Vehicle-mounted camera module

Abstract

This utility model discloses an in-vehicle camera module, including a housing, a circuit board assembly, and a heat dissipation structure. Both the circuit board assembly and the heat dissipation structure are installed within the housing and are in contact with each other. The heat dissipation structure has at least one heat dissipation channel, which includes an air inlet and an exhaust outlet. In the vertical direction, the height of the air inlet is lower than the height of the exhaust outlet. Ventilation openings are provided on the housing corresponding to the positions of the air inlet and exhaust outlet. This utility model improves the heat dissipation efficiency of the in-vehicle camera module through the thermal circulation effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of camera technology, and in particular to a vehicle-mounted camera module. Background Technology

[0002] With the technological development of automotive cameras, there is a growing demand for higher pixel counts, higher frame rates, and smaller sizes. This leads to a significant increase in the power consumption of internal image sensors (such as CMOS) and processing chips, as well as a greater number of heat-generating components, resulting in a large amount of heat being generated during module operation. Furthermore, the need for smaller sizes is not conducive to heat dissipation of the modules. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to overcome the shortcomings and deficiencies of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a vehicle-mounted camera module that improves the heat dissipation efficiency of the vehicle-mounted camera module through the thermal circulation effect.

[0004] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0005] A vehicle-mounted camera module includes a housing, a circuit board assembly, and a heat dissipation structure. The circuit board assembly and the heat dissipation structure are both installed inside the housing and are in contact with each other. The heat dissipation structure has at least one heat dissipation channel, which includes an air inlet and an exhaust outlet. In the vertical direction, the height of the air inlet is lower than the height of the exhaust outlet. Ventilation openings are provided on the housing at positions corresponding to the air inlet and the exhaust outlet.

[0006] In one embodiment, the air inlet and the exhaust outlet are located on opposite sides of the heat dissipation structure along the vertical direction.

[0007] In one embodiment, the housing includes a detachably connected front housing and a rear housing, the circuit board assembly is installed inside the front housing, and the heat dissipation structure is connected to the front housing by means of integral molding or detachment.

[0008] In one embodiment, the front shell is provided with a bending portion, which is an elastic sheet. One end of the heat dissipation structure is fixedly connected to the front shell through the bending portion. The heat dissipation structure rotates around the bending portion and comes into contact with the circuit board assembly after rotation.

[0009] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the front shell is provided with a limiting step to limit the bending angle of the heat dissipation structure.

[0010] In one embodiment, the heat dissipation structure includes multiple heat dissipation channels, and the heat dissipation structure is one of finned, porous dielectric, stacked, or finned heat dissipation structures.

[0011] In one embodiment, the vehicle-mounted camera module further includes a thermal pad sandwiched between the circuit board assembly and the heat dissipation structure.

[0012] In one embodiment, the thermal pad is one of a thermally conductive silicone sheet, a thermally conductive grease sheet, or a thermally conductive gel sheet.

[0013] In one embodiment, the vehicle-mounted camera module further includes a lens, which is detachably connected to the housing; the circuit board assembly includes a photosensitive chip.

[0014] In one embodiment, the lens includes a plurality of lenses arranged in sequence, the lens closest to the image side is provided with a filter film, and the non-effective light area of ​​the lens is provided with a light-shielding layer.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: the circuit board assembly and the heat dissipation structure are both integrated into the housing, and the two are in direct contact, allowing the heat generated by the circuit board assembly to be transferred to the heat dissipation structure; the heat dissipation structure has a heat dissipation channel inside, with an air inlet and an exhaust outlet at both ends of the heat dissipation channel, and the height of the air inlet is lower than the height of the exhaust outlet in the vertical direction; the heat generated by the circuit board assembly is transferred to the heat dissipation structure, the heat accumulates, the surrounding air expands and rises due to the heat, and is discharged through the exhaust outlet at the upper end, forming a low-pressure zone; the high-pressure cold air at the lower end flows in through the air inlet; in this way, the heat generated by the circuit board assembly is dissipated through natural convection using the thermal circulation effect, thereby achieving natural heat dissipation with high efficiency. Furthermore, the ventilation openings of the housing are aligned with the openings of the heat dissipation channel, allowing both ends of the heat dissipation channel to connect with the outside, avoiding airflow obstruction, reducing the temperature rise rate, and extending the lifespan of the circuit board assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the assembly process of the vehicle-mounted camera module according to an embodiment of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram showing the integrated connection between the front shell and the heat dissipation structure.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the front shell and heat dissipation structure after assembly;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of an in-vehicle camera module;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of gas flow inside a vehicle-mounted camera module.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Housing; 11. Front housing; 111. Limiting step; 12. Rear housing; 121. Ventilation port; 2. Circuit board assembly; 21. Through hole; 3. Heat dissipation structure; 31. Heat dissipation channel; 311. Air inlet; 312. Exhaust port; 32. Bending part; 4. Thermal pad; 5. Lens; 6. Screw; 7. Adhesive layer. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The specific embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the description of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0024] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of description and simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0026] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., are used merely to distinguish elements with similar properties, not to indicate or imply relative importance or a specific order.

