Patent ID: 9621769
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: G03B,H04N

Claim:
1. A camera module for a vision system of a vehicle, said camera module comprising: a housing and a lens; at least one circuit board having circuitry disposed in said housing; an imaging array sensor disposed at said at least one circuit board; an electrically conductive connector making electrical connection to circuitry at said at least one circuit board and configured to electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when said camera module is disposed at the vehicle; an elongated thermally conductive element separate from said electrically conductive connector and having a first portion in thermal conductive contact with at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board and a second portion extending from said first portion towards and through said housing, wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element protrudes from said housing exterior of said camera module; and a heat sink disposed exterior of said housing, wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element is in thermally conductive contact with said heat sink so as to transfer heat from said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board to said heat sink to reduce heat within said camera module; wherein said first portion of said thermally conductive element is arranged generally parallel to said at least one circuit board to provide a generally planar contacting surface of said first portion at said at least one heat generating component of said at least one circuit board, and wherein said second portion of said thermally conductive element extends from said first portion in a direction generally normal to said contacting surface.