Direction-turning device for the lens of a camera phone

• US 20060261257A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jin-Chyuan Hwang
• Original Assignee: Jin-Chyuan Hwang
• Inventors: Hwang, Jin-Chyuan
• Granted Patent: US 7,217,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors

Abstract

A direction-turning device for the lens of a camera phone contained in the rear side of the camera phone includes a lens base having a pivot at two sides respectively connected pivotally in an interior wall of the groove, a driving unit able to rotate the pivot for 180 degrees, and a positioning unit having an auxiliary gear fixed with the lens base and an elastic locking wire always stopping the auxiliary gear to keep the lens base positioned stably when moved to a position electronically or manually. The driving unit and the pivot of the lens base are linked by viscous oil, enabling the lens base driven by the driving unit or manually. The invention is totally hidden to keep the camera phone looked normally and able to shift the lens to face forward or backward with a self-shooting function.

Claims

1. A direction-turning device for the lens of a camera phone comprising:

a lens base contained in a groove formed in a central top portion of a rear side of said camera phone and provided with a pivot extended outwards eccentrically at the upper portion of its two sides respectively and fitted pivotally in an interior wall of said groove so that said lens base can be turn up or down through the opening of the said groove, and a lens located in the lower portion facing outward from the rear side of said camera phone; and

a driving unit used to activate said pivot of said lens base to rotate to enable said lens base to move to change its direction;

a restricting unit used to determine when to cease said driving member so as to keep said lens base standing out of said groove vertically and said lens facing toward the front side of said camera phone.

2. A direction-diverting device for the lens of a camera phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving unit includes a motor, a worm driven by said motor, a worm gear having a hole coated with a viscous oil for engaging with one end of one of said pivots and engaging with said worm so as to indirectly drive said pivot to rotate, enabling said lens base to turn upside down for changing its direction.

3. A direction-turning device for the lens of a camera phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein a positioning unit additionally added is provided with an auxiliary gear fixed together with said lens base, an elastic locking wire provided with a conical hump protruded toward said auxiliary gear for fitting in a gap between two teeth of said auxiliary gear to enable said auxiliary gear to be stopped with said conical hump any time, keeping said lens base positioned stably.

4. A direction-turning device for the lens of a camera phone as claimed in, claim 1, wherein said restricting unit is provided with a first sensor fixed at one side of said lens base and two second sensors set at two preset portions of said lens base able to be aligned with said first sensor while said lens base stays originally or is turned for 180 degrees, for stopping said driving unit from moving.

5. A direction-turning device for the lens of a camera phone as claimed in claim 2, wherein a geared disc provided with gear teeth on one side and mounted also on said pivot is squeezed by a coiled spring to keep said gear teeth engaging closely with gear teeth formed on the inner side of said worm gear.

6. A direction-diverting device for the lens of a camera phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein said groove is communicated to a top edge of said camera phone.

7. A direction-diverting device for the lens of a camera phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein said groove is emptied through a side edge of said camera phone.