JP6571447B2 - In-vehicle camera - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera that is mounted on a vehicle and images road conditions such as the front and rear of the vehicle.

  An example of this type of camera is described in Patent Document 1. The camera described in Patent Document 1 is a camera that is used, for example, to monitor the rear of a vehicle, and a casing is constituted by a first case and a second case, and a lens is provided at a tip portion of the first case. The second case is connected to the rear end portion of the first case and closes the casing. A shield part is provided between the first case and the second case. The shield part is a member for forming a partition part inside the case, and is fixed to the case by sandwiching the peripheral part between the mating surfaces of the first case and the second case. The shield part is formed of a member having excellent thermal conductivity, and an imaging module having an imaging element and a substrate is accommodated in the first case in contact with the shield part. A lens bracket fitted with a lens unit is housed inside the first case. Further, the power supply module is accommodated in the second case in contact with the shield part. According to the description of Patent Document 1, the shield portion is a heat radiating plate, and its peripheral portion is sandwiched between the first case and the second case, and is in thermal contact with the first case and the second case. Therefore, the heat of the electronic components in the imaging module and the power supply module is dissipated to the outside of the case through the shield portion.

International Publication No. 2012/137267

  Since a vehicle-mounted camera is not only disposed in the vehicle interior, but may be attached outside the vehicle, the case needs to be configured in a liquid-tight structure. In the configuration described in Patent Document 1 above, the peripheral portion of the shield portion is sandwiched between the first case and the second case for heat dissipation to the outside. It is necessary to seal between and two places between the shield part and the second case. For this reason, the structure described in Patent Document 1 has a large number of seal locations, which causes inconveniences such as deterioration in sealing performance and an increase in the number of parts or manufacturing steps.

  Further, in the structure described in Patent Document 1, heat radiation from the shield part, which is a heat radiating plate, is exposed to the outside between the first case and the second case in the peripheral part of the shield part. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the heat radiation amount is limited and the heat radiation performance is not always sufficient. In the structure described in Patent Document 1, heat is transmitted from the shield part to the first case and the second case and radiated to the outside. However, the shield part, the first case, and the second case are used. Heat transfer between the first case and the second case is limited to the portion where the shield part is sandwiched, so that heat transfer from the shield part to the first case and the second case does not occur sufficiently. Also in this respect, heat radiation to the outside is limited, and there is a disadvantage that the heat radiation performance is not always sufficient.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above technical problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle camera that is excellent in sealing performance and waterproof performance and heat dissipation.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle-mounted camera in which a lens and an electronic circuit unit that converts image information obtained through the lens into electronic information are housed in a casing. A main case in which a window hole part facing the lens is formed at a tip part, and a sub case attached to a rear end part of the main case and closing the rear end part of the main case, A heat transfer member that is brought into contact with the circuit portion so as to be able to transfer heat is disposed inside the main case, and the heat transfer member has a heat transfer portion that is in close contact with the inner surface of the main case so as to be able to transfer heat. The main case and the sub case are connected and connected between the main case and the sub case via a sealing material, and the heat transfer member is heated inside the thin plate-shaped sealed container to evaporate. And heat flow that condenses with heat dissipation A vapor chamber in which the vapor chamber is sealed, and a metal holding plate embedded in the vapor chamber and connected to the inner surface of the casing. The working fluid is evaporated inside the vapor chamber. A wick for generating a capillary force for refluxing is provided at a place where the water is generated .

The present invention further includes a power supply unit housed in the casing, and the heat transfer member is configured to transfer heat of the electronic circuit unit and the power supply unit to the main case, and the vapor chamber Is embedded in the surface of the heat transfer member on which the electronic circuit unit is brought into contact, and the wick is provided on the inner surface of the vapor chamber on the side on which the electronic circuit unit is brought into contact. It may be.

The present onset Ming, lens and, in-vehicle camera image information obtained and an electronic circuit portion for converting the electronic information is accommodated in the interior of the casing through said lens, said casing to face the lens A main case in which a window hole is formed at the front end, and a sub case attached to the rear end of the main case and closing the rear end of the main case, so that the electronic circuit portion can transfer heat. The heat transfer member brought into contact with the main case is disposed inside the main case, and the heat transfer member has a heat transfer portion in close contact with the inner surface of the main case so as to be able to transfer heat, and the main case and the The sub case is connected between the main case and the sub case via a sealing material, and the heat transfer member includes a stainless steel holding plate connected to the inner surface of the casing, and the two stainless steel cases. Sandwiched between two holding plates Is characterized in that it is constituted by a graphite sheet which is integrated in the holding plate is laminated and the holding plate or is in.
And in this invention, you may further provide the heat sink attached to the outer surface of the said casing so that attachment or detachment was possible.

According to the present invention, the heat generated in the electronic circuit unit and the heat in the casing are transmitted to the heat transfer member, and are transmitted to the main case of the casing via the heat transfer member. The heat transfer member has a heat transfer part closely attached to the inner surface of the main case, and transfers heat to the main case over a wide area, so that heat in the electronic circuit part or casing is efficiently transferred to the main case, and Dissipated from the main case to the outside. As a result, the heat dissipation characteristics from the camera are improved, and it is possible to avoid or suppress poor operation of the electronic circuit unit and a decrease in durability. In addition, the main case and the sub case constituting the casing are coupled with each other without a heat transfer member or the like, and with a sealing material interposed therebetween, so that the sealing performance or liquid tightness of the casing is good. In addition, since the number of sealing portions is reduced, sealing becomes easy, the number of parts is reduced, the productivity is improved, and the cost can be reduced.

It is sectional drawing which shows one Example of this invention typically. It is sectional drawing of a heat-transfer member. It is sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted partially which shows the vapor chamber which comprises the heat-transfer member. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the heat-transfer member which replaced with a vapor chamber and used the graphite sheet. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of clad material which consists of stainless steel and a graphite sheet used for a heat-transfer member.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the present invention. The in-vehicle camera 1 shown here is configured by housing a lens unit 3, an electronic circuit unit 4, and a power supply unit 5 inside a casing 2. The casing 2 is composed of a main case 2A and a sub case 2B. The main case 2A is a cylindrical body having a rectangular, square, or circular cross-sectional shape, and a window hole portion 6 for capturing an image is formed at a substantially central portion of the tip portion. The sub case 2B is for closing the rear end portion of the main case 2A, and the main case 2A and the sub case 2B are connected in a liquid-tight state via an appropriate sealing material 7 such as an O-ring or a gasket. ing. That is, the sealing material 7 is interposed between the mating surfaces of the main case 2A and the sub case 2B.

  The lens unit 3 is composed mainly of a lens 3A for connecting images and a bracket 3B holding the lens 3A. The lens unit 3 is housed inside the main case 2A with the lens 3A facing the outside from the window hole 6. The electronic circuit unit 4 is configured by mounting on a substrate an imaging device that converts optical image information obtained by the lens 3A into electronic information. The electronic circuit unit 4 is connected to the rear end side of the lens unit 3. The lens unit 3 and the electronic circuit unit 4 may have a conventionally known configuration.

  A heat transfer member 8 is provided in contact with the electronic circuit unit 4 so as to be able to transfer heat. The heat transfer member 8 is a member for heat dissipation, and is a plate-like member arranged so as to cross (partition) the inside of the cylindrical main case 2A. The electronic circuit portion 4 is brought into contact with the substantially central portion of the heat transfer member 8, and a heat transfer portion 8A bent substantially at a right angle with respect to the portion with which the electronic circuit portion 4 is in contact is heat transfer. It is formed at the peripheral edge of the member 8. The heat transfer portion 8A is a portion for transferring heat to the main case 2A, and is in close contact with the inner surface of the main case 2A so that heat can be transferred. In order to fill the gap and reduce the thermal resistance, a paste-like or flexible heat conduction material may be filled between the heat transfer portion 8A and the inner surface of the main case 2A. Further, the heat transfer portion 8 </ b> A may be formed on the entire circumference of the heat transfer member 8, or may be provided at two locations that are symmetrical with respect to the center portion of the heat transfer member 8. The heat transfer portion 8 </ b> A becomes a cylindrical portion when provided on the entire circumference of the heat transfer member 8.

  The power supply unit 5 is in contact with the surface of the heat transfer member 8 opposite to the surface with which the electronic circuit unit 4 is in contact so as to be able to transfer heat.

