IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,102,387
Granted Patent B2
US 11,102,387 · App. 16/562,501 · Granted Aug 24, 2021

Camera module including multiple lens barrels

Inventors: Ta Kyoung Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Young Hwan Kwon (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
H04N5/2254G02B13/001G03B3/10H04N5/2253H04N5/2252
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,102,387
App. No.
16/562,501
Granted
Aug 24, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A camera module includes a housing defining an internal space; a reflection module disposed in the internal space and including a reflective member and a holder movably supported by an inner wall of the housing; and a lens module provided in the internal space, and including lenses aligned in an optical axis direction so that light reflected by the reflective member is incident to the lenses. The lens module includes lens barrels accommodating the lenses, and the plurality of lens barrels move in an approximate optical axis direction in the internal space while being supported by ball bearings. At least two of the lens barrels share a guide groove to guide movements of the ball bearings.

Claims (28)

1. A camera module comprising:

a housing defining an internal space; and

a lens module provided in the internal space, and comprising lenses aligned in an optical axis direction,

wherein the lens module comprises a plurality of lens barrels accommodating the lenses, and the plurality of lens barrels are configured to move in the optical axis direction in the internal space while being supported by ball bearings, and

at least two of the plurality of lens barrels share a guide groove configured to guide movements of the ball bearings.

2. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the guide groove is disposed in a surface of the housing that is parallel to the optical axis direction.

3. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the at least two lens barrels that share the guide groove are configured to implement a zoom function, and another one of the lens barrels is configured to implement an auto-focusing (AF) function.

4. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the at least two lens barrels that share the guide groove are configured to implement a zoom function, and remaining lens barrels, other than the at least two lens barrels, are configured to implement an auto-focusing (AF) function.

5. The camera module of claim 4 , wherein the remaining lens barrels comprise one lens barrel.

6. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lens barrels comprises a first lens barrel and a second lens barrel, and the first lens barrel and the second lens barrel share the guide groove.

7. The camera module of claim 6 , wherein the ball bearings comprise first ball bearings disposed between the housing and the first lens barrel and second ball bearings disposed between the housing and the second lens barrel.

8. The camera module of claim 7 , wherein the first lens barrel comprises a first magnet configured to interact with a first coil disposed in the housing, and the second lens barrel comprises a second magnet configured to interact with a second coil disposed in the housing.

9. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the ball bearings are disposed between a bottom surface of the housing and the plurality of lens barrels, and

wherein a pulling yoke and a pulling magnet are selectively disposed on the bottom surface of the housing and a lower surface of the plurality of lens barrels.

10. The camera module of claim 9 , wherein at least some of the plurality of lens barrels comprises a driving magnet disposed on only one side surface thereof, and

wherein the pulling yoke or pulling magnet is biased toward the one side surface on which the driving magnet is disposed with respect to a center of the housing.

11. The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the at least two lens barrels that share the guide groove have a same length in the optical axis direction.

12. The camera module of claim 11 , wherein the at least two lens barrels that share the guide groove each comprise a lens seating portion and an extending portion extending in the optical axis direction.

13. The camera module of claim 12 , wherein each of the extending portions comprises a driving magnet.

14. The camera module of claim 1 , further comprising a reflection module disposed in the internal space, and comprising a reflective member and a holder movably supported by an inner wall of the housing.

15. A camera module comprising:

a housing defining an internal space; and

a lens module disposed in the internal space, and comprising lenses aligned in an optical axis direction,

wherein the lens module comprises a plurality of lens barrels accommodating the lenses, and the plurality of lens barrels are configured to move in the optical axis direction by a driving magnet disposed in the housing and a driving coil disposed in one or more of the lens barrels, and

a pulling yoke and a pulling magnet are selectively disposed on a bottom surface of the housing and a lower surface of one or more of the lens barrels,

wherein the pulling yoke or pulling magnet is biased toward one side surface of the housing with respect to a center of the housing.

16. The camera module of claim 15 , wherein some of the plurality of lens barrels comprise a driving magnet on only one side surface.

17. The camera module of claim 15 , further comprising a reflection module disposed in the internal space, and comprising a reflective member and a holder movably supported by an inner wall of the housing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2019
From: LEE, TA KYOUNG; KWON, YOUNG HWAN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 050288/0402 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2018-0129132 · Oct 26, 2018 · national
KR 10-2019-0037838 · Apr 1, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200137274A1 · Apr 30, 2020
Cited By (4)
US 12,382,155 US 12,416,847 US 12,422,642 US 12,449,632