# US 10,871,625 B2 · Camera module and camera for vehicle

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- Number: US 10,871,625 B2
- Document ID: US10871625B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/772,429
- Filed: 2016-10-28
- Published: 2018-11-01
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-30
- Assignees: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Dae Hwan Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871625B2

## CPC

- G02B 7/028: {with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation}
- B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
- G02B 7/021: {for more than one lens}
- G02B 27/0006: {with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B)}
- G03B 17/55: with provision for heating or cooling, e.g. in aircraft
- H05B 1/0227: {Applications}
- H05B 3/84: Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields
- H05B 1/0202: {Switches}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a camera module comprising: a lens a heater disposed on a surface of the lens; and a switch electrode which selectively comes into contact with the heater, wherein a current is supplied to the heater through the switch electrode when the switch electrode and the heater are in contact with each other, the current supply to the heater is cut off when the switch electrode and the heater are spaced apart from each other, and the switch electrode is spaced apart from the heater when the lens reaches a predetermined temperature or higher.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A camera module, comprising:
a lens;
a spacer disposed under the lens and including a through hole;
a heater disposed on a surface of the lens; and
a switch electrode that selectively comes into contact with the heater, the switch electrode being disposed on the spacer,
wherein a current is supplied to the heater through the switch electrode when the switch electrode and the heater are in contact with each other,
wherein the current supply to the heater is cut off when the switch electrode and the heater are spaced apart from each other,
wherein the switch electrode is spaced apart from the heater when the lens reaches a predetermined temperature or higher, and
wherein the switch electrode is formed in a pair disposed at both sides of the through hole of the spacer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The camera module of claim 1, wherein the switch electrode includes a first metal part having one surface that selectively contacts the heater, and a second metal part disposed at a second surface of the first metal part, wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the second metal part is higher than that of the first metal part.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The camera module of claim 2, wherein each of the first metal part and the second metal part has a corresponding shape and corresponding size.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The camera module of claim 1, wherein the switch electrode is convexly formed toward the lens.

### Claim 5

A camera module, comprising:
a lens;
a heater disposed on a surface of the lens; and
a switch electrode that selectively comes into contact with the heater,
wherein a current is supplied to the heater through the switch electrode when the switch electrode and the heater are in contact with each other,
wherein the current supply to the heater is cut off when the switch electrode and the heater are spaced apart from each other,
wherein the switch electrode is spaced apart from the heater when the lens reaches a predetermined temperature or higher, and
wherein an end at a first side of the switch electrode is connected to a conductive line, an end at a second side of the switch electrode is formed with a free terminal, the end at the first side of the switch electrode and the end at the second side of the switch electrode are both spaced apart from the heater, and a portion of the switch electrode is disposed nearer to a heater side than are both the end at the first side of the switch electrode and the end at the second side of the switch electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The camera module of claim 5, wherein the end at the second side of the switch electrode is disposed nearer to the heater side than is the end at the first side of the switch electrode.

### Claim 7

A camera module, comprising:
a lens;
a heater disposed on a surface of the lens; and
a switch electrode that selectively comes into contact with the heater,
wherein a current is supplied to the heater through the switch electrode when the switch electrode and the heater are in contact with each other,
wherein the current supply to the heater is cut off when the switch electrode and the heater are spaced apart from each other,
wherein the switch electrode is spaced apart from the heater when the lens reaches a predetermined temperature or higher,
wherein the lens is an outermost lens disposed at an outermost place of the camera module, and the camera module includes a barrel, a plurality of inner lenses accommodated into the barrel, and a spacer interposed between the barrel and the outermost lens, and
wherein the switch electrode is disposed at the spacer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The camera module of claim 7, comprising a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) disposed with an image sensor, and a conductive line electrically connecting the switch electrode to the PCB and extended from a lateral surface of the spacer, wherein the barrel includes a conductive line receptor through which the conductive line passes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The camera module of claim 8, wherein the conductive line receptor includes a groove part formed by allowing an outer circumferential surface of the barrel to be recessively concaved in toward an inner side.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The camera module of claim 7, comprising a retainer fixing the outermost lens and the spacer and accommodating the barrel at an inner side, wherein a sealing member is interposed between the outermost lens and the retainer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The camera module of claim 7, wherein the spacer includes a through hole, and wherein the switch electrode is formed in a pair to be disposed at both sides of the through hole.

### Claim 12

A vehicle camera coupled to a vehicle, comprising:
a lens;
a spacer disposed under the lens and including a through hole;
a heater disposed at a surface of the lens; and
a switch electrode selectively contacting the heater, the switch electrode being disposed on the spacer,
wherein when the switch and the heater come into contact, the heater is supplied with a current through the switch electrode,
wherein when the switch electrode and the heater are spaced apart, the heater is cut off with the current supply,
wherein the switch electrode is spaced apart from the heater when the lens reaches a predetermined temperature or higher, and
wherein the switch electrode is formed in a pair disposed at both sides of the through hole.

### Claim 13

A camera module, comprising:
a retainer;
an outermost lens disposed within the retainer;
a heater disposed on a surface of the outermost lens;
a barrel disposed within the retainer and under the outermost lens;
a plurality of inner lenses accommodated into the barrel;
a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) disposed under the plurality of inner lenses with an image sensor;
a spacer interposed between the barrel and the outermost lens;
a switch electrode that selectively comes into contact with the heater, the switch electrode being disposed on the spacer; and
a conductive line electrically connecting the switch electrode to the PCB and extended from a lateral surface of the spacer,
wherein the conductive line is disposed between the barrel and retainer,
wherein a current is supplied to the heater through the switch electrode when the switch electrode and the heater are in contact with each other,
wherein the current supply to the heater is cut off when the switch electrode and the heater are spaced apart from each other,
wherein the switch electrode is spaced apart from the heater when the outermost lens reaches a predetermined temperature or higher,
wherein the spacer includes a through hole, and
wherein the switch electrode is formed in a pair disposed at both sides of the through hole.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The camera module of claim 13,
wherein the switch electrode includes a first metal part having one surface that selectively contacts the heater, and a second metal part disposed at a second surface of the first metal part,
wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the second metal part is higher than that of the first metal part, and
wherein each of the first metal part and the second metal part has a corresponding shape and corresponding size.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The camera module of claim 13,
wherein the switch electrode is convexly formed toward the lens.

### Claim 16

A camera module, comprising:
a retainer;
an outermost lens disposed within the retainer;
a heater disposed on a surface of the outermost lens;
a barrel disposed within the retainer and under the outermost lens;
a plurality of inner lenses accommodated into the barrel;
a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) disposed under the plurality of inner lenses with an image sensor;
a spacer interposed between the barrel and the outermost lens;
a switch electrode that selectively comes into contact with the heater disposed at the spacer; and
a conductive line electrically connecting the switch electrode to the PCB and extended from a lateral surface of the spacer,
wherein the conductive line is disposed between the barrel and retainer,
wherein a current is supplied to the heater through the switch electrode when the switch electrode and the heater are in contact with each other,
wherein the current supply to the heater is cut off when the switch electrode and the heater are spaced apart from each other,
wherein the switch electrode is spaced apart from the heater when the outermost lens reaches a predetermined temperature or higher,
wherein the conductive line is connected to an end at a first side of the switch electrode,
wherein an end at a second side of the switch electrode is formed with a free terminal,
wherein the end at the first side of the switch electrode and the end at the second side of the switch electrode are both spaced apart from the heater, and
wherein a portion of the switch electrode is disposed nearer to a heater side than are both the end at the first side of the switch electrode and the end at the second side of the switch electrode.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The camera module of claim 16,
wherein the end at the second side of the switch electrode is disposed nearer to the heater side than is the end at the first side of the switch electrode.

### Claim 18

A camera module, comprising:
a retainer;
an outermost lens disposed within the retainer;
a heater disposed on a surface of the outermost lens;
a barrel disposed within the retainer and under the outermost lens;
a plurality of inner lenses accommodated into the barrel;
a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) disposed under the plurality of inner lenses with an image sensor;
a spacer interposed between the barrel and the outermost lens;
a switch electrode that selectively comes into contact with the heater disposed at the spacer; and
a conductive line electrically connecting the switch electrode to the PCB and extended from a lateral surface of the spacer,
wherein the conductive line is disposed between the barrel and retainer,
wherein a current is supplied to the heater through the switch electrode when the switch electrode and the heater are in contact with each other,
wherein the current supply to the heater is cut off when the switch electrode and the heater are spaced apart from each other,
wherein the switch electrode is spaced apart from the heater when the outermost lens reaches a predetermined temperature or higher, and
wherein the barrel includes a conductive line receptor through which the conductive line passes.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The camera module of claim 18,
wherein the conductive line receptor includes a groove part formed by allowing an outer circumferential surface of the barrel to be recessively concaved in toward an inner side.