KR102783490B1 - Lens moving apparatus and camera module including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment includes a housing, a bobbin disposed within the housing, a coil and a magnet for moving the bobbin in the direction of an optical axis, an elastic member coupled with the housing and the bobbin, and a damping member disposed between the bobbin and the housing, wherein the bobbin includes a protrusion protruding from an outer surface of the bobbin, the housing includes a receiving groove overlapping the protrusion of the bobbin in the direction of the optical axis, and the damping member is coupled with the protrusion of the bobbin and the receiving groove of the housing.

Description

{LENS MOVING APPARATUS AND CAMERA MODULE INCLUDING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a lens driving device and a camera module including the same, and more particularly, to a lens driving device and a camera module that prevent optical axis direction resonance of the bobbin by damping optical axis direction vibration of the bobbin when performing auto focusing.

Recently, the development of IT products such as mobile phones, smart phones, tablet PCs, and laptops with built-in miniature digital cameras is actively underway.

In the case of IT products with conventional built-in miniature digital cameras, a lens drive device is built in to align the focal length of the lens by adjusting the gap between the image sensor that converts external light into a digital image or digital video and the lens.

However, conventional ultra-small digital cameras are configured to execute a control process to find a point where the sharpest image is generated on the image sensor based on the sharpness of the digital image formed on the image sensor according to the distance between the lens and the image sensor in order to perform the auto-focus function. When this auto-focus method is executed, the bobbin on which the lens is mounted moves in the direction of the optical axis, and when this bobbin moves in the direction of the optical axis, vibration occurs in the bobbin in the direction of the optical axis. When the frequency of this vibration of the bobbin in the direction of the optical axis approaches or matches the natural frequency of the bobbin and the housing, a resonance phenomenon occurs between the bobbin and the housing that are connected to each other by the elastic member, and this causes a problem that the elastic recovery range of the elastic member is exceeded, the life of the elastic member is reduced, or if the resonance phenomenon is severe, the elastic member connecting the bobbin and the housing is damaged.

Accordingly, the embodiment provides a lens driving device capable of eliminating a resonance phenomenon during auto-focusing execution and a camera module including the same.

In addition, the embodiment provides a lens driving device and a camera module including the same that more efficiently eliminates a resonance phenomenon when performing auto-focusing.

In addition, the embodiment provides a lens driving device and a camera module including the same that prevents loss of a damping part during a cleaning process of an assembled lens driving device during a manufacturing process of the lens driving device.

A housing according to an embodiment; a bobbin disposed within the housing; a coil and a magnet for moving the bobbin in the direction of an optical axis; an elastic member coupled with the housing and the bobbin; and a damping member disposed between the bobbin and the housing, wherein the bobbin includes a protrusion protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the bobbin, the housing includes a receiving groove overlapping the protrusion of the bobbin in the direction of the optical axis, and the damping member is coupled with the protrusion of the bobbin and the receiving groove of the housing.

The protrusion of the above bobbin may be positioned higher than the bottom surface of the receiving groove of the above housing.

The protrusion of the above bobbin may be positioned lower than the bottom surface of the receiving groove of the above housing.

The bottom surface of the above-described receiving groove can contact the protrusion when the bobbin moves downward, thereby limiting the downward movement range of the bobbin.

The above housing includes a side portion and a corner portion. The above protrusion of the bobbin can protrude in a direction toward the above corner portion of the housing.

The above elastic member may include an upper elastic member including a first inner frame coupled with an upper portion of the bobbin, a first outer frame coupled with an upper portion of the housing, and a first connecting portion connecting the first inner frame and the first outer frame. The first outer frame may include a groove provided at a position corresponding to the receiving groove of the housing.

The protrusion may be positioned closer to the upper surface of the bobbin than to the lower surface of the bobbin. Alternatively, the protrusion may be positioned closer to the lower surface of the bobbin than to the upper surface of the bobbin.

The housing includes a side portion and a corner portion, and the protrusion portion can protrude in a direction toward the side portion of the housing.

The above elastic member may include a lower elastic member coupled with a lower portion of the bobbin and a lower portion of the housing.

The above coil may be placed on the bobbin, and the above magnet may be placed on the housing.

The above elastic member may include two springs electrically connected to the coil. The lens driving device may include a circuit board electrically connected to the two springs.

The above lens driving device may include a sensing magnet arranged on the bobbin; and a position detection sensor facing the sensing magnet to detect the position of the bobbin.

According to another embodiment, a lens driving device includes a housing; a bobbin disposed in the housing; a coil and a magnet for moving the bobbin in the direction of an optical axis; an elastic member coupled with the bobbin and the housing; and a damping member disposed between the bobbin and the housing, wherein the bobbin includes a protrusion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the optical axis, the housing includes a receiving groove overlapping the protrusion of the bobbin in the direction of the optical axis, and the damping member is coupled with the protrusion of the bobbin and the receiving groove of the housing, and can be spaced apart from the elastic member.

The elastic member includes an upper elastic member including an inner frame coupled with an upper portion of the bobbin, an outer frame coupled with an upper portion of the housing, and a connecting portion connecting the inner frame and the outer frame, wherein the bobbin includes a first protrusion coupled with the inner frame, the housing includes a second protrusion coupled with the outer frame, and when viewed from above, the protrusion of the bobbin can be positioned close to the second protrusion.

A camera module according to an embodiment includes a lens; a lens driving device as described above; and an image sensor.

The embodiment can dampen vibration of the bobbin in the optical axis direction when auto-focusing is performed by including a damping member between the bobbin and the housing. As a result, the embodiment can eliminate resonance phenomenon in the optical axis direction of the lens driving device when auto-focusing is performed. As a result, the embodiment can prevent damage and breakage of the upper elastic member and/or the lower elastic member connecting the bobbin and the housing.

In addition, the embodiment can increase the damping area of the damping portion by providing a damping connecting portion that increases the attachment area of the damping portion between the bobbin and the housing, thereby more efficiently eliminating the resonance phenomenon during auto-focusing execution and improving the attachment stability of the damping portion between the bobbin and the housing.

In addition, the embodiment provides a damping member between the bobbin and the housing, thereby preventing the damping member from being exposed to the outside during a cleaning process of an assembled lens driving device during a manufacturing process of the lens driving device, and as a result, preventing part or all of the damping member from being lost due to the hydraulic pressure of the cleaning liquid during the cleaning process.

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a lens driving device according to an embodiment.
Figure 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a lens driving device according to an embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the lens driving device with the cover member removed in Fig. 1.
Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a housing according to an embodiment.
Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the housing viewed from a different angle than Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a schematic bottom perspective view of a housing according to an embodiment.
Figure 8 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a housing according to an embodiment.
Figure 9 is a schematic plan view of an upper elastic member according to an embodiment.
Figure 10 is a schematic plan view of a lower elastic member according to an embodiment.
Figure 11 is a schematic perspective view of a bobbin according to an embodiment.
Figure 12 is a schematic bottom perspective view of a bobbin according to an embodiment.
Figure 13 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a bobbin according to one embodiment of the invention.
Figure 14 is a partially enlarged perspective view of Figure 13.
Figure 15 is a partially enlarged bottom view of Figure 13.
Figure 16 is a schematic partial enlarged perspective view of a receiving home according to an embodiment.
FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bobbin according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 18 is a bottom view of a bobbin and housing according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bobbin, a housing, and a cover member according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bobbin, housing and cover member according to another embodiment.
FIG. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bobbin and cover member according to another embodiment.
FIG. 22 is a schematic bottom view of a bobbin and housing according to a further embodiment.
Figure 23a is a graph of vibration in the optical axis direction of a lens driving device according to the prior art without a damping part.
Figure 23b is a graph of vibration in the optical axis direction of a lens driving device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 23c is a graph of vibration in the optical axis direction of a lens driving device when a damping part is lost due to a cleaning process of the lens driving device according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the invention. It should be noted that in the accompanying drawings, the same drawing numbers are used to indicate the same components in other drawings as much as possible. In addition, when describing the embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or known configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiments, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, some features presented in the drawings are enlarged, reduced, or simplified for ease of explanation, and the drawings and their components are not necessarily drawn in an appropriate ratio. However, those skilled in the art will easily understand these details.

For reference, in FIGS. 1 to 17, an orthogonal coordinate system (x, y, z) can be used. In the drawings, the x-axis and the y-axis mean planes perpendicular to the optical axis, and for convenience, the optical axis direction (z-axis direction) can be referred to as the first direction, the x-axis direction as the second direction, and the y-axis direction as the third direction.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a lens driving device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a lens driving device (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a lens driving device (100) with a cover member (300) removed from FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a housing (140) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the housing (140) viewed from a different angle from FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a schematic bottom perspective view of a housing (140) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a housing (140) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an upper elastic member (150) according to an embodiment of the present invention. is a plan view, and FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a lower elastic member (160) according to one embodiment of the embodiment.

A lens driving device (100) according to an embodiment is a device that adjusts the distance between a lens and an image sensor in a camera module so that the image sensor is positioned at the focal distance of the lens. In other words, the lens driving device (100) is a device that performs an auto-focusing function.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, a lens driving device (100) according to an embodiment includes a cover member (300), an upper elastic member (150), a bobbin (110), a coil (120) provided in the bobbin (110), a housing (140), a driving magnet (130) and a printed circuit board (170) provided in the housing (140), a lower elastic member (160), a base (210), and a displacement detection unit for determining a displacement amount in the optical axis direction (i.e., the first direction) of the bobbin (110), and a damping unit that functions as a damper.

The cover member (300) has an overall box shape and is configured to be coupled to the upper portion of the base (210). The cover member (300) accommodates an upper elastic member (150), a bobbin (110), a coil (120) provided on the bobbin (110), a housing (140), a driving magnet (130) provided on the housing (140), and a printed circuit board (170) within an accommodation space formed together with the base (210).

The above cover member (300) has an opening on the upper surface to allow the lens coupled to the bobbin (110) to be exposed to external light. Additionally, a window made of a light-transmitting material may be provided in the opening, thereby preventing foreign substances such as dust or moisture from penetrating into the interior of the camera module.

The cover member (300) may include a first groove (310) at the bottom. At this time, as will be described later, the base (210) may have a second groove (211) at a portion that comes into contact with the first groove (310) when the cover member (300) and the base are combined (i.e., at a position corresponding to the first groove (310)). When the cover member (300) and the base are combined, a groove of a certain area may be formed through the combination of the first groove (310) and the second groove (211). An adhesive having viscosity may be applied to the groove. That is, the adhesive material applied to the grooved portion fills the gap between the facing surfaces of the cover member (300) and the base (210) through the grooved portion, so that when the cover member (300) is combined with the base (210), the space between the cover member (300) and the base (210) can be sealed, and also, when the cover member and the base are combined, the side can be sealed.

In addition, a third groove (320) may be formed on a surface of the cover member (300) corresponding to the terminal surface of the printed circuit board (170) so as not to interfere with a plurality of terminals formed on the terminal surface. The third groove (320) may be formed concavely on the entire surface facing the terminal surface, and the adhesive material may be applied to the inside of the third groove to seal the cover member (300), the base (210), and the printed circuit board (170), and further, when the cover member and the base are combined, the side surface may be sealed.

Meanwhile, the first groove (310) to the third groove (320) are formed on the base (210) and the cover member (300), respectively, but are not limited thereto, and may be formed only on the base (210) in a similar shape or may be formed only on the cover member (300).

The above base (210) may be formed in an overall square shape and is combined with the cover member (300) to form a space for receiving the bobbin (110) and the housing (140).

A step portion protruding outwardly with a predetermined thickness is provided to surround the lower edge of the base (210). The predetermined thickness of the step portion is the same as the thickness of the side surface of the cover member (300), and when the cover member (300) is coupled to the base (210), the side surface of the cover member (300) can be settled or contacted or arranged or coupled to the upper or side surface of the step portion. Accordingly, the cover member (300) coupled to the upper side of the step portion can be guided, and further, the end portion of the cover member (300) can be coupled so as to make surface contact, and the end portion of the cover member can include the bottom surface or the side surface. At this time, the step portion and the end portion of the cover member (300) can be bonded and fixed and sealed by an adhesive or the like.

In the above-mentioned step portion, a second groove portion (211) may be formed at a position corresponding to the first groove portion (310) of the cover member (300). As described above, the second groove portion (211) may be combined with the first groove portion (310) of the cover member (300) to form a groove portion, and may form a space filled with an adhesive member.

The above base (210) has an opening near the center. The opening is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the image sensor arranged in the camera module.

In addition, the base (210) includes four guide members (216) that protrude upwardly at a predetermined height at right angles from the four corner portions. The guide members may have a polygonal pillar shape. The guide members (216) may be inserted into, fastened to, or coupled to the lower guide groove (148) of the housing (140) to be described later. In this way, when the housing (140) is seated or placed on the upper portion of the base (210) due to the guide members (216) and the lower guide groove (148), the coupling position of the housing (140) on the base (210) can be guided, and at the same time, the housing (140) can be prevented from being displaced from the reference position at which it should be mounted due to vibration, etc. during the operation of the lens driving device (100) or due to a worker's mistake during the coupling process.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 9, the housing (140) may have an overall hollow column shape (for example, a hollow square column shape as illustrated in the drawings). The housing (140) is configured to support at least two driving magnets (130) and a printed circuit board (170), and accommodates a bobbin (110) therein so that the bobbin (110) can move in a first direction with respect to the housing (140).

The housing (140) above has four flat sides. The sides of the housing (140) may be formed to have an area corresponding to or larger than the driving magnet (130).

As illustrated in FIG. 9, each of the four side surfaces (141) of the housing (140) facing each other is provided with a magnet through-hole (141a) or groove in which a driving magnet (130) is installed, arranged, or fixed. The magnet through-hole (141a) or groove may have a size and shape corresponding to the driving magnet (130), and may also have a shape capable of serving as a guide. A first driving magnet (131) and a second driving magnet (132), i.e., a total of two driving magnets (130), may be mounted in each of the magnet through-holes (141a).

And, among the four side surfaces (141) of the housing (140), a sensor through-hole (141b) into which a position detection sensor (180) to be described later is inserted or placed or fixed or settled may be provided on one side perpendicular to the two sides or on a side other than the two sides. It is preferable that the sensor through-hole (141b) have a size and shape corresponding to the position detection sensor (180) to be described later. In addition, at least one mounting protrusion (149) is provided on the one side so that a printed circuit board (170) can be mounted or placed or temporarily fixed or settled. The above-described mounting protrusion (149) is inserted into a mounting through-hole (173) formed in a printed circuit board (170) described later. At this time, it is preferable that the mounting through-hole (173) and the above-described mounting protrusion (149) are combined in a form-fitting manner or a force-fitting manner, but they may also have only a simple guide function.

Here, among the four side surfaces (141) of the housing (140), the other side opposite to the one side may be configured as a flat plane, but is not limited thereto.

