Vehicle-mounted camera module

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of cameras, and discloses a vehicle-mounted camera module which comprises an upper shell, a lens with one end arranged in the upper shell in a penetrating manner, a lower shell connected to the upper shell, a connector connected to the lower shell, a circuit board arranged in the upper shell and electrically connected with the connector, and an image processing unit electrically connected with the circuit board so as to be coaxial with the lens, the image processing unit is arranged facing the lens, a step part is formed in the upper shell, and the circuit board is fixed on the step part through a connecting part. The step part is formed in the upper shell, and the circuit board is fixed on the step part through the connecting part, so that the circuit board is positioned relative to the upper shell, the circuit board is prevented from loosening and falling off in the assembling or disassembling process to influence the quality, the circuit board is prevented from being damaged due to falling off, and the stability of the circuit board and the image processing unit is improved. And the assembly difficulty between the upper shell and the lower shell is prevented from being increased, so that the operation is simplified.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to camera technical field, especially involve a vehicle camera module. BACKGROUND

[0002] The vehicle camera module is used for providing scientific basis for traffic accident handling, and can also provide various conveniences and safety guarantees for drivers and passengers. The vehicle camera module can present video and audio in real time, and provide reliable evidence for traffic accident analysis. It is convenient for drivers and passengers to check the situation in the vehicle, such as checking the state of rear passengers, protecting the safety of goods and passengers. It provides basis for handling of passenger disputes, lost property search, robbery and theft prevention and other issues in the vehicle. It provides monitoring of the environment inside and outside the vehicle cabin, helps the driver to discover obstacles outside the vehicle in time, and improves driving safety. In the 360-degree panoramic surround view system, multiple cameras form a bird's eye view of the collected image information, allowing the vehicle owner to understand the situation around the vehicle; it can also realize adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and other functions.

[0003] The existing vehicle camera module includes a shell, a lens mounted on the shell, a circuit board mounted in the shell, an image processing unit mounted on the circuit board, and a connector mounted on the shell and electrically connected to the circuit board. The shell usually includes a lower shell and an upper shell connected by screws, and the circuit board is installed between the upper shell and the lower shell and is fixed by extrusion between the upper shell and the lower shell. This causes the circuit board to be loose and not limited in the state other than the connected state between the upper shell and the lower shell when assembling or disassembling the vehicle camera module, and the circuit board is easily detached in this state, and when assembling, if the upper shell and the lower shell are loose, the circuit board will also be loose. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the above problems of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a vehicle camera module to solve the problem of unstable connection of the circuit board.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, one technical scheme of the utility model is to provide a vehicle camera module including an upper shell, a lens with one end penetrating into the upper shell, a lower shell connected to the upper shell, a connector connected to the lower shell, a circuit board arranged in the upper shell and electrically connected to the connector, and an image processing unit electrically connected to the circuit board and coaxial with the lens. The image processing unit is arranged to face the lens. A step portion is formed in the upper shell, and the circuit board is fixed to the step portion by a connecting portion.

[0006] Further, the upper shell is formed with a first accommodating cavity for the lens to pass into from one end of the upper shell and a second accommodating cavity in communication with the first accommodating cavity and larger than the first accommodating cavity along the axial direction of the upper shell, the step portions are formed on the side of the second accommodating cavity close to the first accommodating cavity and are provided as at least two, and the lower shell is connected to the upper shell from the other end of the upper shell to block the second accommodating cavity.

[0007] Further, the step portions are provided as two and are diagonally distributed.

[0008] Further, each of the step portions comprises a step column and a threaded hole opened on the side away from the first accommodating cavity along the axial direction of the step column, the side of the step portion away from the first accommodating cavity has an abutting surface, the abutting surface is extended with an extension column along the axial direction at the position corresponding to the threaded hole, the threaded hole is extended to communicate with the extension column, the circuit board is provided with a positioning hole for the extension column to pass through at the position corresponding to the two first threaded holes, and the connecting portions are provided as two and are screwed to the threaded holes to press the circuit board against the abutting surface.

[0009] Further, the second accommodating cavity is communicated with the upper shell along the axial direction of the second accommodating cavity towards the side away from the first accommodating cavity to form a first opening, the lower shell comprises a sealing plate abutting against the end of the upper shell and blocking the first opening and a connecting wall distributed along the circumference of the second accommodating cavity from the side of the sealing plate facing the upper shell, the connecting wall is riveted in the second accommodating cavity and close to the cavity wall of the second accommodating cavity.

[0010] Further, the cavity wall of the second accommodating cavity is protruded with a foolproof column, the foolproof column is extended along the axial direction of the upper shell from the side close to the first accommodating cavity to the first opening, and the circuit board is provided with a first foolproof slot for the foolproof column to pass through along the axial direction at the position corresponding to the foolproof column.

[0011] Further, the connecting wall is provided with a second foolproof slot for the foolproof column to pass into at the position corresponding to the foolproof column, and the end of the foolproof column is passed into the second foolproof slot when the connecting wall is riveted in the second accommodating cavity.

[0012] Further, a welding groove is recessed along the circumference between the sealing plate and the outer wall of the side of the upper shell close to the first opening.

[0013] Further, the upper shell and the sealing plate are welded through the welding groove.

[0014] Further, the outer wall of the lens is formed with a middle ring portion for abutting against the end of the upper shell along the circumference thereof, and a sealing ring is arranged between the middle ring portion and the upper shell.

[0015] The vehicle-mounted camera module has at least the following beneficial effects: the step part is formed in the upper shell, the circuit board is fixed on the step part through the connecting part, the circuit board is positioned relative to the upper shell, the quality is not affected by the loosening and falling of the circuit board during assembly or disassembly, the circuit board is not damaged due to the falling of the circuit board, the stability of the circuit board and the image processing unit is improved, the assembly difficulty between the upper shell and the lower shell is avoided to be increased, and thus the operation is simplified. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the present application, form a part of the present application, and the illustrative embodiments of the present application and the description thereof are used to explain the present application, and do not constitute improper limitations on the present application. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic view of the vehicle-mounted camera module of the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a front view of the vehicle-mounted camera module of the present application;

[0019] Figure 3 It is Figure 2 the sectional view along the direction A-A shown in the figure;

[0020] Figure 4 It is an exploded view of the vehicle-mounted camera module of the present application;

[0021] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the vehicle-mounted camera module of the present application from another angle;

[0022] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic view of the upper shell of the present application.

[0023] The meanings of the reference numerals in the drawings are as follows:

[0024] The upper shell 1, the first shell segment 11, the second shell segment 12, the first accommodating cavity 13, the second accommodating cavity 14, the first opening 15, the second opening 16, the first ladder 17, the foolproof column 18, the lens 2, the middle ring part 21, the sealing ring 22, the lower shell 3, the sealing plate 31, the connecting wall 32, the welding groove 33, the second foolproof groove 34, the connector 4, the circuit board 5, the first foolproof groove 51, the positioning hole 52, the image processing unit 6, the step part 7, the step column 71, the threaded hole 72, the second ladder 73, the abutting surface 74, the extension column 75, and the connecting part 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The present application will be further described below in combination with the drawings.

[0026] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6The utility model discloses a vehicle camera module, which comprises an upper shell 1, a lens 2 penetrating into the upper shell 1 at one end, a lower shell 3 connected to the upper shell 1, a connector 4 connected to the lower shell 3, a circuit board 5 arranged in the upper shell 1 and electrically connected to the connector 4, and an image processing unit 6 electrically connected to the circuit board 5 and coaxial with the lens 2. The upper shell 1 and the lower shell 3 are used to protect the circuit board 5 and the image processing unit 6, adapt to the vibration and temperature change of the vehicle environment, and have waterproof and dustproof functions. The lens 2 is used for light focusing, affects the imaging quality, and determines the parameters such as the viewing angle, focal length and aperture. The connector 4 is used for electrical signal transmission between the external circuit and the vehicle camera module. The circuit board 5 is responsible for the processing of electrical signals, power management, data transmission, control operation, storage, auxiliary function support and protection, ensures the stable operation of the camera and provides high-quality images. The image processing unit 6 is located on the side of the circuit board 5 facing the lens 2 to make the light pass through the lens 2 to the image processing unit 6. The image processing unit 6 is used to convert the optical signal into an electrical signal and perform noise reduction, enhancement and other operations to improve the image quality.

[0027] In the embodiment, the upper shell 1 is usually made of metal or plastic to be waterproof and dustproof. The upper shell 1 comprises a first shell segment 11 in a cylindrical shape and a second shell segment 12 in a quadrangular prism shape. The first shell segment 11 and the second shell segment 12 are coaxial and sequentially connected. The diameter of the first shell segment 11 is smaller than the side length of the second shell segment 12. The second shell segment 12 is chamfered at each corner near the end of the first shell segment 11. In the defined content of the embodiment, a first accommodating cavity 13 adapted to the lens 2 and a second accommodating cavity 14 adapted to the circuit board 5 are sequentially formed in the upper shell 1 along the axial direction of the upper shell 1. The first accommodating cavity 13 is formed in the first shell segment 11 and has a cylindrical structure adapted to the shape of the first shell segment 11. The first accommodating cavity 13 is communicated with the upper shell 1 at the side away from the second accommodating cavity 14 along the axial direction to form a second opening 16. The lens 2 penetrates into the first accommodating cavity 13 from the second opening 16. The second accommodating cavity 14 is formed in the second shell segment 12 and has a quadrangular prism structure adapted to the shape of the second shell segment 12. The side length of the second accommodating cavity 14 is greater than the diameter of the first accommodating cavity 13, so that the size of the second accommodating cavity 14 is greater than the size of the first accommodating cavity 13. Thus, a first ladder step 17 in a stepped shape is formed on the side of the second accommodating cavity 14 near the first accommodating cavity 13. The diameter of one end of the lens 2 is smaller than the first accommodating cavity 13, so that the first accommodating cavity 13 is used for the corresponding end of the lens 2 to penetrate therein. The second accommodating cavity 14 is communicated with the upper shell 1 at the side away from the first accommodating cavity 13 along the axial direction to form a first opening 15. The circuit board 5 penetrates into the second accommodating cavity 14 from the first opening 15.

[0028] In the embodiment, the lens 2 uses a high-pixel lens 2. A middle ring part 21 is formed on the outer wall of the lens 2 along the circumference of the lens 2, the middle ring part 21 is integrally formed with the lens 2 housing and is in a circular ring shape, the outer diameter of the middle ring part 21 is greater than the diameter of the first accommodating cavity 13 to limit the penetration depth of the lens 2. An external thread is formed on the end of the lens 2 for penetrating into the first accommodating cavity 13, and an internal thread is formed on the inner wall of the first accommodating cavity 13. The lens 2 is screwed into the first accommodating cavity 13 and connected and fixed with the upper shell 1. In order to realize the connection between the lens 2 and the upper shell 1, a sealing ring 22 is arranged between the middle ring part 21 and the second opening 16 side of the upper shell 1. The sealing ring 22 is in a circular ring shape and is matched with the middle ring part 21. The sealing ring 22 can be AA glue. During assembly, the lens 2 is screwed into the first accommodating cavity 13 through the sealing ring 22 until the middle ring part 21 abuts against the sealing ring 22 and the sealing ring 22 abuts against the upper shell 1. The sealing ring 22 keeps the middle ring part 21 and the upper shell 1 sealed. The lenses in the lens 2 are all prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0029] In the embodiment, the lower shell 3 is connected to the upper shell 1 from the end of the upper shell 1 provided with the first opening 15 to block the first opening 15 and block the second accommodating cavity 14, thereby preventing dust and the like from entering the upper shell 1 from the first opening 15. The lower shell 3 includes a sealing plate 31 abutting against the end of the upper shell 1 and blocking the first opening 15, and a connecting wall 32 distributed along the circumference of the second accommodating cavity 14 from the side of the sealing plate 31 facing the upper shell 1. The sealing plate 31 is square-shaped and the side length is basically the same as the side length of the second shell segment 12. The connecting wall 32 is in a square frame structure matched with the shape of the second accommodating cavity 14. During assembly, the connecting wall 32 is riveted into the second accommodating cavity 14 from the first opening 15. The connecting wall 32 has four sides and corresponds to the four cavity walls of the second accommodating cavity 14 respectively, so that the sealing plate 31 is positioned relative to the upper shell 1. The sealing plate 31 abuts against the side or end face of the upper shell 1 provided with the first opening 15. In order to facilitate the increase of the connection firmness between the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 3 and improve the appearance beauty, a welding groove 33 is recessed along the circumference of the upper shell 1 between the sealing plate 31 and the outer wall of the upper shell 1 close to the first opening 15. The outer wall of the upper shell 1 close to the first opening 15 is recessed to form a groove. The groove is opened around the upper shell 1 and communicates along the axial direction away from the second opening 16, so that the groove is in an L shape. After the sealing plate 31 abuts against the upper shell 1, the sealing plate 31 blocks the groove opening side to form the welding groove 33 with the groove. The upper shell 1 and the sealing plate 31 are welded through the welding groove 33. Through the laser welding process, the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 3 are welded together from the welding groove 33, replacing the traditional screw fixing mode of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 3. The material is reduced, the high precision and sealing between the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 3 are improved, the overall reliability of the vehicle-mounted camera module is improved, thereby effectively preventing impurities such as dust and moisture from entering, and reducing the failure caused by environmental factors.

