US-12627872-B2 - Vehicular camera assembly with thermally conductive adhesive interface

Abstract

A vehicular camera assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and a camera housing having a first housing portion with a lens barrel that accommodates a lens. An imager at the PCB faces the lens. At least one of (i) the PCB is attached at the first housing portion via a thermally conductive adhesive and (ii) the lens barrel is attached at the first housing portion via the thermally conductive adhesive. The PCB is thermally conductively connected to the first housing portion and, while the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat generated within the camera housing is drawn away from the PCB at least in part through the thermally conductive adhesive and the front housing portion.

Inventors

• Steven V. Byrne
• Jonathan D. Conger
• Rene Dreiocker
• Matthew C. SESTI
• Gavin E Skrocki

Assignees

• MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20231107

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A vehicular camera assembly, the vehicular camera assembly comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB having a first side and a second side separated by a thickness dimension of the PCB; wherein an imager is disposed at the first side of the PCB; a camera housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion joined with the first housing portion; wherein a lens barrel is disposed at the first housing portion, and wherein the lens barrel accommodates a lens; a thermally conductive adhesive; wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the PCB is attached at the first housing portion via the thermally conductive adhesive and, with the thermally conductive adhesive disposed between the PCB and the first housing portion, the PCB is adjustable relative to the first housing portion to align the imager and the lens and (ii) the lens barrel is attached at the first housing portion via the thermally conductive adhesive and, with the thermally conductive adhesive disposed between the lens barrel and the first housing portion, the lens barrel is adjustable relative to the first housing portion to align the imager and the lens; wherein, with the imager and the lens aligned, the thermally conductive adhesive is cured to fix the imager relative to the lens; wherein, with the second housing portion joined with the first housing portion, the imager at the first side of the PCB faces the lens accommodated by the lens barrel; wherein, when the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat is generated within the camera housing; and wherein the PCB is thermally conductively connected to the first housing portion, and wherein, while the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat generated within the camera housing is drawn away from the PCB at least in part through the thermally conductive adhesive and the first housing portion.
2. 2 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the PCB is attached at the first housing portion via the thermally conductive adhesive and, with the thermally conductive adhesive disposed between the PCB and the first housing portion, the PCB is adjustable relative to the first housing portion to align the imager and the lens.
3. 3 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermally conductive adhesive comprises an adhesive ring disposed between the first side of the PCB and the first housing portion.
4. 4 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 3 , wherein the adhesive ring circumscribes the imager at the first side of the PCB.
5. 5 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 3 , wherein the adhesive ring comprises a continuous ring.
6. 6 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 3 , wherein the adhesive ring comprises a non-continuous ring.
7. 7 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lens barrel is attached at the first housing portion via the thermally conductive adhesive and, with the thermally conductive adhesive disposed between the lens barrel and the first housing portion, the lens barrel is adjustable relative to the first housing portion to align the imager and the lens.
8. 8 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 7 , wherein the thermally conductive adhesive comprises an adhesive ring disposed between an inner end of the lens barrel and an outer portion of the first housing portion.
9. 9 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 7 , wherein, while the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat generated within the camera housing is drawn away from the first housing portion at least in part through the thermally conductive adhesive and the lens barrel.
10. 10 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 7 , wherein heat generated within the camera housing at least partially heats the lens accommodated by the lens barrel.
11. 11 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein a heat transfer path from the PCB and away from the vehicular camera assembly comprises the first housing portion and the thermally conductive adhesive.
12. 12 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 11 , wherein the heat transfer path further comprises the lens barrel.
13. 13 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 1 , wherein, when the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat is generated within the camera housing by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the imager and (ii) an image processor of the vehicular camera assembly that processes captured image data.
14. 14 . A vehicular camera assembly, the vehicular camera assembly comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB having a first side and a second side separated by a thickness dimension of the PCB; wherein an imager is disposed at the first side of the PCB; a camera housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion joined with the first housing portion; wherein a lens barrel is disposed at the first housing portion, and wherein the lens barrel accommodates a lens; wherein the PCB is attached at the first housing portion via a thermally conductive adhesive; wherein, with the second housing portion joined with the first housing portion, the imager at the first side of the PCB faces the lens accommodated by the lens barrel; wherein, with the thermally conductive adhesive disposed between the PCB and the first housing portion, the PCB is adjustable relative to the first housing portion to align the imager and the lens, and wherein, with the imager and the lens aligned, the thermally conductive adhesive is cured to fix the imager relative to the lens; wherein, when the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat is generated within the camera housing by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the imager and (ii) an image processor of the vehicular camera assembly that processes captured image data; and wherein the PCB is thermally conductively connected to the first housing portion, and wherein, while the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat generated within the camera housing is drawn away from the PCB at least in part through the thermally conductive adhesive and the first housing portion.
