Vehicle camera with compliant coaxial connector
First Claim
1. A camera for a vision system of a vehicle, said camera comprising:
- a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements, wherein said lens is accommodated in a lens barrel;
a front camera housing and a rear camera housing;
a printed circuit board, wherein an imager is disposed at said printed circuit board;
wherein said printed circuit board has an inner contact and an outer contact disposed thereat, and wherein said inner and outer contacts comprise respective inner and outer electrically conductive pads established at a surface of said printed circuit board and in electrical conductive continuity with respective electrically conductive traces of said printed circuit board, and wherein said outer contact at least partially circumscribes said inner contact, and wherein said inner and outer contacts comprise inner and outer contact surfaces, respectively, that are parallel to the surface of said printed circuit board at which said inner and outer electrically conductive pads are established;
a spring-loaded electrical connector disposed at said rear camera housing, wherein said electrical connector comprises an inner terminal and an outer terminal for connecting to respective ones of said inner contact and said outer contact at said printed circuit board, and wherein said inner terminal comprises an inner contact surface at its end that is distal from said rear camera housing, and wherein said outer terminal comprises an outer contact surface at its end that is distal from said rear camera housing;
wherein said outer terminal circumscribes said inner terminal;
wherein said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector are spring-biased towards an extended state, and wherein said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector are compressible towards a compressed state;
wherein said lens barrel is accommodated at said front camera housing and wherein said printed circuit board is disposed at said front camera housing, and wherein said rear camera housing attaches at said front camera housing to enclose said printed circuit board within said camera with said lens optically aligned with said imager;
wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said inner contact surface of said inner terminal of said electrical connector is parallel to said inner electrically conductive pad of the inner contact at said printed circuit board;
wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said outer contact surface of said outer terminal of said electrical connector is parallel to said outer electrically conductive pad of said outer contact at said printed circuit board;
wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said inner and outer contact surfaces of the respective ones of said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector, with said inner and outer terminals in their extended state, engage the respective one of said inner and outer electrically conductive pads of said inner and outer contacts at said printed circuit board, and wherein, as said rear camera housing engages said front camera housing, said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector compress towards their compressed state and, after said rear camera housing is attached at said front camera housing, are in spring-biased electrical connection with said inner and outer contacts at said printed circuit board; and
wherein, with said rear camera housing attached at said front camera housing, and with said inner and outer contact surfaces of said inner and outer terminals in spring-biased electrical connection with said inner and outer electrically conductive pads at said printed circuit board, electrical connection integrity is maintained via the spring-biased direct contact of said inner and outer contact surfaces to said inner and outer electrically conductive pads without soldering at said printed circuit board.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A camera for a vision system of a vehicle includes a lens accommodated in a lens barrel, a front camera housing and a rear camera housing. An imager is disposed at a printed circuit board, and a spring-biased electrical connector is disposed at the rear camera housing. The electrical connector includes an inner terminal and an outer terminal for connecting to respective ones of an inner contact and an outer contact at the printed circuit board. As the rear camera housing is moved into engagement with the front camera housing, the inner and outer terminals engage with the inner and outer contacts and compress towards a compressed state and, after the rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing, are in spring-biased electrical connection with the inner and outer contacts at the printed circuit board.
59 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A camera for a vision system of a vehicle, said camera comprising:
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a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements, wherein said lens is accommodated in a lens barrel; a front camera housing and a rear camera housing; a printed circuit board, wherein an imager is disposed at said printed circuit board; wherein said printed circuit board has an inner contact and an outer contact disposed thereat, and wherein said inner and outer contacts comprise respective inner and outer electrically conductive pads established at a surface of said printed circuit board and in electrical conductive continuity with respective electrically conductive traces of said printed circuit board, and wherein said outer contact at least partially circumscribes said inner contact, and wherein said inner and outer contacts comprise inner and outer contact surfaces, respectively, that are parallel to the surface of said printed circuit board at which said inner and outer electrically conductive pads are established; a spring-loaded electrical connector disposed at said rear camera housing, wherein said electrical connector comprises an inner terminal and an outer terminal for connecting to respective ones of said inner contact and said outer contact at said printed circuit board, and wherein said inner terminal comprises an inner contact surface at its end that is distal from said rear camera housing, and wherein said outer terminal comprises an outer contact surface at its end that is distal from said rear camera housing; wherein said outer terminal circumscribes said inner terminal; wherein said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector are spring-biased towards an extended state, and wherein said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector are compressible towards a compressed state; wherein said lens barrel is accommodated at said front camera housing and wherein said printed circuit board is disposed at said front camera housing, and wherein said rear camera housing attaches at said front camera housing to enclose said printed circuit board within said camera with said lens optically aligned with said imager; wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said inner contact surface of said inner terminal of said electrical connector is parallel to said inner electrically conductive pad of the inner contact at said printed circuit board; wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said outer contact surface of said outer terminal of said electrical connector is parallel to said outer electrically conductive pad of said outer contact at said printed circuit board; wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said inner and outer contact surfaces of the respective ones of said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector, with said inner and outer terminals in their extended state, engage the respective one of said inner and outer electrically conductive pads of said inner and outer contacts at said printed circuit board, and wherein, as said rear camera housing engages said front camera housing, said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector compress towards their compressed state and, after said rear camera housing is attached at said front camera housing, are in spring-biased electrical connection with said inner and outer contacts at said printed circuit board; and wherein, with said rear camera housing attached at said front camera housing, and with said inner and outer contact surfaces of said inner and outer terminals in spring-biased electrical connection with said inner and outer electrically conductive pads at said printed circuit board, electrical connection integrity is maintained via the spring-biased direct contact of said inner and outer contact surfaces to said inner and outer electrically conductive pads without soldering at said printed circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A camera for a vision system of a vehicle, said camera comprising:
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a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements, wherein said lens is accommodated in a lens barrel; a front camera housing and a rear camera housing; a printed circuit board, wherein an imager is disposed at said printed circuit board; wherein said printed circuit board has an inner contact and an outer contact disposed thereat, and wherein said inner and outer contacts comprise respective inner and outer electrically conductive pads established at a surface of said printed circuit board and in electrical conductive continuity with respective electrically conductive traces of said printed circuit board, and wherein said outer contact at least partially circumscribes said inner contact, and wherein said inner and outer contacts comprise inner and outer contact surfaces, respectively, that are parallel to the surface of said printed circuit board at which said inner and outer electrically conductive pads are established; a spring-loaded electrical connector disposed at said rear camera housing, wherein said electrical connector comprises an inner terminal and an outer terminal for connecting to respective ones of said inner contact and said outer contact at said printed circuit board, and wherein said inner terminal comprises an inner contact surface at its end its end that is distal from said rear camera housing, and wherein said outer terminal comprises an outer contact surface at its end its end that is distal from said rear camera housing; wherein said outer terminal circumscribes said inner terminal; wherein said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector are spring-biased towards an extended state, and wherein said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector are compressible towards a compressed state; wherein said inner and outer terminals are individually spring-biased via respective springs; wherein said electrical connector is disposed at a connector portion of said rear camera housing; wherein an end of said electrical connector opposite said inner and outer terminals comprises a connector end that is configured to electrically connect to a coaxial connector of a wire or electrical connector of the vehicle; wherein said lens barrel is accommodated at said front camera housing and wherein said printed circuit board is disposed at said front camera housing, and wherein said rear camera housing attaches at said front camera housing to enclose said printed circuit board within said camera with said lens optically aligned with said imager; wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said inner contact surface of said inner terminal of said electrical connector is parallel to said inner electrically conductive pad of the inner contact at said printed circuit board; wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said outer contact surface of said outer terminal of said electrical connector is parallel to said outer electrically conductive pad of said outer contact at said printed circuit board; wherein, as said rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with said front camera housing, said inner and outer contact surfaces of the respective ones of said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector, with said inner and outer terminals in their extended state, engage the respective one of said inner and outer electrically conductive pads of said inner and outer contacts at said printed circuit board, and wherein, as said rear camera housing engages said front camera housing, said inner and outer terminals of said electrical connector compress towards their compressed state and, after said rear camera housing is attached at said front camera housing, are in spring-biased electrical connection with said inner and outer contacts at said printed circuit board; and wherein, with said rear camera housing attached at said front camera housing, and with said inner and outer contact surfaces of said inner and outer terminals in spring-biased electrical connection with said inner and outer electrically conductive pads at said printed circuit board, electrical connection integrity is maintained via the spring-biased direct contact of said inner and outer contact surfaces to said inner and outer electrically conductive pads without soldering at said printed circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of assembling a camera for a vision system of a vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements; disposing the lens in a lens barrel; providing a front camera housing and a rear camera housing; providing a printed circuit board having an imager disposed thereat, wherein the printed circuit board has an inner contact and an outer contact disposed thereat, and wherein the inner and outer contacts comprise respective inner and outer electrically conductive pads established at a surface of the printed circuit board and in electrical conductive continuity with respective electrically conductive traces of the printed circuit board, and wherein the outer contact at least partially circumscribes the inner contact, and wherein the inner and outer contacts comprise inner and outer contact surfaces, respectively, that are parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board at which said inner and outer electrically conductive pads are established; disposing a spring-loaded electrical connector at the rear camera housing, wherein the spring-loaded electrical connector comprises an inner terminal and an outer terminal for connecting to respective ones of the inner contact and the outer contact at the printed circuit board, and wherein the inner terminal comprises an inner contact surface at its end that is distal from said rear camera housing, and wherein the outer terminal comprises an outer contact surface at its end that is distal from said rear camera housing; wherein the outer terminal circumscribes the inner terminal; wherein the inner and outer terminals of the electrical connector are spring-biased towards an extended state, and wherein the inner and outer terminals of the electrical connector are compressible towards a compressed state; wherein the lens barrel is accommodated at the front camera housing; disposing the printed circuit board at the front camera housing; moving the rear camera housing toward engagement with the front camera housing, with the inner contact surface of the inner terminal of the electrical connector parallel to the inner electrically conductive pad of the inner contact at the printed circuit board, and with the outer contact surface of the outer terminal of the electrical connector parallel to the outer electrically conductive pad of the outer contact at the printed circuit board; attaching the rear camera housing at the front camera housing to enclose the printed circuit board within the camera with the lens optically aligned with the imager; and wherein attaching the rear camera housing at the front camera housing comprises (i) moving the rear camera housing toward engagement with the front camera housing so that the inner and outer contact surfaces of the inner and outer terminals of the electrical connector, with the inner and outer terminals in their extended state, engage the respective one of the inner and outer electrically conductive pads of the inner and outer contacts at the printed circuit board, and (ii) engaging the rear camera housing with the front camera housing so that the inner and outer terminals of the electrical connector compress towards their compressed state; and wherein, after the rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing, the inner and outer terminals of the electrical connector are in spring-biased electrical connection with the inner and outer contacts at the printed circuit board, whereby electrical connection integrity is maintained via the spring-biased direct contact of the inner and outer contact surfaces to the inner and outer electrically conductive pads without soldering at the printed circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification