JP6967424B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

One aspect of the present invention relates to an image pickup device and the like.

In an image pickup device having a lens barrel and a substrate on which an image sensor is mounted, it is necessary to adjust the position of the lens barrel with respect to the image sensor and adjust the optical axis. The optical axis adjustment includes adjusting the distance between the image sensor and the lens in the optical axis direction (focus adjustment), adjusting the relative position between the image sensor and the lens in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis (shift adjustment), and using the image sensor. There is adjustment of the tilt between the lens and the lens (tilt adjustment). Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose conventional configurations for accurately adjusting the optical axis.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-97431 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-308987 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-49621 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-27360

In recent years, with the miniaturization and higher accuracy of image pickup devices such as cameras, there has been an increasing demand for the optical axis to be adjusted with higher accuracy than before so that the optical axis does not shift even after the image pickup device is assembled. There is. On the other hand, in the conventional configuration, when the adhesive used for assembling the image pickup apparatus expands due to high temperature, the optical axis may shift.

The present invention adopts the following means in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and the like. In the following description, reference numerals and the like in the drawings are added in parentheses to facilitate understanding of the invention, but each component of the present invention is not limited to those added. It should be widely interpreted to the extent that a person skilled in the art can technically understand it.

One means of the present invention is
The substrate (4) on which the image sensor is mounted and
The lens barrel (2) that holds the lens and
A holder (1) that holds the lens barrel and is connected to the substrate,
An elastic member (8) arranged so as to cover the image pickup device is provided between the substrate and the holder.
It is an image pickup device.

In the image pickup device having the above configuration, by arranging the elastic member, it is possible to stabilize the position between the holder and the substrate and suppress the entry of dust in the vicinity of the image pickup element. As a result, it is possible to suppress the deviation of the optical axis and suppress the deterioration of the captured image caused by the adhesion of dust to the image pickup device.

In the above image pickup apparatus, preferably
The elastic member applies an urging force in the optical axis direction to the substrate and the holder.

According to the image pickup apparatus having the above configuration, for example, even if the adhesive applied between the holder and the substrate shrinks due to temperature or humidity, it is possible to stabilize the position in the optical axis direction between the holder and the substrate. It becomes.

In the above image pickup apparatus, preferably
The elastic member seals the peripheral space of the image pickup device.

According to the image pickup device having the above configuration, it is possible to more effectively suppress the dust from entering the periphery of the image pickup element and adhering to the image pickup element. As a result, deterioration of the captured image can be suppressed more effectively.

In the above image pickup apparatus, preferably
The elastic member has a rectangular portion formed so as to cover the periphery of the image pickup element and a cylindrical portion diameter-fitting to the lens barrel.

According to the image pickup device having the above configuration, it is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the lens barrel and the elastic member while appropriately covering the periphery of the image pickup element, and more effectively, the periphery of the image pickup element. The space can be sealed.

Further, one means of the present invention is
The substrate (4) on which the image sensor is mounted and
The lens barrel (2) that holds the lens and
A holder (1) that holds the lens barrel and is connected to the substrate,
A cover member (8) arranged so as to cover the image pickup device is provided between the substrate and the holder.
It is an image pickup device.

In the image pickup device having the above configuration, the cover member can prevent dust from entering the vicinity of the image pickup device. This makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of the captured image caused by the adhesion of dust to the image pickup device.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the image pickup apparatus. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the image pickup apparatus viewed from the front in the optical axis direction. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the image pickup apparatus viewed from the rear in the optical axis direction. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the image pickup apparatus viewed from the front in the optical axis direction. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ of FIG.

One of the features of the image pickup apparatus of the present invention is that an elastic seal member (elastic member) is arranged between the substrate and the holder so as to cover the image pickup element on the substrate in order to suppress the optical axis deviation. There is. Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described.

In the present specification, the center position of the light incident on the image sensor, which is the center position of the lens, is referred to as an "optical axis". An image pickup target located on the side opposite to the image pickup element with respect to the lens is referred to as a "subject". The direction in which the subject is located with respect to the lens may be referred to as "forward in the optical axis direction" or "front side". The direction in which the image sensor is located with respect to the lens may be referred to as "rearward in the optical axis direction" or "rear side". Further, each figure shows an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other. The Z axis is a direction parallel to the extending direction of the optical axis.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described according to the following configuration. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In each drawing, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.
1. 1. Embodiment 2. Supplementary information

<1. Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the image pickup apparatus of this embodiment as viewed from the front side in the optical axis direction. 2 and 3 are exploded perspective views of the image pickup apparatus of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a view seen from the front in the optical axis direction, and FIG. 3 is a view seen from the rear in the optical axis direction. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the image pickup apparatus of the present embodiment as viewed from the front in the optical axis direction. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ of FIG.

