Board mounted hermetically sealed optical device enclosure and manufacturing methods therefor

1. A camera enclosure apparatus, comprising:

a component board having a planar surface;

a camera mounted on the planar surface;

a hollow body comprising one or more walls substantially perpendicular to the component board, an opening on a first end of the hollow body, and an opening on a second end of the hollow body, wherein the one or more walls taper to a sharp edge at a furthermost edge of the second end along a planar section of the hollow body; and

a window enclosing the hollow body first end to provide a partial enclosure that is open at the hollow body second end, the partial enclosure having an interior region configured to surround the camera mounted on the planar surface, the window being configured to provide the transmission of light into the interior region and to the camera, the hollow body second end being configured for urging against the planar surface to press into the planar surface to secure the hollow body to the component board to form a hermetic seal around the camera.

2. The camera enclosure of claim 1 ,

wherein the hollow member material includes metal and comprises an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield, and

wherein the hollow member has one of a substantially circular or polygonal cross section, and

wherein the planar surface material includes ceramic and at least a track of a soft metal surrounding the camera that may be deformed by the urging of the hollow body second end against the planar surface.

3. The camera enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the window material is selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz, and crystal.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a camera;

a component board having a first planar surface, the component board being configured to receive the camera mounted on the first planar surface and surrounded by at least a track of a first material affixed to the first planar surface, the first material having a first hardness;

a hollow body member comprising one or more walls substantially perpendicular to the component board, an opening on a first end of the hollow body, and an opening on a second end of the hollow body, wherein the one or more walls taper to a sharp edge along a planar section at a furthermost edge of the second end of the hollow body, the hollow body comprising a second material with a second hardness, the second hardness being equal to or greater than the first hardness; and

a window member enclosing the hollow body first end to provide, a partial enclosure having an enclosed interior region configured to surround the camera, the window providing the transmission of light at least one of into or out of the interior region, the hollow body second end being urged against the first material on the component board to press into the track to secure the hollow body to the component board to form a hermetically sealed enclosure around the camera.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the hollow body has a circular cross section.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the hollow body has a polygonal cross section.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first material and the second material are the same material with the same hardness.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the window is a substantially transparent member selected from the group consisting of a window having substantially parallel and substantially planar surfaces, a prism having substantially planar non-parallel surfaces, and a lens having at least one curved non-planar surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the hermetically sealed enclosure around the camera contains an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon, helium, neon, and xenon.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the hermetically sealed enclosure interior region around the camera is evacuated.