Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses a camera module according to the preamble of claim <NUM>. People who use portable devices demand optical devices that have high resolution, are small, and have various photographing functions (an autofocus (AF) function, a hand-tremor compensation or optical image stabilization (OIS) function, etc.). Such photographing functions may be realized by directly moving a plurality of lenses that are combined. In the case in which the number of lenses is increased, however, the size of an optical device may be increased.

The autofocus and hand-tremor compensation functions are performed by tilting or moving a lens module including a plurality of lenses, which are fixed to a lens holder in the state in which the optical axes of the lenses are aligned, along the optical axis or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. An additional lens-moving apparatus is used to move the lens module. However, the lens-moving apparatus consumes a lot of power, requires driving members, such as magnets and coils, to move the lens module, and requires extra space corresponding to the moving range of the lens module in order to move the lens module, thus leading to an increase in the overall thickness of a camera module and an optical device.

Therefore, research has been conducted on a liquid lens configured to electrically adjust the curvature of an interface between two kinds of liquid in order to perform autofocus and hand-tremor compensation functions. <CIT> discloses a lens barrel with an aligning mechanisms for a liquid lens. <CIT> discloses a camera module where a liquid crystal lens is pressed and fixed. <CIT> discloses an imaging lens, which includes a first optical lens composed of a convex lens and a liquid crystal lens.

The invention shall provide a camera module including a liquid lens and an optical device, in which the liquid lens is more stably supported inside a holder.

The invention shall also provide a camera module including a liquid lens and an optical device, in which the liquid lens is supported in a balanced manner even when a mold seam is formed in the process of manufacturing a holder through injection molding.

A camera module according to the invention is defined in claim <NUM>.

The holder may include a first lens disposition portion in which a first lens unit is disposed, a second lens disposition portion in which a second lens unit is disposed, and a liquid lens disposition portion disposed between the first lens disposition portion and the second lens disposition portion to allow the liquid lens to be disposed therein. The through-hole may penetrate the first lens disposition portion, the second lens disposition portion, and the liquid lens disposition portion.

The liquid lens disposition portion may include a first horizontal plate coupled to the first lens disposition portion, a second horizontal plate spaced apart from the first horizontal plate and coupled to the second lens disposition portion, and a vertical plate connecting the first horizontal plate and the second horizontal plate to each other. The support portion protrudes from the second horizontal plate while enclosing the through-hole.

The through-hole may have a circular horizontal cross-section, and the support portion may be disposed so as to concentrically surround the through-hole.

The difference in height between the upper surface of the support portion and the stepped surface may be <NUM> to <NUM>.

Any one region of the stepped surface may be contiguous with the through-hole.

The mold seam may be formed so as to be elongated across the center of the through-hole, and the stepped surface may be disposed in a pair at opposite edges of the upper surface of the support portion.

The pair of stepped surfaces may be formed by cutting opposite edges of the upper surface of the support portion such that the side of each of the stepped surfaces that is contiguous with the through-hole is perpendicular to the mold seam.

The stepped surfaces may be disposed parallel to the mold seam.

The liquid lens may include a first plate including a cavity formed therein to accommodate a first liquid, which is conductive, and a second liquid, which is non-conductive, therein, a first electrode disposed on the first plate, a second electrode disposed under the first plate, a second plate disposed on the first electrode, and a third plate disposed under the second electrode and seated on the support portion.

The stepped surfaces may be spaced apart from the third plate.

The invention further refers to an optical device comprising said camera module.

In the camera module including the liquid lens and the optical device according to the embodiments, the surface of the support portion on which the liquid lens is seated is substantially flattened, thereby enabling more stable support of the liquid lens in the holder.

In addition, even when a mold seam is formed in the process of manufacturing the holder through injection molding, it is possible to support the liquid lens in a balanced manner by forming a stepped portion on the support portion.

Hereinafter, embodiments for accomplishing the aforementioned objects will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following description of the embodiments, it will be understood that, when each element is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, it can be "directly" on or under another element or can be "indirectly" formed such that an intervening element is also present. In addition, when an element is referred to as being "on" or "under", "under the element" as well as "on the element" may be included based on the element.

<FIG> is a view of one example of a camera module. The camera module includes a lens assembly <NUM> and a control circuit <NUM>.

