In-car camera

Abstract

To suppress an increase in cost and an increase in size of an on-vehicle camera by separately constituting a coaxial connector and a connector for a piezoelectric element.SOLUTION: The vehicle-mounted camera includes a lens barrel including at least one lens disposed along an optical axis, an imaging element, a circuit board having a first surface on which the imaging element is disposed, a first housing that houses at least the imaging element and the circuit board, and a coaxial connector that is electrically connected to the circuit board and is set to output an image signal from the imaging element to the outside. The vehicle-mounted camera includes a piezoelectric element that is disposed in the vicinity of the second end portion of the lens barrel and vibrates the at least one lens, a flexible substrate that is connected to the piezoelectric element so as to be exposed inside the first casing, and a piezoelectric element connector that is connected to the flexible substrate and extends from the flexible substrate to the fourth end portion of the first casing at a position outside the coaxial connector in a radial direction orthogonal to the optical axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

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 become active (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

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 improvement, etc. is also 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] The present invention relates to a lens barrel having a first cylindrical shape along the optical axis, a first end of the first cylindrical shape, a second end of the first cylindrical shape opposite to the first end, and at least one lens arranged along the optical axis; an image sensor located on the optical axis and positioned closer to the second end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel than to the first end; a circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, with the image sensor positioned on the first surface; a first housing having at least the image sensor and the circuit board, being a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis, a third end of the second cylindrical shape, and a fourth end of the second cylindrical shape positioned further from the third end with respect to the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel; and at least a part of the above The present invention provides an in-vehicle camera comprising: a coaxial connector positioned at the fourth end of a second cylindrical shape, having a first connector end and a second connector end opposite to the first connector end, the first connector end being electrically connected to the circuit board and configured to output an image signal from the image sensor to the outside; a piezoelectric element positioned near the second end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel and vibrating at least one lens; a flexible substrate connected to the piezoelectric element so as to be exposed inside the first housing; and a piezoelectric element connector connected to the flexible substrate and extending from the flexible substrate to the fourth end of the first housing at a position outside the coaxial connector in the radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, foreign matter such as raindrops adhering to the lens can be removed by vibration of a piezoelectric element. Furthermore, the conventional coaxial connector and the piezoelectric element connector can be configured separately, which suppresses cost increases and also prevents the in-vehicle camera from becoming larger. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [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 6A] Front perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to an embodiment. [Figure 6B] Rearward perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] Exploded perspective view of an in-vehicle camera according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] Top view of an in-vehicle camera according to an embodiment [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view along line II in Figure 8 [Figure 10] Enlarged view of area A in Figure 9 [Figure 11] Perspective view of a piezoelectric element seen from below. [Figure 12] Perspective view of the cross-section along line II-II in Figure 9. [Figure 13] Circuit diagrams for in-vehicle cameras and vehicles [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 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.

[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 2 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 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.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the passenger compartment of a vehicle in another example of a vehicle, in which an in-vehicle camera is mounted, and FIG. 4 is a top view of the vehicle of FIG. 3. Vehicle V is a front portion between the driver's seat 3 and the passenger seat 4 in the passenger compartment 2, and includes a display 5 (for example, an electronic rearview mirror) at the mounting position of the rearview mirror. Further, the vehicle V is equipped with an in-vehicle camera 100 at the rear of the vehicle body. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the connection of the in-vehicle camera 100, the camera ECU 111, and the display 5 provided in the vehicle V shown in FIG. 3. The camera ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 111 shown in FIG. 4 processes the image captured by the in-vehicle camera 100, and the display 5 displays the image. The occupant can view the display 5 to check the situation behind the vehicle V.

[0014] (Embodiment of In-Vehicle Camera) FIG. 6A is a front perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a rear perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a top view of the in-vehicle camera 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I of FIG. 8. A coordinate system including an X-axis along one side of the in-vehicle camera 100, a Y-axis orthogonal to the X-axis and along the other side of the in-vehicle camera 100, and a Z-axis orthogonal to the X-axis and the Y-axis and along the height direction of the in-vehicle camera 100 is defined and utilized in the following description.

