Camera module having a housing and an electronic circuit pattern layer formed thereon

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9807286-B2
Application number	US-201314409529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2013
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with an image sensor, a housing arranged on an upper surface of the PCB and including therein at least one or more lenses, an actuator positioned on the housing, and an electronic circuit pattern layer formed at an non-exposed surface of the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A camera module, the camera module comprising:
a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) comprising a first terminal unit disposed on an upper surface of the PCB;
a housing disposed on the upper surface of the PCB and comprising an inner circular cylindrical surface forming a lens accommodating portion accommodating at least one lens and a bottom surface being in contact with the upper surface of the PCB;
an actuator coupled with the housing and comprising an outer circular cylindrical surface in contact with the inner circular cylindrical surface of the housing;
an electronic circuit pattern layer electrically connected to the first terminal unit of the PCB and the actuator; and
a metal material of shield can covering the housing,
wherein the electronic circuit pattern layer comprises a first electric line formed along the inner circular cylindrical surface of the housing and a second electric line formed along the bottom surface of the housing,
wherein the first electric line comprises a first portion horizontally extending along the inner circular cylindrical surface of the housing and a second portion connecting the first portion and the second electric line,
wherein the first portion of the first electric line lies at right angles to the second portion of the first electric line,
wherein the outer circular cylindrical surface of the actuator faces the first portion of the first electric line formed on the inner circular cylindrical surface of the housing,
wherein an actuator terminal of the actuator is connected to a portion of the first portion,
wherein the second electric line comprises a second terminal unit being in contact with the first terminal unit of the PCB, a third portion extending from the second terminal unit, and a fourth portion connecting the first electric line and the third portion of the second electric line, and
wherein the fourth portion of the second electric line lies at right angles to the third portion of the second electric line.

2. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a lens holder arranged therein with at least one lens.

3. The camera module of claim 2 , wherein the electronic circuit pattern layer is formed on the inner surface of the housing facing the lens holder.

4. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the housing is directly disposed thereinside with at least one lens.

5. The camera module of claim 4 , wherein the electronic circuit pattern layer is formed on the inner circular cylindrical surface of the housing facing the lens.

6. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit pattern layer is connected at a first end to the actuator, and is connected at a second end to the first terminal unit of the PCB.

7. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises at least two connection terminals.

8. The camera module of claim 7 , wherein one connection terminal is connected to a plus terminal and another connection terminal is connected to a ground terminal.

9. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the actuator terminal is connected to the first portion of the first electric line by any one of a soldering, a wire bonding, a conductive epoxy bonding and a direction connection method.

10. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal unit of the PCB is conductibly connected to the electronic circuit pattern layer by any one of a soldering, a wire bonding, a conductive epoxy bonding and a direction connection method.

11. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the actuator performs any one function of an auto focusing function, a handshake prevention function, a shutter function, and a zoom function.

12. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the actuator adjusts a focus of an image captured by the image sensor by adjusting a refractive index of light passing through the lenses.

13. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises any one of a micro actuator, a liquid crystal lens, a non-micro actuator like a piezoelectric polymer lens, a silicon type actuator, and a liquid lens.

14. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the shield can is configured to shield the EMI (Electromagnetic Interference).

15. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the first electric line comprises a first part and a second part extended opposite to the first part and spaced from the first part.

16. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is disposed on an upper end of the inner surface of the housing.

17. The camera module of claim 2 , wherein the second portion of the electronic circuit pattern layer faces the lens holder.

18. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit pattern layer is not disposed on an upper surface of the housing.

19. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein a length of the first portion extending horizontally extending along the inner circular cylindrical surface of the housing is greater than a horizontal width of the second portion of the first electric line.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hack Ho

Classifications

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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

• G03B17/02

  Bodies · CPC title

• G03B9/08

  Shutters · CPC title

• H04N5/2254 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic