JP2019062354A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an imaging apparatus that prevents a circuit of a substrate accommodated in a case from being shorted by static electricity intruding into an interior from between the two cases during an assembly operation in a manufacturing process.SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus includes: a substrate 41 on which an imaging unit is mounted; a lens barrel 3 for holding a lens 3a; a front case 1; and a rear case 8, disposed behind the front case in an optical axis direction, accommodating the substrate and the lens barrel together with the front case via the waterproof seals 2, 7. The front case and the rear case have surfaces facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  One embodiment of the present invention relates to an imaging device and the like.

  In an imaging apparatus in which a lens barrel and a substrate on which an imaging element is mounted are housed in a case, there is a configuration in which a case for housing the entire configuration is formed by combining two cases. Such an imaging device is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

JP, 2012-48008, A JP, 2014-75825, A

  However, in the image pickup apparatus having the above-described conventional configuration, static electricity intrudes into the inside from between the two cases at the time of assembly work in the manufacturing process, which may short circuit the circuit of the substrate accommodated in the cases.

  The present invention adopts the following means in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and the like. In the following description, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, reference numerals and the like in the drawings are appended in parentheses, but each component of the present invention is not limited to the appended ones. It should be interpreted broadly to the extent that the vendor can understand technically.

One means of the present invention is
A substrate (41, 42) on which the imaging unit is mounted;
A lens barrel (3) holding a lens;
With the front case (1),
And a rear case (8) disposed behind the front case in the direction of the optical axis and housing the substrate and the lens barrel together with the front case.
The front case and the rear case have surfaces (1a, 8b) opposed in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.
It is an imaging device.

  In the imaging device having the above configuration, the front case and the rear case are configured to have surfaces facing each other in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, so the creepage distance between the case outer side and the inner side is longer compared to the conventional structure. can do. Thus, even if static electricity is generated outside the case in the assembly process, there is a certain distance to the inside of the case, so it is possible to prevent the circuit of the substrate disposed inside the case from being destroyed due to the static electricity It becomes.

In the above imaging apparatus, preferably
The rear case is configured to have a convex portion protruding forward in the optical axis direction from a surface facing the front case in the optical axis direction front.

Or, in the above imaging device,
The front case is configured to have a convex portion protruding rearward in the optical axis direction from a surface facing the front case in the optical axis direction rear.

  According to the imaging apparatus having the above configuration, the front case and the rear case have surfaces facing each other in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis with a relatively simple configuration, and the creeping distance from the outside to the inside of the case is increased. It can be done.

In the above imaging apparatus, preferably
In the rear case, the creepage distance of the surface facing the front case is twice or more the distance in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the surface facing the front case.

  According to the imaging device of the above configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress the circuit of the substrate inside the case from being destroyed by taking a creeping distance long enough from the outside to the inside of the case.

In the above imaging apparatus, preferably
The substrate includes a first substrate (41) and a second substrate (42),
The connecting portion between the front case (1) and the rear case (8) on the side close to the substrate is located in the middle of the first substrate and the second substrate in the optical axis direction.

  According to the imaging device of the above configuration, since the distance from the connection portion between the front case and the rear case to each of the substrates can be made relatively long, even if static electricity has entered inside from the outside of the case, the substrates It can be made the composition which is easy to control that the circuit of is destroyed.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the imaging device of the embodiment as viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the imaging device of the embodiment as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the imaging device of the embodiment as viewed from the front side. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the imaging device of the embodiment as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the imaging device of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a characteristic portion in the cross-sectional view of the imaging device of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the characterizing portion of the imaging device of the modified example. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a characteristic part of the imaging device of the modification.

  The imaging device according to the present invention has a configuration in which a substrate and the like are accommodated inside a case including a front case and a rear case, and the creeping distance from the outside to the inside of the case is determined at the connection portion between the front case and the rear case. One of the features is that it has a longer construction.

  In the present specification, the center position of the lens and the center position of the light incident on the imaging device is referred to as an “optical axis”. An imaging target located on the opposite side to the imaging element with respect to the lens is referred to as a "subject". The direction in which the subject is positioned with respect to the imaging device is referred to as “front side” or “forward in the optical axis direction”, and the direction in which the imaging device is positioned relative to the subject is referred to as “rear side” or “rear in the optical axis direction”.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described according to the following configuration. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted in a limited manner. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.
1. Embodiment 2. Supplementary items

<1. Embodiment>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are external perspective views of the image pickup apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 1 is a view from the front side, and FIG. 2 is a view from the rear side. 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the imaging device of the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a view from the front side, and FIG. 4 is a view from the rear side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the imaging device of the present embodiment. 6 is an enlarged view of a connection portion between the front case 1 and the rear case 8 in the cross-sectional view of FIG.

  As mainly shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the imaging device of the present embodiment includes a front case 1, a waterproof seal 2, a lens barrel 3, a first substrate 41, a second substrate 42, a shield plate 6, and a waterproof seal. 7, the rear case 8, the connector 9, and the connectors 51, 52, and 53. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a flexible substrate 44 is disposed between the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42.

<Front case 1>
The front case 1 is a member that forms a case (case) of the imaging device together with the rear case 8 and is made of resin, metal or the like. The front case 1 has an opening at the front in the optical axis direction centered on the optical axis, and the rear in the optical axis direction is openably connected to the rear case 8 so as to cover the optical axis. Side of the By connecting the front case 1 and the rear case 8, a space for housing the lens barrel 3, the first substrate 41, the second substrate 42 and the like is formed. The front case 1 is connected to the rear case 8 by a connector 52. The rectangular frame surface on the front side in the optical axis direction of the rear case 8 abuts on the rectangular frame surface on the rear side in the optical axis direction of the front case 1. A rectangular frame surface on the rear side in the optical axis direction of the front case 1 has a notch in a portion close to the optical axis, and the convex portion 8a of the rear case 8 is inserted into the notch. Thus, the front case 1 is connected to the convex portion 8a of the rear case 8 so as to face the convex portion 8a in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the lens 3 a held by the lens barrel 3 is positioned at an opening in the front of the front case 1 in the optical axis direction.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a connection portion between the front case 1 and the rear case 8. As shown in FIG. 6, the rear surface of the front case 1 in the optical axis direction has three steps. Specifically, the front case 1 has a surface on the outside of the case, a surface on which the waterproof seal 7 is disposed, and a surface on the inside of the case. The outer surface of the case is the rearmost in the optical axis direction of the three surfaces, and the inner surface of the case is the frontmost in the optical axis direction of the three surfaces. The front case 1 is opposed to the rear case 8 at the outer surface of the case and the inner surface of the case. The inner surface 1 a of the front case 1 with respect to the optical axis faces the outer surface 8 b with respect to the optical axis of the rear case 8.

<Rear case 8>
As described above, the rear case 8 is connected to the front case 1 to form a space for housing the lens barrel 3, the first substrate 41, the second substrate 42, and the like. The rear case 8 has a rectangular frame surface substantially perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a convex portion 8 a projecting forward in the optical axis direction from the frame surface. The convex portion 8a is inserted inside the optical axis direction of the front case 1, and the convex portion 8a and the front case 1 are opposed in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The rear case 8 is connected to the front case 1 by a connector 52.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the front surface of the rear case 8 in the optical axis direction has three steps. Specifically, the rear case 8 has a surface on the outside of the case, a surface on which the waterproof seal 7 is disposed, and a surface on the inside of the case. The surface on which the waterproof seal 7 is disposed is the rearmost in the optical axis direction among the three surfaces, and the surface on the inside of the case is the frontmost in the optical axis direction among the three surfaces. The rear case 8 is opposed to the front case 1 at the outer surface of the case and the inner surface of the case. The outer surface 8 b of the rear case faces the inner surface 1 a of the front case 1 with respect to the optical axis.