As an additional embodiment of the housing (140), first and second magnet through-holes (141a)(141a') in which driving magnets (130) are installed, arranged, or fixed are provided on each of the opposing sides among the four side surfaces (141) of the housing (140). In addition, a third magnet through-hole and a sensor through-hole (141b) formed at a predetermined distance from the third magnet through-hole may be provided on one side perpendicular to the opposing sides among the four side surfaces (141) of the housing (140) or on a side other than the opposing sides. In addition, a fourth magnet through-hole may be provided on the other side facing the one side among the four side surfaces (141) of the housing (140).

That is, four magnet through-holes and one sensor through-hole (141b) are provided on the four sides (141) of the housing (140).

At this time, the first magnet through-hole (141a) and the second magnet through-hole (141a') have the same size and the same shape, and have (almost) the same lateral length over the entire lateral length of the side surface of the housing (140). On the other hand, the third magnet through-hole and the fourth magnet through-hole have the same size and the same shape, and may be formed to have a smaller lateral length than the first magnet through-hole (141a) and the second magnet through-hole (141a'). This is to secure a space for the sensor through-hole (141b), since the sensor through-hole (141b) must be formed on one side surface where the third magnet through-hole is formed.

Of course, the first driving magnet (131) to the fourth driving magnet are respectively installed, arranged, or fixed in the first magnet through-hole to the fourth magnet through-hole. At this time, similarly, the first driving magnet (131) and the second driving magnet (132) have the same size and shape, and have almost the same lateral length along the entire lateral length of the side surface of the housing (140). In addition, the third driving magnet and the fourth driving magnet may have the same size and shape, and may be formed to have a smaller lateral length than the first driving magnet (131) and the second driving magnet (132).

Here, preferably, the third magnet through-hole and the fourth magnet through-hole may be arranged symmetrically on a straight line with respect to the center of the housing (140). That is, the third driving magnet (130) and the fourth driving magnet (130) may be arranged symmetrically on a straight line with respect to the center of the housing (140). If the third driving magnet (130) and the fourth driving magnet (130) are arranged to face each other while being biased to one side regardless of the center of the housing (140), there is a possibility that the bobbin (110) may tilt since the electromagnetic force acts on the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) to be biased to the one side. In other words, the third driving magnet (130) and the fourth driving magnet (130) are arranged symmetrically on a straight line with respect to the center of the housing (140), thereby applying an unbiased electromagnetic force to the bobbin (110) and the coil (120), thereby guiding the bobbin (110) to move in the first direction easily and accurately.

In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6 and 8, a plurality of first stoppers (143) may be formed to protrude on the upper surface of the housing (140). The first stoppers (143) are intended to prevent collision between the cover member (300) and the housing body (140), and can prevent the upper surface of the housing (140) from directly colliding with the upper inner surface of the cover member (300) when an external impact occurs. In addition, the first stoppers (143) may also serve to guide the installation position of the upper elastic member (150). To this end, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a guide groove (155) having a corresponding shape may be formed at a position corresponding to the first stoppers (143) of the upper elastic member (150).

In addition, a plurality of upper frame support protrusions (144) may be formed protrudingly on the upper side of the housing (140) to which the outer frame (152) of the upper elastic member (150) is coupled. Meanwhile, as will be described later, a first through hole (152a) or groove having a corresponding shape may be formed on the outer frame (152) of the upper elastic member (150) corresponding to the upper frame support protrusions (144), and fixed therein by an adhesive or fusion, and the fusion may include thermal fusion or ultrasonic fusion.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a plurality of lower frame support protrusions (147) may be formed protruding on the lower side of the housing (140) to which the outer frame (162) of the lower elastic member (160) is coupled. Meanwhile, an insertion groove (162a) or hole having a corresponding shape may be formed on the outer frame (162) of the lower elastic member (160) corresponding to the lower frame support protrusions (147), and the insertion grooves or holes may be fixed therein by an adhesive or fusion, and the fusion may include thermal fusion or ultrasonic fusion.

The above driving magnet (130) may be fixed to the magnet through-hole (141a) with an adhesive, but is not limited thereto, and an adhesive material such as a double-sided tape may be used. Alternatively, as a modified embodiment, instead of the magnet through-hole (141a), a grooved magnet mounting portion may be formed on the inner surface of the housing (140), and the magnet mounting portion may have a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the driving magnet (130).

The driving magnet (130) may be installed at a position corresponding to the coil (120) provided on the bobbin (110). In addition, the driving magnet (130) may be configured as a single body, and in the case of an embodiment, the surface facing the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) may be arranged as the N pole, and the outer surface as the S pole. However, this is not limited, and the opposite configuration is also possible. In addition, the driving magnet (130) may be configured to be divided into two in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

The driving magnet (130) is configured as a rectangular hexahedron having a predetermined width, and is installed in the magnet through-hole (141a) or groove so that a wide surface of the driving magnet (130) may form a part of a side surface of the housing (140). At this time, the driving magnets (130) facing each other may be installed parallel to each other. In addition, the driving magnet (130) may be arranged to face the coil (120) of the bobbin (110). At this time, the surfaces of the driving magnet (130) and the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) facing each other may be arranged in a plane so as to be parallel to each other. However, this is not limited thereto, and depending on the design, only one of the driving magnet (130) and the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) may be configured as a plane, while the other may be configured as a curved surface. Alternatively, the facing surfaces of the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) and the driving magnet (130) may both be curved, and in this case, the curvatures of the facing surfaces of the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) and the driving magnet (130) may be formed to be the same.

As described above, a sensor through-hole (141b) or groove is provided on one side of the housing (140), and a position detection sensor (180) is inserted, placed, or fixed in the sensor through-hole (141b), and the position detection sensor (180) is electrically connected to one side of a printed circuit board (170) by soldering or soldering. In other words, the printed circuit board (170) can be fixed, supported, or placed on the outer surface of one side among the four side surfaces (141) of the housing where the sensor through-hole (141b) or groove is provided.

The above position detection sensor (180) can be a displacement detection unit that determines the first displacement value of the bobbin (110) in the first direction together with the sensing magnet (190) of the bobbin (110) to be described later. To this end, the position detection sensor (180) and the sensor through-hole (141b) or groove are arranged at a position corresponding to the position of the sensing magnet (190).

The above position detection sensor (180) may be a sensor that detects a change in magnetic force emitted from a sensing magnet (190) of a bobbin (110). In addition, the position detection sensor (180) may be a Hall sensor. However, this is an example, and the embodiment is not limited to a Hall sensor, and any sensor that can detect a change in magnetic force may be used, and any sensor that can detect a position in addition to magnetic force may be used, and for example, a method using a photoreflector, etc. is also possible.

The above printed circuit board (170) is coupled or placed on one side of the housing (140) and may have a mounting through hole (173) or groove as described above. As a result, the installation position of the printed circuit board (170) can be guided by the mounting protrusion (149) provided on one side of the housing (140).

And, the printed circuit board (170) has a plurality of terminals (171) arranged thereon, and can receive external power to supply current to the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) and the position detection sensor (180). The number of terminals (171) formed on the printed circuit board (170) can be increased or decreased depending on the type of components that require control. Meanwhile, according to an embodiment, the printed circuit board (170) can be formed of an FPCB.

The printed circuit board (170) may include a control unit that readjusts the amount of current applied to the coil (120) based on the first displacement value detected by the displacement detection unit, i.e., the control unit is mounted on the printed circuit board (170). In addition, in another embodiment, the control unit may not be mounted on the printed circuit board (170) but may be mounted on a separate substrate, which may be a substrate on which an image sensor of the camera module is mounted or may be a separate substrate.

The actuator driving distance can be additionally calibrated based on the Hall voltage difference for the change in magnet flux (i.e., magnetic flux density) detected by the above Hall sensor.

