Vehicle Camera Housing With Conductive PCB Carrier Grounding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera designs face challenges in efficiently and cost-effectively establishing an electrical connection between the circuit board and the metallic housing, particularly due to the need for space-consuming screw connections and the difficulty of soldering to aluminum housings.
Innovation Solution
A camera design featuring a separate electrically conductive circuit board carrier that is clamped to the housing using a screwing and clamping unit, allowing indirect electrical connection without direct soldering, and a retaining ring that secures the lens device without direct screwing to the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the circuit board carrier is integrated into the housing as a single piece, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but thermal expansion differences cause functional impairments and cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two separate components: the housing body and the circuit board carrier. These components are manufactured separately to accommodate their different thermal expansion characteristics, then joined together through a mounting structure. This segmentation prevents cracks and functional impairments caused by differential thermal expansion while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
2Reliability
If the circuit board carrier is made separate from the housing, then thermal expansion compatibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it mechanically connects the circuit board carrier to the housing, provides thermal management pathways, and accommodates thermal expansion differences. By merging these functions into a single integrated mounting structure, the overall device complexity is minimized despite the separation of housing components.
3Ease of manufacture
If adhesive is used to bond the circuit board carrier to the housing, then assembly simplicity is improved, but adhesive failure due to thermal stress occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure acts as an intermediary element between the circuit board carrier and the housing. Instead of directly bonding the two components with adhesive, the mounting structure provides a mechanical connection that accommodates thermal expansion differences, thereby preventing adhesive failure while maintaining assembly simplicity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the housing is designed to accommodate various camera modules, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is designed with dynamic adjustment capabilities that allow it to accommodate different camera module types and positions. This dynamic design enables the housing to adapt to various camera modules without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances, as the mounting structure can compensate for dimensional variations.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aspect of the invention relates to a camera (4) for a motor vehicle (1), with a housing (9), which is formed of an electrically conductive material, with at least one circuit board (47), which is arranged in the housing (9), wherein the camera (4) comprises an electrically conductive circuit board carrier (24) separate to the housing (9), which carries the circuit board (47) and is connected to the circuit board (47) in electrically conductive manner, wherein the circuit board carrier (47) is arranged in the housing (9) and is connected to the housing (9) in electrically conductive manner. A further aspect relates to a method for mounting a camera (4).