In-car camera
The lens unit with a flange portion and deformable hook portions simplifies shield attachment, addressing performance needs for in-vehicle cameras, improving noise shielding and assembly security.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYST CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
Smart Images
Figure 2026113185000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle camera.
[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 been active (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] While the required levels regarding vehicle safety, autonomous driving functions, etc. are on the rise, further performance improvements, etc. are demanded for in-vehicle cameras.
[0005] The present disclosure relates to a technology for providing a new in-vehicle camera.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] This disclosure relates to a lens unit comprising: a lens barrel that is first cylindrical in shape along the optical axis and has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end of the first cylindrical shape; at least one lens disposed in the lens barrel; a flange portion formed at the second end of the lens barrel so as to extend outward in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; an image sensor located on the optical axis and closer to the second end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel than to the first end; a circuit board comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, with the image sensor disposed on the first surface; and along the optical axis A housing comprising a second cylindrical shape, the second cylindrical shape having a third end, and a fourth end opposite to the third end and positioned further away from the third end of the second cylindrical shape than the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, wherein the third end of the second cylindrical shape supports the flange portion of the lens unit, and the housing houses the image sensor and the circuit board, and a metal shield attached to the third surface of the flange portion of the lens unit facing the image sensor, wherein the flange portion of the lens unit has a rectangular shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis. The shield has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, and the flange portion is provided at a position corresponding to the first side of the third surface and has a reference rib for determining the reference position of the lens unit relative to the housing when attached to the third end of the housing, and has a crushing rib provided at a position corresponding to the third side opposite the first side of the third surface and is crushed at least a part of it when attached to the third end of the housing, and the shield is rectangular in shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis and has a fifth side, a sixth side, a seventh side, and an eighth side, front The camera is an in-vehicle camera having the following characteristics: the fifth side corresponds to the first side of the flange portion, the sixth side corresponds to the second side of the flange portion, the seventh side corresponds to the third side of the flange portion, and the eighth side corresponds to the fourth side of the flange portion; the shield is provided at a position corresponding to the sixth side, is elastically deformable, and has a first hook portion that engages with the flange portion of the lens unit; and the shield is provided at a position corresponding to the eighth side opposite the sixth side, is elastically deformable, and has a second hook portion that engages with the flange portion of the lens unit.
[0007] Furthermore, this disclosure includes a lens unit comprising: a lens barrel that is first cylindrical in shape along the optical axis and has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end of the first cylindrical shape; at least one lens disposed in the lens barrel; a flange portion formed at the second end of the lens barrel so as to extend outward in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; an image sensor located on the optical axis and closer to the second end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel than to the first end; a circuit board comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, with the image sensor disposed on the first surface; and along the optical axis A housing comprising a second cylindrical shape, the second cylindrical shape having a third end, and a fourth end opposite to the third end and positioned further away from the third end of the second cylindrical shape than the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, wherein the third end of the second cylindrical shape supports the flange portion of the lens unit, and the housing houses the image sensor and the circuit board, and a metal shield attached to the third surface of the flange portion of the lens unit facing the image sensor, wherein the flange portion of the lens unit is rectangular in shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis. The shield has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, and the flange portion is provided at a position corresponding to the first side of the third surface and has a first reference projection for determining the reference position of the shield relative to the flange portion when the shield is attached to the flange portion, and has a first crushing projection provided at a position corresponding to the third side opposite to the first side of the third surface and is crushed at least a part of it when the shield is attached to the flange portion, and the shield has a rectangular shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a fifth side, a sixth side, a seventh side, and The vehicle-mounted camera has an eighth side, the fifth side corresponding to the first side of the flange portion and abutting against the first reference projection of the flange portion, the sixth side corresponding to the second side of the flange portion, the seventh side corresponding to the third side of the flange portion, and the eighth side corresponding to the fourth side of the flange portion, and the shield has a first bent-up piece formed by bending up a part of the shield at a position corresponding to the seventh side opposite the fifth side, and the first bent-up piece abutting against the first crushed projection of the flange portion. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] According to this disclosure, a noise-shielding shield can be easily attached to the flange portion of a lens unit using a simple configuration consisting of two elastically deformable hook portions.
[0009] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, the shield can be attached to the flange portion using a simple configuration that utilizes a first bent-up piece formed by bending a part of the shield. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0010] [Figure 1] An example of a vehicle, a top view of a vehicle equipped with an on-board camera. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing an example of the connection of an in-vehicle camera, camera ECU, and display installed in the vehicle shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Another example of a vehicle: a schematic diagram of the interior of a vehicle equipped with an onboard camera. [Figure 4] Top view of the vehicle in Figure 3. [Figure 5] 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 3. [Figure 6] Front perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] Rearward perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] Exploded perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] Top view of an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view along line II in Figure 9 [Figure 11] Bottom view of the lens unit in an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] Bottom view of the lens unit with a front shield attached in an in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13]Perspective view of a lens unit with a front shield attached, as seen from one direction along the front shield side, in the in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment [Figure 14] Perspective view of a lens unit with a front shield attached, as seen from another direction along the front shield side, in the in-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment [Figure 15] Enlarged view of part A in FIG. 14 [Figure 16] Exploded perspective view of the in-vehicle camera according to the second embodiment [Figure 17] Bottom view of a lens unit with a front shield attached, in the in-vehicle camera according to the second embodiment [Figure 18] Perspective view of a lens unit with a front shield attached, as seen from one direction along the front shield side, in the in-vehicle camera according to the second embodiment [Figure 19] Perspective view of a lens unit with a front shield attached, as seen from another direction along the front shield side, in the in-vehicle camera according to the second embodiment [Figure 20] Enlarged view of part B in FIG. 18 [Figure 21] Enlarged view when part C in FIG. 11 is seen obliquely from above [Figure 22] Enlarged view when part D in FIG. 18 is seen obliquely from above [Figure 23] Enlarged view when part E in FIG. 11 is seen obliquely from above [Figure 24] Enlarged view when part F in FIG. 18 is seen obliquely from above
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0011] 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.
[0012] (Vehicles equipped with onboard cameras) Figure 1 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.
[0013] 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.
[0014] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the connection between the in-vehicle cameras 100A-100D, the camera ECU 111, and the display 7 installed in the vehicle V shown in Figure 1. The camera ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 111 shown in Figure 2 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.
