Sensor module

Abstract

A sensor module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with a housing, a sensor substrate, an external connector, a flexible wiring substrate, and a metal shielding case. The flexible wiring substrate is electrically connected between the sensor substrate and the external connector and has a signal line and a ground line. The shielding case has a bottom portion positioned between the flexible wiring substrate and the external connector. The external connector has a first connection pin connected to the signal line, a second connection pin connected to the ground line, and a third connection pin connected to the bottom portion of the shielding case. The bottom portion has: a first hole through which the first connection pin passes; a second hole through which the second connection pin passes; a third hole through which the third connection pin passes; and a heat storage portion provided around the third hole, and the heat storage portion is covered with a welding material that joins the third connection pin to the bottom portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present technology relates to a sensor module mounted on, for example, a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In the past, a camera device has been provided that is mounted on a vehicle and used to perform visual recognition using a monitoring device placed near the cockpit to improve the convenience and safety of the vehicle. This type of camera device includes a substantially rectangular housing, and for example, an imaging lens, an imaging element, and an external connector are incorporated into the housing, and the housing is built in or mounted to, for example, the rear door, side mirror, or front spoiler of the vehicle body so that the imaging lens faces the outside. Such a camera device enables an image of the surrounding environment of the vehicle, which is a blind spot from the driver's perspective, to be captured, thereby improving safety and convenience.

[0003] In this type of camera device, it is necessary to determine the position of the imaging element in the housing and stably electrically connect the external connector and the substrate on which the imaging element is mounted in order to obtain a high-quality image signal from the imaging element. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a camera device that includes a shielding case for taking electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) measures in the housing, and the shielding case is connected to a ground pattern of a flexible wiring substrate that connects the external connector and the substrate on which the imaging element is mounted.

[0004] Citation List

[0005] Patent Document

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5413231 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical Problem

[0008] Recently, it has become necessary to further improve the EMC measures employed in the sensor module. Regarding the EMC measures, it is necessary to stably connect the shielding case to the ground wire of the external connector. However, since the shielding case is made of a metal material, when the shielding case is joined to the ground wire using welding, heat escapes to the shielding case. This may make it difficult to ensure good workability and ensure the reliability of the stable connection.

[0009] In view of the above circumstances, one object of the present technology is to provide a sensor module that enables improvement in the workability of welding the shielding case to the ground wire and improvement in the reliability of connecting the shielding case and the ground wire.

[0010] Solution to the Problem

[0011] The sensor module according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a housing, a sensor substrate, an external connector, a flexible wiring substrate, and a metal shielding case.

[0012] The sensor substrate includes sensor elements and is disposed in a housing.

[0013] The external connector is provided on the housing.

[0014] The flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the sensor substrate and the external connector, and the flexible printed circuit board includes signal lines and ground lines.

[0015] The shielding case includes a bottom portion and a peripheral portion. The bottom portion is disposed between the flexible printed circuit board and the external connector, and the peripheral portion covers the periphery of the sensor substrate.

[0016] The external connector includes a first connection pin connected to the signal line, a second connection pin connected to the ground line, and a third connection pin connected to the bottom portion of the shielding case.

[0017] The bottom portion includes a first hole, a second hole, a third hole, and a heat storage portion. The first hole is a hole through which the first connection pin passes, the second hole is a hole through which the second connection pin passes, the third hole is a hole through which the third connection pin passes, and the heat storage portion is provided around the third hole and is covered with a welding material for joining the third connection pin to the bottom portion.

[0018] In the sensor module, since the heat storage portion is provided in the bottom portion of the shielding case, the grounding portions of the shielding case and the external connector are easily welded. This enables improvement in workability and improvement in connection reliability.

[0019] The flexible printed circuit board may further include a base material end portion that supports the signal lines and the ground lines and is disposed in the bottom portion. In this case, the base material end portion includes an opening through which the third connection pin passes. The opening area of the opening is larger than the opening area of the third hole, and the heat storage portion is provided in a region opposed to the opening.

[0020] The heat storage portion may include a plurality of slits formed annularly around the third hole.

[0021] The heat storage portion may include a recess formed annularly around the third hole.

[0022] The heat storage portion may include a heat transfer layer made of a metal material having a higher thermal conductivity than the bottom portion.

