Patent Publication Number: US-2011058099-A1

Title: Rotatable camera module for electronic device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to camera modules and, particularly, to a rotatable camera module for an electronic device capable of rotating relative to the electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Many electronic devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, etc. have embedded camera modules. Most of the camera modules are fixed in a stationary position and the user must rotate the whole electronic device when they want to change the viewing angle. This is inconvenient for users using the electronic device. 
     What is needed, is a rotatable camera module for electronic devices to overcome or at least mitigate the above described problem. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present rotatable camera module can be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principle of the rotatable camera module. In the drawings, all the views are schematic. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled, isometric view of a rotatable camera module according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, isometric view of the rotatable camera module of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the rotatable camera module of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a camera module  100  for an electronic device  200 , is shown. The camera module  100  includes a holder  110 , a supporting member  120 , a lens module  130 , an image sensor  140 , and a circuit board  150 . The electronic device  200  can be a mobile phone, a notebook computer etc. 
     The holder  110  is fixed to the electronic device  200 . The holder  110  defines a truncated spherical receiving space  111  surrounded by an inner surface  113  and an opening  112  communicating with the receiving space  111 . The truncated spherical receiving space  111  is larger than a hemisphere of a virtual sphere formed by extending the inner surface  113  of the holder  110 . In the present embodiment, the holder  110  is a truncated spherical shell larger than a hemisphere of a virtual sphere formed by extending the outer surface of the truncated spherical shell. The opening  112  is round and has a diameter smaller than that of the receiving space  111 . The holder  110  can be made of elastic material, thus, the diameter of the opening  112  can be increased. The holder  110  further defines a number of positioning holes  114  on the inner surface  113  of the holder  110 . 
     The supporting member  120  includes a supporting portion  121  and a connecting portion  122 . The connecting portion  122  is received in the receiving space  111  of the holder  110  and is rotatable relative to the holder  110 . The supporting portion  121  extends out of the receiving space  111  of the holder  110  from the opening  112 , and can rotate together with the connecting portion  122 . 
     The connecting portion  122  is substantially spherical and has a diameter substantially equal to that of the receiving space  111 . In the present embodiment, because the holder  110  is made of elastic material and the diameter of the opening  112  is increasable, in assembly, the connecting portion  122  can be pressed into the receiving space  111  of the holder  110  through the opening  112  conveniently. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion  122  further includes a hump  122   a  formed on the surface of the connecting portion  122 . The hump  122   a  can increase the friction between the connecting portion  122  and the holder  110 , firmly holding the connecting portion  122  in a steady position by latching with each of the positioning holes  114  on the inner surface  113  of the holder  110 . It should be understood that there could be a plurality of humps  122   a  on the connecting portion  122 . 
     The lens module  130 , the image sensor  140 , and the circuit board  150  are fixed on the supporting portion  121  of the supporting member  120 . The image sensor  140  is mounted on and electrically connected to the circuit board  150 . The lens module  130  is aligned with the image sensor  140  for forming images of objects on the image sensor  140 . 
     Further referring to  FIG. 4 , the holder  100  further defines a through hole  115  opposite to the opening  112 , and the supporting member  120  further defines a wire hole  123  communicating with the through hole  115 . The camera module  100  as well includes a wire  160  passing through the through hole  115  and the wire hole  123  for electrically connecting the circuit board  150  to the electronic device  200 , assuring the image signals captured by the image sensor  140  can be transmitted into the electronic device  200 . 
     While certain embodiments have been described and exemplified above, various other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described and exemplified, and the embodiments are capable of considerable variation and modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.