VEHICLE-MOUNTED CAMERA

• US 20170187931A1
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nidec Elesys Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nidec Elesys Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: ONISHI, Motoyasu, KOBAYASHI, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US15/381,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20170187931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted camera includes a camera main assembly including a lens assembly, an image sensor located behind the lens assembly, and a camera circuit board located behind the image sensor and mounted with the image sensor, a tabular main circuit board located on the lower side of the camera main assembly and extending in the front-back direction and the left-right direction, and a connection flexible board that electrically connects the camera circuit board and the main circuit board. The connection flexible board includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a bending portion located between the upper portion and the lower portion and crossing the outer peripheral edge of the main circuit board. The upper portion is connected to the camera circuit board at the front end portion.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted camera to be placed in an interior of a vehicle in a posture in which the vehicle-mounted camera extends along a window glass facing forward or rearward of a vehicle body, the vehicle-mounted camera being used to capture an image of a scene of a vehicle exterior, the vehicle-mounted camera comprising:

a camera main assembly including a lens assembly with an optical axis extending in a front-back direction, the camera main assembly including an image sensor located behind the lens assembly, and a camera circuit board located behind the image sensor and mounted with the image sensor;

a tabular main circuit board located on a lower side of the camera main assembly and extending in the front-back direction and a left-right direction;

a connection flexible board that electrically connects the camera circuit board and the main circuit board;

a cover housing that supports the camera main assembly and covers the camera main assembly and the main circuit board from above; and

a base housing that covers a lower surface of the main circuit board;

wherein

the connection flexible board includes;

an upper portion located on an upper side of the main circuit board and connected to the camera circuit board;

a lower portion located on a lower side of the main circuit board and connected to the lower surface of the main circuit board; and

a bending portion located between the upper portion and the lower portion and crossing an outer peripheral edge of the main circuit board; and

the upper portion is connected to the camera circuit board at a front end portion of the upper portion.

2. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein the camera circuit board and the connection flexible board are portions of one continuous flexible printed circuit board.

3. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein the camera circuit board is connected to the connection flexible board at an upper end edge of the camera circuit board.

4. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein the camera circuit board is connected to the connection flexible board at a lower end edge of the camera circuit board.

5. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein the camera main assembly includes a pressing portion including a contact surface extending in the left-right direction;

and

the connection flexible board is in contact with the contact surface and bends while being supported by the contact surface.

6. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 2, wherein

the camera main assembly includes a pressing portion including a contact surface extending in the left-right direction;

and

the connection flexible board is in contact with the contact surface and bends while being supported by the contact surface.

7. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein

the main circuit board includes a recess portion extending from a rear or a side thereof;

the bending portion is disposed on an inner side of the recess portion; and

the image sensor is located in front of the recess portion when viewed from a vertical direction with respect to the main circuit board.

8. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 2, wherein

the main circuit board includes a recess portion extending from a rear or a side thereof;

the bending portion is disposed on an inner side of the recess portion; and

the image sensor is located in front of the recess portion when viewed from a vertical direction with respect to the main circuit board.

9. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 6, wherein

the main circuit board includes a recess portion extending from a rear or a side thereof;

the bending portion is disposed on an inner side of the recess portion; and

the image sensor is located in front of the recess portion when viewed from a vertical direction with respect to the main circuit board.

10. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 7, wherein the image sensor and the recess portion are disposed in different positions when viewed along the front-back direction.

11. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 8, wherein the image sensor and the recess portion are disposed in different positions when viewed along the front-back direction.

12. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 9, wherein the image sensor and the recess portion are disposed in different positions when viewed along the front-back direction.

13. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 10, further comprising a connector mounted on the upper side of the main circuit board behind the camera main assembly;

wherein

the image sensor and the connector are disposed in at least partly overlapping positions when viewed along the front-back direction.

14. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 11, further comprising a connector mounted on the upper side of the main circuit board behind the camera main assembly;

wherein

the image sensor and the connector are disposed in at least partly overlapping positions when viewed along the front-back direction.

15. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 12, further comprising a connector mounted on the upper side of the main circuit board behind the camera main assembly;

wherein

the image sensor and the connector are disposed in at least partly overlapping positions when viewed along the front-back direction.

16. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 7, wherein the base housing includes a thick portion disposed to overlap the recess portion when viewed from the vertical direction of the main circuit board.

17. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 7, wherein one or both of the cover housing and the base housing are made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

18. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 7, wherein the bending portion is disposed with an inner circumference side of the bending portion opposed to an outer peripheral edge on a rear side of the main circuit board.

19. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 7, wherein the bending portion is disposed with an inner circumference side of the bending portion opposed to an outer peripheral edge on a side of the main circuit board.

20. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 7, wherein the connection flexible board includes a flexible body portion and a terminal portion located at one end or both ends of the body portion.