[0015] Figure 3 is another example of a vehicle, a schematic diagram of the passenger compartment of a vehicle equipped with an on-board camera, and Figure 4 is a top view of the vehicle in Figure 3. 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 5 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 3. The camera ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 111 shown in Figure 4 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.
[0016] (In-vehicle camera according to the first embodiment) Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 is a rear perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 9 is a top view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along line II in Figure 9. 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.
[0017] The in-vehicle camera 100 of this embodiment includes a ring member 20, a lens unit 30, a circuit board 40, an image sensor 50, a housing 60, a rear shield 70, and a front shield (shield) 90.
[0018] The ring member 20 is composed of a flat plate-shaped member having a first surface 20a and a second surface 20b opposite to the first surface 20a. The second surface 20b of the ring member 20 is welded to the lens unit 3030 and the housing 60 by laser welding. The inner circumferential surface of the ring member 20 faces the outer circumferential surface of the lens barrel 31 of the lens unit 30. The inner diameter of the ring member 20 is long enough to allow the lens barrel 31 to be inserted.
[0019] The ring member 20 can be molded from a first resin having a predetermined light transmittance. This allows the ring member 20 to be molded easily and at low cost.
[0020] The lens unit 30 includes a lens barrel 31. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the lens barrel 31 is a first cylindrical shape aligned with the optical axis L (a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 9 and along the Z-axis), and has a first end 31a of the first cylindrical shape and a second end 31b opposite to the first end 31a. The first end 31a constitutes the tip portion of the lens barrel 31, and at least a portion of the second end 31b faces the image sensor 50 and the circuit board 40 inside the housing 60.
[0021] The lens unit 30 also includes at least one lens 35 located on the optical axis L and positioned in the lens barrel 31. The lens barrel 31 may internally hold, for example, a lens group consisting of multiple lenses 35. When the lens group is arranged, each lens is aligned with its respective optical axis L and used for imaging the interior and exterior of the vehicle V.
[0022] Furthermore, the lens unit 30 has a flange portion 10 at the second end 31b of the lens barrel 31, which is formed around the entire circumference with respect to the optical axis L and extends outward with respect to the optical axis L. The flange portion 10 has a third surface 10e facing the inside of the housing 60 and a fourth surface 10f facing at least a part of the second surface 20b of the ring member 20.
[0023] At least the fourth surface 10f of the flange portion 10 can be molded from a second resin having first light-absorbing properties. The entire flange portion 10 may also be molded from the second resin. This allows the flange portion 10 to be molded easily and at low cost. The lens barrel 31 and the flange portion 10 may be separate components and may be joined together via an adhesive or the like. The lens barrel 31 and the flange portion 10 may also be molded integrally.
[0024] In this embodiment, the flange portion 10 has a rectangular shape (for example, a square) in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis L, and has four sides: a first side 10a, a second side 10b, a third side 10c, and a fourth side 10d.
[0025] The image sensor 50 is located on the optical axis L, and is positioned in the internal space of the housing 60, closer to the second end 31b of the lens barrel 31 than to the first end 31a. The image sensor 50 is electrically connected to the circuit of the circuit board 40, and by guiding external light to the image sensor 50, the image sensor 50 can capture an image. The image sensor 50 may be, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor.
[0026] The circuit board 40 is placed in the internal space of the housing 60 and has a first surface 40a and a second surface 40b opposite to the first surface 40a. However, two or more circuit boards may be provided. The image sensor 50 is placed on the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40.
[0027] The circuit board 40 has a first shape in plan view. The first shape in plan view is the shape when viewed from the first surface 40a to the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40. The first shape is a quadrilateral, as in the embodiment, but it may also be a polygon with five or more sides.
[0028] The housing 60 is a cylindrical member having an internal space, and serves to house at least the circuit board 40 and the image sensor 50. The housing 60 has a large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 having a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis L, a third end portion 63, and a fourth end portion 64. The third end portion 63 is connected to the lens unit 30. The fourth end portion 64 is opposite to the third end portion 63 in the direction along the optical axis L, and is positioned further away from the third end portion 63 with respect to the first end portion 31a of the lens barrel 31.
[0029] The housing 60 is further molded in continuity with the fourth end 64 and has a small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 that protrudes away from the circuit board 40 in the direction along the optical axis L and has a smaller diameter than the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61. However, the housing 60 does not necessarily need to have a large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 of different diameters.
[0030] The large-diameter cylindrical portion 61 and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 62 can be integrally molded, but pre-prepared individual large-diameter cylindrical portions 61 and small-diameter cylindrical portions 62 may be joined by welding or screw fastening. In this embodiment, the housing 60 is rectangular, 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.
[0031] With the housing 60 containing at least the circuit board 40 and the image sensor 50, the ring member 20 is welded to the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30 radially inward along its entire circumference, and to the third end portion 63 of the housing 60 radially outward. This welding is performed, for example, by laser welding.
[0032] Conventional laser welding is used, for example, to weld a first resin having a predetermined light transmittance at a given laser wavelength to a second or third resin having a lower light transmittance than the first resin. When laser light is shone onto the first resin while pressure is applied to both resins, the laser light passes through the first resin without being absorbed. The transmitted laser light is absorbed at the surface of the second or third resin, which has a lower light transmittance than the first resin. The absorbed laser energy is converted into heat, heating the surface of the second or third resin. Furthermore, due to heat conduction, the surface of the first resin in contact with the surface of the second or third resin is also heated. As a result, both resins melt at the interface between the first resin and the second or third resin. When the laser irradiation is stopped, the molten resin solidifies, and the two resins are welded together.
[0033] In this embodiment, the ring member 20 is molded from a first resin, and at least the fourth surface 10f of the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30 is molded from a second resin having first light-absorbing properties. In addition, the third end portion 63 of the housing 60 is molded from a third resin having second light-absorbing properties.
[0034] In laser welding, first, the second surface 20b of the ring member 20 is pressed against the fourth surface 10f of the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30, and a laser is irradiated to weld the second surface 20b and the fourth surface 10f of the ring member 20. Then, the second surface 20b of the ring member 20 is pressed against the third end portion 63 of the housing 60, and a laser is irradiated to weld the second surface 20b and the third end portion 63 of the ring member 20. As a result, the lens unit 30 and the housing 60 are integrated via the ring member 20, and the third end portion 63 of the housing 60 supports the flange portion 10 via the ring member 20.
