Vehicular camera with controlled camera focus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11240411-B2
Application number	US-202016946516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2020
Priority date	Jun 26, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A camera for a vehicular vision system includes a camera housing having a front camera housing portion and a rear camera housing portion. An imager is disposed at a first side of a printed circuit board. A lens assembly is supported at the front camera housing portion and optically aligned with the imager. At least one attachment element is disposed at the front or rear camera housing portion and has a material having a low CTE that is less than a CTE of the front camera housing portion. The low CTE of the material of the attachment element is less than 10 ppm/° C. The printed circuit board is mounted at the attachment element. The attachment element functions to accommodate temperature-induced movement of the printed circuit board relative to the at least one lens.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A camera for a vehicular vision system, the camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, the camera comprising:
a camera housing comprising a front camera housing portion and a rear camera housing portion;
a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness dimension of the printed circuit board;
an imager disposed at the first side of the printed circuit board;
a lens assembly supported at the front camera housing portion and optically aligned with the imager, the lens assembly accommodating at least one lens, wherein the lens assembly is attached at the front camera housing portion at a lens attachment location;
at least one attachment element disposed at the front camera housing portion, the at least one attachment element comprising a material having a low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) that is less than a CTE of the front camera housing portion, wherein the low CTE of the material of the at least one attachment element is less than 10 ppm/.degree. C.;
wherein the printed circuit board is mounted at the at least one attachment element disposed at the front camera housing portion;
wherein the printed circuit board is spaced from the lens attachment location via a support portion of the front camera housing portion and via the at least one attachment element;
wherein the support portion and the at least one attachment element cooperate to decrease temperature-induced movement of the printed circuit board relative to the at least one lens;
wherein, with the printed circuit board mounted at the at least one attachment element, the front camera housing portion and the rear camera housing are mated together to encase the printed circuit board in the camera housing;
wherein the at least one attachment element comprises at least two attachment elements; and
wherein the printed circuit board is mounted at the at least two attachment elements via a fastener threadedly engaging a respective one of the at least two attachment elements.

2. The camera of claim 1 , wherein at least one other of the at least two attachment elements is not threadedly engaged with a fastener.

3. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the material of the at least one attachment element comprises Invar.

4. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE of the material of the at least one attachment element is less than 5 ppm/.degree. C.

5. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the low CTE of the material of the at least one attachment element is less than 2 ppm/.degree. C.

6. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment element comprises a post that protrudes from the front camera housing portion toward the rear camera housing portion.

7. The camera of claim 6 , wherein a length dimension of the post is selected based at least in part on a length of the support portion of the front camera housing portion.

8. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the at least one attachment element allows for a decreased length of the support portion of the front camera housing portion to decrease the temperature-induced movement of the printed circuit board relative to the at least one lens.

9. A camera fora vehicular vision system, the camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, the camera comprising:
a camera housing comprising a front camera housing portion and a rear camera housing portion;
a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness dimension of the printed circuit board;
an imager disposed at the first side of the printed circuit board;
a lens assembly supported at the front camera housing portion and optically aligned with the imager, the lens assembly accommodating at least one lens, wherein the lens assembly is attached at the front camera housing portion at a lens attachment location;
at least one attachment element disposed at the rear camera housing portion, the at least one attachment element comprising a material having a low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) that is less than a CTE of the front camera housing portion, wherein the low CTE of the material of the at least one attachment element is less than 10 ppm/.degree. C.;
wherein the printed circuit board is mounted at the at least one attachment element disposed at the rear camera housing portion;
wherein the printed circuit board is spaced from the lens attachment location via a support portion of the front camera housing portion and via the at least one attachment element;
wherein the support portion and the at least one attachment element cooperate to increase temperature-induced movement of the printed circuit board relative to the at least one lens;
wherein, with the printed circuit board mounted at the at least one attachment element, the front camera housing portion and the rear camera housing are mated together to encase the printed circuit board in the camera housing;
wherein the at least one attachment element comprises at least two attachment elements; and
wherein the printed circuit board is mounted at the at least two attachment elements via a fastener threadedly engaging a respective one of the at least two attachment elements.

10. The camera of claim 9 , wherein at least one other of the at least two attachment elements is not threadedly engaged with a fastener.

11. The camera of claim 9 , wherein the material of the at least one attachment element comprises Invar.

12. The camera of claim 9 , wherein the low CTE of the material of the at least one attachment element is less than 5 ppm/.degree. C.

13. The camera of claim 9 , wherein the low CTE of the material of the at least one attachment element is less than 2 ppm/.degree. C.

14. The camera of claim 9 , wherein the at least one attachment element comprises a post that protrudes from the rear camera housing portion toward the front camera housing portion.

15. The camera of claim 14 , wherein a length dimension of the post is selected based at least in part on a length of the support portion of the front camera housing portion.

16. The camera of claim 9 , wherein the at least one attachment element allows for an increased length of the support portion of the front camera housing portion to increase the temperature-induced movement of the printed circuit board relative to the at least one lens.

17. A camera fora vehicular vision system, the camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, the camera comprising:
a camera housing comprising a front camera housing portion and a rear camera housing portion;
a printed circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness dimension of the printed circuit board;
an imager disposed at the first side of the printed circuit board;
a lens assembly supported at the front camera housing portion and optically aligned with the imager, the lens assembly accommodating at least one lens, wherein the lens assembly is attached at the front camera housing portion at a lens attachment location;
at least two attachment elements disposed at the front camera housing portion, the attachment elements comprising a material having a low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) that is less than a CTE of the front camera housing portion, wherein the low CTE of the material of the attachment elements is less than 10

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Byrne Steven V
• Dreiocker Rene
• Sauer Stefan
• Lu Yuesheng

Classifications

• H04N23/55

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

• H04N23/57 Primary

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

• H04N23/54

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

• H04N23/52 Primary

  Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title