Abstract:
An exemplary objective holder for engaging with a PCB substrate having an image sensor and several passive components arranged thereon, includes a base and several continuously connected walls extending from the base. The walls enclose a chamber thereamong for receiving the image sensor and define notches therein for receiving the passive components.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to objective holders and, particularly, to an objective holder for camera module having a compact configuration. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    In digital cameras, objective holders are in widespread use to support lenses and other components such as image sensors. Another use for objective holders is in some compact imaging apparatus as a cover for imaging components.  FIG. 5  illustrates an objective holder  10 , which covers the printed circuit board (PCB) substrate  20 . On the PCB substrate  20 , an image sensing IC  30  and several passive components  40  are arranged. The passive components  40  may be capacitances, inductances, or resistances. The passive components  40  surround the image sensing IC  30  and are separate from the image sensing IC  30  and the objective holder  10  for effectively dissipating heat and avoiding EMI. The objective holder  10  must have a large enough chamber  12  to accommodate the image sensing IC  30  and the passive components  40  therein. Therefore, the objective holder  10  is bulky, which makes miniaturization of cameras difficult. 
         [0005]    What is needed, therefore, is an objective holder which has a compact configuration. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In accordance with a present embodiment, an objective holder for engaging with a PCB substrate having an image sensor and several passive components arranged thereon, includes a base and several continuously connected walls extending from the base. The walls enclose a chamber thereamong for receiving the image sensor and define notches therein for receiving the passive components. In the embodiment, the passive components do not occupy the chamber but the notches in the walls; thus, the chamber is just for receiving the image sensor and is more compact than a chamber which is for receiving both the image sensor and the passive components. Thus, the objective holder as a whole can have a compact configuration. 
         [0007]    Other advantages and novel features will be drawn from the following detailed description of at least one preferred embodiment, when considered in conjunction with the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Many aspects of the present objective holder can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present camera module. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an objective holder and a PCB substrate on which an image sensor and several passive components are arranged, wherein the objective holder is partially cut away for clear illustration. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the objective holder of  FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different angle. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded, isometric view of an alternative objective holder and a PCB substrate on which an image sensor and several passive components are arranged, wherein the objective holder is partially cut away for clear illustration. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the objective holder of  FIG. 3 , but viewed from a different angle. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a conventional objective holder and a PCB substrate on which an image sensor and several passive components are arranged. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]    Embodiments of the present objective holder will now be described in detail below and with reference to the drawings. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , an objective holder  100  in the first embodiment may be engaged with a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate  300 . An image sensor  320  and four passive components  340  are arranged on the PCB substrate  300 . The passive components  340  surround the image sensor  320 . The image sensor  320  may be a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. The passive components  340  may be capacitors, inductors, or resistors. 
         [0016]    The objective holder  100  comprises a base  110 , a cylinder collar  122 , and four walls  112 . The cylinder collar  122  and the four walls  112  oppositely extend from the base  110 . The cylinder collar  122  encloses a room  120  for receiving a lens module (not shown). The lens module (not shown) can be secured in the room  120  by any conventional means. The walls  112  are continuously connected together end to end and cooperatively enclose a chamber  130  thereamong. The chamber  130  is for receiving the image sensor  320  on the PCB substrate  300 . The room  120  and the chamber  130  are coaxially aligned so that optical cores of the lens module (not shown) and the image sensor  320  are aligned for promoting precise imaging. 
         [0017]    Particularly referring to  FIG. 2 , four notches  114  are defined in the walls  112  respectively and communicate with the chamber  130 . The notches  114  are for receiving the passive components  340  therein respectively. In the embodiment, each notch  114  is located at a center portion of the corresponding wall  112 , in accordance with a location of the corresponding passive component  340 . When the PCB substrate  300  is placed to objective holder  100 , the PCB substrate  300  is rested on the walls  112 . The passive components  340  are correspondingly received in the notches  114  defined in the walls  112 . The image sensor  320  is received in the chamber  130 . Since the passive components  340  do not occupy the chamber  130  but the notches in the walls  112 , the chamber  130  is just for receiving the image sensor  320  and is more compact than a chamber which is for receiving both the image sensor  320  and the passive components  340 . For the objective holder  100  as a whole, space that would normally be occupied by the passive components can be saved compared to the above-cited reference. Thus, the objective holder  100  has a compact configuration. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , in an objective holder  200  of a second embodiment, two notches  214  are defined in each of two parallel walls  212  respectively adjacent to the two parallel walls  212 , because the passive components  440  are arranged at four corners of the PCB substrate  400  and surround the image sensor  420 . In other words, the notches  214  are defined near corner portions  216  of the walls  212  to correspond to the passive components  440 . It is feasible for the walls  212  to be made thinner than the parts where the notches  214  are defined so as to save material and lighten the objective holder  200 . Other features such as a base  210  and a chamber  230  of the objective holder  200  in the second embodiment may be referenced from the description of the objective holder  100  in the first embodiment. 
         [0019]    It will be understood that the above particular embodiments and methods are shown and described by way of illustration only. The principles and features of the present invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. The above-described embodiments illustrate the scope of the invention but do not restrict the scope of the invention.