CN110324512B

CN110324512B - Camera module, light filtering assembly and manufacturing method thereof and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN110324512B
Application number: CN201810269255.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 赵波杰; 曾俊杰; 方银丽; 胡国权
Original assignee: Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-29
Filing date: 2018-03-29
Publication date: 2022-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-29
Also published as: CN110324512A

Abstract

The invention provides a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof and electronic equipment, wherein the filter assembly comprises a filter element and a bracket, wherein the bracket is integrated and combined on the outer periphery side of the filter element, and the filter assembly provides an optical passage for light to pass through.

Description

Camera module, light filtering assembly and manufacturing method thereof and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of optical imaging, and in particular, to a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device.

Background

The camera module is formed by assembling a circuit board, a bracket, a photosensitive chip, a filter element, a lens and other components.

In the conventional assembly and manufacturing process of the camera module, the filter element and the bracket of the camera module are usually mounted by gluing.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional camera module. The camera module comprises a lens 1P, a driver 2P, a filter element 3P, a support 4P, a circuit board 5P, a photosensitive chip 6P and an electronic device 7P. In the manufacturing process, the photosensitive chip 6P is mounted on the circuit board 5P, then the electronic device 7P is mounted on the circuit board 5P, and then the photosensitive chip 6P and the circuit board 5P are connected by wire bonding. The holder 4P is mounted on the circuit board 5P, and the filter element 3P is mounted on the holder 4P. The driver 2P is mounted on the holder 4P, and the lens 1P is mounted on the driver 2P, so that light passes through the lens 1P and then reaches the photosensitive chip 6P after passing through the filtering function of the filter element 3P.

In particular, the filter element 3P is mounted on the support 4P by means of a glue 8P. In the manufacturing process, the support 4P and the filter element 3P are manufactured respectively, and then the filter element 3P is attached to the support 4P through the glue 8P, so that light rays reach the filter element 3P after passing through the lens 1P, and the filter element 3P can filter light rays with specific wavelengths in a light path, thereby obtaining a better imaging effect.

However, there are some disadvantages in mounting the filter element 3P and the holder 4P to each other, and the development of the camera module in the direction of thinning is limited to some extent.

Specifically, in the conventional manufacturing process, the filter element 3P is generally attached to the bracket 4P through the glue 8P, and then the bracket 4P and the filter element 3P are integrally attached to the circuit board. One of the problems is that the glue 8P is generally used for mounting in the mounting process of the filter element 3P and the bracket 4P, which may cause the glue 8P to be unevenly distributed due to uneven stress, because the glue 8P is a fluid and has a certain fluidity, the consistency of the glue thickness between the filter element 3P and the bracket 4P is difficult to control, and the flatness of the filter element is affected. In the subsequent process of mounting on the circuit board, the unevenness of the filter element 3P may be amplified in the whole camera module, which may further cause larger errors, and affect the filtering effect of the filter element 3P on light. Further, due to uneven mounting between the filter element 3P and the support 4P, the filter element 3P may be damaged due to uneven stress applied to the filter element 3P during subsequent use.

Secondly, the filter element 3P is attached to the bracket 4P by the glue 8P, and in this process, a force needs to be applied to the filter element 3P, especially to the periphery of the filter element 3P, for example, the filter element 3P is moved to the bracket 4P by the force and pressed against each other so that the filter element 3P and the bracket 4P are closely attached by the glue 8P to increase the firmness. However, the filter element 3P is a thin sheet, and in order to withstand the force required in the mounting process, there is a certain requirement for the thickness of the filter element 3P to ensure its compressive resistance. In other words, the conventional mounting process between the filter element 3P and the bracket 4P prevents the filter element 3P from being thinned, which increases the manufacturing cost of the manufacturer.

Thirdly, the filter element 3P is attached to the holder 4P by the glue 8P, and the thickness between the holder 4P and the filter element 3P is increased in the longitudinal height due to the presence of the glue 8P. With the development of various electronic products and intelligent devices, the camera module is also developed in the direction of higher performance and thinner performance, and in the face of various high-performance development requirements such as high pixel and high imaging quality, more and more electronic components in the circuit, larger and larger chip area, and correspondingly increased passive components such as driving resistor and capacitor, which make the specification of the electronic components larger and larger, and the available space in the camera module is limited on the premise of ensuring the lightness and thinness of the camera module, so that the traditional assembly mode of the bracket 4P and the filter element 3P is also a great limitation on the lightness and thinness development of the camera module to a certain extent.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a method for manufacturing the same, and an electronic device, wherein the size of the camera module can be effectively reduced, so that the camera module is particularly suitable for being applied to electronic devices which seek to be slimmer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device, wherein the height of the camera module can be effectively reduced, so that when the camera module is applied to an electronic device that pursues lightness and thinness, the camera module can occupy less internal space of the electronic device, so that more intelligent components with larger size can be disposed in the electronic device, thereby facilitating the electronic device to further develop towards intelligence.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device, wherein the filter assembly includes a filter element and a holder, and the holder is integrally formed on the filter element, so that the camera module is convenient to manufacture and replaces the low-efficiency glue mounting process in the prior art.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device, wherein the bracket is integrally formed on the filter element, so as to avoid a glue mounting process of the filter element, thereby reducing a probability of damage to the filter element caused by non-uniform stress on the filter element during a subsequent use process.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof and an electronic device, wherein the bracket is integrally formed on the filter element, so that the adhesion of glue and the like is reduced, and the height of the filter assembly can be effectively reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a method for manufacturing the same, and an electronic device, wherein the bracket is integrally formed on the filter element, so that the adhesion of glue and the like is reduced, and the flatness between the filter element and the bracket is ensured.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a method for manufacturing the same, and an electronic device, wherein the bracket is integrally formed on the filter element, so that the adhesion of glue and the like is reduced, the stress balance of the filter element is maintained, and the stability of the combination between the filter element and the bracket is ensured.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a method of manufacturing the same, and an electronic device, wherein the holder is integrally formed with the filter element to form the filter assembly, and the structure and shape of the holder can be preset during the integral molding process.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof and an electronic device, wherein the bracket is integrally formed on the filter element, so that the area size of the filter element can be reduced, thereby saving the cost.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device, wherein the bracket is integrally formed on the filter element, and the filter element does not need a larger thickness similar to that of the conventional glue mounting process to bear a larger pressing force, so that the height of the filter element can be reduced, and the filter element is thinner.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device, wherein the bracket is integrally formed on the filter element, the filter element with a reduced area has relatively better structural strength, and the height of the filter element can be reduced, so as to reduce the height of the filter assembly.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device, wherein the filter assembly can be manufactured by imposition, that is, a plurality of filter assemblies can be produced at one time, so as to improve the production efficiency of the filter assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device, wherein the filter assembly can be separated into individual filter assemblies after being fabricated by imposition, and the edge shape of the filter assembly can be controlled by cutting or etching processes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof and an electronic device, wherein the mounting area of the holder of the filter assembly can be set to different shapes as required, so that the effective filtering area of the filter element is changed accordingly, so that the amount of light entering and the shape of the light entering channel are controlled.

An object of the present invention is to provide a camera module, a filter assembly thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic device, wherein a mounting area of a holder of the filter assembly can be set to different shapes as required, so as to provide different supporting surfaces for the filter element mounted on the holder, thereby increasing the strength of the filter assembly.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a filter assembly for a camera module, wherein the filter assembly comprises:

A filter element; and

and the bracket is integrally formed on the outer peripheral side of the filter element, and the filter assembly provides an optical passage for light to pass through.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the holder is molded and thermosetting-molded on the outer peripheral side of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bracket includes a supporting portion and a combining portion, and has an optical window, wherein the supporting portion extends downward from the combining portion, the combining portion is integrally combined with the filter element, the supporting portion surrounds the optical window, and the combining portion and the supporting portion together provide the optical path.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the combining portion has a top surface, wherein the top surface is integrally combined with a bottom edge of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the combining portion has a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface is integrally combined with the edge of the top surface of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the combining portion has an inner side surface, wherein the inner side surface is integrally combined with the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the inner side surface is integrally bonded to a side surface of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the inner side surface is provided as an inwardly inclined slope.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a top surface of the combining portion and a top surface of the filter element are located on the same plane, and a bottom surface of the combining portion and a bottom surface of the filter element are located on the same plane.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner side surface has a first portion inner side surface, an inner top surface and a second portion inner side surface, wherein the first portion inner side surface extends downward from the top surface of the joint portion, the inner top surface extends inward from an end of the first portion inner side surface, the second portion inner side surface extends downward from the inner top surface, and the first portion inner side surface, the inner top surface and the second portion inner side surface integrally extend to form the inner side surface.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the first part of the inner side surfaces are integrally bonded to side surfaces of the filter element, and the inner top surfaces are integrally bonded to a bottom surface of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the second part of the inner side faces are integrally bonded to side faces of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bracket includes a combining portion, wherein the combining portion is integrally combined with the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top surface of the combining portion and the top surface of the filter element are located on the same plane, and the bottom surface of the combining portion and the bottom surface of the filter element are located on the same plane.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bracket includes a boss, wherein the boss is formed on a top surface of the combining portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the filter element has a side surface inclined inward, wherein the bracket is integrally combined with the side surface of the filter element.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a circuit board assembly, wherein the circuit board assembly includes:

a filter assembly according to any preceding claim;

a circuit board; and

a light sensing element, wherein the support is directly supported on the circuit board, wherein the light sensing element is conductively connected to the circuit board, the light filtering assembly provides the optical path for the light sensing element, and the light filtering element is located in a light sensing path of the light sensing element.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a circuit board assembly, wherein the circuit board assembly comprises:

a filter assembly according to any one of the preceding claims;

a molded base;

a circuit board; and

a light sensing element, wherein the molding base is integrally formed on the circuit board, wherein the bracket is supported on the molding base, wherein the light sensing element is conductively connected to the circuit board, and the molding base has an optical window which cooperates with the filtering component to provide a light path for the light sensing element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the molding base is integrally formed on a non-photosensitive region of the photosensitive element at the same time.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the mold base has a flat top surface, wherein the support is supported on the top surface.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mold base includes a mold base body surrounding the optical window and having a mounting groove formed at an upper portion thereof, the mounting groove penetrating the optical window, wherein the holder is received in the mounting groove.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the mold base has a flat top surface, wherein the holder is supported on the top surface.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mold base includes a mold base body surrounding the light window and having a mounting groove formed at an upper portion thereof, the mounting groove penetrating the light window, wherein the holder is received in the mounting groove.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera module, wherein the camera module includes:

an optical lens;

a filter assembly according to the preceding claim;

a circuit board; and

a light sensing element, wherein the optical lens is mounted to the bracket, the bracket is directly supported to the circuit board, wherein the light sensing element is conductively connected to the circuit board, the optical filter assembly provides the optical path for the light sensing element, and the optical filter element is located in a light sensing path of the light sensing element.

An optical lens;

a filter assembly according to any one of the preceding claims;

a molding base;

a circuit board; and

and the optical lens and the filtering component are positioned on one side of the molding base, the circuit board is positioned on the other side of the molding base, and the molding base is integrally formed on the circuit board, wherein the photosensitive element is conductively connected to the circuit board, and the molding base is provided with an optical window which is matched with the filtering component to provide a light path for the photosensitive element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical lens is supported by the bracket of the optical filter assembly.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical lens is supported on a top surface of the mold base.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the filter element is selected from one of a combination of a circle, a triangle, a rectangle, and a polygon.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a semi-finished product of a filter assembly for manufacturing a camera module is provided, wherein the semi-finished product of the filter assembly includes a plurality of filter elements and a plurality of brackets integrally formed on the filter elements, and each of the brackets is integrally formed on the corresponding filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the brackets are integrally formed with each other to form at least one bracket imposition integrally formed on the plurality of filter elements.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a filter assembly for a camera module is provided, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

(α) placing at least one of said filter elements in a forming mold;

(β) performing a mold clamping process on the molding die to form a molding space between an upper mold and a lower mold of the molding die and the filter element;

(γ) adding a fluid material to the molding space such that the fluid material fills the molding space and solidifies within the molding space; and

(δ) forming at least one holder integrally coupled to the filter element at the filter element after performing a drawing process on the molding die.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in step (α), a plurality of the filter elements are put into the molding die, so that step (δ) further includes:

(δ.1) drawing said molding die to form a semi-finished product of a filter assembly, wherein said semi-finished product of a filter assembly comprises a plurality of said filter elements and said holders integrally combined with said filter assembly; and (δ.2) dividing the semi-finished product of the filter assembly to obtain the filter assembly.

According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the brackets is integrally formed with each other to form a bracket imposition.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the holder is integrally formed on a side surface of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the holder is integrally formed at the side and bottom edges of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the holder is integrally formed at a bottom edge of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bracket is integrally formed on a top surface edge of the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bracket includes a combining portion and a supporting portion, wherein the combining portion is integrally combined with the filter element, and the supporting portion surrounds and forms an optical window.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a camera module is provided, the method comprising:

(a) integrally forming a bracket on the periphery of a filter element to form a filter assembly;

(b) mounting the bracket of the filter assembly on a circuit board assembled with a photosensitive element, and simultaneously keeping the filter assembly in a photosensitive path of the photosensitive element to provide a light path; and

(c) and maintaining an optical lens in the light path of the filter assembly, thereby manufacturing the camera module.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step (b) is implemented as: the bracket of the filter assembly is mounted on a circuit board assembled with a photosensitive element by a molding base, and the filter assembly is kept in a photosensitive path of the photosensitive element to provide a light path.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (b), the molding base is integrally formed with the circuit board.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (b), the molding base is integrally formed on a non-photosensitive area of the circuit board and a non-photosensitive area of the photosensitive element at the same time.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (a), the method further includes:

(a.1) placing at least one of said filter elements into a forming mold;

(a.2) performing a mold clamping process on the molding die to form a molding space between an upper mold and a lower mold of the molding die and the filter element;

(a.3) adding a fluid material to the molding space such that the fluid material fills the molding space and solidifies within the molding space; and

(a.4) after the die-drawing process is performed on the molding die, forming at least one bracket integrally combined with the filter element on the filter element.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (a), a plurality of the filter elements are put into the molding die, so that the step (a.4) further includes:

(a.4.1) drawing said molding die to form a semi-finished product of a filter assembly, wherein said semi-finished product of a filter assembly comprises a plurality of said filter elements and said holders integrally combined with said filter assembly; and (a.4.2) dividing the semi-finished product of the filter assembly to obtain the filter assembly.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a camera module according to a conventional process.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a filter assembly according to the present invention.

Fig. 2B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the filter assembly according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a camera module according to another preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a camera module according to another preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 16A is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16B is a cross-sectional view of still another modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 22A and 22B are top views of modified embodiments of a filter assembly according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

Fig. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one of the manufacturing steps of a camera module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 24 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second manufacturing step of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 25 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third manufacturing step of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 26A and 26B are schematic cross-sectional views of four manufacturing steps of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 27A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fifth manufacturing step of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 27B is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating six manufacturing steps of the camera module according to the above preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 28 is a schematic diagram of an application of a camera module according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

The following description is provided to disclose the invention so as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention. The preferred embodiments in the following description are given by way of example only, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the invention, as defined in the following description, may be applied to other embodiments, variations, modifications, equivalents, and other technical solutions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that in the present disclosure, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and the like are used in an orientation or positional relationship indicated in the drawings for ease of description and simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced devices or components must be constructed and operated in a particular orientation and thus are not to be considered limiting.

It is understood that the terms "a" and "an" should be interpreted as meaning that a number of one element or element is one in one embodiment, while a number of other elements is one in another embodiment, and the terms "a" and "an" should not be interpreted as limiting the number.

Referring to fig. 2A and 2B, a filter assembly 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Referring to fig. 3 and 4, a camera module 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

The camera module 100 includes the filter assembly 1, a photosensitive element 2, an optical lens 3, a driver 4 and a circuit board, wherein the circuit board comprises at least one circuit board 5 and at least one electronic component 6, wherein the electronic component 6 is connected to the circuit board 5, the light sensing element 2 is operatively connected to the circuit board, the electronic components 6 include, but are not limited to, resistors, capacitors, drive devices, etc., the driver 4 may be a motor, a thermodynamic driver, a MEMS driver, etc., wherein the driver 4 and the optical lens 3 are located at one end of the optical filtering component 1, the circuit board is attached to the other end of the optical filtering component 1, the filter assembly 1 provides a light path for the optical lens 3 and the photosensitive element 2 so that light entering through the optical lens 3 reaches the photosensitive element 2 after the filtering action of the filter assembly 1.

The circuit board is conductively connected to the photosensitive element 2, and when light passes through the filter assembly 1 and reaches a photosensitive area of the photosensitive element 2, the camera module 100 can provide an optical image through conversion of a photoelectric signal.

Further, the filter assembly 1 includes a bracket 11 and a filter element 12, wherein the filter element 12 is supported by the bracket 11, so that the filter element 12 is held in an optical path of the camera module 100, and light is filtered after passing through the filter element 12. The function of the holder 11 is to provide support for the filter element 12, the actuator 4 or the optical lens 3, so that the components can be arranged in the optical path of the optical system. That is, the driver 4 and the photosensitive element 2 are respectively disposed on two sides of the bracket 11, and the filter element 12 is disposed at a position between the bracket 11 and the optical lens 3 and the photosensitive element 2 to ensure the imaging quality of the image pickup module 100.

Further, the camera module 100 has an optical window 10, and the light sensing element 2 cooperates with the bracket 11 to form the optical window 10, so that light can reach the light sensing element 2 through the optical window 10.

Specifically, the filter element 12 can filter stray light in the light entering the camera module 100 through the optical lens 3, and in this way, the imaging quality of the camera module 100 can be improved. It should be noted that the type of the filter element 12 is not limited in the camera module 100 of the present invention, and the filter element 12 may be, for example, but not limited to, an infrared cut filter element 12, a visible spectrum filter element 12, and the like.

It will be appreciated that the filter element 12 may be a single filter or may be a film coated filter.

It should be noted that the number of the filter elements 12 is not limited to one, that is, the number of the filter elements 12 may be multiple, and may be the same type, so as to enhance the filtering effect. Or may not be of the same type to filter out light of different frequencies.

The holder 11 provides a light-passing position 110, wherein the light-passing position 110 can provide an optical path for the optical lens 3, the photosensitive element 2 and the filter element 12. That is, after entering the inside of the image pickup module 100 from the optical lens 3, the light passes through the filtering function of the filter element 12 located at the light passing position 110, and is then received by the photosensitive element 2.

It should be noted that the support 11 is integrally formed on the filter element 12. In the camera module 100, the holder 11 is integrally formed on the filter element 12 to form the filter assembly 1, and then is mounted on the circuit board. Compared with the conventional process for manufacturing the camera module 100, in which the filter element 12 is mounted on the bracket 11 by glue to form the filter assembly 1, in the embodiment, by integrally molding the filter element 12 and the bracket 11, since the attachments such as glue are reduced, the height dimensions of the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 are reduced, so that the height dimension of the camera module 100 can be effectively reduced, and further, when the electronic device is required to be light and thin, the camera module 100 can occupy less space of the electronic device, so as to meet the trend of light and thin development of the electronic device.

It should be noted that, in the conventional processing process, when the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 are mounted, since the glue used is a fluid and has a certain fluidity, the thickness uniformity of the glue is difficult to control due to unbalanced stress during the mounting process, and further, the flatness between the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 is influenced to a certain extent, and more seriously, the filtering effect of the filter element 12 in the later period is influenced, so that the imaging effect of the entire camera module 100 is influenced.

Through the integral molding of the filter element 12 and the bracket 11, the bracket 11 can be directly molded around the filter element 12 through a molding process to ensure the flatness between the filter element 12 and the bracket 11, and the molding process can also make the filter assembly 1 have better consistency. Of course, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the integral molding process is not limited to a molding process.

It should be noted that, in the conventional manufacturing process, when mounting the filter element 12 and the bracket 11, since the filter element 12 needs to be mounted on the bracket 11, in this process, a force needs to be applied to the filter element 12, the filter element 12 is fixed or the filter element 12 is moved to the bracket 11, and the filter element 12 is aligned with the bracket 11, and then a force is applied to press the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 so that the glue can flow between the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 to mount the filter element 12 on the bracket 11 as tightly as possible. This has certain requirements on the structural strength of the filter element 12, and the filter element 12 itself has a small volume, and in order to meet the operation requirements in the mounting process, the filter element 12 needs to be kept at a certain thickness to ensure the required structural strength. Further, in the later use process, the filter element 12 is supported by the optical path through the bracket 11, once there is an uneven problem in the previous mounting process, so that there is a problem that the stress of the filter element 12 is uneven in the use process, the filter element 12 may be broken after long-term use, and in order to ensure the product yield, the filter element 12 with stronger structural strength, that is, thicker, may be used, which are all unfavorable for the development of the filter element 12 toward the thinner direction.

By integrally molding the filter element 12 and the bracket 11, the filter element 12 can be placed in a mold and then injection molded to form the bracket 11. Further, the control of flatness in the integral molding process also reduces the requirements on the structural strength of the filter element 12. In other words, the filter element 12 can be made thinner in this embodiment.

It is worth mentioning that integrally combining the filter element 12 to the support 11 by molding makes the combining process between the support 11 and the filter element 12 more controllable, for example, the structure and size of the support 11 can be controlled by controlling the type of the mold, so as to control the structure and size of the filter assembly 1. In the conventional camera module 100, it is difficult to control the thickness of the filter assembly 1 formed by combining the holder 11 and the filter element 12 by controlling the thickness of the glue.

It is worth mentioning that forming the holder 11 integrally formed to the filter element 12 by molding enables the holder 11 to be preset to a configuration and a shape passing through the mold. That is, the holder 11 can be selectively formed according to the structure and size of the filter element 12, rather than re-matching the filter element 12 and the holder 11 separately.

It should be noted that, by integrally forming the filter element 12 and the support 11, a production process of applying glue in the conventional process is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved while the accumulation of production errors is reduced.

Specifically, the bracket 11 includes a combining portion 111 and a supporting portion 112, wherein the combining portion 111 surrounds the light transmitting portion 110, the supporting portion 112 surrounds the light window 10, and the supporting portion 112 extends downward from the combining portion 111.

The coupling portion 111 of the holder 11 is integrally coupled to the outer circumferential side of the filter element 12, so that the central position of the coupling portion 111 is not filled with the integrally molding material, and the central position corresponding to the coupling portion 111 is occupied by the filter element 12.

In this embodiment, the longitudinal section of the bracket 11 is configured in an "L" shape.

The filter element 12 has a side surface 121, a top surface 122 and a bottom surface 123, wherein light is filtered after entering through the top surface 122 and then exits through the bottom surface 123, wherein the side surface 121 is configured to integrally extend from the top surface 122 and the bottom surface 123 of the filter element 12 and is connected to the top surface 122 and the bottom surface 123, respectively.

An inner side 1111 of the combining portion 111 of the holder 11 may be integrally combined with the side 121 of the filter element 12, and the filter element 12 is held in the light path formed by the light passing position 110 so that the filter element 12 can normally operate. The inner side 1111 refers to a side of the coupling portion 111 close to the light transmitting position 110.

The top surface of the combining portion 111 may be extended to be integrally combined with the top surface 122 of the filter element 12; the bottom surface of the combining portion 111 may extend to the bottom surface 123 integrally combined with the filter element 12, so that the filter element 12 is held in the light path formed by the light passing position 110 to enable the filter element 12 to work normally.

That is, the position where the filter element 12 is integrally combined with the combining portion 111 may be selected from a wide range as long as the filter element 12 is held in the optical path formed by the light passing position 110.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 2, the combining part 111 has the inner side surface 1111, wherein the inner side surface 1111 is surrounded around the light passing position 110, that is, the light passing position 110 is defined by the inner side surface 1111 of the combining part 111 of the stent.

More specifically, the inner side surface 1111 is formed to be integrally extended downward from one end of the top surface of the coupling portion 111 near the light passing position 110 to one end of the bottom surface of the coupling portion 111 near the light passing position 110. The top surface of the coupling portion 111 is a surface close to the lens 3, the bottom surface of the coupling portion 111 is a surface close to the circuit board, and the top surface and the bottom surface of the coupling portion 111 are oppositely disposed. A portion of the bottom surface of the coupling portion 111 is in contact with the top surface of the supporting portion 112, and the bottom surface of the supporting portion 112 is directly connected to the circuit board, that is, the coupling portion 111 is supported to the circuit board by the supporting portion 112.

The combining part 111 has an outer side surface and an inner side surface 1111, wherein the outer side surface and the inner side surface 1111 are respectively formed between the bottom surface and the top surface, wherein the inner side surface 1111 is close to the light passing position 110, the inner side surface 1111 directly forms the light passing position 110, and the outer side surface is far away from the light passing position 110 relative to the inner side surface 1111.

The supporting portion 112 has an optical window forming surface 1121, wherein the optical window forming surface 1121 surrounds and forms the optical window 10. The inner side surface of the holder 11 is formed by integrally extending the optical window forming surface 1121 of the support portion 112, the inner side surface 1111 of the coupling portion 111, and the bottom surface of the coupling portion 111, and the optical window forming surface 1121 is away from the central position of the holder with respect to the inner side surface of the coupling portion 111. That is, the cross-sectional area of the light window 10 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the light passing position 110. The light passes through the central position of the combining portion 111, i.e. the filter element 12, and then reaches the light window 10.

In the present embodiment, the side surface 121 of the filter element 12 and the inner side surface 1111 of the coupling portion 111 are integrally coupled. In this manner, the size of the filter element 12 required may be varied by varying the distance between the medial side 1111 of the junction 111 and the lateral side of the junction 111. In particular, the greater the distance between the inner side 1111 and the outer side, the smaller the area size of the filter element 12. Therefore, the area size of the filter element 12 can be reduced to a predetermined size to reduce the usage amount of the filter element 12 while ensuring the imaging effect of the camera module 100, thereby saving the cost.

Preferably, in an embodiment of the present invention, the top surface 122 of the filter element 12 and the top surface of the combining portion 111 are located on the same plane, so that the filter element 12 is not higher than the bracket 11 or not lower than the bracket 11, so that the height dimension of the filter assembly 1 is kept at a minimum value on the premise of saving cost.

In this example, the bracket 11 is mounted directly to the circuit board. That is, the bottom surface of the support portion 112 is connected to the circuit board, and the driver 4 and the lens 3 are supported on the top surface of the coupling portion 111 such that the driver 4 and the lens 3 are held in the optical path by the holder 12.

It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the inner side 1111 of the combining portion 111 is disposed to have an inclined angle. Specifically, the inner side 1111 of the combining portion 111 is disposed to be inclined outward from bottom to top, that is, the light passing position 110 is disposed in a structure having a large top and a small bottom. Accordingly, for the filter element 12, the side 121 of the filter element 12 is inclined and is inclined from bottom to top to outside. The side 121 of the filter element 12 is arranged to match the inner side 1111, so that the filter element 12 and the holder 11 are better bonded.

Because, for the filter element 12, when the filter assembly 1 is supported on the circuit board during the manufacturing process, the filter element 12 is located at a position higher than the circuit board so that the light from top to bottom passes through the filter element 12 and then reaches the circuit board, the filter element 12 naturally receives a gravity action, the side edge of the filter element 12 can be better supported on the bracket 11 by the inclined side 121, and the filter element 12 can obtain a supporting force from the bracket 11 opposite to the gravity direction, so that the structure of the filter assembly 1 formed by the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 is more stable.

Referring to fig. 5, a further variant of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment of the invention is illustrated, wherein the present embodiment differs from the above embodiment by the filter assembly 1 of the camera module 100.

The filter assembly 1 includes a filter element 12 and a bracket 11, wherein the bracket 11 is integrally formed with the filter element 12. The lens 3 and the driver 4 are mounted on one side of the holder 11, and the circuit board 5 and the electronic component 6 and the photosensitive element 2 are mounted on the other side of the holder 11. The filter element 12, the lens 3 and the driver 4 are mounted on the same side of the bracket 11, so that the light entering the lens 3 passes through the filter element 12 and then reaches the photosensitive element 2. The circuit board includes the wiring board 5 and the electronic component 6.

The bracket 11 includes a combining portion 111 and a supporting portion 112, wherein the supporting portion 112 extends vertically downward from the outer side of the combining portion 111, the combining portion 111 is integrally combined with the side surface 121 of the filter element 12, and the supporting portion 112 is supported on the circuit board. The bracket 11 has an optical window 10, wherein the supporting portion 112 surrounds the optical window 10.

The combining portion 111 has a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer side surface and the inner side surface 1111, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are oppositely disposed, and the driver 4 and the lens 3 are supported on the top surface. The bracket 11 provides a light-passing location 110 at the junction 111, wherein the inner side 1111 surrounds the light-passing location 110. The supporting portion 112 has a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer side surface and an optical window forming surface 1121, wherein the top surface of the supporting portion 112 is connected to the bottom surface of the combining portion 111, the bottom surface of the supporting portion 112 is connected to the circuit board, and the outer side surface of the supporting portion 112 and the outer side surface of the combining portion 111 are located on the same plane. Preferably, the supporting portion 112 integrally extends to the combining portion 111. The light window forming surface 1121 surrounds the light window 10.

Further, in the present embodiment, the inner side surface 1111 has a first partial inner side surface 11111, wherein the first partial inner side surface 11111 is configured to integrally extend downward from an end of the top surface of the combining portion 111 close to the light passing position 110.

The inner side surface 1111 of the combining portion 111 further has an inner top surface 11112, wherein the inner top surface 11112 is configured to extend from the lower end of the first partial inner side surface 11111 toward a side close to the light passing position 110, that is, inward.

The inner side surface 1111 of the combining portion 111 further has a second partial inner side surface 11113, wherein the second partial inner side surface 11113 is configured to extend downward from an end of the inner top surface 11112 close to the light passing position 110.

That is, the second portion inner side surface 11113 is protruded from the first portion inner side surface 11111, and the inner top surface 11112 and the second portion inner side surface 11113 form a protruded stepped structure 113 at the first portion inner side surface 11111.

The first portion inner side surface 11111, the inner top surface 11112 and the second portion inner side surface 11113 collectively form the light passing position 110. The filter element 12 can be supported on the stepped structure 113.

That is, the inner side surface 1111 of the combining portion 111 has the first portion inner side surface 11111, the inner top surface 11112 and the second portion inner side surface 11113, wherein the first portion inner side surface 11111 is provided to integrally extend downward from the inner side of the top surface of the combining portion 111, the inner top surface 11112 is provided to integrally extend inward and horizontally from the bottom end of the first portion inner side surface 11111, and the second portion inner side surface 11113 is provided to integrally extend downward from the inner side of the inner top surface 11112.

The first portion inner side surface 11111, the inner top surface 11112, and the second portion inner side surface 11113 integrally extend in this order to form the inner side surface 1111.

It is understood that the side 121 of the filter element 12 can be integrated with the first portion inner side 11111, and the step-like structure 113 of the combining portion 111 can provide a supporting function for the filter element 12 so that the filter element 12 can be stably disposed on the bracket 11. It should be noted that since the connection stability between the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 is ensured, the requirement for the structural strength of the filter element 12 can be reduced to make the filter element 12 thinner and lighter.

It is understood that the bottom surface 123 of the filter element 12 can be integrally combined with the inner top surface 11112, the step-shaped structure 113 of the combining portion 111 can provide a supporting function for the filter element 12 so that the filter element 12 can be stably arranged on the bracket 11, and the side surface 121 of the filter element 12 does not need to be in contact with the first portion inner side surface 11111 of the combining portion 111, in this way, the area size of the filter element 12 can be reduced while ensuring the connection stability of the filter element 12 and the bracket 11, so as to save cost.

It is understood that the top surface 122 of the filter element 12 can be integrally combined with the bottom surface of the combining part 111. That is, the position of the filter element 12 on the support 11 can be set differently according to the needs to select a suitable height for filtering the light.

It should be noted that, for the filter element 12, in the process of integrally molding the filter element 12 and the bracket 11, different filter elements 12 can be adapted through the forming process of the bracket 11, for example, the area size of the filter element 12 can be reduced as much as possible to save cost while ensuring light filtering efficiency, and in order to adapt to the reduced area size of the filter element 12, the size of the bracket 11 can be adapted to the size of the filter element 12 to enable the filter element 12 to be maintained in the optical path, for example, the length of the stepped structure 113 is enlarged to reduce the length size of the filter element 12. It is understood that, in order to protect the filter element 12 from being scratched or crushed by a manufacturing mold during the manufacturing process of the filter assembly 1, the filter element 12 may be protected by disposing a film layer on the surface of the mold. Since the film layer has elasticity, the deformation of the film layer during the drawing process has an influence on the formation of the corresponding stent 11. Specifically, at both ends of the second part inner side surface 1113 of the holder 11, an end close to the bottom surface 123 of the filter element 12 and an end far from the bottom surface 123 of the filter element 12 are formed with an arc-shaped buffer surface to form an arc-shaped corner α and an arc-shaped corner β, respectively, wherein the arc-shaped corner α is formed at a junction of the second part inner side surface 1113 of the holder 11 and the bottom surface 123 of the filter element 12, and wherein the arc-shaped corner β is formed at a junction of the second part inner side surface 1113 of the holder 11 and the bottom surface of the combining part 111 of the holder 11.

Referring to fig. 6, there is shown a further modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment, wherein the difference between the above embodiment and the present embodiment is the combining position of the filter element 12 and the bracket 11.

In this embodiment, the side surface 121 of the filter element 12 is integrally coupled to the second partial inner side surface 11113 of the coupling portion 111 of the holder 11, and the height of the filter element 12 in the image pickup module 100 is reduced to be closer to the photosensitive element 2, while a certain mounting space is reserved above the filter element 12 above the coupling portion 111 for other components, such as the actuator 4.

Referring to fig. 7, there is shown a further modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment, wherein the difference between the above embodiment and the embodiment is the structure of the bracket 11.

Specifically, the bracket 11 includes a coupling portion 111 and a supporting portion 112, wherein the supporting portion 112 is disposed to extend downward from the coupling portion 111. The holder 11 further provides a light passing position 110 and has a light window 10, wherein the light passing position 110 is formed at a central position of the combining portion 111, and the combining portion 111 is integrally combined with the filter element 12, that is, the filter element 12 occupies the central position of the combining portion 111. The support portion 112 surrounds the light window 10 formed for light to pass through, and the light window 10 is formed at a central position of the support portion 112. When light enters the filter assembly 1, the light is firstly filtered by the filter element 12 and then reaches the photosensitive chip 2 through the optical window 10.

The bracket 11 further includes a boss 114, wherein the boss 114 is disposed on the top surface of the combining portion 111 of the bracket 11 for providing a supporting function for other components of the camera module 100.

The boss 114 is provided to protrude outward from the top surface of the coupling portion 111. Preferably, the boss 114 is integrally formed at the combining portion 111.

The boss 114 can serve as a fixing and limiting member for the driver 4 and the like mounted on the top surface of the coupling portion 111. The bosses 114 also prevent contaminants such as glue or dust from contacting the filter element 12.

Referring to fig. 8 and 9, a camera module 100 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

The camera module 100 comprises a filter assembly 1, a photosensitive element 2, an optical lens 3, a driver 4, a circuit board 5, an electronic component 6 and a mold base 7, wherein the optical lens 3 is mounted on the driver 4, the driver 4 is mounted on one side of the filter assembly 1, the bracket 11 is integrally formed on the filter element 12 to form the filter assembly 1, and then mounted on the circuit board 5, so that the filter assembly 1 is located between the optical lens 3 and the photosensitive element 2 to perform a filtering function, the electronic component 6 and the circuit board 5 are conductively connected to enable the camera module 100 to have a predetermined function, wherein the mold base 7 is mounted on the circuit board 5, the filter assembly 1 is supported on the circuit board 5 through the mold base 7, the circuit board 5 and the electronic component 6 are conductively connected, such as by cob (chip On board) wire bonding, to connect the photosensitive component 2 to the circuit board 5, so as to enable the image pickup module 100 to provide an optical image after performing photoelectric conversion.

Further, the camera module 100 has an optical window 10, and the light-sensing element 2 cooperates with the mold base 7 and the support 11 to form the optical window 10 so that light can reach the light-sensing element 2.

The camera module 100 has an optical path, wherein the optical path is formed on the optical lens 3, the filter assembly 1, the mold base 7 and the photosensitive element 2, so that the light respectively passes through the filter assembly 1, the mold base 7 and the photosensitive element 2 along the optical path in sequence to form a complete light system.

As for the mold base 7, the mold base 7 is disposed on an upper surface of the circuit board by a molding process. In the manufacturing process of the camera module 100 in this embodiment, the molding base 7 is formed on the circuit board through the molding process, then the photosensitive element 2 is attached to the circuit board, the circuit board is conducted to the photosensitive element 2, then the filter assembly 1 is installed on the other side of the molding base 7, and light passes through the filter assembly 1 and then reaches the photosensitive element 2. The mold base 7 can replace a lens holder or a bracket in the conventional camera module 100 by integrally encapsulating the mold base 7 on the circuit board during the manufacturing process, and does not need to attach the lens holder to the circuit board through glue like the conventional process.

Further, the filter assembly 1 includes a bracket 11 and at least one filter element 12, wherein the bracket 11 is integrally formed on the filter element 12. The holder 11 can hold the filter element 12 in an optical path of the camera module 100 so that the filter element 12 can perform a filtering function. The filter element 12 is disposed on the bracket 11 to be held in a position between the optical lens 3 and the photosensitive element 2 to ensure the imaging quality of the camera module 100.

Specifically, the filter element 12 can filter stray light from light entering the image pickup module 100 from the optical lens 3, and in this way, the imaging quality of the image pickup module 100 can be improved. It should be noted that the type of the filter element 12 is not limited in the camera module 100 of the present invention, and the filter element 12 may be, for example, but not limited to, an infrared cut filter element 12, a visible spectrum filter element 12, and the like.

Further, the molded base 7 comprises a molded base body 71 and the light window 10, wherein the molded base body 71 surrounds the light window 10.

The holder 11 includes a combining portion 111, wherein the combining portion 111 is integrally combined with the filter element 12. The combining portion 111 provides a light passing position 110 at a central position, and when the combining portion 111 is integrally combined with the filter element 12, the light passing position 10, that is, the central position of the combining portion 111 is occupied by the filter element 12.

By replacing the conventional way of attaching the filter element 12 to the bracket 11 by glue or other adhesive, on one hand, the flatness of the interconnection between the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 can be ensured, so that the filter element 12 is stably supported on the bracket 11, and on the other hand, the structural strength requirement for the filter element 12 is reduced, so that the filter element 12 can be lighter and thinner. It is worth mentioning that the height dimension of the filter assembly 1 is also reduced without the attachment of glue or the like. It is more worth mentioning that the shape and structure of the holder 11 can be configured to match the holder 11 and the mold base 7.

In this embodiment, the combining portion 111 has a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer side surface and an inner side surface 1111, wherein the bottom surface is connected to the mold base 7, the top surface and the bottom surface are oppositely arranged, the outer side surface is located at the outer side and extends between the top surface and the bottom surface, the inner side surface 1111 is located at the inner side and extends between the top surface and the bottom surface, and the inner side surface 1111 surrounds and forms the light passing position 110.

The filter element 12 has a top surface 122, a bottom surface 123 and a side surface 121, wherein the top surface 122 and the bottom surface 123 are oppositely disposed, and the side surface 121 integrally extends between the top surface 122 and the bottom surface 123.

The side surface 121 of the filter element 12 is integrally bonded to the inner side surface 1111 of the bonding portion 111. It should be noted that the inner side 1111 of the combining portion 111 is disposed to have an inclined angle. The inner side surface 1111 is formed to extend obliquely inward from the top surface of the combining portion 111 to the bottom surface of the combining portion 111. That is, the light passing position 110 has a structure with a large top and a small bottom.

Accordingly, the side surfaces 121 of the filter element 12 are disposed to have the same inclination angle, so that the filter element 12 and the holder 11 are tightly coupled. The side surfaces 121 are integrally formed to extend inward from the top surface 122 to the bottom surface 123. In this way, the filter element 12 can obtain a supporting force from the holder 11 opposite to the direction of gravity, so that the combination of the filter element 12 and the holder 11 can be more firmly fixed. Further, in this way, the area of the top surface 122 of the filter element 12 is larger than that of the bottom surface 123, so that the light passing through the periphery of the top surface 122 can be directly reflected out of the filter element 12 after reaching the inclined side surface 121, thereby playing a role in filtering some stray light.

It is worth mentioning that the filter element 12 can be directly connected to the support 11 by integral molding between the filter element 12 and the support 11, whereas in a conventional manner, in order to ensure the bonding strength between the filter element 12 and the support 11, the filter element 12 obtains an upward supporting force from the support 11 by losing a part of the filter area. That is, by integrally molding the filter element 12 to the holder 11, the area size of the filter element 12 can be reduced.

It is understood that by changing the length of the support 11, the filtering area of the filtering element 12 can be changed accordingly, and preferably, the light-transmitting range of the filtering element 12 is similar to a light-sensing area of the light-sensing chip.

Referring to fig. 10, another modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

The present embodiment differs from the above embodiments in the filter assembly 1.

Specifically, the filter assembly 1 includes a support 11 and a filter element 12, wherein the support 11 supports the filter element 12 on the mold base 7. The holder 11 is integrally formed with the filter element 12.

The holder 11 includes a coupling portion 111 and has a coupling groove 115, wherein the coupling groove 115 is used to couple the upper end of the mold base 7, and the coupling groove 115 is formed to be matched with the mold base 7 so as to stably mount the holder 11 to the mold base 7. The coupling groove 115 is formed around the outer circumference of the bottom end of the coupling portion 111.

The combining portion 111 has a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer side surface and an inner side surface 1111, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are oppositely disposed, the outer side surface integrally extends to the outer side of the top surface and the bottom surface, and the inner side surface 1111 integrally extends to the inner side of the top surface and the bottom surface. The combining portion 111 provides a light passing position 110, wherein the light passing position 110 is formed at a central position of the combining portion 111, and the inner side 1111 surrounds the light passing position 110.

Further, the inner side surface 1111 of the combining portion 111 has a first portion inner side surface 11111, an inner top surface 11112 and a second portion inner side surface 11113, wherein the first portion inner side surface 11111 is configured to integrally extend downward from the inner end of the top surface of the combining portion 111, the inner top surface 11112 is configured to integrally extend inward and horizontally from the bottom end of the top surface of the combining portion 111, and the second portion inner side surface 11113 is configured to integrally extend downward from the inner end of the inner top surface 11112.

The second partial inner side surface 11113 is located closer to the middle of the joint 111 than the first partial inner side surface 11111. The first part inner side surface 11111, the inner top surface 11112 and the second part inner side surface 11113 provide a stepped structure 113.

The holder 11 is integrally bonded to the filter element 12. In this example, the first partial inner side surface 11111 of the inner side surface 1111 of the combining portion 111 of the holder 11 is integrally combined to the side surface 121 of the filter element 12, and the inner top surface 11112 of the inner side surface 1111 of the combining portion 111 of the holder 11 is integrally combined to the bottom surface 123 peripheral edge of the filter element 12. That is, the filter element 12 is supported on the stepped structure 113.

Further, the combining portion 111 includes a supporting body 111a, a sinking arm 111b and an extending arm 111c, wherein the sinking arm 111b is configured to extend downward from an end of the supporting body 111a near the light passing position 110, and the extending arm 111c is configured to extend inward from a bottom end of the sinking arm 111 b. That is, the sinking arm 111b and the extending arm 111c provide the stepped structure 113.

Further, the light passing position 110 is formed inside the support body 111a, the sinking arm 111b and the extension arm 111c, and the connection groove 115 is formed outside the support body 111a, the sinking arm 111b and the extension arm 111 c.

Further, the light passing position 110 has a first receiving position 1101 and a second receiving position 1102, wherein the first receiving position 1101 is surrounded by the sinking arm 111b, and the second receiving position 1102 is surrounded by the extending arm 111 c.

The first receiving position 1101 and the second receiving position 1102 can provide different positions for the holder 11 to be integrated with the filter element 12. The first receiving position 1101 is higher than the second receiving position 1102.

The sinking arm 111b enables the holder 11 to be integrally coupled to the filter element 12 in a sunk position. The extension arm 111c is provided to laterally extend horizontally inward so that the holder 11 is integrally coupled to the filter element 12 in a horizontal position.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the bracket 11 includes four integrally connected sinking arms 111b and four integrally connected extending arms 111c, and each extending arm 111c and each sinking arm 111b integrally extend to form the annularly integrated bracket 11.

In other words, by integrally molding the holder 11 and the filter element 12, the holder 11 can provide a plurality of different positions for integrally bonding to the filter element 12.

Further, the inner side of the sinking arm 111b and the top side and the inner side of the extension arm 111c surround to form the light passing position 110, and the outer side of the sinking arm 111b and the bottom side of the combining part 111 surround to form the connection groove 115.

Referring to fig. 10, the distance between the extension arms 111c at opposite sides is denoted by L, and the minimum diameter of the filter element 12 may be L, whereas in the conventional mounting process, the minimum diameter of the filter element 12 must be larger than L to be stably mounted on the bracket 11, and in this way, the area size of the filter element 12 can be reduced.

Further, the extending distance of the extending arm 111c affects the area size of the filter element 12, and the extending distance of the sinking arm 111b affects the sinking depth of the filter element 12, wherein the filter element 12 is closer to the photosensitive element 2 when the length of the sinking arm 111b is longer, and the filter element 12 is closer to the optical lens 3 when the length of the sinking arm 111b is shorter. The length of the sinking arm 111b needs to be considered in conjunction with the imaging effect of the camera module 100. For the extension arm 111c, the optical path of the camera module 100 and a photosensitive area and a non-photosensitive area of the photosensitive element 2 need to be considered. For example, if the extension arm 111c extends inward for too long, it will block the photosensitive area of the photosensitive element 2, thereby affecting the working efficiency of the photosensitive element 2. The extension arm 111c can be extended more at the position where the circuit board package remains wider without an advance that would obscure the photosensitive area of the photosensitive element 2, thereby reducing the area size of the filter element 12 as much as possible while ensuring the imaging quality.

Referring to fig. 11, there is shown a further modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment, wherein the embodiment is different from the above embodiment in the combining position of the filter element 12 and the holder 11.

In this embodiment, the second portion inner side 11113 of the holder 11 is integrally bonded to the side 121 of the filter element 12 to adapt to different imaging effects by the difference of bonding positions.

The shape of the holder 11 matches the shape of the moulded base 7. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the molded base 7 is not a limitation of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 12, there is shown still another modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment.

In this embodiment, the mold base 7 has a mounting groove 72, wherein the mounting groove 72 is formed around the inner side of the upper portion of the mold base body 71, the holder 11 is integrally connected to the filter element 12, and the holder 11 is mounted to the mounting groove 72. Specifically, the mold base 7 includes a plurality of raised steps 73, wherein the raised steps 73 are provided on the top surface of the mold base body 71 to form the mounting groove 72. The mounting groove 72 is communicated with the light window 10.

In this embodiment, when the bracket 11 and the filter element 12 are mounted in the mounting groove 72, the top surface of the bracket 11 and the top surface of the mold base 7 are maintained in the same plane, so that the bracket 11 does not protrude from the mold base 7, and a certain distance exists between the bracket 11 and the actuator 4 or the optical lens 3, thereby ensuring that the actuator 4 or the optical lens 3 does not interfere with the filter element 12. In some embodiments of the invention, the holder 11 can be embossed from the mold base 7 to accommodate different drivers 4, or to prevent glue between the mold base 7 and the holder 11 from escaping to the filter element 12.

Referring to fig. 13, there is shown still another modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment.

The holder includes a coupling portion 111 and has a coupling groove 115, wherein the coupling groove 115 is used to couple the mold base 7, and the coupling groove 115 is formed to be matched with the mold base 7 so as to stably mount the holder 11 to the mold base 7. The connection groove 115 is formed around the outer circumference of the bottom end of the combining portion 111.

Further, the inner side surface 1111 of the combining portion 111 has a first partial inner side surface 11111, an inner top surface 11112 and a second partial inner side surface 11113, wherein the first partial inner side surface 11111 is configured to integrally extend downward from the inner end of the top surface of the combining portion 111, the inner top surface 11112 is configured to integrally extend inward and horizontally from the bottom end of the top surface of the combining portion 111, and the second partial inner side surface 11113 is configured to integrally extend downward from the inner end of the inner top surface 11112.

The mold base 7 includes a mold base body 71 and a mold base having a light window 10 and a mounting groove 72, wherein the mounting groove 72 is formed around the inner side of the upper portion of the mold base body 71, the light window 10 is formed at the center of the mold base body 71 and penetrates through the mold base body 71, and the mounting groove 72 is communicated with the light window 10. When the holder 11 is mounted to the mold base 7, the holder 11 is supported to the mounting groove 72. Further, the mold base 7 includes a plurality of raised steps 73, wherein the raised steps 73 are provided on the top surface of the mold base body 71 to form the mounting groove 72. In the present embodiment, the driver 4 is mounted to the projecting step 73.

In this way, the mounting height of the bracket on the mold base 7 is reduced, thereby reducing the height dimension of the bracket 11 and the mold base 7.

Further, the combining portion 111 includes a supporting body 111a, a sinking arm 111b and an extension arm 111c, wherein the sinking arm 111b is configured to extend downward from an end of the supporting body 111a near the light passing position 110, and the extension arm 111c is configured to extend inward from a bottom end of the sinking arm 111 b. That is, the sinking arm 111b and the extending arm 111c provide the stepped structure 113.

Further, the light passing position 110 is formed at the inner sides of the support body 111a, the sinking arm 111b and the extension arm 111c, and the connection groove 115 is formed at the outer sides of the support body 111a, the sinking arm 111b and the extension arm 111 c.

Further, the light passing position 110 has a first accommodating position 1101 and a second accommodating position 1102, wherein the first accommodating position 1101 is surrounded by the sinking arm 111b, and the second accommodating position 1102 is surrounded by the extending arm 111 c.

The first receiving position 1101 and the second receiving position 1102 can provide the holder 11 with different positions integrally formed with the filter element 12. The first receiving position 1101 is higher than the second receiving position 1102.

The sinking arm 111b enables the holder 11 to be integrally coupled to the filter element 12 in a sunk position. The extension arm 111c is provided to horizontally extend laterally inward so that the holder 11 is integrally coupled to the filter element 12 at a horizontal position.

Referring to fig. 14, there is shown still another modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment.

In this embodiment, the second portion inner side 11113 of the holder 11 is integrally bonded to the side 121 of the filter element 12 to adapt to different imaging effects by the difference of bonding positions. The shape of the holder 11 matches the shape of the moulded base 7. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the molded base 7 is not a limitation of the present invention.

It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the circuit board 5 is flat and plate-shaped, and the photosensitive element 2 is attached to an upper surface of the circuit board 5, that is, a surface close to the optical lens 3. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board 5 may have an inner groove, and the photosensitive element 2 is accommodated in the inner groove to reduce the height dimension of the photosensitive element 2 protruding from the circuit board 5. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board 5 has a through hole communicating with both sides of the circuit board 5, and the photosensitive element 2 is accommodated in the through hole, so that the relative positions of the photosensitive element 2 and the circuit board 5 are adjustable, for example, the upper surface or the lower surface is uniformly arranged. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board 5 may have a via with a step-like structure, and the photosensitive element 2 is mounted on the via by chip-flipping. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board 5 may have a reinforcement hole into which the mold base 7 extends, enhancing the structural strength between the mold base 7 and the circuit board 5. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board 5 is provided with a back plate, wherein the back plate is overlapped on the bottom of the circuit board 5 to enhance the structural strength and the heat dissipation performance of the integrated structure of the mold base 7 and the circuit board 5, and the back plate may be a metal plate. In another embodiment of the present invention, the camera module 100 further includes a shielding layer, wherein the shielding layer is wrapped outside the molding base 7 and the circuit board 5 to enhance the electromagnetic interference resistance of the camera module 100. Other variations of the circuit board 5 and the mold base 7 are possible, and it is understood that the structural variations of the circuit board 5 and the mold base 7 are not a limitation of the present invention.

It is worth mentioning that, in the present embodiment, the lens 3 is mounted to the driver 4, the driver 4 is mounted to the outside of the top surface of the mold base 7, and the holder 11 is mounted to the inside of the top surface of the mold base 7. In some embodiments of the invention, the driver 4 can be mounted directly to the bracket 11. The mounting position of the driver 4 is not a limitation of the present invention. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the lens 3 is mounted on the driver 4, and the camera module 100 is a moving-focus camera module 100 capable of automatically adjusting the focal length. The lens 3 may be directly mounted on the mold base 7 or the holder 11, and the camera module 100 may be a fixed focus camera module 100. The type of the camera module 100 is not a limitation to the present invention.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16A, a camera module 100 and a filter assembly 1 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention are illustrated.

The camera module 100 comprises a filter assembly 1, a photosensitive element 2, an optical lens 3, a driver 4, a circuit board and a mold base 7, wherein the circuit board comprises a circuit board 5 and an electronic element 6, wherein the electronic element 6 is connected to the circuit board 5, wherein the mold base 7 is integrally formed on the circuit board and the photosensitive element 2, wherein the optical lens 3 is mounted on the driver 4, the driver 4 is mounted on one side of the filter assembly 1, the photosensitive element 2 is mounted on the circuit board, the bracket 11 is integrally formed after the filter element 12 forms the filter assembly 1, and then is mounted on the circuit board 5, so that the filter assembly 1 is located between the optical lens 3 and the photosensitive element 2, thereby playing a role of filtering light, the electronic component 6 and the circuit board are conductively connected to enable the camera module 100 to have a predetermined function, wherein the mold base 7 is mounted On the circuit board, the filter assembly 1 is supported On the circuit board through the mold base 7, and the circuit board 5 and the electronic component 6 are conductively connected, such as by cob (chip On board) lead wire connection of the photosensitive component 2 to the circuit board, so as to enable the camera module 100 to provide an optical image after photoelectric conversion.

The camera module 100 has an optical path, wherein the optical path is formed on the optical lens 3, the filter assembly 1, the mold base 7 and the photosensitive element 2, so that the light passes through the filter assembly 1, the mold base 7 and the photosensitive element 2 along the optical path to form a complete light system.

As for the mold base 7, the mold base 7 is disposed on an upper surface of the circuit board by a molding process. In the manufacturing process of the camera module 100 in this embodiment, the molding base 7 is formed on the circuit board through the molding process, then the photosensitive element 2 is attached to the circuit board, the circuit board is conducted to the photosensitive element 2, then the filter assembly 1 is installed on the other side of the molding base 7, and light passes through the filter assembly 1 and then reaches the photosensitive element 2. By integrally encapsulating the mold base 7 in the photosensitive element 2 during the manufacturing process, the mold base 7 can replace a lens holder or a bracket in the conventional camera module 100, and does not need to attach the lens holder to the circuit board through glue like the conventional process.

It can be understood that, in the present embodiment, the mold base 7 integrally covers the electronic component 6, so as to prevent dust and impurities from adhering to the electronic component 6, similar to the conventional camera module 100, and further contaminate the electronic component 6, thereby affecting the imaging effect. It is understood that in another embodiment of the present invention, the electronic component 6 may be embedded in the circuit board, so that the electronic component 6 is not exposed to the outside.

The molding base 7 covers the electronic component 6, the gold wires and the non-photosensitive area of the photosensitive component 2 at the same time.

The gold wires are covered by the mold base 7 in such a way as to facilitate the reliability of the connection of the electronic component 6 and the photosensitive element 2 and the stability of the connection. The avoidance of the electronic component 6 is not considered in the process of connecting the molded base 7 to the circuit board, and the molded base 7 and the circuit board have more connecting area, so that the stability of the connection between the molded base 7 and the circuit board is facilitated.

Further, the molded base 7 comprises a molded base body 71 and an optical window 10, wherein the molded base body 71 surrounds the optical window 10.

The holder 11 includes a combining portion 111, wherein the combining portion 111 is integrally combined with the filter element 12. The combining portion 111 provides a light passing position at a central position, and when the combining portion 111 is integrally combined with the filter element 12, the light passing position 110, that is, the central position of the combining portion 111 is occupied by the filter element 12.

By replacing the conventional way of attaching the filter element 12 to the bracket 11 by an adhesive such as glue, on one hand, the flatness of the interconnection between the filter element 12 and the bracket 11 can be ensured, so that the filter element 12 is stably supported on the bracket 11, and on the other hand, the structural strength requirement for the filter element 12 is reduced, so that the filter element 12 can be thinner and lighter. It is worth mentioning that the height dimension of the filter assembly 1 is also reduced without the attachment of glue or the like. It is more worth mentioning that the shape and structure of the holder 11 can be configured to match the holder 11 and the mold base 7.

In this embodiment, the combining portion 111 has a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer side surface and an inner side surface 1111, wherein the bottom surface is connected to the mold base 7, the top surface and the bottom surface are oppositely disposed, the outer side surface is located at the outer side and extends between the top surface and the bottom surface, the inner side surface 1111 is located at the inner side and extends between the top surface and the bottom surface, and the inner side surface 1111 surrounds and forms the light passing position 110.

The side surface 121 of the filter element 12 is integrally bonded to the inner side surface 1111 of the bonding portion 111. It is worth mentioning that the inner side 1111 of the combining portion 111 is arranged to have an inclined angle. The inner side surface 1111 is formed to be inclined inwardly from the top surface of the coupling portion 111 to the bottom surface of the coupling portion 111. That is, the light passing position 110 has a structure with a large top and a small bottom.

It is worth mentioning that the filter element 12 can be directly connected to the support 11 by integral molding between the filter element 12 and the support 11, whereas in a conventional manner, in order to ensure the bonding strength between the filter element 12 and the support 11, the filter element 12 obtains an upward supporting force from the support by losing a part of the filter area. That is, by integrally molding the filter element 12 to the holder 11, the area size of the filter element 12 can be reduced. It will be understood that the length of the holder 11 can be set to exceed the mold base 7, on the one hand to reduce the length of the filter element 12, and on the other hand to enable the filter element 12 to be bonded not only to the inner side 1111 of the joint 111, but also to the top side, the bottom side of the joint 111 to accommodate different height requirements for the filter element 12.

Referring to fig. 16B, another modified embodiment of the camera module according to the above embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the present embodiment is different from the embodiment in the filter assembly 1.

The filter element 12 has a side surface 121, a top surface 122 and a bottom surface 123, wherein the side surface 121 is configured to extend from the periphery of the top surface 122 toward the periphery of the bottom surface 123 in the vertical direction, and the combining portion 111 of the bracket 11 has an inner side surface 1111, a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the inner side surface 1111 is configured to extend vertically from the inner side of the top surface toward the inner side of the bottom surface. The inner side 1111 of the holder 11 is integrally coupled to the inner side 121 of the filter element 12.

Referring to fig. 17, another modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

The present embodiment is different from the above embodiments in the filter assembly 1.

The holder includes a coupling portion 111 and has a coupling groove 115, wherein the coupling groove 115 is used to couple the upper end of the mold base 7, and the coupling groove 115 is formed to be matched with the mold base 7 so as to stably mount the holder 11 to the mold base 7. The connection groove 115 is formed around the outer circumference of the bottom end of the combining portion 111.

The second portion inner side surface 11113 is closer to the middle of the joining portion 111 than the first portion inner side surface 11111. The first portion inner side surface 11111, the inner top surface 11112 and the second portion inner side surface 11113 provide a stepped configuration 113.

The holder 11 is integrally bonded to the filter element 12. In this example, the first partial inner side surface 11111 of the inner side surface 1111 of the coupling portion 111 of the holder 11 is integrally coupled to the side surface 121 of the filter element 12, and the inner top surface 11111 of the inner side surface 1111 of the coupling portion 111 of the holder 11 is integrally coupled to the periphery of the bottom surface 123 of the filter element 12. That is, the filter element 11 is supported on the stepped structure 113.

Further, the combining portion 111 includes a supporting body 111a, a sinking arm 111b and an extension arm 111c, wherein the sinking arm 111b is configured to extend downward from an end of the supporting body 111a near the light passing position 110, and the extension arm 111c is configured to extend inward from a bottom end of the sinking arm 111 b. That is, the sinking arm 111b and the extension arm 111c provide the stepped structure 113.

Further, the inner side of the sinking arm 111b and the bottom side and inner side of the extension arm 111c surround the light passing position 110, and the outer side of the sinking arm 111b and the bottom side of the combining part 111 surround the connection groove 115.

Referring to fig. 17, the distance between the extension arms 111c at opposite sides is denoted by L, and the minimum diameter of the filter element 12 may be L, whereas in the conventional mounting process, the minimum diameter of the filter element 12 must be larger than L to be stably mounted on the bracket 11, in such a way that the area size of the filter element 12 can be reduced.

Further, the extension distance of the extension arm 111c affects the area size of the filter element 12, and the extension distance of the sinking arm 111b affects the sinking depth of the filter element 12, wherein the filter element 12 is closer to the photosensitive element 2 when the length of the sinking arm 111b is longer, and the filter element 12 is closer to the optical lens 3 when the length of the sinking arm 111b is shorter. Therefore, the length of the sinking arm 111b needs to be considered in combination with the imaging effect of the camera module 100. For the extension arm 111c, the optical path of the camera module 100 and a photosensitive area and a non-photosensitive area of the photosensitive element 2 need to be considered. For example, if the extension arm 111c extends inward for too long, it will block the photosensitive area of the photosensitive element 2, thereby affecting the working efficiency of the photosensitive element 2. The extension arm 111c can be extended more at the position where the circuit board package remains wider without an advance that would obscure the photosensitive area of the photosensitive element 2, thereby reducing the area size of the filter element 12 as much as possible while ensuring the imaging quality.

Alternatively, the outer circumference of the bottom surface of the holder 11 of the optical filter assembly 1 is completely supported by the mold base 7 to make the connection between the optical filter assembly 1 and the mold base 7 more stable, thereby reducing impact on the optical filter assembly 1 from the outside.

Referring to fig. 18, there is shown a still further modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment, wherein the difference between the embodiment and the above embodiment is the combination position of the filter element 12 and the holder 11.

It is worth mentioning that the driver 4 is directly mounted on the top surface of the mold base 7 so that the length of the bracket 11 can be shortened.

Referring to fig. 19, there is shown still another modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment.

In this embodiment, the mold base 7 has a mounting groove 72, wherein the mounting groove 72 is formed around the inner side of the upper portion of the mold base body 71, the filter element 12 is integrally connected to the filter element 12, and the holder 11 is mounted to the mounting groove 72. Specifically, the mold base 7 includes a plurality of raised steps 73, wherein the raised steps 73 are provided on the top surface of the mold base body 71 to form the mounting groove 72. The mounting groove 72 is communicated with the light window 10.

In this embodiment, when the holder 11 and the filter element 12 are mounted in the mounting groove 72, the top surface of the holder 11 and the top surface of the mold base 7 are maintained in the same plane, so that the holder 11 does not protrude from the mold base 7, and a certain safety distance exists between the holder and the actuator 4 or the optical lens 3, so that the actuator 4 or the lens 3 does not interfere with the filter element 12. In some embodiments of the invention, the holder 11 can be embossed from the mold base 7 to accommodate different drivers 4, or to prevent glue between the mold base 7 and the holder 11 from escaping to the filter element 12.

Referring to fig. 20, there is shown still another modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment.

The holder includes a coupling portion 111 and has a coupling groove 115, wherein the coupling groove 115 is used to couple the mold base, and the coupling groove 115 is formed to be matched with the mold base so as to stably mount the holder to the mold base. The coupling groove 115 is formed around the outer circumference of the bottom end of the coupling portion 111.

The holder 11 is integrally bonded to the filter element 12. In this example, the first partial inner side surface 11111 of the inner side surface 1111 of the coupling portion 111 of the holder 11 is integrally coupled to the side surface 121 of the filter element 12, and the inner top surface 11112 of the inner side surface 1111 of the coupling portion 111 of the holder 11 is integrally coupled to the periphery of the bottom surface 123 of the filter element 12. That is, the filter element 12 is supported on the stepped structure 113.

Referring to fig. 21, there is shown still another modified embodiment of the camera module 100 according to the above embodiment.

In this embodiment, the second partial inner side 11113 of the holder 11 is integrally bonded to the side 121 of the filter element 12 to adapt to different imaging effects by the difference of bonding positions. The shape of the holder 11 matches the shape of the mold base 7. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shape of the molded base 7 is not a limitation of the present invention.

It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the circuit board is flat and plate-shaped, and the photosensitive element 2 is attached to an upper surface of the circuit board, that is, a surface close to the optical lens 3. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board may have an inner groove, and the photosensitive element 2 is received in the inner groove, so as to reduce the height dimension of the photosensitive element 2 protruding from the circuit board. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board has a through hole communicating with two sides of the circuit board, and the photosensitive element 2 is accommodated in the through hole, so that the relative position of the photosensitive element 2 and the circuit board can be adjusted, for example, the upper surface or the lower surface is uniformly arranged. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board may have a via with a step-like structure, and the photosensitive element 2 is flip-chip mounted on the via. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board may have a reinforcement hole into which the mold base 7 extends, enhancing the structural strength between the mold base 7 and the circuit board. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board is provided with a back plate, wherein the back plate is overlappingly arranged at the bottom of the circuit board to enhance the structural strength and heat dissipation performance of the integrated structure of the mold base 7 and the circuit board, and the back plate may be a metal plate. In another embodiment of the present invention, the camera module 100 further includes a shielding layer, wherein the shielding layer is wrapped outside the molding base 7 and the circuit board to enhance the electromagnetic interference resistance of the camera module 100. Other variations of the circuit board and the mold base 7 are possible, and it is understood that the structural variations of the circuit board and the mold base 7 are not a limitation of the present invention.

It is worth mentioning that, in the present embodiment, the lens 3 is mounted to the driver 4, the driver 4 is mounted to the outside of the top surface of the mold base 7, and the holder 11 is mounted to the inside of the top surface of the mold base 7. In some embodiments of the invention, the driver 4 can be mounted directly to the support 11. The mounting position of the driver 4 is not a limitation of the present invention. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the lens 3 is mounted on the driver 4, and the camera module 100 is a moving-focus camera module 100 capable of automatically adjusting the focal length. The lens 3 may be directly mounted on the mold base 7 or the holder 11, and the camera module 100 may be a fixed focus camera module 100. The type of the camera module 100 is not a limitation to the present invention.

Referring to fig. 22A and 22B, a modified embodiment of the filter assembly 1 according to the present invention is shown.

As shown in fig. 22A, the filter assembly 1A includes at least one holder 11A and at least one filter element 12A, wherein the holder 11A and the filter element 12A are integrally combined.

The holder 11A further includes a combining portion 111A, the combining portion 111A provides a light passing position 110A at a central position, wherein the combining portion 111 surrounds the light passing position 110A. When the holder 11A and the filter element 12A are integrally combined, the filter element 12A is held in the optical path of the light-passing position 110A to enable the filter element 12A to filter light on the optical path.

The maximum filtering area of the filter element 12A depends on the shape of the light-transmitting position 110A on the top side, that is, the maximum filtering area of the filter element 12A depends on the region surrounded by the inner side surface 1111A of the joint 111A on the top surface of the joint 111A.

The user can manufacture the combination portion 111A having the top surface with different shapes according to different requirements, thereby controlling the amount of light entering.

As shown in fig. 22A, the combining portion 111A forms a circular area on the top surface, thereby forming a circular light inlet passage.

As shown in fig. 22B, the top end of the inner side surface 1111B defines a polygonal area on the top surface of the combining portion 111B, thereby forming the light passing position 110B in a polygonal shape.

It is to be understood that the light entrance area of the filter element is not a limitation of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 23 to 27A and 27B of the drawings accompanying the present specification, a manufacturing process of the filter assembly 1 is explained in the following description.

At the stage shown in fig. 23, and with reference to fig. 24 and 25, the filter element 12 is attached to a molding die 300 to perform a molding process by the molding die 300.

Specifically, the molding die 300 includes an upper die 301 and a lower die 302, wherein at least one of the upper die 301 and the lower die 302 can be operated so that the molding die 300 can be subjected to a clamping and a drawing operation. For example, in one example, after the filter element 12 is placed on the lower mold 302 and the upper mold 301 is subjected to a mold clamping operation, a molding space 303 is formed between the upper mold 301 and the lower mold 302. That is, the lower mold 302 and the upper mold 301 communicate with each other after the mold closing operation is performed. The upper mold 301, the lower mold 302, and the filter element define the molding space 303. A fluid material can fill the molding space 303 to form the holder 11 integrally coupled to the filter element 12.

With continued reference to fig. 23 and 24, the upper mold 301 further includes an upper molding guide 3011 and at least one light-passing position molding portion 3012 and has at least one upper molding guide slot 3013, wherein the light-passing position molding portion 3012 integrally extends on the upper molding guide 3011 to form the upper molding guide slot 3013 between the light-passing position molding portion 3012 and the upper molding guide 3011 or to form the upper molding guide slot 3013 between the adjacent light-passing position molding portions 3012.

Further, the upper molding guide 3011 is provided with a first pressing part 30111 so that the first pressing part 30111 of the upper molding guide 3011 can press an upper surface of the lower mold 302 after the molding die 300 is subjected to a mold clamping process.

The light passing position forming portion 3012 is provided with a second pressing portion 30121, which may be formed by extending the light passing position forming portion 3012 to protrude inward to form the second pressing portion 30121. For example, in the example of the molding die 300 shown in the drawings, the second pressing part 30121 is an inward convex circle formed by inward projection of the light-passing position molding part 3012, and the cross-sectional area of the second pressing part 30121 is smaller than the area of the light-passing position molding part 3012, so that after the molding die 300 is subjected to a mold clamping process, the second pressing part 30121 of the light-passing position molding part 3012 can press the filter region of the filter element 12 to prevent the fluid from entering the filter region of the filter element 12.

The light-passing position forming portion 3012 corresponds to a filter region of the filter element 12, so as to prevent the fluid material from entering the filter element 12 and further affecting the working efficiency of the filter element 12.

The light-passing position forming portion 3012 is provided with a second pressing portion 30121 in a ring shape, wherein the second pressing portion 30121 is provided to protrude inward so as to act on the filter element 12 to protect the filter element 12.

Preferably, the second pressing part 30121 is configured in a ring shape, for example, in the example of the forming mold 300 shown in the drawing, the light-passing position forming part 3012 may form the second pressing part 30121 on the periphery in a manner of being recessed to form a safety space, so that after the forming mold 300 is subjected to a mold clamping process, the second pressing part 30121 of the light-passing position forming part 3012 can press a non-filter area of the filter element 12 and make a filter area of the filter element 12 correspond to the safety space of the light-passing position forming part 3012 to prevent the upper mold 301 from scratching the filter area of the filter element.

It is understood that the first molding space 303a is formed at a position corresponding to the upper molding guide groove 3013 of the mold when a mold closing operation is performed on the molding die 300. And, the second pressing unit 30121 of the light-passing position forming unit 3012 of the upper mold 301 covers the filter element 12 by pressing the filter region of the filter element 12 or surrounds the filter element 12 by pressing the periphery of the filter region of the filter element 12, so as to prevent the fluid material introduced into the first forming space 303a from entering the filter region of the filter element 12 in the molding process, thereby preventing the filter region of the filter element 12 from being contaminated in the molding process.

With continued reference to fig. 24, the lower mold 302 further includes a lower molded guide 3021 and at least one support portion 3022 and has at least one lower molded guide 3023, wherein the support portion 3022 integrally extends over the lower molded guide 3021 to form the lower molded guide 3023 between the lower molded guide 3021 and the support portion 3022 or to form the lower molded guide 3023 between adjacent lower molded guides 3021.

When a mold clamping operation is performed on the molding die 300, the second molding space 303b is formed at a position corresponding to the lower molding guide groove 3023 of the lower die 302, and the lower molding guide 3021 of the lower die 302 can press the upper molding guide 3011 of the upper die 301 and the support 3022 of the lower die 302 can press the lower surface of the filter element 12 to prevent the fluid material from entering a pressing portion.

When the mold clamping operation is performed, the distance between the second pressing portion 30121 of the upper mold 301 and the support portion 3022 of the lower mold 302 is set to be just enough to accommodate the filter element 12 to prevent the fluid material from entering to contaminate the filter element 12.

In addition, the forming mold 300 further includes at least one film layer 304, for example, in this specific example of the present invention, the number of the film layers 304 may be implemented as two, wherein one of the film layers 304 is disposed on the inner surface of the upper mold 301 and the film layers 304 and the inner surfaces of the upper mold 301 overlap each other, the other of the film layers 304 is disposed on the inner surface of the lower mold 302 and the film layers 304 and the inner surfaces of the lower mold 302 overlap each other, for example, the film layers 304 may be attached to the inner surface of the upper mold 301 in such a manner that the film layers 304 and the inner surfaces of the upper mold 301 overlap each other, and the film layers 304 may be attached to the inner surfaces of the lower mold 302 in such a manner that the film layers 304 and the inner surfaces of the lower mold 302 overlap each other.

The film layer 304 may act as a buffer to reduce damage, such as scratching or crushing, to the filter element 12 during the manufacturing process. The support member may be provided around the periphery of the filter element 12, and the support member may buffer an impact force from the molding die 300 during mold clamping to protect the filter element 12. The support is arranged to surround at least a portion of the periphery of each filter element 12, and the fluid material surrounds at least a portion of the support after moulding.

In one example of the present invention, the support member is configured to wrap around the perimeter of the top surface 122 of each of the filter elements 12. In another example of the present invention, the supporting member is disposed to cover the periphery of the side surface 121 of each of the filter elements 12. In another example of the present invention, the supporting member is configured to cover the periphery of the top surface 122 and the periphery of the side surface 121 of each of the filter elements 12.

The support may be formed by glue arranged at the periphery of the filter element 12 and after the glue is cured, so that the support has a certain elasticity. The support formed by glue may also have adhesive properties for subsequent adhesion of contaminants such as dust, preventing these contaminants from contaminating the filter element 12.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that when the mold clamping operation is performed on the molding die 300, the film layer is held between the second pressing portion 30121 of the light-passing position forming portion 3012 and the filter element, so that the film layer 304 is pressed while being deformed to prevent a gap from being generated between the second pressing portion 30121 and the filter element 12, so that in the subsequent molding process, the fluid material is prevented from entering the filter area on the upper surface of the filter element 12 from the second pressing portion 30121 of the light-passing position forming portion 3012, thereby preventing the filter area on the upper surface of the filter element 12 from being contaminated, and preventing the occurrence of "flash" defect, so as to ensure the product yield of the image pickup module 100.

It is understood that the film 304 can separate the second pressing part 30121 of the light-passing position forming part 3012 from the filter element 12, so that during the mold closing process, on one hand, the film 304 can reduce the impact force of the forming mold 300 on the filter element, and on the other hand, the film 304 can prevent the second pressing part 30121 from scratching the filter element 12.

It is understood that, correspondingly, the film 304 disposed on the lower mold 302 can separate the support 3022 from the filter element 12, so that during the mold closing process, on one hand, the film 304 can reduce the impact force of the molding mold 300 on the filter element 12, and on the other hand, the film 304 can prevent the support 3022 from scratching the filter element 12.

In addition, after the molding process is completed, the film 304 can isolate the inner surface of the upper mold 301 from the optical filter assembly 1 and the inner surface of the lower mold 302 from the optical filter assembly 1, so as to perform a drawing operation on the molding mold 300 and prevent the optical filter assembly 1 from being damaged during this process.

Alternatively, after the mold clamping operation of the molding die 300 is performed, the first pressing portion 30111 of the upper mold guiding portion 3011 of the upper die 301 and at least one portion of the lower mold guiding portion 3021 of the lower die 302 may be directly pressed together, so that at least one of the first molding spaces 303a and at least one of the second molding spaces 303b communicate with each other.

Preferably, during the mold clamping, the position of the second pressing part 30121 of the light passing position forming part 3012 of the upper mold 301 and the position of the support part 3022 of the lower mold 302 correspond to each other, so as to prevent the filter element 12 from being deformed due to uneven stress. For example, in this example of the present invention, when the second pressing part 30121 of the light passing position forming part 3012 presses the middle filter region of the filter element 12, which results in the filter element 12 having a tendency to deform downward, the support part 3022 of the lower mold 302 organizes the deformation of the filter element 12 by pressing upward on the middle filter region of the filter element 12, thereby ensuring the flatness of the filter element 12.

At this stage shown in fig. 25, the fluid material is added to at least one of the molding spaces 303, and the fluid material fills all of the molding spaces 303 to form the holder 11 through a transfer molding process or a press molding process, so that the holder 11 and the filter element 12 are integrally combined.

The fluid material may be a liquid, a solid, a mixture of solids and liquids, or the like, so that the fluid material may be in fluid communication. The fluid material may be a thermosetting material, although those skilled in the art will appreciate that the material of the fluid material is not limited thereto.

At this stage shown in fig. 26A, the molding die 300 is subjected to a drawing operation, and the upper die 301 is drawn first.

The second molding part 30121 of the upper mold 301 has a drawing side surface 301211 and a drawing top surface 301212, wherein the drawing side surface 301211 is configured to be formed circumferentially and is configured to be inclined inward to facilitate drawing during drawing, and wherein the drawing top surface is formed at a lower end of the second molding part 30121 and corresponds to the filter region of the filter element 12.

It is worth mentioning that during the drawing process, due to the presence of the film 304, the elastic film 304 tends to be compressed during the closing process and to recover from the deformation during the drawing process, so that an arc-shaped corner α is formed at the inner side 1111 of the support 11 corresponding to the junction between the drawing side 301211 and the drawing top 301212 of the upper mold 301. In particular, in the present example, the filter assembly 1 is formed to be applicable to the camera module of fig. 7, and therefore, with reference to fig. 7, the arc-shaped corner α is formed at the end of the second partial inner side surface 1113 of the inner side surface 1111 of the filter element 12 connected to the filter element 12. That is, further, during the mold drawing, another arc-shaped corner β is formed at an end of the second-part inner side surface 1113 of the holder 11 away from the filter element 12, that is, an arc-shaped surface is formed at a junction of the second-part inner side surface 1113 and the bottom surface of the combining portion 111 of the holder 11.

As shown in fig. 26B, the upper mold 301A may include a first upper mold 3011A and a second upper mold 3012A, where the first upper mold 3011A covers the filter area of the filter element 12, and the second upper mold 3012A covers the support 11. When the mold drawing operation is performed, the mold drawing is performed on the filter element 12 and the support 111, so that the filter element 12 is prevented from being damaged in the mold drawing process.

At this stage shown in fig. 27A, after the molding die 300 is subjected to a drawing operation, a semi-finished product of the optical filter assembly 1 is obtained. The semi-finished product of the optical filter assembly 1 is cut to obtain the individual optical filter assemblies 1.

At this stage shown in fig. 27B, the bottom surface of the holder 11 of the optical filter module 1 may be sequentially attached to the surface of the circuit board 5 on which the photosensitive element 2 and the electronic element 6 are assembled, and the driver 4 on which the optical lens 3 is assembled may be attached to the top surface of the holder 11 of the optical filter module 1 to form the camera module 100 shown in the drawing, or the bottom surface of the holder 11 of the optical filter module 1 may be attached to the mold base 7.

It should be noted that, in the process of integrally forming the holder 11 on the filter element 12 and in the process of integrally forming the mold base 7 on the photosensitive element 2, the molding die 300 may be used to realize integral molding, and in order to improve the working efficiency of the camera module as much as possible, the light-sensitive area of the photosensitive element 2 and the light-sensitive area of the filter element 12 are close to each other, so that for the molding die 300, the upper die 301 having the same second molding part 30121 may be used to ensure that the sizes of the light-filtering area of the filter assembly 1 and the light-sensitive area of the photosensitive element 12 are close to each other, thereby ensuring the production consistency.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides a method for manufacturing the camera module 100, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

(a) integrally forming a bracket 11 on the outer periphery of a filter element 12 to form a filter assembly 1;

(b) mounting the bracket 11 of the filter assembly 1 on a circuit board assembled with a photosensitive element 2 while the filter assembly 1 is held in the photosensitive path of the photosensitive element 2 to provide a light path; and

(c) An optical lens 3 is held in the light path of the filter assembly 1, thereby producing the camera module.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the holder 11 is integrally formed on the side of the filter element 12.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the holder 11 is integrally formed at the side and bottom edges of the filter element 12.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the holder 11 is integrally formed at the bottom edge of the filter element 12.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the holder 11 is integrally formed at the top edge of the filter element 12.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the step (b) is implemented as: the holder 11 of the filter assembly 1 is mounted to a circuit board on which a photosensitive element 2 is assembled by a mold base 7 while the filter assembly 1 is held in the photosensitive path of the photosensitive element 2 to provide a light path.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (b), the mold base 7 is integrally formed with the circuit board.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (b), the mold base 7 is integrally formed on the circuit board and a non-photosensitive region of the photosensitive element 2 at the same time.

It is understood that the order of the step (b) and the step (c) may be interchanged.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (a), further comprising the steps of:

(a.1) placing at least one of said filter elements 12 into a forming mold 300;

(a.2) performing a mold clamping process on the molding die 300 to form a molding space 303 between an upper mold 301, a lower mold 302 of the molding die 300 and the filter element 12;

(a.3) adding a fluid material to the molding space 303 such that the fluid material fills the molding space 303 and solidifies within the molding space 303; and

(a.4) forming at least one holder integrally coupled to the filter element 12 at the filter element 12 after performing a drawing process on the molding die 300;

according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (a.1), a plurality of the filter elements 12 are put into the molding die 300, so that the step (a.4) further includes the following:

(a.4.1) drawing the molding die 300 to form a semi-finished filter assembly, wherein the semi-finished filter assembly comprises a plurality of filter elements 12 and the bracket 11 integrally combined with the filter assembly; and

(a.4.2) dividing the semi-finished product of the optical filter assembly 1 to obtain the optical filter assembly 1.

Referring to fig. 28, the filter assembly 1 is applied to a camera module 100 for filtering light in an optical path. The camera module 100 may be a moving focus camera module, but it should be understood that in the following embodiments or variations having a driver (actuator), the camera module may be implemented as a fixed focus camera module without a driver.

At least one camera module 100 can be assembled to an apparatus body 200, so that the camera module 100 and the apparatus body 200 can form an electronic apparatus, refer to fig. 28.

In other words, the electronic device includes the device body 200 and at least one camera module 100 disposed on the device body 200, wherein the camera module 100 can be used to capture images (for example, videos or images).

It should be noted that although the device body 200 of the electronic device shown in fig. 28 is a smart phone, in other examples, the device body 200 may be implemented as, but not limited to, a tablet computer, an electronic book, a camera, a television, a refrigerator, or any other electronic product capable of being configured with the camera module 100.

In addition, although in fig. 28, the camera module 100 is disposed on the back side of the apparatus main body 200 (the side facing away from the display screen of the apparatus main body 200), it is understood that the camera module 100 may be disposed on the front side of the apparatus main body 200 (the side of the display screen of the apparatus main body 200), or at least one camera module 100 may be disposed on the back side of the apparatus main body 200 and at least one camera module 100 may be disposed on the back side of the apparatus main body 200, that is, at least one camera module 100 may be disposed on both the back side and the front side of the apparatus main body 200. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that in other examples of the electronic apparatus, it is also possible to arrange one or more camera modules 100 at a side of the apparatus body 200.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments are only examples, wherein features of different embodiments may be combined with each other to obtain embodiments that are easy to realize in accordance with the disclosure of the invention, but that are not explicitly indicated in the drawings.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention described above and shown in the drawings are given by way of example only and are not limiting of the invention. The objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The functional and structural principles of the present invention have been shown and described in the embodiments, and any variations or modifications may be made to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the principles described.

Claims

1. The utility model provides a filter assembly, is applied to a module of making a video recording, its characterized in that includes:

a light filtering element; and

a support, the support includes a supporting portion and a combining portion, wherein the supporting portion is formed by extending from the combining portion downwards, the combining portion is integrally combined with the filter element, wherein the support is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the filter element, the filter assembly provides an optical path for light to pass through, wherein the top surface of the combining portion and the top surface of the filter element are located on the same plane, and the bottom surface of the combining portion and the bottom surface of the filter element are located on the same plane.

2. The filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the holder is molded and thermoset to an outer peripheral side of the filter element.

3. A filter assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the holder further has an optical window, wherein the support portion surrounds the optical window, the join and the support portion together providing the optical path.

4. The filter assembly of claim 3, wherein the bonding portion has an inner side surface integrally bonded to a side surface of the filter element.

5. The filter assembly of claim 4, wherein the inner side surface is provided as an inwardly sloped surface.

6. The filter assembly of claim 5 wherein the inner side surface has a first portion inner side surface extending downward from the top surface of the junction, an inner top surface extending inward from an end of the first portion inner side surface, and a second portion inner side surface extending downward from the inner top surface, the first portion inner side surface, the inner top surface and the second portion inner side surface integrally extending to form the inner side surface.

7. The filter assembly of claim 6, wherein the first portion of the inner side surfaces are integrally bonded to side surfaces of the filter element and the inner top surfaces are integrally bonded to a bottom surface of the filter element.

8. The filter assembly of claim 6, wherein the second portion of the interior side surfaces are integrally bonded to side surfaces of the filter element.

9. The filter assembly of claim 7, wherein the junction of the inner side of the second portion and the bottom surface of the filter element forms an arcuate corner.

10. The filter assembly of claim 9, wherein the junction of the inner side of the second portion and the bottom surface of the junction forms an arcuate corner.

11. The utility model provides a filter component, is applied to a module of making a video recording which characterized in that includes:

a filter element; and

a support, wherein the support is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the filter element, the filter assembly provides an optical path for light to pass through, and the support includes a combining portion having an inner side surface, wherein the inner side surface is integrally combined with the side surface of the filter element, and the inner side surface is configured as an inwardly inclined surface.

12. The filter assembly of claim 11, wherein a top surface of the bonding portion and a top surface of the filter element are in a same plane, and a bottom surface of the bonding portion and a bottom surface of the filter element are in a same plane.

13. The filter assembly of claim 11 wherein the inner side surface has a first portion inner side surface extending downward from the top surface of the junction, an inner top surface extending inward from an end of the first portion inner side surface, and a second portion inner side surface extending downward from the inner top surface, the first portion inner side surface, the inner top surface and the second portion inner side surface integrally extending to form the inner side surface.

14. The filter assembly of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the inner side surfaces are integrally bonded to side surfaces of the filter element, and the inner top surfaces are integrally bonded to a bottom surface of the filter element.

15. The filter assembly of claim 13, wherein the second portion of the interior sides are integrally bonded to sides of the filter element.

16. The filter assembly of claim 11, wherein the bracket includes a boss, wherein the boss is formed on a top surface of the coupling portion.

17. The filter assembly of claim 11, wherein the filter element has an inwardly sloped side, and wherein the bracket is integrally coupled to the side of the filter element.

18. The filter assembly of claim 11, further comprising a support member, wherein the support member is configured to cover at least a portion of an outer perimeter side of the filter element, and the molded bracket is configured to cover at least a portion of the support member.

19. The utility model provides a filter assembly, is applied to a module of making a video recording, its characterized in that includes:

a light filtering element; and

a holder, wherein the holder is integrally formed on an outer circumferential side of the filter element, the filter assembly provides an optical path for light to pass through, wherein the support comprises a support part and a combination part, wherein the support part is formed by extending downwards from the combination part, wherein the combining part is provided with an inner side surface which is integrally combined with the side surface of the light filtering element, wherein the inner side surface is configured as an inwardly sloping ramp surface, wherein the inner side surface has a first portion inner side surface, an inner top surface and a second portion inner side surface, wherein the first part inner side surface is formed by extending downwards from the top surface of the combining part, the inner top surface is formed by extending inwards from the end part of the first part inner side surface, the second part inner side face is formed by extending downwards from the inner top face, and the inner side face is formed by integrally extending the inner top face and the second part inner side face.

20. The light filtering assembly of claim 19 wherein the holder is molded and thermoset to an outer perimeter side of the light filtering element.

21. A filter assembly according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the holder further has an optical window, wherein the support portion surrounds the optical window, the join and the support portion together providing the optical path.

22. The filter assembly of claim 19, wherein the first portion of the inner side surfaces are integrally bonded to side surfaces of the filter element, and the inner top surfaces are integrally bonded to a bottom surface of the filter element.

23. The filter assembly of claim 19, wherein the second portion of the inner sides are integrally bonded to sides of the filter element.

24. The filter assembly of claim 22, wherein the junction of the inner side surface of the second portion and the bottom surface of the filter element forms an arcuate corner.

25. The filter assembly of claim 24, wherein the junction of the inner side surface of the second portion and the bottom surface of the bond forms an arcuate corner.

26. The utility model provides a filter assembly, is applied to a module of making a video recording, its characterized in that includes:

A filter element; and

a frame, wherein the frame is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the filter element, and the filter assembly provides an optical path for light to pass through, wherein the frame includes a combination portion, wherein the combination portion is integrally combined with the filter element, wherein the top surface of the combination portion and the top surface of the filter element are located on the same plane, and the bottom surface of the combination portion and the bottom surface of the filter element are located on the same plane.

27. The filter assembly of claim 26, wherein the bonding portion has an inner side surface integrally bonded to the side surface of the filter element.

28. The filter assembly of claim 27, wherein the inner side surface is provided as an inwardly sloped ramp.

29. The filter assembly of claim 27 wherein the inner side surface has a first portion inner side surface extending downwardly from the top surface of the junction, an inner top surface extending inwardly from an end of the first portion inner side surface, and a second portion inner side surface extending downwardly from the inner top surface, the first portion inner side surface, the inner top surface and the second portion inner side surface integrally extending to form the inner side surface.

30. The filter assembly of claim 29, wherein the first portion of the inner side surfaces are integrally bonded to side surfaces of the filter element, and the inner top surfaces are integrally bonded to a bottom surface of the filter element.

31. The filter assembly of claim 29, wherein the second portion of the inner sides are integrally bonded to sides of the filter element.

32. The filter assembly of claim 26, wherein the bracket includes a boss, wherein the boss is formed on a top surface of the coupling portion.

33. The filter assembly of claim 26, wherein the filter element has an inwardly sloped side, and wherein the bracket is integrally coupled to the side of the filter element.

34. The filter assembly of claim 26, further comprising a support member, wherein the support member is configured to cover at least a portion of an outer perimeter side of the filter element, and the molded bracket is configured to cover at least a portion of the support member.