[0023] The third connection pin may be arranged to be offset from the center of the opening.

[0024] The opening may be formed in a circular shape or an elliptical shape.

[0025] The opening may include a plurality of openings provided corresponding to the plurality of connection pins.

[0026] The sensor element may be a solid-state imaging element.

[0027] The sensor module can be installed in a vehicle. Description of the Drawings

[0028] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a sensor module according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the main part in a housing included in the sensor module.

[0030] Figure 3 is along Figure 2 sectional view taken along line A-A.

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the main part of a flexible printed circuit board included in the sensor module.

[0032] Figure 5 is a plan view of a shielding case included in the sensor module.

[0033] Figure 6 is a schematic plan view showing another embodiment of the shielding case.

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic plan view showing still another embodiment of the shielding case. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0035] Now, embodiments according to the present technology will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] [Overall Configuration of Sensor Module]

[0037] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a sensor module according to an embodiment of the present technology. The sensor module 100 of this embodiment is configured to be used by being installed in a camera module used in a vehicle. First, refer to Figure 1 to describe the overall configuration of the sensor module 100.

[0038] The sensor module 100 can be installed in a vehicle. For example, the sensor module 100 is disposed outside a vehicle body (object to be installed) (not shown), and depending on the installation position, captures an image of an area in front of the vehicle, an image of an area behind the vehicle, or an image of an area on the side of the vehicle.

[0039] For example, the sensor module 100 installed at the front of the vehicle body (e.g., the front grille) captures an image of the environment in front of the vehicle. In addition, the sensor module 100 installed at the rear of the vehicle body (e.g., above the license plate) captures an image of the environment behind the vehicle. In addition, the sensor module 100 installed on the side of the vehicle (e.g., the upper part of the pillar (A pillar, B pillar or the pillar at the rear of the vehicle (C pillar, D pillar)) or the side mirror) captures an image of the lateral environment of the vehicle.

[0040] As Figure 1 shown, the sensor module 100 of the present embodiment includes a housing 10, a sensor substrate 20, an external connector 30, a flexible wiring substrate 40, and a shielding case 50.

[0041] (Housing)

[0042] The housing 10 is constructed by combining a front housing 11 and a rear housing 12 in the direction of the optical axis Z. Typically, the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 are injection-molded bodies made of a synthetic resin material.

[0043] The front housing 11 includes a front surface portion 111 formed substantially orthogonal to the front-rear direction (the direction of the optical axis Z) and side surface portions 112 extending from the periphery of the front surface portion 111 toward the rear housing 12. In the present embodiment, when viewed from the direction of the optical axis Z, the front surface portion 111 is substantially rectangular. The front housing 11 is hollow, and a space portion for accommodating, for example, the sensor substrate 20 is formed in the region surrounded by the front surface portion 111 and the side surface portions 112.

[0044] A through hole 113 is formed in the middle portion of the front surface portion 111 of the front housing 11, and the lens barrel member 61 is inserted into the through hole 113 via a seal ring 62. The lens barrel member 61 supports an imaging lens having an optical axis Z and is supported between the front housing 11 and the sensor substrate 20 by, for example, a shielding plate 63 and a buffer member 64.

[0045] At the end of the side surface portion 112 on the side of the rear housing 12, the front housing 11 includes an open end portion 114 welded to the rear housing 12. The open end portion 114 is formed to be substantially rectangular corresponding to the outer shape of the front surface portion 111. Note that the front surface portion 111 and the open end portion 114 are not limited to being rectangular and may also be formed in other shapes such as a circular shape or a triangular shape.

[0046] The rear housing 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular shallow dish shape, which includes a bottom surface portion 121 formed to be substantially orthogonal to the front-rear direction and side surface portions 122 extending from the periphery of the bottom surface portion 121 toward the front housing 11. A space portion for accommodating, for example, the shield housing 50 is formed in the area surrounded by the bottom surface portion 121 and the side surface portions 122. A substantially rectangular stepped portion 123 is formed between the bottom surface portion 121 and the outer peripheral surface side of the side surface portions 122. The front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 are integrated with each other by welding the open end portion 114 of the front housing 11 to the stepped portion 123. The welding method is not particularly limited, and for example, an ultrasonic welding method or a laser welding method can be applied.

