Camera with curled lid and spring element for PCB positioning

A method of assembling a camera for a vehicle, said method comprising:

• providing a camera housing having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion;
• wherein the front housing portion comprises a lens barrel, a lens assembly and a first perimeter flange circumscribing an opening at a rear portion of the front housing portion;
• wherein the rear housing portion comprises a second perimeter flange circumscribing a lid portion of said rear housing portion;
• disposing at least one circuit element in the front housing portion, wherein the at least one circuit element comprises an imager;
• aligning the imager with the lens assembly;
• mating the rear housing portion with the front housing portion to encase the at least one circuit element in the camera housing;
• wherein, when the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, a connector portion is electrically connected to circuitry of the at least one circuit element, and wherein the connector portion protrudes from the lid portion of the rear housing portion and is configured for electrical connection to a wire harness of a vehicle;
• wherein, when the rear housing portion is mated with the front housing portion, the first and second perimeter flanges are parallel to one another and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the camera housing and lens assembly;
• folding the second perimeter flange over an end of the first perimeter flange such that the end of the first perimeter flange is received in a J-shaped portion of the second perimeter flange;
• and
• folding the first and second perimeter flanges together such that the end of the second perimeter flange is received in a J-shaped portion of the first perimeter flange.