Vehicle-mounted camera

Abstract

The invention provides an in-vehicle camera which ensures excellent environmental resistance and aesthetics. The groove portion is disposed between the flange portion of the lens unit and the housing protruding portion of the first end portion of the housing, is disposed around the optical axis, and includes a bottom surface portion, a first side surface portion, and a second side surface portion. The bottom surface portion has at least a portion of a first flange protruding surface of a flange protruding portion of the flange portion, the first side surface portion has at least a portion of a flange end surface of the flange portion, and the second side surface portion has at least a second portion of an inner side surface of the housing protruding portion, the second portion being farther from a second end portion of the housing than the first portion with respect to the second end portion. The flange protruding end surface is welded to a first portion of the inner side surface of the housing protruding portion, or / and the second flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion is welded to the first housing end surface of the housing protruding portion. The in-vehicle camera includes a resin member that covers at least the bottom surface portion, a portion of the first side surface portion, and a portion of the second side surface portion around the optical axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle-mounted camera. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with demands for improved vehicle safety and introduction of autonomous driving functions, the development of vehicle-mounted cameras that are mounted on vehicles and capture images of the inside and outside of the vehicle has been actively pursued (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 360691

[0006] Patent Document 2: U.S. Patent No. 10979611

[0007] Patent Document 3: U.S. Patent No. 11617021 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] The level of requirements for vehicle safety and autonomous driving functions has increased, and on the other hand, further performance improvements are being sought for in-vehicle cameras.

[0010] The present invention relates to a new vehicle-mounted camera technology.

[0011] Solutions for solving problems

[0012] The present invention is a vehicle-mounted camera, comprising: a lens unit, comprising a first cylindrical portion having a first cylindrical shape, at least one lens arranged inside the first cylindrical portion and on an optical axis, and a metal flange portion arranged on the outside of the first cylindrical portion and extending outwardly with the optical axis as a reference within a range of the entire circumference with the optical axis as the center; a circuit board, comprising a first surface and a second surface located on the side opposite to the first surface; an imaging element, which is arranged on the optical axis and is the first surface of the circuit board; and a metal housing, which at least accommodates the circuit board and the imaging element, and has a second cylindrical portion having a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis, the second cylindrical portion of the housing having: a first end portion; and a second end portion, which is located on the side opposite to the first end portion and is arranged at a position farther from the lens unit than the first end portion in the direction of the optical axis with the lens unit as a reference, the flange portion of the lens unit having: a first flange surface extending along the first surface of the circuit board a flange end surface, which connects the first flange surface and the second flange surface; and a flange protrusion, which is arranged to extend outward from the flange end surface with the optical axis as the center and the entire circumference, the flange protrusion of the flange portion of the lens unit having: a first flange protrusion surface, which is arranged along the first surface of the circuit board; a second flange protrusion surface, which is arranged along the first surface of the circuit board, and is located closer to the first surface of the circuit board than the first flange protrusion surface with the first surface of the circuit board as the reference in the direction of the optical axis; and a flange protrusion end surface, which connects the first flange protrusion surface and the second flange protrusion surface, the first end portion of the housing having: a first housing end surface, which is arranged along the first surface of the circuit board;and a shell protrusion, which protrudes from the first shell end surface in a direction away from the second end surface with the second end surface of the shell as a reference, the shell protrusion having a second shell end surface at the top, the flange protrusion end surface of the flange protrusion of the flange portion is opposite to the first part of the inner side surface of the shell protrusion of the shell, and the second flange protrusion surface of the flange protrusion of the flange portion is opposite to the first shell end surface of the shell, the vehicle-mounted camera has a groove portion, which is arranged between the flange portion and the shell protrusion at the first end of the shell, and is arranged in a range of the entire circumference with the optical axis as the center, including a bottom portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the bottom portion of the groove portion has at least a part of the first flange protrusion surface of the flange protrusion of the flange portion, and the first side portion of the groove portion has at least a portion of the flange end surface of the flange portion, the second side surface of the groove portion at least having a second portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing, which is farther from the second end than the first portion with respect to the second end of the housing, the flange protrusion end surface of the flange protrusion of the flange portion is welded to the first portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing, or / and the second flange protrusion surface of the flange protrusion of the flange portion is welded to the first housing end surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing, and the vehicle-mounted camera includes a resin member that covers at least the bottom surface of the groove portion, a portion of the first side surface of the groove portion, and a portion of the second side surface of the groove portion over the entire circumference with the optical axis as the center. ;

[0013] The present invention provides a vehicle-mounted camera, wherein the vehicle-mounted camera includes: a first shell, which has a lens barrel, which is cylindrical and has at least one lens; a circuit board, which includes a first surface and a second surface located on the side opposite to the first surface; a shooting element, which is arranged on the optical axis of the at least one lens and is the first surface of the circuit board; a second shell, which at least accommodates the circuit board and the shooting element; and a welding portion, which welds a part of the first shell and a part of the second shell together, and the welding portion is coated with resin.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the vehicle-mounted camera adopts a lens unit having a metal flange and a metal housing to improve heat dissipation, noise resistance and other performances. In addition, the resin member covers at least a portion of the groove formed between the flange and the housing protrusion of the housing over the entire circumference, thereby ensuring excellent environmental resistance and aesthetics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is an example of a vehicle, and is a top view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle-mounted camera.

[0017] Figure 2 It means that it is located at Figure 1 A block diagram showing an example of the connection between an onboard camera, a camera ECU, and a display of a vehicle shown.

[0018] Figure 3 Another example of a vehicle is a schematic diagram of a cabin of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle-mounted camera.

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A top view of the vehicle.

[0020] Figure 5 It means that it is located at Figure 3 A block diagram showing an example of the connection between an onboard camera, a camera ECU, and a display of a vehicle shown.

[0021] Figure 6 It is a perspective view of the vehicle-mounted camera according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 It is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle-mounted camera according to the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 8 It is a top view of the vehicle-mounted camera according to the first embodiment.

[0024] Fig. 9 It is along Figure 8 Cross-sectional view of line I-I.

[0025] Fig.10 It is a cross-sectional view of the first cylindrical portion of the lens unit.

[0026] Fig.11 yes Fig. 9 The enlarged view within the frame line of is a view showing an example of a method of irradiating laser light.

[0027] Fig.12 yes Fig. 9 The enlarged view within the frame line is a view showing another example of the method of irradiating laser light.

[0028] Fig.13 It is a partial perspective view of the vehicle-mounted camera according to the second embodiment.

[0029] Fig.14 It is a top view of the vehicle-mounted camera according to the second embodiment.

[0030] Fig.15 It is along Fig.14 Cross-sectional view of line II-II.

[0031] Fig.16 yes Fig.15 Enlarged view within the frame.

[0032] Fig.17 It is along Fig.14 Cross-sectional view along line III-III.

[0033] Fig.18 yes Fig.17 Enlarged view within the frame.

[0034] Fig.19 It is a partial perspective view of the vehicle-mounted camera according to the third embodiment.

[0035] Fig. 20 It is a top view of the vehicle-mounted camera according to the third embodiment.

[0036] Fig.21 It is along Fig. 20 Cross-sectional view of line IV-IV.

[0037] Fig. 22 yes Fig.21 Enlarged view within the frame.

[0038] Fig.23 It is along Fig. 20 Cross-sectional view of the V-V line.

[0039] Fig.24 yes Fig.23 Enlarged view within the frame.

[0040] Description of Reference Numerals

[0041] 20, welding portion; 30, lens unit (first housing); 31, lens barrel; 32, flange portion; 32a, first flange surface; 32b, second flange surface; 32c, flange end surface; 33, flange protrusion; 33a, first flange protrusion surface; 33b, second flange protrusion surface; 33c, flange protrusion end surface; 34, convex portion; 34a, first convex portion; 34b, second convex portion; 34c, third convex portion; 3 4d, 4th convex part; 35a, 1st corner; 35b, 2nd corner; 35c, 3rd corner; 35d, 4th corner; 36a, 1st protrusion; 36b, 2nd protrusion; 36c, 3rd protrusion; 36d, 4th protrusion; 37a, 1st adhesive; 37b, 2nd adhesive; 37c, 3rd adhesive; 37d, 4th adhesive; 37, 1st cylindrical part; 38, lens; 40, electric Road plate; 40a, first surface; 40b, second surface; 41, connector connection portion; 50, imaging element; 60, housing (second housing); 61, large diameter cylindrical portion (second cylindrical portion); 62, small diameter cylindrical portion; 63, first end portion; 63a, first housing end surface; 63b, second housing end surface; 63c, third housing end surface; 64, second end portion; 65, housing protrusion; 65a, first portion; 65 b, second part; 66, side wall portion; 66a, first side wall portion; 66b, second side wall portion; 66c, third side wall portion; 66d, fourth side wall portion; 70, groove portion; 71, bottom portion; 72, first side portion; 73, second side portion; 80, electrical connector; 81, first connector end portion; 82, second connector end portion; 90, resin member (resin); 95, heat-conducting member; 100, vehicle-mounted camera. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera of the present invention will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. However, sometimes a more detailed description than necessary will be omitted. For example, a detailed description of a widely known matter and a repeated description of a substantially identical structure will be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description unnecessarily lengthy and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. In addition, the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present invention, and it is not intended that these contents limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0043] (Vehicles equipped with onboard cameras)

[0044] Figure 1FIG. 1 is an example of a vehicle, and shows a top view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle-mounted camera. In the vehicle V, a vehicle-mounted camera 100 is equipped with a vehicle-mounted camera 100A, a vehicle-mounted camera 100B, a vehicle-mounted camera 100C, and a vehicle-mounted camera 100D as the vehicle-mounted camera 100. The vehicle-mounted camera 100A is a front camera, the vehicle-mounted camera 100B is a rear camera, the vehicle-mounted camera 100C is a right camera, and the vehicle-mounted camera 100D is a left camera. The vehicle-mounted cameras 100A to 100D are, for example, wide-angle cameras having a viewing angle of about 180°, and are arranged so as to capture the entire circumference of the vehicle V.

[0045] For example, the vehicle-mounted camera 100A is installed on the front grille of the vehicle V, and photographs the area in front in the direction of looking diagonally downward relative to the ground. The vehicle-mounted camera 100B is installed on the roof spoiler of the vehicle V, and photographs the area behind in the direction of looking diagonally downward relative to the ground. The vehicle-mounted cameras 100C and 100D are respectively installed on the side mirrors of the vehicle V, and photograph the area on the side in the direction of looking diagonally downward relative to the ground.

[0046] Figure 2 It means that it is located at Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing an example of connection among the in-vehicle cameras 100A to 100D, the camera ECU 110 and the display 7 of the vehicle V shown. Figure 2 The camera ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 110 shown synthesizes the images captured by the vehicle-mounted cameras 100A to 100D, and displays the synthesized image on a display 7 of a navigation system disposed on a dashboard, for example. The occupant can visually check the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V by viewing the display 7 .

[0047] Figure 3 is another example of a vehicle, and is a schematic diagram of a vehicle compartment equipped with a vehicle-mounted camera. Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The vehicle V is provided with a display 5 (eg, an electronic rearview mirror) in the front portion between the driver's seat 3 and the front passenger seat 4 in the vehicle compartment 2. In addition, the vehicle V is equipped with a vehicle-mounted camera 100 at the rear of the vehicle body. Figure 5 It means that it is located at Figure 3 1 is a block diagram showing an example of connection among the vehicle-mounted camera 100 , the camera ECU 111 , and the display 5 of the vehicle V shown. Figure 4 The camera ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 111 shown processes the image captured by the vehicle-mounted camera 100, and displays the image on the display 5. The occupant can visually check the rear condition of the vehicle V by viewing the display 5.

[0048] (First embodiment)

[0049] Figure 6It is a perspective view of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 It is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 It is a top view of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 9 It is along Figure 8 Cross-sectional view of line I-I. Fig.10 It is a cross-sectional view of the first cylindrical portion 37 of the lens unit 30. In addition, coordinates including an X-axis along one side of the vehicle-mounted camera 100, a Y-axis orthogonal to the X-axis and along another side of the vehicle-mounted camera 100, and a Z-axis orthogonal to the X-axis and the Y-axis and along the height direction of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 are defined for later description.

[0050] The vehicle-mounted camera 100 of the present embodiment includes a lens unit 30 , a circuit board 40 , an imaging element 50 , a housing 60 , and a resin member 90 .

[0051] The lens unit 30 includes: a first cylindrical portion 37, which constitutes a cylindrical lens barrel 31 and has a first cylindrical shape; and at least one lens 38, which is arranged inside the first cylindrical portion 37 and on the optical axis L. The first cylindrical portion 37 is cylindrical, such as Fig.10 As shown, a lens group composed of a plurality of lenses 38 is held inside the first cylindrical portion 37. In the lens group, the lenses 38 are arranged so that their optical axes L coincide with each other, and constitute a lens group for photographing the inside and outside of the vehicle V.

[0052] Furthermore, the lens unit 30 has a flange portion 32 on the outside of the first cylindrical portion 37 . The flange portion 32 is arranged to extend outwardly around the entire circumference of the optical axis L, and the flange portion 32 is made of metal.

[0053] The flange portion 32 has: a first flange surface 32a; a second flange surface 32b, which is located on the side opposite to the first flange surface 32a and is located in the internal space of the later-described large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the shell 60; and a flange end surface 32c, which connects the first flange surface 32a and the second flange surface 32b.

[0054] The circuit board 40 is disposed in the internal space of the housing 60, and has a first surface 40a and a second surface 40b located on the opposite side to the first surface 40a. However, two or more circuit boards may be provided.