[0047] (Sensor substrate)

[0048] The sensor substrate 20 includes a front substrate 21 facing the front surface portion 111 of the front housing 11, a rear substrate 22 facing the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear housing 12, and a spacer 23 disposed between the front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22. The front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22 are rigid double-sided wiring substrates such as glass epoxy substrates, and the opposing distance between the substrates is defined by the spacer 23. The front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22 are mechanically and electrically connected to each other through a substrate connector (B-to-B connector) (not shown). The sensor substrate 20 is not limited to being formed of two substrates, the front substrate 21 and the rear substrate 22, and may be formed of a single substrate.

[0049] The solid-state imaging element 24 is mounted on the front substrate 21 as a sensor element. The solid-state imaging element 24 is an image sensor such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor. The front substrate 21 is joined to the lens barrel member 61, and the solid-state imaging element 24 is disposed at the focal point of the lens barrel member 61. In addition, the rear substrate 22 is electrically connected to an external connector 30 provided on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear housing 12 through a flexible wiring substrate 40.

[0050] (External connector)

[0051] The external connector 30 is provided on the rear housing 12. The external connector 30 is used to electrically connect the sensor substrate 20 and the vehicle body. Through the external connector 30, power is supplied from the vehicle body to the sensor substrate 20, and an image signal (output signal of the solid-state imaging element 24) is transmitted from the sensor substrate 20 to the vehicle body.

[0052] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the main part on the rear housing 12 side, and Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along Figure 2 line A-A.

[0053] As Figure 3As shown in the figure, the external connector 30 includes signal terminals 31 disposed on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear housing 12, cylindrical shield terminals 32 formed concentrically with the signal terminals 31, and insulating members 33 disposed between the signal terminals 31 and the shield terminals 32. Each of the signal terminals 31 and the shield terminals 32 is made of a metallic material and can be connected to a coaxial cable (not shown).

[0054] A cylindrical portion 124 concentric with the external connector 30 is disposed on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear housing 12. The cylindrical portion 124 is for protecting the signal terminals 31 and the shield terminals 32 from external influences and is formed outside the external connector 30 to be concentric with the external connector 30.

[0055] The external connector 30 further includes a first connection pin 301, a second connection pin 302, and a third connection pin 303. The first connection pin 301 passes through the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear housing 12 and is integrally formed at the end of the signal terminal 31. The second connection pin 302 and the third connection pin 303 pass through the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear housing 12 and are integrally formed at the end of the shield terminal 32.

[0056] A plurality of second connection pins 302 and a plurality of third connection pins 303 are formed, and for example, two second connection pins 302 and two third connection pins 303 are formed, as Figure 2 shown in the figure. In the present embodiment, the second connection pins 302 and the third connection pins 303 are respectively disposed at the vertices of a virtual rectangle centered on the first connection pin 301. Here, the corresponding second connection pins 302 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the first connection pin 301 (diagonally to each other). Similarly, the corresponding third connection pins 303 are symmetrically disposed with respect to the first connection pin 301 (diagonally to each other).

[0057] (Flexible printed circuit board)

[0058] The flexible printed circuit board 40 electrically connects the sensor substrate 20 and the external connector 30. The flexible printed circuit board 40 is a wiring board obtained by laying signal lines and ground lines on a flexible substrate such as polyimide. The signal lines are wirings that carry image signals from the sensor substrate 20, and the ground lines are wirings connected to the ground lines of the sensor substrate 20. When the sensor substrate 20 and the external connector 30 are connected to each other using the flexible printed circuit board 40, this makes it possible to absorb changes (tolerances) in the distance between the sensor substrate 20 and the external connector 30, thereby ensuring the reliability of a stable electrical connection therebetween.

[0059] The flexible wiring substrate 40 includes a first base material end portion 41 connected to the sensor substrate 20 (rear substrate 22) and a second base material end portion 42 connected to the external connector 30. The first base material end portion 41 is connected to the rear substrate 22 through a connector member 43, for example. The second base material end portion 42 is connected to the external connector 30 using soldering.

[0060] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the second base material end portion 42 of the flexible wiring substrate 40. The second base material end portion 42 supports a signal line 401 and a ground line 402. Both the signal line 401 and the ground line 402 include pads electrically connected to the external connector 30.

