Heating lens assembly and camera

Abstract

The utility model relates to a heating lens assembly and a camera. A heating lens assembly comprises a lens provided with a heating groove; the heating element comprises a heating coil fixedly arranged at the bottom of the heating groove and a connecting piece connected to the heating coil, and the thickness of the heating coil is smaller than the depth of the heating groove, so that the heating coil is completely arranged in the heating groove; and a circuit board, wherein the connecting piece is electrically connected with the circuit board. According to the heating lens assembly, the thickness of the heating element is set to be smaller than the depth of the heating groove, and the heating coil is fixedly installed in the heating groove, so that the whole heating coil can be hidden in the module, and the heating coil is protected through the structure of the lens; damage of the heating coil caused by friction between the heating coil and the shell of the camera can be avoided, and the protection problem of the heating coil does not need to be considered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of camera module technology, and in particular to a heated lens assembly and a camera. Background Technology

[0002] With the iterative advancement of autonomous driving technology, cars are equipped with more and more cameras, and the functional requirements for these cameras are increasing in order to cope with different usage environments.

[0003] In practical use, under certain temperature conditions, the front of the camera lens may fog up or ice over, affecting the camera's normal operation. Current technology typically addresses this issue by adding a heating module to the lens. However, during automotive model iterations, to minimize hardware upgrades, automakers often prefer to reduce structural modifications, requiring that the overall shape and dimensions of the camera, including exposed lens components, remain unchanged. Therefore, current cameras integrate the heating module entirely within the camera body. During vehicle operation, this heating module is prone to friction with the camera housing, potentially causing damage and loss of heating function. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a heated lens assembly and camera to address the problem of easy damage to the heating module of existing camera modules.

[0005] A heated lens assembly, comprising:

[0006] The lens has a heating groove.

[0007] A heating element, comprising a heating coil fixed to the bottom of the heating tank and a connector connected to the heating coil, wherein the thickness of the heating coil is less than the depth of the heating tank, so that the entire heating coil is disposed within the heating tank; and

[0008] The circuit board, wherein the connector is electrically connected to the circuit board.

[0009] In some embodiments, the heating groove is arranged circumferentially along the lens to form an annular groove.

[0010] In some embodiments, the lens has a connecting groove extending from the lower surface of the lens to the heating groove, and the connector is disposed in the connecting groove.

[0011] In some embodiments, the circuit board includes a circuit board body bonded to the lower surface of the lens and a pad disposed on the circuit board body and located within the connection groove, wherein the connector is soldered to the pad.

[0012] In some embodiments, the width of the heating groove is greater than the width of the heating coil.

[0013] In some embodiments, the heating coil has a notch, and the connector is disposed at the notch of the heating coil.

[0014] In some embodiments, the heating coil is glued to the heating tank.

[0015] In some embodiments, the connector is a flexible circuit board.

[0016] In some embodiments, the lens includes a lens barrel and a flange portion connected to the lower end of the lens barrel, and the heating groove is disposed on the flange portion.

[0017] A camera, comprising:

[0018] Camera components; and

[0019] The heated lens assembly is as described in any of the above descriptions and is mounted on the camera assembly.

[0020] The heated lens assembly of this application, based on the original lens design, incorporates a heating groove on the lens. A heating coil is placed within the heating groove and electrically connected to a circuit board using a connector. The heating element is powered and controlled by the circuit board. When energized, the heating coil generates heat, which is transferred to the lens element via the lens itself, thus achieving lens heating while maintaining the lens's shape. By making the thickness of the heating element less than the depth of the heating groove and fixing the heating coil within it, the heating coil can be completely concealed within the module. The lens structure protects the heating coil, preventing damage caused by friction between the heating coil and the camera housing, eliminating the need to consider heating coil protection. Furthermore, because the heating coil is located within the heating groove, heat loss during transfer does not directly spill out of the lens, resulting in higher heating efficiency compared to traditional lens retainer heating methods. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A perspective view of a heated lens assembly provided for one embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 2 An exploded view of the heated lens assembly according to the above embodiments of this application is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a heated lens assembly according to the above embodiments of this application is shown.

[0024] Figure 4 As shown Figure 3 A partial enlarged schematic diagram (A) of the heated lens assembly shown;

[0025] Figure 5 As shown Figure 3 A partial enlarged schematic diagram (B) of the heated lens assembly shown;

[0026] Figure 6 As shown Figure 1 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the heated lens assembly shown in Figure C.

[0027] Reference numerals: 10, lens; 11, heating groove; 12, connecting groove; 13, lens barrel; 14, flange; 20, heating element; 21, heating coil; 211, notch; 22, connector; 30, circuit board; 31, circuit board body; 32, solder pad. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this utility model. However, this utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0029] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0030] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0031] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0034] Addressing the problem that existing camera module heating modules are prone to friction with the camera housing, leading to damage, this application provides a heated lens assembly and a camera. The heated lens assembly of this application can heat the lens without altering the module's shape and utilizes the lens's structure to protect the heating element.

[0035] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The heated lens assembly of this application may include a lens 10, a heating element 20, and a circuit board 30. The lens 10 has a heating groove 11. The heating element 20 includes a heating coil 21 fixed to the bottom of the heating groove 11 and a connector 22 connected to the heating coil 21. The thickness of the heating coil 21 is less than the depth of the heating groove 11, so that the entire heating coil 21 is disposed within the heating groove 11. The connector 22 is electrically connected to the circuit board 30.

[0036] It is understood that the heated lens assembly of this application, based on the original lens design, creates a heating groove 11 on the lens 10, and places a heating coil 21 inside the heating groove 11. The heating coil 21 is electrically connected to the circuit board 30 via a connector 22, and the heating element 20 can be powered and controlled by the circuit board 30. When energized, the heating coil 21 generates heat, which is then transferred to the lens element via the lens 10, thus heating the lens 10 while maintaining its original shape. By setting the thickness of the heating element 20 to be less than the depth of the heating groove 11 and fixing the heating coil 21 inside the heating groove 11, the heating coil 21 can be completely hidden within the module. The structure of the lens 10 protects the heating coil 21, preventing damage caused by friction between the heating coil 21 and the camera housing, thus eliminating the need to consider the protection of the heating coil 21. Furthermore, since the heating coil 21 of this application is located inside the heating groove 11, the heat loss during the transfer process will not directly overflow to the outside of the lens 10, making the heating efficiency of the heating element 20 higher than that of the traditional lens retaining ring heating mode.

[0037] More specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the heating groove 11 of this application is arranged around the circumference of the lens 10 to form an annular groove. With this arrangement, the heating coil 21 can be arranged to surround the lens 10 around the circumference, so that the heating coil 21 can heat the lens 10 as a whole from the peripheral direction of the lens 10, making the heating of the lens 10 more uniform.

[0038] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the lens 10 of this application has a connecting groove 12, which extends from the lower surface of the lens 10 to the heating groove 11, and the connector 22 is disposed within the connecting groove 12. With this configuration, the connecting groove 12 can be used to hide the connector 22, and the structure of the lens 10 protects the connector 22, preventing damage to the connector 22 caused by friction between the connector 22 and the camera housing.

[0039] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6As shown, the circuit board 30 of this application includes a circuit board body 31 and pads 32. The circuit board body 31 is bonded to the lower surface of the lens 10, and the pads 32 are disposed on the circuit board body 31 and located within the connecting groove 12. The connector 22 can be soldered to the pads 32 by a soldering method such as tin spraying. With this configuration, by fixing the circuit board 30 to the lens 10, the connector 22 of the heating element 20 is perpendicular to the circuit board body 31, and by placing the pads 32 of the circuit board 30 within the connecting groove 12 of the lens 10, the connector 22 can maintain its shortest length, which is more conducive to maintaining the original structure of the lens 10 and meeting the requirements for miniaturization of the lens 10.

[0040] In particular, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the width of the heating groove 11 is greater than the width of the heating coil 21. This arrangement creates a gap between the heating groove 11 and the heating coil 21, which allows for soldering allowance between the connector 22 and the circuit board 30. By adjusting the heating coil 21 up and down, the connector 22 can be positioned in a more optimal soldering position to avoid soldering problems such as poor contact.

[0041] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the connector 22 of this application is a flexible circuit board 30. That is, the heating element 20 can be made by welding, hot riveting, or directly integrally molding the heating coil 21 and the flexible circuit board 30. With this configuration, the deformable nature of the flexible circuit board 30 allows the connector 22 to fit the lens 10 more closely, thereby reducing the need for modifications to the original structure of the lens 10 and keeping the appearance structure of the lens 10 unchanged.

[0042] Preferably, such as Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the heating coil 21 of this application has a notch 211. The connector 22 is disposed at the notch 211 of the heating coil 21. In other words, the heating coil can be opened from the notch 211, and the connector 22 is connected to one end of the heating coil 21. With this configuration, when the heating element 20 is inserted into the heating groove 11 of the lens 10, the heating coil 21 can be opened through the notch 211, and the lens 10 can enter the heating coil 21 from the notch 211, so that the heating coil 21 is arranged around the lens 10, making it easier for employees to assemble the lens 10 and the heating element 20.

[0043] Optionally, in some embodiments, the heating coil 21 of this application is bonded to the heating groove 11 with adhesive. The adhesive used to bond the heating element 20 can be a heat-resistant adhesive with good thermal conductivity to ensure the bonding strength of the adhesive and prevent the heating element 20 from falling off after prolonged heating.

[0044] Furthermore, such as Figure 2As shown, in some embodiments, the lens 10 of this application includes a lens barrel 13 and a flange portion 14 connected to the lower end of the lens barrel 13, and the heating groove 11 is disposed on the flange portion 14. The flange portion 14 is used to fix to the housing of the camera. By disposing the heating groove 11 on the flange portion 14, the heating groove 11 can be disposed inside the camera, thereby avoiding changes to the shape of the lens barrel 13 and keeping the structure of the lens barrel 13 located outside the camera unchanged.

[0045] Specifically, this application also provides a camera that may include a camera assembly to perform the functions required by the camera and a heated lens assembly as described above, the heated lens assembly being mounted on the camera assembly. By utilizing the heating function of the heated lens assembly, fog or ice on the front of the camera can be removed, enabling the camera to meet the usage requirements in different temperature environments.

[0046] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0047] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heated lens assembly, comprising: The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

2. The heating lens assembly of claim 1, wherein, The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

3. The heating lens assembly of claim 1, wherein, The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

4. The heating lens assembly of claim 3, wherein, The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

5. The heating lens assembly of claim 1, wherein, The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

6. The heating lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

7. The heating lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

8. The heating lens assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

9. The heating lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The application relates to a heating lens assembly.

10. A camera, characterized by The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a heating lens assembly. The application relates to a

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