Camera for vehicle vision system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017302829-A1
Application number	US-201715487459-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2017
Priority date	Apr 14, 2016
Publication date	Oct 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle includes a housing, a lens holder and a rear cover. The housing houses a printed circuit board having an imager disposed thereat. The lens holder is attached at a front portion of the housing so that a lens assembly is optically aligned with the imager. The rear cover attaches at an opening at a rear portion of the housing and includes a connecting element for electrically connecting to circuitry at the printed circuit board when the rear cover is attached at the opening at the rear portion of the housing. An outer portion of the connecting element is disposed in a connector portion of the rear cover so as to be electrically connectable to electrically conductive elements of a vehicle connector when the camera module is disposed at the vehicle and the vehicle connector is connected to the connector portion.

First claim

1 . A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, wherein said camera module is configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, said camera module comprising:
a metal housing that houses a printed circuit board having an imager disposed thereat; a lens holder comprising a lens assembly, wherein said lens holder is attached at a front portion of said metal housing so that said lens assembly is optically aligned with said imager; a metal rear cover configured to attach at an opening at a rear portion of said metal housing; wherein said metal rear cover includes a connecting element for electrically connecting to circuitry at said printed circuit board when said metal rear cover is attached at said opening at said rear portion of said metal housing; and wherein said metal rear cover includes a connector portion and wherein an outer portion of said connecting element is disposed in said connector portion so as to be electrically connectable to electrically conductive elements of a vehicle connector when said camera module is disposed at the vehicle and the vehicle connector is connected to said connector portion.

2 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein said printed circuit board is attached at said metal housing via at least one fastener.

3 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein said metal rear cover is laser welded to said rear portion of said metal housing.

4 . The camera module of claim 3 , wherein said housing comprises die cast aluminum.

5 . The camera module of claim 4 , wherein the die cast aluminum comprises a high silicon content alloy selected from the group consisting of (i) A360 aluminum alloy, (ii) A413 aluminum alloy, and (iii) K-alloy.

6 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein said rear cover is adhesively attached to said rear portion of said metal housing.

7 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein said metal housing is formed via one of stamping and deep-drawing.

8 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein said connecting element comprises a plurality of electrically conductive terminals that electrically connect between said circuitry at said printed circuit board and the electrically conductive elements of the vehicle connector.

9 . The camera module of claim 8 , wherein said electrically conductive terminals comprise spring-loaded pins.

10 . The camera module of claim 8 , wherein said electrically conductive terminals provide direct electrical connection to said circuitry at said printed circuit board and to the electrically conductive elements of the vehicle connector.

11 . The camera module of claim 1 , comprising a thermally conductive material dispensed in said metal housing so as to contact said printed circuit board and said metal housing to effect heat transfer from said printed circuit board to said metal housing during operation of said camera module.

12 . The camera module of claim 1 , wherein said printed circuit board is attached at said metal housing via at least two pins that fixedly secure said printed circuit board relative to said metal housing.

13 . A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, wherein said camera module is configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, said camera module comprising:
a metal housing that houses a printed circuit board having an imager disposed thereat; a lens holder comprising a lens assembly, wherein said lens holder is attached at a front portion of said metal housing so that said lens assembly is optically aligned with said imager; a metal rear cover configured to attach at an opening at a rear portion of said metal housing; wherein said metal rear cover is laser welded to said rear portion of said metal housing; a thermally conductive material dispensed in said metal housing so as to contact said printed circuit board and said metal housing to effect heat transfer from said printed circuit board to said metal housing during operation of said camera module; wherein said metal rear cover includes a connecting element for electrically connecting to circuitry at said printed circuit board when said metal rear cover is attached at said opening at said rear portion of said metal housing; and wherein said metal rear cover includes a connector portion and wherein an outer portion of said connecting element is disposed in said connector portion so as to be electrically connectable to electrically conductive elements of a vehicle connector when said camera module is disposed at the vehicle and the vehicle connector is connected to said connector portion.

14 . The camera module of claim 13 , wherein said housing comprises die cast aluminum.

15 . The camera module of claim 14 , wherein the die cast aluminum comprises a high silicon content alloy selected from the group consisting of (i) A360 aluminum alloy, (ii) A413 aluminum alloy, and (iii) K-alloy.

16 . The camera module of claim 13 , wherein said rear cover is adhesively attached to said rear portion of said metal housing.

17 . The camera module of claim 13 , wherein said metal housing is formed via one of stamping and deep-drawing.

18 . A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, wherein said camera module is configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, said camera module comprising:
a housing that houses a printed circuit board having an imager disposed thereat; a lens holder comprising a lens assembly, wherein said lens holder is attached at a front portion of said housing so that said lens assembly is optically aligned with said imager; a rear cover configured to attach at an opening at a rear portion of said housing; a thermally conductive material dispensed in said housing so as to contact said printed circuit board and said housing to effect heat transfer from said printed circuit board to said housing during operation of said camera module; wherein said rear cover includes a connecting element for electrically connecting to circuitry at said printed circuit board when said rear cover is attached at said opening at said rear portion of said housing; and wherein said rear cover includes a connector portion and wherein an outer portion of said connecting element is disposed in said connector portion so as to be electrically connectable to electrically conductive elements of a vehicle connector when said camera module is disposed at the vehicle and the vehicle connector is connected to said connector portion.

19 . The camera module of claim 18 , wherein said connecting element comprises a plurality of electrically conductive terminals that electrically connect between said circuitry at said printed circuit board and the electrically conductive elements of the vehicle connector.

20 . The camera module of claim 19 , wherein said electrically conductive terminals comprise spring-loaded pins, and wherein said electrically conductive terminals provide direct electrical connection to said circuitry at said printed circuit board and to the electrically conductive elements of the vehicle connector.

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Mleczko Jamie A
• Conger Jonathan D
• Byrne Steven V
• Lu Yuesheng

Classifications

• B60R2300/40

  characterised by the details of the power supply or the coupling to vehicle components · CPC title

• G08G1/09623

  Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle (G08G1/0967 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08G1/167

  Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection · CPC title

• G08G1/166 Primary

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• H04N23/51 Primary

  Housings · CPC title