The bobbin (110) is configured to be reciprocally movable in the first axial direction with respect to the housing (140) fixed in the first axial direction. The auto-focusing function is executed due to the movement of the bobbin (110) in the first axial direction.

Regarding the bobbin (110), more specific description will be given below with reference to the drawings.

Meanwhile, the upper elastic member (150) and the lower elastic member (160) can elastically support the rising and/or falling motion in the optical axis direction of the bobbin (110). The upper elastic member (150) and the lower elastic member (160) can be provided as a plate spring.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, 9 and 10, the upper elastic member (150) and the lower elastic member (160) may include an inner frame (151)(161) coupled with the bobbin (110), an outer frame (152)(162) coupled with the housing (140), and a connecting portion (153)(163) connecting the inner frame (151)(161) and the outer frame (152)(162).

The above connecting portion (153)(163) can be formed by being folded at least once to form a pattern of a certain shape. Through positional changes and micro-deformations of the connecting portion (153)(163), the bobbin (110) can be elastically (or elastically) supported in a rising and/or falling motion in the first direction of the optical axis.

According to an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the upper elastic member (150) has a plurality of first through holes (152a) in the outer frame (152) and a plurality of second through holes (151a) in the inner frame (151).

The first hole (152a) is coupled with an upper frame support projection (144) provided on the upper surface of the housing (140), and the second hole (151a) or groove is coupled with an upper support projection provided on the upper surface of the bobbin (110), which will be described later. That is, the outer frame (152) is fixed and coupled to the housing (140) through the first hole (152a), and the inner frame (151) is fixed and coupled to the bobbin (110) through the second hole (151a) or groove.

The above connecting portion (153) connects the inner frame (151) and the outer frame (152) so that the inner frame (151) can be elastically deformed within a predetermined range in a first direction with respect to the outer frame (152).

At least one of the inner frame (151) and the outer frame (152) of the upper elastic member (150) may be provided with at least one terminal portion electrically connected to at least one of the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) and the printed circuit board (170).

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the lower elastic member (160) may have a plurality of insertion grooves (162a) or holes in the outer frame (162) and a plurality of third through holes (161a) or grooves in the inner frame (161).

The above insertion groove (162a) or hole is coupled with the lower frame support protrusion (147) provided on the lower surface of the housing (140), and the third through hole (161a) or groove is coupled with the lower support protrusion (114) provided on the lower surface of the bobbin (110), which will be described later. That is, the outer frame (162) is fixed and coupled to the housing (140) through the insertion groove (162a) or hole, and the inner frame (161) is fixed and coupled to the bobbin (110) through the third through hole (161a) or groove.

The above connecting portion (163) connects the inner frame (161) and the outer frame (162) so that the inner frame (161) can be elastically deformed within a predetermined range in a first direction with respect to the outer frame (162).

The lower elastic member (160) may include a first lower elastic member (160a) and a second lower elastic member (160b) that are separated from each other as illustrated in FIG. 10. Through this two-part structure, the lower elastic member (160) may receive power having different polarities or different powers from each other from the first lower elastic member (160a) and the second lower elastic member (160b). That is, after the inner frame (161) and the outer frame (162) are respectively coupled to the bobbin (110) and the housing (140), a solder portion is provided at a position of the inner frame corresponding to both ends of the coil (120) arranged on the bobbin (110), and a conductive connection such as soldering is performed at the solder portion, so that power having different polarities or different powers can be received. In addition, the first lower elastic member is electrically connected to one of the two end wires of the coil, and the other of the two end wires of the coil is electrically connected to the second lower elastic member, so that current and/or voltage can be applied from the outside.

Meanwhile, the upper elastic member (150) and the lower elastic member (160) and the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) can be assembled through heat fusion and/or bonding using an adhesive, etc. At this time, the fixing work can be completed by bonding using an adhesive after heat fusion fixing according to the assembly order.

As a modified embodiment, the upper elastic member (150) may be configured as a two-part structure, and the lower elastic member (160) may be configured as an integral structure.

At least one of the inner frame (161) and the outer frame (162) of the lower elastic member (160) may be provided with at least one terminal portion electrically connected to at least one of the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) and the printed circuit board (170).

The above damping member acts as a damper that absorbs vibration in the direction of the optical axis that occurs when the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device is performed. The damping member is provided between a fixed body that does not move when the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device is performed and is fixed in its original position, and a movable body that moves in the direction of the optical axis when the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device is performed. The fixed body may be, for example, a cover member, a housing, a base, or the like, and the movable body may be a bobbin or a lens.

Preferably, as will be described later, the damping member may be provided between the bobbin and the housing.

At this time, the bobbin and the housing are provided with a damping connection to form an accommodation space for accommodating the damping unit or an attachment area to which the damping unit is attached. That is, the damping connection is formed by a part of the bobbin and a part of the housing.

The damping member and the damping connecting member according to the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

* FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a bobbin (110) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a schematic bottom perspective view of a bobbin (110) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 13 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a bobbin (110) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 14 is a partial enlarged perspective view of FIG. 13, FIG. 15 is a partial enlarged bottom view of FIG. 13, FIG. 16 is a schematic partial enlarged perspective view of a receiving groove (117) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bobbin (110) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 17, the bobbin (110) may be installed so as to be reciprocally movable in the direction of the optical axis in the inner space of the housing (140). A coil (120), which will be described later, is installed on the outer surface of the bobbin (110) so as to be able to electromagnetically interact with the driving magnet (130) of the housing (140), so that the bobbin (110) can be reciprocally moved in the first direction due to the electromagnetic interaction between the coil (120) and the driving magnet (130). In addition, the bobbin (110) is elastically (or elastically) supported by the upper elastic member (150) and the lower elastic member (160), so as to move in the first direction, which is the direction of the optical axis, to perform an auto-focusing function.

The bobbin (110) may include a lens barrel (not shown) having at least one lens installed therein, although not shown. However, the lens barrel may be a component of a camera module to be described later and may not be an essential component of the lens driving device. The lens barrel may be coupled to the inside of the bobbin (110) in various ways. For example, female screw threads may be formed on the inner surface of the bobbin (110), and male screw threads corresponding to the screw threads may be formed on the outer surface of the lens barrel, so that the lens barrel may be coupled to the bobbin (110) by screw coupling. However, this is not limited thereto, and the lens barrel may be directly fixed to the inside of the bobbin (110) by a method other than screw coupling without forming screw threads on the inner surface of the bobbin (110). Alternatively, one or more lenses may be formed integrally with the bobbin (110) without the lens barrel. The lens coupled to the above lens barrel may be composed of a single piece, or may be composed of two or more lenses to form an optical system.

Additionally, a plurality of upper support protrusions (113) and a plurality of lower support protrusions (114) may be formed protruding on the upper and lower surfaces of the bobbin (110).

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the upper support protrusion may be provided in a cylindrical or prism shape, and may combine and fix the inner frame (151) of the upper elastic member (150) and the bobbin (110). According to an embodiment, a second through-hole (151a) or a groove may be formed at a position corresponding to the upper support protrusion of the inner frame (151) of the upper elastic member (150). At this time, the upper support protrusion and the second through-hole (151a) or the groove may be fixed by heat fusion, or may be fixed with an adhesive material such as epoxy. In addition, a plurality of upper support protrusions may be provided. At this time, the distance between each of the upper support protrusions may be appropriately arranged within a range that can avoid interference with surrounding components. That is, the upper support protrusions may be arranged at regular intervals symmetrically with respect to the center of the bobbin (110), or the intervals may not be regular, but may be formed to be symmetrical with respect to a specific virtual line passing through the center of the bobbin (110).

The lower support protrusion (114), as illustrated in FIG. 12, may be provided in a cylindrical or prism shape like the upper support protrusion described above, and may combine and fix the inner frame (161) of the lower elastic member (160) and the bobbin (110). According to an embodiment, a third through hole (161a) or a groove may be formed at a position corresponding to the lower support protrusion (114) of the inner frame (161) of the lower elastic member (160). At this time, the lower support protrusion (114) and the third through hole (161a) or the groove may be fixed by heat fusion, or may be fixed with an adhesive such as epoxy. In addition, a plurality of lower support protrusions (114) may be provided as illustrated in FIG. 12. At this time, the distance between each lower support protrusion (114) can be appropriately arranged within a range that can avoid interference with surrounding components. That is, each lower support protrusion (114) can be arranged at a constant interval symmetrically with respect to the center of the bobbin (110).

And, on the upper and lower surfaces of the bobbin (110), an upper escape groove (112) and a lower escape groove (118) are formed at positions corresponding to the connection portion (153) of the upper elastic member (150) and the connection portion (163) of the lower elastic member (160).

By providing the upper escape groove (112) and the lower escape groove (118), when the bobbin (110) moves in the first direction with respect to the housing (140), spatial interference between the connecting portion (153)(163) and the bobbin (110) is eliminated, thereby facilitating elastic deformation of the connecting portion (153)(163). In addition, the position of the upper escape groove may be arranged at the corner of the housing as in the embodiment, but may also be arranged on the side depending on the shape and/or position of the connecting portion of the elastic member.

In addition, a coil mounting groove (116) in which a coil (120) is installed may be provided on the outer surface of the bobbin (110), but only a mounting portion may be provided.

The above coil (120) may be provided as a ring-shaped coil block that is inserted and coupled to the outer surface of the bobbin (110) or the coil mounting groove (116) or mounting portion, but is not limited thereto, and the coil (120) may be wound directly on the outer surface of the bobbin (110) or the coil mounting groove (116) or mounting portion.

According to an embodiment, the coil (120) may be formed into an approximately octagonal shape as illustrated in FIG. 13. This corresponds to the shape of the outer surface of the bobbin (110), and the bobbin (110) may also be provided in an octagonal shape. In addition, the coil (120) may have at least four sides formed as straight lines, and the corner portions connecting these sides may be configured as round or straight lines. At this time, the straight lines may be formed to be surfaces corresponding to the driving magnet (130). In addition, the surface of the driving magnet (130) corresponding to the coil (120) may have the same curvature as the curvature of the coil (120). That is, if the coil (120) is straight, the surface of the corresponding driving magnet (130) may be straight, and if the coil (120) is curved, the surface of the corresponding driving magnet (130) may be curved and may also have the same curvature. In addition, even if the coil (120) is curved, the surface of the corresponding driving magnet (130) may be straight, or vice versa.

The above coil (120) is intended to perform an auto-focus function by moving the bobbin (110) in the direction of the optical axis. When current is supplied, it can form an electromagnetic force through electromagnetic interaction with the driving magnet (130), and the formed electromagnetic force can move the bobbin (110).

Meanwhile, the coil (120) may be configured to correspond to the driving magnet (130). As illustrated, if the driving magnet (130) is configured as a single body so that the entire surface facing the coil (120) has the same polarity, the coil (120) may also be configured so that the surface corresponding to the driving magnet (130) has the same polarity. Meanwhile, although not illustrated, if the driving magnet (130) is divided into two by a surface perpendicular to the optical axis and the surface facing the coil (120) is divided into two or more, the coil (120) may also be configured to be divided into a number corresponding to the divided driving magnets (130).

And, the bobbin (110) is provided with a sensing magnet (190) included in the displacement detection unit together with the position detection sensor (180) of the housing (140) described above. The sensing magnet (190) is fixed, arranged, or coupled to the bobbin (110). As a result, the sensing magnet (190) can move in the first direction by the same displacement amount as the bobbin (110) when the bobbin (110) moves in the first direction. In addition, the sensing magnet (190) can be configured as a single body, and can be arranged so that the upper direction of the bobbin (110) is the N pole, and the lower direction of the bobbin (110) is the S pole. However, this is not limited, and the opposite configuration is also possible. In addition, the sensing magnet (190) can be configured so as to be divided into two in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 17, the bobbin (110) may have a receiving groove (117) for receiving the sensing magnet (190) on the outer surface of the bobbin (110).

The above-mentioned receiving groove (117) can be formed from the outer surface of the bobbin (110) to a predetermined depth in the inner direction of the bobbin (110).

Specifically, the receiving groove (117) is formed on one side of the bobbin (110) so that at least a portion of the receiving groove (117) is positioned on the inside of the coil (120). In addition, at least a portion of the receiving groove (117) may be formed to be recessed to a predetermined depth in the inside of the bobbin (110) more than the coil mounting groove (116). In this way, by forming the receiving groove (117) in the inside of the bobbin (110), the sensing magnet (190) can be accommodated inside the bobbin (110), and thus, there is no need to secure a separate installation space for the sensing magnet (190), thereby improving the space efficiency of the bobbin (110).

In particular, the receiving groove (117) is positioned at a position corresponding to the position of the position detection sensor (180) of the housing (140) (or at a position facing the position detection sensor (180). As a result, the distance between the sensing magnet (190) and the position detection sensor (180) can be minimized to the thickness of the coil (120) and the separation distance between the coil (120) and the position detection sensor (180), or the distance between the coil and the position detection sensor can be further included therein, so that the magnetic detection accuracy of the position detection sensor (180) can be improved.

The receiving groove (117) has an opening (119) that is connected to the receiving groove (117) on one of the lower surface and the upper surface of the bobbin (110). For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the receiving groove (117) may be formed by opening a portion of the lower surface of the bobbin (110) to form an opening (119), and the opening (119) may form an entrance of the receiving groove (117). A sensing magnet (190) may be inserted, placed, or fixed through the opening (119), and may be separated through the opening.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, the receiving groove (117) may include an inner surface on which one side of the sensing magnet (190) is supported, and an adhesive groove (117b) that is formed to be concave inward by a predetermined depth more than the inner surface so that adhesive can be injected.

The inner surface is a surface positioned in an inner direction toward the center of the bobbin (110), and is a surface on which a wide surface of the sensing magnet (190) comes into contact or is seated when the sensing magnet (190) has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

The above-mentioned adhesive groove (117b) may be a groove formed so that a portion of the inner surface is more deeply concave in the inner direction toward the center of the bobbin (110). The above-mentioned adhesive groove (117b) is preferably formed from the opening (119) to the inner surface of the bobbin (110) where one surface of the sensing magnet (190) comes into contact with, is seated, or is arranged.

As illustrated in Fig. 17, the adhesive groove (117b) further includes a first additional groove (117c) formed longer than the length of the sensing magnet (190) in the vertical thickness direction of the bobbin (110). That is, the first additional groove (117c) is an extension of the adhesive groove (117b) formed to be concave deeper than the inner surface of the bobbin (110) on which the back surface of the sensing magnet (190) comes into contact or is seated or placed. By providing the first additional groove (117c), when the adhesive is injected into the bonding groove (117b) through the opening (119), the adhesive is filled from the first additional groove (117c) and fills the inside of the bonding groove (117b), so that the adhesive can be prevented from overflowing from the bonding groove (117b) and flowing along the gap between the sensing magnet (190) and the receiving groove (117) to the coil (120), thereby reducing the occurrence rate of defects in the lens driving device (100) during the bonding process of the sensing magnet (190).

In addition, the adhesive groove (117b) further includes a second additional groove (117a) formed at a predetermined depth inwardly from the opening (119) toward the center of the bobbin (110). That is, the second additional groove (117a) is formed deeper inwardly toward the center of the bobbin (110) than the inner surface near the opening (119). The second additional groove (117a) is connected to the adhesive groove (117b). In other words, the second additional groove (117a) is an extension of the adhesive groove (117b). In this way, by providing the second additional groove (117a), the adhesive can be injected into the bonding groove (117b) through the second additional groove (117a), thereby preventing the adhesive from overflowing near the opening (119) and sticking to other components of the bobbin (110), such as the coil (120), thereby reducing the occurrence rate of defects in the lens driving device (100) during the bonding process of the sensing magnet (190).

In addition, as a modified embodiment, the second additional groove (117a) may be provided on the bobbin (110) alone without the adhesive groove (117b). In this case, the bobbin (110) and the sensing magnet (190) may be combined and fixed by injecting an adhesive into the second additional groove (117a).

Preferably, the adhesive groove (117b) may include at least one of the first additional groove (117c) and the second additional groove (117a). That is, the adhesive groove (117b) may have only the first additional groove (117c) or only the second additional groove (117a).

As a modified embodiment, the depth between the inner surface on which one side (i.e., the wide surface) of the sensing magnet is supported and the outer surface (i.e., the coil mounting groove surface) on which the coil is provided may be less than or equal to the thickness of the sensing magnet. Accordingly, the sensing magnet can be fixed in the receiving groove by the inner pressing force of the coil due to the winding of the coil. In this case, there is no need to use an adhesive.

As an additional embodiment, although not shown in the drawing, the bobbin (110) may further include an additional receiving groove (117) formed on the outer surface of the bobbin (110) at a position symmetrical to the receiving groove (117) with respect to the center of the bobbin (110) on the outer surface facing the outer surface where the receiving groove (117) is formed, and a weight balance member received in the additional receiving groove (117).

That is, the additional receiving groove (117) is formed inwardly of the bobbin (110) at a predetermined depth at a position symmetrical in a straight line with the receiving groove (117) based on the center of the bobbin (110) on the outer surface facing the outer surface where the receiving groove (117) is formed. In addition, the weight balance member is fixed and combined within the additional receiving groove (117) and has the same weight as the magnetic sensing member.

In this way, by providing the additional receiving groove (117) and the weight balance member, the horizontal weight imbalance of the bobbin (110) due to the provision of the receiving groove (117) and the sensing magnet (190) can be compensated for by installing the weight balance member.

Preferably, the additional receiving groove (117) may include at least one of the adhesive groove (117b), the first additional groove (117c), and the second additional groove (117a).

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of a bobbin (110) and a housing (140) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 19 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bobbin (110), a housing (140), and a cover member (300) according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 20 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bobbin (110), a housing (140), and a cover member (300) according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 21 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bobbin (110) and a cover member (300) according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 18, a damping member (410) is provided between the housing (140) and the bobbin (110). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the damping member (410) may be provided between the moving body and the fixed body of the lens driving device (100) according to the embodiment as described above.

The above damping part (410) serves to dampen vibration in the first direction (i.e., in the direction of the optical axis) due to electromagnetic interaction between the driving magnet (130) and the coil (120).

The above damping member (410) is provided on the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) so that the bobbin (110) can move in the first direction with respect to the housing (140) within a predetermined range.

For this purpose, the damping member (410) is composed of a photocurable resin. Preferably, the damping member (410) may be composed of a UV-curable resin, and more preferably, the damping member (410) may be composed of a UV-curable silicone.

In order to allow the bobbin (110) to move in the optical axis direction within a predetermined range without being completely fixed to the housing (140), the damping member (410) is provided in a semi-hardened gel state.

Here, the semi-hardening process of the damping part (410) is performed by exposing the space between the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) (i.e., the space in which the damping part (410) is provided and the damping part (410)) to light (or UV) for a certain period of time.

And, the damping members (410) are provided in multiple numbers between the housing (140) and the bobbin (110). In this case, preferably, the multiple damping members (410) can be arranged to be spaced apart at the same angle in the circumferential direction of the housing (140) and the bobbin (110). This is to prevent the vibration in the optical axis direction of the bobbin (110) from being biased in one direction by uniformly absorbing the vibration in the optical axis direction generated due to the movement of the bobbin (110) during the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device (100) around the bobbin (110).

In addition, preferably, when the plurality of damping parts (410) are provided in an even number, the plurality of damping parts (410) may be arranged in pairs facing each other between the bobbin (110) and the housing (140).

The above bobbin (110) and the housing (140) include a damping connection (420). In other words, the damping connection (420) is composed of a part of the bobbin (110) and a part of the housing (140).

The above damping connection part (420) is configured to increase the attachment area of the damping part (410) in order to increase the damping area of the damping part (410).

In addition, the damping connection part (420) is configured so that the damping part (410) can be safely accommodated or fixed between the bobbin (110) and the housing (140). This is because, since the damping part (410) is in a liquid or semi-liquid state before undergoing a semi-hardening process, it is difficult for the damping part (410) to be maintained at a certain position between the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) when the damping part (410) is injected between the bobbin (110) and the housing (140).

The above damping connection part (420) is configured so that a part of the bobbin (110) and a part of the housing (140) overlap spatially within a predetermined range based on the plan view of the lens driving device (100).

Specifically, the damping connection part (420) includes a damping protrusion (421) provided on one of the members of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140), and a damping receiving groove (423) provided on the other member of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140).

That is, the damping projection (421) may be provided on the bobbin (110) and the damping receiving groove (423) may be provided on the housing (140), or the damping projection (421) may be provided on the housing (140) and the damping receiving groove (423) may be provided on the bobbin (110).

In the following, for the sake of clarity of explanation, it will be described based on the case where the damping protrusion (421) is provided on the bobbin (110) and the damping receiving groove (423) is provided on the housing (140) as shown in the drawing.

The above damping protrusions (421) are provided in multiple numbers on the opposing surfaces of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) in one of the members of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140). That is, the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) have opposing surfaces that face each other, and when the opposing surface belonging to the bobbin (110) is referred to as a first opposing surface (P1) and the opposing surface belonging to the housing (140) is referred to as a second opposing surface (P2), the damping protrusions (421) are provided on the first opposing surface (P1) as illustrated in FIGS. 18 to 21. Of course, when the damping protrusions (421) are provided on the housing (140), the damping protrusions (421) may be provided on the second opposing surface (P2).

The above damping protrusion (421) protrudes horizontally from the first facing surface (P1) of the bobbin (110) toward the housing (140) or the second facing surface (P2) by a predetermined length. Preferably, the damping protrusion (421) may have an overall plate-shaped member shape.

The above damping protrusion (421) has a predetermined thickness, and the damping protrusion (421) is configured so that the predetermined thickness of the damping protrusion (421) is smaller than the height of the damping receiving groove (423) to be described later.

The above damping receiving grooves (423) are provided in multiple numbers at positions corresponding to the positions of the damping protrusions (421) on the second facing surface (P2) of the housing (140).

The above damping receiving groove (423) is formed concavely on the second facing surface (P2) to receive a part of the damping protrusion (421) and the damping portion (410). That is, the damping receiving groove (423) is formed concavely in an outward direction away from the center of the housing (140) on the second facing surface (P2) of the housing (140).

And, the damping receiving groove (423) has a predetermined width (i.e., horizontal left-right length) and a predetermined height (i.e., vertical up-down length). At this time, the damping receiving groove (423) is configured such that the predetermined width of the damping receiving groove (423) is larger than the width of the damping protrusion (421), and the predetermined height of the damping receiving groove (423) is larger than the predetermined thickness of the damping protrusion (421).

In other words, the damping receiving groove (423) and the damping protrusion (421) are provided in the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) so that the opposing surfaces of the damping receiving groove (423) and the damping protrusion (421) are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. In addition, the damping member (410) is provided or attached to or filled in a receiving space in which the opposing surfaces of the damping receiving groove (423) and the damping protrusion (421) are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

The above-described damping receiving groove (423) has a step portion (423a) that is limited to the inner surface of the housing (140) at the upper or lower portion. For example, when the damping receiving groove (423) is provided at the lower portion of the housing (140), the step portion (423a) is formed parallel to the lower surface of the housing (140) among the inner surface of the housing (140). In the same manner, when the damping receiving groove (423) is provided at the upper portion of the housing (140), the step portion (423a) is formed parallel to the upper surface of the housing (140) among the inner surface of the housing (140). Due to this step portion (423a), the damping portion (410) before the semi-curing process can be maintained at a certain position within the damping receiving groove (423) of the housing (140), and as a result, the position of the damping portion (410) can be stably maintained at a position desired by the worker, thereby facilitating the final forming process (i.e., semi-curing process) of the damping portion (410).

The above damping member (410) is attached to or accommodated in the damping receiving groove (423) so as to surround the entire outer surface of a portion of the damping protrusion (421) with a predetermined thickness. That is, the damping member (410) is provided so as to surround the upper and lower surfaces, the front surface, and both sides of a portion of the damping protrusion (421) accommodated in the damping receiving groove (423), the step portion (423a) and both sides of the damping receiving groove (423), and the opposing surface of the front surface of the damping protrusion (421).

As illustrated in FIG. 18, the damping portion (410), the damping projection (421), and the damping receiving groove (423) are provided at corners of the opposing surfaces of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) where the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) face each other. In this case, each of the plurality of driving magnets (130) is mounted, arranged, or fixed to each of the second opposing surfaces (P2) of the housing (140). That is, the damping portion (410), the damping projection (421), and the damping receiving groove (423) are provided on a surface that does not overlap with the surface on which the plurality of driving magnets (130) are mounted.

In FIGS. 19 to 21, the damping portion (410), the damping protrusion (421), and the damping receiving groove (423) are illustrated in various embodiments according to the positions of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) at the corners of the opposing surfaces of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) according to height.

First, as illustrated in FIG. 19, according to one embodiment of the embodiment, the damping projection (421) is provided at the lower portion of the bobbin (110), and the damping receiving groove (423) is formed at a predetermined height higher than the damping projection from the open lower end of the housing (140) (i.e., the start portion of the damping receiving groove (423)).

That is, the damping protrusion (421) and the damping receiving groove (423) are provided so that the step (423a) of the damping receiving groove (423) is formed at a position that is a predetermined height higher than the upper surface of the damping protrusion (421).

In this situation, when the assembly process of the lens driving device (100) is completed, the open lower end of the housing (140) and the damping portion (410) are sealed by the upper surface of the base (210) coupled to the lower portion of the housing (140) and/or the bobbin (110). That is, the damping portion (410) is blocked from being exposed to the outside by the upper surface of the base (210).

Accordingly, since the cleaning process of the lens driving device (100) is performed in a state where the exposure of the damping part (410) to the outside is blocked by the base (210), the hydraulic pressure of the cleaning liquid cannot affect the damping part (410), and thus the loss or damage of the damping part (410) due to the cleaning process of the lens driving device (100) can be reliably prevented.

And, as illustrated in FIG. 20, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the damping projection (421) is provided on the upper portion of the bobbin (110), and the damping receiving groove (423) is formed at a predetermined height lower than the damping projection from the open upper end of the housing (140) (i.e., the start portion of the damping receiving groove (423)).

That is, the damping protrusion (421) and the damping receiving groove (423) are provided so that the step (423a) of the damping receiving groove (423) is formed at a position that is a predetermined height lower than the lower surface of the damping protrusion (421).

In this situation, when the assembly process of the lens driving device (100) is completed, the open upper end of the housing (140) and the damping member (410) are sealed by the upper surface (i.e., the inner surface of the upper surface) of the cover member (300) coupled to the upper portion of the housing (140) and/or the bobbin (110). That is, the damping member (410) is blocked from being exposed to the outside by the upper surface of the cover member (300).

Accordingly, since the cleaning process of the lens driving device (100) is performed in a state where the exposure of the damping part (410) to the outside is blocked by the cover member (300), the hydraulic pressure of the cleaning liquid cannot affect the damping part (410), and thus the loss or damage of the damping part (410) due to the cleaning process of the lens driving device (100) can be reliably prevented.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 21, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the damping protrusion (421) is provided at a mid-height of the bobbin (110) on the first facing surface (P1) of the bobbin (110), and the damping receiving groove (423) is formed at a predetermined height higher than the damping protrusion from the open lower end of the housing (140).

At this time, it is preferable that the driving coil (120) provided on the bobbin (110) be wound above and below the damping protrusion (421) while avoiding the damping protrusion (421).

And, in this case, since the damping member (410) is positioned deep from the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) based on the lower portion of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140), even if the cleaning process of the lens driving device (100) is performed in a state where the open lower end and the damping member (410) by the base (210) are not sealed, it is hardly affected by the hydraulic pressure of the cleaning liquid. That is, according to the embodiment, even if the cleaning process is performed before the combination of the base (210) and the housing (140) and/or the bobbin (110), there is no concern about the loss of the damping member (410).

Although not shown in the drawing, as a modified embodiment of another embodiment of the embodiment, the damping protrusion (421) may be provided at the middle height of the bobbin (110) on the first facing surface (P1) of the bobbin (110) and may be formed at a predetermined height lower than the damping protrusion from the open upper end of the housing (140).

In this case, similarly to another embodiment of the above-described embodiment, even if the cleaning process of the lens driving device (100) is performed in a state where the open upper end and the damping portion (410) are not sealed by the cover member (300), the cleaning process is hardly affected by the hydraulic pressure of the cleaning liquid. That is, according to the embodiment, even if the cleaning process is performed before the combination of the cover member (300) and the housing (140) and/or the bobbin (110), there is no concern about the loss of the damping portion (410).

FIG. 22 is a schematic bottom view of a bobbin (110) and a housing (140) according to an additional embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 22, the damping protrusion (421) and the damping receiving groove (423) may be provided on the opposing surfaces of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140), rather than at the corners of the opposing surfaces of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140).

In this case, each of the plurality of driving magnets (130) is mounted, arranged, or fixed to each of the corner surfaces of the second facing surfaces (P2) of the housing (140). That is, the damping portion (410), the damping protrusion (421), and the damping receiving groove (423) are provided on a surface that does not overlap with the surface on which the plurality of driving magnets (130) are mounted. However, the embodiment is not limited to the above-described position with respect to the positional relationship between the driving magnets (130) and the damping portion (410).

Even in the case of the embodiment, as described above with respect to FIGS. 19 to 21, the damping portion (410), the damping protrusion (421) and the damping receiving groove (423) can be implemented in various embodiments with positions according to height on the opposing surfaces of the bobbin (110) and the housing (140) facing each other.

FIG. 23a is a graph of vibration in the optical axis direction of a lens driving device (100) according to a conventional technology without a damping unit (410), FIG. 23b is a graph of vibration in the optical axis direction of a lens driving device (100) according to an embodiment, and FIG. 23c is a graph of vibration in the optical axis direction of a lens driving device (100) when a damping unit (410) is lost due to a cleaning process of the lens driving device (100) according to an embodiment.

