CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0027388 filed on Mar. 4, 2020 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0111832 filed on Sep. 2, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The following description relates to a camera module.

2. Description of Related Art

In recent years, a camera module has been installed as standard equipment in a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone. The portable electronic device may have a reduced thickness based on market demand, and a camera module of the portable electronic device may therefore be required to be miniaturized.

Apart from demand for miniaturization, the camera module is also required to have improved performance, and may thus have added functions such as autofocusing and optical image stabilization. Accordingly, there is a limit to reducing the size of the camera module. That is, the camera module may be difficult to implement with a smaller size despite the demand for its miniaturization, and, accordingly, there is a limit to reducing the thickness of the portable electronic device.

In order to solve this problem, a camera module may have a plurality of lenses arranged in the length direction or width direction of the portable electronic device, rather than a thickness direction of the portable electronic device, and having a reflective member configured to change the path of light. Such a camera module has a structure different from a conventional camera module, such as having a longer total track length and having the reflective member, and may therefore have an image quality that is deteriorated due to a flare phenomenon that does not occur in a conventional camera module.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one general aspect, a camera module includes: a lens module including a plurality of lenses; a housing accommodating the lens module; a reflection module disposed in front of the lens module; an image sensor module configured to receive light passing through the lens module; and a light blocking portion disposed in the housing and positioned in a space between the lens module and the image sensor module. The light blocking portion includes: a first light blocking plate including a first window having a first opening through which the light is allowed to pass; and a second light blocking plate including a second window having a second opening through which the light is allowed to pass. The first window includes a first inner wall including a first inclined surface, and the second window includes a second inner wall including a second inclined surface.

The first inner wall may be configured to increase a size of the first window in a direction toward the image sensor module. The second inner wall may be configured to increase a size of the second window in the direction toward the image sensor module.

A size of the first opening on one side of the first window facing the lens module may be smaller than a size of the first opening on another side of the first window facing the image sensor module. A size of the second opening on one side of the second window facing the lens module may be smaller than a size of the second opening on another side of the second window facing the image sensor module.

The size of the first opening on the other side of the first window may be larger than the size of second opening on the one side of the second window.

The first inner wall may be configured to increase a size of the first window in a direction toward the image sensor module. The second inner wall may be configured to decrease a size of the second window in the direction toward the image sensor module.

A size of the first opening on one side of the first window facing the lens module may be smaller than a size of the first opening on another side of the first window facing the image sensor module. A size of the second opening on one side of the second window facing the lens module may be larger than a size of the second opening on another side of the second window facing the image sensor module.

A surface of the first light blocking plate and a surface of the second light blocking plate may each be rougher than a surface of the housing.

A surface of the first light blocking plate and a surface of the second light blocking plate may each have a lower reflectivity than a surface of the housing.

A first protrusion and a second protrusion spaced apart from each other in an optical axis direction may be positioned inside the housing. The first light blocking plate may be disposed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion. The second light blocking plate may be disposed between the second protrusion and the image sensor module.

The first light blocking plate and the second light blocking plate may each include: a rectangular plate having a long side and a short side; and a support portion extending from the short side in an optical axis direction.

The support portion may have a groove.

The light blocking portion may further include a third blocking plate including a third window having a third opening through which the light is allowed to pass. The third window may include a third inner wall including a third inclined surface.

One of the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the third inclined surface may have an inclination direction different from others of the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the third inclined surface.

At least one lens among the plurality of lenses may have a length in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis that is shorter than a length of the at least one lens in a second direction perpendicular to the optical axis and the first direction. The at least one lens may be disposed such that one side surface of the at least one lens, among side surfaces of the at least one lens facing each other in the first direction, faces a bottom surface of the housing.

In another general aspect, an electronic device includes a camera module mounted in the electronic device. The camera module includes: a lens module including a plurality of lenses; a housing accommodating the lens module; a reflection module disposed in front of the lens module; an image sensor module configured to receive light passing through the lens module; and a light blocking portion disposed in the housing and positioned in a space between the lens module and the image sensor module. The light blocking portion includes: a first light blocking plate including a first window having a first opening through which the light is allowed to pass; and a second light blocking plate including a second window having a second opening through which the light is allowed to pass. The first window includes a first inner wall including a first inclined surface, and the second window includes a second inner wall including a second inclined surface.

An optical axis direction of the plurality of lenses may be perpendicular to a thickness direction of the electronic device and may correspond to either one of a length direction and a width direction of the electronic device. The light may be incident on the reflection module in the thickness direction.

The reflection module may be disposed in front of the lens module in the optical axis direction. The image sensor module may be disposed behind the lens module in the optical axis direction.

Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.

