Magna Electronics Inc.

Gavin E Skrocki

Matthew C Sesti

Robert A Devota

Donald W Mersino

A vehicular camera includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens and having at least two radial protrusions protruding radially outward at or near an inner end of the lens barrel. A lens holder includes a passageway for receiving the inner end of the lens barrel and has at least two slots extending longitudinally from a board end of the lens holder. The lens barrel is received in the lens holder and the board end of the lens holder is attached at an imager printed circuit board with the imager facing the lens. The radial protrusions are movable within the slots while the lens barrel is adjusted relative to the imager to align the lens at the imager. After the lens is aligned relative to the imager, the radial protrusions within the slots are welded to the lens holder to secure the lens barrel relative to the imager printed circuit board.

Vehicular camera using welding to secure lens relative to camera image plane

A vehicular camera assembly includes an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB), a lens barrel accommodating a lens, and a camera housing. The imager PCB has an imager disposed at a first side of the imager PCB. The lens barrel is disposed at a first portion of the camera housing. The imager PCB is attached at the first portion or a second portion of the camera housing, and, with the imager PCB attached at the first portion or the second portion of the camera housing and with the lens barrel disposed at the first portion, the imager at the first side of the imager PCB faces the lens accommodated by the lens barrel. The vehicular camera assembly includes at least one component that (i) is formed of a thermoplastic material, and (ii) has undergone electron beam treatment (EB treatment) that crosslinks molecules between polymer chains of the thermoplastic material.

Vehicular camera assembly with cross-linked thermoplastic components

A vehicular camera assembly includes an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB) having an imager disposed at a first side of the imager PCB. A lens barrel accommodates a lens and has an inner end. The inner end of the lens barrel is disposed at a first portion of a camera housing. The imager PCB is attached at a second portion of the camera housing that joins with the first portion so that the imager faces the lens. The second portion is adjustable relative to the first portion to align the imager and the lens. With the second portion engaging the first portion and the imager and lens aligned, a weld washer is laser welded to the first and second portions to join the second portion to the first portion.

Vehicular camera assembly process using welding to secure lens relative to camera image plane

A vehicular camera includes a lens holder accommodating a lens and an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB). The lens holder includes a plurality of posts protruding from an attaching portion of the lens holder. The imager PCB includes an imager disposed at a first side of the imager PCB, and includes a plurality of apertures therethrough. The attaching portion of the lens holder is positioned at the imager PCB such that the posts protrude through the apertures of the imager PCB. The posts are movable within the apertures while the lens is adjusted relative to the imager to align the lens relative to the imager. With the lens aligned relative to the imager, the posts are heated to deform within the apertures, whereby the deformed posts harden upon cooling to secure the lens holder relative to the imager PCB.

Vehicular camera assembly process using heat staking during active focus and alignment to secure lens relative to imager

A method for testing defocus of a camera includes providing a vehicular camera and providing a defocus tester that includes a first target disposed behind an optic and a second target that is not disposed behind the optic. The first target has a simulated image distance relative to the vehicular camera that is different than an actual image distance. The method includes positioning the defocus tester relative to the vehicular camera such that the vehicular camera views the defocus tester and images (i) light that has reflected off the first target and passed through the optic and (ii) light that has reflected off the second target and not passed through the optic. The method includes capturing image data with the vehicular camera that is representative of the first target and the second target and estimating a defocus of the vehicular camera responsive to processing the image data.

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Bay City, MI, United States of America

Gavin E Skrocki