In-car camera

Abstract

Ensure the shielding performance of in-vehicle cameras. [Solution] The in-vehicle camera comprises a lens unit 30 having at least one lens, a circuit board 40 having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, with an end surface between the first and second surfaces, an image sensor 41 mounted on the first surface of the circuit board and positioned on the optical axis of the lens, a housing that supports the lens unit and houses at least the circuit board and the image sensor, a first metal shield 70 surrounding the circuit board in the internal space of the housing and positioned opposite the second surface of the circuit board, and a second metal shield 90 positioned opposite the first surface of the circuit board, wherein the first shield surrounds the circuit board and is formed continuously by using aperture processing or the like, the second shield has contacts to ensure electrical connection with the first shield, and the second shield works together with the first shield to shield the internal space of the housing from the outside and constitute an electrically closed space.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the demands for improving vehicle safety and introducing autonomous driving functions, the development of in-vehicle cameras mounted on vehicles to photograph the inside and outside of the vehicle has become active (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 10).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Patent Document 7

Patent Document 8

Patent Document 9

Patent Document 10

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The demands placed on vehicles regarding safety, autonomous driving functions, and other related aspects are constantly increasing, and further performance improvements are also required for in-vehicle cameras.

[0005] This disclosure relates to a technology for providing a new in-vehicle camera. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This disclosure relates to a lens unit having at least one lens; a circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, with an end face between the first surface and the second surface; an image sensor mounted on the first surface of the circuit board and positioned on the optical axis of the at least one lens; a housing supporting the lens unit and housing at least the circuit board and the image sensor; a first metal shield surrounding the circuit board in the internal space of the housing, with a portion of it facing the second surface of the circuit board; and a portion of it facing the first surface of the circuit board. The circuit board comprises a second metal shield arranged in such a manner, wherein the circuit board has a first shape in plan view having at least a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, the end face of the circuit board comprises at least a first end face corresponding to the first side, a second end face corresponding to the second side, a third end face corresponding to the third side, and a fourth end face corresponding to the fourth side, the first shield is arranged facing the second surface of the circuit board and has a third bottom surface having a second shape in plan view having at least a fifth side, a sixth side, a seventh side, and an eighth side, and the third bottom surface The circuit board comprises a first side portion arranged toward the circuit board corresponding to the fifth side, a second side portion arranged toward the circuit board corresponding to the sixth side of the third bottom portion, a third side portion arranged toward the circuit board corresponding to the seventh side of the third bottom portion, and a fourth side portion arranged toward the circuit board corresponding to the eighth side of the third bottom portion, wherein the first end face of the circuit board faces the first side portion of the first shield, the second end face of the circuit board faces the second side portion of the first shield, and the third end face of the circuit board is The fourth end face of the circuit board faces the fourth side surface of the first shield, and the second shield has a fifth shape having at least a ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth side in plan view, and includes a hole corresponding to the image sensor mounted on the first surface of the circuit board, with at least the first side surface, second side surface, third side surface, fourth side surface, and third bottom surface of the first shield being formed by a continuous curved surface, and the second shield has a ninth side,The present invention provides an in-vehicle camera comprising: a first contact electrically connected to the first side portion of the first shield; a second contact electrically connected to the second side portion of the first shield on the tenth side; a third contact electrically connected to the third side portion of the first shield on the eleventh side; and a fourth contact electrically connected to the fourth side portion of the first shield on the twelfth side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, an in-vehicle camera that can be manufactured at low cost while ensuring excellent imaging performance is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1A] Top perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment [Figure 1B] Lower perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment [Figure 2] Exploded perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] Top view of an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment [Figure 3B] Figure 3A shows the state with the ring member removed. [Figure 4A] Cross-sectional view along line II in Figure 3A [Figure 4B] Enlarged view of the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 4A. [Figure 5A] Cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 3A [Figure 5B] Enlarged view of the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 5A. [Figure 6A] A schematic diagram showing the welded state obtained by laser welding with the melting depth of the two welded ribs set to 0.16 mm. [Figure 6B] A schematic diagram showing the welded state obtained by laser welding with the melting depth of two welded ribs set to 0.25 mm. [Figure 7A] Perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to the second embodiment [Figure 7B] Top view of an in-vehicle camera according to the second embodiment [Figure 7C] Arrow view along line III-III in FIG. 7B [Figure 7D] Arrow view along line IV-IV in FIG. 7C [Figure 7E] Top view of the in-vehicle camera seen from directly above the circuit board [Figure 7F] Top view of the state where the circuit board is removed from FIG. 7E [Figure 8A] Perspective view of the first shield used in the in-vehicle camera according to the second embodiment, seen from above [Figure 8B] Perspective view of the first shield seen from below [Figure 8C] Top view of the first shield [Figure 8D] Side view of the first shield [Figure 8E] Cross-sectional view along line VI-VI in FIG. 7F, showing the state where the connector fixes the housing and the first shield [Figure 9] Perspective view of the shield formed by bending a metal plate [Figure 10A] Arrow view along line V-V in FIG. 7C [Figure 10B] Perspective view of the second shield seen from above [Figure 10C] Side view of the second shield [Figure 10D] Perspective view of the assembly of the lens unit and the second shield seen from below [Figure 11] Graph showing the results of measuring the EMI inside the housing with respect to frequency for three types of in-vehicle cameras [Figure 12] Top view of a vehicle as an example, with an in-vehicle camera mounted [Figure 13] Another example of a vehicle, a schematic view of the passenger compartment of a vehicle with an in-vehicle camera mounted [Figure 14] Top view of the vehicle in FIG. 13 [Figure 15A] Perspective view of a modified example of the second shield seen from above [Figure 15B] Side view of a modified example of the second shield [Figure 15C]Perspective view of the assembly of a modified lens unit and second shield, seen from below. [Figure 15D] Side view of the lens unit, modified second shield, and circuit board assembly. [Figure 16A] A top view showing the curvature of each curved end face in the second shield. [Figure 16B] A modified example of the second shield, showing the curvature of each curved end face (top view). [Figure 17] A top view showing the curvature of each curved side surface in the first shield. [Figure 18] A top view showing the curvature of each corner surface of a circuit board. [Figure 19] Block diagram showing an example of the connection of an in-vehicle camera, camera ECU, and display installed in the vehicle shown in Figure 12. [Figure 20] Block diagram showing an example of the connection of an in-vehicle camera, camera ECU, and display unit installed in the vehicle shown in Figure 13. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes in detail embodiments of the in-vehicle camera disclosed herein, with appropriate reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following explanation are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter of the claims.

[0010] (Vehicles equipped with onboard cameras) Figure 12 shows an example of a vehicle, a top view of a vehicle equipped with onboard cameras. Vehicle V is equipped with onboard cameras 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D. Onboard camera 100A is a front camera, onboard camera 100B is a rear camera, onboard camera 100C is a right side camera, and onboard camera 100D is a left side camera. Onboard cameras 100A to 100D are wide-angle cameras with a field of view of approximately 180°, for example, and are positioned to capture images of the entire circumference of vehicle V.

[0011] For example, the in-vehicle camera 100A is mounted on the front grille of vehicle V and captures images of the area in front of the vehicle in a direction that looks diagonally downwards relative to the ground. The in-vehicle camera 100B is mounted on the roof spoiler of vehicle V and captures images of the area behind the vehicle in a direction that looks diagonally downwards relative to the ground. The in-vehicle cameras 100C and 100D are each mounted on the side mirrors of vehicle V and capture images of the area to the side of the vehicle in a direction that looks diagonally downwards relative to the ground.

[0012] Figure 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the connection between the in-vehicle cameras 100A-100D, the camera ECU 110, and the display 7 installed in the vehicle V shown in Figure 12. The camera ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 110 shown in Figure 19 synthesizes the images captured by the in-vehicle cameras 100A-100D and displays the synthesized image on the display 7 of the navigation system located on the instrument panel, for example. The occupants can view the display 7 to check the situation around the vehicle V.

[0013] Figure 13 is another example of a vehicle, a schematic diagram of the passenger compartment of a vehicle equipped with an on-board camera, and Figure 14 is a top view of the vehicle in Figure 13. Vehicle V is the front part of the passenger compartment 2 between the driver's seat 3 and the passenger seat 4, and is equipped with a display unit 5 (e.g., an electronic rearview mirror) at the mounting position of the rearview mirror. Furthermore, vehicle V is equipped with an on-board camera 100 at the rear of the vehicle body. Figure 20 is a block diagram showing an example of the connection of the on-board camera 100, camera ECU 111 and display unit 5 installed in vehicle V shown in Figure 13. The camera ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 111 shown in Figure 20 processes the image captured by the on-board camera 100, and the display unit 5 displays the image. The occupant can check the situation behind vehicle V by looking at the display unit 5.

[0014] (First Embodiment) Figure 1A is a top perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 1B is a bottom perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3A is a top view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment, and Figure 3B is a view of Figure 3A with the ring member 20, which will be described later, removed. Note that a coordinate system including the X-axis along one side of the in-vehicle camera 100, the Y-axis perpendicular to this X-axis and along the other side of the in-vehicle camera 100, and the Z-axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes and along the height direction of the in-vehicle camera 100 will be defined and used in the following explanation.

[0015] As shown in Figures 12 to 14, the in-vehicle camera 100 is a camera that is installed on the front and rear ends and left and right sides of the vehicle body to photograph (image capture) the interior and exterior of the vehicle body. In recent years, the development of in-vehicle cameras 100 has become active in response to the demands for improved vehicle safety and the introduction of autonomous driving functions.

[0016] The in-vehicle camera 100 of this embodiment comprises a cap 10, a ring member 20, a lens unit 30, a circuit board 40, an image sensor 41, a heat conductive member 50 (see Figure 2), and a housing 60. The cap 10 is attached to the ring member 20 and is a member that protects the lens unit 30. In Figure 3A, the cap 10 is not shown.

[0017] The ring member 20 is composed of a rectangular, annular, flat plate-shaped member in a plan view (a line of sight to the in-vehicle camera 200 along the XY plane perpendicular to the Z axis, the same applies hereinafter), and is welded to the lens unit 30 and the housing 60 by laser welding. The inner circumferential surface of the ring member 20 faces the outer circumferential surface of the first cylindrical portion 37 (see below) that constitutes the lens barrel 31 of the lens unit 30. The inner diameter of the ring member 20 is long enough to allow the first cylindrical portion 37 (lens barrel 31) of the lens unit 30 to be inserted.

[0018] The ring member 20 is formed from a first resin having a predetermined light transmittance. The first resin consists of a material containing a light-transmitting resin. For example, the light-transmitting resin can be made from polyester resin, polyolefin resin, polyamide resin, vinyl chloride resin, fluororesin, etc. Polyethylene terephthalate (PBT) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used as polyester resins. Polyethylene and polypropylene can be used as polyolefin resins. One type of light-transmitting resin or multiple types may be used. Furthermore, if it is possible to achieve a transmission performance of a certain level or higher, the main light-transmitting resin may contain a coloring material, a filler, or both.

[0019] The first resin has a light transmittance of 20% or more for light with a wavelength of 1070 nm, which is the wavelength of laser light used in laser welding. Furthermore, the first resin has a light transmittance of 0% to 5% for light in the visible light wavelength range of 350 nm to 800 nm.

[0020] In this embodiment, the ring member 20 is a flat rectangular annular shape, but it is not limited to this, and any welded portion that is flat is acceptable. Therefore, it is not limited to polygons such as rectangular annular shapes, but may also be annular shapes other than circular annular shapes, such as circular annular shapes or elliptical annular shapes. Furthermore, the steps, thickness, etc. of the parts other than the welded portion do not need to be uniform.

[0021] The lens unit 30 comprises a cylindrical lens barrel 31, a first cylindrical portion 37 having a first cylindrical shape, and at least one lens (not shown) disposed inside the first cylindrical portion 37. The first cylindrical portion 37 is cylindrical and, inside the first cylindrical portion 37, holds, for example, a lens group consisting of multiple lenses. In the lens group, each lens is arranged so that its optical axis L (an axis extending perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 3A, and along the Z-axis) is aligned, and the lens group is used for imaging the inside and outside of the vehicle body.

[0022] The lens unit 30 has a flange-shaped portion 32 (see Figure 2) that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the first cylindrical portion 37. The flange portion 32 is positioned on the outside of the first cylindrical portion 37, extending outward around the optical axis L, and has a rectangular cross-section along the radial direction. The flange portion 32 is located near the opening of the internal space of the housing 60, which will be described later, and protrudes toward the inner circumferential surface of the housing side wall 67 (see Figure 2) of the housing 60. At least a portion of the flange portion 32 is joined to the housing 60 via a ring member 20. The relationship between the lens unit 30 and the housing 60 will be described later.

[0023] Furthermore, the flange portion 32 is positioned inward in the radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis L from the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the housing 60, which will be described later, and has a ring-shaped first surface 32a facing the image sensor 41 and a ring-shaped second surface 32b opposite to the first surface 32a.

[0024] At least the second surface 32b of the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 is formed of a second resin having first light-absorbing properties. The second resin consists of a material containing a light-absorbing resin. Examples of light-absorbing resins that can be used include polyamide resins, olefin resins, vinyl resins, styrene resins, acrylic resins, polyester resins, polycarbonate resins, polyarylate resins, polysulfone resins, polyphenylene oxide resins, polyethersulfone resins, and polyetherimide resins. One type of light-absorbing resin or multiple types may be used. Furthermore, the main light-absorbing resin may contain an absorbent or coloring material that absorbs laser light, or both.

[0025] The first light absorption of the second resin is, for example, a light absorption rate of 95% or more for light in the wavelength range of 350 nm to 1200 nm.

[0026] By constructing the second surface 32b of the flange portion 32 from the second resin, the transmission of light into the internal space can be reduced. In other words, the transmission of light from the outside of the in-vehicle camera 100 to the inside of the in-vehicle camera 100 can be reduced. Therefore, halation of the image sensor 41 due to transmitted light can be prevented. The entire flange portion 32 or the entire lens unit 30 may be formed from the second resin.

[0027] Furthermore, the lens unit 30 has a projection 33 that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis L of the lens of the lens unit 30 (in other words, radially) in order to position it relative to the housing 60. As shown in Figures 2 and 3B, the projection 33 is formed at the radial end of the flange portion 32. In this embodiment, the projection 33 includes five projections: 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, and 33e. These projections are formed on all four sides of the rectangular shape of the flange portion 32. Specifically, the three projections 33a, 33d, and 33e are formed on different sides of the flange portion 32, and the two projections 33b and 33c are formed on sides different from the sides on which projections 33a, 33d, and 33e are formed. Details of the projection 33 will be described later.

[0028] The circuit board 40 is arranged in the internal space of the housing 60 and has an image sensor 41 that captures light transmitted through the lens unit 30. The circuit board 40 has a first surface 40a and a second surface 40b opposite to the first surface 40a, and has an end surface 47 between the first surface 40a and the second surface 40b. However, two or more circuit boards may be provided.

[0029] The image sensor 41 is positioned on the optical axis L of at least one lens of the lens unit 30. The image sensor 41 is mounted on the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40, allowing external light to be easily guided to the image sensor 41. The image sensor 41 is sensitive to light in the wavelength range of, for example, 400 nm to 1000 nm.

[0030] The heat conductive member 50 is positioned adjacent to the circuit board 40 in the internal space of the housing 60 and plays the role of dissipating heat generated from electronic components such as the circuit board 40 to the outside. The heat conductive member 50 is made of a material having a predetermined thermal conductivity, such as a heat dissipation grease, silicone sheet, non-silicone sheet, or thermal conductive gel, but the type is not limited.

[0031] The housing 60 is a cylindrical member having an internal space, and it directly, and possibly indirectly, supports the lens unit 30, and serves to house at least the circuit board 40 and the image sensor 41. The housing 60 has a large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 having a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis L, and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 having a third cylindrical shape along the optical axis L. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 61, which constitutes the second cylindrical portion, has a larger cross-sectional area than the small-diameter cylindrical portion 62, which constitutes the third cylindrical portion, and both have a rectangular cross-section. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 houses the heat conductive member, at least the image sensor 41, inside. The small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 houses the connector 80, which secures electrical connection to the outside of the in-vehicle camera 100 (see Figure 4A). The large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 can be integrally molded using a resin, as described later, but pre-prepared individual large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 and small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 may be joined by welding or screw fastening. In this embodiment, the housing 60 is rectangular in shape, but it is not limited to this, and may be a polygonal cylindrical shape other than rectangular, a circular or elliptical cylindrical shape, or a cylindrical shape of any other shape.

[0032] Of the housing 60, the end face 63 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 (see Figures 2 and 3B), described later, is formed of a third resin having second light-absorbing properties. The third resin consists of a material containing a light-absorbing resin. Examples of light-absorbing resins that can be used include polyamide resins, olefin resins, vinyl resins, styrene resins, acrylic resins, polyester resins, polycarbonate resins, polyarylate resins, polysulfone resins, polyphenylene oxide resins, polyethersulfone resins, and polyetherimide resins. Note that one type or more types of light-absorbing resins may be used. Furthermore, the main light-absorbing resin may contain an absorbent or coloring material that absorbs laser light, or both.

[0033] The second light absorption of the third resin is, for example, a light absorption rate of 95% or more for light in the wavelength range of 350 nm to 1200 nm.

[0034] By constructing the housing 60 from a material containing a light-absorbing resin, the transmission of light into the internal space of the housing 60 can be reduced. In other words, the transmission of light from the outside of the in-vehicle camera 100 to the inside of the in-vehicle camera 100 can be reduced. Therefore, halation of the image sensor 41 due to transmitted light can be prevented. The entire large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 or the entire housing 60 may be formed from a third resin.

[0035] Furthermore, the in-vehicle camera 100 of this embodiment includes a metal shield 70 arranged to surround the circuit board 40 within the internal space of the housing 60. The shield 70 serves to shield electromagnetic waves coming from outside the housing 60 and electromagnetic waves radiated within the internal space. The shield 70 corresponds to the first shield 70 in the second embodiment, which will be described in the second embodiment.

[0036] Next, the welding method between the lens unit 30 and the housing 60 and the ring member 20, and the configuration of the welded portion will be described. Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view along line II in Figure 3A. Figure 4B is an enlarged view of the portion enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 4A. Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 3A. Figure 5B is an enlarged view of the portion enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 5A.

[0037] Figures 4A and 4B show the projection 33a of the lens unit 30. As shown in Figure 3B, the projection 33a abuts against the inner surface of the housing side wall 67 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the housing 60, and plays a role in positioning the lens unit 30 relative to the housing 60. Therefore, there is no gap between the lens unit 30 and the housing 60. On the other hand, in Figures 5A and 5B, the projection 33 of the lens unit 30 is not shown. A gap exists between the lens unit 30 and the housing 60. Note that in Figures 4A and 5A, the cap 10, circuit board 40, and heat conductive member 50 are omitted from the illustration. Also, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 of the housing 60 is shown shortened, with a portion of it omitted.

[0038] In this embodiment, the flange portion 32, which is the lower end of the lens unit 30, is positioned at the upper opening of the housing 60, and a part of this flange portion 32 is welded to the ring member 20 described above. The upper end of the housing 60 is also welded to the ring member 20, and as a result, the housing 60 and the lens unit 30 are assembled integrally via the ring member 20.

[0039] Figures 4B and 5B show the above configuration in detail. The lower surface of the ring member 20 and the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 are welded together. The flange portion 32 has a second surface 32b on its upper surface that faces the ring member 20. The second surface 32b is a surface in the region facing the ring member 20 in the optical axis direction and has a width W1 in the orthogonal direction.

[0040] Meanwhile, the lower surface of the ring member 20 and the upper end of the housing 60 (i.e., the upper end of the housing side wall 67) are welded together. The upper end of the housing 60 has an end face 63 that is welded to the ring member 20. The end face 63 is a surface in the region facing the ring member 20 in the optical axis direction and has a width W2 in the orthogonal direction.

[0041] In this embodiment, the lens unit 30 is positioned relative to the housing 60 such that its entirety lies inside the housing 60 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. In particular, the second surface 32b is positioned relative to the end surface 63 such that it lies inside the end surface 63 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0042] In a typical laser welding method, when a laser is shone onto a light-transmitting resin while pressure is applied to the resin, the laser is not absorbed by the light-transmitting resin but passes through it and is absorbed at the surface of the light-absorbing resin. The absorbed laser energy is converted into heat, heating the surface of the light-absorbing resin. Furthermore, due to heat conduction, the surface of the light-transmitting resin in contact with the surface of the light-absorbing resin is also heated. As a result, the resins melt at the interface between the light-absorbing resin and the light-transmitting resin. When the laser irradiation is stopped, the molten resin solidifies, and the two resins are welded together.

[0043] In a typical welding process between the lens unit 30 and housing 60 and the ring member 20, first, the ring member 20 is pressed against the second surface 32b of the lens unit 30 and a laser is irradiated to weld the lower surface of the ring member 20 to the second surface 32b. Then, the ring member 20 is pressed against the end surface 63 of the housing 60 and a laser is irradiated to weld the lower surface of the ring member 20 to the end surface 63.

[0044] However, because there are limits to the molding accuracy of the components (the molding accuracy of the resin material), it is difficult to mold the surface, second surface 32b, and end surface 63 of the ring member 20 to be perfectly flat, and a certain amount of waviness, unevenness, etc. will inevitably exist on at least one of the surfaces. For this reason, it is not easy to properly achieve laser welding between flat surfaces.

[0045] In this embodiment, a first welding rib 35 is formed in advance on the second surface 32b of the flange portion 32, which contacts the ring member 20, and a second welding rib 64 is formed in advance on the end surface 63, which also contacts the ring member 20. The first welding rib 35, like the second surface 32b, is made of a second resin having light-absorbing properties, protrudes in the opposite direction to the first surface 32a, and is arranged around the entire circumference of the flange portion 32 with respect to the optical axis L. The second welding rib 64, like the end surface 63 of the housing 60, is made of a third resin having second light-absorbing properties, protrudes along the direction of the optical axis L, and is arranged around the entire circumference of the end surface 63 with respect to the optical axis L. In this embodiment, the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 are made of protrusions with a rectangular cross-section, but the shape is not particularly limited.

[0046] During laser welding, the ring member 20 is welded to the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 by melting them with a predetermined amount of melting (for example, about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm). This makes it possible to achieve proper welding while suppressing the effects of the aforementioned undulations and irregularities.

[0047] However, the addition of these ribs creates another problem. In Figures 4B and 5B, the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 are shown in their original shape before laser welding. However, during laser welding, the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 melt and deform, generating so-called burrs (i.e., resin overflow) from the molten portion.

[0048] Burrs are an inevitable part of resin molding and welding, and they don't necessarily cause problems themselves. However, phenomena such as contact between burrs and other components, and thermal effects, can potentially cause problems.

[0049] In this embodiment in particular, two welding points are located close together in a narrow area. As a result, if the burr generated from the first welding rib 35 due to the previous welding spreads outward in the perpendicular direction and reaches the housing 60, it may hinder the welding between the ring member 20 and the end face 63, potentially resulting in a poor weld between the ring member 20 and the housing 60.

[0050] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first welding rib 35 is designed such that, at least during the welding of the first welding rib 35 and the ring member 20, the first burr generated from the first welding rib 35 does not reach the end face 63. This design is based on factors such as the position, external dimensions, volume, shape, resin type, welding temperature, and welding time of the first welding rib 35, but can be determined from welding results of multiple samples, simulations, etc. This ensures reliable welding regardless of the shape accuracy of the second surface 32b and the ring member 20, and suppresses the adverse effect of the first burr generated from the first welding rib 35 on the welding of the ring member 20 and the housing 60.

[0051] The above design is carried out at both positions shown in Figures 4B and 5B, but it is desirable to carry it out more strictly at the position where the first welding rib 35 and the projection 33a overlap, as shown in Figure 4B. As mentioned above, at the position in Figure 4B, the projection 33a is in contact with the inner surface of the housing side wall 67 of the housing 60, there is no gap between the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 and the inner surface of the housing side wall 67, and the space between the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 is closed. Therefore, there is no escape route for the first burr generated when the first welding rib 35 melts, and it is presumed that the first burr will easily reach the second welding rib 64 and the end face 63. Therefore, it is desirable to design the first welding rib 35 so that the first burr generated from the first welding rib 35 does not reach the end face 63 at the position where it overlaps with the projection 33. This prevents the first burr from easily reaching the end face 63 at the position where it overlaps with the projection 33.