[0015] The in-vehicle camera 100 of the present embodiment includes a lens barrel 30, a piezoelectric element 20, a circuit board 40, an imaging element 50, a first housing 60, a second housing 70, and a box-shaped shield 90.

[0016] The lens barrel 30 is a first cylindrical shape along the optical axis L (a direction orthogonal to the plane of FIG. 8 and along the Z-axis), and has a first end portion 30a and a second end portion 30b opposite to the first end portion 30a in the direction along the optical axis L (a direction orthogonal to the plane of FIG. 8 and along the Z-axis).

[0017] The first end portion 30a constitutes the tip portion of the lens barrel 30, and at least a portion of the second end portion 30b faces the image sensor 50 and the circuit board 40 inside the first housing 60.

[0018] The lens barrel 30 also includes at least one lens 35 positioned on the optical axis L. Inside the lens barrel 30, the lens barrel 30 holds, for example, a lens group consisting of multiple lenses 35. In the lens group, each lens 35 is arranged so that its respective optical axis L is aligned, and the lens group is used for imaging the inside and outside of the vehicle body V.

[0019] Furthermore, at the second end 30b, the lens barrel 30 has a flange portion 32 that extends outward with respect to the optical axis L, around the entire circumference of the optical axis L. The flange portion 32 has a first flange surface 32a that faces at least a portion of the upper surface of the piezoelectric element 20, and a second flange surface 32b opposite to the first flange surface 32a.

[0020] The lens barrel 30 can be molded from the first resin at least at the second flange surface 32b. The entire lens barrel 30 may also be molded from the first resin. This allows the lens barrel 30 to be molded easily and at low cost. The lens barrel 30 may also be made of metal.

[0021] In Figure 9, the interior of the lens barrel 30 is not shown in detail, and only one lens (first lens) 35 exposed to the outside at the first end 30a is illustrated. For specific examples of the internal structure of the lens barrel 30, refer to the contents of Patent Document 2, for example.

[0022] The image sensor 50 is located on the optical axis L, and is positioned in the internal space of the first housing 60, closer to the second end 30b than the first end 30a of the lens barrel 30. 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.

[0023] The circuit board 40 is arranged in the internal space of the first 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 arranged on the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40.

[0024] The circuit board 40 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The shape in plan view refers to the shape when viewed from the first surface 40a to the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40. The circuit board 40 is rectangular, as in the embodiment, but it may also be a polygon with five or more sides.

[0025] The first 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 first housing 60 is a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis L. The second cylindrical shape of the first housing 60 has a third end 63 and a fourth end 64. The third end 63 is connected to the flange portion 32 of the lens barrel 30. The fourth end 64 is opposite to the third end 63 in the direction along the optical axis L, and is positioned further away from the third end 63 with respect to the first end 30a of the lens barrel 30. At least the third end 63 of the first housing 60 can be molded from the second resin. The entire first housing 60 may be molded from the second resin. The first housing 60 may also be made of metal.

[0026] The second housing 70 is a third cylindrical shape aligned with the optical axis L and is formed to extend in the opposite direction to the lens barrel 30 from the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60. The diameter of the third cylindrical part of the second housing 70 is smaller than the diameter of the second cylindrical part of the first housing 60. The second housing 70 serves to house the portions of the coaxial connector 80 and the piezoelectric element connector 24 that are exposed to the outside from the first housing 60, as described later in Figure 9, but the second housing 70 is not an essential component.

[0027] The first housing 60 and the second housing 70 can be integrally molded, but pre-prepared individual first housings 60 and second housings 70 may be joined together by welding or screwing. In this embodiment, the first housing 60 and the second housing 70 are rectangular tubes, but they are not limited to this shape and may be polygonal tubes, circular or elliptical tubes, or tubes of other shapes.

