• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
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    • 专利摘要:
    cleaning device for vehicle mounted cameras. the interior of a nozzle (7) is provided with an air channel (12) and two cleaning fluid channels (11a, 11b) and the air channel (12) is further bifurcated into two end sections (14a, 14b), a secondary tank (13) is additionally provided upstream of the cleaning fluid channels. the end section of the cleaning fluid channel (11a) and the end section (14a) of the air channel (12) converge, and the end section of the cleaning fluid channel (11b) and the end section ( 14b) of the air channel (12) converge. consequently, supplying compressed air to the air channel (12) induces the creation of negative pressure in the secondary tank (13) as a result of the air flow; therefore, it is possible to transport the cleaning fluid in a mist and vacuum it, and clean the surface of the lens (1a) of the camera by mixing the cleaning fluid mist and compressed air. additionally, it is possible to reduce the amount of cleaning liquid used by turning the cleaning liquid into a mist.
    公开号:BR112015000656B1
    申请号:R112015000656-6
    申请日:2013-07-09
    公开日:2021-07-20
    发明作者:Toshimichi Gokan；Yonosuke Nishioku
    申请人:Nissan Motor Co., Ltd；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    FIELD OF TECHNIQUE
    [001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device that serves to clean a vehicle-mounted camera, for example, in the rear portion of a vehicle to capture images from the rear of the vehicle. FUNDAMENTALS OF THE TECHNIQUE
    [002] On a vehicle-mounted camera, which is, for example, mounted on the rear of a vehicle, and captures surrounding images to monitor a vehicle moving behind that vehicle or obstructions in the vicinity of the vehicle, foreign substances such as droplets water and mud can attach to a lens that serves as an image-capturing surface, for example, during rainy weather. In this case, the vehicle-mounted camera cannot clearly capture the surrounding image. In this sense, there is a notorious device for cleaning the lens of a vehicle-mounted camera described, for example, in Patent Literature 1. Through the cleaning device disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the surface. of the camera lens, and then highly pressurized air is then sprayed with highly pressurized air to remove foreign substances affixed to the lens.CITATION LIST PATENT LITERATURE Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Publication Opened for Public Inspectorate No. 2001-171491 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEM OF THE TECHNIQUE
    [003] However, the conventional example disclosed in Patent Literature 1 described above requires a greater amount of cleaning liquid to be sprayed onto the lens surface, causing a problem of high consumption of cleaning liquid.
    [004] The present invention was designed to solve the problem of the conventional technique described above, and an objective of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera, which can reliably clean the lens surface with a small amount. of cleaning liquid. PROBLEM SOLVING
    [005] In order to achieve the objective described above, a cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to the present application includes: a nozzle having a discharge port from which a cleaning liquid and compressed air are discharged and arranged so that they are directed to a surface of a camera lens, and having a cleaning liquid path that directs the cleaning liquid to the discharge port and an air passage that directs compressed air to the discharge port; a primary tank that stores the cleaning liquid; a secondary tank configured to have a volume for the storage of the cleaning liquid smaller than the primary tank, is arranged close to the nozzle so that it can temporarily store the cleaning liquid supplied from the primary tank, and is connected to the liquid path cleaning; a cleaning liquid distribution section that distributes cleaning liquid stored in the primary tank to the secondary tank through a cleaning liquid tube connected to the secondary tank; and a compressed air distribution section that distributes compressed air to the nozzle through an air tube connected to the air passage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
    [006] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
    [007] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are perspective views illustrating a cleaning device configuration for a vehicle-mounted camera according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which Figure 2(a) is a perspective view illustrating the cleaning device according to this embodiment in a state where the device is installed to a camera mounted on the rear portion of a vehicle, and Figure 2(b) is a diagram illustrating the cleaning device illustrated in Figure 2(a) when viewed from an “A” direction.
    [008] Figure 3 is a partially cut away perspective view illustrating a camera unit provided to the cleaning device for a vehicle mounted camera according to the embodiment of the present invention.
    [009] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are sectional views illustrating a distal end portion of a cleaning device mouthpiece for a vehicle-mounted camera according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein the Figure 4(a) is an exploded view illustrating the distal end portion of the mouthpiece, and Figure 4(b) is a sectional view illustrating a portion of a reference signal P1 in Figure 4(a).
    [010] Figure 5 is an explanatory view illustrating an arrangement relationship between the camera and the distal end portion of the nozzle provided to the cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to the embodiment of the present invention.
    [011] Figures 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams illustrating a cleaning device configuration for a vehicle-mounted camera according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which Figure 6(a) is a view in perspective view illustrating the cleaning device in accordance with this embodiment in a state where the device is installed to a camera mounted on the rear portion of a vehicle, and Figure 6(b) is a sectional view illustrating a nozzle unit taken along a DD line illustrated in Figure 6(a).
    [012] Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are timing graphs showing processes in a pressurized cleaning mode performed by the cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the Figure 7(a) is a timing graph showing an operation of a cleaning liquid pump, and Figure 7(b) is a timing graph showing an operation of an air pump.
    [013] Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are timing graphs showing processes in an air blow mode performed by the cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which Figure 8(a) is a timing graph showing a cleaning liquid pump operation, and Figure 8(b) is a timing graph showing an air pump operation.
    [014] Figures 9(a) and 9(b) are timing graphs showing processes in a continuous water supply mode performed by the cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to the embodiment of the present invention, in that Figure 9(a) is a timing chart that shows an operation of the cleaning liquid pump, and Figure 9(b) is a timing chart that shows an operation of the air pump. DESCRIPTION OF MODALITIES
    [015] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a cleaning device configuration for a vehicle-mounted camera in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in Figure 1, a cleaning device 100 in accordance with this embodiment includes a cleaning liquid reservoir tank 2 (primary tank) which stores a cleaning liquid, a cleaning liquid pump 3 (liquid distribution section of cleaning liquid) which distributes the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid reservoir tank 2, an air pump 5 (compressed air distribution section) which distributes compressed air, and a nozzle 7 for discharging the cleaning liquid, the compressed air, or a mixture of cleaning liquid and compressed air to a camera lens surface 1.
    [016] Additionally, a cleaning liquid tube 4 is provided that guides the cleaning liquid distributed by the cleaning liquid pump 3 to a secondary tank 13 that stores the cleaning liquid, an air tube 6 that guides the air compressed air pump 5 distributed to the nozzle 7 of a nozzle unit 22, and a controller 8 (control section) which controls the operations of the cleaning liquid pump 3 and the air pump 5.
    [017] Figure 2(a) is a perspective view illustrating the cleaning device 100 according to this embodiment in a state where the device is installed to a camera 1 mounted on the rear portion of a vehicle, and Figure 2 (b) is a diagram illustrating the cleaning device 100 illustrated in Figure 2(a) when viewed from direction "A". As illustrated in Figure 2(a), the nozzle assembly 22 which is attached to the rear portion of the vehicle and cleans a surface of the lens 1a is provided in the vicinity of a side portion of the camera 1 attached to the rear portion of the vehicle. The nozzle assembly 22 includes the nozzle 7 from which a cleaning liquid and compressed air are discharged towards the lens surface 1a, and a cap 7d. As illustrated in Figure 2(b), the nozzle 7 has a distal end portion provided with two discharge ports 10a and 10b from which the cleaning liquid and compressed air are discharged. In other words, the configuration is made so that, by discharging the cleaning liquid and compressed air from the discharge ports 10a and 10b of the nozzle 7 towards the surface of the lens 1a, foreign substances are fixed on the surface. lens 1a are removed.
    [018] Figure 3 is a partially cut away perspective view illustrating the nozzle assembly 22 shown in Figure 2(a). As shown in Figure 3, the mouthpiece 7 provided at the distal end side of the mouthpiece assembly 22 has at the central portion provided with an air passage 12 which directs the compressed air, and at both ends on the left and right sides thereof. air passage 12, cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b are provided which guide the cleaning liquid. Additionally, the distal end of each between the air passage 12 and the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b is bent at a substantially right angle so that it faces the lens surface 1a of the camera 1.
    [019] Additionally, a secondary tank 13 that temporarily stores the cleaning liquid is provided upstream of the cleaning liquid paths 11 a and 11 b. On the side portion of this secondary tank 13, a plug 13a serving to connect the cleaning liquid tube 4 and a plug 13b serving to connect the air tube 6 are provided. Of these plugs, plug 13b is connected to air passage 12 through a flow path provided below secondary tank 13. In other words, compressed air guided through plug 13b in nozzle unit 22 is led directly to the passage of air 12.
