Vehicular camera with adhesive disposed between non-axially opposed surfaces of the lens barrel and PCB structure
A vehicular camera includes a PCB having an imager disposed thereat, a lens barrel accommodating a lens, and a lens barrel support structure that protrudes from the PCB and at least partially circumscribes the imager. The lens barrel has an outer surface between the ends of the lens barrel. The outer surface of the lens barrel is adhesively bonded to an inner surface of the lens barrel support structure via adhesive. The outer surface of the lens barrel opposes the inner surface of the lens barrel support structure. With the adhesive in its uncured state and contacting the opposed surfaces, the imager is aligned with the lens accommodated at the lens barrel. With the imager aligned with the lens, the adhesive is cured to adhesively attach the lens barrel at the lens barrel support structure.
1. A vehicular camera, the vehicular camera comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first side and a second side separated by a thickness of the PCB, wherein an imager is disposed at the first side of the PCB;
a lens barrel accommodating a lens comprising a plurality of lens optics, the lens barrel comprising an inner end and an outer end;
wherein the lens barrel comprises first and second flanges protruding radially outward from a cylindrical portion of the lens barrel and between the inner end and the outer end;
wherein the first and second flanges extend radially outward from the cylindrical portion and partially along a length of the lens barrel between the inner end and the outer end;
a lens barrel support structure disposed at the first side of the PCB, wherein the lens barrel support structure extends from the first side of the PCB and at least partially circumscribes the imager, and wherein the lens barrel support structure is configured to at least partially receive the lens barrel therein;
wherein the lens barrel support structure comprises a wall structure having an outer side and an inner side separated by a thickness of the wall structure, wherein the wall structure has first and second slots formed through the wall structure;
wherein the lens barrel support structure comprises a bonding surface that extends across the wall structure between the inner side and the outer side at each of the first slot and the second slot;
wherein the bonding surfaces of the lens barrel support structure comprise surfaces that are parallel to and extend along a longitudinal axis of the lens barrel support structure;
wherein, with the lens barrel at least partially received at the lens barrel support structure so that the inner end of the lens barrel opposes the first side of the PCB, the first flange of the lens barrel is disposed in the first slot of the lens barrel support structure and the second flange of the lens barrel is disposed in the second slot of the lens barrel support structure;
wherein an adhesive, in an uncured state, is (i) disposed between the first flange and the bonding surface at the first slot of the lens barrel support structure and (ii) disposed between the second flange and the bonding surface at the second slot of the lens barrel support structure;
wherein the lens barrel is at least partially received at the lens barrel support structure, and wherein the lens barrel is adjusted relative to the lens barrel support structure to move the first flange into engagement with the bonding surface at the first slot and to move the second flange into engagement with the bonding surface at the second slot so that the uncured adhesive is disposed between and contacts the respective flanges and the bonding surface at the respective slots of the lens barrel support structure; and
wherein, with the imager aligned with the lens accommodated at the lens barrel, the adhesive is cured to adhesively attach the lens barrel at the lens barrel support structure.
2. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein, with the adhesive disposed between and contacting the respective flanges and the bonding surfaces at the respective slots of the lens barrel support structure and with the imager aligned with the lens accommodated at the lens barrel, shrinkage or expansion of the adhesive as the adhesive cures does not impart axial movement of the lens barrel along the longitudinal axis of the lens barrel support structure.
3. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein, after the lens barrel is received in the lens barrel support structure, the lens barrel is rotated about a longitudinal axis of the lens barrel relative to the lens barrel support structure to move the first flange into engagement with the bonding surface at the first slot and to move the second flange into engagement with the bonding surface at the second slot.
4. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein, after the lens barrel is received in the lens barrel support structure, the lens barrel is laterally moved in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lens barrel support structure to move the first flange into engagement with the bonding surface at the first slot and to move the second flange into engagement with the bonding surface at the second slot.
5. The vehicular camera of claim 1 , wherein the wall structure of the lens barrel support structure comprises a cylindrical wall structure, and wherein the bonding surfaces extend radially across the wall structure between the inner side and the outer side at the first and second slots.