As shown in the figure, the image pickup apparatus of this embodiment includes a holder 1, a lens barrel 2, a substrate 4, and an elastic sealing member 8. Further, in order to connect and fix these configurations, adhesives 3a and 3b, connecting screws 6 and 7, and a fixture 5 are used.

<Holder 1>
The holder 1 holds the lens barrel 2 and is connected to the substrate 4. The holder 1 has an opening 1a formed so as to penetrate in a cylindrical shape in the front in the optical axis direction, and the lens barrel 2 is inserted from the front in the optical axis direction inside the opening 1a in the radial direction. , Will be retained. The holder 1 and the lens barrel 2 are diameter-fitted by screw fitting or the like. The holder 1 and the lens barrel 2 are not screw-fitted but merely diameter-fitted, and may be fixed in position with an adhesive or the like.

Adhesives 3a are arranged at three locations behind the holder 1 in the optical axis direction. The adhesive 3a shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 shows a state after being cured and assembled, and has an annular shape. A connecting screw 6 inserted into the through hole 41 of the substrate 4 is inserted into the central portion (opening) of the annular adhesive 3a from the rear in the optical axis direction. The connecting screw 6 penetrates the substrate 4 and the adhesive 3a and is inserted into the screw hole 1c formed on the rear surface of the holder 1 in the optical axis direction. The connecting screw 6 has a head portion 6a and a shaft portion 6b. A thread is formed inside the screw hole 1c, and is screw-fitted with the thread formed on the shaft portion 6b of the connecting screw 6. The head portion 6a of the connecting screw 6 abuts on the surface of the substrate 4 rearward in the optical axis direction.

Instead of the connecting screw 6, the holder 1 may have a cylindrical pin having no head. In this case, at the time of assembly, the holder 1 and the substrate 4 are connected by crimping the end of the pin protruding rearward in the optical axis direction from the substrate 4. At this time, the head of the crimped pin is in contact with the substrate 4 in the same manner as the head 6a of the connecting screw 6. When the pin and the holder 1 are made of resin, they may be crimped by heat caulking to heat the head of the pin.

In addition to the screw hole 1c into which the connecting screw 6 is inserted, a screw hole 1d into which the auxiliary connecting screw 7 is inserted is formed on the surface of the holder 1 rearward in the optical axis direction. Auxiliary connecting screws 7 penetrating through holes 42a and 42b of the substrate 4 are inserted into the screw holes 1d. The auxiliary connecting screw 7 has a head portion 7a and a shaft portion 7b. A thread is formed inside the screw hole 1d, and is screw-fitted with the thread formed in the shaft portion 7b of the auxiliary connecting screw 7. An adhesive 3b is arranged between the head portion 7a of the auxiliary connecting screw 7 and the substrate 4.

The holder 1 has a hole 1b into which the fixture 5 is inserted in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis (Y-axis direction). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hole 1b extends in the Y-axis direction and is formed so as to penetrate toward the center of the opening 1a. The fixture 5 inserted into the hole 1b is a screw or the like, and by pressing the lens barrel 2 in the Y-axis direction, the lens barrel 2 is pressed toward the opening 1a, and the lens barrel 2 is pressed. Fix the position of 2. The fixture 5 and the holder 1 may be screw-fitted, fixed with an adhesive or the like, or may be screw-fitted and fixed with an adhesive.

<Lens barrel 2>
The lens barrel 2 is a cylindrical member extending in the optical axis direction, and holds one or more optical members including the lens 2a. The lens barrel 2 is diameter-fitted with the holder 1. The lens barrel 2 is fixed to the holder 1 by the fixture 5 as described above.

The optical member held in the lens barrel 2 includes, in addition to the lens 2a, a lens, a spacer, an aperture plate, an optical filter (not shown), and the like. The lens including the lens 2a is made of a transparent material such as glass or plastic, and transmits light from the front in the optical axis direction to the rear in the optical axis direction while refracting the light. The spacer is a disk-shaped member having an appropriate thickness in the optical axis direction, and adjusts the position of each lens in the optical axis direction. The spacer has an opening in the center including the optical axis. The aperture plate determines the outermost position of the passing light. The optical filter suppresses or shields light of a predetermined wavelength. The optical filter includes, for example, an infrared cut filter that suppresses passing infrared rays. The type and number of these optical members can be changed arbitrarily.