[0030] In the present embodiment, in order to quickly position and align when assembling the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 3, a foolproof column 18 is protruded on the cavity wall of the second accommodating cavity 14, the foolproof column 18 extends along the axial direction of the upper shell 1 from the side close to the first accommodating cavity 13 to the first opening 15, and the end of the foolproof column 18 close to the first accommodating cavity 13 extends to the first step 17. The foolproof column 18 is in the structure of a rectangular strip, and can also be in the structure of a semi-cylindrical column. A second foolproof slot 34 for the foolproof column 18 to pass through is formed on one side of the connecting wall 32 corresponding to the position of the foolproof column 18, the second foolproof slot 34 penetrates through the side of the connecting wall 32 along the direction perpendicular to the connecting wall and parallel to the sealing plate 31, and the second foolproof slot 34 opens to the side of the upper shell 1 along the axial direction of the upper shell 1. When assembling, after aligning the second foolproof slot 34 with the foolproof column 18, the axial direction of the sealing plate 31 is connected until the sealing plate 31 abuts against the upper shell 1, and the assembly is completed.

[0031] In the content defined in the present embodiment, the connector 4 includes a plastic shell and a metal terminal, and a mounting hole is formed on the sealing plate 31 of the upper shell 1, one end of the plastic shell passes through the mounting hole to be able to pass into the second mounting cavity, and the metal terminal and the image processing unit 6 are electrically connected by using a cable to realize electrical signal transmission. The plastic shell of the connector 4 can also be integrally connected to the sealing plate 31 to be integrally generated during manufacturing, thereby improving the production efficiency.

[0032] In the present embodiment, the circuit board 5 is in the structure of a square sheet and is adapted to the second accommodating cavity 14 to be able to pass into the second accommodating cavity 14 along the axial direction from the first opening 15, and the side length of the circuit board 5 is slightly smaller than the side length of the second accommodating cavity 14, that is, the side length of the second accommodating cavity 14 is greater than the side length of the circuit board 5, and the difference is about 1 mm. A first foolproof slot 51 for the foolproof column 18 to pass through along the axial direction is formed on the circuit board 5 corresponding to the position of the foolproof column 18, so that the circuit board 5 can be quickly positioned and aligned during assembly. The first foolproof slot 51 is connected to the circuit board 5 along the axial direction and opens to the side away from the circuit board 5 along the direction parallel to the circuit board 5 and perpendicular to the side of the second accommodating cavity 14 where the foolproof column 18 is arranged, so that when the circuit board 5 passes into the second accommodating cavity 14 along the axial direction, the foolproof column 18 passes through the first foolproof slot 51 along the axial direction.

[0033] In order to improve the firmness and stability between the circuit board 5 and the upper shell 1, a step portion 7 is formed in the upper shell 1, and the circuit board 5 is fixed on the step portion 7 through a connecting portion 8 connected to the step portion 7. In this embodiment, the step portion 7 is formed on the side of the second accommodating cavity 14 close to the first accommodating cavity 13 and is provided in at least two, and the number of the connecting portion 8 is one-to-one corresponding to the number of the step portion 7 and is provided in at least two. In an embodiment, the step portion 7 is provided in two and is diagonally distributed at one corner of the second accommodating cavity 14, and the connecting portion 8 is correspondingly provided in two, so that the circuit board 5 is fixed with fewer step portions 7 and connecting portions 8. In another embodiment, the step portion 7 is provided in four and is separately arranged at four corners of the second accommodating cavity 14, and the connecting portion 8 is correspondingly provided in four.

