On-vehicle camera

Abstract

To provide an imaging module capable of facilitating the assembling of components.SOLUTION: A disclosed imaging module is an imaging module consisting of multiple components that have a first component with high light transmittance and a second component with low light transmittance, and have a joint between the first component and the second component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle camera. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the increasing number of pixels in image sensors has made it possible to obtain high-quality images with image capture modules mounted on vehicles, etc. To obtain high-quality images, the assembly precision of the image capture module is also important. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 7,965,336 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5129352 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides an in-vehicle camera that allows easy assembly of components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The vehicle-mounted camera according to the present disclosure includes a lens barrel in which a lens is arranged, a sensor board having a first surface on the lens barrel side and a second surface opposite to the first surface, an image sensor provided on the sensor board, a board-mounted connector arranged on the second surface of the sensor board, a case that houses at least the sensor board, and a case connector that is configured to connect to an external cable, is connected to the board-mounted connector, and is arranged in a part of the case, and the case has a third surface opposite to the third surface and is disposed on the sensor board. a fourth surface facing at least a portion of the first surface of a plate, and a first end surface, a second end surface, a third end surface, and a fourth end surface disposed between the third surface and the fourth surface, the first member being a base of the lens barrel; a rectangular rear surface facing at least a portion of the second surface of the sensor board, on which the case connector is disposed, the rectangular rear surface having a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side; a first side wall extending from the first side of the rear surface toward the fourth surface of the first member; a second member including a second side wall portion extending toward the fourth surface, a third side wall portion extending from the third edge of the back portion toward the fourth surface of the first member, and a fourth side wall portion extending from the fourth edge of the back portion toward the fourth surface of the first member, wherein the first side wall portion of the second member includes a first outer surface, a first inner surface, and a first end portion opposite the back portion, and the second side wall portion of the second member includes a second outer surface, a second inner surface, and a second end portion opposite the back portion, and the third side wall portion of the second member the fourth sidewall portion of the second member has a fourth outer surface, a fourth inner surface, and a fourth end portion opposite the back portion, the fourth sidewall portion of the second member has a fourth outer surface, a fourth inner surface, and a fourth end portion opposite the back portion, at least a portion of the sensor substrate is disposed between the first inner surface of the first sidewall portion and the third inner surface of the third sidewall portion of the second member, at least a portion of the sensor substrate is disposed between the second inner surface of the second sidewall portion and the fourth inner surface of the fourth sidewall portion of the second member, and the fourth surface of the first member isthe case includes a first opposing portion opposing the first end portion of the first side wall portion of the second member, a second opposing portion opposing the second end portion of the second side wall portion of the second member, a third opposing portion opposing the third end portion of the third side wall portion of the second member, and a fourth opposing portion opposing the fourth end portion of the fourth side wall portion of the second member, and the case includes a first groove portion disposed across the first end face of the first member and the first outer surface of the first side wall portion of the second member, and a front groove portion disposed across the second end face of the first member and the front surface of the second side wall portion of the second member. a second groove portion disposed across the third end face of the first member and the third outer surface of the third side wall portion of the second member, a third groove portion disposed across the third end face of the first member and the third outer surface of the third side wall portion of the second member, and a fourth groove portion disposed across the fourth end face of the first member and the fourth outer surface of the fourth side wall portion of the second member, wherein the first groove portion, the second groove portion, the third groove portion, and the fourth groove portion are disposed continuously, the first groove portion comprises a first side surface portion, a second side surface portion opposing the first side surface portion, and a first bottom portion, and the second groove portion is disposed across the third side surface the third groove portion has a fifth side portion, a sixth side portion opposing the fifth side portion, and a third bottom portion, the fourth groove portion has a seventh side portion, an eighth side portion opposing the seventh side portion, and a fourth bottom portion, the case has a ring-shaped member disposed around the first groove portion, the second groove portion, the third groove portion, and the fourth groove portion, the first member and the second member of the case are light absorbing members made of resin that absorb laser light and generate heat, the ring-shaped member is a light-transmitting member made of resin that transmits the laser light, the ring-shaped member goes around at least the first bottom of the first groove portion, at least the second bottom of the second groove portion, at least the third bottom of the third groove portion, and at least the fourth bottom of the fourth groove portion, and is welded by the laser light, a first portion of the ring-shaped member arranged in the first groove portion and a light-absorbing member made of resin that absorbs the laser light and generates heat are arranged between the first portion of the ring-shaped member and the image sensor, and a second portion of the ring-shaped member arranged in the second groove portion;a resin light absorbing member that absorbs the laser light and generates heat is disposed between the imaging sensor, a resin light absorbing member that absorbs the laser light and generates heat is disposed between the third portion of the ring-shaped member disposed in the third groove portion and the imaging sensor, and a resin light absorbing member that absorbs the laser light and generates heat is disposed between the fourth portion of the ring-shaped member disposed in the fourth groove portion and the imaging sensor. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the vehicle-mounted camera according to the present disclosure, assembly of parts can be facilitated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an imaging module according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another example of the case shape of the imaging module according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a modified example of the method of assembling the imaging module according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration of the imaging module according to the embodiment (part 1). [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration of the imaging module according to the embodiment (part 2). [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration of the imaging module according to the embodiment (part 3). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration of the imaging module according to the embodiment (part 4). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of another configuration of the imaging module according to the embodiment (part 5). [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the configuration of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the configuration of FIG. 6 according to the embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an assembly procedure for various types of imaging modules according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an assembly procedure for various types of imaging modules according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an assembly procedure for various types of imaging modules according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an assembly procedure for various types of imaging modules according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an assembly procedure for various types of imaging modules according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the case where the lens barrel and the sensor substrate according to the embodiment are fixed to each other by laser welding. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an imaging module and an assembly method according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In particular, in recent years, in-vehicle cameras have been used for driving assistance, and the image quality of the imaging module directly affects the accuracy of the driving assistance, so the conditions for reliability testing have become stricter. For this reason, the imaging module of this embodiment is suitable for an in-vehicle camera.

