IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,724,233
Granted Patent B2
US 12,724,233 · App. 18/559,208 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Camera module and vehicle comprising same

Inventors: Sung Jin Park (Seoul, KR); Ki Cheol Kim (Seoul, KR); Se Yeon Choi (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
G02B13/0035G02B7/021G02B13/008G03B17/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,724,233
App. No.
18/559,208
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The camera module disclosed in the embodiment of the invention includes a lens barrel having a through hole therein; and first, second and third lenses coupled to the through hole of the lens barrel and aligned with an optical axis from an object side to a sensor side. The materials of the first and second lenses are different, a refractive index of the second lens is lower than a refractive index of the first lens, the second lens includes a flange portion extending from the optical axis toward an inner surface of the lens barrel, and a length of a first contact surface in which the flange portion of the second lens contacts the inner surface of the lens barrel is 20% to 50% of a thickness of the flange portion. An object-side third surface and a sensor-side fourth surface of the second lens have different radii of curvature on the optical axis, and a center of the first contact surface where the flange portion of the second lens contacts the inner surface of the lens barrel may be located closer to a side having a greater radius of curvature among the third surface and the fourth surface based on a center of the thickness of the flange portion.

Claims (73)

1 . A camera module comprising:

a lens barrel having a through hole therein; and

a first lens, a second lens, and a third lens coupled to the through hole of the lens barrel and aligned with an optical axis from an object side toward a sensor side,

wherein lenses of the optical system consist of three lenses,

wherein the first lens is made of a glass material,

wherein the second lens is made of a plastic material,

wherein the first lens includes a first flange portion and an object-side first surface and a sensor-side second surface,

wherein the second lens includes a second flange portion extending from the optical axis toward an inner surface of the lens barrel,

wherein the third lens includes a third flange portion extending from the optical axis toward the inner surface of the lens barrel,

wherein the second flange portion includes a first contact surface (S 21 ) that is disposed in parallel to the optical axis and contacts the inner surface of the lens barrel, and a first non-contact surface (S 22 ) that is disposed in parallel to the optical axis and does not contact the inner surface of the lens barrel,

wherein the third flange portion includes a second contact surface (S 31 ) that is disposed in parallel to the optical axis and contacts the inner surface of the lens barrel, and a second non-contact surface (S 32 ) that is disposed in parallel to the optical axis and does not contact the inner surface of the lens barrel,

wherein a vertical length (D 5 ) of the first non-contact surface in a direction of the optical axis is longer than a vertical length (T 5 ) of the second non-contact surface,

wherein a total thickness (D 1 ) of the second flange portion is thicker than a total thickness (T 1 ) of the third flange portion,

wherein an object-side third surface and a sensor-side fourth surface of the second lens have different radii of curvature on the optical axis, and

wherein a center of the first contact surface where the second flange portion of the second lens contacts the inner surface of the lens barrel is located closer to a side having a greater radius of curvature among the third surface and the fourth surface based on a center of the total thickness of the second flange portion of the second lens, and the radii of curvature of the third and fourth surfaces are expressed as absolute values.

2 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the center of the first contact surface is located closer to an object side of the second flange portion of the second lens than the center of the total thickness of the second flange portion of the second lens in the direction of the optical axis.

3 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein a difference between the radii of curvature of the third surface and the fourth surface is 1 mm or more.

4 . The camera module of claim 3 , wherein the third surface has the radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the fourth surface, and

wherein the center of the first contact surface is located closer to an object side of the second flange portion of the second lens than the center of the total thickness of the second flange portion of the second lens in the direction of the optical axis.

5 . The camera module of claim 1 ,

wherein the first to third lenses are spaced apart from one another, and are configured to be used in an infrared camera.

6 . The camera module of claim 1 ,

wherein a diameter of the first lens is smaller than a diameter of the second lens.

7 . The camera module of claim 1 ,

wherein the camera module is configured to be used in a driver monitoring camera.

8 . The camera module of claim 1 ,

wherein an angle of view is in a range of 50 degrees to 70 degrees.

9 . The camera module of claim 1 ,

wherein the total thickness of the second flange portion of the second lens is a distance between an object-side surface of the second flange portion of the second lens and the sensor-side surface of the second flange portion of the second lens, the distance being a distance parallel to the optical axis, and

wherein the object-side surface and the sensor-side surface of the second flange portion are surfaces in contact with a spacing member or a light blocking film.

10 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein the third surface of the second lens has a concave shape on the optical axis, and

wherein the fourth surface of the second lens has a convex shape on the optical axis.

11 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein an object-side fifth surface of the third lens has a convex shape on the optical axis,

wherein a sensor-side sixth surface of the third lens has a concave shape on the optical axis,

wherein the third lens is made of a plastic material.

12 . The camera module of claim 11 , wherein a vertical length of a contact surface on an outside of the first flange portion of the first lens that is in contact with the inner surface of the lens barrel is 70% or more of the total thickness of the first flange portion.

13 . The camera module of claim 1 ,

wherein a refractive index of the third lens is lower than a refractive index of the first lens,

wherein a vertical length of the second contact surface is 20% to 50% of the total thickness of the third flange portion of the third lens,

wherein a radius of curvature of an object-side fifth surface of the third lens and a radius of curvature of a sensor-side sixth surface of the third lens are 1.0 mm or more, and

wherein a center of the second contact surface is located closer to a side having a greater radius of curvature among the object-side fifth surface of the third lens and the sensor-side sixth surface of the third lens based on a center of the total thickness of the third flange portion of the third lens and the radii of curvature of the fifth and sixth surfaces are expressed as absolute values.

14 . A camera module comprising:

a lens barrel having a through hole therein; and

a first lens, a second lens, and a third lens coupled to the through hole of the lens barrel and aligned with an optical axis from an object side toward a sensor side,

wherein lenses of the optical system consist of three lenses,

wherein the first lens is made of a glass material,

wherein the second lens is made of a plastic material,

wherein the first lens includes a first flange portion and an object-side first surface and a sensor-side second surface.

wherein the second lens includes a second flange portion extending from the optical axis toward an inner surface of the lens barrel,

wherein the third lens includes a third flange portion extending from the optical axis toward the inner surface of the lens barrel,

wherein the second flange portion includes a first contact surface (S 21 ) that is disposed in parallel to the optical axis and contacts the inner surface of the lens barrel, and a first non-contact surface (S 22 ) that is disposed in parallel to the optical axis and does not contact the inner surface of the lens barrel,

wherein the third flange portion includes a second contact surface (S 31 ) that is disposed in parallel to the optical axis and contacts the inner surface of the lens barrel, and a second non-contact surface (S 32 ) that is disposed in parallel to the optical axis and does not contact the inner surface of the lens barrel,

wherein a vertical length (D 5 ) of the first non-contact surface in a direction of the optical axis is longer than a vertical length (T 5 ) of the second non-contact surface,

wherein a total thickness (D 1 ) of the second flange portion is thicker than a total thickness (T 1 ) of the third flange portion, and

wherein a MTF change rate is 10% or less at high temperature compared to room temperature, where the room temperature is 20° C. to 30° C., and the high temperature is 80° C. to 105° C.

15 . The camera module of claim 14 , wherein an object-side third surface and a sensor-side fourth surface of the second lens have different radii of curvature on the optical axis, and

wherein a center of the first contact surface is located closer to a side having a greater radius of curvature among the third surface and the fourth surface based on a center of the thickness of the second flange portion of the second lens, and the radii of curvature of the third and fourth surfaces are expressed as absolute values.

16 . The camera module of claim 14 , wherein a diameter of the first lens is smaller than a diameter of the second lens.

17 . The camera module of claim 14 ,

wherein the third lens is made of a plastic material,

wherein a vertical length of the second contact surface is 20% to 50% of a the total thickness of the third flange portion of the third lens,

wherein an object-side fifth surface and a sensor-side sixth surface of the third lens have different radii of curvature,

wherein the radius of curvature of the object-side fifth surface of the third lens and the radius of curvature of the sensor-side sixth surface of the third lens are 1.0 mm or more, and

wherein a center of the second contact surface is located closer to a side having a greater radius of curvature among the object-side fifth surface of the third lens and the sensor-side sixth surface of the third lens based on a center of the total thickness of the third flange portion of the third lens, and the radii of curvature of the fifth and sixth surfaces are expressed as absolute values.

18 . The camera module of claim 14 ,

wherein the third surface of the second lens has a concave shape on the optical axis, and

wherein the fourth surface of the second lens has a convex shape on the optical axis.

19 . The camera module of claim 14 , wherein an object-side fifth surface of the third lens has a convex shape on the optical axis,

wherein a sensor-side sixth surface of the third lens has a concave shape on the optical axis,

wherein the third lens is made of a plastic material,

wherein a diameter of the second lens is larger than a diameter of the first lens, and

wherein a diameter of the third lens is larger than the diameter of the second lens.

20 . The camera module of claim 14 , wherein a vertical length of a contact surface on an outside of the first flange portion of the first lens that is in contact with the inner surface of the lens barrel is 70% or more of the total thickness of the first flange portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 29, 2023
From: PARK, SUNG JIN; KIM, KI CHEOL; CHOI, SE YEON
To: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065697/0829 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2021-0058854 · May 6, 2021 · national
KR 10-2021-0111247 · Aug 23, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240231048A1 · Jul 11, 2024
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