[0035] The rear shield 70 is a box-shaped conductive member housed inside the housing 60, conforming to the inner surface of the housing 60, particularly the large-diameter cylindrical portion 61. The rear shield 70 is made of a conductive metal or the like and serves to shield against noise both inside and outside the housing 60. The front shield 90 is attached inside the housing 60 to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10, which faces the image sensor 50. The front shield 90 is also made of a conductive metal or the like and serves to shield against noise both inside and outside the housing 60.
[0036] The in-vehicle camera 100 is equipped with an external connector 80 provided at the fourth end 64 of the housing 60. The external connector 80 comprises a first connector end 81 and a second connector end 82 opposite to the first connector end 81. The first connector end 81 is connected to a connector connection part 47 located on the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40, and is configured to output the image signal from the image sensor 50 to the outside.
[0037] Furthermore, the in-vehicle camera 100 includes a resin member 45 located inside the housing 60. The resin member 45 plays a role in dissipating heat from, for example, the circuit board 40 to the outside.
[0038] Figure 11 is a bottom view of the lens unit 30 in the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 12 is a bottom view of the lens unit 30 with the front shield 90 attached in the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the first embodiment. The bottom view of the lens unit 30 corresponds to a view of the lens unit 30 from the side of the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10. The front shield 90 has a through-hole 90e in the center, and light that has passed through the lens barrel 31 from the outside is guided to the image sensor 50 by passing through the through-hole 90e.
[0039] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the lens unit 30 with the front shield 90 attached, viewed from the side of the front shield 90 along one direction. Figure 14 is a perspective view of the lens unit 30 with the front shield 90 attached, viewed from the side of the front shield 90 along another direction. Figures 13 and 14 are essentially the same figure, differing only in the direction of the viewpoint.
[0040] In the actual assembly of the in-vehicle camera 100, first the rear shield 70 is housed inside the housing 60, and the front shield 90 is attached to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30, as shown in Figures 12 to 14. Then, the lens unit 30 with the front shield 90 attached is fitted into the third end portion 63 of the housing 60, and the laser welding described above (laser welding between the ring member 20 and the lens unit 30 and laser welding between the ring member 20 and the housing 60) is performed. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the front shield 90 does not fall off the flange portion 10.
[0041] The structure related to fitting the lens unit 30 into the housing 60 will now be described. The flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30 has a reference rib 11 and a crushing rib 12. The reference rib 11 is provided at a position corresponding to the first side 10a of the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10 and is a member for determining the reference position of the lens unit 30 relative to the housing 60 when attaching it to the third end 63 of the housing 60. On the other hand, the crushing rib 12 is provided at a position corresponding to the third side 10c opposite the first side 10a of the third surface 10e and is a member that is crushed to at least a part when attaching it to the third end 63 of the housing 60.
[0042] In other words, with the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30 at an angle to the third end portion 63 of the housing 60, the reference rib 11 is brought into contact with the inner surface of the third end portion 63 of the housing 60. At this time, the first side 10a of the flange portion 10 is close to the third end portion 63, and the third side 10c is away from the third end portion 63. From this state, as the third side 10c is brought closer to the third end portion 63, and the orientation of the flange portion 10 approaches parallel to the third end portion 63, the crushing rib 12 of the third surface 10e begins to contact the inner surface of the third end portion 63. As the third side 10c is brought further closer to the third end portion 63, the crushing rib 12 slides and crushes against the inner surface of the third end portion 63, until finally the flange portion 10 becomes parallel to the third end portion 63, and the flange portion 10 is supported on the inside of the third end portion.
[0043] Prior to the fitting process described above, the front shield 90 is attached to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30, as shown in Figures 12 to 14. The following describes the structure for preventing the front shield 90 from detaching from the flange portion 10 during the fitting process.
[0044] The front shield 90 has a rectangular shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis L, and has a fifth side 90a, a sixth side 90b, a seventh side 90c, and an eighth side 90d. The fifth side 90a corresponds to the first side 10a of the flange portion 10, the sixth side 90b corresponds to the second side 10b of the flange portion 10, the seventh side 90c corresponds to the third side 10c of the flange portion 10, and the eighth side 90d corresponds to the fourth side 10d of the flange portion 10.
[0045] Furthermore, the front shield 90 has a first hook portion 91, a second hook portion 92, a third hook portion 93, and a fourth hook portion 94. The first hook portion 91 is provided at a position corresponding to the sixth side 90b, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30. The second hook portion 92 is provided at a position corresponding to the eighth side 90d, opposite the sixth side 90b, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30. The third hook portion 93 is provided at a position corresponding to the fifth side 90a, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30. The fourth hook portion 94 is provided at a position corresponding to the seventh side 90c, opposite the fifth side 90a, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30.
[0046] According to this embodiment, the noise-shielding front shield 90 is attached to the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30 using four elastically deformable hook portions, and the front shield 90 can be prevented from falling off the flange portion 10.
[0047] Figure 15 is an enlarged view of portion A in Figure 14. Figure 15 shows the fourth hook portion 94 engaged with the third side 10c of the flange portion 10. Each hook portion, represented by the fourth hook portion 94, includes a pair of extension pieces 97 extending from the main body of the front shield 90 and a connecting piece 98 connecting the ends of each extension piece 97. The pair of extension pieces 97 are elastically deformable relative to the main body of the front shield 90.
[0048] When attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, as the front shield 90 is brought closer to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10, the connecting piece 98 of the fourth hook portion 94 comes into contact with the sliding surface 12a of the crushing rib 12. The sliding surface 12a is the surface that slides against the inner surface of the third end portion 63 when attaching the flange portion 10 to the third end portion 63 of the housing 60. As the front shield 90 is brought further closer to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10, the sliding surface 12a pushes and expands the fourth hook portion 94. As the front shield 90 is brought even closer to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10, the connecting piece 98 moves over the sliding surface 12a, resulting in the state shown in Figure 15, where the elastic force of the extension piece 97 causes the fourth hook portion 94 to engage with the third side 10c of the flange portion 10. This engagement process is similar in the relationship between the third hook portion 93 and the reference rib 11.
