Patent Publication Number: US-2015085185-A1

Title: Mounting structure for camera and portable electronic device using same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to mounting structures for cameras, and more particularly to a mounting structure for camera used in a portable electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Generally, a camera of a typical portable electronic device, such as a mobile phone, is welded onto a printed circuit board of the portable electronic device. However, due to limited space inside the portable electronic device, if there is a large space between the printed circuit board and a housing of the portable electronic device, a distance between the camera and the housing is too long to satisfy imaging conditions of the camera. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present mounting structure for camera and portable electronic device using same can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present mounting structure for camera and portable electronic device using same. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a mounting structure for camera used in a portable electronic device, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but shown from another angle. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the mounting structure for camera shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a portion of a portable electronic device  100 , such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant or laptop. The portable electronic device  100  includes a housing  10 , a camera assembly  20 , a mounting structure  30 , and a circuit board  40 . The camera assembly  20  is mounted on the mounting structure  30 , and the mounting structure  30  is fixed on the circuit board  40 . The camera assembly  20 , the mounting structure  30  and the circuit board  40  are received in the housing  10 . 
       FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  are exploded views of the portable electronic device  100 . An inner surface of the housing  10  defines a receiving groove  11 , and a bottom wall of the receiving groove  11  defines an aperture  111 . 
     The camera assembly  20  includes a camera  21 , a flexible printed circuit (FPC)  22 , a connector assembly  23 , and a sealing element  24 . The camera  21  is electronically connected to the connector assembly  23  by the FPC  22 . The camera  21  includes a main body  211  and a positioning block  212 . The main body  211  is located on the positioning block  212 . The positioning block  212  has at least two edges. The connector assembly  23  includes a first connector  231  and a second connector  232 . The first connector  231  is electronically connected to the FPC  22 . The first connector  231  defines an engaging groove  2311 , and a plurality of connection pins  2312  are located on two sidewalls of the engaging groove  2311 . The second connector  232  is located on the circuit board  40 . The second connector  232  includes a plurality of electrical contacts  2321 . 
     In this embodiment, the sealing element  24  is made of foam. The sealing element  24  defines a through hole  242  corresponding to the aperture  111 . An adhesive  241  covers a surface of the sealing element  24 . 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the mounting structure  30 . The mounting structure  30  includes a main plate  31 , a support plate assembly  32 , and a stopper assembly  33 . The main plate  31  corresponds to the positioning block  212 . The main plate  31  includes a mounting surface  311 . The support plate assembly  32  includes a first support plate  321 , a second support plate  322 , a third support plate  323 , and a fourth support plate  324  respectively extending from four edges of the main plate  31 . The first support plate  321 , the second support plate  322 , the third support plate  323 , and the fourth support plate  324  are located at one side of the main plate  31  opposite to the mounting surface  311  and are perpendicularly connected to the main plate  31 . 
     The first support plate  321  is opposite and parallel to the third support plate  323 . The second support plate  322  is opposite and parallel to the fourth support plate  324 . The first support plate  321 , the second support plate  322 , and the main plate  31  cooperatively define a notch  320 , and the third support plate  323 , the fourth support plate  324  and the main plate  31  also cooperatively define another notch  320 . Each notch  320  is substantially heart-shaped and includes a connecting wall  3201  belonging to the main plate  31 . A protrusion  3202  protrudes from the connecting wall  3201 . Each of the second support plate  322 , the third support plate  323 , and the fourth support plate  324  defines an opening  325  extending to the main plate  31 . The opening  325  is substantially rectangular and includes two arcuate inner walls  3251 . The two inner walls  3251  are spaced apart from each other and are located at the main plate  31 . 
     The stopper assembly  33  is perpendicularly connected to the main plate  31 , and is opposite to the support plate assembly  32 . The stopper assembly  33  includes two first stoppers  331  and a second stopper  333 . One first stopper  331  is located between the two inner walls  3251  of the second support plate  322 , and the other first stopper  331  is located between the two inner walls  3251  of the fourth support plate  324 . The second stopper  333  is located between the two inner walls  3251  of the third support plate  323 . Each first stopper  331  is substantially Z-shaped and includes a first base  3311 , a first end portion  3312 , and a first connecting portion  3313 . The first end portion  3312  extends from one end of the first base  3311 , and the first connecting portion  3313  extends from the other end of the first base  3311  in opposite direction of the first end portion  3312 . The first connecting portion  3313  connects to the main plate  31 . The second stopper  333  is substantially Z-shaped and includes a second base  3331 , a second end portion  3332 , and a second connecting portion  3333 . The second end portion  3332  extends from one end of the second base  3331 , and the second connecting portion  3333  extends from the other end of the second base  3331  in opposite direction of the second end portion  3332 . The second connecting portion  3333  connects to the main plate  31 . The second base  3331  is higher than the first base  3311 . 
     In this embodiment, the mounting structure  30  is made of titanium alloy, and is made by stamping. During the stamping process, one mounting structure  30  connects to another mounting structure  30  by the protrusion  3202 . 
     In assembly of the portable electronic device  100 , an adhesive layer (not shown) is attached to the mounting surface  311 , and in this embodiment, the adhesive layer is double-sided adhesive tape. The positioning block  212  of the camera  21  is aligned with the mounting surface  311  and moves toward to the mounting surface  311  until the positioning block  212  resists against the second base  3331  of the second stopper  333 . The positioning block  212  moves toward to the mounting surface  311  along the second base  3331 , and the positioning block  212  fits tightly with the adhesive layer. Then, the camera  21  is fixed on the mounting structure  30 . The stopper assembly  33  is located adjacent to the edges of the positioning block  212  to prevent the positioning block  212  from shaking 
     A free end of the first support plate  321 , a free end of the second support plate  322 , a free end of the third support plate  323  and a free end of the fourth support plate  324  are fixed on the circuit board  40  with another adhesive layer  41  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) attached to circuit board  40 . The second connector  232  is received in the engaging groove  2311  of the first connector  231 , and the plurality of electrical contacts  2321  are electronically connected to the plurality of connection pins  2312 . The sealing element  24  is received in the receiving groove  11  of the housing  10 . The adhesive  241  fits closely with the bottom wall of the receiving groove  11  and is aligned with the aperture  111 . The housing  10  covers the camera  21 , and the sealing element  24  resists between the housing  10  and the main body  211  of the camera  21 . 
     The mounting structure  30  with a simple structure is easy to assemble. The mounting structure  30  can decrease a distance between the camera  21  and the housing  10  to satisfy imaging conditions of the camera  21 . 
     In another exemplary embodiment, one or two of the first support plate  321 , the second support plate  322 , the third support plate  323  and the fourth support plate  324  can be omitted. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the circuit board  40  may define a plurality of latching grooves to engage with the support plate assembly  32 . 
     It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.