The lens assembly <NUM> includes a liquid lens and a solid lens. The liquid lens includes a liquid, a plate, and an electrode. The liquid includes a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid, and the electrode may be disposed on or under the plate. In addition, the electrode may include a common terminal and an individual terminal. The common terminal may be single in number, and the individual terminal may be plural in number. The plate includes a first plate, which includes a cavity in which the liquid is disposed, and further includes a second plate, which is disposed on or under the first plate. In addition, the liquid lens may further include a third plate, and the first plate may be disposed between the second plate and the third plate. The shape of the interface formed between the conductive liquid and the non-conductive liquid is changed in response to the driving voltage applied between the common terminal and each of the individual terminals, and accordingly the focal length is changed. The control circuit <NUM> may supply a driving voltage to the liquid lens, and may be disposed on a sensor board <NUM> on which an image sensor is disposed. The camera module may further include a connector <NUM>. The connector <NUM> may be connected to the control circuit <NUM> via a connection part <NUM>, and may electrically connect the control circuit <NUM> to an external power source or other devices.

The configuration of the control circuit <NUM> may be designed differently in accordance with the specifications required for a photography device. In particular, in order to reduce the intensity of the operating voltage to be applied to the lens assembly <NUM>, the control circuit <NUM> may be implemented as a single chip. As a result, it is possible to further reduce the size of the camera module that is mounted in a portable device.

The lens assembly <NUM> includes a first lens unit <NUM>, a second lens unit <NUM>, a liquid lens <NUM>, a holder <NUM>, and a cover <NUM>. Any one of the first lens unit <NUM> and the second lens unit <NUM> may be omitted.

The illustrated structure of the lens assembly <NUM> is just one example, and the structure of the lens assembly <NUM> may be changed depending on the specifications required for the camera module.

The first lens unit <NUM> may be disposed at the front side of the lens assembly <NUM>, and receives light incident thereon from the outside of the lens assembly <NUM>. The first lens unit <NUM> includes at least one lens, or two or more lenses may be aligned along a center axis to form an optical system. Here, the center axis is the same as the optical axis of the optical system.

The first lens unit <NUM> may include two lenses. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto.

An exposure lens (not shown) may be provided on the front surface of the first lens unit <NUM>, and a cover glass may be disposed in front of the exposure lens. The exposure lens may protrude so as to be exposed to the outside of the holder <NUM>, and thus the surface thereof may be damaged. If the surface of the lens is damaged, the quality of the image captured by the camera module may be deteriorated. In order to prevent or minimize damage to the surface of the exposure lens, a method of disposing a cover glass, a method of forming a coating layer, or a method of forming the exposure lens using a wear-resistant material for preventing damage to the surface of the exposure lens may be applied.

The second lens unit <NUM> may be disposed at the rear of the first lens unit <NUM> and the liquid lens <NUM>, and the light incident on the first lens unit <NUM> from the outside may pass through the liquid lens <NUM> and may be incident on the second lens unit <NUM>. The second lens unit <NUM> may be spaced apart from the first lens unit <NUM> and may be disposed in a through-hole formed in the holder <NUM>. The second lens unit <NUM> may include at least one lens, and when two or more lenses are included, the lenses may be aligned along the center axis to form an optical system.

In order to distinguish the above-described first and second lens units <NUM> and <NUM> from the liquid lens <NUM>, the first and second lens units <NUM> and <NUM> are referred to as first and second solid lens units.

The liquid lens <NUM> is disposed under the first lens unit <NUM>, and the second lens unit <NUM> is disposed under the liquid lens <NUM>. That is, the liquid lens <NUM> is disposed between the first lens unit <NUM> and the second lens unit <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the liquid lens included in the camera module shown in <FIG>, and <FIG> is a view showing the cross-section of the liquid lens shown in <FIG>.

Specifically, the liquid lens <NUM> includes a first plate <NUM>, in which a cavity is formed to accommodate a first liquid <NUM>, which is non-conductive, and a second liquid <NUM>, which is conductive, therein, a first electrode <NUM> disposed on the first plate <NUM>, a second electrode <NUM> disposed under the first plate, a second plate <NUM> disposed on the first electrode <NUM>, and a third plate <NUM> disposed under the second electrode <NUM>.