[0027] The terms “include,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, which includes not only the elements listed but also other elements not expressly listed.

[0028] This utility model provides a vehicle-mounted camera module, such as... Figures 1 to 5As shown, the vehicle-mounted camera module includes a housing 1, a circuit board assembly 2, and a heat dissipation structure 3. Both the circuit board assembly 2 and the heat dissipation structure 3 are installed within the housing 1, and are in contact with each other. The heat dissipation structure 3 has at least one heat dissipation channel 31, which includes an air inlet 311 and an exhaust outlet 312, extending along the vertical direction H (e.g., ...). Figure 5 As shown, the height of the air inlet 311 is lower than the height of the exhaust outlet 312, and the housing 1 is provided with a vent 121 at the position corresponding to the air inlet 311 and the exhaust outlet 312.

[0029] In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted camera module consists of a housing 1, a circuit board assembly 2, and a heat dissipation structure 3. Both the circuit board assembly 2 and the heat dissipation structure 3 are integrated within the housing 1 and are in direct contact, allowing the heat generated by the circuit board assembly 2 to be transferred to the heat dissipation structure 3. The heat dissipation structure 3 has a heat dissipation channel 31 inside, with an air inlet 311 and an exhaust outlet 312 at both ends. Along the vertical direction H, the height of the air inlet 311 is lower than the height of the exhaust outlet 312. Due to the height difference between the air inlet 311 and the exhaust outlet 312 in the vertical direction H, the heat generated by the circuit board assembly 2 is transferred to the heat dissipation structure 3, causing heat accumulation. The surrounding air expands and rises due to the heat, and is discharged through the upper exhaust outlet 312, forming a low-pressure zone. The high-pressure cold air at the lower end flows in through the air inlet 311. Thus, utilizing the thermal circulation effect, the heat generated by the circuit board assembly 2 is dissipated through natural convection, achieving natural heat dissipation with high efficiency. The ventilation opening 121 of the housing 1 is aligned with the air inlet 311 and exhaust outlet 312 of the heat dissipation channel 31, so that both ends of the heat dissipation channel 31 are connected to the outside, avoiding airflow obstruction, reducing the temperature rise rate, and extending the life of the circuit board assembly 2.

[0030] Specifically, the thermal circulation effect can be explained as follows: high-temperature and low-temperature regions cause airflow; air in high-temperature regions expands and rises due to heat, forming low-pressure areas; air in low-temperature regions cools, contracts, and sinks, forming high-pressure areas. Due to pressure differences, air flows from high-pressure, low-temperature areas to low-pressure, high-temperature areas. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the direction of the arrow in the heat dissipation channel 31 is the direction of gas flow. The cold air at the lower end enters the heat dissipation channel 31 through the air inlet 311, absorbs heat, expands and rises, and is discharged through the exhaust port 312 at the upper end to achieve natural heat dissipation.

[0031] As one implementation method, such as Figure 5 As shown, the air inlet 311 and the exhaust outlet 312 are located on opposite sides of the heat dissipation structure 3 along the vertical direction H, so that there is a maximum height difference between the air inlet 311 and the exhaust outlet 312, which can enhance the effect of hot air rising and cold air sinking, and improve heat dissipation efficiency.

[0032] As one implementation method, such as Figures 1 to 3As shown, the housing 1 includes a detachably connected front housing 11 and a rear housing 12. The circuit board assembly 2 is installed inside the front housing 11, and the heat dissipation structure 3 is connected to the front housing 11 either integrally formed or detachably. Specifically, the rear housing 12 has a vent 121 corresponding to the heat dissipation structure 3. The separate design of the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 facilitates maintenance and replacement of internal components such as circuit boards, reducing maintenance costs. The front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 can be connected by threads or snap-fit. The connection method between the heat dissipation structure 3 and the front housing 11 is flexible, the integral forming ensures structural strength, and the detachable design facilitates the individual upgrading of the heat dissipation structure 3. For example, when threaded, the circuit board assembly 2 has a corresponding through hole 21, so that the screw 6 passes through the through hole 21 of the rear housing 12 and the circuit board assembly 2 in sequence and connects to the front housing 11. This also further fixes the circuit board assembly 2 inside the front housing 11, preventing it from shaking inside the housing 1 during operation and causing the solder joints to fall off.

