Camera module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11809016-B2
Application number	US-202117338211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jul 12, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A camera module may comprise: a printed circuit board on which an image sensor is mounted; a holder member disposed above the printed circuit board and having a plurality of magnets installed thereon; a bobbin installed on the inside of the holder member to be capable of moving along an optical axis, and having a coil unit installed on the outer peripheral surface thereof to be capable of electrically interacting with the magnets; a plurality of receptacles formed in the peripheral surface of the bobbin to form spaces that are separated from the coil unit; and a cover member having a plurality of integrally formed inner yokes, which are formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of receptacles and have the surface on one side thereof separated a certain distance from the coil unit and the surface on the other side thereof separated a certain distance from the bobbin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A voice coil motor comprising:
a cover member comprising an upper plate and a lateral plate extending from the upper plate;
a bobbin disposed in the cover member;
a coil disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the bobbin;
a magnet facing the coil and disposed between the coil and the lateral plate of the cover member; and
an elastic member coupled to the bobbin,
wherein the cover member comprises an inner yoke extending from the upper plate of the cover member and disposed in the lateral plate of the cover member,
wherein the bobbin comprises an accommodation groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin,
wherein the inner yoke is disposed in the accommodation groove,
wherein the cover member comprises an escape groove formed on the inner yoke,
wherein at least a portion of the escape groove is disposed higher than an upper end of the magnet, and
wherein a width of a portion of the inner yoke at a position having the escape groove is smaller than a width of an end portion of the inner yoke.

2. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the inner yoke is disposed between one portion of the bobbin and another portion of the bobbin in a circumferential direction.

3. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein the inner yoke is configured to be contacted with the bobbin so that the bobbin is inhibited from rotating with respect to an optical axis direction.

4. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the inner yoke is disposed between the bobbin and the coil.

5. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein the inner yoke comprises a connection portion bent from the upper plate of the cover member, and
wherein the escape groove is disposed at a position adjacent to that of the connection portion of the inner yoke.

6. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein the escape groove comprises a pair of escape grooves symmetrically formed on both lateral surfaces of the inner yoke.

7. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein the escape groove comprises a first escape groove and a second escape groove,
wherein the width of the portion of the inner yoke between the first escape groove and the second escape groove is smaller than the width of the end portion of the inner yoke.

8. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the escape groove is not overlapped with the magnet in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction.

9. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein the escape groove has a length (L1) of 20-50% of an entire length (L2) of the inner yoke in an optical axis direction.

10. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member comprises an upper elastic member coupled to an upper portion of the bobbin and a lower elastic member coupled to a lower portion of the bobbin, and
wherein the escape groove is closer to the upper elastic member than to the lower elastic member.

11. The voice coil motor of claim 10 , wherein the escape groove is overlapped with the upper elastic member in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction.

12. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein an entire length (L2) of the inner yoke is 20-40% of an entire length (H) of the magnet in an optical axis direction.

13. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein a length (H2) of the inner yoke overlapped with the coil by being inserted in the accommodation groove is greater than a backstroke distance of the bobbin.

14. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the inner yoke has a width gradually being widened as approaching the end portion of the inner yoke.

15. The voice coil motor of claim 1 , wherein the bobbin comprises first and second protrusions protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin,
wherein the second protrusion is disposed below the first protrusion,
wherein the coil is disposed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and
wherein a lower end of the inner yoke is disposed at a position lower than that of a lower end of the first protrusion and at a position higher than that of an upper end of the second protrusion.

16. A camera module comprising:
a PCB (Printed Circuit Board);
an image sensor disposed on the PCB;
the voice coil motor of claim 1 disposed above the PCB; and
a lens coupled to the bobbin of the voice coil motor.

17. A voice coil motor comprising:
a cover member comprising an upper plate and a lateral plate extending from the upper plate;
a bobbin disposed in the cover member;
a coil disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the bobbin;
a magnet facing the coil and disposed between the coil and the lateral plate of the cover member; and
an elastic member coupled to the bobbin,
wherein the cover member comprises an inner yoke extending from the upper plate of the cover member and disposed in the lateral plate of the cover member,
wherein the bobbin comprises an accommodation groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin,
wherein the inner yoke is disposed in the accommodation groove,
wherein the cover member comprises an escape groove formed on the inner yoke,
wherein at least a portion of the escape groove is disposed higher than an upper end of the magnet, and
wherein a width of a portion of the inner yoke gradually increases as an end portion of the inner yoke is approached.

18. The voice coil motor of claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of the inner yoke is disposed between one portion of the bobbin and another portion of the bobbin in a circumferential direction.

19. The voice coil motor of claim 17 , wherein the inner yoke comprises a connection portion bent from the upper plate of the cover member, and
wherein the escape groove is disposed at a position adjacent to that of the connection portion of the inner yoke.

20. A voice coil motor comprising:
a cover member comprising an upper plate and a lateral plate extending from the upper plate;
a bobbin disposed in the cover member;
a coil disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the bobbin;
a magnet facing the coil and disposed between the coil and the lateral plate of the cover member; and
an upper elastic member coupled to an upper portion of the bobbin,
wherein the cover member comprises an inner yoke extending from the upper plate of the cover member and disposed in the lateral plate of the cover member,
wherein the bobbin comprises an accommodation groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin,
wherein the inner yoke is disposed in the accommodation groove,
wherein the cover member comprises an escape groove formed on the inner yoke, and
wherein the escape groove is overlapped with the upper elastic member in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Min Sang Jun
• Yoo Hyune O
• Lee Sung Guk

Classifications

• G03B13/36

  Autofocus systems · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• G03B3/10

  Power-operated focusing · CPC title

• H04N23/54 Primary

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• G02B7/28 Primary

  Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals · CPC title