Onboard camera and machining method therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an onboard camera and a machining method therefor. The onboard camera comprises: a housing, comprising a front housing member (101) and a rear housing member (102), wherein the front housing member (101) and the rear housing member (102) are fixedly connected; a lens (7), connected to the end of the front housing member (101) away from the rear housing member (102); a PCB (5), provided in the front housing member (101); and a terminal connector (2), provided at one end of the rear housing member (102) away from the front housing member (101), wherein one end of the terminal connector (2) is connected to the PCB (5), the other end of the terminal connector (2) extends out of the rear housing member (102), the terminal connector (2) comprises a connector core (201) and a connector head (202), the connector head (202) and the rear housing member (102) are integrally formed by means of injection molding, and the connector core (201) is inserted into the connector head (202).

Description

Vehicle-mounted camera and processing method thereof

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] The present disclosure is based on and claims priority to the Chinese applications with application numbers 202311452115.X, 202322966779.X, and filing date November 3, 2023. The disclosed contents of the above-mentioned Chinese applications are hereby introduced into the present disclosure as a whole. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle-mounted camera and a processing method thereof. Background Art

[0004] On-board cameras are devices used to provide images needed during vehicle operation. Their ability to present real-time video and audio provides a more scientific basis for traffic accident handling and location. With the development of autonomous driving, the application of on-board cameras will become more extensive and in-depth. However, existing on-board cameras are bulky, resulting in high material costs, occupying a large amount of space in the vehicle body, and hindering the layout and installation of related components.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a vehicle-mounted camera and a processing method thereof, which can reduce the size of the vehicle-mounted camera.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle-mounted camera is provided, comprising:

[0008] The housing comprises a front housing and a rear housing, wherein the front housing and the rear housing are fixedly connected;

[0009] The lens is connected to the end of the front shell away from the rear shell;

[0010] A PCB board is provided in the front housing; and

[0011] The terminal connector is arranged at one end of the rear shell away from the front shell. One end of the terminal connector is connected to the PCB board, and the other end extends out of the rear shell. The terminal connector includes a connector core and a connector plug. The connector plug and the rear shell are formed as one piece by injection molding, and the connector core is inserted into the connector plug.

[0012] In some embodiments, the front shell and the rear shell are fixed by laser welding.

[0013] In some embodiments, the axis of the terminal connector is offset from the center of the rear housing.

[0014] In some embodiments, a distance between an axis of the terminal connector and a center of the rear housing is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, a distance between an axis of the terminal connector and a center of the rear housing is greater than or equal to 2.7 mm and less than or equal to 3.7 mm.

[0016] In some embodiments, a boss is provided in the front housing, and the PCB board is adhered to the boss.

[0017] In some embodiments, an interface is provided on the PCB board, the interface is provided in the front shell, and the connector core is connected to the PCB board through the interface.

[0018] In some embodiments, the center of the PCB coincides with the center of the rear housing.

[0019] In some embodiments, the connector core is fixed to the rear shell along the circumferential direction on the inner side of the rear shell by adhesive.

[0020] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted camera further includes:

[0021] The connecting column is arranged on a side of the rear shell away from the front shell and is configured to be fixedly connected to the mounting bracket or the body part. The connecting column and the rear shell are formed as one piece by injection molding, and the connecting column and the connector are arranged at intervals.

[0022] In some embodiments, the distance between the axis of the terminal connector and the center of the rear housing is equal to 2.7 mm.

[0023] In some embodiments, the connection column includes a screw column or a heat-seal column. The screw column is configured to be threadedly connected to the mounting bracket or the body part, and the heat-seal column is configured to be heat-sealably connected to the mounting bracket or the body part.

[0024] In some embodiments, the vehicle-mounted camera further includes:

[0025] The buckle is provided on the wall of the front shell or the rear shell and is configured to be fixedly connected with the mounting bracket or the vehicle body member.

[0026] In some embodiments,

[0027] The lens and the front shell are bonded by glue, or the lens and the front shell are integrally formed.

[0028] In some embodiments, the distance between the axis of the terminal connector and the center of the rear housing is equal to 2.7 mm, and the vehicle-mounted camera has a length of 18 mm, a width of 18 mm, and a height of 30.8 mm.

[0029] In some embodiments, the rear shell has a square outline and the terminal connector has a circular outline.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for processing a vehicle-mounted camera based on the above embodiment is proposed, comprising:

[0031] Processing the back shell with terminal connectors;

[0032] Provide a front shell and securely connect the PCB board to the front shell;

[0033] The lens is fixedly connected to the end of the front shell away from the rear shell;

[0034] Connect one end of the terminal connector to the PCB board;

[0035] The rear shell is fixedly connected to the front shell.

[0036] In some embodiments, the rear housing includes a rear housing body portion, and processing the rear housing with the terminal connector includes:

[0037] Provide connector core;

[0038] The connector core is placed in an injection mold for injection molding, so that the rear shell body formed after injection molding wraps around the connector core, and the rear shell body includes a connector plug wrapped around the connector core;

[0039] On the inner side of the rear shell, fix the connector core to the main body of the rear shell with glue.

[0040] In some embodiments, the rear housing includes a rear housing body portion, and processing the rear housing with the terminal connector includes:

[0041] The rear shell body is formed by injection molding using an injection mold, wherein the rear shell body includes a connector;

[0042] Insert the connector core into the connector;

[0043] On the inner side of the rear shell, fix the connector core to the main body of the rear shell with glue.

[0044] Based on the above technical solution, in the vehicle-mounted camera of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the connector and the rear shell are formed as one piece by injection molding, which has low cost, fewer parts, less assembly time, and high assembly efficiency; it can save the space of the screw locking structure and reduce the size of the camera; the integrated structure is stable, which can improve the accuracy and stability of the docking between the connector core and the PCB board, and extend the service life of the vehicle-mounted camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and their descriptions are used to explain the present disclosure and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present disclosure. In the drawings:

[0046] FIG1 is a flow chart of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera processing method disclosed herein.

[0047] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the rear housing of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0048] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the connector core and the connector plug of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0049] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the gluing and fixing of the connector core and the rear shell of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0050] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the installation of a PCB board and a front housing of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0051] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the installation of the PCB board and the front shell of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein being bonded and fixed.

[0052] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein in which the terminal connector is eccentrically arranged on the rear housing.

[0053] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the exploded installation of the lens and the front housing of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0054] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the lens and the front housing of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0055] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the lens and the front housing of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0056] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0057] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the external structure of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0058] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of some embodiments of the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0059] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1. Shell; 101. Front shell; 102. Rear shell; 1021. Main body of the rear shell; 2. Terminal connector; 201. Connector core; 202. Connector; 3. Screw column; 4. Support column; 5. PCB board; 6. Interface; 7. Lens; 8. End face; 9. Boss; 10. Adhesive layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The present disclosure is described in detail below. In the following paragraphs, various aspects of the embodiments are defined in more detail. Each aspect defined in this manner may be combined with any other aspect or aspects unless expressly stated not to be combinable. In particular, any feature considered to be preferred or advantageous may be combined with one or more other features considered to be preferred or advantageous.

[0061] The terms "first" and "second" appearing in this disclosure are only for the convenience of description to distinguish different components with the same name, and do not indicate a priority or primary and secondary relationship.

[0062] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner" or "outer" and the like indicating orientations or positional relationships are defined based on the front shell, rear shell or connector, etc., and are only used to facilitate the description of the present disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0063] During the research process, the inventors found that the existing vehicle-mounted cameras have long assembly time, high material costs, and occupy a large space in the vehicle body, which affects the layout and installation of related vehicle body components.

