Camera modules

• US 8,432,484 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Limited (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Christison, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): COWAN, EUEL K
• Application Number:
  US11/931,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,008 Days
• Field of Search: 348373-376
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• 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 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

A camera module may include a mount and a barrel coupled to the mount. One of the barrel and the mount may include a polycarbonate material and the other of the barrel and the mount may include a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) material.

Claims

1. A camera module comprising:

a mount; and

a barrel coupled to said mount and movable along an interface therewith;

one of said barrel and said mount comprising a polycarbonate material and the other of said barrel and said mount comprising a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) material, said LCP material being self-lubricating so that the interface between said mount and said barrel is lubricated.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein said LCP material comprises at least one of Zenite®

6330 BK 10, Zenite®

5130L, Zenite®

16130A BK10, Zenite®

6635, Vectra®

S 135 D-2, XYDAR®

G390, Dupont LOP 5115, Dupont 17235, Sumitomo 5130, and Tricona E130i.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein said LOP material comprises Zenite®

5130L.

4. The camera module according to claim 1 further comprising at least one image sensing element coupled to said mount.

5. The camera module according to claim 1 further comprising at least one optical element carried by said barrel.

6. The camera module according to claim 5 wherein said at least one optical element comprises a lens.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a housing; and

a camera module carried by said housing; and

comprising

a mount, and

a barrel coupled to said mount and movable along an interface therewith,

one of said barrel and said mount comprising a polycarbonate material and the other of said barrel and said mount comprising a liquid crystal polymer (LOP) material, said LOP material being self-lubricating so that the interface between said mount and said barrel is lubricated.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein said LCP material comprises at least one of Zenite®

6330 BK 10, Zenite®

5130L, Zenite®

16130A BK10, Zenite®

6635, Vectra®

S 135 D-2, XYDAR®

G390, Dupont LOP 5115, Dupont 17235, Sumitomo 5130, and Tricona E130i.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein said LOP material is Zenite®

5130L.

10. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein said camera module further comprises at least one image sensing element coupled to said mount.

11. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein said camera module further comprises at least one optical element carried by said barrel.

12. The camera module according to claim 11 wherein said at least one optical element comprises a lens.

13. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a cellular phone, an optical mouse, a trackball, a webcam, a barcode reader, a digital still camera, a dedicated video camera, a personal computer, and a laptop computer.

14. A method of making a camera module comprising:

coupling a barrel to a mount so that it is movable along an interface therewith; and

wherein one of the barrel and the mount comprises a polycarbonate material and the other of the barrel and the mount comprises a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) material, the LCP material being self-lubricating so that the interface between the mount and the barrel is lubricated.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising coupling at least one optical element to the barrel.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one optical element comprises a lens.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising coupling at least one image sensing element to the mount.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the LCP material comprises at least one of Zenite®

6330 BK 10, Zenite®

5130L, Zenite®

16130A BK10, Zenite®

6635, Vectra®

S 135 D-2, XYDAR®

6390, Dupont LCP 5115, Dupont 17235, Sumitomo 5130, and Tricona E130i.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the LCP material comprises Zenite®

5130L.