[0061] For example, the signal line 401 includes a first pad 401a which includes a through hole and a ring-shaped conductor formed around the through hole, and a first connection pin 301 passes through the through hole. The first connection pin 301 is soldered to the first pad 401a to be electrically connected to the signal line 401.

[0062] In addition, the ground line 402 includes a second pad 402a which includes a through hole and a ring-shaped conductor formed around the through hole, and a second connection pin 302 passes through the through hole. The pads 402a are provided corresponding to the number and positions of the second connection pins 302, and in this embodiment, the pads 402a are provided at two positions. The second connection pin 302 is soldered to the second pad 402a to be electrically connected to the ground line 402.

[0063] The second base material end portion 42 of the flexible wiring substrate 40 further includes an opening 403 through which a third connection pin 303 of the external connector 30 passes. The opening 403 is provided corresponding to the number and positions of the third connection pins 303, and in this embodiment, the third connection pins 303 are provided at two positions. The opening area of the opening 403 is larger than the opening areas of the through holes respectively included in the first and second pads 401a and 402a.

[0064] As will be described later, the opening 403 is an area for forming a reservoir of a soldering material for joining the third connection pin 303 to the shielding case 50. The shape of the opening 403 is not particularly limited, but in view of, for example, the wettability of the soldering material, it is preferable that the opening 403 has a shape that does not include corners, such as an oval shape or an elliptical shape or a circular shape as shown in the figure.

[0065] (Shielding case)

[0066] The shielding case 50 is one of the components of the EMC measures taken to protect the sensor substrate 20 from electromagnetic noise, and is a substantially rectangular box body with an open end on the side of the front case 11. The shielding case 50 is usually made of a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy.

[0067] The shielding case 50 is arranged in the space portion formed by the bottom surface portion 121 and the side surface portion 122 of the rear case 12. The shielding case 50 includes a bottom portion 51 arranged on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12 and a peripheral surface portion 52 covering the periphery of the sensor substrate 20. The peripheral surface portion 52 extends from the periphery of the bottom portion 51 toward the front case 11 to form a space portion for accommodating the sensor substrate 20 therein. The end of the peripheral surface portion 52 is in elastic contact with the periphery of the lens barrel member 61.

[0068] As Figure 3 shown, the bottom portion 51 of the shielding case 50 is arranged between the second base end portion 42 of the flexible wiring substrate 40 and the external connector 30. The bottom portion 51 is a substantially rectangular flat plate parallel to the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12.

[0069] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the bottom portion 51 of the shielding case 50. The bottom portion 51 of the shielding case 50 includes a plurality of holes through which the respective connection pins of the external connector 30 pass. In other words, the bottom portion 51 includes a first hole 501 through which the first connection pin 301 passes, a second hole 502 through which the second connection pin 302 passes, and a third hole 503 through which the third connection pin 303 passes. The second hole 502 and the third hole 503 are provided corresponding to the number and position of the second connection pin 302 and corresponding to the number and position of the third connection pin 303, respectively. In the present embodiment, both the second hole 502 and the third hole 503 are provided at two positions.

[0070] The bottom portion 51 of the shielding case 50 is welded to the third connection pin 303 of the external connector 30 to be electrically connected to the shielding terminal 32 of the external connector 30. For example, solder plating can be performed on the surface of the bottom portion 51 to increase the wettability of the welding material.

[0071] The bottom portion 51 of the shielding case 50 includes a heat storage portion 510 provided around the third hole 503. The heat storage portion 510 is an area covered by the welding material for joining the third connection pin 303 to the bottom portion 51. The heat storage portion 510 is provided in a region opposed to the opening 403 formed in the second base end portion 42 of the flexible wiring substrate 40. The opening area of the opening 403 is larger than the opening area of the third hole 503, and the heat storage portion 510 is provided in at least the area of the bottom portion 51 exposed to the outside through the opening 403.

[0072] The heat storage part 510 includes the function of storing the heat required for soldering when the third connection pin 303 and the shielding case 50 are joined to each other in the opening 403. This results in an increase in the solderability of the third connection pin 303. This helps the operation of soldering the shielding case 50 and the external connector 30 and improves the reliability of connecting the shielding case 50 and the external connector 30.