[0055] The flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 and the circuit board 40 are arranged substantially parallel to each other. That is, the first flange surface 32a of the flange portion 32 is arranged along the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40. The second flange surface 32b is also arranged along the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40, and is located closer to the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 than the first flange surface 32a in the direction of the optical axis L with the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 as a reference.

[0056] The imaging element 50 is disposed on the optical axis L of at least one lens of the lens unit 30 and is the first surface 40 a of the circuit board 40 . The imaging element 50 can capture an image by guiding external light to the imaging element 50 .

[0057] The housing 60 is a cylindrical member having an internal space, which supports the lens unit 30 and accommodates at least the circuit board 40 and the imaging element 50. The housing 60 has: a large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 having a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis L; and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 along the optical axis L. In the XY plane, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 constituting the second cylindrical portion has a larger cross-sectional area than the small-diameter cylindrical portion 62, and both have a rectangular cross-section. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 accommodates at least the circuit board 40 and the imaging element 50 inside. The small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 mainly accommodates an electrical connector 80 for ensuring electrical connection between the vehicle-mounted camera 100 and the outside. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 can be integrally formed using a resin described later, but it is also possible to join the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 prepared independently in advance by welding or screw fixing. In the present embodiment, the housing 60 is in a rectangular cylindrical shape, but the shape is not limited thereto and may be a cylindrical shape of a polygon other than a rectangle, a circular or elliptical shape, or a cylindrical shape of another shape.

[0058] The large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 has a first end portion 63 and a second end portion 64. The second end portion 64 is located on the opposite side to the first end portion 63 and is disposed at a position farther from the lens unit 30 than the first end portion 63 with respect to the lens unit 30 in the direction of the optical axis L. At least the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 is made of metal.

[0059] Next, the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 will be described again. The flange portion 32 includes a flange protrusion 33 that is arranged to extend outward from the flange end surface 32c with the optical axis L as the center over the entire circumference.

[0060] The flange protrusion 33 has a first flange protrusion surface 33a, a second flange protrusion surface 33b, and a flange protrusion end surface 33c (see Fig.11). The first flange protrusion surface 33a is arranged along the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40. The second flange protrusion surface 33b is arranged along the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40, and is located closer to the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 than the first flange protrusion surface 33a in the direction of the optical axis L with the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 as a reference. The flange protrusion end surface 33c connects the first flange protrusion surface 33a and the second flange protrusion surface 33b.

[0061] Next, the first end portion 63 of the housing 60 will be described again. The first end portion 63 includes a first housing end surface 63a and a housing protrusion 65 (see Fig.11 ). The first housing end surface 63a is arranged along the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40. The housing protrusion 65 protrudes from the first housing end surface 63a in a direction away from the second end 64 with the second end 64 of the housing 60 as a reference. Moreover, the housing protrusion 65 has a second housing end surface 63b at its top.

[0062] The relationship between the flange protrusion 33 of the flange portion 32 and the first end portion 63 of the housing 60 will be described. The flange protrusion end surface 33c of the flange protrusion 33 faces the first portion 65a which is the inner side surface and part of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65. In addition, the second flange protrusion surface 33b of the flange protrusion 33 faces the first housing end surface 63a, and at least a part of the flange protrusion 33 is placed on the first housing end surface 63a.

[0063] Next, welding of the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 and the first end portion 63 of the housing 60 will be described. Fig.11 yes Fig. 9 The enlarged view within the frame of is a view showing an example of a method of irradiating the laser. The flange portion 32 and the first end portion 63 are welded by, for example, laser.

[0064] exist Fig.11 Specifically, the laser is irradiated between the flange protruding end surface 33c of the flange protruding portion 33 and the first portion 65a of the inner side surface of the opposite shell protruding portion 65, and the flange protruding end surface 33c and the first portion 65a are welded together to form the welding portion 20. Since the flange protruding end surface 33c and the shell protruding portion 65 are both made of metal, the laser can melt each other and weld the two firmly.

[0065] Fig.12 yes Fig. 9The enlarged view within the frame line is a view showing another example of the method of irradiating the laser. In this example, the laser passes through the flange protrusion 33 and reaches the second flange protrusion surface 33b and the first shell end surface 63a opposite to the second flange protrusion surface 33b. As a result, the flange protrusion 33 is melted, and at least the second flange protrusion surface 33b and the first shell end surface 63a form a welding portion 20 and are welded together. Since the second flange protrusion surface 33b and the first shell end surface 63a are both made of metal, the laser can melt each other and weld the two firmly. In addition, it is also possible to use Fig.11 Methods and Fig.12 method.

[0066] In this embodiment, the lens unit 30 and the housing 60 are welded together by using a metal flange 32 and a metal housing 60 (at least the large diameter cylindrical portion 61 is made of metal) and welding the two, specifically, laser welding. Since the flange 32 and the housing 60 are made of metal, it is possible to improve the performance required by the vehicle-mounted camera 100, such as heat dissipation from the circuit board 40 and the like, and noise resistance for blocking noise from the outside.

[0067] However, metal components may cause problems such as environmental resistance and aesthetics, including corrosion at welded portions. Therefore, in this embodiment, grooves 70 are provided near welded portions 20 and resin members 90 are disposed in grooves 70, thereby solving such problems.

[0068] The groove portion 70 is formed to be arranged in the entire circumference between the flange portion 32 and the housing protrusion 65 of the first end portion 63 with the optical axis L as the center, and includes a bottom portion 71, a first side portion 72, and a second side portion 73. The bottom portion 71 corresponds to the bottom surface opposite to the opening of the groove portion 70, and has at least a portion of the first flange protrusion surface 33a of the flange protrusion 33 of the flange portion 32. The first side portion 72 corresponds to the side surface on the inner side of the groove portion 70, and has at least a portion of the flange end surface 32c of the flange portion 32. The second side portion 73 corresponds to the side surface on the outer side of the groove portion 70, and has at least a second portion 65b that is farther from the second end 64 than the first portion 65a, and is located on the inner side of the housing protrusion 65 of the first end portion 63, with respect to the second end 64 of the housing 60 as a reference. The second portion 65 b of the housing protrusion 65 is located between the first portion 65 a of the inner surface of the housing protrusion 65 and the second housing end surface 63 b in the optical axis L direction.

[0069] The resin member 90 is disposed over the entire circumference of the groove 70 centered on the optical axis L. Specifically, the resin member 90 is disposed to cover at least the bottom surface 71 of the groove 70 , a portion of the first side surface 72 , and a portion of the second side surface 73 .

[0070] In the vehicle-mounted camera 100 of the present embodiment, the resin member 90 covers at least a portion of the groove 70 formed between the flange portion 32 and the housing protrusion 65 over the entire circumference. Therefore, even if the flange portion 32 and the housing 60 are made of metal, the resin member 90 can prevent foreign matter such as moisture from entering the interior of the housing 60, and can ensure excellent environmental resistance. In addition, even if the weld portion 20 is discolored due to welding, since the resin member 90 covers the weld portion 20, the aesthetics can be ensured. For example, the resin member 90 can also be selected so that the color of the resin member 90 is consistent with the color of the flange portion 32 and the housing 60.