[0049] The sliding surface 12a has a second angle θ2 that is inclined with respect to a direction parallel to the optical axis L. The second angle θ2 is set to a relatively large angle in order to ensure a predetermined force when sliding against the inner surface of the third end portion 63 in the fitting process described above. In other words, the sliding surface 12a is inclined at a greater angle than the predetermined angle.
[0050] When attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, if the connecting piece 98 of the fourth hook portion 94 comes into contact with the sliding surface 12a, which has a large inclination angle, a large force acts on the sliding surface 12a, causing it to wear down more than expected, generating excess debris, which may cause unexpected malfunctions in the in-vehicle camera 100.
[0051] (In-vehicle camera according to the second embodiment) Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment. Figure 17 is a bottom view of the lens unit with the front shield 90 attached in the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment. Figure 18 is a perspective view of the lens unit 30 with the front shield 90 attached in the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment, viewed from the side of the front shield 90 along one direction. Figure 19 is a perspective view of the lens unit 30 with the front shield 90 attached in the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment, viewed from the side of the front shield 90 along the other direction.
[0052] The appearance of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of Figures 6 to 10 in the first embodiment, but the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the second embodiment is a configuration that solves the problem last described in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the front shield 90 has a first hook portion 91 and a second hook portion 92, but differs from the first embodiment in that it does not have a third hook portion 93 and a fourth hook portion 94.
[0053] In other words, the first hook portion 91 and the second hook portion 92 are provided on the sixth side 90b and the eighth side 90d, but no hook portions are provided on the fifth side 90a and the seventh side 90c. Therefore, the configuration of the front shield 90 in this embodiment is simpler than that of the first embodiment.
[0054] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 15, there is no fourth hook portion 94 corresponding to the crushed rib 12, so the problem of shavings being generated on the sliding surface 12a when attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, as described above, does not occur. In the first embodiment, there is also no third hook portion 93 corresponding to the reference rib 11, so the problem of shavings being generated from the reference rib 11 does not occur.
[0055] The first hook portion 91 and the second hook portion 92 have the elastic holding force necessary to hold the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30, so even if the third hook portion 93 and the fourth hook portion 94 are omitted, the risk of the front shield 90 falling off the flange portion 10 during assembly can be ignored.
[0056] According to this embodiment, the noise-shielding front shield 90 can be easily attached to the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30 using a simple configuration of two elastically deformable hook portions, and the front shield 90 can be prevented from falling off the flange portion 10.
[0057] It can be said that the fifth side 90a and the seventh side 90c of the front shield 90 do not have any hook portions other than the first hook portion 91 and the second hook portion 92 of the sixth side 90b and the eighth side 90d. This prevents an increase in the number of hook portions of the front shield 90, thereby preventing the configuration of the front shield 90 from becoming complicated.
[0058] Furthermore, the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30 has two hook portion engagement ribs 13. The two hook portion engagement ribs 13 are positioned corresponding to the second side 10b and the fourth side 10d opposite the second side 10b of the third surface 10e, and engage with the first hook portion 91 and the second hook portion 92 of the front shield 90. Note that the hook portion engagement ribs 13 are also used in the first embodiment.
[0059] Figure 20 is an enlarged view of portion B of Figure 18. Figure 20 shows the state in which the first hook portion 91 is engaged with the second side 10b of the flange portion 10. The first hook portion 91, like the fourth hook portion 94, includes a pair of extension pieces 97 and a connecting piece 98. The first hook portion 91 is defined by the pair of extension pieces 97 and the connecting piece 98 and has an engagement hole 99 that engages with the hook portion engagement rib 13. The second hook portion 92 is similar. As a result, the engagement holes provided in the two hook portions engage with the hook portion engagement rib 13, making the attachment of the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10 more secure.
[0060] Each hook engagement rib 13 has a sliding surface 13a. The sliding surface 13a plays the same role as the sliding surface 12a of the crushing rib 12 in the first embodiment when the front shield 90 is attached to the flange portion 10.
[0061] In other words, when attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, as the front shield 90 is brought closer to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10, the connecting piece 98 of the first hook portion 91 comes into contact with the sliding surface 13a of the hook portion engagement rib 13. As the front shield 90 is brought further closer to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10, the sliding surface 13a pushes and expands the first hook portion 91. As the front shield 90 is brought even closer to the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10, the connecting piece 98 overcomes the sliding surface 13a, resulting in the state shown in Figure 20, where the elastic force of the extended piece 97 causes the first hook portion 91 to engage with the second side 10b of the flange portion 10. This engagement process is similar in the relationship between the second hook portion 92 and the other hook portion engagement ribs 13.
[0062] The sliding surface 13a has a first angle θ2 that is inclined with respect to a direction parallel to the optical axis L. The first angle θ1 is set to be smaller than the second angle θ2 of the sliding surface 12a described in the first embodiment. In other words, the sliding surface 13a is inclined at an angle smaller than a predetermined angle.
[0063] When attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, even if the connecting piece 98 of the first hook portion 91 contacts and slides against the sliding surface 13a, the inclination angle of the sliding surface 13a is small, making it difficult for a large force to act on the sliding surface 13a. This also reduces the risk of the sliding surface 13a being worn down more than expected and generating unnecessary debris.
[0064] In other words, when attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, the sliding surface 13a of the hook portion engaging rib 13, which the two hook portions contact and slide on, is shallowly inclined with respect to the two hook portions, so that the front shield 90 can be easily pushed towards the flange portion 10.
[0065] The front shield 90 is attached to the flange portion 10 not only by the hook portion described above, but also by other configurations. The other configurations are described below. Figure 21 is an enlarged view of portion C in Figure 11, seen from diagonally above. Figure 22 is an enlarged view of portion D in Figure 18, seen from diagonally above. Figure 23 is an enlarged view of portion E in Figure 11, seen from diagonally above. Figure 24 is an enlarged view of portion F in Figure 18, seen from diagonally above.
[0066] The flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30 has a first reference projection 14 shown in Figures 11, 21, and 22, and a first crushed projection 15 shown in Figures 11, 23, and 24. The first reference projection 14 is provided at a position corresponding to the first side 10a of the third surface 10e and is a member for determining the reference position of the front shield 90 relative to the flange portion 10 when attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10. The first crushed projection 15 is provided at a position corresponding to the third side 10c opposite the first side 10a of the third surface 10e and is a member that is crushed to at least a portion when attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10.
[0067] On the other hand, the front shield 90 has a first bent-up piece 95 formed by bending a part of the front shield 90 at a position corresponding to the seventh side 90c opposite the fifth side 90a. The first bent-up piece 95 can be formed, for example, by cutting and bending a part of the front shield 90 adjacent to the seventh side 90c.
[0068] The fifth side 90a of the front shield 90 corresponds to the first side 10a of the flange portion 10. When attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, the fifth side 90a abuts against the first reference projection 14 of the flange portion 10. That is, the fifth side 90a of the front shield 90 is brought into contact with the first reference projection 14, and the front shield 90 is pushed towards the flange portion 10 while positioning it.
[0069] At this time, the first bent-up piece 95 provided on the seventh side 90c of the front shield 90 comes into contact with the first crushed projection 15 of the flange portion 10. When the front shield 90 is further pushed toward the flange portion 10, at least a part of the first crushed projection 15 is crushed, and the front shield 90 is sandwiched in the X direction by the first reference projection 14 and the first crushed projection 15, and is attached to and held by the flange portion 10.
[0070] The front shield 90 can be attached to the flange portion 10 using a simple configuration that utilizes a first bent piece 95 formed by bending a part of the front shield 90.
[0071] As shown in Figures 23 and 24, the first crushed projection 15 has a projection body 15a extending from the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10 toward the circuit board 40, and a crushed rib piece 15b projecting from the projection body 15a toward the first bent-up piece 95 of the front shield 90. As a result, when the front shield 90 is attached to the flange portion 10, only the crushed rib piece 15b contacts the first bent-up piece 95, thereby suppressing the generation of shavings associated with crushing.
[0072] In particular, the crushed rib piece 15b of the first crushed projection 15 has a tapered surface 15c that is inclined from the side of the projection body 15a toward the side of the first bent-up piece 95 of the front shield 90. As a result, when attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, the first bent-up piece 95 of the front shield 90 deforms while in contact with the tapered surface 15c, so that the front shield 90 can be easily pushed toward the flange portion 10.
[0073] The first bent and raised portion 95 of the front shield 90 has a roughly L-shaped cross-section when viewed from the Y direction. As a result, the first bent and raised portion 95 makes contact with the first crushed projection 15 of the flange portion 10 over a wide contact surface, thereby suppressing the generation of shavings.
[0074] Furthermore, the flange portion 10 further includes a second reference projection 16 and a second crushing projection 17. The second reference projection 16 is provided at a position corresponding to the second side 10b adjacent to the first side 10a and the third side 10c of the third surface 10e of the flange portion 10, and is a member that determines the reference position of the front shield 90 relative to the flange portion 10 when the front shield 90 is attached to the flange portion 10. The second crushing projection 17 is provided at a position corresponding to the fourth side 10d opposite the second side 10b of the third surface 10e, and is a member that is crushed to at least a portion when the front shield 90 is attached to the flange portion 10.
[0075] Furthermore, the front shield 90 has a second bent-up piece 96 formed by bending a part of the front shield 90 at a position corresponding to the eighth side 90d, similar to the first bent-up piece 95. The second bent-up piece 96 abuts against the second crushed projection 17 of the flange portion 10. The relationship between the second bent-up piece 96 and the second crushed projection 17 is the same as the relationship between the first bent-up piece 95 and the first crushed projection 15.
[0076] As a result, when attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10, the reference position of the front shield 90 is determined using the first reference projection 14 and the second reference projection 16 of the flange portion 10, and the first bent-up piece 95 and the second bent-up piece 96 of the front shield 90 come into contact with the first crushed projection 15 and the second crushed projection 17 of the flange portion 10, thus enabling smoother attachment.
[0077] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 21 and 22, the reference rib 11 and the first reference projection 14 are integrally formed, and as shown in Figures 23 and 24, the crushed rib 12 and the first crushed projection 15 are integrally formed. This allows the reference rib 11 and the first reference projection 14 to be formed easily and in a small space, and the crushed rib 12 and the first crushed projection 15 to be formed easily and in a small space.
[0078] Although the configurations of the four hook portions (first embodiment) or two hook portions (first embodiment) described above, as well as the first bent-up piece 95 and the second bent-up piece 96, are all configurations for attaching the front shield 90 to the flange portion 10 of the lens unit 30, only one of these configurations may be adopted.
[0079] 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.
[0080] (A1) A lens unit (lens unit 30) comprising: (A1) a lens barrel (lens barrel 31) which is a first cylindrical shape along the optical axis (optical axis L) and has a first end of the first cylindrical shape and a second end (second end 31b) opposite to the first end (first end 31a); at least one lens (lens 35) disposed in the lens barrel; and a flange portion (flange portion 10) formed at the second end of the lens barrel so as to extend outward in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; An image sensor (image sensor 50) positioned on the optical axis and closer to the second end than the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, A circuit board (circuit board 40) comprising a first surface (first surface 40a) and a second surface (second surface 40b) opposite to the first surface, wherein the image sensor is arranged on the first surface, A housing (housing 60) that is oriented along the optical axis and comprises a second cylindrical shape, a third end (third end 63) of the second cylindrical shape, and a fourth end (fourth end 64) opposite to the third end and positioned further away from the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel than the third end of the second cylindrical shape, wherein the third end of the second cylindrical shape supports the flange portion of the lens unit, and the housing (housing 60) houses the image sensor and the circuit board. The lens unit comprises a metal shield (front shield 90) attached to the third surface (third surface 10e) of the flange portion of the lens unit that faces the image sensor, The flange portion of the lens unit is rectangular in shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a first side (first side 10a), a second side (second side 10b), a third side (third side 10c), and a fourth side (fourth side 10d). The flange portion is A reference rib (reference rib 11) is provided at a position corresponding to the first edge of the third surface, and is used to determine the reference position of the lens unit relative to the housing when attaching it to the third end of the housing, The third surface has a crushing rib (crushing rib 12) provided at a position corresponding to the third side opposite to the first side of the third surface, which is crushed at least a portion of it when attached to the third end of the housing, The shield has a rectangular shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a fifth side (fifth side 90a), a sixth side (sixth side 90b), a seventh side (seventh side 90c), and an eighth side (eighth side 90d), wherein the fifth side corresponds to the first side of the flange portion, the sixth side corresponds to the second side of the flange portion, the seventh side corresponds to the third side of the flange portion, and the eighth side corresponds to the fourth side of the flange portion. The aforementioned shield is A first hook portion (first hook portion 91) is provided at a position corresponding to the sixth side, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion of the lens unit, It has a second hook portion (second hook portion 92) provided at a position corresponding to the eighth side opposite to the sixth side, which is elastically deformable and engages with the flange portion of the lens unit, In-car camera (In-car camera 100). This allows the noise-blocking shield to be easily attached to the flange of the lens unit using a simple configuration of two elastically deformable hooks, and prevents it from falling off the flange.
