Method of assembling vehicular camera having coaxial connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10904416-B2
Application number	US-201916413681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2019
Priority date	Feb 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A method of assembling a camera assembly for a vehicular vision system includes providing a first housing portion, providing a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB including circuitry, providing a mating connector at the PCB, disposing the PCB within the first housing portion, providing a second housing portion including a connector portion configured for connecting to a vehicle wiring, and disposing a coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion. The coaxial connector includes (i) a core connector element and (ii) a shield connector element that circumscribes the core connector element and that is spaced therefrom. Mating the second housing portion with the first housing portion, and electrically connecting a first end of the coaxial connector to the mating connector disposed at the PCB. The coaxial connector includes a second end for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of assembling a camera assembly for a vehicular vision system, the method comprising:
providing a first housing portion;
providing a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB comprising circuitry;
providing a mating connector at the PCB, wherein the mating connector comprises (i) a mating core connector element and (ii) a mating shield connector element that circumscribes the mating core connector element and that is spaced therefrom;
disposing the PCB within the first housing portion;
providing a second housing portion comprising a connector portion configured for connecting to a vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at a vehicle;
disposing a coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion, wherein the coaxial connector comprises (i) a core connector element and (ii) a shield connector element that circumscribes the core connector element and that is spaced therefrom;
wherein the coaxial connector comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end is configured for electrically connecting the coaxial connector to circuitry of the PCB within the first housing portion and the second end is configured for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at the vehicle;
mating the second housing portion with the first housing portion to form a camera housing having the PCB housed therein;
during mating of the second housing portion with the first housing portion, electrically connecting the first end of the coaxial connector to the mating connector disposed at the PCB, whereby (i) the core connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the mating core connector element of the mating connector and (ii) the shield connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the mating shield connector element of the mating connector; and
adjusting the coaxial connector so that the first end of the coaxial connector engages the mating connector and makes electrical connection therewith during mating of the second housing portion with the first housing portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the coaxial connector comprises adjusting a spring-loaded portion of the coaxial connector.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mating connector provided at the PCB is made by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) metal stamping and (ii) metal folding.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mating connector comprises two electrically conductive brush contacts separated by a non-electrically conductive insulator, and wherein electrically connecting the first end of the coaxial connector to the mating connector comprises electrically connecting the first end of the core connector element with one of the electrically conductive brush contacts and electrically connecting the first end of the shield connector element with the other of the electrically conductive brush contacts.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the other of the electrically conductive brush contacts that connects with the first end of the shield connector element circumscribes the one of the electrically conductive brush contacts that connects with the first end of the core connector element.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core and shield connector elements are made by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) metal stamping and (ii) metal folding.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein disposing the coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion comprises insert molding the coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core connector element is fixed relative to the shield connector element and electrically isolated therefrom by molding.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein disposing the coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion comprises fastening the coaxial connector to the second housing portion by at least one fastener.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein disposing the coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion comprises attaching the coaxial connector to the second housing portion by at least one clip.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein disposing the coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion comprises attaching the coaxial connector to the second housing portion via adhesive.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein, with the coaxial connector connected to the vehicle wiring, the vehicle wiring conveys at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) electrical signals to circuitry of the PCB and (ii) data to circuitry of the PCB.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial connector comprises angled connector elements and wherein the first end of the coaxial connector is angled relative to the second end of the coaxial connector.

14. A method of assembling a camera assembly for a vehicular vision system, the method comprising:
providing a first housing portion;
providing a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB comprising circuitry;
providing a mating connector at the PCB, wherein the mating connector comprises (i) a mating core connector element and (ii) a mating shield connector element that circumscribes the mating core connector element and that is spaced therefrom;
disposing the PCB within the first housing portion;
providing a coaxial connector, wherein the coaxial connector comprises (i) a core connector element and (ii) a shield connector element that circumscribes the core connector element and that is spaced therefrom;
providing a second housing portion comprising a connector portion configured for connecting to a vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at a vehicle;
wherein providing the second housing portion comprises insert molding the coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion;
wherein the coaxial connector comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end is configured for electrically connecting the coaxial connector to circuitry of the PCB within the first housing portion and the second end is configured for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at the vehicle;
mating the second housing portion with the first housing portion to form a camera housing having the PCB housed therein;
during mating of the second housing portion with the first housing portion, electrically connecting the first end of the coaxial connector to the mating connector disposed at the PCB, whereby (i) the core connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the mating core connector element of the mating connector and (ii) the shield connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the mating shield connector element of the mating connector;
adjusting the coaxial connector so that the first end of the coaxial connector engages the mating connector and makes electrical connection therewith during mating of the second housing portion with the first housing portion; and
wherein, with the coaxial connector connected to the vehicle wiring, the vehicle wiring conveys electrical signals to circuitry of the PCB.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the core connector element is fixed relative to the shield connector element and electrically isolated therefrom by molding.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the core and shield connector elements are made by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) metal stamping a

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Sauer Stefan
• Steigerwald Jens
• Bally Nazar F
• Sigle Marc
• Newiger Achim

Classifications

• H04N23/57 Primary

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• B60R11/04 Primary

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R2011/0043

  for integrated articles, i.e. not substantially protruding from the surrounding parts · CPC title

• B60R2011/004

  outside the vehicle · CPC title