[0064] To solve the above problems, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 13 , the present disclosure provides a vehicle-mounted camera, including:

[0065] The housing includes a front housing 101 and a rear housing 102, wherein the front housing 101 and the rear housing 102 are fixedly connected;

[0066] The lens 7 is connected to the end of the front housing 101 away from the rear housing 102;

[0067] PCB board 5, provided in the front housing 101; and

[0068] The terminal connector 2 is disposed at the end of the rear housing 102 away from the front housing 101. One end of the terminal connector 2 is connected to the PCB 5, and the other end extends outside the rear housing 102. The terminal connector 2 includes a connector core 201 and a plug 202. The plug 202 is integrally formed with the rear housing 102 by injection molding, and the connector core 201 is inserted into the plug 202. The plug 202 of the vehicle-mounted camera of this embodiment is integrally formed with the rear housing 102 by injection molding, which reduces cost, requires fewer parts, has a streamlined structure, and requires less assembly time, resulting in high assembly efficiency. It also saves space for screw-locking structures and reduces the size of the camera (for example, it can be reduced to 18*18mm in length and width). The integrated structure is stable, which can improve the accuracy and stability of the connection between the connector core 201 and the PCB 5, thereby extending the service life of the vehicle-mounted camera.

[0069] The existing split rear cover design is expensive, increases assembly time, and requires additional components such as terminal blocks and screws, resulting in low assembly efficiency. Furthermore, screw tightening increases the length and width of the vehicle camera. Furthermore, if the screws in the split rear cover design loosen due to vehicle vibration, tangential stress can easily form between the terminal connector core and the circuit board, affecting signal transmission from the vehicle camera.

[0070] 11 and 12 , in some embodiments, a miniaturized vehicle-mounted camera includes a housing 1, a lens 7, a PCB board 5, and a terminal connector 2. The housing 1 includes a front shell 101 and a rear shell 102. The PCB board 5 is disposed in the front shell 101. The terminal connector 2 is disposed on the rear shell 102. One end of the terminal connector 2 is connected to the PCB board 5, and the other end of the terminal connector 2 extends out of the rear shell 102. The lens 7 is disposed on the front shell 101.

[0071] In some embodiments, the PCB board 5 and the terminal connector 2 both have a center, wherein the center of the PCB board 5 coincides with the center of the housing 1 and the center of the lens 7, and the outline of the terminal connector 2 is set in a circular shape, that is, the center of the terminal connector 2 is the center of the terminal connector 2.

[0072] In some embodiments, the center of the terminal connector 2 is offset from the center of the PCB 5 (the center of the lens 7). As shown in FIG7 , the center of the PCB 5 (the center of the lens 7) is shown as point A in FIG7 , and the center of the terminal connector 2 is shown as point B in FIG7 . The distance between the center of the terminal connector 2 and the center of the PCB 5 (the center of the lens 7) is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm. Specifically, as shown in FIG7 , a circle with a diameter of 3.7 mm (shown as circle C in FIG7 ) is drawn with the center of the PCB 5 (i.e., the center of the lens 7, shown as point A in FIG7 ) as the center. The center of the eccentrically arranged terminal connector 2 (shown as point B in FIG7 ) is located within the range of circle C with a diameter of 3.7 mm. This arrangement improves the space utilization of the PCB 5. When arranging larger components, these larger components can be placed closer to the center of the PCB 5, thereby reducing the area of ​​the PCB 5 and the overall size of the vehicle-mounted camera. This not only reduces material costs but also occupies less space in the vehicle body, facilitating the arrangement and installation of vehicle-related components.

[0073] In some embodiments, the lens 7 and the front shell 101 are bonded together using glue. As shown in FIG10 , an adhesive layer 10 is provided between the lens 7 and the front shell 101. Since the lens 7 and the housing 1 are bonded together using glue, there is no need to provide threads on the lens 7 for connection with the housing 1, thereby reducing the size of the camera. In some embodiments, the lens 7 and the housing 1 can also be integrally formed. In this way, there is no need to provide threads on the lens 7 for connection with the housing 1, thereby reducing the size of the camera and improving the stability of the camera.

[0074] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the PCB 5 is fixed to the housing 1 using glue. Specifically, a boss 9 is provided within the front housing 101. Glue is applied to the boss 9 within the front housing 101, and then the PCB 5 is placed on top, thereby securing the PCB 5 with glue. This arrangement eliminates the need for screws to secure the PCB 5, thereby reducing the overall size of the camera and improving the stability of the PCB 5.

