Lens Unit Wiring Guide for In-Vehicle Camera Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
In in-vehicle camera lens units, the existing wiring configurations for heaters and other electrically functional components face challenges such as interference with assembly operations, difficulty in ensuring airtightness, and the need for elongated through holes in lens barrels, which complicates mass production and increases the risk of mechanical failures.
Innovation Solution
The lens unit design incorporates a wiring guide system with a first through hole or groove inside the lens barrel and a second accommodating groove on the outer surface, allowing electrical wiring to be routed to the image side without obstructing assembly and eliminating the need for elongated through holes, thus simplifying the manufacturing process and enhancing reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lead wire is led out through a drawing hole in the flange for electrical connection, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the lead wire obstructs assembly operations and complicates the structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lead wire routing from the flange area and relocates it to the lens barrel side surface. The drawing hole is positioned on the lens barrel rather than the flange, allowing the lead wire to be routed separately from the attachment flange, thus eliminating obstruction to assembly operations while maintaining electrical connectivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate structure (the lens barrel side surface with drawing hole) as a mediator between the heater and the external electrical connection. This intermediary routing path allows the lead wire to connect electrical components without interfering with the flange assembly operation
2Ease of operation
If an elongated through hole is provided in the lens barrel to route the lead wire, then wiring is achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and mass production is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wiring routing into two distinct parts: a short drawing hole through the lens barrel side surface, and a separate lead wire extension. This segmentation avoids the need for a single elongated through hole spanning the entire lens barrel length, simplifying the manufacturing process while achieving the required wiring routing
3Ease of manufacture
If a small diameter and long end mill is used to cut the elongated through hole in metal lens barrel, then the through hole is formed, but the end mill may break causing mechanical failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the hole formation into a short drawing hole through the lens barrel side surface rather than a long through hole. This segmentation reduces the length of the end mill required, eliminating the mechanical failure risk associated with using small diameter and long end mills while still achieving the necessary wiring passage
4Manufacturing precision
If the lens unit is assembled with high precision to achieve desired resolution, then optical performance is improved, but space for arranging lead wire becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lead wire routing from the internal lens barrel space and positions it externally through a drawing hole in the side surface. This extraction allows the lens unit to be assembled with high precision for optimal optical performance without requiring additional internal space for lead wire arrangement
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 configuration enables easy routing of electrical wiring and heaters within the lens barrel without hindering assembly, ensures airtightness, and facilitates industrial mass production by avoiding complex mold structures and mechanical failures.
Implementation Method 1
a heater 130 is inserted between a surface 101a of the first lens 101 facing the image side and a surface 102a of the second lens 102 adjacent to the first lens 101 facing the object side, in a manner such that it is possible to warm the first lens 101 located on the most object side in the lens group L
Data Source
AI summary
A lens unit and a camera module in which the electrical wiring extending from the electrically functional component in the lens barrel can be guided to the image side without interfering with an assembly operation, without the need of ensuring a wiring space in the lens barrel, and without forming an elongated through hole in the lens barrel. The lens barrel includes: i) a first through hole extending in the longitudinal direction inside the side wall to guide the electric wiring from the component to the image side end of the flange; ii) a second through hole extending radially on the side wall so the first through hole can communicate with the outside of the barrel; iii) an accommodation groove on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall to communicate with the second through hole, in order to accommodate the wiring and guide the wiring to the image side.