<Board 4>
The substrate 4 is a rigid substrate having rigidity, and electronic components including an image pickup element 4a are mounted on the substrate 4. The image pickup device 4a is a photoelectric conversion element that converts the irradiated light into an electric signal, and is, for example, a C-MOS sensor, a CCD, or the like, but is not limited thereto. In the image pickup apparatus, an image pickup unit other than the image pickup element 4a that requires an image pickup function may be adopted.

The substrate 4 has through holes 41, 42a and 42b into which the connecting screw 6 and the auxiliary connecting screw 7 are inserted, respectively. The connecting screw 6 and the auxiliary connecting screw 7 are inserted into the through holes 41, 42a and 42b from the rear in the optical axis direction, penetrate the substrate 4, and are inserted into the screw holes 1c and 1d of the holder 1. In this way, the connecting screw 6 and the auxiliary connecting screw 7 connect the substrate 4 and the holder 1. The through holes 41 and 42a are substantially circular, but the through holes 42b are formed in an elongated shape extending in the X direction. Since the through hole 42b has a long hole shape, it is possible to adjust the insertion position of the auxiliary connecting screw 7, whereby the optical axis in the X direction can be adjusted. The auxiliary connecting screw 7 is an auxiliary connecting tool used to stably and firmly fix the holder 1 and the substrate 4, and is not an essential configuration for the present invention.

<Adhesive 3a>
As described above, the adhesive 3a is arranged between the holder 1 and the substrate 4 around the shaft portion 6b of the connecting screw 6 (see FIG. 6). The adhesive 3a is in the form of a liquid, jelly, or sheet before being cured. The adhesive 3a is arranged away from the outer circumference so as not to come into contact with the outer circumference of the connecting screw 6. In the optical axis direction, the adhesive 3a is arranged without a gap between the holder 1 and the substrate 4.

<Adhesive 3b>
As described above, the adhesive 3b is arranged between the substrate 4 and the head portion 7a of the auxiliary connecting screw 7 and around the shaft portion 7b of the auxiliary connecting screw 7 (see FIG. 5). The adhesive 3b is arranged so as to be in contact with the outer periphery of the shaft portion 7b of the auxiliary connecting screw 7. The adhesive 3b is in the form of a liquid, jelly, or sheet before being cured. The adhesive 3b may be annular from the time it is placed, or may be penetrated in an annular shape by the auxiliary connecting screw 7 after placement. The adhesive 3b is arranged so as to enter the through hole 42a (or 42b) of the substrate 4. As a result, the substrate 4 is firmly fixed to the holder 1 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis (XY direction). In the optical axis direction, the adhesive 3b is arranged without a gap between the substrate 4 and the head portion 7a of the connecting screw 7.

<Elastic seal member 8>
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the elastic sealing member 8 is arranged between the substrate 4 and the holder 1. The elastic sealing member 8 of this embodiment is made of rubber. The elastic sealing member 8 includes a rectangular portion 8a and a cylindrical portion 8b.

The rectangular portion 8a has a rectangular cross section and has a cylindrical shape extending in the optical axis direction, and is arranged so as to surround the four sides of the image pickup device 4a and cover the image pickup element 4a. The end portion of the rectangular portion 8a rearward in the optical axis direction is in contact with the surface of the substrate 4 in front of the optical axis direction.

The cylindrical portion 8b has an annular cross section and a shape extending in a cylindrical shape in the optical axis direction, and is formed so as to fit on the outer side in the radial direction of the lens barrel 2. The cylindrical portion 8b and the lens barrel 2 are diameter-fitted, and are fixed by using, for example, an adhesive. Alternatively, the lens barrel 2 may be press-fitted into the cylindrical portion 8b to bond the two. The end portion of the cylindrical portion 8b in the front in the optical axis direction is in contact with the surface of the holder 1 in the rear in the optical axis direction.

The elastic sealing member 8 is arranged so that no gap is formed between the substrate 4, the lens barrel 2, and the holder 1, and seals the space around the image pickup element 4a.

