Vehicular camera and lens assembly and method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10917548-B2
Application number	US-202016946764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 25, 2009
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A method of providing a camera sub-assembly for a vehicular camera includes providing a lens barrel, a lens holder and a printed circuit board, and dispensing an adhesive in an uncured state at one or both of (i) an annular attaching surface at an outer end of a receiving structure of the lens holder and (ii) an annular attaching surface of an annular flange of the lens barrel. With the adhesive contacting both of the annular attaching surfaces, the lens optics are aligned with respect to the imaging array at the printed circuit board by utilizing a multi-axis positioning device. After aligning the lens optics with respect to the imaging array, the adhesive is cured to a first cure level and the lens barrel and the lens holder joined together by the adhesive are moved to a further curing station, where the adhesive is further cured to a second cure level.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of providing a camera sub-assembly for a vehicular camera, said method comprising:
providing a lens barrel, the lens barrel comprising a cylinder having a length and a circular cross section, the cylinder commencing at a first end and terminating at a second end, the cylinder accommodating a plurality of lens optics, the lens barrel having an annular flange integral with and extending radially outward from the cylinder from a location between the first end and the second end of the cylinder of the lens barrel, the annular flange having an annular attaching surface at a side of the annular flange that is spaced from and faces toward the first end of the cylinder;
providing a lens holder, the lens holder having a cylindrical lens barrel receiving structure with an annular attaching surface at an outer end of the cylindrical lens barrel receiving structure;
providing a printed circuit board having an imaging array disposed thereat;
attaching the printed circuit board at the lens holder;
dispensing an adhesive in an uncured state at one or both of (i) the annular attaching surface at the outer end of the cylindrical lens barrel receiving structure of the lens holder and (ii) the annular attaching surface of the annular flange of the lens barrel;
inserting the first end of the cylinder of the lens barrel into the cylindrical lens barrel receiving structure of the lens holder to juxtapose the annular attaching surface of the annular flange of the lens barrel with the annular attaching surface at the outer end of the cylindrical lens barrel receiving structure of the lens holder with the adhesive in the uncured state therebetween;
moving the annular attaching surface of the annular flange of the lens barrel relative to the annular attaching surface at the outer end of the cylindrical lens barrel receiving structure of the lens holder so that the adhesive in the uncured state contacts both of (i) the annular attaching surface at the outer end of the cylindrical lens barrel receiving structure of the lens holder and (ii) the annular attaching surface of the annular flange of the lens barrel;
with the adhesive contacting both of (i) the annular attaching surface at the outer end of the cylindrical lens barrel receiving structure of the lens holder and (ii) the annular attaching surface of the annular flange of the lens barrel, aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array of the printed circuit board attached at the lens holder;
wherein aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) utilizing a multi-axis positioning device operable to position the lens holder to align the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array by (a) translating the lens holder relative to the lens barrel along one or more of x, y, z orthogonal translational axes and (b) manipulating the lens holder relative to the lens barrel about one or more of pitch, yaw and roll rotational axes and (ii) utilizing a multi-axis positioning device operable to position the lens barrel to align the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array by (a) translating the lens barrel relative to the lens holder along one or more of x, y, z orthogonal translational axes and (b) manipulating the lens barrel relative to the lens holder about one or more of pitch, yaw and roll rotational axes;
after aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array, curing the adhesive to a first cure level via exposure of the adhesive to ultraviolet light to join the lens barrel and the lens holder;
moving the lens barrel and the lens holder joined together by the adhesive at the first cure level to a further curing station; and
at the further curing station, further curing the adhesive to a second cure level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array utilizes the multi-axis positioning device operable to position the lens holder to align the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array by (a) translating the lens holder relative to the lens barrel along one or more of x, y, z orthogonal translational axes and (b) manipulating the lens holder relative to the lens barrel about one or more of pitch, yaw and roll rotational axes.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array comprises grasping, via the multi-axis positioning device, the lens holder and manipulating, via the multi-axis positioning device, the lens holder relative to the lens barrel.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein, after aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array and after curing of the adhesive to the first cure level via exposure to ultraviolet light to join the lens barrel and the lens holder is completed, the lens holder, with the lens barrel joined thereto by the adhesive, is released by the multi-axis positioning device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array utilizes the multi-axis positioning device operable to position the lens barrel to align the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array by (a) translating the lens barrel relative to the lens holder along one or more of x, y, z orthogonal translational axes and (b) manipulating the lens barrel relative to the lens holder about one or more of pitch, yaw and roll rotational axes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-axis positioning device comprises a multi-axis robot.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-axis positioning device comprises a five axis robot.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-axis positioning device comprises a six axis robot.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array comprises bringing the plurality of lens optics into focus at the imaging array.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the lens holder and the lens barrel joined together by the adhesive at the first cure level to the further curing station is accomplished without utilizing the multi-axis positioning device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein attaching the printed circuit board at the lens holder comprises mechanically attaching the printed circuit board at the lens holder.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein attaching the printed circuit board at the lens holder comprises mechanically attaching the printed circuit board at the lens holder using a plurality of fasteners.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of fasteners comprises a plurality of screw fasteners.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array utilizing the multi-axis positioning device comprises aligning the plurality of lens optics with respect to the imaging array while using the imaging array to capture images of a target object, and wherein the method comprises curing the adhesive to the first cure level via exposure to ultraviolet light to join the lens holder and the lens barrel when the target object appears in suitable focus and at a suitable position relative to the imaging array.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the further curing station comprises a thermal curing station.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the thermal curing station comprises an oven.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein further curing the adhesive to the second cure level comprises heating the adhes

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Sesti Matthew C
• Devota Robert A
• Lu Yuesheng
• Byrne Steven V
• Gibson Joel S

Classifications

• H04N23/55 Primary

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/57

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

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title