The disclosure relates to a lens module for a wearable terminal, an in-vehicle (on-board) camera, a surveillance camera, and the like.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-276731, a compact image pickup apparatus described above includes an operation ring disposed on an outer circumference of a barrel member that is manually rotatable by the user to move a lens unit for focusing. In the image pickup apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-276731, a screw is inserted through a long groove formed in the operation ring, the tip of the screw is screwed into a circumferential wall portion of the barrel member, and a rotatable range of the operation ring relative to the barrel member is restricted to a range corresponding to the length of the long groove.
In the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-276731, a screw hole into which the tip of the screw is screwed is formed in the circumferential wall portion of the barrel member, and in order to secure the depth of the screw hole, the radial thickness of the circumferential wall portion is to be increased. As a result, it becomes difficult to reduce the size of the image pickup apparatus.
A lens module according to one aspect of the disclosure includes a lens unit that includes a barrel member that holds a lens, and an operating member fixed to an outer circumference of the barrel member, a holding member that rotatably holds the lens unit, and a fixed member fixed to the operating member with a screw. The barrel member includes first convex portions configured to fix the lens at a plurality of locations in a circumferential direction. The operating member includes a second convex portion disposed between the first convex portions in the circumferential direction. A screw hole into which the screw is screwed is formed in a radial direction at a portion in the circumferential direction of the operating member, in which the second convex portion is provided.
Further features of various embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings, a description will be given of embodiments according to the present disclosure.
The camera unit 100 includes a camera module 1 (a lens module) as an image pickup apparatus, an exterior case 2, and a rear cover 3. The camera module 1 is housed in the exterior case 2 so that a part of it (barrel) is exposed from an opening provided in the front surface of the exterior case 2, and is fixed and held in the exterior case 2 by unillustrated screws. A gap between the opening of the exterior case 2 and the camera module 1 is sealed by an unillustrated sealing member. This structure can prevent dust and water from entering the inside through the gap between the exterior case 2 and the camera module 1. The lens module according to this embodiment does not necessarily include an image sensor, unlike the image pickup apparatus that includes the image sensor.
The rear cover 3 is fixed to the rear end of the exterior case 2 housing the camera module 1 by unillustrated screws. An unillustrated sealing member is also disposed between the exterior case 2 and the rear cover 3, which prevents dust and water from entering the inside through the gap between the exterior case 2 and the rear cover 3. The rear cover 3 has an unillustrated external interface, and by connecting a cable to the external interface, a video signal generated by the camera module 1 through imaging can be output to the outside. Instead of the external interface, a transmitter configured to transmit the video signal to the outside via wireless communication may be provided.
The camera module 1 includes a holding member 4 having a barrel holder 4g and a board holder 4f, a lens unit 5 housed in the barrel holder 4g, a circuit board 18 housed in the board holder 4f, and a cover 21 fixed to the rear end of the board holder 4f.
The lens unit 5 includes a barrel frame 6 as a barrel member, a first lens 7, a second lens 8, a third lens 9 held inside the barrel frame 6, an operation ring 13 as an operating member disposed on the outer circumference of the barrel frame 6, and a rotation restricting member 15 as a fixed member.
The operation ring 13 is disposed on the outer circumference of the barrel frame 6. The operation ring 13 is fixed to the barrel frame 6 with an adhesive. The outer circumference of the operation ring 13 is provided with an outer circumferential threaded portion 13a and a circumferential groove portion 13b. A first elastic body 10 as a first sealing member is an O-ring, and is fitted into the circumferential groove portion 13b and attached to the operation ring 13.
While the first elastic body 10 is attached to the operation ring 13, the lens unit 5 is inserted from the rear into the barrel holder 4g of the holding member 4. At this time, the lens unit 5 is rotated around an optical axis OA so that the outer circumferential threaded portion 13a of the operation ring 13 is engaged with (screwed with) an inner circumferential threaded portion 4a provided on the inner circumferential portion of the barrel holder 4g. Thereby, the lens unit 5 is held by the holding member 4.