[0033] As one implementation method, such as Figure 3 As shown, the front shell 11 is provided with a bending portion 32, which is an elastic sheet. One end of the heat dissipation structure 3 is fixedly connected to the front shell 11 through the bending portion 32. The heat dissipation structure 3 rotates around the bending portion 32 and comes into contact with the circuit board assembly 2 after rotation. The bending portion 32 is easily bent, providing elastic contact pressure to ensure a tight fit between the heat dissipation structure 3 and the circuit board assembly 2, reducing interface thermal resistance. The bending portion 32 connects the heat dissipation structure 3 and the front shell 11, and its cross-section is V-shaped or U-shaped, forming a V-groove or U-groove. It can be made of an elastic material sheet. The front shell 11, the bending portion 32, and the heat dissipation structure 3 can be integrally injection molded using a mold.

[0034] As one implementation method, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the inner wall of the front shell 11 is provided with a limiting step 111 to limit the bending angle of the heat dissipation structure 3. The limiting step 111 can prevent excessive bending from causing structural deformation or breakage, thus improving reliability. When the heat dissipation structure 3 is bent into place, the movable end of the heat dissipation structure 3 abuts against the limiting step 111, precisely controlling the bending angle of the heat dissipation structure 3 and ensuring that the contact area between the heat dissipation structure 3 and the circuit board assembly 2 is maximized.

[0035] In one implementation, the heat dissipation structure 3 includes multiple heat dissipation channels 31, and the heat dissipation structure 3 is finned (e.g., Figure 5 The heat dissipation structure 3 is one of the following: porous dielectric type, stacked type, or finned type. In this embodiment, the tube effect is utilized. The heat dissipation structure 3 adopts a parallel design of multiple heat dissipation channels 31. When the airflow flows from the open position into the narrow channel formed by the multiple heat dissipation channels 31, the air mass cannot accumulate in large quantities, so it accelerates through the narrow channel, the wind speed increases, which is conducive to accelerating the air flow and further improving the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0036] As one implementation method, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle-mounted camera module also includes a thermal pad 4, which is sandwiched between the circuit board assembly 2 and the heat dissipation structure 3. The thermal pad 4 can fill the microscopic uneven surfaces between the circuit board assembly 2 and the heat dissipation structure 3, reduce the thermal resistance of the air gap, and improve the heat conduction efficiency.

[0037] In one implementation, the thermal pad 4 is one of a thermally conductive silicone pad, a thermally conductive grease pad, or a thermally conductive gel pad. The thermal pad 4 is made of a flexible material to buffer vibration and impact, protecting the connection stability between the circuit board solder joints and the heat dissipation structure 3.

[0038] As one implementation method, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle-mounted camera module also includes a lens 5, which is detachably connected to the housing 1. Specifically, the lens 5 and the housing 1 are detachably connected (e.g., by threaded connection or adhesive connection). The lens 5 is adhered to the front housing 11 by an adhesive layer 7, which can be achieved through an active alignment device (AA machine); alternatively, the lens 5 can also be a threaded lens 5, which is fixed by threads and then sealed and reinforced with thread sealant; the detachable connection allows for quick replacement of the lens 5 to adapt to different focal lengths or functional requirements. The circuit board assembly 2 includes a photosensitive chip (not shown), which is used to receive light and convert the optical signals passing through the lens 5 into electrical signals, thereby generating an image.

[0039] In one embodiment, lens 5 includes a plurality of lenses (not shown) arranged in sequence. The lens closest to the image side is provided with a filter film (not shown), and the non-effective light area of ​​the lens is provided with a light-shielding layer (not shown). Specifically, the lens closest to the image side of lens 5 is coated with a filter film, which is used to filter other light; and a light-shielding layer is formed by screen printing black or plating ink in the non-effective light area of ​​the lens to eliminate edge stray light entering the lens and enhance the image quality captured by the vehicle camera module.

[0040] In one implementation, the circuit board assembly 2 includes a circuit board and components mounted on the circuit board. The circuit board can be of type FR4 or in the form of FPC + reinforcing plate, etc.

[0041] The assembly process of the vehicle camera module in this case:

[0042] Install the circuit board assembly 2 into the front shell 11, and attach the thermal pad 4 to the back of the circuit board assembly 2; then bend the heat dissipation structure 3 of the front shell 11 and press it onto the thermal pad 4. During bending, the limiting step 111 on the inner wall of the front shell 11 controls the degree of bending; then assemble the rear shell 12 with the front shell 11 using screws 6; finally, use an AA machine to attach the lens 5 to the front shell 11, and the assembly is complete.

[0043] The working principle of the vehicle-mounted camera module in this case:

[0044] The vehicle-mounted camera module captures and transforms environmental images through the coordinated work of optical imaging and electronic signal processing. Light enters the module through a lens composed of multiple lenses. The surface of the lens closest to the image side is coated with a filter film (such as an infrared cut-off filter film) to selectively filter specific wavelengths of light (such as infrared light), allowing only visible light to pass through and preventing non-visible light from interfering with image color and contrast. Blackening or ink coating is applied to the non-effective light areas (edge ​​areas) of the lenses to absorb or block stray light (such as scattered light reflected from within the lens or side light incident from the external environment), preventing stray light from entering the photosensitive chip, reducing image noise, halos, or ghosting, and improving image clarity. The light, after filtering and stray light suppression, is projected onto the surface of the photosensitive chip (such as a CMOS sensor) of the circuit board assembly 2. The photosensitive chip, through its pixel array (millions to tens of millions of photosensitive units), converts the light signal according to intensity distribution into a corresponding charge signal, completing the photoelectric conversion. The photosensitive chip transmits the raw electrical signal to the image signal processor (ISP) for processing such as noise suppression, color correction (e.g., depigmentation), and sharpening, ultimately generating a digital image or video stream.

[0045] The vehicle-mounted camera module in this case is used in automobiles. The camera module is installed on the vehicle body. After installation, the heat dissipation channel 31 in the heat dissipation structure 3 extends in the vertical direction H, so that the gas in the heat dissipation channel 31 flows in the vertical direction H, which enhances the effect of hot air rising and cold air sinking, and improves heat dissipation efficiency.

[0046] The heat generated by the circuit board assembly 2 of this invention is transferred to the heat dissipation structure 3, where the heat accumulates and the surrounding air expands and rises due to the heat, and is discharged through the exhaust port 312 at the upper end, forming a low-pressure zone; the high-pressure cold air at the lower end flows in through the air inlet 311; thus, by utilizing the thermal circulation effect, the heat generated by the circuit board assembly 2 is dissipated through natural convection, thereby achieving natural heat dissipation with high efficiency; the heat dissipation structure 3 includes multiple narrow heat dissipation channels 31, which utilize the narrow tube effect to accelerate the airflow within the heat dissipation channels 31, further improving the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0047] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model in any way. Although the present utility model has been disclosed above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present utility model. These are equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present utility model shall still fall within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted camera module, characterized in that, The device includes a housing (1), a circuit board assembly (2), and a heat dissipation structure (3). The circuit board assembly (2) and the heat dissipation structure (3) are both installed inside the housing (1) and are in contact with each other. The heat dissipation structure (3) has at least one heat dissipation channel (31). The heat dissipation channel (31) includes an air inlet (311) and an exhaust outlet (312) along the vertical direction (H). The height of the air inlet (311) is lower than the height of the exhaust outlet (312). The housing (1) is provided with a vent (121) at the position corresponding to the air inlet (311) and the exhaust outlet (312).

2. The vehicle camera module of claim 1, wherein, The air inlet (311) and the exhaust outlet (312) are located on opposite sides of the heat dissipation structure (3) along the vertical direction (H).

3. The vehicle camera module of claim 1, wherein, The housing (1) includes a detachably connected front housing (11) and a rear housing (12), the circuit board assembly (2) is installed inside the front housing (11), and the heat dissipation structure (3) is connected to the front housing (11) by integral molding or detachable means.

4. The vehicle camera module of claim 3, wherein, The front shell (11) is provided with a bending part (32), which is an elastic sheet. One end of the heat dissipation structure (3) is fixedly connected to the front shell (11) through the bending part (32). The heat dissipation structure (3) rotates around the bending part (32) and contacts the circuit board assembly (2) after rotation.

5. The vehicle camera module of claim 4, wherein, The inner wall of the front shell (11) is provided with a limiting step (111) to limit the bending angle of the heat dissipation structure (3).

6. The vehicle camera module of claim 1, wherein, The heat dissipation structure (3) includes multiple heat dissipation channels (31), and the heat dissipation structure (3) is one of finned, porous dielectric, stacked or finned heat dissipation structures (3).

7. The vehicle camera module of claim 1, wherein, The vehicle-mounted camera module also includes a thermal pad (4), which is sandwiched between the circuit board assembly (2) and the heat dissipation structure (3).

8. The vehicle camera module of claim 7, wherein, The thermal pad (4) is one of the following: thermally conductive silicone sheet, thermally conductive grease sheet, and thermally conductive gel sheet.

9. The vehicle camera module of claim 1, wherein, The vehicle-mounted camera module also includes a lens (5), which is detachably connected to the housing (1); the circuit board assembly (2) includes a photosensitive chip.

10. The vehicle camera module of claim 9, wherein, The lens (5) includes a plurality of lenses arranged in sequence, the lens closest to the image side is provided with a filter film, and the non-effective light area of ​​the lens is provided with a light-shielding layer.

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