[0073] To obtain this function of the heat storage part 510, the heat storage part 510 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of slits 511 formed in a ring shape around the third hole 503. The plurality of slits 511 are arranged in a ring shape around the area of the shielding case 50 exposed from the opening 403 of the flexible wiring board 40. As described above, the heat storage part 510 is separated by using the plurality of slits 511 to suppress the heat diffusion of the heat storage part 510 to the outside.

[0074] The shape of each slit 511 is not particularly limited and may include a straight slit and a curved slit, as Figure 5 shown. The plurality of slits 511 are generally formed along the opening edge of the opening 403 to have a shape corresponding to the opening shape of the opening 403. The plurality of slits 511 may be provided inside the opening edge of the opening 403, but by providing the plurality of slits 511 outside the opening edge, the area of the heat storage part 510 can be increased. The width of each slit 511 and the arrangement interval between the slits 511 are not particularly limited and can be arbitrarily set according to, for example, the heat stored in the heat storage part 510 and the strength of the bottom 51 of the shielding case 50.

[0075] The position of the third hole 503 in the opening 403 is also not particularly limited, and the third hole 503 may be located at the center of the opening 403 or may be offset from the center of the opening 403. In the present embodiment, as Figure 5 shown, the third hole 503 is provided to be offset from the center of the opening 403. Therefore, when soldering the third connection pin 303, it is easy to ensure the area for the solder reservoir, and this enables further promotion of the soldering operation and further improvement of the connection reliability.

[0076] The bottom 51 of the shielding case 50 further includes positioning holes 504 for positioning the bottom 51 relative to the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12. The positioning holes 504 are provided at a plurality of positions, and the protrusions 125 provided on the bottom surface portion 121 of the rear case 12 are fitted into the positioning holes 504. The shape of the positioning holes 504 is not particularly limited. The positioning holes 504 are generally circular, but at least some of the positioning holes 504 may be elliptical or oval. This enables absorption of assembly errors caused by, for example, tolerances, thereby facilitating assembly. In addition, the protrusions 125 do not necessarily have to be provided at positions corresponding to all the positioning holes 504 and may also be provided at positions corresponding to at least two of the positioning holes 504.

[0077] [Method for manufacturing a sensor module]

[0078] Next, a method for manufacturing the sensor module 100 having the above configuration will be described.

[0079] The method for manufacturing the sensor module 100 according to the present embodiment includes: accommodating the sensor substrate 20 in the front housing 11; accommodating the shielding housing 50 in the rear housing 12; connecting the sensor substrate 20 and the external connector 30 using the flexible printed circuit board 40; electrically connecting the shielding terminals 32 of the shielding housing 50 and the external connector 30; and welding the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 to each other to form the housing 10. Connecting the flexible printed circuit board 40 and the shielding housing 50 to the external connector 30 will be described below.

[0080] As Figure 2 shown, the second substrate end portion 42 of the flexible printed circuit board 40 is disposed on the bottom 51 of the shielding housing 50 accommodated in the rear housing 12. The second substrate end portion 42 can be temporarily fixed to the bottom 51 of the shielding housing 50 using, for example, double-sided tape.

[0081] As Figure 3 shown, the first connection pin 301 of the external connector 30 passes through the first hole 501 of the shielding housing 50 and the first pad 401a of the flexible printed circuit board 40. The second connection pin 302 of the external connector 30 passes through the second hole 502 of the shielding housing 50 and the second pad 402a of the flexible printed circuit board 40. Further, the third connection pin 303 of the external connector 30 passes through the third hole 503 of the shielding housing 50 and the opening 403 of the flexible printed circuit board 40.

[0082] Next, the first connection pin 301 and the first pad 401a are joined to each other using soldering, the second connection pin 302 and the second pad 402a are joined to each other using soldering, and the third connection pin 303 and the bottom 51 of the shielding housing 50 are joined to each other using soldering. In the present embodiment, laser soldering is employed as the soldering method. However, it is not limited thereto, and a soldering method using a soldering iron can be employed.

[0083] In laser soldering, the first to third connection pins 301 to 303 are irradiated with a laser of a specified wavelength to be heated. Then, a wire of the soldering material comes into contact with each of the first to third connection pins 301 to 303 to be melted, and a fillet covering each of the first to third connection pins 301 to 303 is formed using the melted soldering material. The first to third connection pins 301 to 303 are soldered individually, but they can also be soldered simultaneously.

