Vehicular camera with adhesively bonded construction
First Claim
1. A vehicular camera, said vehicular camera comprising:
- a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements, wherein the lens is accommodated in a lens barrel, and wherein the lens barrel comprises a cylindrical portion;
a lens holder comprising a cylindrical passageway that accommodates at least a portion of the cylindrical portion of the lens barrel;
a printed circuit board;
an imager disposed at the printed circuit board;
a flexible electrical ribbon cable with one end electrically connecting at the printed circuit board;
wherein the lens barrel is attached at the lens holder;
wherein the printed circuit board is attached at the lens holder;
wherein, with the lens barrel attached at the lens holder and with the printed circuit board attached at the lens holder, optical alignment of the lens relative to the imager is achieved;
wherein said vehicular camera utilizes an adhesive to hold the lens optically aligned with the imager;
wherein the adhesive is initially curable in an initial radiation curing process for an initial-cure time period of less than 10 seconds, and wherein the initially-cured adhesive is further curable to a further-cured strength in a secondary curing process;
wherein the adhesive is initially cured via the initial radiation curing process after the lens is optically aligned with the imager;
wherein the initially-cured adhesive, as cured via the initial radiation curing process, holds the lens optically aligned with the imager;
wherein, as further cured via the secondary curing process for a further-cure time period that is longer than the initial-cure time period, the further-cured adhesive maintains optical alignment of the lens with the imager for use of said vehicular camera in a vehicle; and
wherein the adhesive, in its uncured state, comprises a one-part, filled adhesive.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular camera includes a lens accommodated in a lens barrel, a lens holder that accommodates at least part of the lens holder, and a printed circuit board with an imager disposed thereat. The camera utilizes an adhesive to hold the lens optically aligned with the imager. After the lens is optically aligned with the imager, the adhesive is initially curable to an initially-cured state in an initial curing process for an initial-cure time period. The initially-cured adhesive is further curable to a further-cured state in a secondary curing process for a further-cure time period that is longer than the initial-cure time period. As further cured, the further-cured adhesive maintains optical alignment of the lens with the imager for use of the vehicular camera in a vehicle.
146 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A vehicular camera, said vehicular camera comprising:
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a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements, wherein the lens is accommodated in a lens barrel, and wherein the lens barrel comprises a cylindrical portion; a lens holder comprising a cylindrical passageway that accommodates at least a portion of the cylindrical portion of the lens barrel; a printed circuit board; an imager disposed at the printed circuit board; a flexible electrical ribbon cable with one end electrically connecting at the printed circuit board; wherein the lens barrel is attached at the lens holder; wherein the printed circuit board is attached at the lens holder; wherein, with the lens barrel attached at the lens holder and with the printed circuit board attached at the lens holder, optical alignment of the lens relative to the imager is achieved; wherein said vehicular camera utilizes an adhesive to hold the lens optically aligned with the imager; wherein the adhesive is initially curable in an initial radiation curing process for an initial-cure time period of less than 10 seconds, and wherein the initially-cured adhesive is further curable to a further-cured strength in a secondary curing process; wherein the adhesive is initially cured via the initial radiation curing process after the lens is optically aligned with the imager; wherein the initially-cured adhesive, as cured via the initial radiation curing process, holds the lens optically aligned with the imager; wherein, as further cured via the secondary curing process for a further-cure time period that is longer than the initial-cure time period, the further-cured adhesive maintains optical alignment of the lens with the imager for use of said vehicular camera in a vehicle; and wherein the adhesive, in its uncured state, comprises a one-part, filled adhesive. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicular camera, said vehicular camera comprising:
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a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements, wherein the lens is accommodated in a lens barrel, and wherein the lens barrel comprises a cylindrical portion; a lens holder comprising a cylindrical passageway that accommodates at least a portion of the cylindrical portion of the lens barrel; wherein the lens barrel comprises an annular flange that circumscribes and extends radially from the cylindrical portion of the lens holder; wherein the annular flange of the lens barrel is attached at the lens holder; a printed circuit board; an imager disposed at the printed circuit board; a flexible electrical ribbon cable with one end electrically connecting at the printed circuit board; wherein said vehicular camera utilizes an adhesive to hold the lens optically aligned with the imager; wherein the adhesive is initially curable in an initial radiation curing process for an initial-cure time period of less than 10 seconds, and wherein the initially-cured adhesive is further curable to a further-cured strength in a secondary curing process; wherein the adhesive is initially cured via the initial radiation curing process after the lens is optically aligned with the imager; wherein the initially-cured adhesive, as cured via the initial radiation curing process, holds the lens optically aligned with the imager; wherein, as further cured via the secondary curing process for a further-cure time period that is longer than the initial-cure time period, the further-cured adhesive maintains optical alignment of the lens with the imager for use of said vehicular camera in a vehicle; and wherein the adhesive, in its uncured state, comprises a one-part, filled adhesive. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A vehicular camera, said vehicular camera comprising:
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a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements, wherein the lens is accommodated in a lens barrel, and wherein the lens barrel comprises a cylindrical portion; a lens holder comprising a cylindrical passageway that accommodates at least a portion of the cylindrical portion of the lens barrel; a printed circuit board; an imager disposed at the printed circuit board; a flexible electrical ribbon cable with one end electrically connecting at the printed circuit board; wherein said vehicular camera utilizes an adhesive to hold the lens optically aligned with the imager; wherein the adhesive is initially curable in an initial radiation curing process for an initial-cure time period of less than 10 seconds, and wherein the initially-cured adhesive is further curable to a further-cured strength in a secondary curing process; wherein the adhesive is initially cured via the initial radiation curing process after the lens is optically aligned with the imager; wherein the initially-cured adhesive, as cured via the initial radiation curing process, holds the lens optically aligned with the imager; wherein, as further cured via the secondary curing process for a further-cure time period that is longer than the initial-cure time period, the further-cured adhesive maintains optical alignment of the lens with the imager for use of said vehicular camera in a vehicle; wherein the adhesive, in its uncured state, comprises a one-part, filled adhesive; wherein the adhesive, in its further-cured state, has a bond shear strength greater than 1,000 PSI; wherein the adhesive, in its further-cured state, has a glass transition temperature greater than 90 degrees Celsius; and wherein the adhesive, in its further-cured state, has greater than 50 Shore D hardness. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification