Camera for vehicle vision system

A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:

• a printed circuit board, said printed circuit board including an imager and associated circuitry disposed at one side of said printed circuit board and electrical connecting elements disposed at the opposite side of said printed circuit board;
• a lens mounting element for holding a lens assembly, said lens assembly including at least one optical element;
• wherein said lens mounting element is disposed at said printed circuit board and said at least one optical element is optically aligned with said imager of said printed circuit board;
• a connector element disposed at and in electrical contact with said electrical connecting elements of said printed circuit board;
• a molding formed over and around said printed circuit board and over a portion of said lens mounting element so that said molding and said lens mounting element substantially encase said printed circuit board;
• wherein said lens mounting element is adhesively attached at said printed circuit board and wherein the adhesive is at least partially cured before said molding is molded over and around said printed circuit board;
• wherein said molding comprises a molded polymer that is injection molded at a molding pressure less than 500 psi, and wherein said molded polymer comprises a thermoset adhesive;
• wherein said molding comprises a connector portion that surrounds said connector element, and wherein said connector element is accessible at said connector portion of said molding;
• wherein said connector portion is configured to connect to a connector end of a wire harness to electrically connect the connector end of the wire harness to said connector element to establish electrical connection between the wire harness and said electrically connecting elements of said printed circuit board;
• and
• wherein said camera module is configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle.

A method of forming a camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, said method comprising:

• providing a circuit board, the circuit board including an imager and associated circuitry disposed at one side of the circuit board and electrical connecting elements disposed at the opposite side of the circuit board;
• providing a lens mounting element for holding a lens assembly, the lens assembly including at least one optical element;
• positioning the lens mounting element at the circuit board and optically aligning the at least one optical element with the imager of the circuit board;
• molding an inner molding over and around the circuit board and over a portion the lens mounting element so that the inner molding and the lens mounting element substantially encase the circuit board;
• wherein molding the inner molding comprises molding a first molded polymer at a first molding pressure that is less than 500 psi;
• wherein molding the inner molding comprises establishing an aperture at the electrical connecting elements of the circuit board;
• providing a connector element at the aperture so as to be in electrical contact with the electrical connecting elements of the circuit board;
• molding an outer shell over and around the inner molding and over another portion of the lens mounting element so as to encase the inner molding;
• wherein molding the outer shell comprises molding a second molded polymer injection molded at a second molding pressure that is greater than 5,000 psi;
• wherein molding the outer shell comprises molding a connector portion that surrounds the connector element, and wherein the connector element is accessible at the connector portion of the outer shell;
• and
• wherein the connector portion is configured to connect to a connector end of a wire harness to electrically connect the connector end of the wire harness to the connector element to establish electrical connection between the wire harness and the electrically connecting elements of the circuit board.