[0009] (Embodiment) In this embodiment, the imaging module refers to a module in which an imaging sensor is combined with optical components and the like.

[0010] The imaging sensor is an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) having an imaging element.

[0011] An optical component is a component that constitutes part or all of an optical system. A lens barrel is an example of an optical component, and is a support cylinder in which an optical lens is arranged. Some lens barrels also include an aperture, a shutter, or a zoom mechanism. A lens barrel may be configured to include some or all of these.

[0012] In the following, a configuration of an imaging module having a lens barrel, which is an optical component, an imaging sensor, and a connector for electrically wiring to the imaging sensor is shown, but the configuration of the imaging module is not limited to this. Replacements and additions to the configuration may be made.

[0013] The configuration of the imaging module and how to assemble the imaging module will be described below. Several embodiments will be described below, but when the same parts are described repeatedly, the same reference numerals will be used in the drawings and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0014] 1 shows an imaging module of this embodiment. A part of the outer diameter structure is shown in cross section so that the configuration can be understood. Imaging module 1 is divided into lens barrel 10, an imaging sensor provided on sensor board 11, and connector 12.

[0015] The sensor substrate 11 and the lens barrel 10 are fixed temporarily by applying adhesive 1000 to the sensor substrate 11 or the lens barrel 10 in advance, and after performing six-axis adjustment for focusing, they are fixed by irradiating UV light, and then fixed by applying heat for full hardening. The sensor substrate 11 and the lens barrel 10 may be fixed by other fixing means such as screws or solder.

[0016] With the sensor board 11 and the lens barrel 10 fixed in place, the following parts are joined together. "Joining" here refers to melting and joining parts. For example, it means melting and fusing resin parts. The part joined in this way is called the "joint."

[0017] The first part 101 and the second part 102 form a case that houses the lens barrel 10. The first part 101 is joined to the second part 102 that houses the lens barrel 10.

[0018] The third component 103 is a case of the connector 12. The third component 103 is joined to the second component 102. By joining the third component 103 to the second component 102, the board-mounted connector 11-1 of the sensor board 11 is electrically connected to the connector 12.

[0019] The imaging module 1 assembled in this manner is driven via electrical wiring 12-1 of the connector 12, and an image incident from the lens barrel 10 is focused on the imaging element of the sensor board 11, and the captured image is output via the electrical wiring 12-1. The connector 12 is a connector such as a communication cable that connects to a control device.

[0020] In this configuration, the portions to be joined are contact surface a1 between first part 101 and second part 102 and contact surface a2 between second part 102 and third part 103.

[0021] Contact surfaces a1 and a2 are the opposing surfaces of the parts. Even if there are parts that are not in contact strictly speaking, as long as they can be joined, they are considered to be contact surfaces and are called contact surfaces. The definition of contact surfaces is the same in other examples.