[0052] With the above configuration, reliable welding is achieved regardless of the shape accuracy of the second surface 32b of the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 and the ring member 20, and the first burr generated from the first welding rib 35 can be suppressed from adversely affecting the welding between the ring member 20 and the housing 60, thereby improving the assembly accuracy of the in-vehicle camera 100.

[0053] In this case, since the second surface 32b is in contact with the end surface 63, the first burr does not protrude from the outer edge of the second surface 32b. Alternatively, the volume of the first burr generated by welding may be predicted, and the first welding rib 35 may be designed such that this volume is smaller than the space between the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3B, the projection 33 of the lens unit 30 includes five projections: 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, and 33e. These projections are formed on all four sides of the rectangular flange portion 32. The projection 33 may consist of at least three projections, a first projection, a second projection, and a third projection, each located on a different side of the flange portion 32. This allows the lens unit 30 to be stably fixed to the housing 60 by the three first, second, and third projections.

[0055] Furthermore, the projection 33 can be formed by ribs arranged along the optical axis L direction. This makes it easy to form the projection 33 when forming the lens unit 30.

[0056] On the other hand, at the position shown in Figure 5B, the projection 33 is absent, and a gap exists between the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 and the inner surface of the housing side wall 67, so the space between the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 is not closed. Therefore, the first burr generated when the first welding rib 35 melts can flow into the gap, and it is presumed that the first burr is less likely to reach the second welding rib 64 and the end face 63 compared to the position shown in Figure 4B. However, it is desirable to design the first welding rib 35 so that the first burr does not reach the end face 63 even at the position shown in Figure 5B.

[0057] As described above, there are various factors for designing the first welding rib 35, but a preferred example of the position of the first welding rib 35 is that the first welding rib 35 is located in an inner region on the second surface 32b in the radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4B and 5B, the radial center line P of the first welding rib 35 is located in an inner region on the second surface 32b, within the width W1 of the second surface 32b. This makes it difficult for the first burr generated from the first welding rib 35 to reach the end face 63. This configuration also includes a configuration in which the orthogonal inner surface of the first welding rib 35 coincides with the orthogonal inner end of the second surface 32b, as shown in Figure 5B.

[0058] Furthermore, a second welding rib 64 is formed on the upper end of the end face 63 of the housing 60, which contacts the ring member 20. When the second welding rib 64 is welded to the ring member 20, it is desirable to design the second welding rib 64 such that the second burr generated from the second welding rib does not reach the second surface 32b, especially in the position where it overlaps with the projection 33a as shown in Figure 4B. If the second burr generated from the second welding rib 64 reaches the end face 63 that has already been welded to the ring member 20, it may adversely affect the welding between the ring member 20 and the end face 63. This ensures reliable welding regardless of the shape accuracy of the end face 63 and the ring member 20, and suppresses the adverse effect of the second burr generated from the second welding rib 64 on the welding between the ring member 20 and the lens unit 30.

[0059] There are various factors to consider when designing the second welding rib 64, but a preferred example of the position of the second welding rib 64 is that it is located in an inner region on the end face 63 in the radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4B and 5B, the center line Q of the second welding rib 64 in the orthogonal direction is located in an inner region on the end face 63 within the width W2 of the end face 63. This prevents the second burr generated from the second welding rib 64 from protruding outside the housing 60. Furthermore, by adjusting the design of the second welding rib 64, it is also possible to prevent the second burr from reaching the end face 63. Note that this configuration also includes a configuration in which the inner surface of the second welding rib 64 in the orthogonal direction coincides with the inner end of the end face 63 in the orthogonal direction, as shown in Figure 5B.

[0060] Furthermore, it is desirable to adjust the second surface 32b and the end face 63 such that the second surface 32b of the lens unit 30 is located at a position relatively farther from the ring member 20 than the end face 63 of the housing 60. In the examples of Figures 4B and 5B, the second surface 32b is located below the end face 63. In other words, it is desirable to set the first distance D1 between the ring member 20 and the second surface 32b of the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 to be greater than the second distance D2 between the ring member 20 and the end face 63 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the housing 60. This makes it more difficult for the first burr generated from the first welding rib 35 to reach the end face 63. This configuration is particularly useful in the position shown in Figure 4B, where the space for the burr to escape is closed.

[0061] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram showing the welding state obtained by laser welding with the melting amount of the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 set to 0.16 mm. This figure is a diagram created by rendering a photograph taken of an actual sample after welding. This figure shows the welding state in a position where the protrusion 33 does not exist, as shown in Figure 5B. The first burr 36 generated from the first welding rib 35 has not reached the end face 63, and the second burr 65 generated from the second welding rib 64 has not reached the second surface 32b. By appropriately setting the melting amount of the ribs, it is possible to achieve proper welding while suppressing the spreading of the two burrs.

[0062] On the other hand, Figure 6B is a schematic diagram showing the welding state obtained by laser welding with the melting amount of the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 set to 0.25 mm. Due to the excessive melting amount, the first welding rib 35 and the second welding rib 64 have disappeared. A large amount of first burrs 36 generated from the first welding rib 35 and second burrs 65 generated from the second welding rib 64 have been generated and have melted together, resulting in improper welding.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4A and 5A, the housing 60 has a base end portion 66 that forms the bottom portion opposite the end face 63, and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the housing 60, the base end portion 66, the ring member 20, and the lens unit 30 surround the image sensor 41. In this way, the housing 60, the ring member 20, and the lens unit 30 can reliably surround the image sensor 41.

[0064] In particular, the image sensor 41 is mounted on the circuit board 40, and the image sensor 41 and the circuit board 40 are enclosed by the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the housing 60, the base end portion 66 of the housing 60, the ring member 20, and the lens unit 30. Furthermore, a connector 80 is provided at the base end portion 66 of the housing 60, which penetrates the outside and inside of the housing 60 and has terminals for conducting electrical signals (for example, the first terminal 81 and second terminal 82 shown in Figure 4A), and the terminals of the connector 80 are electrically connected to the circuit of the circuit board 40. In this way, the housing 60, the ring member 20, and the lens unit 30 reliably enclose the image sensor 41 and the circuit board 40 while ensuring electrical connection to the outside.

[0065] Connector 80 may be a coaxial connector or an STQ with four terminals. Furthermore, the first terminal 81 and second terminal 82 of connector 80 may be directly connected to the circuit board 40, or they may be connected indirectly. For example, another circuit board may be prepared in addition to circuit board 40, and the connector 80 may be connected via this other circuit board.

[0066] As is clear from the drawings, the cross-section along the radial direction of the first cylindrical portion 37 of the lens unit 30 is circular, and the cross-section along the radial direction of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 of the housing 60 is square. This allows the lens unit 30 and the housing 60 to be easily formed.

[0067] Furthermore, the first light absorption of the second resin may be the same as the second light absorption of the third resin. Alternatively, the second resin may be the same resin as the third resin. As a result, in an in-vehicle camera, since the first light absorption of the second resin and the second light absorption of the third resin are the same, there is no need to change the type of laser used for laser welding between the ring member and the housing, and for laser welding between the ring member and the lens unit, making laser welding easy.

[0068] (Second Embodiment) Figure 7A is a perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment. Figure 7B is a top view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment. Figure 7C is a view taken along the line III-III in Figure 7B. Figure 7D is a view taken along the line IV-IV in Figure 7C. Figure 7E is a top view of the in-vehicle camera 100 as seen from directly above the circuit board 40. Figure 7F is a top view of Figure 7E with the circuit board 40 removed. The in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0069] Figure 7E shows details, particularly regarding the shape of the circuit board 40. In plan view, the circuit board 40 has a first shape comprising at least a first side 43, a second side 44, a third side 45, and a fourth side 46. The circuit board 40 of the embodiment has only the first side 43, the second side 44, the third side 45, and the fourth side 46, and the first shape is a first quadrilateral shape. The quadrilateral is a substantially quadrilateral system and may have rounded corners.

[0070] The end face 47 of the circuit board 40 includes at least a first end face 47a corresponding to the first side 43, a second end face 47b corresponding to the second side 44, a third end face 47c corresponding to the third side 45, and a fourth end face 47d corresponding to the fourth side 46. On the first face 40a of the circuit board 40, the first side 43, second side 44, third side 45, and fourth side 46 can be defined, and similarly on the second face 40b, the first side 43, second side 44, third side 45, and fourth side 46 can be defined.

[0071] Figure 7E shows the state with the circuit board 40 removed from Figure 7E, revealing the first bottom portion 73 (third bottom portion 72) of the first shield 70, which will be described later.

[0072] Figure 8A is a perspective view from above of the first shield 70 used in the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment. Figure 8B is a perspective view of the first shield 70 from below. Figure 8C is a top view of the first shield 70. Figure 8D is a side view of the first shield 70. Figure 8E is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 7F, showing the state in which the connector 80 fixes the housing 60 and the first shield 70.

[0073] The first shield 70 is a component corresponding to the shield 70 in the first embodiment, and is a metal component that surrounds the circuit board 40 in the internal space of the housing 60, with at least a portion of it facing the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40. The first shield 70 plays the role of shielding electromagnetic waves coming from outside the housing 60 and electromagnetic waves radiated in the internal space. By blocking electromagnetic waves, the image sensor 41 becomes less susceptible to the effects of electromagnetic waves, and as a result, the imaging performance of the in-vehicle camera 100 can be improved.

[0074] While it is possible to obtain shielding performance that blocks electromagnetic waves to a practical degree by constructing the entire housing 60 from metal, manufacturing the housing 60 from metal leads to an increase in the number of parts, manufacturing processes, and manufacturing costs. In the first and second embodiments of this disclosure, the housing 60 is constructed from resin, and shielding performance is ensured by placing a metal first shield 70 inside.

[0075] The first shield 70 includes a third bottom portion 72 and a plurality of side portions 71 that rise from the outer edge of the third bottom portion 72. In this embodiment, the first shield 70 as a whole has a rectangular cylindrical shape, and the main surfaces of the first shield 70 and the third bottom portion 72, i.e., the surfaces perpendicular to the optical axis, have a rectangular shape (approximately square). Such a shape is common for shields, and at least four side portions 71 rise from the outer edge of the third bottom portion 72, which has at least four sides. Therefore, the first shield 70 can efficiently accommodate rectangular components such as a circuit board 40 in its internal space.

[0076] Furthermore, the first shield 70 is formed by metal drawing. Specifically, the first shield 70 is formed by compressing and stretching a metal plate using a backing plate or other component, and processing it into a predetermined shape.

[0077] The first shield 70, formed by drawing, has a curved side portion 76 located at the boundary (corner portion) between at least two adjacent side portions 71, which is composed of a continuous curved surface. In this embodiment, the four side portions 71 are smoothly connected without gaps via the curved side portion 76.

[0078] Furthermore, the first shield 70 formed by the drawing process also has a boundary portion 77 between the outer edge of the third bottom portion 72 and at least one side portion 71 that is also a continuous curved surface. In this embodiment, each of the four side portions 71 rises smoothly and seamlessly from the outer edge of the third bottom portion 72 via the boundary portion 77.

[0079] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the shield 70A, which is formed by bending a metal sheet rather than drawing. In the shield 70A, a gap g is formed in the portion corresponding to the curved side portion 76 of the first shield 70. Also, in the shield 70A, the portion corresponding to the boundary portion 77 of the first shield 70 is not a curved surface, but a simple fold line between the third bottom portion 72 and the side portion 71.

[0080] In this embodiment, the first shield 70 has curved side portions 76 made of continuous curved surfaces derived from drawing processes, thus eliminating gaps within the shield, enabling high-level shielding of electromagnetic waves at low cost and ensuring excellent shielding performance. On the other hand, the shield 70A in Figure 9 has gaps between the side portions 71, and is presumed to have inferior shielding performance compared to the first shield 70.

[0081] Furthermore, in the first shield 70 according to this embodiment, the boundary portion 77 is also composed of a continuous curved surface derived from the drawing process, so high strength against external pressure can be ensured at the boundary between the third bottom portion 72 and the side portion 71. On the other hand, in the shield 70A of Figure 9, the boundary between the third bottom portion 72 and the side portion 71 is bent by a simple fold line, and it is presumed that its strength against external pressure is lower than that of the first shield 70.

[0082] Next, the internal space of the housing 60 will be described. The portion of the housing 60 where the connector 80 connected to the outside is located is formed by the base end 66. The internal space of the housing 60 is defined by this base end 66 and a plurality of housing side walls 67 that rise from the outer edge of the base end 66.

[0083] In this embodiment, the housing 60 has a rectangular cylindrical shape overall, and the main surface of the internal space of the housing 60, that is, the surface perpendicular to the optical axis, has a rectangular shape (approximately square). Such a shape is common for housings, and four housing side walls 67 rise from the four sides located inside the base end 66. Therefore, the housing 60 can efficiently accommodate rectangular components such as the circuit board 40 and the first shield 70 in its internal space.

[0084] The arrangement of the first shield 70 with respect to the housing 60 will be described in more detail. The inner surface 68 of the housing side wall 67 (see Figure 7D) is inclined outward from the base end 66 in an orthogonal direction (left-right direction in Figure 7C) perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens unit 30 (up-down direction in Figure 7C). In Figure 7C, the inner surface 68 of the side wall is inclined outward from the bottom to the top of the housing 60, and as a result, the internal space of the housing 60 has a tapered shape that widens from the base end 66 toward the opening. When the housing 60 is formed by injection molding of resin, the mold is withdrawn from the side of the opening, and in order to facilitate withdrawal, the inner surface 68 of the side wall is inclined outward toward the opening (in the withdrawal direction).

[0085] On the other hand, the third bottom portion 72 of the first shield 70 is positioned on the base end portion 66 of the housing 60. Here, the side portion 71 of the first shield 70 is positioned to be inclined outward from the third bottom portion 72 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens unit 30. In Figure 7C, the side portion 71 is inclined outward from the bottom to the top, and as a result, the first shield 70 has a tapered shape.

[0086] The side portion 71 of the first shield 70 is inclined to substantially match the inclination of the inner surface 68 of the side wall of the housing 60, which is derived from the manufacturing process. In other words, the side portion 71 of the first shield 70 is positioned to closely follow the inner surface 68 of the side wall 67 of the housing. This ensures that the first shield 70 is stably positioned within the housing space and improves shielding performance. The outward inclination angle of the side portion 71 and the inner surface 68 of the side wall is set to, for example, about 1 degree, but the inclination angle is not particularly limited.

[0087] Next, the configuration of the third bottom portion 72 of the first shield 70 (shield 70) will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the third bottom portion 72 is not a simple plane, but includes the first bottom portion 73, the second bottom portion 75, and the connecting portion 74, and has a stepped shape. That is, in this embodiment, the third bottom portion 72 includes the stepped portion that forms the bottom portion of the first shield 70.

[0088] The first bottom portion 73 of the first shield 70 is primarily a support for various components arranged inside the housing. The first bottom portion 73 (or third bottom portion 72) is positioned opposite the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40 and has a second shape that, in plan view, includes at least the fifth side 72a, the sixth side 72b, the seventh side 72c, and the eighth side 72d. The first bottom portion 73 (or third bottom portion 72) also includes a hole 73e positioned to include the center of this second shape. In the embodiment, the second shape is substantially quadrilateral and may have rounded corners.

[0089] The second bottom portion 75 of the first shield 70 corresponds to a hole 73e that is positioned to include the center of the second shape of the first bottom portion 73 of the first shield 70, and is positioned opposite the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40, and is located further away from the first bottom portion 73 with respect to the second surface 40b. The second bottom portion 75 is included in the base end portion 66 of the housing 60 and corresponds to the bottom surface 66a (Figure 7C) that is corresponding to the circuit board 40. The second bottom portion 75 has a fourth shape in plan view, and this fourth shape may be a circle as in the embodiment, or it may be an ellipse or a square, and may be similar to the third shape of the hole 73e which will be described later.

[0090] Although it was stated that the side portion 71 of the first shield 70 rises from the outer edge of the third bottom portion 72, in this embodiment, this is equivalent to saying that it rises from the outer edge of the first bottom portion 73. The side portion 71 includes the first side portion 71a, the second side portion 71b, the third side portion 71c, and the fourth side portion 71d.

[0091] The first side portion 71a of the first shield 70 corresponds to the fifth side 72a of the first bottom portion 73 (or third bottom portion 72) and is positioned opposite to the second bottom portion 75 while facing the circuit board 40. The second side portion 71b of the first shield 70 corresponds to the sixth side 72b of the first bottom portion 73 (or third bottom portion 72) and is positioned opposite to the second bottom portion 75 while facing the circuit board 40. The third side portion 71c of the first shield 70 corresponds to the seventh side 72c of the first bottom portion 73 (or third bottom portion 72) and is positioned opposite to the second bottom portion 75 while facing the circuit board 40. The fourth side portion 71d of the first shield 70 corresponds to the eighth side 72d of the first bottom portion 73 (or third bottom portion 72), and is positioned opposite to the second bottom portion 75 while facing the circuit board 40.

[0092] Furthermore, the curved side section 76 connecting the side sections 71 of the first shield 70 includes a first curved side section 76a, a second curved side section 76b, a third curved side section 76c, and a fourth curved side section 76d. The first curved side section 76a connects the first side section 71a and the second side section 71b. The second curved side section 76b connects the second side section 71b and the third side section 71c. The third curved side section 76c connects the third side section 71c and the fourth side section 71d. The fourth curved side section 76d connects the fourth side section 71d and the first side section 71a.

[0093] The connecting portion 74 of the first shield 70 protrudes in the direction of the optical axis from a predetermined position on the first bottom surface 73, in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens unit 30, and in the direction of the optical axis, from inside the outer edge of the first bottom surface 73, to the opposite side of the side surface 71. In particular, the connecting portion 74 connects the entire circumference of the hole 73e, which is arranged to include the center of the second shape of the first bottom surface 73, to the entire circumference of the second bottom surface 75. As a result, the first bottom surface 73 is moved upward in the direction of the optical axis in Figure 7C compared to when the connecting portion 74 is not present, and the third bottom surface 72 has a raised bottom structure. Consequently, a solid raised bottom region S exists in the region adjacent to the first bottom surface 73 of the housing 60.

[0094] The end face 47 of the circuit board 40 and the side portion 71 of the first shield 70 have the following arrangement relationship: At least a portion of the first side portion 71a faces the first end face 47a of the circuit board 40. At least a portion of the second side portion 71b faces the second end face 47b of the circuit board 40. At least a portion of the third side portion 71c faces the third end face 47c of the circuit board 40. At least a portion of the fourth side portion 71d faces the fourth end face 47d of the circuit board 40.

[0095] In this embodiment, the hole 73e, which is positioned to include the center of the second shape of the first bottom portion 73 of the first shield 70, has a third shape that differs from the second shape in plan view. At least the first side portion 71a, the second side portion 71b, the third side portion 71c, and the fourth side portion 71d of the first shield 70 are formed by continuous curved surfaces. Furthermore, in the first shield 70, at least the first side portion 71a, the second side portion 71b, the third side portion 71c, the fourth side portion 71d, the first bottom portion 73, the connecting portion 74, and the second bottom portion 75 are formed by continuous curved surfaces.

[0096] In this embodiment, the first shield 70 has a two-stage structure including a first bottom portion 73 and a second bottom portion 75 that is smaller than the first bottom portion 73, thereby reducing the volume inside the first shield 70. As a result, the distance between the heat-generating components placed on the circuit board 40 and the first shield 70 is reduced, and the heat generated by the heat-generating components can be efficiently transferred to the first shield 70.

[0097] Furthermore, the first shield 70 surrounds the circuit board 40, and the first side portion 71a, the second side portion 71b, the third side portion 71c, the fourth side portion 71d, the first bottom portion 73, the connecting portion 74, and the second bottom portion 75 are formed continuously by using processes such as drawing. As a result, there are no gaps within the first shield 70, which suppresses electromagnetic noise from escaping to the outside while improving resistance to external electromagnetic noise.

[0098] For example, the first side portion 71a, second side portion 71b, third side portion 71c, fourth side portion 71d, first bottom portion 73, connecting portion 74, and second bottom portion 75 of the first shield 70, which are formed by a continuous curved surface, are formed by drawing from a single metal plate. This eliminates gaps within the first shield 70, enabling high-level shielding of electromagnetic waves at low cost and ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0099] Furthermore, the second shape, which is the plan view shape of the first bottom portion 73, and the third shape of the hole 73e in the first bottom portion 73 are different, and the first side portion 71a, second side portion 71b, third side portion 71c, fourth side portion 71d, and connecting portion 74 that are continuously formed from these respective shapes improve the rigidity of the first shield 70 itself, reduce the thickness of the first shield 70, and make the in-vehicle camera 100 lighter.

[0100] In this embodiment, the first shape of the circuit board 40 is a first rectangular shape, the second shape of the first bottom surface portion 73 of the first shield 70 is a second rectangular shape, and the third shape of the hole 73e of the first shield 70 is circular. This makes it easy to form a circuit board 40 and a first shield 70 with simple shapes.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the entirety of the first side portion 71a of the first shield 70 faces the first end face 47a of the circuit board 40, the entirety of the second side portion 71b faces the second end face 47b of the circuit board 40, the entirety of the third side portion 71c faces the third end face 47c of the circuit board 40, and the entirety of the fourth side portion 71d faces the fourth end face 47d of the circuit board 40. This improves the shielding of the circuit board 40 from external elements.

[0102] The connector 80 is positioned on the bottom surface 66a, extending from the inside to the outside of the housing 60. Specifically, the connector 80 is positioned to penetrate the second bottom portion 75 (or third bottom portion 72) of the first shield 70. As shown in Figure 7C, the connector 80 includes at least a first terminal 81 and a second terminal 82 that electrically connect the inside and outside of the housing 60, and the first terminal 81 and the second terminal 82 are electrically connected to the circuit of the circuit board 40.

[0103] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8E, the connector 80 can fix the second bottom portion 75 (or third bottom portion 72) of the first shield 70 to the bottom surface 66a of the housing 60. This allows the connector 80 to firmly fix the first shield 70 and the housing 60. In addition, the second terminal 82 of the connector 80 and the first shield 70 are electrically connected at the bottom surface 66a of the housing 60. This makes it easy to ensure an electrical connection between the connector 80 and the first shield 70.

[0104] The first shield 70 has a two-stage structure including a first bottom portion 73 and a second bottom portion 75 which is smaller than the first bottom portion 73. The first area surrounded by the first bottom portion 73 of the first shield 70 is larger than the second area surrounded by the second bottom portion 75. This allows space to be secured around the connection portion 74 and the second bottom portion 75, improving the handling of the in-vehicle camera 100.

[0105] Specifically, the first bottom surface 73 of the first shield 70, which has a larger diameter, is located above the connection portion 74 and the second bottom surface 75 of the first shield 70 in the optical axis direction, in order to support various components such as the lens unit 30, the circuit board 40, and the heat conductive member 50. Since the connection portion 74 and the second bottom surface 75 have smaller diameters than the first bottom surface 73, a volume equivalent to the raised area S shown in Figure 7C can be secured around the connection portion 74 and the second bottom surface 75 at the base end 66. This makes it possible to arrange various components in the raised area S, i.e., the area adjacent to the first bottom surface 73, while ensuring a ground connection between the first shield 70 and the connector 80, thereby increasing the design flexibility and miniaturization of the in-vehicle camera 100. Furthermore, the presence of the connection portion 74 allows for the efficient placement of the small-diameter connector 80, and facilitates electrical connection with the outside.

[0106] In this embodiment, the housing 60 is provided with a mounting portion 69 for attaching the in-vehicle camera 100 to a vehicle. The mounting portion 69 is formed in a raised area S within the housing 60 adjacent to the first bottom portion 73. The mounting portion 69 is a necessary location when attaching to other components. If there were no connection portion 74 and a general bottom surface that serves the role of the first bottom portion 73 were provided, it would be difficult to secure the raised area S, and therefore the mounting portion 69 would need to be provided in a different area. In that case, the housing 60 may become larger. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 69 can be placed in the raised area S, thereby preventing the housing 60 from becoming larger.

[0107] In Figure 7C, a specific example of the mounting portion 69, shown by the dashed area along the long axis, is a female screw extending along the optical axis. This female screw is located outside the second bottom surface portion 75 of the first shield 70 with respect to the optical axis L, and on the opposite side of the circuit board 40 from the first bottom surface portion 73. This ensures that the vehicle-mounted camera can be easily attached to the vehicle while suppressing an increase in the size of the housing 60. The user can easily attach the vehicle-mounted camera 100 to other components of the vehicle body using this female screw and a separately prepared male screw.

[0108] Furthermore, the heat conductive member 50 is positioned between the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40 and the first bottom surface 73 of the first shield 70. The heat conductive member 50 has insulating and thermal conductive properties and plays a role in dissipating heat generated from electronic components such as the circuit board 40 to the outside. In particular, the heat conductive member 50 plays an important role in dissipating heat from electronic components located at the edges of the circuit board 40, which are far from the connector 80, by transferring it to the first shield 70 and other components.

[0109] The heat conductive member 50 is positioned on the first bottom surface 73 of the first shield 70 and is not positioned in the raised area S. If the connecting portion 74 does not exist and a general bottom surface that serves the role of the first bottom surface 73 is provided, a space will exist instead of the solid raised area S. In order to eliminate the gap, the heat conductive member 50 would also need to be positioned in this space, but this would increase the amount of heat conductive member 50 and thus increase the manufacturing cost of the in-vehicle camera 100. In this embodiment, since there is a portion of the housing 60 corresponding to the raised area S instead of such a space, the amount of heat conductive member 50 can be reduced, and the increase in cost can be suppressed.

[0110] In this embodiment, the first shield 70 is formed by drawing a metal plate, but the stepped portion, which consists of the first bottom portion 73, the connecting portion 74, and the second bottom portion 75, can also be formed by bending a metal plate.

[0111] Figure 10A is a view along the VV line in Figure 7C. Figure 10B is a perspective view of the second shield 90 from above. Figure 10C is a side view of the second shield 90. Figure 10D is a perspective view of the assembly of the lens unit 30 and the second shield 90 from below.

[0112] The second shield 90 is located in the internal space of the housing 60. The second shield 90 is a metal component positioned so that at least a portion of it faces the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40. Specifically, the second shield 90 is positioned between the circuit board 40 and the lens unit 30 and has a flat metal plate shape with four sides 92. The second shield 90 has a hole (first hole) 96a in its central portion for light from the lens unit 30 to pass through and reach the image sensor 41. The first shield 70 is sometimes called the rear shield, and the second shield 90 is sometimes called the front shield.

[0113] The second shield 90 is a fifth shape having at least four sides 92a, 92b, 92c, and 92d in a plan view, which constitute the four sides 92. The fifth shape is a rectangle with rounded edges. The hole 96a contains the center of this fifth shape and corresponds to the image sensor 41 mounted on the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40.

[0114] Furthermore, the second shield 90 has contacts 94 that ensure an electrical connection with the first shield 70. The four contacts 94 include a first contact 94a, a second contact 94b, a third contact 94c, and a fourth contact 94d. The first contact 94a is electrically connected to the first side portion 71a of the first shield 70 at the ninth side 92a. The second contact 94b is electrically connected to the second side portion 71b of the first shield 70 at the tenth side 92b. The second contact 94b is electrically connected to the third side portion 71c of the first shield 70 at the eleventh side 92c. The fourth contact 94d is electrically connected to the fourth side portion 71d of the first shield 70 at the twelfth side 92d.

[0115] The second shield 90 is a component that works in cooperation with the first shield 70 to shield the internal space of the housing 60 from the outside, thereby further enhancing the shielding performance. To improve the shielding performance, it is desirable for the first shield 70 and the second shield 90 to work together to form an electrically closed space.

[0116] As described above, in this embodiment, the first shield 70 first surrounds the circuit board 40, and the first side portion 71a, the second side portion 71b, the third side portion 71c, the fourth side portion 71d, the first bottom portion 73, the connecting portion 74, and the second bottom portion 75 are formed continuously by using a drawing process or the like. As a result, there are no gaps inside the first shield 70, so that electromagnetic noise does not escape to the outside, while improving resistance to external electromagnetic noise.

[0117] Furthermore, the second shield 90 is positioned on the first surface 40a side of the circuit board 40 on which the image sensor 41 is implemented. Together with the first shield 70, it forms a closed space surrounding the circuit board 40, and each of its four sides has contacts that electrically connect to the first shield 70. By forming an electrically closed space, it is possible to further suppress electromagnetic noise from escaping to the outside and improve resistance to external electromagnetic noise.

[0118] Furthermore, the second shield 90 includes a third surface 90a, a fourth surface 90b opposite to the third surface 90a, and an end surface 95 connecting the third surface 90a and the fourth surface 90b. The end surface 95 includes at least a fifth end surface 95a corresponding to the ninth side 92a, a sixth end surface 95b corresponding to the tenth side 92b, a seventh end surface 95c corresponding to the eleventh side 92c, and an eighth end surface 95d corresponding to the twelfth side 92d.

[0119] The fifth end face 95a faces the first side portion 71a of the first shield 70, the sixth end face 95b faces the second side portion 71b of the first shield 70, the seventh end face 95c faces the third side portion 71c of the first shield 70, and the eighth end face 95d faces the fourth side portion 71d of the first shield 70.

[0120] As a result, the side portion 71 of the first shield 70 and the end face 95 of the second shield 90 face each other, reducing the gap between the first shield and the second shield and ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0121] Furthermore, the plan view of the portion of the first shield 70 corresponding to the fifth end face 95a, sixth end face 95b, seventh end face 95c, and eighth end face 95d of the second shield 90 has a sixth shape. This sixth shape is larger than the second shape of the third bottom surface portion 72 of the first shield 70. In this embodiment, both the second and sixth shapes are approximately quadrilaterals, and the area of ​​the approximately quadrilateral of the sixth shape is larger than the area of ​​the approximately quadrilateral of the second shape.

[0122] The first side portion 71a and the third side portion 71c of the first shield 70 face each other, and the first side portion 71a and the third side portion 71c extend from the third bottom portion 72 toward the portions corresponding to the fifth end face 95a, the sixth end face 95b, the seventh end face 95c, and the eighth end face 95d of the second shield 90. Also, the second side portion 71b and the fourth side portion 71d of the first shield 70 face each other, and the second side portion 71b and the fourth side portion 71d extend from the third bottom portion 72 toward the portions corresponding to the fifth end face 95a, the sixth end face 95b, the seventh end face 95c, and the eighth end face 95d of the second shield 90.

[0123] In other words, the side portion 71 of the first shield 70 is raised so as to be inclined outward from the third bottom portion 72 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens unit 30. Therefore, the cross-section of the first shield 70 is larger at the position of the second shield 90 than at the position of the base portion 66. As a result, the opening side of the first shield 70 where the second shield 90 is located is formed to be larger than the third bottom portion 72 on the bottom side, making it easier to manufacture the first shield 70.

[0124] Furthermore, the dimensions of the second shield 90 are set such that the area of ​​the second shield 90 in a plan view, as shown in Figure 10A, is larger than the area of ​​the second shape of the third bottom portion 72 (first bottom portion 73) of the first shield 70. This setting reduces the gap between the side portion 71 and the second shield 90 (side 92), thereby improving shielding performance.

[0125] Furthermore, in the housing 60, the boundary portions 68a of at least two inner surfaces 68 of the side walls are formed by a continuous curved surface. Such a continuous curved surface can be easily formed by the shape of the mold during resin injection molding. The boundary portion 68a is a continuous curved surface along the curved side surface 76 of the first shield 70, and the first shield 70 is housed in close contact with the housing 60. Furthermore, the connection portions of at least two end faces 95 and sides 92 that constitute the outer edge of the second shield 90 are formed by curved end faces 93. The curved end faces 93 are continuous curved surfaces facing the curved side surface 76 of the first shield 70.

[0126] The curved end face 93 of the second shield 90 includes the first curved end face 93a, the second curved end face 93b, the third curved end face 93c, and the fourth curved end face 93d. The first curved end face 93a connects the fifth end face 95a and the sixth end face 95b. The second curved end face 93b connects the sixth end face 95b and the seventh end face 95c. The third curved end face 93c connects the seventh end face 95c and the eighth end face 95d. The fourth curved end face 93d connects the eighth end face 95d and the fifth end face 95a.

[0127] Furthermore, the first curved end face 93a of the second shield 90 faces the first curved side portion 76a of the first shield 70, the second curved end face 93b of the second shield 90 faces the second curved side portion 76b of the first shield 70, the third curved end face 93c of the second shield 90 faces the third curved side portion 76c of the first shield 70, and the fourth curved end face 93d of the second shield 90 faces the fourth curved side portion 76d of the first shield 70.

[0128] This reduces the gap between the curved side surface 76 corresponding to the corner of the first shield 70 and the curved end surface 93 corresponding to the corner of the second shield 90, thereby ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0129] The first curved end face 93a of the second shield 90 is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape of the second shield 90, the second curved end face 93b of the second shield 90 is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, the third curved end face 93c of the second shield 90 is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, and the fourth curved end face 93d of the second shield 90 is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape.

[0130] Corresponding to the above shape, the inner surface of the first curved side portion 76a of the first shield 70 is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the first curved end surface 93a of the second shield 90; the inner surface of the second curved side portion 76b of the first shield 70 is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the second curved end surface 93b of the second shield 90; the inner surface of the third curved side portion 76c of the first shield 70 is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the third curved end surface 93c of the second shield 90; and the inner surface of the fourth curved side portion 76d of the first shield 70 is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the fourth curved end surface 93d of the second shield 90.

[0131] This allows the curved end surface 93 of the second shield 90 to be positioned to correspond to the curved side surface 76 necessary for continuously forming the side surface 71 of the first shield 70, thereby minimizing the gaps between the first shield 70 and the four corners of the second shield 90. This suppresses the leakage of electromagnetic noise to the outside while improving resistance to external electromagnetic noise.

[0132] If the connection between the two sides 92 of the second shield 90 is at a right angle, as in a normal rectangle, it is easier to reach the curved side portion 76 of the first shield 70 compared to the curved end surface 93 of the second shield 90 in Figure 10A, and the sides 92 need to be shorter compared to the case in Figure 10A. In other words, the second shield 90 becomes smaller, and the shielding performance deteriorates. In this embodiment, by configuring the connection between the two sides 92 with a curved end surface 93 along the curved side portion 76, the overall size of the second shield 90, i.e., the length of the sides 92, can be maintained while reducing the gap with the first shield 70 and improving the shielding performance.

[0133] Furthermore, as described above, the second shield 90 has a hole 96a that includes the center of its fifth shape and corresponds to the image sensor 41 mounted on the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40. As shown in Figure 10B, the second shield 90 further has four holes, 96b, 96c, 96d, and 96e, around the hole 96a.

[0134] Holes 96b, 96c, 96d, and 96e are provided in four locations, each corresponding to a corner of the fifth shape. If hole 96a is designated as the first hole, then at least three of these four holes correspond to the second, third, and fourth holes.

[0135] The first contact 94a, the second contact 94b, the third contact 94c, and the fourth contact 94d are each bent downward, that is, towards the fourth surface 90b of the second shield 90, and extend outwards.

[0136] As shown in Figure 10D, the first surface 32a of the flange portion 32 of the lens unit 30 is provided with four support columns 97a, 97b, 97c, and 97d that protrude into the housing 60. Of these four support columns, at least three correspond to the first support column, the second support column, and the third support column. At least three of the first support columns, the second support column, and the third support column pass through at least three of the second hole, the third hole, and the fourth hole.

[0137] Figure 15A is a perspective view of a modified second shield 90 seen from above. Figure 15B is a side view of a modified second shield 90. Figure 15C is a perspective view of an assembly of a modified lens unit 30 and second shield 90 seen from below. Figure 15D is a side view of an assembly of a modified lens unit 30, a modified second shield 90, and a circuit board 40.

[0138] In the modified version of the second shield 90 shown in Figures 15A to 15D, unlike the example in Figures 10A to 10D, the first contact 94a, second contact 94b, third contact 94c, and fourth contact 94d are each bent upward, that is, towards the third surface 90a of the second shield 90, and extended. In this modified version, the four contacts do not become an obstacle during the assembly of the in-vehicle camera 100, and the assembly shown in Figure 15C can be smoothly placed inside the housing 60.

[0139] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15D, at least three of the four support columns 97a, 97b, 97c, and 97d—the first, second, and third support columns—reach the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40 and support the lens unit 30. This enables the image sensor 41 to capture light from the outside, and the circuit board 40 and the multiple support columns provide stable support for the second shield 90 and the lens unit 30.

[0140] Figure 16A is a top view showing the curvature of each curved end face 93 in the second shield 90. Figure 16B is a top view showing the curvature of each curved end face 93 in a modified example of the second shield 90. Figure 17 is a top view showing the curvature of each curved side portion 76 in the first shield 70.

[0141] As shown in Figures 16A and 16B, the first curved end face 93a of the second shield 90 is a curved surface having curvature R1 in a plan view, the second curved end face 93b is a curved surface having curvature R3 in a plan view, the third curved end face 93c is a curved surface having curvature R5 in a plan view, and the fourth curved end face 93d is a curved surface having curvature R7 in a plan view. R1, R3, R5, and R7 may be the same value or may be different values.

[0142] As shown in Figure 17, the portion of the first shield 70 corresponding to the first curved side portion 76a is a curved surface having curvature R2 in a plan view, the portion corresponding to the second curved side portion 76b is a curved surface having curvature R4 in a plan view, the portion corresponding to the third curved side portion 76c is a curved surface having curvature R6 in a plan view, and the portion corresponding to the fourth curved side portion 76d is a curved surface having curvature R8 in a plan view. R2, R4, R6, and R8 may be the same value or may be different values.

[0143] In this embodiment, R1 is set to be less than or equal to R2 (R1 ≤ R2), R3 is set to be less than or equal to R4 (R3 ≤ R4), R5 is set to be less than or equal to R6 (R5 ≤ R6), and R7 is set to be less than or equal to R8 (R7 ≤ R8).

[0144] As a result, the curvature of the curved side portion 76 of the outer first shield 70 is sharper than the curvature of the curved end surface of the inner second shield 90. Therefore, the sizes of the first shield 70 and the second shield 90 can be set so that the first side portions 71a to the fourth side portions 71d of the first shield and the ninth side portions 92a to the twelfth side portions 92d of the second shield are close together, thereby reducing the gap between the first shield 70 and the second shield 90 and ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0145] Figure 18 is a top view showing the curvature of the corner curved surface 48 of the circuit board 40. As explained in Figure 7E, the circuit board 40 has a first shape in plan view that includes at least a first side 43, a second side 44, a third side 45, and a fourth side 46. The end face 47 of the circuit board 40 includes at least a first end face 47a corresponding to the first side 43, a second end face 47b corresponding to the second side 44, a third end face 47c corresponding to the third side 45, and a fourth end face 47d corresponding to the fourth side 46.

[0146] As shown in Figure 18, the corner surface 48 includes the first corner surface 48a, the second corner surface 48b, the third corner surface 48c, and the fourth corner surface 48d. The first corner surface 48a connects the first side 43 and the second side 44 and has a curvature R9 in plan view. The second corner surface 48b connects the second side 44 and the third side 45 and has a curvature R10 in plan view. The third corner surface 48c connects the third side 45 and the fourth side 46 and has a curvature R11 in plan view. The fourth corner surface 48d connects the fourth side 46 and the first side 43 and has a curvature R12 in plan view.

[0147] In the second embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 100 includes a third bottom surface 72 having a stepped portion and a second shield 90, but it is not necessarily required to include both the third bottom surface 72 having a stepped portion and the second shield 90. The in-vehicle camera 100 may include a third bottom surface 72 having a stepped portion but not the second shield 90, in which case the first shield 70 becomes a single shield. Also, the in-vehicle camera 100 may include a second shield 90 but not the third bottom surface 72 having a stepped portion, in which case the third bottom surface 72 may be composed of, for example, only a flat first bottom surface 73.

[0148] Figure 11 is a graph showing the results of measuring the internal EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) of the housing as a function of frequency for three types of in-vehicle cameras. The horizontal axis represents the frequency of the radio waves arriving at the in-vehicle camera, and the vertical axis represents the magnitude of EMI inside the housing of the in-vehicle camera (unit: dBμV / m). A smaller EMI value indicates higher shielding performance.

[0149] Graph A shows the measurement results for an in-vehicle camera having a resin housing and without the first shield 70 and the second shield 90. Graph B shows the measurement results for an in-vehicle camera having a resin housing and only the first shield 70. Graph C shows the measurement results for an in-vehicle camera having a resin housing and both the first shield 70 and the second shield 90.

[0150] The in-vehicle camera in Graph C exhibits high shielding performance comparable to that of a metal housing because it is equipped with both the first shield 70 and the second shield 90. The in-vehicle camera in Graph B has lower shielding performance than the in-vehicle camera in Graph C, but exhibits higher shielding performance than the in-vehicle camera in Graph A, especially in the high-frequency range (approximately 2.3 GHz and above). It is presumed that this difference in performance in the high-frequency range is due to the fact that high-frequency radio waves propagate more easily along surfaces than low-frequency radio waves.

[0151] This application is based on Japanese patent applications filed on June 29, 2022 (Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2022-105021, 2022-105022, and 2022-105023), the contents of which are incorporated by reference within this application.

[0152] Based on the above, this disclosure contains at least the following information. Note that the components and other elements corresponding to those in the embodiments described above are indicated in parentheses, but are not limited thereto.

[0153] (A1) A lens unit (lens unit 30) comprising a first cylindrical part (first cylindrical part 37) which is a first cylindrical shape, and at least one lens disposed inside the first cylindrical part, An image sensor (image sensor 41) is positioned on the optical axis (optical axis L) of at least one of the lenses, A housing (housing 60) comprising a second cylindrical portion (large-diameter cylindrical portion 61) that is shaped like a second cylinder along the optical axis, and housing at least the image sensor inside the second cylindrical portion, It comprises a flat ring member (ring member 20) formed of a first resin having predetermined light transmittance, The lens unit includes a flange portion (flange portion 32) on the outside of the first cylindrical portion, which extends outward with respect to the optical axis over the entire circumference around the optical axis. The flange portion of the lens unit is positioned inward from the second cylindrical portion of the housing in a radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The flange portion of the lens unit has a ring-shaped first surface (first surface 32a) facing the image sensor and a ring-shaped second surface (second surface 32b) opposite to the first surface. The second surface of the flange portion of the lens unit is made of a second resin having first light-absorbing properties, and is provided with a first welding rib (first welding rib 35) that protrudes in the opposite direction to the first surface and is arranged around the entire circumference of the optical axis. The end face (end face 63) of the second cylindrical portion of the housing is made of a third resin having second light-absorbing properties and is provided with a second welding rib (second welding rib 64) that protrudes along the optical axis direction and is arranged around the entire circumference of the optical axis. The ring member is welded to the first welding rib on the second surface of the flange portion of the lens unit, and is also welded to the second welding rib on the end surface of the second cylindrical portion of the housing, in an in-vehicle camera (in-vehicle camera 100), The lens unit includes a projection (projection 33) that protrudes radially and abuts against the inner surface of the second cylindrical portion of the housing, As the ring member and the first welding rib are welded together, the first burr (first burr 36) generated from the first welding rib does not reach the end face of the second cylindrical portion of the housing at the position where it overlaps with the projection. In-car camera.

[0154] This ensures reliable welding of the second surface of the flange portion of the lens unit in an in-vehicle camera, regardless of the shape accuracy of the ring member, and also suppresses the adverse effect of the first burr generated from the first welding rib on the welding between the ring member and the housing.

[0155] The in-vehicle camera described in (A2)(A1), The projection of the lens unit is composed of at least a first projection, a second projection, and a third projection. In-car camera.

[0156] This allows the lens unit of an in-vehicle camera to be stably fixed to the housing by three protrusions: a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a third protrusion.

[0157] (A3)(A1) or (A2) is an in-vehicle camera, The projection of the lens unit is a rib arranged along the optical axis. In-car camera.

[0158] This makes it easy to form protrusions when creating the lens unit.

[0159] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (A4), (A1), to (A3), The first welding rib on the second surface of the flange portion of the lens unit is located in an inward region on the second surface of the flange portion of the lens unit in the radial direction. In-car camera.

[0160] As a result, in the in-vehicle camera, the first burr generated from the first welding rib is less likely to reach the housing side.

[0161] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (A5), (A1), to (A4), As the ring member and the second welding rib are welded together, the second burr generated from the second welding rib does not reach the second surface of the flange portion of the lens unit at the position where it overlaps with the projection. In-car camera.

[0162] This ensures reliable welding in automotive cameras, regardless of the shape accuracy of the housing end face and ring member, and suppresses the adverse effect of the second burr generated from the second welding rib on the welding between the ring member and the lens unit.

[0163] The in-vehicle camera described in (A6)(A5), The second welding rib on the end face of the second cylindrical portion of the housing is, in the radial direction, Located in the region closer to the inner side of the end face, In-car camera.

[0164] This makes it possible to suppress the second burr generated from the second welding rib in the in-vehicle camera from protruding to the outside of the housing.

[0165] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (A7), (A1), to (A6), The housing has a bottom portion (base portion 66) opposite to the end face, The second cylindrical portion of the housing, the bottom portion, the ring member, and the lens unit surround the image sensor. In-car camera.

[0166] This ensures that the image sensor is securely enclosed by the housing, the ring member, and the lens unit.

[0167] The in-vehicle camera described in (A8)(A7), The image sensor is mounted on the circuit board, The image sensor and the circuit board are surrounded by the second cylindrical portion of the housing, the bottom portion, the ring member, and the lens unit. A connector (connector 80) is provided on the bottom surface of the housing, which penetrates the outside and inside of the housing and has terminals (first terminal 81, second terminal 82) for conducting electrical signals. The terminals of the connector are electrically connected to the circuit of the circuit board. In-car camera.

[0168] This allows the housing, ring member, and lens unit to securely enclose the image sensor and circuit board while ensuring electrical connectivity to the outside.

[0169] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (A9), (A1), to (A8), The cross-section of the first cylindrical portion of the lens unit along the radial direction is circular. The cross-section of the second cylindrical portion of the housing, along the radial direction, is square. In-car camera.

[0170] This allows for easy formation of the lens unit and housing.

[0171] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (A10), (A1), to (A9), The first distance between the ring member and the second surface of the flange portion of the lens unit is greater than the second distance between the ring member and the end surface of the second cylindrical portion of the housing. In-car camera.

[0172] As a result, in the in-vehicle camera, the first burr generated from the first welding rib is less likely to reach the housing side. An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (A11)(A1)~(A10), The first light absorption property of the second resin is the same as the second light absorption property of the third resin. In-car camera. As a result, in the in-vehicle camera, since the first light absorption of the second resin and the second light absorption of the third resin are the same, there is no need to change the type of laser used for laser welding between the ring member and the housing, and for laser welding between the ring member and the lens unit, making laser welding easy.