  The heat transfer member 8 is configured to transmit the heat of the electronic circuit unit 4 and the power supply unit 5 to the main case 2 </ b> A to suppress the temperature rise of the electronic circuit unit 4 and the power supply unit 5. For example, the heat transfer member 8 is configured such that a member that assists heat transfer is integrated with a metal strength member such as copper or aluminum. An example of the configuration is schematically shown in FIG. The example shown here is an example in which a vapor chamber 10 is integrated with a holding plate 9 made of aluminum, an alloy thereof, or a metal such as copper or stainless steel as a member for assisting heat transfer. The holding plate 9 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape is a “U” shape, and a vapor chamber 10 is embedded on the inner surface side thereof (that is, the surface side on which the electronic circuit unit 4 is brought into contact). This is because the heat generation amount of the electronic circuit unit 4 is larger than the heat generation amount of the power supply unit 5.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vapor chamber 10 is a heat transport element in which a working fluid such as water which is heated and evaporated, and which dissipates heat is enclosed in a thin plate-like sealed container 10 </ b> A having a thickness of about 0.4 mm. In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cross-sectional shape is formed in a “U” shape, and is embedded and integrated on the inner surface side of the holding plate 9.

  The electronic circuit unit 4 is brought into contact with the central portion of the vapor chamber 10 so that heat can be transferred, and the working fluid is evaporated at that portion, so that the working fluid is recirculated to the location where the evaporation occurs. A wick 10 </ b> B that generates a capillary force for this purpose may be provided inside the vapor chamber 10. The wick 10B is composed of a mesh, a thin wire bundle, a porous sintered body, or the like, and generates a capillary force when a liquid-phase working fluid penetrates. Condensation of the working fluid occurs on the side of the heat transfer unit 8A, and evaporation of the working fluid occurs at a location where the electronic circuit unit 4 is in contact, so that the working fluid condensed on the side of the heat transfer unit 8A penetrates and evaporates. In order to recirculate to the generated place, the wick 10B is preferably provided on the entire inner surface of the vapor chamber 10, or on the inner surface on the side where the electronic circuit portion 4 is brought into contact as shown in FIG.

  In the vehicle-mounted camera 1 having the above-described configuration according to the present invention, heat generated in the electronic circuit unit 4 and the power supply unit 5 is transmitted to the main case 2A via the heat transfer member 8, and is dissipated from the outer surface of the main case 2A to the outside. Be made. When the heat transfer unit 8A includes the vapor chamber 10 shown in FIG. 3, the working fluid evaporates due to the heat transmitted from the electronic circuit unit 4 and the power supply unit 5, and the vapor transfers heat to the main case 2A side. It flows toward part 8A. And heat is transmitted to main case 2A in heat transfer part 8A, and working fluid condenses. Thus, since the working fluid transports heat as its latent heat, a large amount of heat is carried from the electronic circuit unit 4 and the power supply unit 5 to the main case 2A. In particular, since the electronic circuit unit 4 is in direct contact with the vapor chamber 10, the heat of the electronic circuit unit 4 is more positively transmitted to the working fluid of the vapor chamber 10, and the electronic circuit unit 4 generates a large amount of heat. Also, the temperature rise of the electronic circuit unit 4 is suppressed. Moreover, since the heat transfer part 8A is a part having a wide area along the inner surface of the main case 2A, the thermal resistance between the heat transfer member 8 and the main case 2A is small. In the end, the heat conductivity of the heat transfer member 8 itself is high, and the heat resistance between the heat transfer member 8 and the main case 2A is small, so that heat dissipation characteristics from the electronic circuit unit 4 and the power supply unit 5 to the outside are good. It has become. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress the temperature of the electronic circuit unit 4 and the power supply unit 5 from being increased, and to prevent or suppress the malfunction of the in-vehicle camera 1 and the decrease in durability.

  Note that heat radiation to the outside occurs on the outer surface of the main case 2 </ b> A or the outer surface of the casing 2. Therefore, when increasing the heat radiation amount, it is preferable to attach the heat sink 11 to the outer surface of the casing 2 as shown by a chain line in FIG. In that case, in order not to impair the versatility of the in-vehicle camera 1, the heat sink 11 is preferably configured to be detachable from the casing 2.

  Moreover, in the vehicle-mounted camera 1 which concerns on this invention mentioned above, even if the heat-transfer member 8 for accelerating the thermal radiation from the electronic circuit part 4 and the power supply unit 5 is provided in the inside of the casing 2, main case 2A and The sub case 2 </ b> B is directly connected via the seal material 7. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform sealing reliably and easily with only one sealing portion, and so-called seal failure can be avoided or suppressed in advance. Moreover, since there are few seal locations, the number of parts can be reduced, man-hours and costs can be reduced, and cost reduction can be achieved.

  The present invention is not limited to the specific examples described above. FIG. 4 schematically shows another example of the heat transfer member 8. The example shown here is an example in which a graphite sheet 10C is used instead of the vapor chamber 10 as a member for assisting heat transfer. In the heat transfer member 8 shown in FIG. 4, the graphite sheet 10 </ b> C is integrally attached to the inner surface side of the holding plate 9 having a “U” cross-sectional shape (that is, the surface side on which the electronic circuit unit 4 is brought into contact). ing. When the heat transfer member 8 has the configuration shown in FIG. 4, a clad material in which stainless steel and graphite are laminated may be processed into the shape shown in FIG. When using a clad material, a clad material in which a graphite sheet 10C is sandwiched between stainless steels 9B as shown in FIG. 5 as a partial cross-sectional view may be used.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, even in the configuration using the graphite sheet 10 </ b> C, the substantial heat conductivity of the heat transfer member 8 is increased, and between the heat transfer member 8 and the main case 2 </ b> A. Since the thermal resistance is reduced, similar to the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 described above, the heat dissipation characteristics are improved to suppress the temperature rise of the electronic circuit unit 4 and the power supply unit 5, and the malfunction and durability are reduced. It can be prevented or suppressed.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Car-mounted camera, 2 ... Casing, 2A ... Main case, 2B ... Sub case, 3 ... Lens unit, 3A ... Lens, 3B ... Bracket, 4 ... Electronic circuit part, 5 ... Power supply unit, 6 ... Window hole part, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 7 ... Sealing material, 8 ... Heat transfer member, 8A ... Heat transfer part, 9 ... Holding plate, 10 ... Vapor chamber, 10B ... Airtight container, 10C ... Graphite sheet.

Claims (4)

In a vehicle-mounted camera in which a lens and an electronic circuit unit that converts image information obtained through the lens into electronic information are housed in a casing,
The casing includes a main case in which a window hole portion facing the lens is formed at a front end portion, and a sub case that is attached to a rear end portion of the main case and closes the rear end portion of the main case. ,
A heat transfer member that is brought into contact with the electronic circuit portion so that heat can be transferred is disposed inside the main case,
The heat transfer member has a heat transfer portion in close contact with the inner surface of the main case so as to be capable of transferring heat,
The main case and the sub case are connected via a sealing material between the main case and the sub case ,
The heat transfer member includes a vapor chamber in which a working fluid that is heated to evaporate and dissipates and condenses by heat is enclosed in a thin plate-shaped sealed container, and the vapor chamber is embedded and connected to the inner surface of the casing. A metal holding plate,
A vehicle-mounted camera, wherein a wick for generating a capillary force for returning the working fluid to a position where the working fluid evaporates is provided inside the vapor chamber . The in-vehicle camera according to claim 1,
A power supply unit housed inside the casing;
The heat transfer member is configured to transfer heat of the electronic circuit unit and the power supply unit to the main case,
The vapor chamber is embedded in a surface of the heat transfer member on which the electronic circuit unit is brought into contact; and
The in-vehicle camera according to claim 1, wherein the wick is provided on an inner surface of the vapor chamber on a side to which the electronic circuit unit is brought into contact . In a vehicle-mounted camera in which a lens and an electronic circuit unit that converts image information obtained through the lens into electronic information are housed in a casing,
The casing includes a main case in which a window hole portion facing the lens is formed at a front end portion, and a sub case that is attached to a rear end portion of the main case and closes the rear end portion of the main case. ,
A heat transfer member that is brought into contact with the electronic circuit portion so that heat can be transferred is disposed inside the main case,
The heat transfer member has a heat transfer portion in close contact with the inner surface of the main case so as to be capable of transferring heat,
The main case and the sub case are connected via a sealing material between the main case and the sub case,
The heat transfer member, and the inner surface to the connecting stainless steel holding plate of the casing, the graphite is sandwiched the stainless steel two holding plates are integrated in the holding plate is laminated and the holding plate car mounting camera characterized in that it is constituted by a sheet.   In the vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
  An in-vehicle camera, further comprising a heat sink detachably attached to an outer surface of the casing.

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