Vehicular Camera Lens Barrel Brazing for Precise PCB Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle vision systems face challenges in efficiently securing camera lenses to imager PCBs due to high tolerance stacks and complex manufacturing processes, particularly with the use of active focus and alignment methods that require expensive adhesives and UV curing.
Innovation Solution
The system employs laser brazing of a filler material with a lower melting point than the lens barrel and camera housing to secure the lens barrel relative to the imager PCB after optical alignment, eliminating the need for quick cure adhesives and reducing assembly tolerances by allowing non-contact heating and instant focus and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If active focus and alignment methods are used to secure camera lenses to imager PCBs, then optical alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to expensive adhesives and UV curing processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding system (adhesives and UV curing) with a mechanical bonding system (laser brazing of filler material). This substitution eliminates the need for complex chemical processes while achieving secure mechanical attachment of the lens barrel to the imager PCB, thereby reducing manufacturing process complexity while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bonding mechanism from chemical (adhesive curing) to thermal (laser brazing). By using laser energy to melt and re-solidify filler material, the process achieves precise optical alignment through controlled thermal parameters, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining high precision requirements.
2Productivity
If quick cure adhesives and UV curing are used in lens assembly, then assembly speed is improved, but assembly costs increase due to expensive materials and additional curing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the adhesive and UV curing steps from the assembly process. By using laser brazing alone to secure the lens barrel, the method removes the need for expensive quick-cure adhesives and UV curing equipment, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining efficient assembly speed through a single integrated process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive filler material that is consumed during the laser brazing process. This filler material serves as a sacrificial element that melts and re-solidifies to create the bond, replacing expensive adhesives with a cost-effective consumable material that achieves the same securing function at lower cost.
3Device complexity
If traditional adhesive bonding is used to secure lens barrel, then assembly process is simplified, but thermal transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite bonding approach using filler material that combines the benefits of mechanical bonding and thermal conduction. The filler material creates a metallurgical bond through laser brazing that provides both structural integrity and superior thermal transfer pathways, replacing the thermal insulation effect of traditional adhesives with an thermally conductive bonded joint.
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 approach simplifies the assembly process, reduces costs, decreases cycle time, and enhances thermal transfer by securing the lens barrel to the imager PCB with a more robust and efficient method, while maintaining precise optical alignment and focus.
Implementation Method 1
the brazing/filler material is heated, such as via a laser to melt or liquefy the material
Implementation Method 2
heated, such as via a laser to melt or liquefy the material
Implementation Method 3
the brazing/filler material is heated, such as via a laser to melt or liquefy the material
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular camera includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens, a lens holder having a passageway therethrough, and an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB) having an imager. The imager PCB is attached at the lens holder. An attaching portion of the lens barrel is positioned at least partially in the passageway of the lens holder with a gap between the attaching portion and the lens holder that at least partially circumscribes the attaching portion. With the attaching portion positioned at least partially in the passageway, a filler material is disposed at least partially within the gap. With the lens aligned relative to the imager, the filler material is heated via non-contact brazing to melt and flow into the gap. The melted filler material hardens upon cooling to secure the lens barrel relative to the lens holder and the imager PCB.