The outer circumferential threaded portion 13a and the inner circumferential threaded portion 4a form a screw mechanism. The lens unit 5 held by the holding member 4 can be rotated relative to the holding member 4 with the outer circumferential threaded portion 13a and the inner circumferential threaded portion 4a screwed together. By rotating the lens unit 5 relative to the holding member 4, the lens unit 5 moves in a direction in which the optical axis OA extends (optical axis direction) relative to the holding member 4 according to the lead of the outer circumferential threaded portion 13a and the inner circumferential threaded portion 4a. The first elastic body 10 is sandwiched between the outer circumferential portion of the operation ring 13 and the inner circumferential portion of the barrel holder 4g, and thereby seals the gap between the outer circumferential portion of the operation ring 13 and the inner circumferential portion of the barrel holder 4g. This structure can prevent dust and water from entering through the gap.
The rotation restricting member 15 has three holes 15c, and three screws 16 are inserted into these holes 15c with their tips passing through the holes 15c. While the lens unit 5 is rotated and moved to a proper position in the optical axis direction relative to the holding member 4, the tips of the three screws 16 protruding from the rotation restricting member 15 are screwed into three screw holes 13c provided in the operation ring 13 from the outside of the operation ring 13 in the radial direction. Thereby, the rotation restricting member 15 is fixed to the operation ring 13.
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A first engagement portion 4d and a second engagement portion 4e are provided at the front and rear portions of the inner circumference of the barrel holder 4g of the holding member 4. A first sliding portion 13d and a second sliding portion 13e are provided at the middle and rear portions in the optical axis direction (front-back direction) of the outer circumference of the operation ring 13, respectively. The first engagement portion 4d is engaged with (fitted to) the first sliding portion 13d slidably in the circumferential direction, and the second engagement portion 4e is engaged with (fitted to) the second sliding portion 13e slidably in the same direction. Thereby, the lens unit 5 can be rotatably held by the holding member 4 steadily (without looseness).
The circuit board 18 is mounted with an image sensor 17, an unillustrated connector, an unillustrated electronic device, and the like. The circuit board 18 is fixed to a sensor metal plate 19 by an adhesive in a state where the position is adjusted so that the center of the light receiving surface of the image sensor 17 coincides with the optical axis OA of the lens unit 5. The sensor metal plate 19 is fixed to a receiving portion 4h provided in the board holder 4f of the holding member 4 by a screw 20. A cover 21 is fixed to the rear end portion of the board holder 4f to which the sensor metal plate 19 is fixed by an unillustrated screw. Thereby, the board holder 4f is sealed.
The camera module 1 thus configured generates a video signal by photoelectrically converting (capturing) an object image formed by the imaging optical system that includes the first to third lenses 7 to 9 in the lens unit 5 using the image sensor 17. In a case where the user rotates the operation ring 13, the lens unit 5 is moved in the optical axis direction relative to the holding member 4 according to the lead of the outer circumferential threaded portion 13a and the inner circumferential threaded portion 4a described above. Thereby, the user can adjust a distance in the optical axis direction between the lens unit (imaging optical system) 5 and the image sensor 17, i.e., optical adjustment such as focusing.
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The third lens 9 is inserted into the barrel frame 6 from the opening 6c. As illustrated in
The press ring 11 screwed into the barrel frame 6 and the second sliding portion 13e of the operation ring 13 overlap each other in the radial direction. That is, the press ring 11 is disposed at a position where it radially overlaps a part of the second sliding portion 13e in the optical axis direction. This structure can increase a distance in the optical axis direction between the first sliding portion 13d and the second sliding portion 13e, and increase the engagement length between the lens unit 5 and the holding member 4. Thereby, the lens unit 5 can be suppressed from tilting relative to the holding member 4, and optical performance deterioration can be suppressed.
As described above, this embodiment can provide a camera module 1 having a reduced size and a configuration that restricts the rotatable range of the operation ring 13 relative to the barrel frame 6 by using the screws 16.
In this embodiment, the fixed member is a rotation restricting member 15, but the fixed member may be a member other than the rotation restricting member, for example a member that restricts movement of the lens unit 5 in the optical axis direction.
While the disclosure has described example embodiments, it is to be understood that some embodiments are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This embodiment can provide a lens module that has a reduced size and can secure the depth of the screw hole formed in the operating member.
This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-192689, which was filed on Nov. 13, 2023, and which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2023-192689 | Nov 2023 | JP | national |