[0028] With the first housing 60 containing at least the circuit board 40 and the image sensor 50, the second flange surface 32b of the flange portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 and the third end portion 63 of the first housing 60 are welded to each other over the entire circumference. This welding is performed, for example, by laser welding.

[0029] 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 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 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 resin. Furthermore, due to heat conduction, the surface of the first resin in contact with the surface of the second resin is also heated. As a result, both resins melt at the interface between the first and second resins. When the laser irradiation is stopped, the molten resin solidifies, and the two resins are welded together.

[0030] In this embodiment, at least the second flange surface 32b of the flange portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 is molded from the first resin, and at least the third end portion 63 of the first housing 60 is molded from the second resin. In laser welding, the second flange surface 32b of the flange portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 is pressed against the third end portion 63 of the first housing 60, and a laser is irradiated from the side of the flange portion 32 to weld the second flange surface 32b and the third end portion 63 together. If the first housing 60 is made of metal and the lens barrel 30 is also made of metal, the second flange surface 32b of the flange portion 32 of the lens barrel 30 and the third end portion 63 of the first housing 60 may be welded to each other around the entire circumference. If one of the first housing 60 and the lens barrel 30 is made of metal and the other is made of resin, the first housing 60 and the lens barrel 30 may be fastened together with screws.

[0031] The box-shaped shield 90 is a box-shaped conductive member housed inside the first housing 60. The box-shaped shield 90 is made of a conductive metal or the like and serves to shield against noise both inside and outside the first housing 60.

[0032] Furthermore, the in-vehicle camera 100 is equipped with a coaxial connector 80, at least a portion of which is located at the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60. The coaxial connector 80 has a first connector end 81 and a second connector end 82 opposite to the first connector end 81, with the first connector end 81 being electrically connected to the circuit board 40. The coaxial connector 80 is capable of receiving power from the vehicle V as the power source for the in-vehicle camera 100 and supplying it to the circuit board 40, and is also configured to output the image signal from the image sensor 50 to the outside.

[0033] In this embodiment, the connection between the circuit board 40 and the coaxial connector 80 is made via a connector connection portion 47. The connector connection portion 47 is located on the second surface 40b of the circuit board 40, and the first connector end 81 of the coaxial connector 80 is connected to it. The connector connection portion 47 has, for example, a floating pin structure with a spring, which can absorb positional errors between the circuit board 40 and the coaxial connector 80. However, the circuit board 40 and the coaxial connector 80 may also be connected directly.

[0034] The vehicle-mounted camera 100 is installed in the vehicle V with a portion, particularly the lens 35, exposed to the outside, and there is a risk that foreign matter such as raindrops may adhere to the lens 35. Since such foreign matter can interfere with shooting, it is desirable to remove it as soon as possible.

[0035] To address these challenges, the in-vehicle camera 100 of this embodiment further includes a piezoelectric element 20 positioned near the first cylindrical second end 30b of the lens barrel 30, which vibrates at least one lens 35. The piezoelectric element 20 is driven by power supplied in a manner described later, and vibrates the lens 35 directly or indirectly connected to the piezoelectric element 20. This makes it possible to remove foreign matter adhering to the lens 35.

[0036] The piezoelectric element 20 is a flat plate-shaped member that is approximately annular (approximately C-shaped) in the XY plane and is formed to substantially surround the optical axis L. The piezoelectric element 20 is connected to the lens 35, which is exposed to the outside, inside the lens barrel 30 using a transmission member not shown in Figure 9. When the piezoelectric element 20 is driven, the vibration of the drive is transmitted to the lens 35 via the transmission member (not shown), causing the lens 35 to vibrate. Since the piezoelectric element 20 is formed to correspond to the entire periphery of the lens 35, the vibration is transmitted to the entire periphery of the lens 35, and foreign matter adhering to the lens 35 can be efficiently removed.

[0037] For transmission members not shown in Figure 9, known members such as the spring described in Patent Document 2 can be used, but the manner of connection between the lens 35 and the piezoelectric element 20 is not particularly limited.