When the damping unit (410) for the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device (100) is not provided, it can be confirmed that a resonance point or resonance section (see red circle mark) where the amplitude is maximized occurs as shown in the result graph of the vibration experiment during the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device (100) illustrated in FIG. 23a.

In contrast, in the case where the damping unit (410) for the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device (100) is provided as in the embodiment, as shown in the result graph of the vibration experiment during the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device (100) shown in FIG. 23b, it can be confirmed that the resonance point or resonance section shown in the result graph of the vibration experiment during the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device (100) shown in FIG. 23a is removed.

However, even in the case of a lens driving device (100) equipped with a damping unit (410), when a cleaning process of the lens driving device (100) is performed on the lens driving device (100), there are frequent cases where part or all of the damping unit (410) is lost due to the hydraulic pressure of the cleaning liquid of the cleaning process, and as a result, as shown in the result graph of the vibration experiment during the auto-focusing operation of the lens driving device (100) illustrated in FIG. 23c, it can be confirmed that the resonance point or resonance section (see the red circle mark) where the amplitude is maximized occurs again.

In order to prevent recurrence of a resonance point or resonance section due to loss or damage of the damping member (410) by the cleaning process, as described above, the embodiment is provided with a damping connection member (420) that safely receives, places, or fixes the damping member (410), and the position where the damping member (410) and the damping connection member (420) are provided is such that the damping member (410) is sealed by the base (210) and/or the cover member (300) so as not to be exposed to the outside during the cleaning process.

As described above, the embodiment can attenuate vibration of the bobbin in the optical axis direction when auto-focusing is performed by including a damping member between the bobbin and the housing. As a result, the embodiment can eliminate the optical axis direction resonance phenomenon of the lens driving device when auto-focusing is performed. As a result, the embodiment can prevent damage or breakage of the upper elastic member and/or the lower elastic member connecting the bobbin and the housing.

In addition, the embodiment can increase the damping area of the damping portion by providing a damping connecting portion that increases the attachment area of the damping portion between the bobbin and the housing, thereby more efficiently eliminating the resonance phenomenon during auto-focusing execution and improving the attachment stability of the damping portion between the bobbin and the housing.

In addition, the embodiment can prevent the damping part from being exposed to the outside during a cleaning process of an assembled lens driving device during a manufacturing process of the lens driving device by providing the damping part between the bobbin and the housing, and as a result, can prevent part or all of the damping part from being lost due to the hydraulic pressure of the cleaning liquid during the cleaning process.

In addition, a camera module can be configured by combining a lens with a lens driving device of an embodiment and further including an image sensor and a printed circuit board on which the image sensor is arranged at the bottom, and the base of the lens driving device can be combined with the printed circuit board on which the image sensor is arranged.

In addition, the camera module may further include a camera module control unit, and compares a first displacement value calculated based on a current change value detected by the displacement detection unit with a focal length of the lens according to the distance between the subject and the lens. Thereafter, if the first displacement value or the current position of the lens and the focal length of the lens do not correspond, the camera module control unit may readjust the amount of current applied to the coil (120) of the bobbin (110) to move the bobbin (110) in the first direction by a second displacement amount. In addition, the displacement detection unit detects a change in the magnetic force emitted from the sensing magnet (190) according to the first direction movement of the sensing magnet (190) fixedly coupled to the bobbin (110), which is a movable body, by the position detection sensor (180) fixedly coupled to the housing (140), which is a fixed body, and based on the amount of change in the detected magnetic force, a separate driver IC or the camera module control unit can calculate or determine the current position or the first displacement amount of the bobbin (110). The current position or the first displacement amount of the bobbin (110) calculated or determined by the displacement detection unit is transmitted to the control unit of the printed circuit board (170), so that the control unit re-determines the position of the bobbin (110) for auto-focusing and adjusts the amount of current applied to the coil (120).

Although the above has been illustrated and described as a specific embodiment to illustrate the technical idea of the embodiment, the embodiment is not limited to the same configuration and operation as the specific embodiment as described above, and various modifications may be implemented within the scope of the embodiment. Therefore, such modifications should also be considered to fall within the scope of the embodiment, and the scope of the embodiment should be determined by the patent claims described below.

Claims (19)

housing;
A bobbin disposed within the housing;
A coil and a magnet for moving the above bobbin in the direction of the optical axis;
an elastic member coupled with the housing and the bobbin; and
Including a damping member arranged between the bobbin and the housing,
The above bobbin includes a protrusion protruding from the outer surface of the bobbin,
The housing includes a receiving groove that overlaps with the protrusion of the bobbin in the direction of the optical axis,
A lens driving device in which the damping member is coupled with the protrusion of the bobbin and the receiving groove of the housing, and is spaced apart from the elastic member. In the first paragraph,
A lens driving device in which the protrusion of the bobbin is positioned higher than the bottom surface of the receiving groove of the housing. In the first paragraph,
A lens driving device in which the protrusion of the bobbin is positioned lower than the bottom surface of the receiving groove of the housing. In the second paragraph,
A lens driving device in which the bottom surface of the above-described receiving groove comes into contact with the protrusion when the bobbin moves downward, thereby limiting the downward movement range of the bobbin. In the first paragraph,
The above housing includes sides and corners.
A lens driving device in which the protrusion of the above bobbin protrudes in a direction toward the corner of the above housing. In the first paragraph,
A lens driving device comprising an upper elastic member, wherein the elastic member comprises a first inner frame coupled with an upper portion of the bobbin, a first outer frame coupled with an upper portion of the housing, and a first connecting portion connecting the first inner frame and the first outer frame. In Article 6,
A lens driving device in which the first outer frame includes a groove provided at a position corresponding to the receiving groove of the housing. In the first paragraph,
A lens driving device wherein the protrusion is positioned closer to the upper surface of the bobbin than to the lower surface of the bobbin. In the first paragraph,
A lens driving device wherein the protrusion is positioned closer to the lower surface of the bobbin than to the upper surface of the bobbin. In the first paragraph,
The above housing includes sides and corners,
A lens driving device in which the above protrusion protrudes in a direction toward the side of the above housing. In Article 6,
A lens driving device wherein the elastic member includes a lower elastic member coupled with the lower portion of the bobbin and the lower portion of the housing. In the first paragraph,
A lens driving device wherein the coil is disposed on the bobbin and the magnet is disposed on the housing. In the first paragraph,
A lens driving device wherein the elastic member comprises two springs electrically connected to the coil. In Article 13,
A lens driving device including a circuit board electrically connected to the above two springs. In the first paragraph,
A sensing magnet placed on the above bobbin; and
A lens driving device including a position detection sensor facing the sensing magnet to detect the position of the bobbin. housing;
A bobbin disposed in the above housing;
A coil and a magnet for moving the above bobbin in the direction of the optical axis;
an elastic member coupled with the bobbin and the housing; and
Including a damping member arranged between the bobbin and the housing,
The above bobbin includes a protrusion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction,
The above housing includes a receiving groove that overlaps the above protrusion of the bobbin in the direction of the optical axis,
A lens driving device in which the damping member is coupled with the protrusion of the bobbin and the receiving groove of the housing, and is spaced apart from the elastic member. In Article 16,
The elastic member includes an upper elastic member including an inner frame coupled with the upper portion of the bobbin, an outer frame coupled with the upper portion of the housing, and a connecting portion connecting the inner frame and the outer frame.
The bobbin includes a first projection that engages with the inner frame, and the housing includes a second projection that engages with the outer frame.
A lens driving device in which, when viewed from above, the protrusion of the bobbin is positioned close to the second projection. lens;
A lens driving device as described in any one of claims 1 to 17; and
A camera module containing an image sensor. delete