    [020]In addition, the plug 13a is connected to the secondary tank 13, and the cleaning liquid supplied through this plug 13a is taken to the secondary tank 13 from above. In this case, the tube extending from the plug 13a and connected to the secondary tank 13 is arranged in the vertical direction as indicated by reference numeral 23 in Figure 6(b). Details of this tube 23 will be described below.
    [021] In addition, as illustrated in Figure 3, the lower portion of the secondary tank 13 is connected to two lines of the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b, and is arranged in a position higher than the discharge ports 10a and 10b. Thus, the compressed air delivered by the air pump 5 illustrated in Figure 1 is led to the air passage 12 from the nozzle 7 through the air tube 6, while the cleaning liquid delivered by the cleaning liquid pump 3 is stored in the secondary tank 13, and then is taken to the two lines of the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b. Additionally, the secondary tank 13 has a smaller volume than the cleaning liquid reservoir tank 2 illustrated in Figure 1.
    [022] Figure 4(b) is an explanatory view illustrating a detailed configuration of the distal end portion of the mouthpiece, and is a sectional view illustrating a portion of the reference signal P1 in Figure 4(a). As illustrated in Figure 4(b), at the distal end portion of the nozzle 7, the air passage 12 is provided in the center, and the two cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b are provided so that they are located on both sides. of the air passage 12. In other words, the cleaning liquid paths according to this embodiment are formed by two lines of the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b provided so that they are located on both sides of this air passage 12 .
    [023] The cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b are connected to the distal end portions 15a and 15b, respectively. In that case, the area of a flow path of each of the distal end portions 15a and 15b is smaller than the area of a flow path of each of the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b. Thus, the velocity of the cleaning liquid flowing through each of the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b increases as it flows through each of the distal end portions 15a and 15b.
    [024] On the other hand, the distal end of the air passage 12 is bifurcated into two distal end portions 14a (first distal end portion) and 14b (second distal end portion). In that case, the area of a flow path of each of the distal end portions 14a and 14b is less than the area of a flow path of the air passage 12. air 12 increases as it flows through each of the distal end portions 14a and 14b.
    [025] Additionally, the distal end portion 15a of the cleaning liquid path 11a, consisting of one side, joins a distal end portion 14a of the air passage 12 to form a union flow path 16a (first union flow path), the distal end thus forming the discharge port 10a (see Figure 2(b)). Additionally, the distal end portion 15b of the cleaning liquid path 11b, consisting of the other side, joins the other distal end portion 14b of the air passage 12 to form a joining flow path 16b (second flow path of union), the distal end thus forming the discharge port 10b (see Figure 2(b)). In that case, the splice flow path 16a and the splice flow path 16b are arranged so that the distance between the two paths increases towards the distal end side thereof.
    [026] Through this configuration, once the cleaning liquid distributed by the cleaning liquid pump 3 illustrated in Figure 1 is stored in the secondary tank 13, and the compressed air is distributed by the air pump 5, the compressed air is blasted at an increased speed, and with the compressed air jet, the secondary tank 13 and the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b are transformed into a negative pressure to suck the cleaning liquid stored in the secondary tank 13. Hence, the compressed air and the cleaning liquid pass through the two joining flow paths 16a and 16b, are blasted from the discharge ports 10a and 10b, and are sprayed onto the surface of the lens 1a. At this point, the liquid, which consists of a mixture of cleaning liquid and compressed air, is blasted in a dispersed direction as illustrated in Figure 5, thus, it is possible to clean the entire surface of the lens 1a.
    [027] Additionally, as illustrated in Figure 4(b), a blast surface 7a, which consists of a distal end portion of the nozzle 7, is configured to protrude further forward than a side surface 7b (surface of distal end of the nozzle) adjacent to the blasting surface 7a. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the cleaning liquid blasted from the discharge ports 10a and 10b from settling on the side surface 7b of the nozzle 7. More specifically, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from settling in the areas indicated by the signs reference values P2 and P3 in Figure 5.