[0038] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of area A in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the piezoelectric element 20 seen from below, and is viewed from the opposite direction along the Z-axis compared to Figure 9. Figure 12 is a perspective view along the cross-section along line II-II in Figure 9. The piezoelectric element 20 is connected to the flexible substrate 22 near the second end 30b. The flexible substrate 22 is connected to a portion of the piezoelectric element 20 in the circumferential direction, and is bent from the connection point with the piezoelectric element 20 to be exposed inside the first housing 60.

[0039] The flexible substrate 22 has pads 22a for electrical connections on the surface exposed inside the first housing 60. The piezoelectric element connector 24 is connected to the pads 22a of the flexible substrate 22. The piezoelectric element connector 24 extends from the connection point with the flexible substrate 22 to the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60, at a position outside the coaxial connector 80 in the radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis L.

[0040] Figure 13 is a circuit diagram of the in-vehicle camera 100 and vehicle V. The in-vehicle camera 100 is connected to vehicle V via a coaxial connector 80. Vehicle V is equipped with a camera ECU 110 that controls the in-vehicle camera 100. The camera ECU 110 supplies current to the main power supply unit 120 of the in-vehicle camera 100 itself via the coaxial connector 80. In addition, the signal processing unit 130 of the in-vehicle camera 100 supplies the video signal captured by the image sensor 50 to vehicle V via the coaxial connector 80.

[0041] Furthermore, the camera ECU 110 controls the piezoelectric element driving unit 140, which supplies current to the piezoelectric element 20. The piezoelectric element driving unit 140 supplies current to the piezoelectric element connector 24 in accordance with the control of the camera ECU 110, and the current is supplied to the piezoelectric element 20 via the flexible substrate 22. In this figure, the piezoelectric element driving unit 140 is provided on the vehicle side, but it may also be provided on the in-vehicle camera 100.

[0042] The current supplied to the piezoelectric element connector 24 is much larger than the current supplied to the coaxial connector 80, and a special piezoelectric element driving unit 140 is provided. However, the roles of the piezoelectric element connector 24 and the coaxial connector 80 are completely different, and it is difficult to combine both into a single connector. Even if it were possible to design a connector that serves both the piezoelectric element connector 24 and the coaxial connector 80, such a connector would be structurally complex, large, and likely to increase costs.

[0043] In this embodiment, the conventional coaxial connector 80 and the piezoelectric element connector 24 can be configured separately, thereby suppressing cost increases and preventing the in-vehicle camera from becoming larger. In particular, in this embodiment, the piezoelectric element connector 24 is provided at a position outside the coaxial connector 80 and at a distance from the coaxial connector 80 in the radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis L. Therefore, the structures of the coaxial connector 80 and the piezoelectric element connector 24 can be provided in a simple structure without complicating their respective structures.

[0044] In this embodiment, the flexible substrate 22 is positioned further away from the first surface 40a of the circuit board 40, with reference to the first connector end 81 of the coaxial connector 80. That is, the piezoelectric element connector 24 is connected to the flexible substrate 22 and the piezoelectric element 20 at a position further away from the circuit board 40, as viewed from the coaxial connector 80. This ensures connection between the piezoelectric element connector 24 and the piezoelectric element 20 while avoiding interference with the coaxial connector 80 and the circuit board 40.

[0045] In this embodiment in particular, the piezoelectric element connector 24 extends from the flexible substrate 22 to the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60, while penetrating a portion of the circuit board 40. Specifically, a notch 43 is provided in the edge 42 of the circuit board 40, and the piezoelectric element connector 24 passes through the notch 43. This allows the piezoelectric element connector 24 to be easily positioned regardless of the presence of the circuit board 40.

[0046] Furthermore, if at least a portion of the first housing 60 is made of resin (second resin), even if a box-shaped shield 90 is provided, it may not be possible to adequately shield against noise inside and outside the first housing 60, and there is a risk that the noise may interfere with the piezoelectric element connector 24. Therefore, the in-vehicle camera 100 of this embodiment is further provided with a metal shielding member 26 that covers the area around the piezoelectric element connector 24 from the flexible substrate 22 to the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60. The presence of the metal shielding member 26 prevents noise from interfering with the piezoelectric element connector 24. If the first housing 60 is made of metal, the box-shaped shield 90 does not need to be provided inside the first housing 60.

