Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus and a mobile object.

A known sealing structure prevents an impairment of performance of an accessory module of a camera by blocking entry of foreign matter into the accessory module and provides ease of maintenance (see, for example, Patent Literature <NUM>).

The present invention is embodied by an imaging apparatus according to claim <NUM> and a mobile object according to claim <NUM>. Further preferred embodiments are defined by the dependent claims <NUM>-<NUM>.

There has been a demand for imaging apparatuses that ensure both ease of assembly and sealing performance. An imaging apparatus and a mobile object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can ensure both ease of assembly and sealing performance.

Referring to <FIG>, an imaging apparatus <NUM> according to an embodiment includes a lens <NUM>, a holding member <NUM>, an imaging substrate <NUM>, a connector substrate <NUM>, and a housing <NUM>. The imaging apparatus <NUM> may also include a first sheet metal <NUM>. The first sheet metal <NUM> is also referred to as a sheet-metal member.

The housing <NUM> has an internal space in which the lens <NUM>, the holding member <NUM>, the imaging substrate <NUM>, the connector substrate <NUM>, and the first sheet metal <NUM> are placed. The internal space of the housing <NUM> is defined by an inner wall surface <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. The housing <NUM> may be made of a material such as resin. The housing <NUM> may be made of resin or may be made of various materials.

The imaging apparatus <NUM> captures, by an imaging device <NUM> mounted on the imaging substrate <NUM>, an object image formed by the lens <NUM>. The imaging device <NUM> produces image data upon capturing the object image. The imaging substrate <NUM> is connected to the connector substrate <NUM> and outputs the image data to the connector substrate <NUM>. With the connector substrate <NUM> being provided, the imaging apparatus <NUM> is configured to be connectable to an external connector <NUM>. The imaging apparatus <NUM> outputs the image data to an external apparatus through the external connector <NUM>. That is, the imaging apparatus <NUM> outputs the image data to the external connector <NUM>.

The lens <NUM> is also referred to as an optical member. The lens <NUM> forms an object image incident on the imaging apparatus <NUM>. The holding member <NUM> holds the lens <NUM>. The lens <NUM> is joined to the holding member <NUM>. Two or more lenses <NUM>, instead of the lens <NUM>, may be included. At least one of such lenses <NUM> may be replaced with another optical member, such as a mirror. The lens <NUM> may be bonded to the holding member <NUM> with, for example, an adhesive. The lens <NUM> may be joined to the holding member <NUM> via a fitting structure. The lens <NUM> may be joined to the holding member <NUM> by fastening with screws or the like.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the imaging device <NUM> is mounted on the imaging substrate <NUM>. The imaging device <NUM> has an imaging surface. The imaging substrate <NUM> is disposed so that the imaging surface of the imaging device <NUM> is located in an image-forming plane of the lens <NUM>. An object image formed on the imaging surface by the lens <NUM> is captured by the imaging device <NUM>. The imaging device <NUM> may, for example, be a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge-coupled device (CCD). In addition to the imaging device <NUM>, a circuit for processing data output from the imaging device <NUM> may be mounted on the imaging substrate <NUM>. The imaging substrate <NUM> may, for example, be a printed circuit board.

The imaging substrate <NUM> is joined to the holding member <NUM>. The imaging substrate <NUM> may be bonded to the holding member <NUM> with, for example, an adhesive. The imaging substrate <NUM> may be joined to the holding member <NUM> via a fitting structure. The imaging substrate <NUM> may be joined to the holding member <NUM> by fastening with screws or the like.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the connector substrate <NUM> and the lens <NUM> are disposed on opposite sides with respect to the imaging substrate <NUM> therebetween. In other words, the connector substrate <NUM> is farther than the imaging substrate <NUM> when viewed from the lens <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the connector substrate <NUM> is supported by the first sheet metal <NUM> on the negative side in the Z-axis direction. The first sheet metal <NUM> includes a base <NUM>, which extends along the connector substrate <NUM>. The first sheet metal <NUM> also includes substrate-supporting portions <NUM>, which protrude from the base <NUM> toward the positive side in the Z-axis direction. The connector substrate <NUM> is supported on the positive side in the Z-axis direction of the substrate-supporting portions <NUM>. That is, the first sheet metal <NUM> keeps the connector substrate <NUM> from shifting toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the first sheet metal <NUM> includes protrusions <NUM>, which protrude from a side surface portion <NUM> to the positive side and the negative side in the X-axis direction. As illustrated in <FIG>, each protrusion <NUM> includes a restricted section <NUM>, which is a surface on the negative side in the Z-axis direction. The housing <NUM> includes a restricting section <NUM>, which is a surface on the positive side in the Z-axis direction of a portion protruding from the inner wall surface <NUM> toward the negative side in the X-axis direction (see <FIG>). The restricted sections <NUM> of the first sheet metal <NUM> are in contact with the restricting section <NUM> of the housing <NUM> such that the first sheet metal <NUM> is kept from shifting toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction. As mentioned above, the first sheet metal <NUM> includes the substrate-supporting portions <NUM> to keep the connector substrate <NUM> from shifting toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction. It can thus be said that the restricting section <NUM> of the housing <NUM> keeps the connector substrate <NUM> from shifting toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the side surface portion <NUM> of the first sheet metal <NUM> may have a cutout 35a. The cutout 35a is provided in the side surface portion <NUM> such that the side surface portion <NUM> includes the restricted section <NUM> oriented toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the restricted sections <NUM> of the first sheet metal <NUM> are also in contact with the restricting section <NUM> of the housing <NUM> such that the first sheet metal <NUM> is kept from shifting toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction.

