Camera module having foreign objects blocking structure and a method for assembling the same

• US 10,015,382 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yeon, Byoung Yun, Chae, Kyung Pil, Jung, Cheol Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Usman
• Application Number:
  US15/161,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 348374
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/12 with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• 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: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/30 Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a camera module, the camera module including a base formed at an upper surface of a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with an image sensor, and formed with an IRCF (Infrared Cut Filter) at a position corresponding to that of the image sensor, a bobbin vertically reciprocatively formed at an upper surface of the base, and having a bobbin screw thread at an upper surface, a lens barrel formed with a lens barrel screw thread at an outer surface for being screw-connected to an interior of the bobbin and mounted with at least one or more lenses, and a foreign object blocking unit formed at a screw-connected portion between the bobbin and the lens barrel to prevent sticky and adhesive foreign objects from being transmitted to an IRCF (Infrared Cut Filter) in the course of screw-connection between the lens barrel and the bobbin.

Claims

1. A camera module, the camera module comprising:

a Printed Circuit Board (PCB);

an image sensor coupled to the PCB;

a base disposed on the image sensor;

a bobbin disposed on the base;

a lens barrel coupled to the bobbin;

wherein the bobbin comprises a bobbin screw thread formed at an inner surface of the bobbin,

wherein the lens barrel comprises a first screw thread and a second screw thread both formed at an outer surface of the lens barrel,

wherein the first screw thread of the lens barrel is meshed with the bobbin screw thread of the bobbin,

wherein the second screw thread is disposed below the first screw thread,

wherein the second screw thread is spaced apart from the inner surface of the bobbin, and

wherein the second screw thread has a height smaller than that of the first screw thread.

2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the second screw thread protrudes toward the bobbin screw thread and is formed with a size smaller than that of the bobbin screw thread of the bobbin.

3. The camera module of claim 2, wherein the second screw thread is disposed between the first screw thread and a bottom surface of the bobbin.

4. The camera module of claim 2, wherein the second screw thread is smaller than the first screw thread.

5. The camera module of claim 2, wherein an adhesive member is disposed on a portion of the second screw thread.

6. The camera module of claim 5, wherein the adhesive member is configured to collect a foreign object generated between the bobbin and the lens barrel.

7. The camera module of claim 2, wherein the second screw thread is protrusively formed at the outer surface of the lens barrel.

8. The camera module of claim 7, further comprising a blocking screw thread protrusively formed below the second screw thread.

9. The camera module of claim 8, wherein an adhesive member is disposed on the second screw thread, and

wherein the adhesive member is spaced apart from the blocking screw thread.

10. The camera module of claim 5, wherein a concave groove is formed between an upper surface of the second screw thread and the outer surface of the lens barrel.

11. The camera module of claim 5, wherein the adhesive member has a thickness smaller than a distance between the bobbin screw thread and the second screw thread.

12. The camera module of claim 2, wherein the second screw thread is not brought into contact with the bobbin screw thread to be spaced apart at a predetermined distance.

13. The camera module of claim 2, wherein an angle formed by an upper surface of the second screw thread and the outer surface of the lens barrel is an acute angle.

14. The camera module of claim 5, further comprising an IRCF (Infrared Cut Filter) at a position corresponding to that of the image sensor.

15. A camera module comprising:

a holder comprising an opening and a first screw thread formed at an inner surface of the opening;

a lens barrel disposed in the holder and comprising a second screw thread;

a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) disposed below the holder;

an image sensor coupled to the PCB,

wherein a D-cut region is formed at an outer surface of the lens barrel by removing a portion of the second screw thread of the lens barrel such that a staircase is formed by the D-cut region and a D-cut free region,

wherein the D-cut region is positioned between the lens barrel and the holder, and

wherein an epoxy is disposed on the D-cut region to be inhibited from flowing down the staircase.

16. The camera module of claim 15, wherein the D-cut region is formed at a portion of an upper surface of the lens barrel.

17. The camera module of claim 15, wherein the epoxy is an epoxy cured by light or heat.

18. The camera module of claim 15, wherein the epoxy is an Ultraviolet (UV) epoxy.

19. A method for assembling a camera module, the method comprising:

forming a first screw thread on an outer surface of a lens barrel;

forming a second screw thread corresponding to the first screw thread of the lens barrel at an inner surface of an opening of a holder;

forming a D-cut region at the outer surface of the lens barrel by removing a part of the first screw thread to form a staircase by the D-cut region and a D-cut free region;

coupling the lens barrel comprising one or more sheets of lenses receiving an optical image of an object to the holder by screw-connection;

adhering the holder to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) mounted with an image sensor;

filling an epoxy between the D-cut region and the holder, but not the D-cut free region, such that the staircase inhibits the epoxy from flowing down and the coupled lens barrel and the holder are spaced apart at the D-cut region for inhibiting erroneous focusing operations;

performing a focusing process of matching a focus on the object through the lenses to an incident surface of the image sensor; and

curing the epoxy by irradiating light or heat to the epoxy.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the D-cut region is positioned between the lens barrel and the holder.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of inspecting the focusing process after the step of curing the epoxy by irradiating light or heat to the epoxy.