Magna Electronics Inc.

Yazaki North America, Inc.

Jamie A Mleczko

Jonathan David Conger

Steven V Byrne

Yuesheng Lu

Rene Dreiocker

Rainer Strey

Brian E Johnson

Kang Li

Christian Mai

Jonathan D Conger

A method for assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a front camera housing, providing a rear camera housing, and providing a PCB. The rear camera housing includes a coaxial electrical connector and the PCB has inner and outer electrically conductive traces. The coaxial electrical includes inner and outer electrically conductive terminals. The rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with the front camera housing so that the terminals contact the traces. The rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing so that the terminals remain in contact with the traces. After the rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing, the terminals are in electrical connection with the traces at the PCB. The coaxial electrical connector includes a cable connecting end that is opposite the terminals and that is configured to electrically connect to a coaxial connector of a coaxial cable of a vehicle.

Method for assembling a vehicular camera having a coaxial electrical connector

A vehicular camera module includes a camera housing, an imager printed circuit board and a processor printed circuit board. An imager is disposed at a first side of the imager printed circuit board. A heat transfer element is accommodated in the camera housing and is in thermal conductive contact with an active cooling element and with a second side of the imager printed circuit board or the processor printed circuit board. Circuitry of the camera module is electrically connected to electrical connecting elements that electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when the vehicular camera module is disposed at the vehicle. With the electrical connecting elements electrically connected to the wire harness of the vehicle, heat generated by operation of the vehicular camera module is drawn from the imager printed circuit board to the camera housing via the heat transfer element.

Vehicular camera with enhanced heat dissipation

A vehicular camera module includes a front housing, a printed circuit board housed by the front housing, an imager at the printed circuit board, a rear housing joined with the front housing, and a coaxial connecting element. With the rear housing joined with the front housing, an inward-extending portion of the coaxial connecting element extends inward of the rear housing towards the front housing and electrically connects with circuitry at the printed circuit board. With the rear housing joined with the front housing, a plurality of spring tabs make electrical connection between the circuitry at the printed circuit board and the rear housing. An outward-extending portion of the coaxial connecting element is configured for coaxial electrical connection to a vehicle connector.

Vehicular camera module

A method for assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a housing a circuit element. A first housing portion includes a lens holder and a second housing portion includes a connector portion configured for connecting to wiring of a vehicle. A plurality of electrical connector elements are disposed at the connector portion of the second housing portion, each having (i) a first end portion configured for electrically connecting to circuitry of the circuit element and (ii) a second end portion configured for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring. The first end portions have a thickness that is less than a thickness of the second end portions. When mating the first and second housing portions, the first end portions engage with the circuitry of the circuit element and the electrical connector elements flex as the first end portions engage the circuitry and make electrical connection with the circuitry.

Method for assembling vehicular camera with tolerance compensating contacts

A vehicular camera module includes a metal front housing, a printed circuit board housed by the metal front housing, a lens holder disposed at the metal front housing with the lens aligned with an imager at the printed circuit board, a metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, and a coaxial connecting element. With the metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, an inward-extending portion of the coaxial connecting element extends inward of the metal rear housing towards the metal front housing and electrically connects with circuitry at the printed circuit board. With the metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, a plurality of spring tabs make, via spring contact, an electrical connection between the circuitry at the printed circuit board and the metal rear housing. An outward-extending portion of the coaxial connecting element is configured for coaxial electrical connection to a vehicle connector.

A vehicular camera module includes a lens barrel having a plurality of optical elements accommodated therein, a front camera housing portion, and a rear camera housing portion mated with the front camera housing to form a housing that encases an imager printed circuit board and a processor printed circuit board. A heat transfer element is disposed between and in thermal conductive contact with the imager printed circuit board and a rear wall of the rear camera housing. The heat transfer element extends through an aperture of the processor printed circuit board. Circuitry of the camera module is electrically connected to electrical connecting elements that electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when the camera module is disposed at the vehicle. Heat generated by operation of the vehicular camera module is drawn from the imager printed circuit board to the rear camera housing portion via the heat transfer element.

A method of assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a front camera housing including a lens and an imager, providing a rear camera housing, and a PCB. The rear camera housing includes a spring-loaded electrical connector and the PCB has first and second electrically conductive traces. The spring-loaded electrical includes inner and outer electrically conductive terminals that are movable relative to the base portion and are spring-biased towards an extended state and are compressible towards a compressed state. The rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with the front camera housing so that the terminals, in their extended state, engage the traces. The rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing so that the terminals compress towards their compressed state. After the rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing, the terminals are in spring-biased electrical connection with the traces at the PCB.

