Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes a lens barrel having a plurality of optical elements accommodated therein, a front camera housing portion, and a rear camera housing portion mated with the front camera housing to form a housing that encases an imager printed circuit board and a processor printed circuit board. A heat transfer element is disposed between and in thermal conductive contact with the imager printed circuit board and a rear wall of the rear camera housing. The heat transfer element extends through an aperture of the processor printed circuit board. Circuitry of the camera module is electrically connected to electrical connecting elements that electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when the camera module is disposed at the vehicle. Heat generated by operation of the vehicular camera module is drawn from the imager printed circuit board to the rear camera housing portion via the heat transfer element.

Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes a front camera housing portion having an imager, a lens having a plurality of optical elements, and an imager printed circuit board. The imager is disposed at a front side of the imager printed circuit board and the lens is optically aligned with the imager. A rear camera housing portion is mated with the front camera housing portion to form a camera housing. A thermal element is disposed between the imager printed circuit board and the camera housing. The thermal element has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 13 ppm/° C. or less. With the vehicular camera module disposed at a vehicle, circuitry of the vehicular camera module is in electrical connection with a wire harness of the vehicle.

Abstract: A camera module for a vehicular vision system includes a front camera housing having a housing portion and a cylindrical lens barrel extending from the housing portion and accommodating a lens. An imager printed circuit board is attached at the front camera housing portion. With the imager printed circuit board attached at the front camera housing, the imager is optically aligned with an optical axis of the lens. A rear camera housing portion is mated with the housing portion of the front camera housing so as to encase the imager printed circuit board in the camera module. The housing portion of the front camera housing includes mounting structure configured to mount the camera module at a vehicle. The lens barrel includes a material having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion as compared to the material of the front camera housing.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a front housing portion having a lens, a circuit board having circuitry established thereat, and a rear plastic housing portion having a connector for electrically connecting to a connector end of a wire harness of the vehicle when the camera is disposed at the vehicle. The rear plastic housing portion includes internal wall structure. The connector of the rear plastic housing portion includes a video signal terminal and a ground-connect terminal. An electrically conductive metallic shield element is disposed within the rear plastic housing portion and corresponds with the internal wall structure of the rear plastic housing portion. The video signal terminal is electrically connected to the circuitry of the circuit board, and the ground-connect terminal is electrically connected to the electrically conductive metallic shield element.

Abstract: A camera module for a vehicular vision system includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens, a front camera housing portion having an imager PCB disposed therein, and a rear camera housing portion mated with the front camera housing. The imager PCB is disposed at the front camera housing portion with the imager optically aligned with an optical axis of the optical elements of the lens barrel. A thermal element (i) is disposed between the imager PCB and the front camera housing portion and has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) element of 13 ppm/° C. or less and/or (ii) has its temperature controlled via a thermoelectric device of the camera module. With the camera module disposed at the vehicle, circuitry of the camera module is in electrical connection with a wire harness of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method for assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a front camera housing, providing a rear camera housing, and providing a PCB. The rear camera housing includes a coaxial electrical connector and the PCB has inner and outer electrically conductive traces. The coaxial electrical includes inner and outer electrically conductive terminals. The rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with the front camera housing so that the terminals contact the traces. The rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing so that the terminals remain in contact with the traces. After the rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing, the terminals are in electrical connection with the traces at the PCB. The coaxial electrical connector includes a cable connecting end that is opposite the terminals and that is configured to electrically connect to a coaxial connector of a coaxial cable of a vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes a metal front housing, a printed circuit board housed by the metal front housing, a lens holder disposed at the metal front housing with the lens aligned with an imager at the printed circuit board, a metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, and a coaxial connecting element. With the metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, an inward-extending portion of the coaxial connecting element extends inward of the metal rear housing towards the metal front housing and electrically connects with circuitry at the printed circuit board. With the metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, a plurality of spring tabs make, via spring contact, an electrical connection between the circuitry at the printed circuit board and the metal rear housing. An outward-extending portion of the coaxial connecting element is configured for coaxial electrical connection to a vehicle connector.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a front housing portion having a lens, a circuit board having circuitry established thereat, and a rear housing portion having a connector for electrically connecting to a connector end of a wire harness of the vehicle when the camera is disposed at the vehicle. The rear housing portion includes internal wall structure establishing internal surfaces of the rear housing portion. The connector of the rear housing portion includes a coaxial connector having a center conductor and an outer conductor. The center conductor and the outer conductor electrically connect to circuitry at the circuit board. An electrically conductive metallic shield element is disposed within the rear housing portion and corresponds with the internal wall surfaces of the rear housing portion.

Abstract: A vehicular camera assembly includes a front housing portion accommodating a lens, a circuit board having a connecting element, and an electrical connector. The rear housing portion includes a rear attachment portion that has an aperture therethrough. The electrical connector electrically connects a wire harness of the vehicle to the connecting element of the circuit board. The electrical connector includes an electrically conductive element that is electrically conductively connected to a coaxial or shielded wire connecting element of the electrical connector. The rear housing portion includes an electrically conductive element that protrudes through the aperture. As the electrical connector is attached at the rear attachment portion, the electrically conductive element of the rear housing portion engages the electrically conductive element of the electrical connector to establish and maintain electrically conductive connection between the electrically conductive elements.

Abstract: A vehicular camera is configured to be disposed at a vehicle. The camera includes a circuit board and a lens holder having a lens barrel accommodating a lens. The circuit board has circuitry disposed at a circuit board substrate. The circuitry includes an imager disposed at a first side of the circuit board substrate. The circuit board substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is different from the CTE of the lens holder. The circuit board substrate is attached at the structure of the lens holder via a fastener that passes through an oversized hole in the circuit board substrate, with a cross dimension of the oversized hole being greater than a corresponding cross dimension of the fastener. The vehicular camera, via movement of the fastener within the oversized hole, allows for temperature-induced expansion or contraction of the lens holder relative to the circuit board substrate.

Abstract: A method of assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a front camera housing including a lens and an imager, providing a rear camera housing, and a PCB. The rear camera housing includes a spring-loaded electrical connector and the PCB has first and second electrically conductive traces. The spring-loaded electrical includes inner and outer electrically conductive terminals that are movable relative to the base portion and are spring-biased towards an extended state and are compressible towards a compressed state. The rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with the front camera housing so that the terminals, in their extended state, engage the traces. The rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing so that the terminals compress towards their compressed state. After the rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing, the terminals are in spring-biased electrical connection with the traces at the PCB.

Abstract: A method for assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a housing a circuit element. A first housing portion includes a lens holder and a second housing portion includes a connector portion configured for connecting to wiring of a vehicle. A plurality of electrical connector elements are disposed at the connector portion of the second housing portion, each having (i) a first end portion configured for electrically connecting to circuitry of the circuit element and (ii) a second end portion configured for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring. The first end portions have a thickness that is less than a thickness of the second end portions. When mating the first and second housing portions, the first end portions engage with the circuitry of the circuit element and the electrical connector elements flex as the first end portions engage the circuitry and make electrical connection with the circuitry.

Abstract: A vehicular camera for a vehicular vision system 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 that extends 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 radially opposes the inner surface of the lens barrel support structure where the adhesive is disposed. With the adhesive in its uncured state and contacting the opposed surfaces, the imager is optically aligned with the lens accommodated at the lens barrel. With the imager optically aligned with the lens, the adhesive is cured to adhesively attach the lens barrel at the lens barrel support structure.

Abstract: A method of assembling a vehicular camera module includes providing a metal front housing having (i) a front portion, (ii) a rear portion opposite the front portion and (iii) a plurality of side walls extending between the front portion and the rear portion. A printed circuit board is disposed in a cavity of the metal front housing, and a lens holder is attached at the front portion of the metal front housing so that the lens is optically aligned with an imager of the printed circuit board. A metal rear housing has a connector portion having a coaxial connecting element. With the metal rear housing joined with the rear portion of the metal front housing, an inner portion of the coaxial connecting element extends inward into the cavity of the metal front housing and an outer portion of the coaxial connecting element extends outward from the metal rear housing.

Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes a lens barrel having a plurality of optical elements accommodated therein, a front camera housing portion, and a rear camera housing portion mated with the front camera housing to form a housing that encases an imager printed circuit board and a processor printed circuit board. A heat transfer element is disposed between and in thermal conductive contact with the imager printed circuit board and a rear wall of the rear camera housing. The heat transfer element extends through an aperture of the processor printed circuit board. Circuitry of the camera module is electrically connected to electrical connecting elements that electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when the camera module is disposed at the vehicle. Heat generated by operation of the vehicular camera module is drawn from the imager printed circuit board to the rear camera housing portion via the heat transfer element.

Abstract: A vehicular camera assembly includes a front housing portion accommodating a lens, a circuit board having an imager and an electrical connecting element at opposite sides thereof, a rear housing portion and an electrical connector. The rear housing portion includes a rear attachment portion that has an aperture therethrough. The electrical connector electrically connects a wire of the vehicle to the electrical connecting element of the circuit board. The electrical connector includes an electrically conductive element that is electrically conductively connected to an outer ground contact of the connector. The rear housing portion includes a shield element having flexible tabs that protrude through the aperture.

Abstract: A vehicular camera is configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The camera includes a lens holder having a lens barrel accommodating a lens, a circuit board, and an imager disposed at a first side of a circuit board substrate. The circuit board substrate has a CTE that is different from the CTE of the lens holder. The circuit board substrate is attached at support posts extending from the support structure, with the support posts configured to flex in a radial direction toward or away from the longitudinal axis of the lens barrel.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a front housing portion that accommodates a lens and an imager, a circuit board disposed at the front housing portion, a rear housing portion and a coaxial connecting element at the rear housing portion. The coaxial connecting element includes a first coaxial connector portion and a second coaxial connector portion. The first coaxial connector portion extends outward from the rear housing portion and the second coaxial connector portion extends inward from the rear housing portion. The circuit board has a coaxial connector established thereat. When the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, the second coaxial connector portion electrically connects to the coaxial connector to electrically connect the coaxial connecting element with circuitry at the circuit board. The first coaxial connector portion is configured to connect to a coaxial cable of a vehicle when the vehicular camera is disposed at the vehicle.

Abstract: A camera assembly for a vision system for a vehicle includes a camera module configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of the vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The camera module includes a housing and a lens barrel supporting a lens. A heating device is configured to attach at an exterior of the lens barrel. The heating device includes a heating element that at least partially circumscribes the lens barrel when the heating device is attached at the lens barrel. The heating device includes an electrical lead configured to electrically connect to an electrical connector of the vehicle when the camera module is disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle.

Abstract: A camera assembly for a vehicle vision system includes a housing with a lens holder at a first housing portion and a connector portion at a second housing portion. The connector portion is configured for connecting to vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at a vehicle. A circuit element is disposed within the housing and a plurality of electrical connector elements is disposed at the connector portion of the second housing portion. Each of the electrical connector elements includes a first end portion configured for electrically connecting to circuitry of the circuit element and a second end portion configured for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring. The first end portions of the electrical connector elements include flexible elements that, during mating of the first housing portion to the second housing portion, flex as the first end portions engage the circuitry and make electrical connection with the circuitry.