    [028] Figure 6(b) is a sectional view illustrating the nozzle assembly 22 shown in Figure 6(a) and taken along line D-D. As illustrated in Figure 6(b), a small space is provided between a lower surface 7c of the mouthpiece 7 and an upper surface 1b of the camera body 1. Additionally, the width of this space is configured so that it becomes gradually narrower. towards the interior of space. By this configuration, even if cleaning liquid enters the space between the lower surface 7c of the nozzle 7 and the upper surface 1b of the camera body 1, this cleaning liquid is gradually pushed towards the interior of the space portion between the nozzle 7 and camera 1 due to surface tension, and is externally released from the left and right sides of camera 1 when viewed from the front. In other words, with the existence of a small space between the lower surface 7c of the mouthpiece 7 and the upper surface 1b of the camera body 1, it is possible to avoid a problem such as a cleaning liquid constantly being solidified.
    [029] Additionally, as illustrated in Figure 6(b), a supply port 13c that serves to supply the cleaning liquid to the secondary tank 13 is provided at the top of the secondary tank 13 provided upstream of the nozzle 7, and thereto supply port 13c, tube 23 is provided placed in the vertical direction. Then, this tube 23 is connected to the plug 13a shown in Figure 3. With the tube 23 being placed in the vertical direction, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid remaining in the path from irregularly entering the secondary tank 13 in the case where the liquid supply cleaning by cleaning liquid pump 3 (see Figure 1) is stopped. In other words, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the secondary tank 13 due to vibration in a state where the secondary tank 13 is emptied.
    [030] Additionally, a check valve 24 is provided on the upper surface of the secondary tank 13. The check valve 24 consists, for example, of an umbrella valve, and is configured so that if the pressure inside of the secondary tank 13 becomes negative, the valve is opened to introduce external air through a vent 25, and if the pressure inside the secondary tank 13 becomes positive, the valve is closed to prevent outward release. Therefore, if the pressure of the secondary tank 13 becomes negative, external air enters the secondary tank 13, thus it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from entering through the cleaning liquid pipe 4. In other words, the secondary tank 13 has the check valve which prevents the leakage of air from the secondary tank 13 to now, and allows air to enter the secondary tank 13 from outside.
    [031] Additionally, as illustrated in Figure 6(b), the lower surface 13d of the secondary tank 13 is slanted so as to decrease towards the front side (left side in the drawing). Furthermore, an outer tube of the secondary tank 13 as well as the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b and the air passage 12 (see Figure 3) provided for the nozzle 7 are similarly configured so that they are inclined so as to decrease towards to the front side. Through these configurations, the cleaning liquid stored in the secondary tank 13 does not remain in a certain location, and the inclination in each of the portions causes the cleaning liquid to reliably flow towards the downstream side.
    [032] Next, the operations of the cleaning device 100 according to this modality are described, having the configuration as described above. In this embodiment, there are three modes, including a pressurized cleaning mode in which the cleaning liquid and compressed air are induced to be blasted to clean the surface of the lens 1a, an air blow mode in which only compressed air is delivered. for removing water droplets affixed to the surface of the lens 1a, and a continuous water supply mode in which cleaning liquid is intermittently splashed onto the surface of the lens 1a to make it difficult for dirt to affix to the surface of the lens 1a.
    [033] First, the pressurized cleaning mode will be described. In pressurized cleaning mode, the cleaning liquid pump 3 is activated for a short period of time to store the cleaning liquid in the secondary tank 13, and at the same time, the air pump 5 is activated. Specific, as illustrated in Figure 7(a) and Figure 7(b), both the cleaning liquid pump 3 and the air pump 5 are activated at a time t0.
    [034] Then, during a time period of t0 to t1 (eg 200 ms), the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid reservoir tank 2 (primary tank) is supplied through the cleaning liquid tube 4 to the secondary tank 13, and the cleaning liquid is stored in this secondary tank 13. It is noted that the time period from t0 to t1 is adjusted so that it is a period of time necessary for the complete filling of the secondary tank 13 with the cleaning liquid by cleaning liquid pump 3.
    [035] Additionally, the compressed air delivered from the air pump 5 passes through the air tube 6, and is introduced into the air passage 12 inside the nozzle 7 illustrated in Figure 3. