JP2012098043A - Distance measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a distance measuring device which relates to an imaging device with a distance measuring device such as an AF sensor for measuring a distance to a subject and which can be reduced in size and cost.
An AF sensor unit, which is a distance measuring device of the present invention, includes an AF sensor 5 mounted on a flexible substrate 4, an AF lens 1 for focusing the light from a subject, and an AF sensor 5. And a focus adjustment spacer 3 for adjusting the focal length of the AF lens, an AF sensor 5, an AF lens 1, and an AF holder 2 holding the focus adjustment spacer 3, and a flexible substrate on which the AF sensor is mounted. 4 is provided with a gripping part (notch part 4a) for adjusting the position of the AF sensor 5.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device with a distance measuring device such as an AF sensor for measuring a distance to a subject, and more particularly to an improvement in the internal configuration of the distance measuring device.

  In general, an imaging device equipped with a distance measuring device that measures a distance to a subject is widely used. In an imaging device equipped with such a distance measuring device, an AF sensor unit as a distance measuring device is arranged outside the imaging optical system, and development of a method for measuring a distance from a video camera as an imaging device to a subject is progressing. It is out.

  Conventionally, this AF sensor unit uses a pair of ranging lenses (hereinafter referred to as AF lenses) and a pair of ranging imaging elements (AF imaging elements, hereinafter referred to as AF sensors), and performs passive measurement based on the principle of triangulation. Some adopt an AF method (passive ranging method). This AF sensor unit includes an AF lens and an AF sensor, and the AF sensor is attached to a flexible substrate for connecting an electric signal to a predetermined electric circuit.

  FIG. 5 shows an exploded perspective view of a conventional AF sensor unit. FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of the AF sensor unit as seen from the front side, and FIG. 5B is an exploded perspective view of the AF sensor unit as seen from the back side. The conventional AF sensor unit includes an AF lens 11, an AF holder 12, a focus adjustment spacer 13, an AF sensor holder 16, and an AF sensor 15 mounted on a flexible substrate 14.

  The AF lens 11 is bonded and fixed to the AF holder 12 with a UV curable adhesive (the black circles in FIGS. 6 and 18), and the AF sensor 15 mounted on the flexible substrate 14 is bonded to the AF sensor holder 16 with a UV curable adhesive. The AF sensor holder 16 that is fixed (the black circles in FIGS. 7 and 19) and the AF sensor 15 is bonded and fixed is installed on the AF holder 12 on which the AF lens 11 is installed via the focus adjustment spacer 13. (Fig. 8).

  The position of the AF sensor 15 needs to be adjusted so as to be aligned with the optical axis of the AF lens 11, and when adjusting the position, an adjustment tool pin (not shown) is attached to the grip portion (notch portion 16a) of the AF sensor holder 16. Insertion is performed in the directions of arrows X, Y, and θ shown in FIG.

  A similar method is proposed in Patent Document 1 in which the position of the AF sensor is adjusted so as to match the optical axis of the AF lens. The holding member has a holding member for holding the back surface of the distance measuring sensor. The holding member has two holes for holding the adjustment tool pins. The adjustment tool pins are inserted into the two holes, and the distance measuring sensor emits the distance measuring lens light. A distance measuring device that adjusts to an appropriate position with respect to the axis is described.

  After the position of the AF sensor 15 is properly adjusted in the state of FIG. 8, the AF sensor holder 16 is adhered to the AF holder 12 with the UV curing adhesive while maintaining the state (FIG. 9, arrow). ) After the bonding is completed, the adjustment tool pin is removed from the grip portion (notch portion 16a) of the AF sensor holder 16 to complete the position adjustment. In the bonding process, a UV curable adhesive is applied to two predetermined locations, UV light is irradiated for a certain time to solidify the UV curable adhesive, and then the adjustment tool pin is removed to complete the operation.

  At this time, as a method of adjusting the AF sensor 15 to an appropriate position, for example, a general method of placing a chart at a predetermined distance from the AF lens 11 and adjusting based on the output waveform of the AF sensor 15 can be used. .

  The AF sensor holder 16 holds the AF sensor 15, has a grip portion (notch portion 16 a) for adjusting the position of the AF sensor 15, and further has a function of shielding the AF sensor 15 from light.

JP 2000-241161 A

  However, the AF sensor holder 16 having the conventional configuration is made of resin, and has a grip portion (notch portion 16a) for adjusting the position of the AF sensor 15, or an adhesive portion ( The AF sensor holder 16 itself becomes large due to the role of having a space for securing a black circled portion in FIGS. 7 and 19, increasing the adhesive surface with the AF holder 12, and shielding the AF sensor 15. There is a problem that the AF sensor unit becomes large.

  Therefore, the present invention gives the role of the AF sensor holder 16 to other existing components, and by eliminating the AF sensor holder 16, it is possible to reduce the size of the AF sensor unit and reduce the cost of parts and the bonding process work cost. An object of the present invention is to provide a distance measuring device that can reduce and improve the assembly accuracy by eliminating the AF sensor holder 16.

  The distance measuring device of the present invention includes a distance measuring sensor mounted on a flexible substrate, a distance measuring lens that collects light from a subject, and an adjustment for adjusting the focal length of the distance measuring sensor and the distance measuring lens. In a distance measuring device including a spacer, the distance measuring sensor, the distance measuring lens, and a holding member that holds the spacer, the flexible substrate includes a grip portion.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the adjusting spacer is provided with a light shielding portion for light from the distance measuring lens.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the gripping portion of the flexible substrate is provided on the short side of the distance measuring sensor.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the extending direction of the flexible substrate is arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the distance measuring sensor.

  Another feature of the present invention is that an adhesive portion is provided between the distance measuring sensor and the holding member, and the adhesive portion is provided on a side substantially opposite to the extending direction of the flexible substrate. It is said.

  According to the present invention, the flexible board on which the AF sensor is mounted is provided with a gripping part (notch part) for adjusting the position of the AF sensor, and the focus adjustment spacer is made of disturbance light incident from the AF lens. A light shielding part was provided to prevent malfunction. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the AF sensor position adjustment gripping part, which is a component of the conventional AF sensor unit, and the AF sensor holder that had the function of blocking ambient light, etc., and downsizing the AF sensor unit I was able to. In addition, by eliminating the AF sensor holder, the parts cost can be reduced, and the work process in which the AF sensor and the AF sensor holder are bonded can also be eliminated, thus reducing the process cost. did it. Furthermore, since there is no part tolerance in the AF sensor holder, the assembly accuracy is improved especially in the thickness direction (distance from the AF lens to the AF sensor), and several thickness spacers have been prepared for dimension adjustment. Reduction is also possible.

(A) Front side view (b) Rear side view Front view of AF lens and AF holder in an embodiment of the present invention Rear view of AF sensor and AF holder in the embodiment of the present invention Adhesive part perspective view of AF sensor and AF holder in an embodiment of the present invention Exploded perspective view of conventional example (a) Front side view (b) Back side view Front view of AF lens and AF holder in the conventional example Rear view of AF sensor and sensor holder in conventional example Rear view of the sensor holder and AF holder with the AF sensor attached in the conventional example Adhering portion perspective view of AF sensor holder and AF holder in the conventional example (A) Conventional focus adjustment spacer (b) Focus adjustment spacer of the present invention

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an AF sensor unit that is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the AF sensor unit viewed from the front side, and FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view of the AF sensor unit viewed from the back side. The AF sensor unit of the present invention includes an AF lens 1, an AF holder 2, a focus adjustment spacer 3, and an AF sensor 5 mounted on a flexible substrate 4.
The AF lens 1 is bonded and fixed to the AF holder 2 with a UV curable adhesive (the black circles in FIGS. 2 and 20), and the AF sensor 5 mounted on the flexible substrate 4 is connected to the AF lens via the focus adjustment spacer 3. 1 is installed on the AF holder 2 on which 1 is installed (FIG. 3). The purpose of the focus adjusting spacer 3 is to mold the AF lens 1 and the AF holder 2 with several pieces each, so that the focal length from the AF lens 1 to the AF sensor 5 varies depending on the size of each part. Several types of spacers with different thicknesses are prepared and the dimensions are adjusted so that variations do not occur.

  The position of the AF sensor 5 needs to be adjusted so as to match the optical axis of the AF lens 1. When adjusting the position, an adjustment tool pin (not shown) is inserted into the gripping portion (notch portion 4a) of the flexible substrate 4 on which the AF sensor 5 is mounted to grip the AF sensor, and arrows X and Y shown in FIG. , Θ for each direction. The flexible substrate 4 on which the AF sensor 5 is mounted reinforces the back side of the AF sensor 5 with a rigid material such as glass epoxy. This is because the grip portion is given strength so that it does not bend at the time of adjustment so that stable adjustment can be performed.

  In the AF sensor holder 16 that is a component of the conventional AF sensor unit, the gripping portion (notch portion 16a) for adjusting the position of the AF sensor 15 is provided at a total of three locations, one at the top and two at the bottom. It was. On the other hand, only one pair (two places in total) of grip portions (notches 4a) of the flexible substrate 4 on which the AF sensor 5 of the present invention is mounted are provided on the short side of the AF sensor 5. Since the distance of the grip part (notch part 4a) can be ensured by arranging on the short side, sufficiently stable holding is possible, and stable X, Y, and θ position adjustment is possible.

  After the position of the AF sensor 5 is properly adjusted in the state of FIG. 3, the AF sensor 5 is adhered to the AF holder 2 with the UV curing adhesive while maintaining the state (FIG. 4, arrow) After the bonding is completed, the position adjustment is completed by removing the adjustment tool pin from the grip portion (notch portion 4a) of the flexible substrate 4 on which the AF sensor 5 is mounted.

  At this time, as a method of adjusting the AF sensor 5 to an appropriate position, for example, a general method of placing a chart at a predetermined distance from the AF lens 1 and adjusting based on the output waveform of the AF sensor 5 can be used. .

  In the present invention, an adjustment tool pin is inserted into the flexible substrate 4 on which the AF sensor 5 is mounted for the role of the gripping portion (notch portion 16a) for position adjustment that the conventional AF sensor holder 16 has. By having the grip part (notch part 4a) whose position can be adjusted, the role of the grip part (notch part 16a) of the conventional AF sensor holder 16 can be taken.

  In the present invention, the extension direction of the flexible substrate 4 on which the AF sensor 5 is mounted is extended so as to be substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal side of the AF sensor 5 (in this embodiment, the extension is extended downward (FIG. Y direction shown in FIG. By providing the bonding portion 7 in a direction substantially opposite to the extending direction of the flex, the bonding operator in the bonding process can easily perform the bonding operation without worrying about the extending of the flex. In the conventional configuration, the extending direction of the flexible substrate 14 on which the AF sensor 15 is mounted is extended so as to be substantially orthogonal to the short side of the AF sensor 5 (in the conventional example, the flexible member is extended in the lateral direction). (X direction shown in FIG. 8)) However, since the bonding portion 17 is provided so as to apply the adhesive from above as shown in FIG. 9, the bonding operator mistakenly in the flex extending in the lateral direction. I had to apply the adhesive while paying attention to the flex that extended in the lateral direction. Therefore, in the configuration of the present invention, such a point can be improved.

  The AF sensor holder 16 which is a component part of the conventional AF sensor unit not only has a holding part (notch part 16a) for holding the AF sensor 15 and adjusting the position of the AF sensor 15, but also the AF lens 11 Each light receiving portion 15a of the AF sensor 15 is shielded so that disturbance light that causes the AF sensor existing in the incident light from the side to malfunction or light incident on one of the light receiving portions 15a does not enter the other. He also had a role.

  As for its role, as shown in FIG. 10, the conventional focus adjustment spacer 13 has one large opening 13a (FIG. 10a), whereas the focus adjustment spacer 3 of the present invention has a central portion. Disturbances that cause the AF sensor existing in the incident light from the AF lens 1 side to malfunction by providing the light shielding part 3b and providing each opening 3a in each light receiving part 5a of the AF sensor 5 (FIG. 10b). Each light receiving portion 5a of the AF sensor 5 can be shielded from light so that light and light incident on one of the light receiving portions 5a do not enter the other. As a result, the conventional AF sensor holder 16 can be shielded from light.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the AF sensor holder 16 can be eliminated, the AF sensor unit can be reduced in size. Further, by eliminating the AF sensor holder 16, it is possible to reduce the component cost, and accordingly, the bonding work process for bonding the AF sensor 15 and the AF sensor holder 16 can also be abolished, thereby reducing the process cost. I was also able to. Furthermore, since the tolerance of the parts of the AF sensor holder 16 is eliminated, accuracy in the thickness direction (distance from the AF lens to the AF sensor) is improved, and several types of thickness spacers are prepared for dimension adjustment. That reduction is also possible.

1, 11 ... AF lens 2, 12 ... AF holder 3, 13 ... Focus adjustment spacers 3a, 13a ... Opening 3b ... Shading part 4, 14 ... Flexible substrate 4a ... Notch part 5, 15 AF sensor 5a, 15a AF sensor light receiving part 16 AF sensor holder 16a Notch part 7, 17 Adhesive part 18, 19, 20 Adhesive fixing part (black painted round part)

Claims (5)

A distance measuring sensor mounted on a flexible substrate; a distance measuring lens for condensing light from a subject; an adjustment spacer for adjusting a focal length between the distance measuring sensor and the distance measuring lens; and the distance measuring sensor; 2. A distance measuring device comprising the distance measuring lens and a holding member for holding the spacer, wherein the flexible substrate includes a gripping portion. The distance measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment spacer is provided with a light blocking portion for light from the distance measuring lens. The distance measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the grip portion provided on the flexible substrate is provided on a short side of the distance measuring sensor. The distance measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the extending direction of the flexible substrate is arranged in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the distance measuring sensor. An adhesive portion is provided between the distance measuring sensor and the holding member, and the adhesive portion is provided on a side opposite to the extending direction of the flexible substrate. The ranging device according to any one of the above.