VEHICLE CAMERA WITH MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

• US 20180152605A1
• Filed: 01/24/2018
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Conger, Jonathan D., Byrne, Steven V.
• Granted Patent: US 10,560,613 B2
• 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: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on 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 camera assembly for a vehicular vision system includes a housing that accommodates a lens and a circuit board. An imager is disposed at the circuit board and optically aligned with the lens, and circuitry is disposed at the circuit board and electrically connected with the imager. The housing includes a rear housing portion that has an aperture therethrough, with the aperture aligned with an electrical connecting element of the circuit board. A bracket includes a mounting portion configured to attach at the vehicle and at the rear housing portion. With an electrical connector electrically connected to the electrical connecting element of the circuit board, the bracket is attached at the rea housing portion, and a structural element of the electrical connector is clamped between the bracket and the rear housing portion to maintain electrical connection of the electrical connector with the electrical connecting element of the circuit board.

Claims

1. A camera assembly for a vision system for a vehicle, said camera assembly comprising:

a housing that accommodates a lens and a circuit board, wherein said housing comprises a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, and wherein said front housing portion accommodates said lens;

wherein said circuit board has a first side and a second side separated by a thickness of said circuit board, wherein an imager is disposed at said first side of said circuit board and is optically aligned with said lens, and wherein circuitry is disposed at said second side of said circuit board and electrically connected with said imager, and wherein said circuitry comprises an electrical connecting element at said second side of said circuit board;

wherein said rear housing portion has an aperture therethrough, and wherein said aperture is aligned with said electrical connecting element of said circuit board;

an electrical connector for electrically connecting a wire harness of the vehicle to said electrical connecting element of said circuit board, wherein said electrical connector comprises a first connecting end for electrically connecting to the wire harness of the vehicle and a second connecting end for electrically connecting to said electrical connecting element of said circuit board, and wherein said second connecting end protrudes from a structural element of said electrical connector;

wherein said structural element of said electrical connector is disposed at said rear housing portion with said second connecting end protruding through said aperture of said rear housing portion to electrically connect to said electrical connecting element of said circuit board;

a bracket comprising a mounting portion configured to attach at a vehicle, wherein said bracket is configured to attach at said rear housing portion; and

wherein, with said second connecting end electrically connected to said electrical connecting element of said circuit board, said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion, and wherein said structural element of said electrical connector is clamped between at least a portion of said bracket and said rear housing portion to maintain electrical connection of said second connecting end of said electrical connector with said electrical connecting element of said circuit board.

2. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion after electrical connection is made between said second connecting end of said electrical connector and said electrical connecting element of said circuit board.

3. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion via welding.

4. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion via fasteners.

5. The camera assembly of claim 1, comprising a sealing element disposed at said rear housing portion and circumscribing said aperture to seal against said rear housing portion and said structural element when said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion.

6. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said mounting portion of said bracket is configured to attach at the vehicle via a snap attachment.

7. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said mounting portion of said bracket is configured to attach at the vehicle via at least one fastener.

8. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said aperture of said rear housing portion has a cross dimension that is larger than a cross dimension of said second connecting end of said electrical connector to allow for lateral adjustment of said second connecting end relative to said electrical connecting element during assembly of said camera assembly.

9. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said structural element is laterally adjustable relative to said rear housing portion and relative to said portion of said bracket to align said second connecting end of said electrical connector with said electrical connecting element of said circuit board before attaching said bracket at said rear housing portion.

10. The camera assembly of claim 9, wherein adjustment and connection of said second connecting end relative to said electrical connecting element is made without a tolerance compensating flexible circuit element.

11. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connecting end of said electrical connector comprises a socket element.

12. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said first connecting end of said electrical connector comprises a cable having a plurality of electrically conductive wires.

13. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said structural element comprises an attaching flange that is configured to engage said rear housing portion around said aperture when clamped between said rear housing portion and said portion of said bracket when said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion.

14. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein said portion of said bracket comprises a tab that at least partially circumscribes an aperture of said bracket, and wherein said aperture of said bracket receives said first connecting end of said electrical connector therethrough, and wherein said tab overlaps a perimeter portion of said structural element when said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion.

15. A camera assembly for a vision system for a vehicle, said camera assembly comprising:

a housing that accommodates a lens and a circuit board, wherein said housing comprises a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, and wherein said front housing portion accommodates said lens;

wherein said circuit board has a first side and a second side separated by a thickness of said circuit board, wherein an imager is disposed at said first side of said circuit board and is optically aligned with said lens, and wherein circuitry is disposed at said second side of said circuit board and electrically connected with said imager, and wherein said circuitry comprises an electrical connecting element at said second side of said circuit board;

wherein said rear housing portion has an aperture therethrough, and wherein said aperture is aligned with said electrical connecting element of said circuit board;

an electrical connector for electrically connecting a wire harness of the vehicle to said electrical connecting element of said circuit board, wherein said electrical connector comprises a first connecting end for electrically connecting to the wire harness of the vehicle and a second connecting end for electrically connecting to said electrical connecting element of said circuit board, and wherein said second connecting end protrudes from a structural element of said electrical connector;

wherein said structural element of said electrical connector is disposed at said rear housing portion with said second connecting end protruding through said aperture of said rear housing portion to electrically connect to said electrical connecting element of said circuit board;

a bracket comprising a mounting portion configured to attach at a vehicle, wherein said bracket is configured to attach at said rear housing portion;

wherein, with said second connecting end electrically connected to said electrical connecting element of said circuit board, said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion, and wherein said structural element of said electrical connector is clamped between at least a portion of said bracket and said rear housing portion to maintain electrical connection of said second connecting end of said electrical connector with said electrical connecting element of said circuit board;

a sealing element disposed at said rear housing portion and circumscribing said aperture to seal against said rear housing portion and said structural element when said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion; and

wherein said aperture of said rear housing portion has a cross dimension that is larger than a cross dimension of said second connecting end of said electrical connector to allow for lateral adjustment of said second connecting end relative to said electrical connecting element during assembly of said camera assembly.

16. The camera assembly of claim 15, wherein said structural element comprises an attaching flange that is configured to engage said rear housing portion around said aperture when clamped between said rear housing portion and said portion of said bracket when said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion.

17. The camera assembly of claim 15, wherein said portion of said bracket comprises a tab that at least partially circumscribes an aperture of said bracket, and wherein said aperture of said bracket receives said first connecting end of said electrical connector therethrough, and wherein said tab overlaps a perimeter portion of said structural element when said bracket is attached at said rear housing portion.

18. A method for assembling a camera assembly for a vision system for a vehicle, said method comprising:

providing a housing that comprises a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, wherein the front housing portion accommodates a lens;

attaching the rear housing portion at the front housing portion to accommodate a circuit board in the housing;

wherein the circuit board has a first side and a second side separated by a thickness of the circuit board, and wherein an imager is disposed at the first side of the circuit board and is optically aligned with the lens, and wherein circuitry is disposed at the second side of the circuit board and electrically connected with the imager, and wherein the circuitry comprises an electrical connecting element at the second side of the circuit board;

wherein attaching the rear housing portion at the front housing portion includes aligning an aperture of the rear housing portion with the electrical connecting element of the circuit board;

providing an electrical connector, wherein the electrical connector comprises a first connecting end for electrically connecting to the wire harness of the vehicle and a second connecting end for electrically connecting to the electrical connecting element of the circuit board, and wherein the second connecting end protrudes from a structural element of the electrical connector;

inserting the second connecting end through the aperture of the rear housing portion and electrically connecting the second connecting end to the electrical connecting element of the circuit board;

providing a bracket comprising a mounting portion configured to attach at a vehicle; and

with the second connecting end electrically connected to the electrical connecting element of the circuit board, attaching the bracket at the rear housing portion and clamping the structural element of the electrical connector between at least a portion of the bracket and the rear housing portion to maintain electrical connection of the second connecting end of the electrical connector with the electrical connecting element of the circuit board.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising providing a sealing element at the rear housing portion and circumscribing the aperture to seal against the rear housing portion and the structural element when the bracket is attached at the rear housing portion.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the aperture of the rear housing portion has a cross dimension that is larger than a cross dimension of the second connecting end of the electrical connector, and wherein inserting the second connecting end through the aperture of the rear housing portion comprises laterally adjusting the second connecting end relative to the electrical connecting element to align the second connecting end with the electrical connecting element.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the structural element comprises an attaching flange that is configured to engage the rear housing portion around the aperture when clamped between the rear housing portion and the portion of the bracket when the bracket is attached at the rear housing portion, and wherein the portion of the bracket comprises a tab that at least partially circumscribes an aperture of the bracket, and wherein the aperture of the bracket receives the first connecting end of the electrical connector therethrough, and wherein the tab overlaps a perimeter portion of the structural element when the bracket is attached at the rear housing portion.