The first plate <NUM> may be disposed between the second plate <NUM> and the third plate <NUM>, and may include upper and lower openings having a predetermined inclined surface (e.g. an inclined surface having an angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, specifically an angle of <NUM> to <NUM> degrees). The region surrounded by the aforementioned inclined surface, the opening contacting the second plate <NUM>, and the opening contacting the third plate <NUM> are referred to as a 'cavity'.

The first plate <NUM> is a structure that accommodates the first and second liquids <NUM> and <NUM> therein. Each of the second plate <NUM> and the third plate <NUM> includes a region through which light passes, and thus may be made of a light-transmissive material such as, for example, glass. The second plate <NUM> and the third plate <NUM> may be made of the same material for convenience of processing.

In addition, the first plate <NUM> may include impurities so that light does not easily pass therethrough.

The second plate <NUM> is a structure through which light incident thereon from the first lens unit <NUM> travels to the interior of the cavity, and the third plate <NUM> is a structure through which the light that has passed through the cavity travels to the second lens unit <NUM>.

The aforementioned cavity is filled with the first liquid <NUM> and the second liquid <NUM>, which have different properties from each other, and an interface is formed between the first liquid <NUM> and the second liquid <NUM>. The curvature and the inclination of the interface formed between the first liquid <NUM> and the second liquid <NUM> may be changed.

That is, a configuration in which the surface tension of the first and second liquids <NUM> and <NUM> is changed using electrical energy may reduce the size of a camera module compared to a configuration in which a focal length is adjusted by moving solid lenses (adjusting the distance between the lenses), and may consume a small amount of power compared to a configuration in which lenses are mechanically moved using a motor or the like.

The first liquid <NUM> may be oil, e.g. phenyl-based silicon oil.

The second liquid <NUM> may be made of, for example, a mixture of ethylene glycol and sodium bromide (NaBr).

Each of the first liquid <NUM> and the second liquid <NUM> may include at least one of a sterilizing agent or an antioxidant. The antioxidant may be a phenol-based antioxidant or a phosphorus (P)-based antioxidant. The sterilizing agent may be any one of an alcohol-based sterilizing agent, an aldehyde-based sterilizing agent, and a phenol-based sterilizing agent.

The first electrode <NUM> is spaced apart from the second electrode <NUM>, and is disposed on the upper surface, the side surface, and a portion of the lower surface of the first plate <NUM>. The second electrode <NUM> is disposed on a portion of the lower surface of the first plate <NUM>, and is in direct contact with the second liquid <NUM>.

The side surface of the first plate <NUM> or the side surface of an insulation layer <NUM> forms the inclined surface or the side wall of the cavity. The first electrode <NUM> may not be in contact with the first and second liquids <NUM> and <NUM>, with the insulation layer <NUM> interposed therebetween, which will be described later. The second electrode <NUM> is in direct contact with the second liquid <NUM>.

An electrical signal received from an external sensor board <NUM> may be applied to the first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> in order to control the interface between the first liquid <NUM> and the second liquid <NUM>.

The first electrode <NUM> and the second electrode <NUM> is made of a conductive material, e.g. metal, and specifically may include chrome (Cr). Chromium or chrome is a glossy silver rigid transition metal, which is not fragile, does not readily discolor, and has a high melting point.

Further, since an alloy including chromium exhibits high corrosion resistance and rigidity, chromium may be used in the state of being alloyed with other metals. In particular, since chrome (Cr) is not easily corroded or discolored, chrome exhibits high resistance to the conductive liquid in the cavity.

The insulation layer <NUM> is disposed so as to cover the lower surface of the second plate <NUM> on the upper surface of the cavity, the first electrode <NUM> forming the side wall of the cavity, the first electrode <NUM> on the lower surface of the first plate <NUM>, the first plate <NUM>, and a portion of the second electrode <NUM>. The insulation layer <NUM> may be implemented as, for example, a parylene C coating agent, and may further include a white dye. The white dye may increase the degree to which light is reflected by the insulation layer <NUM> forming the side wall i of the cavity.

As illustrated, the first liquid <NUM> may indirectly be in surface contact with the second plate <NUM>, with the insulation layer <NUM> interposed therebetween, and the second liquid <NUM> may be in direct surface contact with the third plate <NUM>.

The cavity may include a first opening that is oriented toward the second plate <NUM> and a second opening that is oriented toward the third plate <NUM>. The cross-sectional size O<NUM> of the first opening may be smaller than the cross-sectional size O<NUM> of the second opening, or vice versa. Here, when each of the first and second openings has a circular cross-section, the size of the openings may refer to a radius thereof, and when each of the openings has a square cross-section, the size of the openings may refer to a diagonal length thereof.

Each of the second plate <NUM> and the third plate <NUM> may have rectangular edges. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto.

The first electrode <NUM> may be exposed from at least one region of the edges of the second plate <NUM>, and the second electrode <NUM> may be exposed from at least one region of the edges of the third plate <NUM>.

In addition, a first connection electrode <NUM> may be disposed on the first electrode <NUM> in the outer region of the second plate <NUM>, and a second connection electrode <NUM> may be disposed on the second electrode <NUM> in the outer region of the third plate <NUM>.

Although not illustrated, a conductive epoxy may be disposed between the first electrode <NUM> and the first connection electrode <NUM>, and may also be disposed between the second electrode <NUM> and the second connection electrode <NUM>.

The first connection electrode <NUM> may be integrally formed with the first electrode <NUM>, and the second connection electrode <NUM> may be integrally formed with the second electrode <NUM>.

The first connection electrode <NUM> and the second connection electrode <NUM> may be connected to a metal plate via a connection board <NUM>, and may be electrically connected to terminals <NUM> of a flexible sensor board <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the holder <NUM> includes an open upper portion, an open lower portion, and a through-hole formed therein. The holder <NUM> includes a first body portion including a first hole formed therein, a second body portion including a second hole formed therein, and a side portion connecting the first body portion and the second body portion to each other. The side surface of the holder includes at least one side hole formed therein. The side surface of the holder includes a first side hole and a second side hole formed therein. The first side hole and the second side hole are disposed opposite each other while being spaced apart from each other. The first lens unit <NUM>, the second lens unit <NUM>, and the liquid lens <NUM> are disposed in the through-hole formed in the holder <NUM>. In detail, the first lens unit <NUM> may be disposed in the upper portion of the holder <NUM> and may be coupled thereto, and the second lens unit <NUM> may be disposed in the lower portion of the holder <NUM> and may be coupled thereto.

The liquid lens <NUM>, the first lens unit <NUM> disposed on the liquid lens, and the second lens unit <NUM> disposed under the liquid lens are disposed in the holder <NUM> so as to be fixed thereto. The liquid lens <NUM> is aligned along the center axis in the same manner as the first lens unit <NUM> and the second lens unit <NUM>. The first lens unit is disposed in the first hole, and the second lens unit is disposed in the second hole.

First to third regions are provided inside the holder <NUM>. The first lens unit <NUM> is inserted into the first region, the liquid lens <NUM> is disposed in the second region, and the second lens unit <NUM> is disposed in the third region. Here, the first region may be located on the second region, and the third region is located under the second region. The aforementioned through-hole formed in the holder <NUM> includes the first to third regions.

The second region includes an opening, which is formed in the side surface of the holder <NUM> so as to allow the liquid lens <NUM> to be inserted into the holder therethrough. Thus, the liquid lens <NUM> is inserted into the holder <NUM> through the side opening formed in the holder <NUM>, and is accommodated in the second region of the holder <NUM>.

The liquid lens <NUM> accommodated in the holder <NUM> is electrically connected to the terminals <NUM> of the sensor board <NUM> using the connection board <NUM>, which is exposed to the outside of the holder <NUM>. Here, the connection board <NUM> may be, for example, a flexible printed circuit board.

The connection board <NUM> may include an upper terminal unit including a plurality of terminals and a lower terminal unit including a plurality of terminals. The upper terminal unit may be coupled to the first and second connection electrodes <NUM> and <NUM> of the liquid lens <NUM>, and thus may be connected to the first electrode <NUM> or the second electrode <NUM>. Although it is illustrated in <FIG> that the upper terminal unit of the connection board <NUM> is connected to the second electrode <NUM> of the liquid lens <NUM>, the upper terminal unit of the connection board <NUM> may be connected to the first electrode <NUM>. Alternatively, the upper terminal unit of the connection board <NUM> may be integrated with the first and second connection electrodes <NUM> and <NUM> so as to be connected to the first electrode <NUM> or the second electrode <NUM> of the liquid lens <NUM>.

The cover <NUM> may be disposed so as to surround the first lens <NUM>, the second lens <NUM>, the liquid lens <NUM>, and the holder <NUM>. The cover <NUM> and the holder <NUM> may be disposed on a base <NUM>.

The base <NUM> may be integrally formed with the holder <NUM>. The holder <NUM> may act as the base <NUM> as needed. At this time, the base <NUM> may be omitted.

The sensor board <NUM> may be disposed under the base <NUM>, and may include an image sensor (not shown) and terminals <NUM>. A light-receiving element of the image sensor may be provided in the sensor board <NUM>. The width and/or the length of a unit pixel of the image sensor may be, for example, <NUM> (micrometers) or less. The terminals <NUM> may supply current to the first and second electrodes <NUM> and <NUM> (refer to <FIG>) of the liquid lens <NUM> using the connection board <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing the liquid lens and the holder of the camera module shown in <FIG>, and <FIG> is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line II-II in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, the above-described holder <NUM> is formed through injection molding, and includes a first lens disposition portion <NUM>, which includes the first region in which the first lens unit <NUM> is disposed, a liquid lens disposition portion <NUM>, which includes the side opening through which the liquid lens <NUM> is inserted and the second region in which the liquid lens <NUM> is disposed, and a second lens disposition portion <NUM>, which includes the third region in which the second lens unit <NUM> is disposed.

Injection molding is a method of obtaining products by forcibly injecting plastic materials, such as plastic, melted by heat into an injection mold, and then solidifying the same. In general, an injection mold includes an upper mold (or a first mold) and a lower mold (or a second mold), which are separated from each other. When injection molding is performed, an injection process is performed after the upper mold and the lower mold are joined to each other.

After the product is solidified in the injection mold, the upper mold and the lower mold are separated from each other. During the manufacturing process using injection molding, molten material may minutely flow into the join portion between the molds. Therefore, when the molds are separated from each other, a fine linear protruding portion or depressed portion (hereinafter referred to as a "mold seam") may be formed in the surface of the product.

Referring to <FIG> showing the longitudinal section taken along line II-II in <FIG>, it can be seen that the liquid lens <NUM> is placed on a support portion <NUM> when the liquid lens <NUM> is disposed in the liquid lens disposition portion <NUM>.

As shown in an enlarged manner in <FIG>, since the holder <NUM> is manufactured through injection molding, a protruding portion due to the aforementioned mold seam 523a is formed at the support portion <NUM>. The protruding portion is located on the upper surface of the support portion <NUM>, and has a linear shape. The mold seam 523a is brought into contact with the third plate <NUM> of the liquid lens <NUM>, and thus the liquid lens <NUM> may not be balanced but may be tilted or move unstably, which may adversely affect the performance of the camera module.

Therefore, the structure of the holder <NUM> that is capable of more stably supporting the liquid lens <NUM> in the holder <NUM> will be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the holder before the liquid lens is seated therein in the camera module according to the embodiment, <FIG> is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line III-III in <FIG>, which shows the state in which the liquid lens is seated in the holder shown in <FIG>, <FIG> is a front view of the support portion shown in <FIG>, and <FIG> is a front view of a support portion according to another embodiment.

As shown in <FIG>, the holder includes the first lens disposition portion <NUM>, in which the first lens unit <NUM> is disposed, the second lens disposition portion <NUM>, in which the second lens unit <NUM> is disposed, and the liquid lens disposition portion <NUM>, which is disposed between the first lens disposition portion <NUM> and the second lens disposition portion <NUM> to allow the liquid lens <NUM> to be disposed therein. Here, the through-hole is formed so as to penetrate the first lens disposition portion <NUM>, the second lens disposition portion <NUM>, and the liquid lens disposition portion <NUM>.