As described above, the elastic sealing member 8 is in contact with the substrate 4 at the rear in the optical axis direction and in contact with the holder 1 at the front in the optical axis direction, and gives an urging force to the substrate 4 and the holder 1. More specifically, the elastic sealing member 8 applies an urging force to the substrate 4 toward the rear in the optical axis direction, and applies an urging force to the holder 1 toward the front in the optical axis direction. Therefore, for example, even when the adhesives 3a and 3b for fixing the positions of the substrate 4 and the holder 1 are shrunk, the substrate 4 is subjected to the urging force applied from the elastic sealing member 8 to the substrate 4 and the holder 1. The position of the holder 1 and the holder 1 does not change and is stable. The elastic seal member 8 is a configuration example of the "elastic member" or the "cover member" of the present invention. The elastic seal member 8 may be formed of an elastic member such as resin instead of rubber. Further, the elastic seal member 8 may be replaced with a member having no elasticity instead of the elastic member, and even in this case, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the image pickup element 4a to some extent.

<Characteristics of the image pickup apparatus of this embodiment>
As described above, since the image pickup apparatus of the present embodiment has the configuration in which the elastic seal member 8 is arranged between the substrate 4 and the holder 1, the position of the holder and the substrate is stabilized and the position is in the vicinity of the image pickup element 4a. It is possible to prevent dust from entering. As a result, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the optical axis due to the positional displacement between the substrate 4 and the holder 1, and also to suppress the deterioration of the captured image caused by the adhesion of dust to the image pickup device 4a.

Further, in the image pickup apparatus of the present embodiment, since the elastic sealing member 8 is configured to apply an urging force in the optical axis direction to the substrate 4 and the holder 1, the adhesive arranged between the holder 1 and the substrate 4 Even if (for example, 3a or 3b) shrinks due to temperature or humidity, it is possible to stabilize the position in the optical axis direction between the holder 1 and the substrate 4.

Further, in the image pickup apparatus of the present embodiment, since the elastic seal member 8 is arranged so as to seal the peripheral space of the image pickup element 4a, dust enters the periphery of the image pickup element 4a and adheres to the image pickup element 4a. Can be effectively suppressed. As a result, deterioration of the captured image can be suppressed more effectively.

Further, in the image pickup apparatus of the present embodiment, since the elastic seal member 8 has a rectangular portion 8a and a cylindrical portion 8b, the elastic seal member 8 is elastic with the lens barrel 2 while appropriately covering the periphery of the image pickup element 4a. It is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the seal member 8 and the image sensor 8, and more effectively, the peripheral space of the image pickup device 4a can be sealed.

<2. Supplementary information>
The specific embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The above description is merely an embodiment, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this one embodiment and is broadly interpreted to a range that can be grasped by those skilled in the art.

In the embodiment, the configuration in which the elastic seal member 8 has the rectangular portion 8a and the cylindrical portion 8b is described as an example, but the elastic seal member 8 is not necessarily limited to such a shape. , Can have any shape. For example, the elastic sealing member 8 may have a rectangular tubular shape or a cylindrical shape as a whole, and even with such a configuration, a certain effect can be obtained.

In the embodiment, the connecting screw 6 and the auxiliary connecting screw 7 are used as the connecting tool for connecting the holder 1 and the substrate 4, but these do not necessarily have to be screws and have no thread. It may be.

The image pickup apparatus of the present invention is particularly useful as an in-vehicle image pickup apparatus mounted on an automobile or the like, which requires highly accurate and stable adjustment of the optical axis.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitably used as an in-vehicle imaging device or the like.

1 ... Holder 1a ... Opening 1b ... Hole 1c 1d ... Screw hole 2 ... Lens barrel 2a ... Lens 3a, 3b ... Adhesive 4 ... Substrate 4a ... Image pickup element 41, 42a, 42b ... Through hole 5 ... Fixture 6 ... Connecting screw 6a ... Head 6b ... Shaft 7 ... Auxiliary connecting screw 7a ... Head 7b ... Shaft 8 ... Elastic sealing member 8a ... Rectangular part 8b ... Cylindrical part

Claims (3)

The board on which the image sensor is mounted and
The lens barrel that holds the lens and
A holder that holds the lens barrel and is connected to the substrate,
An elastic member arranged between the substrate and the holder so as to cover the image sensor,
E Bei and a connecting screw for connecting the said holder substrate in a state in which a predetermined interval,
The elastic member applies an urging force in the optical axis direction to the substrate and the holder.
An adhesive that does not come into contact with the shaft portion and fills the predetermined space between the holder and the substrate without a gap is provided around the shaft portion of the connecting screw.
Imaging device. The elastic member seals the peripheral space of the image pickup device.
The imaging device according to claim 1. The elastic member has a rectangular portion formed so as to cover the periphery of the image pickup element and a cylindrical portion diameter-fitting to the lens barrel.
The imaging device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images