[0071] The resin member 90 may be formed by adding a potting resin to the groove portion 70 and curing the potting resin after the flange portion 32 and the housing 60 are welded, or may be formed by Figure 7 In the illustrated configuration, a resin member 90 formed in advance is bonded to the groove portion 70 using an adhesive or the like.

[0072] (Second embodiment)

[0073] Fig.13 It is a partial perspective view of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 according to the second embodiment. Fig.14 It is a top view of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 according to the second embodiment. Fig.15 It is along Fig.14 Cross-sectional view of line II-II. Fig.16 yes Fig.15 Enlarged view within the frame. Fig.17 It is along Fig.14 Cross-sectional view along line III-III. Fig.18 yes Fig.17 Enlarged view within the frame.

[0074] The structure of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 of the second embodiment is basically the same as that of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 of the first embodiment, but the shapes of the flange 32 of the lens unit 30 and the first end 63 of the housing 60 are different. First, the shape of the first end 63 will be described.

[0075] In the first embodiment, the first portion 65a and the second portion 65b of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65 exist on the same plane parallel to the optical axis L. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the first portion 65a of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65 is located closer to the optical axis L than the second portion 65b of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65 (the second side surface portion 73 of the groove portion 70) in the direction along the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 (see FIG. 2 ). Fig.16). In addition, the housing 60 has a third housing end face 63c connecting the first portion 65a and the second portion 65b. The third housing end face 63c may also be along the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40. Thus, the first end portion 63 has a stepped shape including the first housing end face 63a, the first portion 65a, the third housing end face 63c, the second portion 65b, and the second housing end face 63b.

[0076] The above structure can also be described as follows. The second housing end surface 63b of the housing protrusion 65 is a surface intersecting with the second portion 65b of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65. The second portion 65b is a surface intersecting with the third housing end surface 63c. The third housing end surface 63c is a surface intersecting with the first portion 65a of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65. The first portion 65a is a surface intersecting with the first housing end surface 63a.

[0077] Therefore, the bottom surface portion 71 of the groove portion 70 includes a portion of the first flange protruding surface 33 a of the flange protruding portion 33 of the flange portion 32 and also includes the third housing end surface 63 c .

[0078] That is, the bottom surface 71 of the groove portion 70 has a part of the first flange protruding surface 33a and the third housing end surface 63c connecting the first portion 65a and the second portion 65b of the inner side surface of the housing protruding portion 65. Therefore, the resin member 90 covers both the first flange protruding surface 33a on the flange portion 32 side and the third housing end surface 63c on the housing 60 side at the bottom surface 71 of the groove portion 70, and thus can appropriately prevent the entry of foreign matter from the outside.

[0079] The second portion 65b is arranged along the optical axis L similarly to the first embodiment. Thus, the resin member 90 can stably cover the second portion 65b and a portion of the second side surface 73 of the groove 70. However, the second portion 65b may be inclined with respect to the optical axis L.

[0080] Next, the shape of the flange portion 32 will be described. In the first embodiment, the first flange surface 32a of the flange portion 32 is formed into a plane perpendicular to the optical axis L. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a portion of the first flange surface 32a is located farther from the second end 64 of the shell 60 (in other words, protrudes) than the second shell end surface 63b of the shell protrusion 65 of the first end 63 of the shell 60 in the direction of the optical axis L. Specifically, as Fig.16 and Fig.18As shown in FIG. 1 , a part of the first flange surface 32a is a cylindrical convex portion 34 protruding from the first flange surface 32a. A position P1 of the top surface of the convex portion 34 is farther from the second end 64 of the housing 60 than a position P2 of the second housing end surface 63b in the direction of the optical axis L. However, the protruding part of the first flange surface 32a is not limited to a circular convex portion.

[0081] The part of the first flange surface protruding in this way can be used for positioning the vehicle V relative to the body of the vehicle.

[0082] In addition, the second housing end surface 63b of the housing protrusion 65 is farther from the second end 64 of the housing 60 than the exposed surface of the resin member 90 in the direction along the optical axis L. Specifically, Fig.16 and Fig.18 As shown, the position P2 of the second housing end surface 63 b is farther from the second end 64 of the housing 60 in the direction of the optical axis L than the position P3 of the exposed surface of the resin member 90 .

[0083] Thus, a part of the first flange surface 32 a can be used for positioning with respect to the body of the vehicle V, and a situation in which the resin member 90 protrudes and the appearance is deteriorated can be prevented.

[0084] However, the exposed surface of the resin member 90 may be located farther from the second end 64 of the housing 60 than the second housing end surface 63b of the first end 63 of the housing 60 in the direction along the optical axis L. Fig.16 and Fig.18 In the embodiment, the position P3 of the exposed surface of the resin member 90 is closer to the position P1 of the top surface of the protrusion 34 than the position P2 of the second housing end surface 63b. Such a structure has no problem in practical use.

[0085] As described above, the flange portion 32 has at least three convex portions 34 on the first flange surface 32a, and in this embodiment, has four convex portions 34 (see Fig.14 Specifically, the three protrusions 34 include a first protrusion 34a, a second protrusion 34b, and a third protrusion 34c, and the first protrusion 34a, the second protrusion 34b, and the third protrusion 34c are arranged around the first cylindrical portion 37 of the lens unit 30. In the present embodiment, the fourth protrusion 34d is also arranged around the first cylindrical portion 37 (see Fig.14 ).

[0086] Thus, the three convex portions 34 of the first flange surface 32 a can be used for positioning with respect to the body of the vehicle V, and stable positioning can be performed. Of course, four convex portions 34 may be provided as in the embodiment.

[0087] When the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 is viewed from above (viewed from above in the direction of the optical axis L, the same below), the flange portion 32 has a first rectangle having at least a first corner portion 35a, a second corner portion 35b, a third corner portion 35c, and a fourth corner portion 35d. Furthermore, the first convex portion 34a is located at a position corresponding to the first corner portion 35a, the second convex portion 34b is located at a position corresponding to the second corner portion 35b, and the third convex portion 34c is located at a position corresponding to the third corner portion 35c.

[0088] Thus, in the flange portion 32 , the three protrusions 34 are formed at positions corresponding to the three corners, and positioning with respect to the body of the vehicle V can be performed more stably.

[0089] (Third embodiment)

[0090] Fig.19 It is a partial perspective view of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 20 It is a top view of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 according to the third embodiment. Fig.21 It is along Fig. 20 Cross-sectional view of line IV-IV. Fig. 22 yes Fig.21 Enlarged view within the frame. Fig.23 It is along Fig. 20 Cross-sectional view of the V-V line. Fig.24 yes Fig.23 Enlarged view within the frame.