[0081] (A2) The in-vehicle camera described in (A1), The fifth and seventh sides of the shield do not have any hook portions other than the first and second hook portions. In-car camera. This helps to limit the number of hooks, thus preventing the shield's configuration from becoming overly complex.
[0082] (A3) The in-vehicle camera described in (A1), The flange portion of the lens unit is provided at a position corresponding to the second side of the third surface and the fourth side opposite to the second side, and has a hook engagement rib (hook engagement rib 13) that engages with the first hook portion and the second hook portion of the shield, The first hook portion and the second hook portion of the shield have engagement holes that engage with the hook portion engagement rib. In-car camera. This allows the engagement holes provided in the two hook portions of the shield to engage with the hook engagement ribs on the flange portion, making the attachment of the shield to the flange portion more secure.
[0083] (A4) (A3) The in-vehicle camera described above, The hook engagement rib has an inclined sliding surface (sliding surface 13a) such that when the shield is attached to the flange portion of the lens unit, the first hook portion and the second hook portion slide and push apart the first hook portion and the second hook portion. The crushed rib has a sliding surface (sliding surface 12a) that slides against the inner surface of the housing when the flange portion of the lens unit is attached to the third end of the housing. The first angle (first angle θ1) of the sliding surface inclined with respect to the direction parallel to the optical axis is smaller than the second angle (second angle θ2) of the sliding surface inclined with respect to the direction parallel to the optical axis. In-car camera. As a result, when attaching the shield to the flange, the sliding surface of the hook engagement rib, where the two hooks come into contact and slide, is shallowly inclined relative to the two hooks, allowing the shield to be easily pushed towards the flange.
[0084] (A5) The in-vehicle camera described in (A1), The flange portion is A first reference projection (first reference projection 14) is provided at a position corresponding to the first edge of the third surface, for determining the reference position of the shield relative to the flange portion when attaching the shield to the flange portion, The third surface has a first crushing projection (first crushing projection 15) provided at a position corresponding to the third side opposite to the first side, which is crushed at least a portion of it when the shield is attached to the flange portion, The fifth side of the shield corresponds to the first side of the flange portion and abuts against the first reference projection of the flange portion. The shield has a first bent-up piece (first bent-up piece 95) formed by bending a part of the shield at a position corresponding to the seventh side opposite the fifth side, The first bending piece contacts the first crushing projection of the flange portion. In-car camera. This allows the shield to be attached to the flange using a simple configuration that utilizes a first bent-up piece formed by bending a portion of the shield.
[0085] (A6) The in-vehicle camera described in (A5), The first crushed projection of the flange portion has a projection body (projection body 15a) extending from the third surface of the flange portion toward the circuit board, and a crushed rib piece (crushed rib piece 15b) projecting from the projection body toward the first bent-up piece of the shield. In-car camera. As a result, when attaching the shield to the flange, only the crushed rib piece comes into contact with the first bent piece, thus suppressing the generation of shavings associated with crushing.
[0086] (A7) The in-vehicle camera described in (A6), The crushing rib piece of the first crushing projection has a tapered surface (tapered surface 15c) that is inclined from the side of the projection body toward the side of the first bent-up piece of the shield. In-car camera. As a result, when attaching the shield to the flange, the first bent portion of the shield deforms while in contact with the tapered surface, allowing the shield to be easily pushed towards the flange.
[0087] (A8) The in-vehicle camera described in (A5), The first bent and raised piece of the shield has a substantially L-shaped cross-section. In-car camera. As a result, the first bending piece makes contact with the first crushed projection of the flange portion over a wide contact surface, thereby suppressing the generation of shavings.
[0088] (A9) The in-vehicle camera described in (A5), The flange portion is A second reference projection (second reference projection 16) is provided on the third surface at a position corresponding to the second side adjacent to the first and third sides, for determining the reference position of the shield relative to the flange when the shield is attached to the flange, The third surface is provided at a position corresponding to the fourth side opposite to the second side, and has a second crushing projection (second crushing projection 17) which is crushed at least a part of when the shield is attached to the flange portion, and further has, The shield further includes a second bent-up piece (second bent-up piece 96) formed by bending a part of the shield at a position corresponding to the eighth side, The second bending piece contacts the second crushing projection of the flange portion. In-car camera. As a result, when attaching the shield to the flange portion, the reference position of the shield can be determined using the first and second reference protrusions of the flange portion, while the first and second bent-up pieces of the shield come into contact with the first and second crushed protrusions of the flange portion, allowing for smoother attachment.
[0089] (A10) The in-vehicle camera described in (A1), The reference rib and the first reference projection are integrally formed, The crushing rib and the first crushing projection are integrally formed. In-car camera. This allows for the easy and space-saving formation of the reference rib and the first reference projection, as well as the easy and space-saving formation of the crushed rib and the first crushed projection.