<Waterproof seal 2>
The waterproof seal 2 is an annular member formed of an elastic member such as rubber, and is disposed between the front case 1 and the lens barrel 3 so that the front case 1 and the lens barrel 3 can be combined. Acts to connect without gaps. The waterproof seal 2 is disposed radially outward of the lens barrel 3 and radially inward of the front case 1 (see FIG. 5), and has an annular shape along the position of the outer edge of the front case 1. There is.

<Lens barrel 3>
The lens barrel 3 includes a cylindrical barrel extending in the optical axis direction and a plate-like lens flange disposed rearward of the barrel in the optical axis direction. The lens barrel 3 holds one or more optical members including the lens 3a. The optical member held by the lens barrel 3 includes, in addition to the lens 3a, a lens, a spacer, an aperture plate, an optical filter, and the like. The lens including the lens 3 a is formed of a transparent material such as glass or plastic, and transmits light from the front in the optical axis direction to the rear in the optical axis direction while refracting light from the front. The spacer is a plate-like, annular member having an appropriate thickness in the optical axis direction, and adjusts the position of each lens in the optical axis direction. The spacer has an opening at the center including the optical axis. The aperture plate determines the outermost position of the passing light. An optical filter suppresses or blocks light of a predetermined wavelength. The optical filter includes, for example, an infrared cut filter that suppresses infrared light passing therethrough. The number of these optical members can be arbitrarily changed.

<First Substrate 41 and Second Substrate 42>
The first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 are rigid substrates on which electronic components including the imaging device 43 are mounted. In the present embodiment, the imaging element 43 and the electronic component are mounted on the first substrate 41, and the electronic component is mounted on the second substrate 42. The first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 are electrically connected by the flexible substrate 44. The electrical signal acquired by the imaging device 43 is subjected to predetermined electrical processing or signal processing by the electronic components mounted on the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42, and then output as image data to the outside of the imaging device. Ru. The first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 are fixed in position in the imaging device by the connector 51. The first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 are covered by the shield plate 6.

  The imaging element 43 is a photoelectric conversion element that converts the emitted light into an electric signal, and is, for example, a C-MOS sensor or a CCD, but is not limited to these. Further, in the imaging device, an imaging unit requiring an imaging function other than the imaging element 43 may be adopted. The imaging device is an example of the “imaging unit” in the present invention.

<Shield plate 6>
The shield plate 6 is formed of a plate-like member having conductivity, and is arranged to cover the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 in an assembled state. By this, the electromagnetic noise given from the outside can be shielded by the shield plate 6, and the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 can be prevented from malfunctioning due to the influence of the electromagnetic noise.

<Waterproof seal 7>
Similar to the waterproof seal 2, the waterproof seal 7 is a member formed of an elastic member such as rubber, and is disposed between the front case 1 and the rear case 8 so that the front case 1 and the rear case 8 Act to connect the The waterproof seal 7 has a shape corresponding to the connection surface between the front case 1 and the rear case 8, and the waterproof seal 7 of the present embodiment has a rectangular shape in which corner portions are cut away.

<Connector 9>
The connector 9 is disposed rearward of the rear case 8 in the optical axis direction, and is connected to the rear case 8 by a connector 53. The connector 9 is used as a fixture for attaching the imaging device to a device to be attached while electrically connecting the imaging device and an external device. The connector 9 is connected to a terminal 42 a that protrudes rearward in the optical axis direction from the second substrate 42.

<Modification>
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connection portion between the front case 1 and the rear case 8 in a modification of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, for example, the front case 1 has a convex portion 1 b projecting rearward (in the direction of the rear case 8) rearward from the frame surface at the rear in the optical axis direction. You may employ | adopt as 8 the structure which has the recessed part 8c which can insert the said convex part 1b. With such a configuration, the surfaces (1c, 1d, 8d, 8e) in which the front case 1 and the rear case 8 face in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis can be widely taken. The creepage distance between them can be increased. This makes it possible to suppress destruction of the circuits and electronic components of the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 due to static electricity in the assembly configuration at the time of manufacture.

  FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a connection portion between the front case 1 and the rear case 8 in another modified example of the embodiment. In FIG. 8, the waterproof seal 7 is omitted. As shown in FIG. 8, when the connection portion between the front case 1 and the rear case 8 is positioned as far as possible from the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42, the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 are electrostatically discharged. The risk of the circuit being destroyed is reduced. Therefore, as in the present modification, on the side close to the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 (inside of the housing), the connecting portion between the front case 1 and the rear case 8 is the first substrate 41 and the second substrate. It is preferable to set the position substantially in the middle with the substrate 42.

  As described above, in the imaging device of the present embodiment, the front case 1 and the rear case 8 are configured to have surfaces facing each other in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis. With this configuration, the creeping distance between the outer side and the inner side of the case can be increased as compared with the conventional configuration. Thus, even if static electricity is generated outside the case in the assembly process, a certain distance is secured up to the inside of the case, so that the circuit of the substrate disposed inside the case is prevented from being destroyed by static electricity. It becomes possible.

  Further, since the rear case 8 is configured to have the convex portion 8a projecting forward in the optical axis direction from the rectangular frame surface on the front side in the optical axis direction facing the front case 1, the case is relatively simple. The creeping distance from the outside to the inside can be increased.

  In the embodiment, although the configuration in which the rear case 8 has the convex portion 8a has been described, the front case 1 may be configured to have the convex portion. In this case, it is configured to have a convex portion that protrudes rearward in the optical axis direction from a rectangular frame surface on the rear side in the optical axis direction of the front case 1. Even with such a configuration, the creeping distance from the outer side to the inner side of the case can be increased with a relatively simple structure.

  Alternatively, one of the rear case 8 and the front case 1 may have the convex portion, and the other may have a concave portion into which the convex portion is inserted. Even in this case, the creeping distance from the outer side to the inner side of the case can be increased with a relatively simple structure.

  The creepage distance of the surface on which the front case 1 and the rear case 8 are opposite is the distance between the surface on which the front case 1 and the rear case 8 are in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis (the shortest distance from the outside to the inside of the case) It is preferable to make it 2 times or more. Thus, by taking a creeping distance long enough from the outside to the inside of the case, it is possible to effectively suppress the circuit of the substrate inside the case from being broken.

<2. Additional Notes>
The specific description of the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. In the above description, the description is merely an embodiment, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the one embodiment, and can be broadly interpreted to a range that can be grasped by those skilled in the art.

  In the imaging device according to the embodiment, the configuration including the first substrate 41 and the second substrate 42 has been described, but the number of these substrates may be one, three or more, and any design may be used. It is possible.

  Further, the front case 1 and the rear case 8 are not limited to the configuration as in the embodiment, and any configuration may be adopted in which the surfaces in the optical axis direction are connected while facing each other.

  The present invention is suitably used as an on-vehicle imaging device or the like.

Reference Signs List 1 front case 2 waterproof seal 3 lens barrel 3a lens 41 first substrate 42 second substrate 43 imaging element 44 flexible substrate 51 to 53 connector 6 shield plate 7 waterproof seal 8 Rear case 8a ... convex part 9 ... connector

Claims (5)

A substrate on which the imaging unit is mounted;
A lens barrel that holds a lens,
With the front case,
And a rear case which is disposed rearward of the front case in the optical axis direction and accommodates the substrate and the lens barrel together with the front case.
The front case and the rear case have surfaces facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.
Imaging device. The rear case has a convex portion projecting forward in the optical axis direction from a surface facing the front case in the optical axis direction front,
The imaging device according to claim 1. The front case has a convex portion projecting rearward in the optical axis direction from a surface facing the front case in the optical axis direction rearward.
The imaging device according to claim 1 or 2. In the rear case, the creeping distance of the surface facing the front case is at least twice the distance in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the surface facing the front case.
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The substrate includes a first substrate and a second substrate,
The connection portion between the front case and the rear case on the side close to the substrate is located in the middle of the first substrate and the second substrate in the optical axis direction.
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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