[0084] For example, an infrared laser with a wavelength of 800 nm to 1000 nm can be used as the laser with the specified wavelength. The laser can be continuous light or pulsed light. The welding material may include a flux. When the solder melts, the flux is used to remove, for example, oxides formed on the surface of the joining object. This makes it possible to ensure excellent solderability.

[0085] In this embodiment, since the heat storage portion 510 including a plurality of slits 511 is provided around the third hole 503 through which the third connection pin 303 passes, heat generated by the laser irradiated on the third connection pin 303 is prevented from widely spreading on the bottom 51 of the shielding case 50. This leads to facilitating the operation of welding the third connection pin 303. In addition, since the opening that includes the heat storage portion 510 and is exposed to the outside in the flexible wiring board 40 is formed in an elliptical shape or an oval shape, the molten welding material wets over the entire opening 403. This makes it possible to stably form a solder joint having a desired joining strength.

[0086] In addition, in this embodiment, since a plurality of third connection pins 303 that electrically connect the shielding terminal 32 of the external connector 30 to the shielding case 50 are provided, the shielding case 50 can be stably connected to the ground potential. This makes it possible to obtain a desired shielding effect.

[0087] In addition, since the third connection pins 303 are symmetrically provided with respect to the first connection pin 301, the heat distribution in the shielding case 50 can be made uniform when welding the third connection pins 303. This makes it possible to reduce the heat load acting on the first connection pin 301 (signal line).

[0088] <Other Embodiments>

[0089] In the above embodiment, the heat storage portion 510 having a specific heat storage function is formed by providing a plurality of slits 511 around the third hole 503 of the shielding case 50, but the heat storage portion 510 is not limited thereto. For example, as Figure 6 shown, the heat storage portion 510 may be formed by a recess 512 formed annularly around the third hole 503. Since a thin wall portion is locally formed on the bottom of the shielding case 50 by the recess 512, heat can be prevented from spreading from the inner peripheral side to the outer peripheral side of the recess 512.

[0090] In addition, as Figure 7 shown, the heat storage portion 510 may be formed by a heat transfer layer 513 locally provided around the third hole 503. The heat transfer layer 513 is made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the bottom 51 of the shielding case 50. This makes it possible to obtain an effect similar to the above effect. The heat transfer layer 513 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a metal sheet or a metal plating.

[0091] <Modified Example>

[0092] The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to various products. For example, the technology according to the present disclosure can be provided as a sensor module mounted on one of various types of moving bodies, such as vehicles, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, personal mobility devices, airplanes, drones, ships, robots, construction machinery, and agricultural machinery (tractors).

[0093] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the sensor module 100, a camera module has been described. However, the present technology is not limited thereto. For example, the present technology can also employ a sensor module including a distance measurement sensor such as a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) or a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor as a sensor element.

[0094] Note that the present technology can also adopt the following configurations.

[0095] (1) A sensor module, comprising:

[0096] A housing;

[0097] A sensor substrate including a sensor element and disposed in the housing;

[0098] An external connector provided on the housing;

[0099] A flexible wiring substrate electrically connecting the sensor substrate and the external connector, the flexible wiring substrate including signal lines and ground lines; and

[0100] A metal shielding case including a bottom portion and a peripheral portion, the bottom portion being disposed between the flexible wiring substrate and the external connector, and the peripheral portion covering around the sensor substrate,

[0101] The external connector includes a first connection pin connected to the signal line, a second connection pin connected to the ground line, and a third connection pin connected to the bottom portion of the shielding case,

[0102] The bottom portion includes a first hole, a second hole, a third hole, and a heat storage portion. The first hole is a hole through which the first connection pin passes, the second hole is a hole through which the second connection pin passes, the third hole is a hole through which the third connection pin passes, and the heat storage portion is provided around the third hole and covered with a welding material for joining the third connection pin to the bottom portion.

[0103] (2) The sensor module according to (1), wherein

[0104] The flexible wiring substrate further includes a base material end portion that supports the signal line and the ground line and is disposed at the bottom.