Method of assembling a vehicular camera having a spring-loaded electrical connector

A method of assembling a vehicular camera module includes providing a metal front housing having (i) a front portion, (ii) a rear portion opposite the front portion and (iii) a plurality of side walls extending between the front portion and the rear portion. A printed circuit board is disposed in a cavity of the metal front housing, and a lens holder is attached at the front portion of the metal front housing so that the lens is optically aligned with an imager of the printed circuit board. A metal rear housing has a connector portion having a coaxial connecting element. With the metal rear housing joined with the rear portion of the metal front housing, an inner portion of the coaxial connecting element extends inward into the cavity of the metal front housing and an outer portion of the coaxial connecting element extends outward from the metal rear housing.

Method of assembling a camera for vehicular vision system

A camera assembly for a vision system for a vehicle includes a camera module configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of the vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The camera module includes a housing and a lens barrel supporting a lens. A heating device is configured to attach at an exterior of the lens barrel. The heating device includes a heating element that at least partially circumscribes the lens barrel when the heating device is attached at the lens barrel. The heating device includes an electrical lead configured to electrically connect to an electrical connector of the vehicle when the camera module is disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle.

Vehicle camera with lens heater and washer system

A camera assembly for a vehicle vision system includes a housing with a lens holder at a first housing portion and a connector portion at a second housing portion. The connector portion is configured for connecting to vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at a vehicle. A circuit element is disposed within the housing and a plurality of electrical connector elements is disposed at the connector portion of the second housing portion. Each of the electrical connector elements includes a first end portion configured for electrically connecting to circuitry of the circuit element and a second end portion configured for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring. The first end portions of the electrical connector elements include flexible elements that, during mating of the first housing portion to the second housing portion, flex as the first end portions engage the circuitry and make electrical connection with the circuitry.

Vehicle camera housing with tolerance compensating contacts

A camera module for a vehicular vision system includes a lens barrel having a plurality of optical elements accommodated therein, a front camera housing portion that accommodates at least one printed circuit board therein, and a rear camera housing portion mated with the front camera housing. The imager is optically aligned with an optical axis of the optical elements. A heat transfer element is disposed between and in thermal conductive contact with a thermoelectric device and the printed circuit board. Circuitry of the camera module is electrically connected to the imager and the thermoelectric device and is electrically connected to electrical connecting elements that electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when the camera module is disposed at the vehicle. The thermoelectric device is electrically powered to draw heat from the imager printed circuit board to the rear camera housing portion.

Camera for vehicle vision system with enhanced heat removal

A method of forming a vehicular camera module includes providing an imager circuit board, a connector circuit board and a lens holder for holding a lens assembly. A lens holder and imager circuit board and connector circuit board construction is placed in a first mold and datumed in the first mold by a portion of the lens holder. An inner molded construction is formed by molding an inner molding over the circuit boards and a portion of the lens holder. The inner molded construction is placed in a second mold and datumed in the second mold by the portion of the lens holder. An outer molded construction is formed by molding an outer molding over the inner molding and over another portion of the lens holder. The outer molded construction may include a connector portion that is configured to connect to a connector end of a vehicular wire harness.

Method of forming camera module for vehicular vision system

A vehicular camera includes a front camera housing accommodating a lens and an imager, a rear camera housing, and a PCB. The PCB has first and second contacts that include respective first and second electrically conductive pads. A spring-loaded electrical connector is disposed at the rear camera housing and includes first and second terminals for connecting to respective ones of the first and second contacts at the PCB. As the rear camera housing is moved into engagement with the front camera housing, the terminals engage the contacts and compress towards a compressed state and, after the rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing, are in spring-biased electrical connection with the contacts at the PCB. The electrical connector includes a connector end that is opposite the terminals and that is configured to electrically connect to a coaxial connector of a coaxial cable of a vehicle.

Vehicular camera with coaxial connector

A camera module for a vehicular vision system includes a metal front housing, a lens holder and a metal rear housing. The front housing houses a printed circuit board having an imager disposed thereat. The lens holder is attached at a front portion of the housing so that a lens assembly is optically aligned with the imager. The rear housing attaches at a rear portion of the front housing and includes a connecting element for electrically connecting to circuitry at the printed circuit board when the rear housing is attached at the rear portion of the front housing. An outer portion of the connecting element is disposed in a connector portion of the rear housing so as to be electrically connectable to electrically conductive elements of a vehicle connector when the camera module is disposed at the vehicle and the vehicle connector is connected to the connector portion.

Camera for vehicular vision system

A method of forming a camera module for a vehicular vision system includes providing a circuit board and providing a lens holder for holding a lens assembly. A lens holder and circuit board construction is placed in a first mold and datumed in the first mold by a portion of the lens holder. An inner molded construction is formed by molding an inner molding over the circuit board and a portion of the lens holder. The inner molded construction is placed in a second mold and datumed in the second mold by the portion of the lens holder. An outer molded construction is formed by molding an outer molding over the inner molding and over another portion of the lens holder. The outer molded construction may include a connector portion that is configured to connect to a connector end of a vehicular wire harness.

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Washington, MI, United States of America

Jamie A Mleczko