Camera module

• US 20060193064A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Sung Chan
• Application Number:
  US11/319,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20060193064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/811
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/12 Fluid-filled or evacuated lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/021 for more than one lens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/28 Locating light-sensitive material within camera
• 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

Abstract

The invention provides a camera module in which lens frames having lenses are assembled together by stacking. The camera module includes a first lens frame having at least one first lens therein, and at least one second lens frame fastened with the first lens frame. The second lens frame has a second lens fixed therein in optical alignment with the first lens. An image sensor is disposed in the lower portion of the second lens frame to sense an image of an object introduced through the lenses. The invention allows combinations of diverse forms of lenses, and further, the second lens frame can be additionally assembled to adjust the number of lenses in the module.

Claims

1. A camera module comprising:

a first lens frame having at least one first lens therein;

at least one second lens frame fastened with the first lens frame, having a second lens fixed therein in optical alignment with the first lens; and

an image sensor disposed in the lower portion of the second lens frame to sense an image of an object introduced through the lenses, wherein the first and second lens frames are assembled together.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the first lens frame has a fastening protrusion formed in a lower portion, and the second lens frame has a fastening opening formed in an upper portion to receive the fastening protrusion of the first lens frame and a fastening protrusion formed in a lower portion with a configuration to fit into.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the first lens frame has a fastening opening formed in a lower portion, and the second lens frame has a fastening protrusion formed in an upper portion received in the fastening opening of the first lens frame and a fastening opening formed in a lower portion with a configuration to receive.

4. The camera module according to claim 2, wherein the fastening opening and the fastening protrusion are disposed outside of image regions of the first and second lenses.

5. The camera module according to claim 2, wherein the fastening protrusion has male threads and the fastening opening has female threads to be screwed into the male threads of the fastening protrusion.

6. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the first lens frame has a fastening hole formed in a lower portion, and the second lens frame has a fastening pin formed in an upper portion to be inserted into the fastening hole of the first lens frame and a fastening hole formed in a lower portion with a configuration to fixedly receive the fastening pin.

7. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the first lens has means for rotating the lens to adjust the focus of the lens.

8. The camera module according to claim 7, wherein the rotation means comprise a handle, or a hole with either a lever or a jig.

9. A camera module comprising:

a first lens frame having at least one liquid lens therein;

at least one second lens frame fastened with the first lens frame, having at least one solid lens fixed therein in optical alignment with the liquid lens; and

an image sensor disposed in the lower portion of the second lens frame to sense an image of an object introduced through the lenses, wherein the first and second lens frames are assembled together by stacking one on the other.

10. The camera module according to claim 9, wherein the first lens frame comprises an upper liquid lens part and a lower liquid lens part, the upper liquid lens part stacked on and fastened with the lower liquid part, forming a lens cavity.

11. The camera module according to claim 10, wherein the upper liquid lens part has a fastening opening formed in a lower portion, and the lower liquid lens part has a fastening protrusion formed in an upper portion to be received in the fastening opening of the upper liquid lens part and a fastening opening formed in a lower portion with a configuration to receive.

12. The camera module according to claim 10, wherein the upper liquid lens part has a fastening protrusion formed in a lower portion, and the lower liquid lens part has a fastening opening formed in an upper portion to receive the fastening protrusion of the upper liquid lens part and a fastening protrusion formed in a lower portion with a configuration to fit into.

13. The camera module according to claim 11, wherein the fastening opening and the fastening protrusion are disposed outside of image regions of the liquid lens, the solid lens, a central lens of a solid lens connecting part, and a central lens of a lower solid lens part.

14. The camera module according to claim 11, wherein the fastening protrusion has male threads and the fastening opening has female threads to be screwed into the male threads of the fastening opening.

15. The camera module according to claim 10, wherein the upper liquid lens part has a fastening hole formed in a lower portion, and the lower liquid lens part has a fastening pin formed in an upper portion to be inserted into the fastening hole of the upper liquid lens part and a fastening hole formed in a lower portion with a configuration to fixedly receive the fastening pin.

16. The camera module according to 9, wherein the second lens frame comprises an upper solid lens part having an upper solid lens, a solid lens connecting part having a central lens, and a lower solid lens part having a lower central lens.

17. The camera module according to claim 16, wherein the upper solid lens part has a fastening opening formed in a lower portion, the solid lens connecting part has a fastening protrusion formed in an upper portion to fit into the fastening opening of the upper solid lens part and a fastening protrusion formed in a lower portion with a configuration to fit into a fastening opening formed in an upper portion of the lower solid lens part.

18. The camera module according to claim 16, wherein the upper solid lens part has a fastening protrusion formed in a lower portion, the solid lens connecting part has a fastening opening formed in an upper portion to receive the fastening protrusion of the upper solid lens part and a fastening opening formed in a lower portion to receive a fastening protrusion formed in an upper portion of the lower solid lens protrusion part.

19. The camera module according to claim 17, wherein the fastening opening and the fastening protrusion are disposed outside of image regions of the upper solid lens, a central lens for the solid lens connecting part, and a central lens for the lower solid lens part.

20. The camera module according to claim 17, wherein the fastening protrusion has male threads and the fastening opening has female threads to be screwed into the male threads of the fastening protrusion.

21. The camera module according to claim 16, wherein the upper solid lens part has a lower fastening hole formed in a lower portion, the solid lens connecting part has an upper fastening pin formed in an upper portion to be fit into the lower fastening hole of the upper solid lens part and a lower fastening hole formed in a lower portion with a configuration to fixedly receive the upper fastening pin, and the lower solid lens part has an upper fastening pin formed in an upper portion to fit into the lower fastening hole of the solid lens connecting part and a lower fastening hole formed in a lower portion.

22. The camera module according to claim 16, wherein the solid lens connecting part is stacked between the upper solid lens part and the lower solid lens part.

23. The camera module according to claim 10, wherein the first liquid lens comprises non-conductive oil-based liquid filled in a lower central portion of the liquid lens, and conductive water-based liquid injected into the lens cavity formed between the upper and lower liquid lens parts fastened with each other.

24. The camera module according to claim 23, further comprising:

at least two micro-tubes provided in side portions of the upper liquid lens part and/or the lower liquid lens part;

a pump connected to one of the micro-tubes; and

a liquid storage structure connected to the rest of the micro-tubes and filled with conductive water-based liquid, whereby the first liquid lens is formed by filling in the lens cavity, without producing any air bubbles, with the conductive water-based liquid in the amount equivalent to the amount vacuumed through the micro-tube connected to the liquid storage structure, due to the atmospheric pressure difference occurring as the inner air is drawn out from the lens cavity through the micro-tube connected to the pump.