[0091] The structure of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 of the third embodiment is basically the same as the structure of the vehicle-mounted camera 100 of the first and second embodiments. In this embodiment, the second portion 65b of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65 is tapered so as to gradually expand away from the optical axis L as it moves from the first portion 65a toward the second housing end surface 63b. The second portion 65b is located between the first portion 65a of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65 and the second housing end surface 63b of the housing 60 in the direction along the optical axis L.

[0092] The above structure can also be described as follows. The second housing end surface 63b of the housing protrusion 65 is a surface intersecting with the second portion 65b of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion 65. The second portion 65b is a surface intersecting with the first portion 65a. The first portion 65a is a surface intersecting with the first housing end surface 63a.

[0093] Thus, when manufacturing the vehicle-mounted camera 100 , the lens unit 30 can be easily disposed in the housing 60 , and when a raw material of the resin member 90 such as a potting resin is poured in, the resin member 90 can be easily prevented from overflowing from the groove 70 .

[0094] The following description is about matters common to all the embodiments.

[0095] The first cylindrical portion 37 of the lens unit 30 and the metal flange portion 32 may be independently configured, and the lens unit 30 may be configured by combining at least the first cylindrical portion 37 and the flange portion 32. Thus, an appropriate first cylindrical portion 37 can be manufactured as required independently of the metal flange portion 32. In this case, the first cylindrical portion 37 and the flange portion 32 may be combined using an adhesive. The first cylindrical portion 37 may also be a resin member.

[0096] On the other hand, the first cylindrical portion 37 of the lens unit 30 may be made of metal, and the first cylindrical portion 37 and the metal flange portion 32 may be integrally formed. Thus, the metal flange portion 32 and the first cylindrical portion 37 can be integrally manufactured, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

[0097] like Fig. 9 , Fig.15 and Fig.21 As shown, the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 has at least a first protrusion 36a, a second protrusion 36b, and a third protrusion 36c protruding from the second flange surface 32b of the flange portion 32 toward the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40. The third protrusion 36c is located on the Y-axis inner side of the second protrusion 36b.

[0098] The first protrusion 36a and the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 are fixed together by the first adhesive 37a, the second protrusion 36b and the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 are fixed together by the second adhesive 37b, and the third protrusion 36c and the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 are fixed together by the third adhesive 37c. The third adhesive 37c is present on the Y-axis inner side of the second adhesive 37b.

[0099] Thus, the flange portion 32 is supported not only by the housing 60 but also by the circuit board 40 by means of at least three protrusions, so that the lens unit 30 can be arranged more stably. In addition, in the present embodiment, the fourth protrusion 36d and the fourth adhesive 37d are respectively present on the Y-axis inner side of the first protrusion 36a and the first adhesive 37a, and the flange portion 32 is supported by the circuit board 40 by means of the four protrusions.

[0100] The number of pixels of the image sensor 50 is, for example, 3 megabytes or more and 15 megabytes or less, specifically, 3 megabytes, 5 megabytes, 8 megabytes, etc. The housing 60 has four side wall portions 66, which are continuously formed with the second end portion 64 of the housing 60 and extend from the second end portion 64 toward the second flange surface 32b of the lens unit 30. The four side wall portions 66 are a first side wall portion 66a, a second side wall portion 66b, a third side wall portion 66c, and a fourth side wall portion 66d. The first side wall portion 66a is connected to the second side wall portion 66b, the second side wall portion 66b is connected to the third side wall portion 66c, the third side wall portion 66c is connected to the fourth side wall portion 66d, and the fourth side wall portion 66d is connected to the first side wall portion 66a. Furthermore, the vehicle-mounted camera 100 includes a heat conducting member 95 located inside the second cylindrical portion (large diameter cylindrical portion 61 ) of the housing 60 and disposed between the second surface 40 b of the circuit board 40 and the second end portion 64 of the housing 60 .

[0101] Thus, the heat from the imaging element 50 which has a high number of pixels and easily generates heat can be efficiently dissipated to the housing 60 via the heat conducting member 95. The heat conducting member 95 can be formed of, for example, silicone resin or the like. Figure 7 The heat conductive member 95 in the exploded perspective view shows the shape before manufacturing the vehicle-mounted camera 100. By applying heat during manufacturing, the heat conductive member 95 is arranged between the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40 and the second end 64 of the housing 60 after manufacturing.

[0102] In addition, the vehicle-mounted camera 100 further includes an electrical connector 80 including a first connector end 81 and a second connector end 82 located on the opposite side of the first connector end 81, and a connector connection portion 41 disposed on the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40. The electrical connector 80 is disposed inside the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the housing 60.

[0103] The first connector end 81 of the electric connector 80 is electrically connected to the connector connection portion 41 of the second surface 40 b of the circuit board 40 . When the vehicle-mounted camera 100 is disposed in the vehicle V, the second connector end 82 of the electric connector 80 is electrically connected to a cable of the vehicle V.

[0104] Thus, the circuit board 40 and the cables of the vehicle V can be electrically connected with a simple structure using the electric connector 80 .

[0105] When the first cylindrical portion 37 of the lens unit 30 is viewed from above, the first cylindrical portion 37 is circular. When the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 is viewed from above, the flange portion 32 is a first rectangle. When the flange protrusion 33 of the lens unit 30 is viewed from above, the flange protrusion 33 is a second rectangle having an area larger than the area of ​​the first rectangle of the flange portion 32. When the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the housing 60 is viewed from above, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 is a third rectangle having an area larger than the area of ​​the first rectangle of the flange portion 32.

[0106] Thus, the lens unit 30 and the housing 60 can be manufactured in simple shapes.

[0107] In addition, the lens unit 30 can be grasped as a first housing having a lens barrel 31, which is cylindrical and has at least one lens 38. In addition, the housing 60 can be grasped as a second housing that at least accommodates the circuit board 40 and the imaging element 50. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted camera 100 of the embodiment includes a welding portion 20 that welds a part of the first housing and a part of the second housing together, and the welding portion 20 is coated with a resin composed of the resin member 90. Since the resin coats the welding portion 20 of the first housing having the lens barrel 31 and the second housing accommodating the circuit board 40 and the imaging element 50, excellent environmental resistance and aesthetics can be ensured.

[0108] Based on the above, at least the following matters are described in the present invention. In addition, although the corresponding components in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown in brackets, the present invention is not limited to these.

[0109] (1) A vehicle-mounted camera (vehicle-mounted camera 100), comprising:

[0110] A lens unit (lens unit 30) including a first cylindrical portion (first cylindrical portion 37) having a first cylindrical shape, at least one lens (lens 38) disposed inside the first cylindrical portion and on an optical axis (optical axis L), and a metal flange portion (flange portion 32) disposed outside the first cylindrical portion and extending outwardly with the optical axis as a reference over the entire circumference with the optical axis as the center;

[0111] A circuit board (circuit board 40) including a first surface (first surface 40a) and a second surface (second surface 40b) located on a side opposite to the first surface;

[0112] an imaging element (imaging element 50) disposed on the optical axis and on the first surface of the circuit board; and

[0113] A metal housing (housing 60) that accommodates at least the circuit board and the imaging element and includes a second cylindrical portion (large diameter cylindrical portion 61) having a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis.