[0022] In this embodiment, the components are welded together by irradiating the contact surfaces with laser light, without using any adhesive.

[0023] Specifically, two opposing components are provided by a light-transmitting member and a light-absorbing member. The light-transmitting member and the light-absorbing member each exhibit different light transmittances for the laser light used. The light-transmitting member is a member that exhibits high light transmittance for the laser light used. The light-absorbing member is a member that exhibits low light transmittance for that laser light.

[0024] The laser light is irradiated from the light transmitting member side towards the light absorbing member. Strictly speaking, it is irradiated from the front side of the light transmitting member, aiming at the contact surface between the light transmitting member and the light absorbing member. With this method, the irradiated laser light passes through the light transmitting member and reaches the light absorbing member, where it is absorbed by the light absorbing member at the contact surface, generating heat. The heat generation melts the light absorbing member at the contact surface, and the components are welded (joined) at the contact surface.

[0025] Note that the laser light is just one example, and other irradiation means may be used as long as they are capable of welding the components together.

[0026] 1, a first component 101 is a light-transmitting member, a second component 102 is a light-absorbing member, and a third component 103 is a light-transmitting member.

[0027] The first component 101 and the second component 102 are joined by irradiating a laser beam from the surface of the first component 101 to a contact surface a1 with the second component 102.

[0028] In FIG. 1, the direction and range of laser light irradiation are indicated by arrows x1. The laser light is irradiated between the two arrows x1 that are lined up at the same location. Note that the irradiation position of the laser light may be shifted slightly between the two arrows x1. If necessary, the laser light may be irradiated while shifting the irradiation position between the two arrows x1 to widen the irradiation width.

[0029] Since the outer shape of the lens barrel 10 is circular, the contact surface a1 between the first part 101 and the second part 102 goes around the circle when viewed in plan from the light incident side, i.e., in the direction of the arrow x1 of the laser light. Since the contact surface a1 is configured along the outer circle of the lens barrel 10, the parts are joined by irradiating the entire contact surface with laser light. In the cross-sectional view of Fig. 1, only the left and right ends of the second part 102 located on one circumference of the entire contact surface are shown, so two arrows x1 are shown for each.

[0030] The joining of the other second component 102 and the third component 103 is performed by irradiating a laser beam from the surface of the third component 103 to a contact surface a2 with the second component 102. In Fig. 1, the irradiation direction of the laser beam is indicated by an arrow x2.

[0031] When the contact surface a2 between the second component 102 and the third component 103 is viewed from above toward the connector 12, i.e., in the direction of the laser light arrow x2, the edge of the opening of the second component 102 goes all the way around the sensor board 11. Since the contact surface a2 is formed around the sensor board 11, the components are joined by irradiating the entire contact surface with laser light. In the cross-sectional view of Fig. 1, only the left and right ends of the third component 103 located on one periphery of the entire contact surface are shown, so two arrows x2 are shown for each.

[0032] When joining parts, the laser light may be irradiated to each contact surface by fixing the irradiation direction of the laser head and rotating the parts, or the laser head may be moved to irradiate each contact surface with the laser light.

[0033] (Examples of laser light, light-transmitting member, and light-absorbing member) Here, an example of the relationship between the laser light, the light transmitting member, and the light absorbing member will be described.

[0034] <Materials> Resin material Materials suitable for laser welding include polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin and polyamide (PA) resin. The resin may contain a reinforcing agent such as a glass filler.

[0035] <Laser> A YAG (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) laser of 1060 to 1070 nm, which is a near-infrared light, can be used. Also, 949 nm (semiconductor laser) can be used.

[0036] <Resin transmittance> It is desirable to use resin (transmitting material) with a transmittance of 20% or more and absorbing material with an absorptance of 90% or more for the above laser light. However, this is not always the case depending on the combination of the irradiation conditions of the laser light. In addition, even the transmitting material is colored so that visible light wavelengths are not transmitted, and the incidence of visible light into the vehicle-mounted camera is limited.

[0037] In this way, with the combination of members shown in this embodiment, it is possible to melt and bond the parts by irradiating them with laser light. Furthermore, after the light absorbing member is melted by irradiating them with laser light, the members are pressed together to bond them together, thereby further enhancing adhesion. Since the light absorbing member is melted and bonded, it is possible to bond the contact surfaces neatly. This method is easy to assemble, and since no adhesive is used, it is possible to maintain reliability conditions even in harsh operating environments, and to continue using the imaging module with peace of mind for a long period of time.

[0038] (Deformation of the case shape of the imaging module 1) Fig. 2 shows an example of a cross section of the imaging module of the present embodiment when the case shape is modified. The imaging module 1 in Fig. 2 is an example of a case in which the third component 103 has an outer shape wider than the aperture of the second component 102 when viewed in plan from the connector 12 side.

[0039] In this case, assembly is performed in the same manner as in Figure 1, but because the third part 103 has an outer diameter wider than the aperture of the second part 102, there is the freedom to move the third part 103 up, down, left, and right before joining while fitting the connector 12 into the board-mounted connector 11-1, making it easier to connect to the board-mounted connector 11-1.

[0040] (Modification of the method of assembling the imaging module 1) Fig. 3 shows a modified example of the method of assembling the imaging module 1. The imaging module 1 in Fig. 3 is configured in such a way that the assembly of the first part 201 and the second part 202, and the assembly of the second part 202 and the third part 203 are performed using a fourth part 204.

[0041] The first component 201, the second component 202, and the third component 203 are all made of a light absorbing material, and the fourth component 204 is made of a light transmitting material, and these components are joined together.

[0042] 3, the first part 201 and the second part 202 have cutouts b11 and b12, respectively. By combining the first part 201 and the second part 202, the cutout b11 of the first part 201 and the cutout b12 of the second part 202 form a groove in which the fourth part 204-1 fits.

[0043] The groove formed by the notch b11 of the first component 201 and the notch b12 of the second component 202 goes all the way around the outer shape of the lens barrel 10. The fourth component 204-1 is fitted into the groove along the outer shape of the lens barrel 10.

[0044] The fourth part 204-1 may be a ring-shaped part that fits entirely into the groove, or may be a divided part that is divided along the groove to fill it.

[0045] When the fourth part 204-1 is a ring-shaped part, the assembly is performed by fitting the ring-shaped fourth part 204-1 into one of the notches (notch b11 or notch b12) of the first part 201 and the second part 202, and then joining the first part 201 and the second part 202.

[0046] Similarly, the second part 202 and the third part 203 also have cutouts b13 and b14 corresponding to the fourth part 204-2. By joining the second part 202 and the third part 203, the cutout b13 of the second part 202 and the cutout b14 of the third part 203 form a groove in which the fourth part 204-2 fits. The groove goes all the way around the outer shape of the opening of the second part 202. The fourth part 204-2 is fitted into the groove along the outer shape of the opening.

[0047] The assembly method when the fourth part 204-2 is a ring-shaped part is similar to that described above, in which the ring-shaped fourth part 204-2 is fitted into one of the notches (notch b13 or notch b14) of the second part 202 and the third part 203, and then the second part 202 and the third part 203 are joined together.

[0048] The first part 201 and the second part 202 are joined together, and the second part 202 and the third part 203 are joined together by irradiating a laser beam onto the fourth part 204 (fourth part 204-1 and fourth part 204-2, respectively). The laser beams are irradiated in the directions indicated by the arrows x3 and x4 in FIG. 3. That is, the first part 201 and the second part 202 are joined together by irradiating the entire surface of the fourth part 204-1 from the outer periphery of the lens barrel 10, and the second part 202 and the third part 203 are joined together by irradiating the entire surface of the fourth part 204-2 from the outer periphery of the opening of the second part 202. By irradiating the laser beam in this manner, the first part 201 and the second part 202 are melted to weld the parts together, and the second part 202 and the third part 203 are melted to weld the parts together.

[0049] 4 to 8 are diagrams showing an example of another embodiment of the imaging module, in which a lens barrel 10 and connecting parts, that is, a board-mounted connector 11-1 and a connector 12, are joined together.

[0050] 4, the base of lens barrel 10 is a first component 301, and the connecting component between board-mounted connector 11-1 and connector 12 is a second component 302. Imaging module 1 is configured by joining first component 301 and second component 302.

[0051] The sensor substrate 11 and the base of the lens barrel 10 are fixed to each other by applying adhesive 1000 to the sensor substrate 11 or the base of the lens barrel 10 in advance, and after performing six-axis adjustment for focusing, the adhesive is temporarily fixed by UV light irradiation, and then fixed by applying heat for full hardening. The adhesive 1000 is applied to the sensor substrate 11 or the base of the lens barrel 10 at two or more locations. In the case of a rectangular configuration, the adhesive is applied to two or more locations out of the four corners. Therefore, the sensor substrate 11 and the base of the lens barrel 10 are fixed to each other at two or more locations. Note that the fixing means for fixing the sensor substrate 11 and the base of the lens barrel 10 is not limited to the adhesive 1000, and other fixing means such as screws or solder may be used.

[0052] The base (first part 301) of lens barrel 10 is a part that is sized so that its edge comes into contact with the inner surface of second part 302 at the opening of second part 302.

[0053] The second component 302 is open on the side where the first component 301 is assembled (called the front side), has an internal storage space for storing the sensor board 11, and has a hole on the rear surface for connecting the board-mounted connector 11-1 of the sensor board 11 to the connector 12.

[0054] In this configuration, the portion to be joined is contact surface a11 between the edge of first component 301 and the inner surface of the opening of second component 302. A light absorbing material is used for first component 301, and a light transmitting material is used for second component 302. Laser light is irradiated from the front surface side of the light transmitting material, aiming at contact surface a11 between the light transmitting material and the light absorbing material.

[0055] The laser light is irradiated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4. The laser light irradiation method is appropriately applied from the methods described above. The contact surface a11 between the first part 301 and the second part 302 goes around the lens barrel 10. Therefore, as described above, the laser light is irradiated to the entire contact surface.

[0056] With this configuration, the imaging module 1 can be constructed by joining the first component 301 and the second component 302. The number of components is small, and assembly is easy.

[0057] 5, the base (first part 401) of lens barrel 10 is a part that is the same size as the outer periphery of second part 402 on the opening side of second part 402. The other parts are the same as those in FIG.

[0058] In this configuration, the portion to be joined is a contact surface a12 between the edge of first part 401 and the outer periphery of the opening of second part 402. First part 401 is made of a light-transmitting material, and second part 402 is made of a light-absorbing material.

[0059] The laser light is irradiated in the irradiation direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 5. Since contact surface a12 between first part 401 and second part 402 goes around lens barrel 10, contact surface a12 around lens barrel 10 is irradiated with laser light.

[0060] The configuration shown in Fig. 6 is a configuration in which joining is performed with a third part. The shapes of the first part 501 and the second part 502 are the same as those of the first part 301 and the second part 302 shown in Fig. 4, respectively. The third part 503 is disposed so as to cover the edge of the contact surface a11 between the first part 501 and the second part 502 from the direction of irradiation of the laser light and to come into contact with the first part 501 and the second part 502. The third part 503 is shaped to cover, for example, the base of the lens barrel 10 from above, and has a hole exposing the cylindrical part to the outside at a position corresponding to the cylindrical part of the main body excluding the base of the lens barrel 10.

[0061] In the configuration shown in FIG. 6, a first component 501 and a second component 502 are made of a light absorbing material, and a third component 503 is made of a light transmitting material.

[0062] A laser beam is irradiated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 6. The laser beam is irradiated to the third component 503 to melt a contact surface a10-1 with the first component 501 and a contact surface a10-2 with the second component 502, thereby welding the first component 501, the second component 502, and the third component 503 together.

[0063] The configuration shown in FIG. 7 is another configuration in which joining is performed with a third component. The first component 601 and the second component 602 correspond to the first component 401 and the second component 402 shown in FIG. 5, respectively, in which a notch portion that serves as a groove is provided. The groove is provided so as to include the contact surface a12 of the first component 601 and the second component 602. The configuration of the notch portion is the same as that shown in FIG. 3. The third component 603 and the groove correspond to the fourth component 204 and the groove shown in FIG. 3. In this configuration, a light absorbing material is used for the first component 601 and the second component 602, and a light transmitting material is used for the third component 603.

[0064] The laser beam is irradiated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 7. The laser beam is irradiated to the third component 603 in a manner similar to the manner in which the laser beam is irradiated to the fourth component 204 shown in Fig. 3, and the first component 601, the second component 602, and the third component 603 are welded together.

[0065] The configuration shown in Fig. 8 is a configuration in which a light-transmitting material is used for the entire lens barrel 10. The shapes of a first part 701 and a second part 702 are similar to those of the first part 301 and the second part 302 shown in Fig. 4, respectively. A third part 703 is the lens barrel 10.

[0066] In this example, the sensor board 11 is fixed to the first component 701 by a screw 1100, but it may be fixed by other fixing means such as adhesive or solder.

[0067] 8, a light absorbing material is used for the first component 701, and a light transmitting material is used for the second component 702. Also, a light transmitting material is used for the third component 703.

[0068] Laser light is irradiated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 8. In this configuration, joining is performed at two locations: contact surface a11 between first part 701 and second part 702, and contact surface a13 between first part 701 and third part 703.

[0069] The method of irradiating the contact surface a11 between the first part 701 and the second part 702 with laser light is the same as in Fig. 4. For the contact surface a13 between the first part 701 and the third part 703, the edge of the base of the third part 703 is used to irradiate the laser light toward the contact surface a13 between the first part 701 and the third part 703. As shown in Fig. 8, the laser light is irradiated from an oblique direction toward the inner contact surface a13, but the irradiation direction may be determined appropriately. It is sufficient that the area where the first part 701 and the third part 703 are joined is irradiated.

[0070] 8, in order to join the lens barrel 10, the gap between the edge of the base of the lens barrel 10 and the first part 701 is filled with a sealant 2000 to waterproof the gap and prevent moisture from entering. Note that sealing means other than a sealant may be used as long as it can seal the gap. Sealing materials and other materials that perform sealing are collectively referred to as a sealant.

[0071] (Specific implementation of each form) A more specific example will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is an exploded view of the configuration in the case where the configuration in Fig. 4 or Fig. 5 is applied. Fig. 10 is an exploded view of the configuration in the case where the configuration in Fig. 6 is applied.

[0072] Fig. 9 will be described using the configuration in Fig. 4 as an example. In the example shown in Fig. 9, a base for a first part 301 is configured in lens barrel 10. A light absorbing material is used for first part 301, and a light transmitting material is used for second part 302.

[0073] In the example shown in FIG. 9, first, the sensor substrate 11 and the lens barrel 10 are fixed at two or more points with the adhesive 1000. In this example, the adhesive 1000 is applied in advance to the sensor substrate 11 or the base of the lens barrel 10, and after performing six-axis adjustment for focusing, the adhesive 1000 is temporarily fixed by UV light irradiation, and then fixed by applying heat for full hardening. The adhesive 1000 is applied to two or more of the four corners. In this embodiment, the heat dissipation member 13 is further attached to the back side of the sensor substrate 11. Then, the first part 301 is placed so as to contact the inner surface of the opening of the second part 302, and a laser beam is irradiated to the contact surface between the rectangular edge of the first part 301 and the inner surface of the opening of the second part 302. Note that a protrusion for holding the first part 301 for alignment may be provided on the inner surface of the second part 302.

[0074] In the example shown in FIG. 10, the first part 501 and the second part 502 are made of light absorbing materials, the third part 503 is made of a light transmitting material, and the third part 503 is irradiated with laser light. The assembly procedure is as follows: first, the sensor substrate 11 and the lens barrel 10 are fixed at two or more points with the adhesive 1000. In this example, the adhesive 1000 is applied in advance to the sensor substrate 11 or the base of the lens barrel 10, and after performing six-axis adjustment for focusing, they are temporarily fixed by irradiation with UV light, and then fixed by applying heat for full hardening. The adhesive 1000 is applied to two or more of the four corners. In this embodiment, the heat dissipation member 13 is further attached to the back side of the sensor substrate 11. Then, the first part 501 is arranged so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the opening of the second part 502, and the third part 503 is further arranged. The laser light is irradiated toward the surface of the third part 503.

[0075] Note that a positioning protrusion may be provided on the inner surface of second component 502 so that the contact surface of first component 501 and the contact surface of second component 502 are at the same height.

[0076] Furthermore, the assembly procedure is not limited to this. For example, the first component 501 and the third component 503 may be welded together by irradiation of a laser beam, and then the welded third component 503 may be placed on the second component 502 and irradiated with a laser beam.

[0077] 11 to 15 show various types of assembling procedures for the imaging module. Each arrow shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 15 indicates the irradiation direction of the laser light. As described above, the laser light is irradiated from the light transmitting member side, aiming at the contact surface between the light transmitting member and the light absorbing member. Therefore, although not specifically described below, the member indicated by each arrow is the light absorbing member, and the member located on the front side in the direction of the arrow is the light transmitting member.

[0078] The imaging module 1 shown in FIG. 11 has a heat dissipation material 13 between two substrates 11, and the periphery of the substrates 11 is covered with a shield plate .

[0079] First, the first part 801 and the second part 802 are bonded together (step S1). Next, the second part 802 and the third part 803 are bonded together (step S2). After that, the sensor board 11 provided with the shield plate 14 is attached to the lens barrel 10 side. Next, the fourth part 804 and the fifth part 805 are bonded together (step S3). Then, the third part 803 and the fourth part 804 are bonded together (step 4).

[0080] The imaging module 1 shown in Fig. 12 is assembled as follows. First, the first part 811 and the second part 812 are bonded together (step S11). Next, the first part 811 and the third part 813 are bonded together (step S12). After that, the sensor board 11 provided with the shield plate 14 is adhered to the lens barrel 10 side. Next, the fourth part 814 and the fifth part 815 are bonded together (step S13). Then, the third part 813 and the fourth part 814 are bonded together (step S14).

[0081] The imaging module 1 shown in Fig. 13 is assembled as follows. First, the first part 821 and the second part 822 are bonded together (step S21). After that, the sensor board 11 provided with the shield plate 14 is attached to the lens barrel 10 side. Next, the third part 823 and the second part 822 are bonded together (step S22). Then, the fourth part 824 and the third part 823 are bonded together (step S23). Note that the order of steps S22 and S23 may be reversed.

[0082] The imaging module 1 shown in Fig. 14 is assembled as follows. It is assumed that the sensor board 11 with the shield plate 14 provided on the lens barrel 10 side is adhered. First, the second component 832 and the third component 833 are joined (step S31). Next, the board-mounted connector 11-1 and the connector 12 are connected, and the first component 831 and the second component 832 are joined (step S32).

[0083] The imaging module 1 shown in Fig. 15 is assembled as follows. It is assumed that the sensor board 11 with the shield plate 14 provided on the lens barrel 10 side is adhered. First, the second component 842 and the third component 843 are joined (step S41). Next, the board-mounted connector 11-1 and the connector 12 are connected, and the first component 841 and the second component 842 are joined (step S42).

[0084] In this way, although the assembly method differs depending on the configuration, assembly can be easily performed by irradiating laser light.

[0085] (Method of Fixing Lens Barrel 10 and Sensor Board 11) Up to this point, the lens barrel 10 and the sensor board 11 have been described as being fixed together using fixing means such as adhesive, screws, solder, etc., but they may also be fixed together by laser welding.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 16, the lens barrel 10 is positioned on the sensor board 11 by adjusting the six axes of focus, and laser light is simultaneously irradiated from the laser heads 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 arranged with the target positions shifted from the laser device main body 2, and the three target points are fixed by laser welding. As an example, Fig. 16 shows that the laser heads 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 simultaneously irradiate the edge of the lens barrel 10 with laser light, aiming at positions of 0°, 120°, and 240° out of the surrounding 360°. In this way, by irradiating the laser light simultaneously and welding the three points, axial shake between the sensor surface and the optical system is suppressed, and blurring of the image is suppressed.

[0087] In this example, the laser light is irradiated to three points at intervals of 120°, but the number of points to be irradiated is not limited to three. The number of points to be irradiated may be increased to three or more as long as the intervals around the optical axis are uniform, such as 30°.

[0088] By welding simultaneously from three directions in this way, it is possible to eliminate focus deviation and maintain image quality for a long period of time. In particular, welding is optimal for improving reliability and eliminating focus deviation. Lens adjustment requires adjustment and fixing in 1 μm increments, but simply fixing by irradiating a laser results in movement in 100 μm increments and cannot be used for lens fixing. As in this embodiment, by irradiating a laser beam of the same intensity from three directions branching at 120°, fixing in 1 μm increments is possible.

[0089] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1...imaging module, 10...lens barrel, 11...sensor board, 12...connector, 101...first part (first member), 102...second part (second member), a1...contact surface (joint), a2...contact surface (joint).

Claims

1. a lens barrel in which a lens is disposed; a sensor substrate including a first surface on the lens barrel side and a second surface opposite to the first surface; an image sensor provided on the sensor substrate; a board mounted connector disposed on the second surface of the sensor substrate; a case that accommodates at least the sensor substrate; a case connector configured to connect to an external cable, connected to the board mounted connector, and disposed in a portion of the case; The case is The third aspect, a fourth surface opposite the third surface and facing at least a portion of the first surface of the sensor substrate; a first member that is a base of the lens barrel, the first member including a first end surface, a second end surface, a third end surface, and a fourth end surface that are disposed between the third surface and the fourth surface; a rear surface portion having a rectangular shape and including a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, the rear surface portion facing at least a portion of the second surface of the sensor board, the case connector being disposed thereon, a first sidewall portion extending from the first side of the back surface portion toward the fourth surface of the first member; a second sidewall portion extending from the second side of the back surface portion toward the fourth surface of the first member; a third side wall portion extending from the third side of the back surface portion toward the fourth surface of the first member; a second member including a fourth side wall portion extending from the fourth side of the back surface portion toward the fourth surface of the first member; Equipped with the first sidewall portion of the second member includes a first outer surface, a first inner surface, and a first end opposite the back surface; the second sidewall portion of the second member includes a second outer surface, a second inner surface, and a second end opposite the back surface; the third sidewall portion of the second member includes a third outer surface, a third inner surface, and a third end opposite the back surface; the fourth sidewall portion of the second member includes a fourth outer surface, a fourth inner surface, and a fourth end opposite the back surface; at least a portion of the sensor substrate is disposed between the first inner surface of the first sidewall portion of the second member and the third inner surface of the third sidewall portion of the second member; at least a portion of the sensor substrate is disposed between the second inner surface of the second sidewall portion of the second member and the fourth inner surface of the fourth sidewall portion of the second member; The fourth surface of the first member is a first opposing portion opposing the first end portion of the first side wall portion of the second member; a second opposing portion opposing the second end portion of the second side wall portion of the second member; a third opposing portion opposing the third end portion of the third side wall portion of the second member; a fourth opposing portion opposing the fourth end portion of the fourth side wall portion of the second member, The case is a first groove portion disposed across the first end surface of the first member and the first outer surface of the first side wall portion of the second member; a second groove portion disposed across the second end surface of the first member and the second outer surface of the second side wall portion of the second member; a third groove portion disposed across the third end surface of the first member and the third outer surface of the third side wall portion of the second member; a fourth groove portion disposed across the fourth end surface of the first member and the fourth outer surface of the fourth side wall portion of the second member, the first groove portion, the second groove portion, the third groove portion, and the fourth groove portion are arranged in succession; The first groove portion includes a first side portion, a second side portion opposite to the first side portion, and a first bottom portion, the second groove portion includes a third side portion, a fourth side portion opposing the third side portion, and a second bottom portion, the third groove portion includes a fifth side portion, a sixth side portion opposite to the fifth side portion, and a third bottom portion, the fourth groove portion includes a seventh side portion, an eighth side portion opposite the seventh side portion, and a fourth bottom portion, the case includes a ring-shaped member disposed around the first groove portion, the second groove portion, the third groove portion, and the fourth groove portion; the first member and the second member of the case are light absorbing members made of resin that absorb laser light and generate heat, the ring-shaped member is a light-transmitting member made of resin that transmits the laser light, the ring-shaped member is welded by the laser beam around at least the first bottom of the first groove portion, at least the second bottom of the second groove portion, at least the third bottom of the third groove portion, and at least the fourth bottom of the fourth groove portion; a light absorbing member made of resin that absorbs the laser light and generates heat is disposed between the first portion of the ring-shaped member disposed in the first groove portion and the image sensor; a light absorbing member made of resin that absorbs the laser light and generates heat is disposed between the second portion of the ring-shaped member disposed in the second groove portion and the image sensor; a light absorbing member made of resin that absorbs the laser light and generates heat is disposed between the third portion of the ring-shaped member disposed in the third groove portion and the image sensor; a light absorbing member made of resin that absorbs the laser light and generates heat is disposed between the fourth portion of the ring-shaped member disposed in the fourth groove portion and the image sensor; In-car camera.

2. a sealant is provided between the lens barrel and the first member of the case; The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1 .

3. the first member of the case and the lens barrel are joined at equal intervals around the optical axis of the lens barrel; 3. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the sensor substrate and the lens barrel are fixed by a fixing means, The number of points fixed by the fixing means is two or more.

3. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The fixing means is at least one of an adhesive, a screw, or a solder. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 4.

6. the transmittance of the light absorbing member with respect to the laser light is less than 10%, The transmittance of the light transmitting member with respect to the laser light is 20% or more. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1 .

Images