[0090] (B1) A lens unit (lens unit 30) comprising: a lens barrel (lens barrel 31) which is a first cylindrical shape along the optical axis (optical axis L) and has a first end of the first cylindrical shape and a second end (second end 31b) opposite to the first end (first end 31a); at least one lens (lens 35) disposed in the lens barrel; and a flange portion (flange portion 10) formed at the second end of the lens barrel so as to extend outward in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; An image sensor (image sensor 50) positioned on the optical axis and closer to the second end than the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, A circuit board (circuit board 40) comprising a first surface (first surface 40a) and a second surface (second surface 40b) opposite to the first surface, wherein the image sensor is arranged on the first surface, A housing (housing 60) that is oriented along the optical axis and comprises a second cylindrical shape, a third end (third end 63) of the second cylindrical shape, and a fourth end (fourth end 64) opposite to the third end and positioned further away from the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel than the third end of the second cylindrical shape, wherein the third end of the second cylindrical shape supports the flange portion of the lens unit, and the housing (housing 60) houses the image sensor and the circuit board. The lens unit comprises a metal shield (front shield 90) attached to the third surface (third surface 10e) of the flange portion of the lens unit that faces the image sensor, The flange portion of the lens unit is rectangular in shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a first side (first side 10a), a second side (second side 10b), a third side (third side 10c), and a fourth side (fourth side 10d). The flange portion is A first reference projection (first reference projection 14) is provided at a position corresponding to the first edge of the third surface, for determining the reference position of the shield relative to the flange portion when attaching the shield to the flange portion, The third surface has a first crushing projection (first crushing projection 15) provided at a position corresponding to the third side opposite to the first side, which is crushed at least a portion of it when the shield is attached to the flange portion, The shield has a rectangular shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a fifth side (fifth side 90a), a sixth side (sixth side 90b), a seventh side (seventh side 90c), and an eighth side (eighth side 90d), wherein the fifth side corresponds to the first side of the flange portion and abuts against the first reference projection of the flange portion, the sixth side corresponds to the second side of the flange portion, the seventh side corresponds to the third side of the flange portion, and the eighth side corresponds to the fourth side of the flange portion. The shield has a first bent-up piece (first bent-up piece 95) formed by bending a part of the shield at a position corresponding to the seventh side opposite the fifth side, The first bending piece contacts the first crushing projection of the flange portion. In-car camera (In-car camera 100). This allows the shield to be attached to the flange using a simple configuration that utilizes a first bent-up piece formed by bending a portion of the shield.
[0091] (B2) The in-vehicle camera described in (B1), The first crushed projection of the flange portion has a projection body (projection body 15a) extending from the third surface of the flange portion toward the circuit board, and a crushed rib piece (crushed rib piece 15b) projecting from the projection body toward the first bent-up piece of the shield. In-car camera. As a result, when attaching the shield to the flange, only the crushed rib piece comes into contact with the first bent piece, thus suppressing the generation of shavings associated with crushing.
[0092] (B3) The in-vehicle camera described in (B2), The crushing rib piece of the first crushing projection has a tapered surface (tapered surface 15c) that is inclined from the side of the projection body toward the side of the first bent-up piece of the shield. In-car camera. As a result, when attaching the shield to the flange, the first bent portion of the shield deforms while in contact with the tapered surface, allowing the shield to be easily pushed towards the flange.
[0093] (B4) The in-vehicle camera described in (B1), The first bent and raised piece of the shield has a substantially L-shaped cross-section. In-car camera. As a result, the first bending piece makes contact with the first crushed projection of the flange portion over a wide contact surface, thereby suppressing the generation of shavings.
[0094] (B5) (B1) The in-vehicle camera described above, The flange portion is A second reference projection (second reference projection 16) is provided on the third surface at a position corresponding to the second side adjacent to the first and third sides, for determining the reference position of the shield relative to the flange when the shield is attached to the flange, The third surface is provided at a position corresponding to the fourth side opposite to the second side, and has a second crushing projection (second crushing projection 17) which is crushed at least a part of when the shield is attached to the flange portion, and further has, The shield further includes a second bent-up piece (second bent-up piece 96) formed by bending a part of the shield at a position corresponding to the eighth side, The second bending piece contacts the second crushing projection of the flange portion. In-car camera. As a result, when attaching the shield to the flange portion, the reference position of the shield can be determined using the first and second reference protrusions of the flange portion, while the first and second bent-up pieces of the shield come into contact with the first and second crushed protrusions of the flange portion, allowing for smoother attachment.
[0095] (B6) The in-vehicle camera described in (B1), The flange portion is A reference rib (reference rib 11) is provided at a position corresponding to the first edge of the third surface, and is used to determine the reference position of the lens unit relative to the housing when attaching it to the third end of the housing, The third surface has a crushing rib (crushing rib 12) provided at a position corresponding to the third side opposite to the first side of the third surface, which is crushed at least a portion of it when attached to the third end of the housing, The aforementioned shield is A first hook portion (first hook portion 91) is provided at a position corresponding to the sixth side, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion of the lens unit, It has a second hook portion (second hook portion 92) provided at a position corresponding to the eighth side opposite to the sixth side, which is elastically deformable and engages with the flange portion of the lens unit, In-car camera. This allows the noise-blocking shield to be easily attached to the flange of the lens unit using a simple configuration of two elastically deformable hooks, and prevents it from falling off the flange.
[0096] (B7) (B6) The in-vehicle camera described above, The fifth and seventh sides of the shield do not have any hook portions other than the first and second hook portions. In-car camera. This helps to limit the number of hooks, thus preventing the shield's configuration from becoming overly complex.
[0097] (B8) (B6) The in-vehicle camera described above, The flange portion of the lens unit is provided at a position corresponding to the second side of the third surface and the fourth side opposite to the second side, and has a hook engagement rib (hook engagement rib 13) that engages with the first hook portion and the second hook portion of the shield, The first hook portion and the second hook portion of the shield have engagement holes that engage with the hook portion engagement rib. In-car camera. This allows the engagement holes provided in the two hook portions of the shield to engage with the hook engagement ribs on the flange portion, making the attachment of the shield to the flange portion more secure.
[0098] (B9) (B8) The in-vehicle camera described above, The hook engagement rib has an inclined sliding surface (sliding surface 13a) such that when the shield is attached to the flange portion of the lens unit, the first hook portion and the second hook portion slide and push apart the first hook portion and the second hook portion. The crushed rib has a sliding surface (sliding surface 12a) that slides against the inner surface of the housing when the flange portion of the lens unit is attached to the third end of the housing. The first angle (first angle θ1) of the sliding surface inclined with respect to the direction parallel to the optical axis is smaller than the second angle (second angle θ2) of the sliding surface inclined with respect to the direction parallel to the optical axis. In-car camera. As a result, when attaching the shield to the flange, the sliding surface of the hook engagement rib, where the two hooks come into contact and slide, is shallowly inclined relative to the two hooks, allowing the shield to be easily pushed towards the flange.
[0099] (B10) (B6) The in-vehicle camera described above, The reference rib and the first reference projection are integrally formed, The crushing rib and the first crushing projection are integrally formed. In-car camera. This allows for the easy and space-saving formation of the reference rib and the first reference projection, as well as the easy and space-saving formation of the crushed rib and the first crushed projection.
[0100] 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]
[0101] This disclosure is useful for automotive cameras in which a noise-shielding shield can be easily attached to the flange portion of the lens unit. [Explanation of symbols]
[0102] 10 Flange section 10a First side 10b Second side 10c Third side 10d, 4th side 10e 3rd page 10f 4th side 11 Reference Ribs 12 Crushed Ribs 12a Sliding surface 13 Ribs for hook engagement 13a Sliding surface 14 1st reference protrusion 15. First crushed protrusion 15a Projection body 15b Crushed rib piece 15c tapered surface 16 Second reference protrusion 17. Second crushing protrusion 20 Ring Member 20a Page 1 20b 2nd side 30 Lens Units 31 Telescope Tube 31a First end 31b Second end 35 Lens 40 Circuit boards 40a Page 1 40b 2nd side 45 Resin components 47 Connector connection section 50 Image sensors 60 cabinets 61 Large diameter cylindrical section 62 Small diameter cylindrical part 63 Third end 64 4th end 70 Rear Shield 80 External Connectors 81 First connector end 82 Second connector end 90 Front Shield (Shield) 90a Fifth side 90b Sixth side 90c, 7th side 90d, 8th side 91 First hook section 92 Second hook section 93 Third hook section 94. Fourth hook section 95 First bending and raising piece 96 Second bending and lifting piece 97 Extension piece 98 Connecting piece 99 Engagement holes 100 In-Car Cameras L optical axis θ1 1st angle θ2 second angle
Claims
1. A lens unit comprising: a lens barrel that is shaped like a first cylinder along the optical axis and has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end; at least one lens disposed in the lens barrel; and a flange portion formed at the second end of the lens barrel so as to extend outward in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; An image sensor positioned on the optical axis, closer to the second end than the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, A circuit board comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the image sensor is arranged on the first surface, A housing comprising a second cylindrical shape aligned with the optical axis, a third end of the second cylindrical shape, and a fourth end opposite to the third end, positioned further away from the third end of the second cylindrical shape than the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, wherein the third end of the second cylindrical shape supports the flange portion of the lens unit, and the housing contains the image sensor and the circuit board. The lens unit comprises a metal shield attached to the third surface of the flange portion facing the image sensor, The flange portion of the lens unit is rectangular in shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side. The flange portion is A reference rib is provided at a position corresponding to the first edge of the third surface, for determining the reference position of the lens unit relative to the housing when attaching it to the third end of the housing, The third surface has a crushing rib provided at a position corresponding to the third side opposite to the first side, which is crushed at least partially when attached to the third end of the housing, The shield has a rectangular shape in a plan view perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a fifth side, a sixth side, a seventh side, and an eighth side, wherein the fifth side corresponds to the first side of the flange portion, the sixth side corresponds to the second side of the flange portion, the seventh side corresponds to the third side of the flange portion, and the eighth side corresponds to the fourth side of the flange portion. The aforementioned shield is A first hook portion is provided at a position corresponding to the sixth side, is elastically deformable, and engages with the flange portion of the lens unit, It has a second hook portion provided at a position corresponding to the eighth side opposite to the sixth side, which is elastically deformable and engages with the flange portion of the lens unit, In-car camera.
2. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The fifth and seventh sides of the shield do not have any hook portions other than the first and second hook portions. In-car camera.
3. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The flange portion of the lens unit is provided at a position corresponding to the second side of the third surface and the fourth side opposite to the second side, and has hook engagement ribs that engage with the first hook portion and the second hook portion of the shield. The first hook portion and the second hook portion of the shield have engagement holes that engage with the hook portion engagement rib. In-car camera.
4. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 3, The hook engagement rib has an inclined sliding surface such that when the shield is attached to the flange portion of the lens unit, the first hook portion and the second hook portion slide and push against each other, thereby expanding the first hook portion and the second hook portion. The crushed rib has a sliding surface that slides against the inner surface of the housing when the flange portion of the lens unit is attached to the third end of the housing. The first angle of inclination of the sliding surface with respect to the direction parallel to the optical axis is smaller than the second angle of inclination of the sliding surface with respect to the direction parallel to the optical axis. In-car camera.
5. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The flange portion is A first reference projection is provided at a position corresponding to the first side of the third surface, for determining the reference position of the shield relative to the flange portion when attaching the shield to the flange portion, The third surface has a first crushing projection provided at a position corresponding to the third side opposite to the first side, which is crushed at least a portion of it when the shield is attached to the flange portion, The fifth side of the shield corresponds to the first side of the flange portion and abuts against the first reference projection of the flange portion. The shield has a first bent piece formed by bending a part of the shield at a position corresponding to the seventh side opposite the fifth side, The first bending piece contacts the first crushing projection of the flange portion. In-car camera.
6. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 5, The first crushed projection of the flange portion has a projection body extending from the third surface of the flange portion toward the circuit board, and a crushed rib piece projecting from the projection body toward the first bent-up piece of the shield. In-car camera.
7. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 6, The crushed rib piece of the first crushed projection has a tapered surface that is inclined from the side of the projection body toward the side of the first bent piece of the shield. In-car camera.
8. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 5, The first bent and raised piece of the shield has a substantially L-shaped cross-section. In-car camera.
9. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 5, The flange portion is A second reference projection is provided at a position corresponding to the second side adjacent to the first and third sides of the third surface, for determining the reference position of the shield relative to the flange portion when attaching the shield to the flange portion, The third surface is provided at a position corresponding to the fourth side opposite to the second side, and has a second crushing projection that is crushed at least a portion of when the shield is attached to the flange portion, and further has The shield further has a second bent piece formed by bending a part of the shield at a position corresponding to the eighth side, The second bending piece contacts the second crushing projection of the flange portion. In-car camera.
10. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 5, The reference rib and the first reference projection are integrally formed, The crushing rib and the first crushing projection are formed integrally. In-car camera.