[0034] In this embodiment, each step portion 7 includes a step column 71 and a threaded hole 72 formed on the step column 71 and axially away from the side of the first accommodating cavity 13, and the step column 71 is formed at the corner of the second accommodating cavity 14 and is integrally connected to the first ladder 17 to ensure the strength of the step column 71. The side of the step portion 7 away from the first accommodating cavity 13 has an abutting surface 74 arranged facing the first opening 15. An extension column 75 is protrudingly arranged on the abutting surface 74 and extends outwardly from the threaded hole 72 to the side of the first opening 15. The threaded hole 72 extends into the extension column 75 and is communicated to the side of the first opening 15. Positioning holes 52 are formed on the circuit board 5 corresponding to the positions of the two threaded holes 72, and the extension column 75 is positioned by cooperating with the positioning holes 52. The connecting portion 8 is correspondingly provided in two and is screwed into the threaded hole 72, and the connecting portion 8 is a screw. When the screw is screwed into the threaded hole 72, the head of the screw abuts against the circuit board 5 to press the circuit board 5 on the abutting surface 74, so that the circuit board 5 is fixed in all directions to improve the stability. At the same time, the screw is not directly screwed on the circuit board 5 to avoid damaging the circuit board 5 due to the thread extrusion. When the head of the screw blocks the circuit board 5, the extension column 75 can also be used as a gasket. In another embodiment, a second ladder 73 with a thickness smaller than the step column 71 is protrudingly formed on the wall of the second accommodating cavity 14 around the axis, and the side of the second ladder 73 away from the first ladder 17 is flush with the abutting surface 74 to serve as a part of the abutting surface 74 for supporting the circuit board 5, so as to prevent the circuit board 5 from warping toward the side of the first ladder 17 due to the use of the connecting portion 8.

[0035] In this embodiment, the image processing unit 6 includes an image sensor and a chip. The image sensor is used to convert optical signals into electrical signals, and the chip is selected from but not limited to a CSP (chip scale package) chip. The chip is used to process the image sensor signal, and performs operations such as noise reduction and enhancement to improve the image quality.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted camera module, comprising an upper housing, a lens with one end extending into the upper housing, a lower housing connected to the upper housing, a connector connected to the lower housing, a circuit board disposed within the upper housing and electrically connected to the connector, and an image processing unit electrically connected to the circuit board and coaxial with the lens, wherein the image processing unit is arranged facing the lens, characterized in that: The upper shell is formed with a stepped portion, and the circuit board is fixed to the stepped portion through a connecting portion.

2. The vehicle camera module of claim 1, wherein: The upper shell is formed with a first accommodating cavity for the lens to pass into the upper shell from one end of the upper shell and a second accommodating cavity in communication with the first accommodating cavity and larger than the first accommodating cavity along the axial direction of the upper shell, the stepped portions are formed on the side of the second accommodating cavity close to the first accommodating cavity and are provided in at least two, and the lower shell is connected to the lower shell from the other end of the upper shell to block the second accommodating cavity.

3. The vehicle camera module of claim 1 or 2, wherein: The stepped portions are provided in two and are diagonally distributed.

4. The vehicle camera module of claim 3, wherein: Each of the stepped portions comprises a stepped column and a threaded hole opened on the side of the stepped column away from the first accommodating cavity along the axial direction, and the side of the stepped portion away from the first accommodating cavity has an abutting surface, the abutting surface has an extension column extending along the axial direction at the position corresponding to the threaded hole, the threaded hole extends to the extension column, the circuit board is provided with a positioning hole corresponding to the two threaded holes and through which the extension column passes, and the connecting portion is provided in two and is screwed to the threaded hole to press the circuit board against the abutting surface.

5. The vehicle camera module of claim 2, wherein: The second accommodating cavity is in communication with the upper shell along the axial direction of the second accommodating cavity away from the first accommodating cavity to form a first opening, the lower shell comprises a sealing plate abutting against the end of the upper shell and blocking the first opening and a connecting wall distributed along the circumference of the second accommodating cavity from the side of the sealing plate facing the upper shell, the connecting wall is riveted in the second accommodating cavity and close to the cavity wall of the second accommodating cavity.

6. The vehicle camera module of claim 5, wherein: A foolproof column is protruded on the cavity wall of the second accommodating cavity, the foolproof column extends along the axial direction of the upper shell from the side close to the first accommodating cavity to the first opening, and the circuit board is provided with a first foolproof groove corresponding to the position of the foolproof column and through which the foolproof column passes along the axial direction.

7. The vehicle camera module of claim 6, wherein: The connecting wall is provided with a second foolproof groove corresponding to the position of the foolproof column and through which the foolproof column passes, and when the connecting wall is riveted in the second accommodating cavity, the end of the foolproof column is inserted into the second foolproof groove.

8. The vehicle camera module of claim 5, wherein: A welding groove is recessed along the circumference between the sealing plate and the outer wall of the side of the upper shell close to the first opening.

9. The vehicle camera module of claim 8, wherein: The upper shell and the sealing plate are welded through the welding groove.

10. The vehicle camera module of claim 1, wherein: The outer wall of the lens is formed with a middle ring portion for abutting against the end of the upper shell along the circumference of the outer wall, and a sealing ring is arranged between the middle ring portion and the upper shell.

Images