[0114] The second cylindrical portion of the housing has:

[0115] a first end portion (the first end portion 63); and

[0116] a second end portion (second end portion 64) located on the opposite side to the first end portion and arranged at a position farther from the lens unit than the first end portion in the direction of the optical axis with reference to the lens unit,

[0117] The flange portion of the lens unit has:

[0118] a first flange surface (first flange surface 32a) arranged along the first surface of the circuit board;

[0119] a second flange surface (second flange surface 32b) arranged along the first surface of the circuit board and located closer to the first surface of the circuit board than the first flange surface in the direction of the optical axis with reference to the first surface of the circuit board;

[0120] a flange end surface (flange end surface 32c) connecting the first flange surface and the second flange surface; and

[0121] A flange protrusion (flange protrusion 33) is arranged to extend outward from the flange end surface with the optical axis as the center and within the entire circumference, with the optical axis as the reference.

[0122] The flange protrusion of the flange portion of the lens unit has:

[0123] a first flange protruding surface (first flange protruding surface 33a) arranged along the first surface of the circuit board;

[0124] a second flange protrusion surface (second flange protrusion surface 33b) arranged along the first surface of the circuit board and located closer to the first surface of the circuit board than the first flange protrusion surface in the direction of the optical axis with reference to the first surface of the circuit board; and

[0125] a flange protruding end surface (flange protruding end surface 33c) connecting the first flange protruding surface and the second flange protruding surface,

[0126] The first end of the housing has:

[0127] a first housing end surface (first housing end surface 63a), which is arranged along the first surface of the circuit board;

[0128] a housing protrusion (housing protrusion 65) which protrudes from the first housing end surface in a direction away from the second end portion of the housing, with the second end portion of the housing as a reference;

[0129] The shell protrusion has a second shell end surface (second shell end surface 63b) at the top.

[0130] The flange protruding end surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion faces the first portion (first portion 65a) of the inner side surface of the shell protruding portion of the shell,

[0131] The second flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion faces the first shell end surface of the shell,

[0132] The vehicle-mounted camera has a groove portion (groove portion 70), which is arranged between the flange portion and the housing protrusion at the first end portion of the housing, and is arranged in a range of the entire circumference with the optical axis as the center, including a bottom portion (bottom portion 71), a first side portion (first side portion 72) and a second side portion (second side portion 73),

[0133] The bottom surface portion of the groove portion has at least a portion of the first flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion,

[0134] The first side surface of the groove portion has at least a portion of the flange end surface of the flange portion.

[0135] The second side surface of the groove portion has at least a second portion (second portion 65b) which is farther from the second end than the first portion with respect to the second end of the shell, on the inner side surface of the shell protrusion of the first end of the shell.

[0136] The flange protruding end surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion is welded to the first portion of the inner side surface of the shell protruding portion at the first end portion of the shell, or / and the second flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion is welded to the first shell end surface at the first end portion of the shell,

[0137] The vehicle-mounted camera includes a resin member (resin member 90) that covers at least the bottom portion of the groove, a portion of the first side portion of the groove, and a portion of the second side portion of the groove over the entire circumference with the optical axis as the center.

[0138] The vehicle-mounted camera of the present invention improves heat dissipation, noise resistance and other performances by using a lens unit having a metal flange and a metal housing. However, these metal components may cause problems such as environmental resistance, including corrosion at welded parts, and aesthetics. However, in the vehicle-mounted camera of the present invention, the resin member covers at least a part of the groove formed between the flange and the housing protrusion of the housing over the entire circumference, thereby ensuring excellent environmental resistance and aesthetics.

[0139] (2) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0140] The first portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing is located closer to the optical axis than the second portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing in a direction along the first surface of the circuit board.

[0141] The housing has a third housing end surface (third housing end surface 63c) connecting the first portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion and the second portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion,

[0142] The bottom surface portion of the groove portion includes a portion of the first flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion and includes the third housing end surface of the first end portion of the housing.

[0143] Thus, the bottom surface of the groove portion has a portion of the first flange protrusion surface of the flange protrusion of the flange portion and a third shell end surface connecting the first and second portions of the inner side surface of the shell protrusion, so that the resin member can stably cover at least a portion of the groove portion.

[0144] (3) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0145] The second portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion at the first end portion of the housing is arranged along the optical axis.

[0146] Thus, the resin member covers both the first flange protruding surface on the flange side and the third housing end surface on the housing side at the bottom surface of the groove portion, and thus it is possible to prevent entry of foreign matter from the outside at a high level.

[0147] (4) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0148] The second portion of the inner side surface of the shell protrusion at the first end of the shell has a tapered shape that expands away from the optical axis from the first portion of the inner side surface of the shell protrusion toward the second shell end surface of the shell protrusion.

[0149] Thus, when manufacturing the vehicle-mounted camera, the lens unit can be easily arranged in the housing, and when the raw material of the resin member is poured in, the resin member can be easily prevented from overflowing from the groove.

[0150] (5) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0151] The flange protruding end surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion of the lens unit is welded to the first portion of the inner surface of the shell protruding portion at the first end portion of the shell by laser, or / and the second flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion is welded to the first shell end surface at the first end portion of the shell by laser.

[0152] Thereby, the flange protruding end surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange part and / or the second flange protruding surface can be firmly welded to the housing.

[0153] (6) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0154] A portion of the first flange surface of the flange portion of the lens unit is located farther from the second end of the housing than the second housing end surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing in the direction of the optical axis with reference to the second end of the housing.

[0155] Thus, a part of the first flange surface can be used for positioning with respect to the vehicle body.

[0156] (7) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (6), wherein:

[0157] The second housing end surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing is farther from the second end than the exposed surface of the resin member with reference to the second end of the housing in the direction along the optical axis.

[0158] Thus, a part of the first flange surface can be used for positioning with respect to the vehicle body, and a situation in which the resin member protrudes and the appearance is deteriorated can be prevented.

[0159] (8) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0160] The flange portion of the lens unit has at least three convex portions (convex portions 34) on the first flange surface.

[0161] The at least three convex portions of the flange portion include a first convex portion (first convex portion 34a), a second convex portion (second convex portion 34b), and a third convex portion (third convex portion 34c).

[0162] The first convex portion, the second convex portion, and the third convex portion are arranged around the first cylindrical portion of the lens unit.

[0163] Thus, the three convex portions of the first flange surface can be used for positioning with respect to the vehicle body, and stable positioning can be performed.

