Vehicular Camera Lens Housing for Wavelength-Selective Laser Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular cameras face challenges in improving safety and autonomous driving functions while maintaining performance, and there is a need for a technique that reduces the number of components and manufacturing processes while minimizing the influence of welding on the imaging element.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular camera design that integrates the first tubular portion and flange portion of the lens unit with a first resin, while the housing is formed of a second resin, allowing for reduced components and manufacturing processes. The camera uses laser light in the second wavelength band for welding, which has lower sensitivity for the imaging element, ensuring smooth welding without harming the imaging element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the first tubular portion and flange portion are formed as separate components, then assembly flexibility is improved, but the number of components and manufacturing processes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first tubular portion and flange portion are integrated into a single molded component formed from the first resin. This merging eliminates the need for separate assembly of these parts, reducing the total component count and simplifying manufacturing processes while maintaining the functional benefits of having both structural elements
2Manufacturing precision
If welding is performed using light in the first wavelength band, then welding precision is improved, but the imaging element is damaged due to high sensitivity to this wavelength
Solution Approach 1:
The first resin is engineered with selective optical properties: it has low light transmittance in the first wavelength band (protecting the imaging element) and high light transmittance in the second wavelength band (enabling laser welding). This local quality differentiation allows the same material to simultaneously protect the imaging element during operation and facilitate precise welding during manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The resin material's optical parameters are specifically tuned to exhibit wavelength-dependent transmittance characteristics. By changing the wavelength parameter of the laser light used for welding to the second wavelength band, the process achieves both precision and imaging element protection
3Reliability
If a resin with high light transmittance is used for the lens unit, then optical performance is improved, but welding becomes difficult due to light passing through during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The first resin exhibits different light transmittance properties at different wavelengths: low transmittance in the first wavelength band (maintaining optical performance by blocking relevant light) and high transmittance in the second wavelength band (enabling laser welding). This resolves the contradiction by making transmittance wavelength-dependent rather than uniformly high or low
Solution Approach 2:
The optical parameters of the resin are optimized to create a wavelength-selective transmittance profile. The resin allows high transmittance only in the specific second wavelength band used for welding, while maintaining low transmittance in the first wavelength band that affects imaging performance, thus enabling both good optical performance and easy welding
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
The solution reduces the number of components and manufacturing processes, enables smooth welding of the lens unit and housing, and minimizes the influence of welding on the imaging element by using a resin with higher light transmittance in the second wavelength band.
Implementation Method 1
the first resin of the first tubular portion and the flange portion has first light transmittance in the first wavelength band and second light transmittance larger than the first light transmittance in the second wavelength band
Implementation Method 2
by using laser light in the second wavelength band in which the sensitivity of the imaging element is low, which passes through the first resin, the welding can be smoothly performed
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular camera includes a lens unit, a circuit board, an imaging element, and a housing. The imaging element has first sensitivity in a first wavelength band having a wavelength shorter than a predetermined wavelength, and second sensitivity smaller than the first sensitivity in a second wavelength band having a wavelength longer than the predetermined wavelength. A first resin of a first tubular portion and a flange portion has first light transmittance in the first wavelength band and second light transmittance larger than the first light transmittance in the second wavelength band. A second resin of the housing has a third light transmittance smaller than the second light transmittance at least in the second wavelength band.