[0173] (B1) A lens unit (lens unit 30) having at least one lens, A circuit board (circuit board 40) having a first surface (first surface 40a) and a second surface (second surface 40b) opposite to the first surface, and having an end surface (end surface 47) between the first surface and the second surface, Mounted on the first surface of the circuit board, an image sensor (image sensor 41) is positioned on the optical axis (optical axis L) of at least one lens, A housing (housing 60) that supports the lens unit and houses at least the circuit board and the image sensor, A first metal shield (first shield 70) is positioned within the internal space of the housing, surrounding the circuit board, with a portion of it facing the second surface of the circuit board. A second metal shield (second shield 90) is positioned such that a portion of it faces the first surface of the circuit board, Equipped with, The circuit board has a first shape in plan view that includes at least a first side (first side 43), a second side (second side 44), a third side (third side 45), and a fourth side (fourth side 46). The end face of the circuit board comprises at least a first end face (first end face 47a) corresponding to the first side, a second end face (second end face 47b) corresponding to the second side, a third end face (third end face 47c) corresponding to the third side, and a fourth end face (fourth end face 47d) corresponding to the fourth side. The first shield is, A third bottom surface (third bottom surface 72) is arranged opposite the second surface of the circuit board and has a second shape having at least a fifth side (fifth side 72a), a sixth side (sixth side 72b), a seventh side (seventh side 72c), and an eighth side (eighth side 72d) in a plan view, A first side portion (first side portion 71a) is positioned toward the circuit board, corresponding to the fifth side of the third bottom portion, A second side portion (second side portion 71b) is positioned toward the circuit board, corresponding to the sixth side of the third bottom portion, A third side portion (third side portion 71c) is positioned toward the circuit board, corresponding to the seventh side of the third bottom portion, The third bottom surface comprises a fourth side surface (fourth side surface 71d) arranged toward the circuit board, corresponding to the eighth side of the third bottom surface, The first end face of the circuit board faces the first side surface of the first shield, The second end face of the circuit board faces the second side portion of the first shield, The third end face of the circuit board faces the third side portion of the first shield, The fourth end face of the circuit board faces the fourth side portion of the first shield, The second shield has a fifth shape having at least a ninth side (ninth side 92a), a tenth side (tenth side 92b), an eleventh side (eleventh side 92c), and a twelfth side (twelfth side 92d) in a plan view, and includes a hole (hole 96a) that includes the center of the fifth shape and corresponds to the image sensor mounted on the first surface of the circuit board. At least the first side portion, second side portion, third side portion, fourth side portion, and third bottom portion of the first shield are formed by a continuous curved surface. The previous 2nd shield is, On the ninth side, there is a first contact (first contact 94a) that is electrically connected to the first side portion of the first shield, On the tenth side, there is a second contact (second contact 94b) that is electrically connected to the second side portion of the first shield, On the 11th side, there is a third contact (third contact 94c) that is electrically connected to the third side portion of the first shield, The twelfth side includes a fourth contact (fourth contact 94d) that is electrically connected to the fourth side portion of the first shield, In-car camera (In-car camera 100).

[0174] This allows for the creation of an electrically closed space surrounding the circuit board in an in-vehicle camera using two shields, thereby suppressing the escape of electromagnetic noise to the outside while improving resistance to external electromagnetic noise.

[0175] The in-vehicle camera described in (B2)(B1), The second shield comprises a third surface (third surface 90a), a fourth surface (fourth surface 90b) opposite to the third surface, and an end surface (end surface 95) connecting the third surface and the fourth surface. The end face of the second shield comprises at least a fifth end face (fifth end face 95a) corresponding to the ninth side, a sixth end face (sixth end face 95b) corresponding to the tenth side, a seventh end face (seventh end face 95c) corresponding to the eleventh side, and an eighth end face (eighth end face 95d) corresponding to the twelfth side. The fifth end face of the second shield faces the first side portion of the first shield, The sixth end face of the second shield faces the second side portion of the first shield, The seventh end face of the second shield faces the third side portion of the first shield, The eighth end face of the second shield faces the fourth side portion of the first shield, In-car camera.

[0176] As a result, the side surface of the first shield and the end surface of the second shield face each other, reducing the gap between the first and second shields and ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0177] The in-vehicle camera described in (B3)(B2), The first shield is, A first curved side section (first curved side section 76a) connects the first side section and the second side section, A second curved side section (second curved side section 76b) connects the second side section and the third side section, A third curved side section (third curved side section 76c) connects the third side section and the fourth side section, A fourth curved side section (fourth curved side section 76d) connects the fourth side section and the first side section, Equipped with, The previous 2nd shield is, A first curved end face (first curved end face 93a) connecting the fifth end face and the sixth end face, A second curved end face (second curved end face 93b) connecting the sixth end face and the seventh end face, A third curved end face (third curved end face 93c) connecting the seventh end face and the eighth end face, It comprises a fourth curved end face (fourth curved end face 93d) connecting the eighth end face and the fifth end face, The first curved end face of the second shield faces the first curved side portion of the first shield, The second curved end face of the second shield faces the second curved side portion of the first shield, The third curved end face of the second shield faces the third curved side portion of the first shield, The fourth curved end face of the second shield faces the fourth curved side portion of the first shield. In-car camera.

[0178] This reduces the gap between the curved side surface corresponding to the corner of the first shield and the curved end surface corresponding to the corner of the second shield in an in-vehicle camera, thereby ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0179] The in-vehicle camera described in (B4)(B3), The first curved end face of the second shield is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, The second curved end face of the second shield is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, The third curved end face of the second shield is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, The fourth curved end face of the second shield is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, The inner surface of the first curved side portion of the first shield is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the first curved end surface of the second shield. The inner surface of the second curved side portion of the first shield is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the second curved end surface of the second shield. The inner surface of the third curved side portion of the first shield is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the third curved end surface of the second shield. The inner surface of the fourth curved side portion of the first shield is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the fourth curved end surface of the second shield. In-car camera.

[0180] As a result, in an in-vehicle camera, the curved end surface of the second shield is positioned to correspond to the curved side surface necessary to continuously form the side surface of the first shield, and the gap between the first shield and the four corners of the second shield is minimized as much as possible, thereby suppressing the leakage of electromagnetic noise to the outside while improving resistance to external electromagnetic noise.

[0181] The in-vehicle camera described in (B5)(B4), The first curved end face of the second shield has a curvature R1 in plan view, and the portion of the first curved side of the first shield that corresponds to the first curved side has a curvature R2 in plan view, and R1 is less than or equal to R2. The second curved end face of the second shield has a curvature R3 in plan view, and the portion of the first shield corresponding to the second curved side surface has a curvature R4 in plan view, and R3 is less than or equal to R4. The third curved end face of the second shield has a curvature of R5 in plan view, the portion of the first shield corresponding to the third curved side surface has a curvature of R6 in plan view, and R5 is less than or equal to R6. The fourth curved end face of the second shield has a curvature of R7 in plan view, the portion of the first shield corresponding to the fourth curved side surface has a curvature of R8 in plan view, and R7 is less than or equal to R8. In-car camera.

[0182] As a result, in an in-vehicle camera, the curvature of the curved side surface of the outer first shield is sharper than the curvature of the curved end surface of the inner second shield. Therefore, the sizes of the first and second shields can be set so that the first to fourth side surfaces of the first shield and the ninth to twelfth sides of the second shield are close together, reducing the gap between the first and second shields and ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0183] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (B6), (B2), to (B5), The plan view of the portion of the first shield corresponding to the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth end faces of the second shield has a sixth shape. The sixth shape is larger than the second shape of the third bottom surface of the first shield. The first side portion and the third side portion of the first shield face each other, The first side portion and the third side portion of the first shield extend from the third bottom portion toward the portion corresponding to the fifth end face, sixth end face, seventh end face, and eighth end face of the second shield, The second side portion and the fourth side portion of the first shield face each other, The second and fourth side portions of the first shield extend from the third bottom portion toward the portions corresponding to the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth end faces of the second shield. In-car camera.

[0184] As a result, in an in-vehicle camera, the opening side of the first shield where the second shield exists is formed to be larger than the third bottom surface on the bottom side, thus facilitating the processing of the first shield.

[0185] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (B7), (B1), to (B6), The housing is provided with a connector (connector 80) located on the bottom surface corresponding to the circuit board, which extends from the inside to the outside of the housing. The connector comprises at least a first terminal (first terminal 81) and a second terminal (second terminal 82) that electrically connect the inside and outside of the housing, The first and second terminals of the connector are electrically connected to the circuit of the circuit board. The connector is positioned to penetrate the third bottom portion of the shield, In-car camera.

[0186] This allows for easy connection of the connector and circuit board in an in-vehicle camera.

[0187] The in-vehicle camera described in (B8)(B7), The connector fixes the third bottom portion of the first shield to the bottom portion of the housing, The second terminal of the connector and the first shield are electrically connected at the bottom surface of the housing. In-car camera.

[0188] This allows the connector to secure the first shield and housing in the in-vehicle camera, while also ensuring an electrical connection between the connector and the first shield.

[0189] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (B9), (B1), to (B8), The hole in the second shield corresponding to the image sensor mounted on the first surface of the circuit board is designated as the first hole. The second shield comprises at least a second hole, a third hole, and a fourth hole around the first hole, In the second, third, and fourth holes, the first surface of the circuit board is penetrated by the first support column, the second support column, and the third support column, respectively, which support the lens unit. In-car camera.

[0190] This enables the image sensor to capture external light in the in-vehicle camera, and also allows the circuit board and multiple support pillars to stably support the second shield and lens unit.

[0191] An in-vehicle camera described in any one of (B10), (B1), to (B9), The first side portion, second side portion, third side portion, fourth side portion, and third bottom portion of the first shield are formed by drawing from a single metal sheet. In-car camera.

[0192] This eliminates gaps within the first shield in in-vehicle cameras, enabling high-level shielding of electromagnetic waves at low cost and ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0193] (C1) A lens unit (lens unit 30) having at least one lens, A circuit board (circuit board 40) having a first surface (first surface 40a) and a second surface (second surface 40b) opposite to the first surface, and having an end surface (end surface 47) between the first surface and the second surface, An image sensor (image sensor 41) is electrically connected to the circuit of the circuit board and is positioned on the optical axis (optical axis L) of at least one lens, A housing (housing 60) that supports the lens unit and houses at least the circuit board and the image sensor, The enclosure comprises a metal shield (first shield 70) arranged to surround the circuit board within the internal space of the enclosure, The circuit board has a first shape in plan view that includes at least a first side (first side 43), a second side (second side 44), a third side (third side 45), and a fourth side (fourth side 46). The end face of the circuit board comprises at least a first end face (first end face 47a) corresponding to the first side, a second end face (second end face 47b) corresponding to the second side, a third end face (third end face 47c) corresponding to the third side, and a fourth end face (fourth end face 47d) corresponding to the fourth side. The housing includes a connector (connector 80) located on the bottom surface (bottom surface 66a) corresponding to the circuit board, which is arranged both inside and outside the housing. The connector comprises at least a first terminal (first terminal 81) and a second terminal (second terminal 82) that electrically connect the inside and outside of the housing, The first and second terminals of the connector are electrically connected to the circuit on the circuit board. The aforementioned shield is The circuit board has a first bottom surface (first bottom surface 73) which is arranged facing the second surface and has a second shape having at least a fifth side (fifth side 72a), a sixth side (sixth side 72b), a seventh side (seventh side 72c), and an eighth side (eighth side 72d) in a plan view, and has a hole (hole 73e) which is arranged to include the center of the second shape, A second bottom surface (second bottom surface 75) is positioned to correspond to the hole that includes the center of the second shape of the first bottom surface, facing the second surface of the circuit board, and spaced apart from the first bottom surface with respect to the second surface of the circuit board, A first side surface (first side surface 71a) is positioned opposite to the second bottom surface, corresponding to the fifth side of the first bottom surface, A second side portion (second side portion 71b) is positioned opposite to the second bottom portion, corresponding to the sixth side of the first bottom portion, A third side portion (third side portion 71c) is positioned opposite to the second bottom portion, corresponding to the seventh side of the first bottom portion, A fourth side portion (fourth side portion 71d) is positioned opposite to the second bottom portion, corresponding to the eighth side of the first bottom portion, The first bottom surface includes a connecting portion (connecting portion 74) that connects the entire circumference of the hole, which is arranged to include the center of the second shape of the first bottom surface, and the entire circumference of the second bottom surface. The second bottom portion of the shield corresponds to the bottom portion of the housing, The connector is positioned to penetrate the second bottom portion of the shield. At least a portion of the first side surface of the shield faces the first end face of the circuit board, At least a portion of the second side portion of the shield faces the second end face of the circuit board, At least a portion of the third side portion of the shield faces the third end face of the circuit board, At least a portion of the fourth side portion of the shield faces the fourth end face of the circuit board, The hole, which is positioned to include the center of the second shape of the first bottom surface of the shield, has a third shape that differs from the second shape in plan view. At least the first side portion, second side portion, third side portion, and fourth side portion of the shield are formed by a continuous curved surface, At least the first side portion, the second side portion, the third side portion, the fourth side portion, the first bottom portion, the connecting portion, and the second bottom portion are formed by a continuous curved surface. In-car camera (In-car camera 100).

[0194] As a result, the first shield 70 has a two-stage structure including a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface smaller than the first bottom surface, which reduces the volume inside the first shield. This reduces the distance between the heat-generating components placed on the circuit board and the first shield, allowing the heat generated by the heat-generating components to be efficiently transferred to the first shield.

[0195] The in-vehicle camera described in (C2)(C1), The image sensor is mounted on the first surface of the circuit board, In-car camera.

[0196] This makes it easier to guide external light to the image sensor in an in-vehicle camera.

[0197] (C3)(C1) or (C2) is an in-vehicle camera, The connector secures the second bottom surface of the shield to the bottom surface of the housing. In-car camera.

[0198] As a result, in the in-vehicle camera, the connector can firmly fix the shield and the housing.

[0199] (C4) The in-vehicle camera according to any one of (C1) to (C3), the second terminal of the connector and the shield are electrically connected on the bottom surface of the housing, In-vehicle camera.

[0200] As a result, in the in-vehicle camera, an electrical connection between the connector and the shield can be easily ensured.

[0201] (C5) The in-vehicle camera according to any one of (C1) to (C4), further comprising a heat conduction member (heat conduction member 50) disposed between the second surface of the circuit board and the first bottom portion of the shield and having a predetermined heat conductivity, In-vehicle camera.

[0202] As a result, in the in-vehicle camera, the amount of the heat conduction member can be suppressed, and an increase in cost can be suppressed.

[0203] (C6) The in-vehicle camera according to any one of (C1) to (C5), the housing further comprises an attachment portion (attachment portion 69) for attaching to a vehicle, the attachment portion is a female screw extending along the optical axis direction, the female screw is disposed on the opposite side of the first bottom portion of the shield from the circuit board outside the second bottom portion of the shield with respect to the optical axis, In-vehicle camera.

[0204] As a result, in the in-vehicle camera, while suppressing an increase in the size of the housing, the ease of attaching the in-vehicle camera to a vehicle can be ensured.

[0205] An in-vehicle camera according to any one of (C7) and (C1) to (C6), the first shape of the circuit board is a first rectangular shape, the second shape of the first bottom surface portion of the shield is a second rectangular shape, the third shape of the hole of the shield is a circular shape, An in-vehicle camera.

[0206] Thereby, in the in-vehicle camera, a circuit board and a shield having simple shapes can be easily formed.

[0207] (C8) An in-vehicle camera according to any one of (C1) to (C7), a first area surrounded by the periphery of the first bottom surface portion of the shield is larger than a second area surrounded by the periphery of the second bottom surface portion of the shield, An in-vehicle camera.

[0208] Thereby, in the in-vehicle camera, a space can be secured around the connection portion and the second bottom surface portion, and the handling property of the in-vehicle camera can be improved.

[0209] (C9) An in-vehicle camera according to any one of (C1) to (C8), the first end face of the circuit board faces the first side face portion of the shield, the second end face of the circuit board faces the second side face portion of the shield, the third end face of the circuit board faces the third side face portion of the shield, the fourth end face of the circuit board faces the fourth side face portion of the shield, An in-vehicle camera.

[0210] [[ID=4l]] Thereby, in the in-vehicle camera, the shielding property from the outside of the circuit board can be improved.

[0211] (C10) An in-vehicle camera according to any one of (C1) to (C9), The first side portion, second side portion, third side portion, fourth side portion, first bottom portion, connecting portion, and second bottom portion of the shield, which are formed by a continuous curved surface, are formed by drawing from a single metal sheet. In-car camera.

[0212] This eliminates gaps within the shield in in-vehicle cameras, enabling high-level shielding of electromagnetic waves at low cost and ensuring excellent shielding performance.

[0213] While embodiments have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, this disclosure is not limited to such examples. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents are possible within the scope of the claims, and that these also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the embodiments described above may be combined in any way without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0214] This disclosure is useful as an in-vehicle camera that can be manufactured at low cost while ensuring excellent imaging performance. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0215] 10 caps 20 Ring Member 30 Lens Units 31 Lens barrel 32 Flange section 32a 1st page 32b 2nd side 33 Protrusion 33a Protrusion 33b Protrusion 33c protrusion 33d protrusion 33e Protrusion 35 First welded rib 36 First Bali 37. First cylindrical section 40 Circuit boards 40a First side 40b Second side 41 Imaging element 43 First side 44 Second side 45 Third side 46 Fourth side 47 End face (of circuit board) 47a First end face 47b Second end face 47c Third end face 47d Fourth end face 48 Corner curved surface<� 48a First corner curved surface 48b Second corner curved surface 48c Third corner curved surface 48d Fourth corner curved surface 50 Heat conduction member 60 Housing 61 Large-diameter cylindrical part (second cylindrical part) 62 Small-diameter cylindrical part 63 End face 64 Second welding rib 65 Second burr 66 Base end part (bottom part) 66a Bottom face 67 Housing side wall 68 Inner surface of side wall 68a Boundary part 69 Mounting part 70 Shield (first shield) 71 Side part 71a First side part 71b Second side part 71c Third side part 71d Fourth side part 72 Third bottom part 72a Fifth side ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​76b 2nd track side part 76c 3rd track side part 76d 4th track side part 77 Boundary 80 connectors 81 1st terminal 82 2nd terminal 90 2nd Shield 92 sides 92a Ninth side 92b 10th side 92c 11th side 92d 12th side 93 Curved end surface 93a 1st curved end surface 93b 2nd curved end surface 93c 3rd curved end surface 93d 4th curved end surface 94 contacts 94a First contact 94b Second contact point 94c Second contact 94d Fourth contact 95 End face 95a 5th end face 95b 6th end face 95c 7th end face 95d 8th end face 96a hole (1st hole) 96b hole 96c hole 96d hole 96e hole 97a Support column 97b Support column 97c support column 97d support column 100 In-Car Cameras

Claims

1. A lens unit having at least one lens, A circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and having an end surface between the first surface and the second surface, Mounted on the first surface of the circuit board and positioned on the optical axis of at least one lens, A housing that supports the lens unit and houses at least the circuit board and the image sensor, A first metal shield is provided within the internal space of the housing, surrounding the circuit board and positioned such that a portion of it faces the second surface of the circuit board. It comprises a second metal shield, a portion of which is positioned to face the first surface of the circuit board, The circuit board has a first shape in plan view, comprising at least a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side. The end face of the circuit board comprises at least a first end face corresponding to the first side, a second end face corresponding to the second side, a third end face corresponding to the third side, and a fourth end face corresponding to the fourth side. The first shield is, A third bottom surface portion is arranged opposite the second surface of the circuit board and has a second shape having at least a fifth side, a sixth side, a seventh side, and an eighth side in a plan view, A first side surface portion is positioned toward the circuit board, corresponding to the fifth side of the third bottom surface portion, A second side surface is positioned toward the circuit board, corresponding to the sixth side of the third bottom surface, A third side surface portion is positioned toward the circuit board, corresponding to the seventh side of the third bottom surface portion, It comprises a fourth side surface portion that is positioned toward the circuit board, corresponding to the eighth side of the third bottom surface portion, The first end face of the circuit board faces the first side surface of the first shield, The second end face of the circuit board faces the second side portion of the first shield, The third end face of the circuit board faces the third side portion of the first shield, The fourth end face of the circuit board faces the fourth side portion of the first shield, The second shield has a fifth shape having at least a ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth edge in a plan view, and includes a hole that includes the center of the fifth shape and corresponds to the image sensor mounted on the first surface of the circuit board. At least the first side portion, second side portion, third side portion, fourth side portion, and third bottom portion of the first shield are formed by a continuous curved surface. The aforementioned second shield is On the ninth side, a first contact is electrically connected to the first side portion of the first shield, On the tenth side, a second contact is electrically connected to the second side portion of the first shield, On the 11th side, a third contact is electrically connected to the third side portion of the first shield, The twelfth side comprises a fourth contact that is electrically connected to the fourth side portion of the first shield, In-car camera.

2. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The second shield comprises a third surface, a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, and an end surface connecting the third surface and the fourth surface. The end face of the second shield comprises at least a fifth end face corresponding to the ninth side, a sixth end face corresponding to the tenth side, a seventh end face corresponding to the eleventh side, and an eighth end face corresponding to the twelfth side. The fifth end face of the second shield faces the first side portion of the first shield, The sixth end face of the second shield faces the second side portion of the first shield, The seventh end face of the second shield faces the third side portion of the first shield, The eighth end face of the second shield faces the fourth side portion of the first shield, In-car camera.

3. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 2, The first shield is, A first curved side portion connecting the first side portion and the second side portion, A second curved side portion connecting the second side portion and the third side portion, A third curved side portion connecting the third side portion and the fourth side portion, It comprises a fourth curved side portion connecting the fourth side portion and the first side portion, The aforementioned second shield is A first curved end face connecting the fifth end face and the sixth end face, A second curved end face connecting the sixth end face and the seventh end face, A third curved end face connecting the seventh end face and the eighth end face, It comprises a fourth curved end face connecting the eighth end face and the fifth end face, The first curved end face of the second shield faces the first curved side portion of the first shield, The second curved end face of the second shield faces the second curved side surface of the first shield, The third curved end face of the second shield faces the third curved side portion of the first shield, The fourth curved end face of the second shield faces the fourth curved side portion of the first shield. In-car camera.

4. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 3, The first curved end face of the second shield is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, The second curved end face of the second shield is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, The third curved end face of the second shield is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, The fourth curved end face of the second shield is convex outward with respect to the center of the fifth shape, The inner surface of the first curved side portion of the first shield is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the first curved end surface of the second shield. The inner surface of the second curved side portion of the first shield is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the second curved end surface of the second shield. The inner surface of the third curved side portion of the first shield is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the third curved end surface of the second shield. The inner surface of the fourth curved side portion of the first shield is concave, corresponding to the convex shape of the fourth curved end surface of the second shield. In-car camera.

5. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 4, The first curved end face of the second shield has a curvature R1 in plan view, and the portion of the first shield corresponding to the first curved side surface has a curvature R2 in plan view, and R1 is less than or equal to R2. The second curved end face of the second shield has a curvature R3 in plan view, and the portion of the first shield corresponding to the second curved side surface has a curvature R4 in plan view, and R3 is less than or equal to R4. The third curved end face of the second shield has a curvature of R5 in plan view, the portion of the first shield corresponding to the third curved side surface has a curvature of R6 in plan view, and R5 is less than or equal to R6. The fourth curved end face of the second shield has a curvature of R7 in plan view, the portion of the first shield corresponding to the fourth curved side surface has a curvature of R8 in plan view, and R7 is less than or equal to R8. In-car camera.

6. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 2, The plan view of the portion of the first shield corresponding to the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth end faces of the second shield has a sixth shape. The sixth shape is larger than the second shape of the third bottom surface of the first shield. The first side portion and the third side portion of the first shield face each other, The first side portion and the third side portion of the first shield extend from the third bottom portion toward the portion corresponding to the fifth end face, sixth end face, seventh end face, and eighth end face of the second shield, The second side portion and the fourth side portion of the first shield face each other, The second and fourth side portions of the first shield extend from the third bottom portion toward the portions corresponding to the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth end faces of the second shield. In-car camera.

7. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The housing is provided with a connector located on the bottom surface corresponding to the circuit board, extending both inside and outside the housing. The connector comprises at least a first terminal and a second terminal that electrically connect the inside and outside of the housing, The first terminal and the second terminal of the connector are electrically connected to the circuit of the circuit board. The connector is positioned to penetrate the third bottom portion of the first shield, In-car camera.

8. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 7, The connector fixes the third bottom surface of the first shield to the bottom surface of the housing. The second terminal of the connector and the first shield are electrically connected at the bottom surface of the housing. In-car camera.

9. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The hole in the second shield corresponding to the image sensor mounted on the first surface of the circuit board is designated as the first hole. The second shield comprises at least a second hole, a third hole, and a fourth hole around the first hole, In the second, third, and fourth holes, the first surface of the circuit board is penetrated by the first support column, the second support column, and the third support column, respectively, which support the lens unit. In-car camera.

10. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The first side portion, second side portion, third side portion, fourth side portion, and third bottom portion of the first shield are formed by drawing from a single metal sheet. In-car camera.

Images