[0047] Specifically, the shielding member 26 is a cylindrical metal member with one end 26a connected to the flexible substrate 22 and the other end 26b connected to the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60. This makes it possible to prevent noise from interfering with the piezoelectric element connector 24 with a simple configuration.

[0048] As described above, the circuit board 40 has a notch 43 on its edge 42, and in addition to the piezoelectric element connector 24, the shielding member 26 also penetrates the notch 43. This allows the piezoelectric element connector 24 and the shielding member 26 to be easily positioned regardless of the presence of the circuit board 40. In particular, the slight deformation of the circuit board 40 due to the notch 43 allows the piezoelectric element connector 24 and the shielding member 26 to be easily positioned.

[0049] The piezoelectric element connector 24 can be configured, for example, as a two-pin connector containing two pins. This allows for easy formation of the piezoelectric element connector 24. When the piezoelectric element connector 24 is a two-pin connector, each of the two pins is connected to the two pads 22a shown in Figure 12.

[0050] The piezoelectric element connector 24 is exposed to the outside of the first housing 60 from the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60. This allows the piezoelectric element connector 24 to be connected to an external conductive member. In Figure 9, the radial position of the piezoelectric element connector 24 inside the first housing 60 is different from the radial position of the piezoelectric element connector 24 outside the first housing 60, but the piezoelectric element connector 24 is bent at the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60. Also, the two pins of the piezoelectric element connector 24 have overlapping positions in the X direction at the position exposed from the first housing 60 (appearing as one pin in Figure 9).

[0051] The coaxial connector 80 is also exposed to the outside of the first housing 60 from the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60, and correspondingly, the piezoelectric element connector 24 is exposed to the outside of the first housing 60 from the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60, at a position radially outside the coaxial connector 80. This makes it possible to expose the piezoelectric element connector 24 to the outside while maintaining the position where the coaxial connector 80 is exposed to the outside (the central position in the radial direction) in the conventional position.

[0052] As in the embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 100 is a third cylindrical shape aligned with the optical axis L and may further include a second housing 70 extending in the opposite direction to the lens barrel 30 from the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60. The coaxial connector 80 and the piezoelectric element connector 24 are arranged to extend from the fourth end 64 of the first housing 60 into the internal space of the second housing 70. This protects the coaxial connector 80 and the piezoelectric element connector 24 from being exposed to the outside from the first housing 60.

[0053] As in the embodiment, the coaxial connector 80 and the piezoelectric element connector 24 may be configured so as not to protrude from the second housing 70. This allows the coaxial connector 80 and the piezoelectric element connector 24, which are exposed to the outside from the first housing 60, to be located inside the second housing 70, thereby avoiding contact with other components and making handling easier.

[0054] 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.

[0055] (1) A lens barrel (lens barrel 30) which is a first cylindrical shape along the optical axis (optical axis L), and comprises a first end (first end 30a) of the first cylindrical shape, a second end (second end 30b) of the first cylindrical shape opposite to the first end, and at least one lens (lens 35) arranged along the optical axis, An image sensor (image sensor 50) located 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) having a first surface (first surface 40a) and a second surface (second surface 40b) opposite to the first surface, with the image sensor arranged on the first surface, A first housing (first housing 60) that houses at least the image sensor and the circuit board, is a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis, and comprises a third end (third end 63) of the second cylindrical shape and a fourth end (fourth end 64) of the second cylindrical shape that is located further away from the third end with respect to the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, A coaxial connector (coaxial connector 80) is provided, at least a portion of which is located at the fourth end of the second cylindrical shape, and which has a first connector end and a second connector end opposite to the first connector end, the first connector end being electrically connected to the circuit board, and configured to output an image signal from the image sensor to the outside, A piezoelectric element (piezoelectric element 20) is positioned near the second end of the first cylindrical part of the lens barrel and vibrates at least one lens, A flexible substrate (flexible substrate 22) connected to the piezoelectric element is exposed inside the first housing, A piezoelectric element connector (piezoelectric element connector 24) is connected to the flexible substrate and extends from the flexible substrate to the fourth end of the first housing at a position outside the coaxial connector in the radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis, An in-vehicle camera equipped with (in-vehicle camera 100).

[0056] This allows foreign matter such as raindrops adhering to the lens to be removed by the vibration of the piezoelectric element. Furthermore, by constructing the conventional coaxial connector and the piezoelectric element connector separately, cost increases can be suppressed, as well as the need to increase the size of the in-vehicle camera.

[0057] (2) The in-vehicle camera described in (1), The flexible substrate is positioned at a distance from the first surface of the circuit board with respect to the first connector end of the coaxial connector. A car-mounted camera equipped with [feature / feature].

[0058] This ensures a connection between the piezoelectric element connector and the piezoelectric element while avoiding interference with the coaxial connector and circuit board.

[0059] (3) The in-vehicle camera described in (1), The piezoelectric element connector extends from the flexible substrate to the fourth end of the first housing, while penetrating a portion of the circuit board. In-car camera.

[0060] This allows for easy placement of piezoelectric element connectors, regardless of the presence of a circuit board.

[0061] (4) The in-vehicle camera described in (3), At least a portion of the first housing is formed of resin, From the flexible substrate to the fourth end of the first housing, a metal shielding member (shielding member 26) is provided to cover the area around the piezoelectric element connector. In-car camera.

[0062] This prevents noise from interfering with the piezoelectric element connector.

[0063] (5) The in-vehicle camera described in (4), The shielding member is a cylindrical metal member to which one end (one end 26a) is connected to the flexible substrate and the other end (the other end 26b) is connected to the fourth end of the first housing. In-car camera.

[0064] This makes it possible to prevent noise from interfering with the piezoelectric element connector using a simple configuration.

[0065] (6) The in-vehicle camera described in (4), The circuit board has a notch (notch 43), The piezoelectric element connector and the shielding member penetrate the notch. In-car camera.

[0066] This allows for easy placement of piezoelectric element connectors and shielding members, regardless of the presence of a circuit board.

[0067] (7) The in-vehicle camera described in (6), The aforementioned notch is formed on the edge (edge ​​42) of the circuit board. In-car camera.

[0068] This allows for easy placement of piezoelectric element connectors and shielding members with only minor deformation of the circuit board.

[0069] (8) The in-vehicle camera described in (1), The aforementioned piezoelectric element connector is a 2-pin connector. In-car camera.

[0070] This makes it possible to easily form connectors for piezoelectric elements.

[0071] (9) The in-vehicle camera described in (1), The piezoelectric element connector is exposed to the outside of the first housing from the fourth end of the first housing. In-car camera.

[0072] This allows the piezoelectric element connector to be connected to an external conductive material.

[0073] (10) The in-vehicle camera described in (9), The coaxial connector is exposed to the outside of the first housing from the fourth end of the first housing, The piezoelectric element connector is located radially outside the coaxial connector and is exposed to the outside of the first housing from the fourth end of the first housing. In-car camera.

[0074] This allows the piezoelectric element connector to be exposed to the outside while maintaining the position where the coaxial connector is exposed to the outside in the conventional position.

[0075] (11) The in-vehicle camera described in (6), The system further comprises a third cylindrical housing (second housing 70) which is aligned with the optical axis and extends from the fourth end of the first housing in the opposite direction to the lens barrel, The coaxial connector and the piezoelectric element connector are arranged to extend from the fourth end of the first housing into the internal space of the second housing. In-car camera.

[0076] This protects the coaxial connector and piezoelectric element connector that are exposed to the outside from the first housing.

[0077] (12) The in-vehicle camera described in (11), The coaxial connector and the piezoelectric element connector do not protrude from the second housing. In-car camera.

[0078] As a result, the coaxial connector and piezoelectric element connector, which are exposed to the outside from the first housing, are located inside the second housing, making them easier to handle.

[0079] 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]

[0080] This disclosure is useful for in-vehicle cameras that can suppress both cost increases and size increases. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 20 Piezoelectric elements 22 Flexible circuit boards 22a pad 24 Piezoelectric element connectors 26 Shielding member 26a one end 26b Other end 30 Telescope Tubes 30a 1st end 30b 2nd end 32 Flange section 32a First flange surface 32b Second flange surface 35 lens 40 Circuit boards 40a Page 1 40b 2nd side 42 Edge 43 Notch 47 Connector connection section 50 Image sensors 60 First cabinet 63 Third end 64 4th end 70 Second cabinet 80 Coaxial Connectors 81 First connector end 82 Second connector end 90 Box-type shield 100 In-Car Cameras

Claims

1. A lens barrel comprising a first cylindrical shape aligned with the optical axis, a first end of the first cylindrical shape, a second end of the first cylindrical shape opposite to the first end, and at least one lens arranged along the optical axis, An image sensor located on the optical axis, and positioned closer to the second end than the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, A circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, with the image sensor arranged on the first surface, A first housing that houses at least the image sensor and the circuit board, is a second cylindrical shape along the optical axis, and comprises a third end of the second cylindrical shape and a fourth end of the second cylindrical shape that is located further away from the third end with respect to the first end of the first cylindrical shape of the lens barrel, A coaxial connector having at least a portion of which is arranged at the fourth end of the second cylindrical shape, and comprising a first connector end and a second connector end opposite to the first connector end, the first connector end being electrically connected to the circuit board, allowing power to be input from the outside and an image signal from the image sensor to be output to the outside, A piezoelectric element is positioned near the second end of the first cylindrical part of the lens barrel and vibrates at least one of the lenses, A flexible substrate connected to the piezoelectric element is exposed inside the first housing, A piezoelectric element connector is connected to the flexible substrate and extends from the flexible substrate to the fourth end of the first housing at a position outside the coaxial connector in the radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis, A car-mounted camera equipped with [feature / feature].

2. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The flexible substrate is positioned at a distance from the first surface of the circuit board with respect to the first connector end of the coaxial connector. In-car camera.

3. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The piezoelectric element connector extends from the flexible substrate to the fourth end of the first housing, while penetrating a portion of the circuit board. In-car camera.

4. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 3, At least a portion of the first housing is formed of resin, From the flexible substrate to the fourth end of the first housing, a metal shielding member is provided to cover the area around the piezoelectric element connector. In-car camera.

5. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 4, The shielding member is a cylindrical metal member, one end of which is connected to the flexible substrate and the other end of which is connected to the fourth end of the first housing. In-car camera.

6. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 4, The circuit board has a notch, The piezoelectric element connector and the shielding member penetrate the notch. In-car camera.

7. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 6, The aforementioned notch is formed on the edge of the circuit board. In-car camera.

8. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The aforementioned piezoelectric element connector is a two-pin connector. In-car camera.

9. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, The piezoelectric element connector is exposed to the outside of the first housing from the fourth end of the first housing. In-car camera.

10. The in-vehicle camera according to claim 9, The coaxial connector is exposed to the outside of the first housing from the fourth end of the first housing, The piezoelectric element connector is located radially outside the coaxial connector and is exposed to the outside of the first housing from the fourth end of the first housing. In-car camera.

11. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 10, The device further comprises a third cylindrical housing that is aligned with the optical axis and extends from the fourth end of the first housing in the opposite direction to the lens barrel, The coaxial connector and the piezoelectric element connector are arranged to extend from the fourth end of the first housing into the internal space of the second housing. In-car camera.

12. An in-vehicle camera according to claim 11, The coaxial connector and the piezoelectric element connector do not protrude from the second housing. In-car camera.

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