[0164] (9) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (8), wherein:

[0165] When the flange portion of the lens unit is viewed from above, the flange portion has a first rectangular shape.

[0166] The first rectangle of the flange portion has at least a first corner (first corner 35a), a second corner (second corner b), a third corner (third corner 35c), and a fourth corner (fourth corner 35d).

[0167] The first protrusion of the flange portion is located at a position corresponding to the first corner of the flange portion,

[0168] The second protrusion of the flange portion is located at a position corresponding to the second corner of the flange portion,

[0169] The third protrusion of the flange portion is located at a position corresponding to the third corner of the flange portion.

[0170] Thus, in the flange portion, three convex portions are formed at positions corresponding to the three corner portions, and positioning with respect to the vehicle body can be performed more stably.

[0171] (10) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0172] The first cylindrical portion of the lens unit and the flange portion of the lens unit are independent of each other.

[0173] The lens unit is formed by combining at least the first cylindrical portion and the flange portion.

[0174] Thereby, the first cylindrical portion can be manufactured appropriately as needed independently of the metal flange portion.

[0175] (11) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0176] The first cylindrical portion of the lens unit is made of metal, and the first cylindrical portion and the flange portion of the lens unit are integrally formed.

[0177] Thus, the metal flange portion and the first cylindrical portion can be manufactured integrally, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

[0178] (12) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0179] The flange portion of the lens unit has at least a first protrusion (first protrusion 36a), a second protrusion (second protrusion 36b), and a third protrusion (third protrusion 36c) protruding from the second flange surface of the flange portion toward the first surface side of the circuit board,

[0180] The first protrusion of the flange and the first surface of the circuit board are fixed together by a first adhesive (first adhesive 37a).

[0181] The second protrusion of the flange and the first surface of the circuit board are fixed together by a second adhesive (second adhesive 37b).

[0182] The third protrusion of the flange portion and the first surface of the circuit board are fixed together by a third adhesive (third adhesive 37c).

[0183] Thus, the flange portion is supported not only by the case but also by the circuit board by at least three protrusions, so that the lens unit can be arranged more stably.

[0184] (13) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (1), wherein:

[0185] The number of pixels of the imaging element is greater than 3 megapixels and less than 15 megapixels.

[0186] The housing has four side wall portions (side wall portions 66), which are formed continuously with the second end portion of the housing and extend from the second end portion toward the second flange surface of the lens unit.

[0187] The four side walls are a first side wall (first side wall 66a), a second side wall (second side wall 66b), a third side wall (third side wall 66c), and a fourth side wall (fourth side wall 66d).

[0188] The first side wall portion of the housing is connected to the second side wall portion of the housing,

[0189] The second side wall portion of the shell is connected to the third side wall portion of the shell,

[0190] The third side wall portion of the shell is connected to the fourth side wall portion of the shell,

[0191] The fourth side wall portion of the housing is connected to the first side wall portion of the housing,

[0192] The vehicle-mounted camera includes a heat conducting member (heat conducting member 95 ) located inside the second cylindrical portion of the housing and arranged between the second surface of the circuit board and the second end portion of the housing.

[0193] This allows the heat from the imaging element, which has a high number of pixels and easily generates heat, to be efficiently dissipated to the housing via the heat conduction member.

[0194] (14) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (13), wherein:

[0195] The vehicle-mounted camera further includes: an electrical connector (electrical connector 80) including a first connector end (first connector end 81) and a second connector end (second connector end 82) located on a side opposite to the first connector end; and a connector connecting portion (connector connecting portion 41) disposed on the second surface of the circuit board,

[0196] The electrical connector is disposed inside the second cylindrical portion of the housing.

[0197] The first connector end of the electrical connector is electrically connected to the connector connection portion of the second surface of the circuit board.

[0198] When the vehicle-mounted camera is disposed in a vehicle, the second connector end of the electrical connector is electrically connected to a cable of the vehicle.

[0199] Thus, the circuit board and the cable of the vehicle can be electrically connected with a simple structure using the electric connector.

[0200] (15) The vehicle-mounted camera according to (14), wherein:

[0201] When the first cylindrical portion of the lens unit is viewed from above, the first cylindrical portion is circular.

[0202] When the flange portion of the lens unit is viewed from above, the flange portion is a first rectangle.

[0203] When the flange protrusion of the lens unit is viewed from above, the flange protrusion is a second rectangle having an area larger than the first rectangle of the flange portion.

[0204] When the second tubular portion of the housing is viewed in plan, the second tubular portion is a third rectangle having an area larger than that of the first rectangle of the flange portion.

[0205] Thus, the lens unit and the housing can be manufactured in a simple shape.

[0206] (16) A vehicle-mounted camera, wherein:

[0207] The vehicle camera includes:

[0208] A first housing (lens unit 30) including a lens barrel (lens barrel 31) having a cylindrical shape and including at least one lens (lens 38);

[0209] A circuit board (circuit board 40) including a first surface (first surface 40a) and a second surface (second surface 40b) located on a side opposite to the first surface;

[0210] an imaging element (imaging element 50 ) which is disposed on the optical axis (optical axis L) of the at least one lens and is the first surface of the circuit board; and

[0211] a second housing (housing 60) that accommodates at least the circuit board and the imaging element; and

[0212] a welding portion (welding portion 20) that welds a portion of the first shell and a portion of the second shell together,

[0213] The welded portion is covered with resin (resin member 90 ).

[0214] In the vehicle-mounted camera of the present invention, the resin covers the welded portion between the first housing including the lens barrel and the second housing accommodating the circuit board and the imaging element, thereby ensuring excellent environmental resistance and aesthetics.

[0215] The above embodiment is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to this example. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can think of various changes, modifications, replacements, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it should be understood that these examples also belong to the protection scope of the present invention. In addition, the constituent elements of the above embodiment can be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the main purpose of the invention.