The side surface portion <NUM> of the first sheet metal <NUM> is elastic. The side surface portion <NUM> is configured to be capable of shifting away from the inner wall surface <NUM> of the housing <NUM> toward the inner side, with the bending point on the base <NUM> as a pivot point. Even when the side surface portion <NUM> includes the protrusions <NUM> protruding toward the inner wall surface <NUM>, the first sheet metal <NUM> is more smoothly accommodated in the housing <NUM>, because the side surface portion <NUM> shifts away from the inner wall surface <NUM> toward the inner side. Once the first sheet metal <NUM> is accommodated in the housing <NUM>, the side surface portion <NUM> exerts elastic force toward the inner wall surface <NUM>. The elastic force makes the first sheet metal <NUM> less prone to move in the Z-axis direction.

The housing <NUM> has an end portion <NUM>, which is located on the positive side in the Z-axis direction. The housing <NUM> has an opening defined by the end portion <NUM> on the positive side in the Z-axis direction. The internal space of the housing <NUM> communicates with the outside of the housing <NUM> through the opening. The connector substrate <NUM> is slid into the internal space of the housing <NUM> through the opening. The external connector <NUM> is inserted toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction and connected to the connector substrate <NUM> through the opening. When the external connector <NUM> is inserted into the imaging apparatus <NUM> toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction and connected, the end portion <NUM> comes into contact with the external connector <NUM>. With the end portion <NUM> being in contact with the external connector <NUM>, the internal space of the housing <NUM> is sealed. The direction in which the external connector <NUM> is inserted into the imaging apparatus <NUM> is also referred to as a first direction.

The connector substrate <NUM> has a first surface and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface. The first surface is oriented toward the positive side in the Z-axis direction, and the second surface is oriented toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction. The connector substrate <NUM> includes a terminal <NUM>. The terminal <NUM> is mounted on the first surface of the connector substrate <NUM>. The terminal <NUM> is configured to be connectable to a terminal <NUM> of the external connector <NUM>. The terminal <NUM> of the external connector <NUM> is connected to the terminal <NUM> of the connector substrate <NUM> such that the terminal <NUM> presses the terminal <NUM> toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction. With the connector substrate <NUM> being kept from shifting toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction by the housing <NUM>, the terminal <NUM> is easily connected to the terminal <NUM>.

If the connector substrate <NUM> is not kept from shifting toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction, pressing the terminal <NUM> of the external connector <NUM> against the terminal <NUM> of the connector substrate <NUM> does not ensure connection between the external connector <NUM> and the connector substrate <NUM>. In this case, the connector substrate <NUM> needs to be connected to the external connector <NUM> before being accommodated in the housing <NUM>; that is, the connector substrate <NUM> needs to be accommodated in the housing <NUM> after being connected to the external connector <NUM>. This connection procedure may be a constraint on the assembly of the imaging apparatus <NUM>. The present embodiment enables connection of the external connector <NUM> to the connector substrate <NUM> in a state in which the connector substrate <NUM> is accommodated in the housing <NUM>. As a result, a higher degree of flexibility is achieved in assembling the imaging apparatus <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the connector substrate <NUM> includes an end portion <NUM>. The inner wall surface <NUM> of the housing <NUM> is disposed at a predetermined distance or more from the end portion <NUM> of the connector substrate <NUM>. The connector substrate <NUM> is thus movable within a predetermined distance range in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. That is, the connector substrate <NUM> is movable within the predetermined range in a direction intersecting the Z-axis. As illustrated in <FIG>, the inner wall surface <NUM> of the housing <NUM> is larger in size than the connector substrate <NUM> in plan view in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the connector substrate <NUM> is movable within the predetermined range in a direction intersecting the Z-axis, for example, in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the side surface portion <NUM> of the first sheet metal <NUM> is disposed at a predetermined distance or more from the end portion <NUM> of the connector substrate <NUM>. The connector substrate <NUM> is thus movable within a predetermined distance range in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the state in which the connector substrate <NUM> is surrounded by the side surface portion <NUM> of the first sheet metal <NUM> in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. As illustrated in <FIG>, the side surface portion <NUM> on the inner side of the first sheet metal <NUM> is smaller in size than the inner wall surface <NUM> of the housing <NUM> and is larger in size than the connector substrate <NUM> in plan view in the Z-axis direction. The connector substrate <NUM> is thus movable within the predetermined range in a direction intersecting the Z-axis, for example, in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, in the state in which the connector substrate <NUM> is surrounded by the side surface portion <NUM>.

With the connector substrate <NUM> being movable within the predetermined range in a direction intersecting the first direction, the terminal <NUM> of the connector substrate <NUM> and the terminal <NUM> of the external connector <NUM> are easily brought into alignment with each other to enable connection between the terminal <NUM> and the terminal <NUM>. Ease of assembly of the imaging apparatus <NUM> is achieved accordingly.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the connector substrate <NUM> is surrounded by the first sheet metal <NUM> and a conductive member <NUM> of the external connector <NUM>. The base <NUM> (see <FIG>) of the first sheet metal <NUM> is disposed so as to cover at least part of the second surface of the connector substrate <NUM>. The side surface portion <NUM> of the first sheet metal <NUM> is disposed so as to cover at least part of the end portion <NUM> of the connector substrate <NUM>. The first sheet metal <NUM> is made of a conductive material such as metal. The first sheet metal <NUM> is electrically connected to the ground point of the imaging apparatus <NUM>. The first sheet metal <NUM> includes the side surface portion <NUM>. The conductive member <NUM> is in contact with the side surface portion <NUM> and is electrically connected to the ground point accordingly. Together with the conductive member <NUM>, the first sheet metal <NUM> provides electromagnetic shielding for the connector substrate <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the imaging apparatus <NUM> may also include a second sheet metal <NUM>. The second sheet metal <NUM> covers the imaging substrate <NUM>. The second sheet metal <NUM> is made of a conductive material such as metal. The second sheet metal <NUM> is electrically connected to the ground point of the imaging apparatus <NUM> to provide electromagnetic shielding for the imaging substrate <NUM>.

The imaging apparatus <NUM> also includes an intermediate substrate <NUM>. The intermediate substrate <NUM> may be covered by the first sheet metal <NUM>. The first sheet metal <NUM> and the second sheet metal <NUM> are electrically connected to the ground point of the imaging apparatus <NUM> to provide electromagnetic shielding for the intermediate substrate <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the connector substrate <NUM> may be connected to the intermediate substrate <NUM> with a flexible substrate <NUM> therebetween. The connector substrate <NUM> is connected to the intermediate substrate <NUM> via at least one of a rigid-flexible substrate, a cable, or a wiring harness The connector substrate <NUM> may be connected tc the intermediate substrate <NUM> via probe pins, such as pogo pins, or via contact terminals or the like. That is, the connector substrate <NUM> is connected to the intermediate substrate <NUM> so as to be movable with respect to the intermediate substrate <NUM>. With the connector substrate <NUM> being movable with respect to the intermediate substrate <NUM>, the terminal <NUM> of the connector substrate <NUM> is easily brought into alignment with the terminal <NUM> of the external connector <NUM> to enable connection between the connector substrate <NUM> and the external connector <NUM>. As a result, ease of assembly is achieved.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the intermediate substrate <NUM> is provided with a board connector <NUM>, and the imaging substrate <NUM> is provided with a board connector <NUM>. The board connector <NUM> and the board connector <NUM> are joined together to form a connection between the intermediate substrate <NUM> and the imaging substrate <NUM>. The imaging substrate <NUM> restricts movement of the intermediate substrate <NUM> accordingly. Although movement of the intermediate substrate <NUM> is restricted, the connector substrate <NUM> is movable with respect to the intermediate substrate <NUM> such that the connector substrate <NUM> is movable with respect to the imaging substrate <NUM>.

In a non-claimed case in which the imaging apparatus <NUM> does not include the intermediate substrate <NUM>, the connector substrate <NUM> may be connected to the imaging substrate <NUM> so as to be movable with respect to the imaging substrate <NUM>. For example, the connector substrate <NUM> may be connected to the imaging substrate <NUM> with the flexible substrate <NUM> therebetween. The connector substrate <NUM> may be connected to the imaging substrate <NUM> via a rigid-flexible substrate. The connector substrate <NUM> may be connected to the imaging substrate <NUM> via a cable, such as a coaxial cable or a flat cable, or via a wiring harness or the like. The connector substrate <NUM> may be connected to the imaging substrate <NUM> via probe pins, such as pogo pins, or via contact terminals or the like.

The imaging apparatus <NUM> according to the present disclosure may be installed in a mobile object. The mobile object referred to in the present disclosure may be a vehicle, a ship, or an aircraft. Examples of the vehicle referred to in the present disclosure include automobiles and industrial vehicles and may also include rail cars, vehicles for non-industrial use, and fixed-wing aircrafts that run along runways. The vehicles include passenger cars, trucks, buses, two-wheelers, trolley buses, and other vehicles that travel on roads. The industrial vehicles include agricultural vehicles and construction vehicles. The industrial vehicles include forklifts and golf carts but are not limited to these examples. The industrial vehicles for agricultural use include tractors, cultivators, transplanters, binders, combines, and lawn mowers but are not limited to these examples. The industrial vehicles for construction work include bulldozers, scrapers, excavators, crane trucks, dump trucks, and road rollers but are not limited to these examples. The vehicles also include man-powered vehicles. The classification of vehicles is not limited to the above. For example, automobiles may include industrial vehicles that can travel on roads; that is, the same vehicle may be put into different classifications. Examples of the ship referred to in the present disclosure include personal watercrafts, boats, and tankers. Examples of the aircraft referred to in the present disclosure include fixed-wing aircrafts and rotary wing aircrafts.

The accompanying drawings are schematic representations of an embodiment of the present disclosure. Constituent elements are not drawn to scale, and the dimension ratios thereof are not necessarily fully corresponding to the actual dimension ratios.

Although an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings and by way of examples, various alterations or modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that such alterations and modifications fall within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, functions and the like of each constituent part or each step can be rearranged in any way that involves no logical inconsistency, and constituent parts or steps can be combined into one or divided.

The words "first", "second", and so on in the present disclosure are identifiers for distinguishing between constituent elements. With the constituent elements being distinguishable by "first", "second", and so on in the present disclosure, the identifiers assigned to these constituent elements are interchangeable. For example, the identifiers "first" and "second" that are assigned to the respective lenses are interchangeable. The identifiers are to be interchanged all at once. The elements remain distinguishable from each other after interchanges of identifiers. The identifiers may be omitted. Constituent elements from which the identifiers are omitted are distinguished by reference signs. In the present disclosure, the identifiers "first", "second" and so on should not be used for interpretation of the order of the constituent elements or should not be used as grounds for the presence of lower numbered identifiers.

Claim 1:
An imaging apparatus (<NUM>), comprising:
an imaging substrate (<NUM>) provided with an imaging device (<NUM>) that produces image data, the imaging substrate (<NUM>) including the imaging device (<NUM>) and a first connector (<NUM>) and being arranged so that an imaging surface of the imaging device (<NUM>) is positioned on an image-forming plane of a lens (<NUM>);
an intermediate substrate (<NUM>) including a second connector (<NUM>) connected to the first connector (<NUM>), movement of the intermediate substrate (<NUM>) is restricted by the imaging substrate (<NUM>) due to the latter being connected through the first connector (<NUM>) with the second connector (<NUM>); and
a connector substrate (<NUM>) movably connected to the intermediate substrate (<NUM>) within a predetermined range in a direction intersecting a first direction, the connector substrate (<NUM>) including a terminal (<NUM>) configured to be connectable in the first direction to an external connector (<NUM>) to which the image data is output, being connected to the intermediate substrate (<NUM>) via at least one of a rigid-flexible substrate (<NUM>), a cable or a wiring harness, and being movable in the direction intersecting the first direction to the intermediate substrate (<NUM>).