Vehicular camera and lens assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11146713-B2
Application number	US-201916390081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 25, 2009
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A vehicular camera includes a front camera housing and a lens assembly having cylindrical barrel portion that is at least partially received at the front camera housing. An adhesive is disposed in an uncured state at the front camera housing and/or at the printed circuit board and laterally outboard of the imager. With the adhesive in the uncured state, an air gap exists between the inner surface of the lens and the imager. The adhesive is initially cured from the uncured state to an initially-cured state in an initial radiation curing process that comprises exposure to UV light for a first time period. With the adhesive in the initially-cured state, the front camera housing, with the printed circuit board adhesively attached thereto, is further cured to a further more cured state in a secondary curing process undertaken for a longer time period than the first time period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular camera suitable for vehicular use, said vehicular camera comprising:
a front camera housing having a cylindrical receiving portion;
a lens assembly comprising a cylindrical barrel portion;
said lens assembly including lens optics;
wherein said cylindrical barrel portion of said lens assembly is at least partially received at said cylindrical receiving portion of said front camera housing;
wherein said cylindrical barrel portion of said lens assembly is secured at said cylindrical receiving portion of said front camera housing;
a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein said printed circuit board comprises electronic circuitry at least on the first side of said printed circuit board, and wherein the electronic circuitry of said printed circuit board comprises an imager having an outer surface and an inner surface, and wherein the inner surface of said imager is mounted at the first side of said printed circuit board;
wherein the lens optics comprise a lens having an inner surface that directly opposes the outer surface of said imager;
an adhesive disposed in an uncured state between and contacting said front camera housing and said printed circuit board, wherein the adhesive is disposed laterally outboard of said imager;
wherein, with the adhesive in the uncured state between and contacting said front camera housing and said printed circuit board, an air gap exists between the inner surface of the lens of said lens optics and the outer surface of said imager;
wherein, with the adhesive disposed in the uncured state, and with the adhesive in the uncured state between and contacting said front camera housing and said printed circuit board, said front camera housing and said printed circuit board are adjusted relative to each other to achieve optical center-alignment and focusing of said lens optics relative to said imager;
wherein optical center-alignment and focusing of said lens optics relative to said imager is achieved via a multi-axis positioning device that is operable to adjust said lens optics relative to said imager in x, y and z directions and in two orthogonal rotations;
wherein, with the adhesive between and contacting said front camera housing and said printed circuit board, and after said lens optics are optically center-aligned and focused relative to said imager, the adhesive is initially cured from the uncured state to an initially-cured state in an initial radiation curing process that comprises exposure to UV light for a first time period;
wherein the adhesive, as cured to the initially-cured state via the initial radiation curing process, (i) attaches said printed circuit board to said front camera housing and (ii) holds said lens optics optically center-aligned and focused relative to said imager;
wherein, with the adhesive in the initially-cured state, said front camera housing, with said printed circuit board adhesively attached thereto, is moved to a secondary curing process and the adhesive is further cured to a further more cured state;
wherein the adhesive is further cured from the initially-cured state to the further more cured state in the secondary curing process undertaken for a second time period that is longer than the first time period;
wherein, with the adhesive in the further more cured state, the air gap between the inner surface of the lens of said lens optics and the outer surface of said imager remains devoid of the adhesive; and
wherein, with said printed circuit board attached to said front camera housing by the adhesive in the further more cured state, at least a minimum strength of bond exists between said printed circuit board and said front camera housing after being exposed to a temperature of 85 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 85% RH for 1000 hours.

2. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein the secondary curing process comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) thermal cure, (ii) moisture cure and (iii) radiation cure.

3. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein the first time period is seven seconds or less.

4. The vehicular camera of claim 3 , wherein the second time period is greater than seven seconds.

5. The vehicular camera of claim 4 , wherein the second time period is greater than twenty five seconds.

6. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein a rear camera housing is joined to said front camera housing to encase said printed circuit board, and wherein said rear camera housing comprises an electrical connector for electrically connecting circuitry of said vehicular camera to electrical wiring of a vehicle.

7. The vehicular camera of claim 6 , wherein said rear camera housing is joined to said front camera housing via at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) ultrasonic welding, (ii) adhesive and (iii) press fitting.

8. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein, when more cured via the secondary curing process, the adhesive, in the further more cured state, maintains focus and optical center-alignment of said lens optics with said imager for use of said vehicular camera on a vehicle.

9. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein said cylindrical barrel portion of said lens assembly secures at said cylindrical receiving portion of said front camera housing by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) mechanical attachment, (ii) threaded connection and (iii) a cured adhesive.

10. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein a lens resolution of said lens optics is selected to meet but not exceed a resolution determined from at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) size of a display associated with said vehicular camera when said vehicular camera is mounted on a vehicle, (ii) a distance between an observer and a display associated with said vehicular camera when said vehicular camera is mounted on a vehicle, (iii) a selected point on a contrast sensitivity function and (iv) size of a sensing surface of said imager.

11. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein said lens optics omits achromatic lenses and employs digital chromatic correction based on a predetermined chromatic aberration measurement.

12. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein the multi-axis positioning device comprises a multi-axis robot, and wherein optical center-alignment and focusing of said lens optics relative to said imager is achieved robotically.

13. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive, as disposed in the uncured state between and contacting said front camera housing and said printed circuit board, has a thickness of up to 0.75 mm.

14. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein said lens optics comprise a plurality of optical elements.

15. The vehicular camera of claim 14 , wherein said cylindrical receiving portion of said front camera housing comprises a cylindrical opening, and wherein said cylindrical barrel portion is at least partially received in said cylindrical opening of said cylindrical receiving portion of said front camera housing.

16. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein said vehicular camera is configured for use as a rearward viewing camera of a vehicle.

17. A vehicular camera suitable for vehicular use, said vehicular camera comprising:
a front camera housing having a cylindrical receiving portion;
a lens assembly comprising a cylindrical barrel portion;
said lens assembly including lens optics;
wherein said cylindrical barrel portion of said lens assembly is at least partially received at said cylindrical receiving portion of said front camera

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

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

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