CAMERA APPARATUS AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR CAMERA APPARATUS

• US 20190007587A1
• Filed: 06/28/2018
• Published: 01/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: MASUI, Soji, OKUDA, Sho, TAKAMA, Daisuke, FURUTAKE, Yasuki
• Granted Patent: US 11,006,023 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: B60R 2300/10 characterised by the type of camera system used
• 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 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• 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 apparatus is mounted to a vehicle. The camera apparatus includes a camera module, a casing, and a restraining portion. The camera module includes a lens and a camera board on which an image sensor is provided. The casing houses the camera module. The restraining portion is configured to mechanically restrain movement of the camera module that is mounted in a predetermined mounting position within the casing, from the mounting position. The camera module is fixed to the casing by an adhesive.

Claims

1. A camera apparatus that is mounted to a vehicle, the camera apparatus comprising:

a camera module that includes a lens and a camera board on which an image sensor is provided;

a casing that houses the camera module; and

a restraining portion that is configured to mechanically restrain movement of the camera module that is mounted in a predetermined mounting position within the casing, from the mounting position, wherein

the camera module is fixed to the casing by an adhesive.

2. The camera apparatus that is an onboard camera according to claim 1, wherein:

the restraining portion includes

an engaging protruding portion that is provided so as to protrude from an outer surface of the camera module and is elastically deformable, and

an engaged portion that is provided in the casing and engaged with the engaging protruding portion in a state in which the camera module is positioned in the mounting position.

3. The camera apparatus that is an onboard camera according to claim 2, wherein:

the camera module includes

a lens barrel portion that holds the lens therein, and

a base portion on which the lens barrel portion is mounted;

the engaging protruding portion is provided so as to protrude towards a protruding direction of the lens barrel portion, and is provided with a hook portion that is formed in a tip end portion thereof;

the engaged portion is provided on a perpendicular wall portion that is a wall portion of the casing and positioned so as to oppose a front surface of the camera module in a state in which the camera module is positioned in the mounting position; and

the hook portion engages with the engaged portion.

4. The camera apparatus that is an onboard camera according to claim 3, wherein:

the casing has a ceiling wall portion that is positioned above the camera module in a state in which the camera module is positioned in the mounting position; and

the engaging protruding portion engages with the engaged portion in a state in which the engaging protruding portion is tilted towards the ceiling wall portion side or a side opposite the ceiling wall portion side relative to the protruding direction of the lens barrel portion.

5. The camera apparatus that is an onboard camera according to claim 3, wherein:

the engaged portion has a through hole that passes through the perpendicular wall portion in a frontward/rearward direction; and

the hook portion engages with an edge portion on a front side of the through hole in a state in which the engaging protruding portion is inserted through the through hole.

6. The camera apparatus that is an onboard camera according to claim 4, wherein:

the engaged portion has a through hole that passes through the perpendicular wall portion in a frontward/rearward direction; and

the hook portion engages with an edge portion on a front side of the through hole in a state in which the engaging protruding portion is inserted through the through hole.

7. The camera apparatus that is an onboard camera according to claim 2, wherein:

the camera module further includes

a lens barrel portion that holds the lens therein, and

a base portion on which the lens barrel portion is mounted; and

the engaging protruding portion is provided so as to protrude towards a direction opposite the protruding direction of the lens barrel portion, and is engaged with a recessed portion that is provided inside the casing and serves as the engaged portion.

8. The camera apparatus that is an onboard camera according to claim 2, wherein:

the camera module further includes

a lens barrel portion that holds the lens therein, and

a base portion on which the lens barrel portion is mounted; and

the restraining portion includes

a male screw portion that is formed in the lens barrel portion or the base portion, and

a female screw portion that is screwed onto the male screw portion.

9. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a guide portion that guides the camera module to the mounting position in a state in which an optical-axis direction of the lens is held in a predetermined direction with respect to the casing, when the camera module is mounted to the casing.

10. The camera apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a guide portion that guides the camera module to the mounting position in a state in which an optical-axis direction of the lens is held in a predetermined direction with respect to the casing, when the camera module is mounted to the casing.

11. The camera apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a guide portion that guides the camera module to the mounting position in a state in which an optical-axis direction of the lens is held in a predetermined direction with respect to the casing, when the camera module is mounted to the casing.

12. The camera apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a guide portion that guides the camera module to the mounting position in a state in which an optical-axis direction of the lens is held in a predetermined direction with respect to the casing, when the camera module is mounted to the casing.

13. The camera apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a guide portion that guides the camera module to the mounting position in a state in which an optical-axis direction of the lens is held in a predetermined direction with respect to the casing, when the camera module is mounted to the casing.

14. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an adhesive application through hole that is a through hole provided on a wall portion of the casing that comes into contact with the camera module in a state in which the camera module is positioned in the mounting position, wherein

the camera module is fixed to the casing by the adhesive being applied to the adhesive application through hole.

15. The camera apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an adhesive application through hole that is a through hole provided on a wall portion of the casing that comes into contact with the camera module in a state in which the camera module is positioned in the mounting position, wherein

the camera module is fixed to the casing by the adhesive being applied to the adhesive application through hole.

16. The camera apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

an adhesive application through hole that is a through hole provided on a wall portion of the casing that comes into contact with the camera module in a state in which the camera module is positioned in the mounting position, wherein

the camera module is fixed to the casing by the adhesive being applied to the adhesive application through hole.

17. The camera apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

an adhesive application through hole that is a through hole provided on a wall portion of the casing that comes into contact with the camera module in a state in which the camera module is positioned in the mounting position, wherein

the camera module is fixed to the casing by the adhesive being applied to the adhesive application through hole.

18. The camera apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

an adhesive application through hole that is a through hole provided on a wall portion of the casing that comes into contact with the camera module in a state in which the camera module is positioned in the mounting position, wherein

the camera module is fixed to the casing by the adhesive being applied to the adhesive application through hole.

19. A manufacturing method for a camera apparatus that includes a camera module and a casing that houses the camera module, the camera module including a lens and a camera board on which an image sensor is provided, the manufacturing method comprising:

mounting the camera module in a predetermined mounting position within the casing;

restraining movement of the camera module from the mounting position by a restraining portion that is provided in the camera apparatus and mechanically restrains movement of the camera module from the mounting position;

applying an adhesive between the casing and the camera module; and

fixing the camera module to the casing by the adhesive being hardened.

20. The manufacturing method for a camera apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the applying step comprises

applying the adhesive between the casing and the camera module in a state in which the camera module is mounted to the casing.