Camera module for vehicle vision system

• US 9,621,769 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mai, Christian A., Mleczko, Jamie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prabhakher, Pritham
• Application Number:
  US14/735,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 348373
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/55 with provision for heating or cooling, e.g. in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• 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 module for a vision system of a vehicle includes a housing, a lens and at least one circuit board having circuitry disposed in the housing with an imaging array sensor disposed at the circuit board. An elongated thermally conductive element has a first portion in thermal conductive contact with the circuit board and a second portion extending from the first portion towards and through the housing such that the second portion protrudes through an aperture through the housing and protrudes from the housing exterior of the camera module. A heat sink is disposed exterior of the housing. The second portion of the thermally conductive element protrudes at least partially into the heat sink and is in thermally conductive contact with the heat sink. The thermally conductive element is configured to transfer heat from the circuit board to the heat sink to reduce heat within the camera module.

Claims

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

a housing and a lens;

at least one circuit board having circuitry disposed in said housing;

an imaging array sensor disposed at said at least one circuit board;

an electrically conductive connector making electrical connection to circuitry at said at least one circuit board and configured to electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when said camera module is disposed at the vehicle;

an elongated thermally conductive element separate from said electrically conductive connector and having a first portion in thermal conductive contact with at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board and a second portion extending from said first portion towards and through said housing, wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element protrudes from said housing exterior of said camera module; and

a heat sink disposed exterior of said housing, wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element is in thermally conductive contact with said heat sink so as to transfer heat from said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board to said heat sink to reduce heat within said camera module;

wherein said first portion of said thermally conductive element is arranged generally parallel to said at least one circuit board to provide a generally planar contacting surface of said first portion at said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board, and wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element extends from said first portion in a direction generally normal to said contacting surface.

2. The camera module of claim 1, comprising a thermal interface material disposed between said second portion of said thermally conductive element and said housing.

3. The camera module of claim 1, comprising a thermal interface material disposed between said first portion of said thermally conductive element and said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board.

4. The camera module of claim 1, wherein said heat sink is attached at said housing.

5. The camera module of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a plastic material.

6. The camera module of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a metallic material.

7. The camera module of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, and wherein said lens is disposed at said front housing portion, and wherein said rear housing portion comprises a metallic material and comprises a plurality of tabs, and wherein said rear housing portion is attached at said front housing portion via crimping of said tabs over respective receiving flanges of said front housing portion.

8. The camera module of claim 1, wherein said at least one circuit board comprises a first circuit board with said imaging array sensor disposed thereat and a second circuit board, and wherein said first portion of said thermally conductive element is in thermal conductive contact with at least one heat generating component of said second circuit board.

9. The camera module of claim 1, wherein said housing is at least partially overmolded over said at least one circuit board.

10. The camera module of claim 9, wherein said housing comprises a first overmolding material overmolded over said at least one circuit board and a second overmolding material overmolded over said first overmolding material, and wherein said first overmolding material comprises a softer material than said second overmolding material.

11. The camera module of claim 1, comprising an electrical connector that is formed separate from said housing and is configured to snap-attach at said housing, and wherein, when said electrical connector is snap-attached at said housing, electrically conductive terminals of said electrical connector electrically connect to said electrically conductive connector electrically connected to circuitry of said at least one circuit board.

12. A camera module for a vision system of a vehicle, said camera module comprising:

a housing and a lens;

at least one circuit board having circuitry disposed in said housing;

an imaging array sensor disposed at said at least one circuit board;

an electrically conductive connector making electrical connection to circuitry at said at least one circuit board and configured to electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when said camera module is disposed at the vehicle;

an elongated thermally conductive element separate from said electrically conductive connector and having a first portion in thermal conductive contact with at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board and a second portion extending from said first portion towards and through said housing, wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element protrudes from said housing exterior of said camera module;

wherein said first portion of said thermally conductive element is arranged generally parallel to said at least one circuit board to provide a generally planar contacting surface of said first portion at said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board, and wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element extends from said first portion in a direction generally normal to said contacting surface; and

a heat sink disposed exterior of said housing, wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element is at least partially received in said heat sink and is in thermally conductive contact with said heat sink so as to transfer heat from said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board to said heat sink to reduce heat within said camera module, and wherein said heat sink is attached at said housing.

13. The camera module of claim 12, wherein a thermal interface material is at least one of (i) disposed between said second portion of said thermally conductive element and said housing and (ii) disposed between said first portion of said thermally conductive element and said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board.

14. The camera module of claim 12, wherein said housing comprises a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, and wherein said lens is disposed at said front housing portion, and wherein said rear housing portion comprises a metallic material and comprises a plurality of tabs, and wherein said rear housing portion is attached at said front housing portion via crimping of said tabs over respective receiving flanges of said front housing portion.

15. The camera module of claim 12, comprising an electrical connector that is formed separate from said housing and is configured to snap-attach at said housing, and wherein, when said electrical connector is snap-attached at said housing, electrically conductive terminals of said electrical connector electrically connect to said electrically conductive connector electrically connected to circuitry of said at least one circuit board.

16. A camera module for a vision system of a vehicle, said camera module comprising:

a housing comprising a front housing portion and a rear housing portion;

wherein said rear housing portion comprises a metallic material and has a plurality of metallic tabs at an attaching end of said rear housing portion;

wherein said front housing portion comprises a plurality of receiving surfaces at an attaching end of said front housing portion;

a lens disposed at said front housing portion;

wherein said attaching end of said front housing portion is at least partially received at said attaching end of said rear housing portion and wherein said receiving surfaces generally align with respective ones of said tabs when said attaching end of said front housing portion is at least partially received at said attaching end of said rear housing portion, and wherein said rear housing portion is attached at said front housing portion via bending of said tabs over respective receiving surfaces of said front housing portion;

at least one circuit board having circuitry disposed in said housing;

an imaging array sensor disposed at said at least one circuit board;

an electrically conductive connector making electrical connection to circuitry at said at least one circuit board and configured to electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when said camera module is disposed at the vehicle;

an elongated thermally conductive element separate from said electrically conductive connector and having a first portion in thermal conductive contact with at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board and a second portion extending from said first portion towards and through said rear housing portion, wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element protrudes from said rear housing portion exterior of said camera module; and

a heat sink disposed exterior of said rear housing portion, wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element is in thermally conductive contact with said heat sink so as to transfer heat from said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board to said heat sink to reduce heat within said camera module;

wherein said first portion of said thermally conductive element is arranged generally parallel to said at least one circuit board to provide a generally planar contacting surface of said first portion at said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board, and wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element extends from said first portion in a direction generally normal to said contacting surface.

17. The camera module of claim 16, wherein a thermal interface material is at least one of (i) disposed between said second portion of said thermally conductive element and said rear housing portion and (ii) disposed between said first portion of said thermally conductive element and said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board.

18. The camera module of claim 16, comprising an electrical connector that is formed separate from said rear housing portion and is configured to snap-attach at said rear housing portion, and wherein, when said electrical connector is snap-attached at said rear housing portion, electrically conductive terminals of said electrical connector electrically connect to said electrically conductive connector electrically connected to circuitry of said at least one circuit board.