Vehicular camera having coaxial connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11310407-B2
Application number	US-202117248417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2021
Priority date	Feb 3, 2014
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

A vehicular camera assembly includes a housing, a PCB disposed in the housing, a circuit board connector at the PCB, and a coaxial connector having a core connector element and a shield connector element that at least partially circumscribes the core connector element. The PCB includes circuitry associated with an imager of the vehicular camera assembly. The circuit board connector includes a first connector element and a second connector element. The housing includes a vehicle connector portion configured for connecting to a connector end of a vehicle cable. When a first end of the coaxial connector is electrically connected to the circuit board connector, the core connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the first connector element of the circuit board connector and the shield connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the second connector element of the circuit board connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular camera assembly for a vehicular vision system, the vehicular camera assembly comprising:
a housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion that is joined with the first housing portion;
a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed in the housing, the PCB comprising circuitry associated with an imager of the vehicular camera assembly, wherein the imager comprises a CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in columns and rows;
a circuit board connector at the PCB, wherein the circuit board connector comprises (i) a first connector element and (ii) a second connector element that at least partially circumscribes the first connector element and that is electrically isolated from the first connector element;
wherein the second housing portion comprises a vehicle connector portion configured for connecting to a connector end of a vehicle cable when the vehicular camera assembly is installed at a vehicle;
a coaxial connector comprising (i) a core connector element and (ii) a shield connector element that circumscribes the core connector element and that is electrically isolated from the core connector element;
wherein the coaxial connector comprises a first end and a second end distal from the first end;
wherein, with the second housing portion joined to the first housing portion, the first end of the coaxial connector is electrically connected to the circuit board connector at the PCB and the second end of the coaxial connector is disposed at the vehicle connector portion of the second housing portion; and
wherein, when the first end of the coaxial connector is electrically connected to the circuit board connector, (i) the core connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the first connector element of the circuit board connector and (ii) the shield connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the second connector element of the circuit board connector.

2. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial connector adjusts so that the first end of the coaxial connector engages the circuit board connector and makes electrical connection therewith during joining of the second housing portion to the first housing portion.

3. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein electrical connection of the first end of the coaxial connector to the circuit board connector is maintained at least in part via at least one spring element.

4. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board connector comprises a metal stamping.

5. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 4 , wherein the metal stamping comprises at least one spring element.

6. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board connector comprises a metal folding.

7. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 6 , wherein the metal folding comprises at least one spring element.

8. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first connector element and the second connector element of the circuit board connector comprise electrically conductive brush contacts separated by a non-electrically conductive insulator.

9. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the core connector element and the shield connector element comprise metal stampings.

10. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 9 , wherein the metal stampings comprise at least one spring element.

11. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the core connector element and the shield connector element comprise metal foldings.

12. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 11 , wherein the metal foldings comprise at least one spring element.

13. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial connector is insert molded at the vehicle connector portion of the second housing portion.

14. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the core connector element is fixed relative to the shield connector element and electrically isolated therefrom by molding.

15. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial connector is fastened to the second housing portion by at least one fastener.

16. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial connector is attached to the second housing portion by at least one clip.

17. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial connector is attached to the second housing portion via adhesive.

18. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein, with the coaxial connector connected to the vehicle wiring, the vehicle wiring conveys electrical signals to circuitry of the PCB.

19. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein, with the coaxial connector connected to the vehicle wiring, the vehicle wiring conveys data to circuitry of the PCB.

20. The vehicular camera assembly 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.

21. A vehicular camera assembly for a vehicular vision system, the vehicular camera assembly comprising:
a housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion that is joined with the first housing portion;
a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed in the housing, the PCB comprising circuitry associated with an imager of the vehicular camera assembly, wherein the imager comprises a CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in columns and rows;
a circuit board connector at the PCB, wherein the circuit board connector comprises (i) a first connector element and (ii) a second connector element that at least partially circumscribes the first connector element and that is separated from and is electrically isolated from the first connector element by a non-electrically conductive insulator;
wherein the second housing portion comprises a vehicle connector portion configured for connecting to a connector end of a vehicle cable when the vehicular camera assembly is installed at a vehicle;
a coaxial connector comprising (i) a core connector element and (ii) a shield connector element that circumscribes the core connector element and that is electrically isolated from the core connector element;
wherein the coaxial connector comprises a first end and a second end distal from the first end;
wherein, with the second housing portion joined to the first housing portion, the first end of the coaxial connector is electrically connected to the circuit board connector at the PCB and the second end of the coaxial connector is disposed at the vehicle connector portion of the second housing portion;
wherein the first end of the coaxial connector engages the circuit board connector and makes electrical connection therewith during joining of the second housing portion to the first housing portion; and
wherein, when the first end of the coaxial connector is electrically connected to the circuit board connector, (i) the core connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the first connector element of the circuit board connector and (ii) the shield connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the second connector element of the circuit board connector.

22. The vehicular camera assembly of claim 21 , wherein electrical connection of the first end of the coaxial connector to the circuit board connector is maintained at least in part via at l

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

• B60R2011/004

  outside the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R2011/0043

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