15. 15 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 14 , wherein the thermally conductive adhesive comprises an adhesive ring disposed between the first side of the PCB and the first housing portion.
16. 16 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 15 , wherein the adhesive ring circumscribes the imager at the first side of the PCB.
17. 17 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 15 , wherein the adhesive ring comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a continuous ring and (ii) a non-continuous ring.
18. 18 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 14 , wherein a heat transfer path from the PCB and away from the vehicular camera assembly comprises (i) the first housing portion, (ii) the thermally conductive adhesive and (iii) the lens barrel.
19. 19 . A vehicular camera assembly, the vehicular camera assembly comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB having a first side and a second side separated by a thickness dimension of the PCB; wherein an imager is disposed at the first side of the PCB; a camera housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion joined with the first housing portion; wherein a lens barrel is disposed at the first housing portion, and wherein the lens barrel accommodates a lens; wherein the lens barrel is attached at the first housing portion via a thermally conductive adhesive; wherein, with the second housing portion joined with the first housing portion, the imager at the first side of the PCB faces the lens accommodated by the lens barrel; wherein, with the thermally conductive adhesive disposed between the lens barrel and the first housing portion, the lens barrel is adjustable relative to the first housing portion to align the imager and the lens, and wherein, with the imager and the lens aligned, the thermally conductive adhesive is cured to fix the imager relative to the lens; wherein, when the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat is generated within the camera housing by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the imager and (ii) an image processor of the vehicular camera assembly that processes captured image data; and wherein the PCB is thermally conductively connected to the first housing portion, and wherein, while the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat generated within the camera housing is drawn away from the PCB at least in part through (i) the first housing portion, (ii) the thermally conductive adhesive and (iii) the lens barrel.
20. 20 . The vehicular camera assembly of claim 19 , wherein the PCB is attached at the first housing portion via the thermally conductive adhesive.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims the filing benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/382,903, filed Nov. 9, 2022, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a vehicle vision system for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a vehicle vision system that utilizes one or more cameras at a vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Use of imaging sensors in vehicle imaging systems is common and known. Examples of such known systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,949,331; 5,670,935 and/or 5,550,677, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A driving assistance system or vision system or imaging system for a vehicle utilizes one or more cameras (such as one or more CMOS cameras) to capture image data representative of images exterior of the vehicle. The camera includes a lens holder, and an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB), with the imager PCB fixed to the lens holder, and with a lens barrel (accommodating a lens or lens assembly therein) attached to the lens holder. A vehicular camera assembly may include an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB) that includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness of the imager PCB. An imager is disposed at the first side of the imager PCB. The camera includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens. A camera housing includes a first portion and a second portion joined with the first portion. The lens barrel is disposed at the first portion of the camera housing. The imager PCB is attached at the first portion of the camera housing. With the second portion of the camera housing joined with the first portion of the camera housing, the imager at the first side of the imager PCB faces the lens accommodated by the lens barrel. The imager, when the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, generates heat at the first side of the imager PCB. At least one of (i) the imager PCB is thermally conductively connected to the first portion of the camera housing via a thermally conductive adhesive and (ii) the lens barrel is attached at the first portion of the camera housing via the thermally conductive adhesive. When the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated, heat generated by the imager is dissipated away from the vehicular camera assembly and drawn away from the first side of the imager PCB at least in part through the thermally conductive adhesive and the first portion of the camera housing. A heat transfer path from the first side of the imager PCB and away from the vehicular camera assembly includes the first portion of the camera housing and a thermally conductive adhesive disposed at the first portion of the camera housing. For example, the thermally conductive adhesive may be used to attach the imager PCB to the first portion of the camera housing or to attach the lens barrel at the first portion of the camera housing. These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle with a vision system that incorporates cameras; FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a vehicular camera assembly including a non-thermally conductive adhesive and a thermally conductive interface material between the imager PCB and the rear housing portion; FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a vehicular camera assembly including a thermally conductive adhesive between the imager PCB and the front housing portion; and FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a vehicular camera assembly including a thermally conductive adhesive between the lens barrel and the front housing portion. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle vision system and/or driver or driving assist system and/or object detection system and/or alert system operates to capture images exterior of the vehicle and may process the captured image data to display images and to detect objects at or near the vehicle and in the predicted path of the vehicle, such as to assist a driver of the vehicle in maneuvering the vehicle in a rearward direction. The vision system includes an image processor or image processing system that is operable to receive image data from one or more cameras and provide an output to a display device for displaying images representative of the captured image data. Optionally, the vision system may provide display, such as a rearview display or a top down or bird's eye or surround view display or the like. Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12 that includes at least one exterior viewing imaging sensor or camera, such as a rearward viewing imaging sensor