The liquid lens disposition portion <NUM> includes the support portion <NUM>, which protrudes upwards inside the holder <NUM> so as to enclose the through-hole <NUM> (refer to <FIG>) in order to allow the liquid lens <NUM> to be seated thereon.

The through-hole <NUM> may have a circular horizontal cross-section, and the support portion <NUM> may be disposed so as to concentrically surround the through-hole <NUM>. In some embodiments, the horizontal cross-section of the through-hole <NUM> may have an oval or polygonal shape, and the support portion <NUM> may be modified so as to enclose the circumference of the through-hole <NUM> while corresponding to the horizontal cross-section of the through-hole <NUM>.

In more detail, the liquid lens disposition portion <NUM> includes a first horizontal plate <NUM>, a second horizontal plate <NUM>, and a vertical plate <NUM>. The first horizontal plate <NUM> is a first body portion, the second horizontal plate <NUM> is a second body portion, and the vertical plate <NUM> is a side portion. The first horizontal plate includes a first hole formed therein, and the second horizontal plate includes a second hole formed therein. The second horizontal plate <NUM> corresponds to an extension portion. The second horizontal plate or the second body portion may further include the support portion <NUM>, which protrudes toward the liquid lens to support the liquid lens.

The first horizontal plate <NUM> is disposed in the upper region of the holder <NUM>, and is coupled to the first lens disposition portion. The second horizontal plate <NUM> is disposed below the first horizontal plate <NUM> so as to be spaced apart from the first horizontal plate <NUM>, and is coupled to the second lens disposition portion <NUM>. The vertical plate <NUM> connects the first horizontal plate <NUM> and the second horizontal plate <NUM> to each other in order to form the second region, which is a space in the holder <NUM> in which the liquid lens <NUM> is disposed. The vertical plate <NUM> may include a pair of left and right pieces so as to connect opposite edges of the first horizontal plate <NUM> and opposite edges of the second horizontal plate <NUM> to each other.

The support portion <NUM> is formed so as to protrude from the second horizontal plate <NUM> while enclosing the through-hole <NUM>. The support portion <NUM> is formed such that a stepped surface 524b is formed in the region of the support portion <NUM> in which the above-described mold seam 523a is formed. The support portion <NUM> includes a side surface and an upper surface, and further includes a step between the side surface and the upper surface. The step is two or more in number. Among the plurality of steps, at least two steps may be parallel to each other. The steps are disposed at locations corresponding to the side portion of the holder. The interval between the steps, which are parallel to each other, may be smaller than the diameter of the second hole. The height of each step may be <NUM> to <NUM>.

The stepped surface 524b has a shape that is stepped downwards from the upper surface 524a of the support portion <NUM>. The stepped surface 524b is disposed in a pair at opposite edges of the upper surface 524a of the support portion <NUM>.

The stepped surface 524b is formed such that any one region thereof is contiguous with the through-hole <NUM>.

Even when the mold seam 523a, which is a protruding portion protruding from the upper surface of the second body portion, is formed in the process of manufacturing the holder <NUM> through injection molding, the stepped surface 524b having the above structure may prevent the liquid lens <NUM> from being tilted or shaken by the support portion <NUM> supporting the liquid lens <NUM>. The protruding portion protruding from the upper surface of the second body portion may has a linear shape. The step is disposed perpendicular to the protruding portion.

The protruding portion or the mold seam 523a may be formed so as to be elongated across the center of the through-hole <NUM>. For example, the mold seam 523a may protrude from the upper surface of the second horizontal plate <NUM> of the liquid lens disposition portion <NUM> so as to cross the center of the through-hole <NUM>, and may also be formed so as to protrude from the upper region of the stepped surface 524b.

However, since the stepped surface 524b has a lower height than the support portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, the third plate <NUM> of the liquid lens <NUM> is spaced apart from the stepped surface 524b, and thus is not affected by the mold seam 523a. As a result, the liquid lens <NUM> is supported by the support portion <NUM> in a stable and balanced manner.

In <FIG>, the third plate <NUM> of the liquid lens <NUM> is illustrated as being slightly spaced apart from the upper surface 524a of the support portion <NUM>. However, this is exaggerated merely for the purpose of illustration. The lower surface of the third plate <NUM> of the liquid lens <NUM> is brought into close contact with the upper surface 524a of the support portion <NUM>, with the result that the liquid lens <NUM> is supported by the support portion <NUM> in a stable and balanced manner.

