Vehicle Camera Lens Heater Support Plate for Reliable Defogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compact vehicle cameras face challenges in maintaining effective heating of the lens module due to restricted heating capabilities and impaired electrical energy transfer caused by direct contacting of heater strips with the circuit board, leading to poor image capture performance under varying environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
The camera design incorporates a separate support plate with electrical contact areas to facilitate indirect coupling of the heater lines, allowing for improved energy transfer and secure attachment of heater lines to the support plate before assembly, which avoids direct connection issues with the circuit board and maintains a clear optical path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If heater strips are directly connected to the circuit board, then the device complexity is reduced, but the heating efficiency of the lens module deteriorates and electrical contact reliability is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a support plate as an intermediary component between the circuit board and the heater strips. This support plate carries electrical contact areas that connect to the heater lines, which are then led to the lens module. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by providing a dedicated pathway for electrical energy transfer that is separate from the main circuit board, thereby improving heating efficiency and electrical contact reliability without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If heater strips are directly connected to the circuit board, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the heating efficiency of the lens module deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate serves as a manufacturing-friendly intermediary that can be separately prepared and then integrated with the circuit board and lens module. This approach maintains ease of manufacture by allowing modular assembly while simultaneously improving heating efficiency by providing optimized electrical contact areas and dedicated energy transfer pathways that are not constrained by the circuit board's layout.
3Manufacturing precision
If the optical path is kept clean, then image capture quality is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sealing components
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate performs multiple functions: it provides electrical contact areas for the heater lines, serves as a mounting structure, and acts as a sealing element that protects the optical path. By combining these functions into a single component, the patent improves image capture quality through effective sealing while avoiding the need for additional separate sealing parts, thus not increasing device complexity.
4Reliability
If a separate support plate is introduced, then the heating efficiency and electrical contact reliability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides electrical contact areas, structural support, and sealing for the optical path. This consolidation of functions means that while an additional component is introduced, it replaces or integrates with multiple potential separate components, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances the heating efficiency of the lens module, reduces the risk of electrical contact failures, and ensures a clean optical path, enabling stable image capture even under severe temperature fluctuations and mechanical stresses.
Implementation Method 1
The camera comprises a heater for heating the lens module... Energy can be transferred from the circuit board, in particular an energy source on the circuit board, to the lens module to perform the heating of the lens module with the heater
Data Source
AI summary
A camera for a motor vehicle includes a housing. The housing bounds a receiving space that contains a lens module and a circuit board. The camera includes a longitudinal axis and a heater for heating the lens module. The circuit board and the lens module are arranged axially spaced from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the camera so that a clearance is formed between the circuit board and the lens module. A support plate of the camera is arranged between the circuit board and the lens module. The support plate is a component separate from the circuit board, the housing, and the lens module. The support plate includes first electrical contact areas that are able to connect to electrical lines of the heater. Electrical energy is able to flow to the lens module to heat the lens module.