[0105] The base material end portion includes an opening through which the third connection pin passes, and the opening area of the opening is larger than the opening area of the third hole, and

[0106] The heat storage portion is provided in a region opposed to the opening.

[0107] (3) The sensor module according to (2), wherein

[0108] The heat storage portion includes a plurality of slits formed annularly around the third hole.

[0109] (4) The sensor module according to (2), wherein

[0110] The heat storage portion includes a concave portion formed annularly around the third hole.

[0111] (5) The sensor module according to (2), wherein

[0112] The heat storage portion includes a heat transfer layer made of a metal material having a higher thermal conductivity than the bottom.

[0113] (6) The sensor module according to any one of (2) to (5), wherein

[0114] The third connection pin is arranged to be offset from the center of the opening.

[0115] (7) The sensor module according to any one of (2) to (6), wherein

[0116] The opening is formed in a circular shape or an elliptical shape.

[0117] (8) The sensor module according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein

[0118] The third connection pin includes a plurality of connection pins, and

[0119] The opening includes a plurality of openings provided corresponding to the plurality of connection pins.

[0120] (9) The sensor module according to (8), wherein

[0121] The plurality of connection pins are symmetrically arranged with respect to the first connection pin.

[0122] (10) The sensor module according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein

[0123] The sensor element is a solid-state imaging element.

[0124] (11) The sensor module according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein

[0125] the sensor module can be mounted on a vehicle.

[0126] List of reference numerals

[0127] 10 Housing

[0128] 11 Front housing

[0129] 12 Rear housing

[0130] 20 Sensor substrate

[0131] 24 Solid-state imaging element (sensor element)

[0132] 30 External connector

[0133] 31 Signal terminal

[0134] 32 Ground terminal

[0135] 40 Flexible printed circuit board

[0136] 41, 42 Substrate end

[0137] 50 Shielding housing

[0138] 51 Bottom

[0139] 52 Peripheral surface

[0140] 100 Sensor module

[0141] 301 First connection pin

[0142] 302 Second connection pin

[0143] 303 Third connection pin

[0144] 310 Heat storage part

[0145] 311 Slit

[0146] 312 Recess

[0147] 313 Heat transfer layer

[0148] 401 Signal line

[0149] 402 Ground line

[0150] 501 First hole

[0151] 502 Second hole

[0152] 503 Third Hole

Claims

1. A sensor module, comprising: A housing; A sensor substrate including a sensor element and disposed in the housing; An external connector provided on the housing; A flexible printed circuit board electrically connecting the sensor substrate and the external connector, the flexible printed circuit board including signal lines and ground lines; And A metal shielding case including a bottom portion and a peripheral portion, the bottom portion being disposed between the flexible printed circuit board and the external connector, and the peripheral portion covering the periphery of the sensor substrate, The external connector includes a first connection pin connected to the signal line, a second connection pin connected to the ground line, and a third connection pin connected to the bottom portion of the shielding case, The bottom portion includes a first hole, a second hole, a third hole, and a heat storage portion, the first hole being a hole through which the first connection pin passes, the second hole being a hole through which the second connection pin passes, the third hole being a hole through which the third connection pin passes, and the heat storage portion being provided around the third hole and covered with a welding material for joining the third connection pin to the bottom portion.

2. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein The flexible printed circuit board further includes a base material end portion that supports the signal lines and the ground lines and is disposed in the bottom portion, The base material end portion includes an opening through which the third connection pin passes, the opening area of the opening being larger than the opening area of the third hole, and The heat storage portion is provided in a region opposed to the opening.

3. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein The heat storage portion includes a plurality of slits formed annularly around the third hole.

4. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein The heat storage portion includes a recess formed annularly around the third hole.

5. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein The heat storage portion includes a heat transfer layer made of a metal material having a higher thermal conductivity than the bottom portion.

6. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein The third connection pin is arranged to be offset from the center of the opening.

7. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein The opening is formed in a circular shape or an elliptical shape.

8. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein The third connection pin includes a plurality of connection pins, and The opening includes a plurality of openings provided corresponding to the plurality of connection pins.

9. The sensor module according to claim 8, wherein The plurality of connection pins are symmetrically arranged with respect to the first connection pin.

10. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element is a solid-state imaging element.

11. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the sensor module can be mounted on a vehicle.

Images