[0075] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the PCB board 5 is provided with an interface 6 connected to the terminal connector 2. When the front shell 101 and the rear shell 102 are assembled, the terminal connector 2 is connected to the PCB board 5 via the interface 6. At this time, the distance between the center of the terminal connector 2 and the center of the PCB board 5 is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm. Since the terminal connectors of the vehicle-mounted cameras currently on the market are usually set in the middle of the PCB board 5, the space utilization rate of the PCB board 5 is low. For some larger components, since the terminal connector 2 is set in the middle of the PCB board 5, these larger components can only be arranged around the terminal connector 2, thereby requiring a larger PCB board 5 for installation. This results in a larger volume of the overall vehicle-mounted camera, which not only has high material costs but also occupies a large space in the vehicle body, affecting the arrangement and installation of vehicle body-related components. The present disclosure improves the space utilization of the PCB board 5 by eccentrically arranging the terminal connector 2 relative to the PCB board 5. When arranging some larger components, these larger components can be placed close to the center of the PCB board 5, thereby reducing the area of ​​the PCB board 5 and the volume of the entire vehicle-mounted camera. This not only reduces material costs but also occupies less space in the vehicle body, which is beneficial for the arrangement and installation of vehicle body-related components.

[0076] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG12 , the camera is provided with two screw posts 3 and two support posts 4 on the rear housing 102. The screw posts 3 are used to attach to an external mounting bracket (or vehicle body component), and the support posts 4 are used to support the mounting bracket (or vehicle body component). The screw posts 3 and support posts 4 are integrally formed by injection molding of the rear housing 102.

[0077] In some optional embodiments, the camera is provided with two connecting columns (not shown in the figure) on the rear shell, and the connecting columns are used to be fixedly connected to the mounting bracket (or body part) by hot melt. Specifically, in this embodiment, no screw columns are provided on the rear shell of the camera, but two connecting columns are provided instead. By providing the connecting columns, the camera can be fixedly connected to the mounting bracket (or body part) by hot melt, thereby eliminating the need to connect the mounting bracket (or body part) with multiple screws, thereby reducing the size of the camera.

[0078] In some embodiments, a clip (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the side wall of the shell, and the shell is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket (or body part) and the connecting column through the clip. This method does not require the mounting bracket (or body part) to be connected by multiple screws, thereby reducing the size of the camera.

[0079] In some embodiments, the front shell 101 and the rear shell 102 of the present disclosure are connected together by laser welding, so that screws are not needed to lock the front and rear shells, thereby reducing the size of the camera.

[0080] In some optional embodiments, the front shell 101 and the rear shell 102 may be allowed to shift before welding, so as to ensure that the connector core 201 is docked with the interface 6 of the PCB board 5 in a completely stress-free state.

[0081] In some embodiments, the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the PCB board is 2.7 mm. With this setting, not only can the center of the terminal connector be set off from the center of the PCB board, but a certain gap can be reserved between the terminal connector 2 and the screw column 3, so that the wiring harness connector connected to the terminal connector 2 can be normally plugged into the rear shell 102 of the camera. In a specific embodiment, when the distance between the center of the terminal connector 2 and the center of the PCB board 5 exceeds 3.7 mm, the gap between the terminal connector 2 and the screw column 3 will be too small, resulting in interference between the wiring harness connector and the screw column 3 on the rear shell 102, thereby preventing the terminal connector 2 from being connected. In addition, due to the edge size requirements of the laser welding process, the size required for laser welding must be reserved between the screw column 3 and the edge of the rear shell 102, and the terminal connector 2 and the screw column 3 must meet the relevant specified size requirements, which also limits the gap between the terminal connector 2 and the screw column 3.

[0082] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , on the inner side of the rear shell 102 , the connector core 201 is fixed to the rear shell 102 along the circumferential direction by adhesive.

[0083] This embodiment uses glue to secure the connector core 201 to the rear housing 102 along the circumference, sealing the rear housing 102 from the inside and improving the sealing performance of the vehicle-mounted camera. The split rear cover in the related art is not suitable for this embodiment because the terminal connector is detachable from the rear housing.

[0084] In a specific embodiment, the present disclosure can produce a smaller vehicle-mounted camera through the settings of the above embodiments. When the distance between the center of the terminal connector 2 and the center of the PCB board 5 is set to 2.7 mm, the size of the camera can be 18 mm in length, 18 mm in width, and 30.8 mm in height. Compared with the current vehicle-mounted cameras (the length and width are usually greater than 23 mm, and the height is usually greater than 33 mm), its volume is significantly reduced.

[0085] On the other hand, the present disclosure provides a method for processing a vehicle-mounted camera based on the above embodiment, comprising:

[0086] Processing the rear shell 102 provided with the terminal connector 2;

[0087] Provide a front housing 101, and securely connect the PCB board 5 to the front housing 101;

[0088] The lens 7 is fixedly connected to the end of the front housing 101 away from the rear housing 102;

[0089] Connect one end of the terminal connector 2 to the PCB board 5;

[0090] The rear housing 102 is fixedly connected to the front housing 101 .

[0091] In the vehicle-mounted camera processing method of this embodiment, the connector 202 and the rear shell 102 are formed as one piece by injection molding, which has low cost, fewer parts and less assembly time, high assembly efficiency, can save screw locking structure space, reduce the camera volume (for example, the length and width dimensions can be reduced to 18*18mm), and realize the processing of miniaturized vehicle-mounted cameras.

[0092] 1 , the present disclosure discloses a method for manufacturing a miniaturized vehicle-mounted camera, including the following steps:

[0093] S1: Provide a back shell, and dispose a terminal connector on the back shell, wherein the back shell has a square outline, the terminal connector has a circular outline, the center of the terminal connector is offset from the center of the back shell, and the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the back shell is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm;

[0094] In a specific embodiment, referring to FIG. 2 , the terminal connector 2 includes a connector core 201 and a plug 202 . The rear housing 102 includes a rear housing body 1021 integrally injection-molded with the plug 202 . The connector core 201 is inserted into the plug 202 to form the terminal connector 2 .

[0095] 3 and 4 , in a specific embodiment, in S1 , the steps of manufacturing the back cover include:

[0096] 1) Providing a connector core 201;

[0097] 2) placing the connector core 201 into an injection mold and performing injection molding of the back shell, so that the rear shell body portion 1021 after injection molding is wrapped around the connector core 201, wherein the portion of the rear shell body portion 1021 wrapped around the connector core 201 forms the connector plug 202, and the connector plug 202 and the connector core 201 together form the terminal connector 2, and the center of the terminal connector 2 is offset from the center of the back shell, and the distance between the center of the terminal connector 2 and the center of the back shell is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm;

[0098] 3) The connector core 201 and the rear shell 102 are then fixed with glue.

[0099] In some optional embodiments, in S1, the step of manufacturing the back cover includes:

[0100] 1) Injection molding the back cover using an injection mold to form a back cover main body 1021, wherein the back cover main body 1021 includes a connector 202, wherein the connector 202 has a circular outline, the center of the connector 202 is offset from the center of the back cover, and the distance between the center of the connector 202 and the center of the back cover is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm;

[0101] 2) Inserting the connector core 201 into the connector plug 202; specifically, the assembly can be performed manually or by using a jig to press the connector core 201 into the connector plug 202;

[0102] 3) Fix the connector core 201 and the rear shell with glue;

[0103] Referring to Figure 2 , in this embodiment, the rear housing is provided with two screw posts 3 and two support posts 4. The screw posts 3 are used for mounting to an external mounting bracket (or vehicle body component), and the support posts 4 are used for supporting the mounting bracket (or vehicle body component). Both the screw posts 3 and the support posts 4 are integrally formed with the rear housing main body 1021 during the injection molding process.

[0104] In an optional embodiment, during the manufacturing process of the rear housing, heat-sealable connecting posts are integrally formed on the rear housing by injection molding. These connecting posts are used to securely connect to the mounting bracket (or vehicle body part) by heat-sealable connection. Specifically, in this embodiment, the rear housing of the camera is provided with two connecting posts instead of screw posts. These connecting posts enable securely connecting to the mounting bracket (or vehicle body part) by heat-sealable connection, eliminating the need for multiple screws to connect the mounting bracket (or vehicle body part), thereby reducing the size of the camera.

