) having an image pickup lens (2) and a lens barrel (3); and a lens driving device (10) including a lens holder (11). The optical section (1) and the lens driving device (10) are provided on an upper side of a sensor cover (23) covering an image pickup element (22) of an image pickup section (20). The lens barrel (3) is positioned at such a location that the lens barrel (3) does not make contact with the sensor cover (23), so that the lens barrel (3) is fixed to the lens holder (11) at the location. Before being fixed to the lens holder (11), the lens barrel (3) is slidable in the optical axis direction with respect to the lens holder (11).

Claims

1. A method for producing a camera module,

the camera module including:

an optical section having an image pickup lens and a lens barrel holding the image pickup lens; and

a lens driving device which includes a lens holder holding the optical section and which drives the optical section and the lens holder integrally with each other in at least an optical axis direction,

the optical section and the lens driving device being provided on an upper side of a sensor cover covering an image pickup element of an image pickup section,

the method comprising the steps of;

sliding the lens barrel of the optical section in the optical axis direction with respect to the lens holder of the lens driving device; and

carrying out positioning of the optical section with use of a jig by determining a height of an initial position of the optical section so that the lens barrel is located at such a position that the lens barrel does not make contact with the sensor cover, and then fixing the optical section to the lens driving device.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the camera module further includes autofocus means.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the camera module further includes image stabilization means, and

the lens driving device of the camera module drives the optical section and the lens holder integrally with each other in the optical axis direction and in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the step of sliding the lens barrel of the optical section in the optical axis direction with respect to the lens holder of the lens driving device is carried out after the optical section is inserted into the lens driving device while the lens driving device is mounted on a dummy sensor cover serving as the jig,

the step of fixing the optical section to the lens driving device is carried out while a part of the optical section is caused to abut a reference plane of the dummy sensor cover, and

the dummy sensor cover is replaced with the image pickup section, and the lens driving device is then fixed to the sensor cover of the image pickup section.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein

in mounting the lens driving device on the dummy sensor cover, a pressing force toward the dummy sensor cover is applied to the lens driving device.

6. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein

in the step of fixing the optical section to the lens driving device, a pressing force toward the dummy sensor cover is applied to the optical section.

7. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein

in mounting the lens driving device on the image pickup section, a pressing force toward the image pickup section is applied to the lens driving device.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein

a height adjustment device serving as the jig is placed on the lens driving device while the lens driving device is mounted on the image pickup section,

the step of sliding the lens barrel of the optical section in the optical axis direction with respect to the lens holder of the lens driving device is carried out while a grasping section of the height adjustment device grasps the lens barrel of the optical section,

a height of the optical section is adjusted with use of the height adjustment device, and

in the step of fixing the optical section, the optical section is fixed to the lens holder of the lens driving device, and the height adjustment device is then removed.

9. A camera module, comprising:

an optical section having an image pickup lens and a lens barrel holding the image pickup lens; and

a lens driving device which includes a lens holder holding the optical section and which drives the optical section and the lens holder integrally with each other in at least an optical axis direction,

the optical section and the lens driving device being provided on an upper side of a sensor cover covering an image pickup element of an image pickup section,

the lens barrel being positioned at such a location that the lens barrel does not make contact with the sensor cover, so that the lens barrel is fixed to the lens holder at the location, and

before being fixed to the lens holder, the lens barrel being slidable in the optical axis direction with respect to the lens holder.

10. The camera module as set forth in claim 9, further comprising autofocus means.

11. The camera module as set forth in claim 9, further comprising image stabilization means,

the lens driving device driving the optical section and the lens holder integrally with each other in the optical axis direction and in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis.

12. The camera module as set forth in claim 9, wherein a height of an initial position of the optical section is determined with use of a jig.

13. The camera module as set forth in claim 12, wherein

the jig is constituted by a flat plate having a protrusion, and

the height of the initial position of the optical section is determined with use of the jig in such a manner that a top plane of the protrusion of the jig is caused to abut a bottom plane of the optical section which bottom plane is located on an image pickup element side.

14. The camera module as set forth in claim 12, wherein

the jig has a grasping section grasping the lens barrel of the optical section in such a manner that the lens barrel is slidable, with respect to the lens holder, in the optical axis direction, and

the height of the initial position of the optical section is determined with use of the jig in such a manner that the grasping section of the jig grasps the lens barrel of the optical section so as to displace the optical section in the optical axis direction.

15. The camera module as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the lens driving device includes, on a sensor cover side, a base supporting the lens holder so that the lens holder freely swings, the base having an opening to which the lens barrel is fit loosely, and

a gap between the opening of the base and the lens barrel is so set that the base does not make contact with the lens barrel even when the lens holder is displaced to a maximum extent toward the lens barrel.

16. The camera module as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the lens barrel having been positioned is fixed to the lens holder with an adhesive, and

a position where the adhesive is applied to the lens holder is lower than a top plane of the lens holder, the top plane being opposite to a bottom plane of the lens holder which bottom plane is located on the sensor cover side.

17. The camera module as set forth in claim 16, wherein

a module cover having, at a center thereof, an opening for exposing the lens barrel is so provided as to cover the lens holder and the lens barrel, and

the lens holder is so placed as not to make contact with the module cover even when the lens barrel moves to a maximum extent.

18. The camera module as set forth in claim 12, wherein

the dummy sensor cover is made of only a non-magnetic material.

19. The camera module as set forth in claim 12, wherein

an inclination angle θ

of the lens holder with respect to a surface of the sensor cover is set to meet a relation

θ

≦

tan<sup>−

1</sup>(H/D_E)−

cos<sup>−

1</sup>(D_I/√

(D_E²+H²))

wherein D_E represents an external diameter of a maximum external diameter portion of the lens barrel, H represents a thickness of the maximum external diameter portion of the lens barrel, and D_I represents a cylindrical internal diameter of the lens holder.

20. The camera module as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the sensor cover covering the image pickup element of the image pickup section has an abutting section that abuts the image pickup element.

21. The camera module as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the sensor cover covering the image pickup element of the image pickup section does not make contact with the image pickup element.

22. An electronic apparatus, comprising a camera module as set forth in claim 9.