In order to achieve the above effects, the upper surface 524a of the support portion <NUM> and the stepped surface 524b may have a difference in height of <NUM> to <NUM> therebetween. However, this height difference may be modified without being limited to this specific range, so long as it is greater than the height of the mold seam 523a formed at the support portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, a pair of stepped surfaces 524b is formed by cutting opposite edges of the upper surface 524a of the support portion <NUM> such that the side of each of the stepped surfaces 524b that is contiguous with the through-hole <NUM> is perpendicular to the mold seam 523a. This structure may be directly realized using a mold in the injection molding process, or may be realized through a cutting process or the like for removing the mold seam 523a formed on the upper surface 524a of the support portion <NUM> after the injection molding process. Accordingly, the mold seam 523a is not substantially formed on the upper surface 524a of the support portion <NUM>, which supports the liquid lens <NUM>.

In another embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, a stepped surface <NUM>-b1 is disposed parallel to the mold seam 523a. In this case as well, the stepped surface <NUM>-b1 is disposed in a pair so as to correspond to each other. The width of each of the stepped surfaces <NUM>-b1 may be set to any value within the range within which the liquid lens <NUM> is supported in a balanced manner by removing the mold seam 523a from the upper surface 524a-<NUM> of the support portion <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the stepped surface <NUM>-b1 may be directly realized using a mold in the injection molding process, or may be realized through a cutting process or the like for removing the mold seam 523a formed on the upper surface 524a-<NUM> of the support portion <NUM> after the injection molding process.

The camera module including the above-described liquid lens may be mounted in various digital devices, such as a digital camera, a smartphone, a laptop computer, and a tablet PC. In particular, the camera module may be mounted in mobile devices to realize an ultra-thin high-performance zoom lens.

For example, a display device, in which the camera module, including the liquid lens, the first and second lens units, the filter, and the light-receiving element, converts an image incident from the outside into an electrical signal, may include a display module including a plurality of pixels, the colors of which are changed by the electrical signal. The display module and the camera module may be controlled by a control unit.

While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, these embodiments are only proposed for illustrative purposes and do not restrict the present disclosure, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments set forth herein. For example, respective configurations set forth in the embodiments may be modified and applied. Further, differences in such modifications and applications should be construed as falling within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claim 1:
A camera module, comprising:
a liquid lens (<NUM>) comprising an electrode (<NUM>, <NUM>); and
a holder (<NUM>) in which the liquid lens (<NUM>) is disposed,
wherein the holder (<NUM>) comprises:
a first body portion (<NUM>) comprising a first hole formed therein;
a second body portion (<NUM>) spaced apart from the first body portion (<NUM>), the second body portion (<NUM>) comprising a second hole (<NUM>) formed therein so as to correspond to the first hole; and
a side portion (<NUM>) connecting the first body portion (<NUM>) and the second body portion (<NUM>) to each other,
wherein the second body portion (<NUM>) comprises a support portion (<NUM>) protruding upwards towards the liquid lens (<NUM>) while enclosing the second hole (<NUM>), and
wherein the support portion (<NUM>) comprises a side surface, a pair of upper surfaces (524a, 524a-<NUM>), and a pair of stepped surfaces (524b, <NUM>-b <NUM>),
characterized in that
the support portion (<NUM>) supports the liquid lens (<NUM>) on its pair of upper surfaces (524a, 524a-<NUM>),
the second body portion (<NUM>) further comprises:
a step formed between the stepped surfaces (524b, <NUM>-b <NUM>) and the upper surfaces (524a, 524a-<NUM>)
wherein a protruding portion (523a) is protruding upwards in a linear shape from the stepped surfaces (524b, <NUM>-b1) of the support portion (<NUM>),
at least a portion of each of the pair of stepped surfaces (524b, <NUM>-b <NUM>) is contiguous with the second hole (<NUM>),
a difference in height between the pair of upper surfaces (524a, 524a-<NUM>) and the pair of stepped surfaces (524b, <NUM>-b <NUM>) of the support portion is greater than a height of the protruding portion (523a).