[0105] S2: Provide the front shell, place the PCB into the shell and fix it, making sure the center of the PCB coincides with the center of the back shell;

[0106] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, in a specific embodiment, a boss 9 is provided within the front shell 101. Glue is applied to the boss 9 within the front shell 101, and then the PCB board 5 is placed on top, thereby securing the PCB board 5 with glue. Since the PCB board 5 of current cameras is generally secured to the housing 1 with screws, it occupies a large volume. In the present disclosure, a boss 9 is provided within the front shell 101. Glue is applied to the boss 9 within the front shell 101, and then the PCB board 5 is placed on top, thereby securing the PCB board 5 with glue. This arrangement eliminates the need to use screws to secure the PCB board 5, thereby reducing the overall size of the camera.

[0107] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the center of the terminal connector 2 is offset from the center of the rear housing 102 (the center of the PCB 5). The center of the rear housing 102 (the center of the PCB 5) is shown as point A in FIG7 , and the center of the terminal connector 2 is shown as point B in FIG7 . The distance between the center of the terminal connector 2 and the center of the rear housing 102 (the center of the PCB 5) is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm. Specifically, as shown in FIG7 , a circle with a diameter of 3.7 mm (shown as circle C in FIG7 ) is drawn with the center of the rear housing 102 (i.e., the center of the PCB 5, shown as point A in FIG7 ) as the center. The center of the eccentrically arranged terminal connector 2 (shown as point B in FIG7 ) is located within the range of circle C with a diameter of 3.7 mm. This arrangement improves the space utilization of the rear housing. When arranging larger components, these larger components can be placed closer to the center of the rear housing, thereby reducing the area of ​​the rear housing and the overall size of the vehicle-mounted camera. This not only reduces material costs but also occupies less space in the vehicle body, facilitating the arrangement and installation of vehicle-related components.

[0108] S3: Apply glue to the end surface of the front shell and fix the lens to the front shell using the AA process;

[0109] In a specific embodiment, as shown in FIG8 to FIG10 , glue is applied to the end surface 8 of the front shell 101 , and the lens 7 is fixed to the front shell 101 using the AA process, forming an adhesive layer 10 between the lens 7 and the front shell 101 .

[0110] In some embodiments, the lens and housing of existing cameras are generally connected by threads, resulting in a large occupied volume. However, the present disclosure fixes the lens and housing by bonding them together, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, with an adhesive layer provided between the lens and the front shell. Since the lens and housing are bonded together by glue, there is no need to provide threads on the lens to connect to the housing, thereby reducing the size of the camera. In some embodiments, the lens and housing can also be integrally formed. This method also eliminates the need to provide threads on the lens to connect to the housing, thereby reducing the size of the camera.

[0111] S4: The front shell and the rear shell are connected and fixed by a laser welding process.

[0112] In a specific embodiment, the front and rear shells of existing cameras are usually fastened together using screws, resulting in a large volume. As shown in FIG11 , the front shell 101 and the rear shell 102 of the present disclosure are connected together using laser welding, eliminating the need for screws to fasten the front and rear shells, thereby reducing the size of the camera.

[0113] In a specific embodiment, the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the PCB board is 2.7 mm. Through this setting, not only can the center of the terminal connector be set away from the center of the PCB board, but a certain gap can be reserved between the terminal connector and the screw column, so that the wiring harness connector connected to the terminal connector can be normally plugged into the back shell of the camera. In a specific embodiment, when the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the PCB board exceeds 3.7 mm, the gap between the terminal connector and the screw column will be too small, resulting in interference between the wiring harness connector and the screw column on the back shell, making it impossible to connect the terminal connector. In addition, due to the edge size requirements of the laser welding process, the size required for laser welding must be reserved between the screw column and the edge of the back shell, and the terminal connector and the screw column must meet the size requirements of the relevant regulations, thereby also limiting the gap between the terminal connector and the screw column.

[0114] In a specific embodiment, the miniaturized vehicle-mounted camera formed using the disclosed method has a length of 18 mm, a width of 18 mm, and a height of 30.8 mm. Compared to current vehicle-mounted cameras (which are typically greater than 23 mm in length and width, and greater than 33 mm in height), its size is significantly reduced.

[0115] In summary, the disclosed vehicle-mounted camera and processing method thereof can improve the space utilization of the PCB board by eccentrically arranging the terminal connector relative to the PCB board. When arranging some larger components, these larger components can be arranged close to the middle of the PCB board, thereby reducing the area of ​​the PCB board and the volume of the entire vehicle-mounted camera. Not only is the material cost low, but it also occupies little space in the vehicle body, which is beneficial to the arrangement and installation of vehicle body-related components; and the PCB board and the shell are fixed with adhesive, so there is no need to use screws to fix the PCB board, thereby reducing the overall volume of the camera; and the lens and the shell are bonded with glue, so there is no need to set threads on the lens to connect with the shell, thereby reducing the volume of the camera; and the front shell and the rear shell are connected together by laser welding, so there is no need to use screws to lock the front and rear shells, thereby reducing the volume of the camera, improving the overall spatial structure utilization of the camera, lowering the material cost, occupying little space in the vehicle body, and being beneficial to the arrangement and installation of the vehicle body.

[0116] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a miniaturized vehicle-mounted camera, comprising the following steps:

[0117] S1: Provide a rear housing, wherein a terminal connector is disposed on the rear housing, wherein the rear housing has a square outline, the terminal connector has a circular outline, the center of the terminal connector is offset from the center of the rear housing, and the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the rear housing is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm;

[0118] S2: Provide a front shell, place a PCB board in the front shell and fix it, and fix the PCB board and the front shell with adhesive, so that the center of the PCB board coincides with the center of the rear shell;

[0119] S3: Apply glue to the end surface of the front shell and use the AA process to bond the lens to the front shell;

[0120] S4: After positioning the front shell and the rear shell, they are connected and fixed by a laser welding process.

[0121] By adopting the above technical solution, since the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the rear shell is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm, the center of the terminal connector is set away from the center of the PCB board, thereby improving the space utilization of the PCB board and reducing the volume of the entire vehicle camera.

[0122] Optionally, the terminal connector includes a connector core and a connector plug, and the rear shell includes a rear shell main body portion that is integrally injection-molded with the connector plug.

[0123] Optionally, in S1, the steps of manufacturing the rear shell include:

[0124] Provide connector core;

[0125] The connector core is placed in an injection mold for injection molding of the rear shell, so that the main body of the rear shell is wrapped around the connector core, and the part of the main body of the rear shell wrapped around the connector core forms a connector plug;

[0126] Fix the connector core and the main body of the rear shell with glue.

[0127] Optionally, in S1, the steps of manufacturing the rear shell include:

[0128] The rear shell is injection molded by using an injection mold to form a rear shell main body, wherein the rear shell main body includes a connector;

[0129] Insert the connector core into the connector;

[0130] Fix the connector core and the main body of the rear shell with glue.

[0131] Optionally, the rear shell is provided with a welding column for welding to the vehicle body mounting part, and the welding column and the rear shell are integrally injection molded.

[0132] Optionally, the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the rear shell is 2.7 mm.

[0133] Optionally, the length of the rear shell is 18 mm and the width is 18 mm.

[0134] In some embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a miniaturized vehicle-mounted camera, comprising:

[0135] A housing, comprising a front housing and a rear housing, wherein the front housing and the rear housing are fixedly connected by laser welding;

[0136] A terminal connector, the terminal connector being disposed on a rear housing, the rear housing having a square outline, the terminal connector having a circular outline, the center of the terminal connector being offset from the center of the rear housing, and the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the rear housing being greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm;

[0137] A PCB board is disposed in the front housing and fixed to the front housing with adhesive. The PCB board is connected to the terminal connector, and the center of the PCB board coincides with the center of the rear housing.

[0138] The lens is arranged on the front shell, and the lens and the front shell are fixed by using adhesive.

[0139] Optionally, the distance between the center of the terminal connector and the center of the rear shell is 2.7 mm.

[0140] Optionally, the miniaturized vehicle-mounted camera has a length of 18 mm, a width of 18 mm, and a height of 30.8 mm.

[0141] While the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications may be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features within the embodiments may be combined with one another unless there is a conflict.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted camera, comprising: A housing, comprising a front housing (101) and a rear housing (102), wherein the front housing (101) and the rear housing (102) are fixedly connected; A lens (7) connected to an end of the front shell (101) away from the rear shell (102); A PCB board (5) is arranged in the front housing (101); and A terminal connector (2) is arranged at one end of the rear shell (102) away from the front shell (101); one end of the terminal connector (2) is connected to the PCB board (5), and the other end extends outside the rear shell (102); the terminal connector (2) comprises a connector core (201) and a connector plug (202); the connector plug (202) and the rear shell (102) are integrally formed by injection molding, and the connector core (201) is inserted into the connector plug (202).

2. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein the front shell (101) and the rear shell (102) are fixed by laser welding.

3. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the axis of the terminal connector (2) is arranged away from the center of the rear shell (102).

4. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, wherein the distance between the axis of the terminal connector (2) and the center of the rear shell (102) is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 3.7 mm.

5. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 4, wherein the distance between the axis of the terminal connector (2) and the center of the rear shell (102) is greater than or equal to 2.7 mm and less than or equal to 3.7 mm.

6. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a boss (9) is provided inside the front shell (101), and the PCB board (5) is bonded to the boss (9).

7. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the PCB board (5) is provided with an interface (6), the interface (6) is arranged in the front shell (101), and the connector core (201) is connected to the PCB board (5) through the interface (6).

8. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the center of the PCB board (5) coincides with the center of the rear housing (102).

9. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the connector core (201) is fixed to the rear shell (102) along the circumferential direction by glue on the inner side of the rear shell (102).

10. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: A connecting column is provided on a side of the rear shell (102) away from the front shell (101) and is configured to be fixedly connected to a mounting bracket or a vehicle body part; the connecting column and the rear shell (102) are integrally formed by injection molding, and the connecting column and the connector (202) are spaced apart.

11. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 10, wherein the distance between the axis of the terminal connector (2) and the center of the rear housing (102) is equal to 2.7 mm.

12. The vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the connecting column comprises a screw column (3) or a hot melt column, the screw column (3) is configured to be threadedly connected to the mounting bracket or the body part, and the hot melt column is configured to be hot-melt connected to the mounting bracket or the body part.

13. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising: The buckle is arranged on the wall of the front shell (101) or the rear shell (102) and is configured to be fixedly connected to the mounting bracket or the vehicle body part.

14. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the lens (7) and the front shell (101) are bonded by glue, or the lens (7) and the front shell (101) are integrally formed.

15. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the distance between the axis of the terminal connector (2) and the center of the rear shell (102) is equal to 2.7 mm, and the length, width and height of the vehicle-mounted camera are 18 mm, 18 mm and 30.8 mm respectively.

16. The vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the outline of the rear shell (102) is square, and the outline of the terminal connector (2) is circular.

17. A method for processing a vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising: Processing the rear shell (102) provided with the terminal connector (2); Providing the front shell (101), and fixing the PCB board (5) in the front shell (101); The lens (7) is fixedly connected to an end of the front shell (101) away from the rear shell (102); Connecting one end of the terminal connector (2) to the PCB board (5); The rear shell (102) is fixedly connected to the front shell (101).

18. The processing method according to claim 17, wherein the rear shell (102) comprises a rear shell main body portion (1021), and processing the rear shell (102) provided with the terminal connector (2) comprises: Providing the connector core (201); The connector core (201) is placed in an injection mold for injection molding, so that the rear shell body part (1021) formed after injection molding wraps around the connector core (201), and the rear shell body part (1021) includes the connector (202) wrapped around the connector core (201); The connector core (201) and the rear shell main body (1021) are fixed by glue spotting on the inner side of the rear shell (102).

19. The processing method according to claim 17, wherein the rear shell (102) comprises a rear shell main body portion (1021), and processing the rear shell (102) provided with the terminal connector (2) comprises: Using an injection mold to perform injection molding to form the rear shell main body part (1021), the rear shell main body part (1021) comprising the connector (202); Inserting the connector core (201) into the connector plug (202); The connector core (201) and the rear shell main body (1021) are fixed by glue spotting on the inner side of the rear shell (102).

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