[0216] Industrial Applicability

[0217] The present invention is useful as a vehicle-mounted camera that ensures excellent environmental resistance and aesthetics.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted camera, wherein: include: A lens unit comprising a first cylindrical portion having a first cylindrical shape, at least one lens arranged inside the first cylindrical portion and on an optical axis, and a metal flange portion arranged outside the first cylindrical portion and extending outwardly with the optical axis as a reference over the entire circumference with the optical axis as the center; A circuit board comprising a first surface and a second surface located on a side opposite to the first surface; an imaging element, which is disposed on the optical axis and is the first surface of the circuit board; and a metal housing that accommodates at least the circuit board and the imaging element and includes a second cylindrical portion that is a second cylindrical portion along the optical axis; The second cylindrical portion of the housing has: a first end portion; and a second end portion, which is located on the opposite side to the first end portion and is arranged at a position farther from the lens unit than the first end portion in the direction of the optical axis with reference to the lens unit; The flange portion of the lens unit has: a first flange surface disposed along the first surface of the circuit board; a second flange surface arranged along the first surface of the circuit board and located closer to the first surface of the circuit board than the first flange surface in the direction of the optical axis with reference to the first surface of the circuit board; a flange end surface connecting the first flange surface and the second flange surface; and a flange protrusion, which is arranged to extend outward from the flange end surface with the optical axis as the center and the entire circumference, The flange protrusion of the flange portion of the lens unit has: a first flange protruding surface disposed along a first surface of the circuit board; a second flange protruding surface arranged along the first surface of the circuit board and located closer to the first surface of the circuit board than the first flange protruding surface in the direction of the optical axis with reference to the first surface of the circuit board; and a flange protruding end surface connecting the first flange protruding surface and the second flange protruding surface, The first end of the housing has: a first housing end surface, which is arranged along the first surface of the circuit board; as well as a shell protrusion, which protrudes from the first shell end surface in a direction away from the second end portion of the shell, with the second end portion of the shell as a reference, The shell protrusion has a second shell end surface at the top, The flange protruding end surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion faces the first portion of the inner side surface of the shell protruding portion of the shell, The second flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion faces the first shell end surface of the shell, The vehicle-mounted camera has a groove portion, which is arranged between the flange portion and the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing, and is arranged in a range of the entire circumference with the optical axis as the center, including a bottom portion, a first side portion, and a second side portion. The bottom surface portion of the groove portion has at least a portion of the first flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion, The first side surface of the groove portion has at least a portion of the flange end surface of the flange portion. The second side surface of the groove portion has at least a second portion of the inner side surface of the shell protrusion at the first end of the shell, which is farther from the second end than the first portion based on the second end of the shell. The flange protruding end surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion is welded to the first portion of the inner side surface of the shell protruding portion at the first end portion of the shell, or / and the second flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion is welded to the first shell end surface at the first end portion of the shell, The vehicle-mounted camera includes a resin member that covers at least the bottom surface portion of the groove portion, a portion of the first side surface portion of the groove portion, and a portion of the second side surface portion of the groove portion over the entire circumference centered on the optical axis.

2. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: The first portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing is located closer to the optical axis than the second portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing in a direction along the first surface of the circuit board. The housing has a third housing end surface connecting the first portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion and the second portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion. The bottom surface portion of the groove portion includes a portion of the first flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion and includes the third housing end surface of the first end portion of the housing.

3. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: The second portion of the inner side surface of the housing protrusion at the first end portion of the housing is arranged along the optical axis.

4. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: The second portion of the inner side surface of the shell protrusion at the first end of the shell has a tapered shape that expands away from the optical axis from the first portion of the inner side surface of the shell protrusion toward the second shell end surface of the shell protrusion.

5. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: The flange protruding end surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion of the lens unit is welded to the first portion of the inner surface of the shell protruding portion at the first end portion of the shell by laser, or / and the second flange protruding surface of the flange protruding portion of the flange portion is welded to the first shell end surface at the first end portion of the shell by laser.

6. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: A portion of the first flange surface of the flange portion of the lens unit is located farther from the second end of the housing than the second housing end surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing in the direction of the optical axis with reference to the second end of the housing.

7. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 6, wherein: The second housing end surface of the housing protrusion at the first end of the housing is farther from the second end than the exposed surface of the resin member with reference to the second end of the housing in the direction along the optical axis.

8. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: The flange portion of the lens unit has at least three convex portions on the first flange surface, The at least three protrusions of the flange portion include a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a third protrusion. The first convex portion, the second convex portion, and the third convex portion are arranged around the first cylindrical portion of the lens unit.

9. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 8, wherein: When the flange portion of the lens unit is viewed from above, the flange portion has a first rectangular shape. The first rectangle of the flange portion has at least a first corner, a second corner, a third corner, and a fourth corner. The first protrusion of the flange portion is located at a position corresponding to the first corner of the flange portion, The second protrusion of the flange portion is located at a position corresponding to the second corner of the flange portion, The third protrusion of the flange portion is located at a position corresponding to the third corner of the flange portion.

10. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein The first cylindrical portion of the lens unit and the flange portion of the lens unit are independent of each other, and the lens unit is configured by combining at least the first cylindrical portion and the flange portion.

11. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: The first cylindrical portion of the lens unit is made of metal, and the first cylindrical portion and the flange portion of the lens unit are integrally formed.

12. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: The flange portion of the lens unit has at least a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a third protrusion protruding from the second flange surface of the flange portion toward the first surface side of the circuit board. The first protrusion of the flange portion and the first surface of the circuit board are fixed together by a first adhesive. The second protrusion of the flange and the first surface of the circuit board are fixed together by a second adhesive. The third protrusion of the flange portion and the first surface of the circuit board are fixed together by a third adhesive.

13. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein: The number of pixels of the imaging element is greater than 3 megapixels and less than 15 megapixels. The housing has four side walls, which are formed continuously with the second end of the housing and extend from the second end toward the second flange surface of the lens unit. The four side walls are a first side wall, a second side wall, a third side wall and a fourth side wall. The first side wall portion of the housing is connected to the second side wall portion of the housing, The second side wall portion of the shell is connected to the third side wall portion of the shell, The third side wall portion of the shell is connected to the fourth side wall portion of the shell, The fourth side wall portion of the housing is connected to the first side wall portion of the housing, The vehicle-mounted camera includes a heat conducting member located inside the second cylindrical portion of the housing and disposed between the second surface of the circuit board and the second end portion of the housing.

14. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 13, wherein: The vehicle camera also includes: An electrical connector comprising a first connector end portion and a second connector end portion located on a side opposite to the first connector end portion; and a connector connecting portion disposed on the second surface of the circuit board, The electrical connector is disposed inside the second cylindrical portion of the housing. The first connector end of the electrical connector is electrically connected to the connector connection portion of the second surface of the circuit board. When the vehicle-mounted camera is disposed in a vehicle, the second connector end of the electrical connector is electrically connected to a cable of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 14, wherein: When the first cylindrical portion of the lens unit is viewed from above, the first cylindrical portion is circular. When the flange portion of the lens unit is viewed from above, the flange portion is a first rectangle. When the flange protrusion of the lens unit is viewed from above, the flange protrusion is a second rectangle having an area larger than the first rectangle of the flange portion. When the second tubular portion of the housing is viewed in plan, the second tubular portion is a third rectangle having an area larger than that of the first rectangle of the flange portion.

16. A vehicle-mounted camera, wherein: The vehicle camera includes: A first housing including a lens barrel having a cylindrical shape and including at least one lens; A circuit board comprising a first surface and a second surface located on a side opposite to the first surface; An imaging element, which is arranged on the optical axis of the at least one lens and is the first surface of the circuit board; a second housing that accommodates at least the circuit board and the imaging element; and a welding portion that welds a portion of the first shell and a portion of the second shell together, The welded portion is covered with resin.

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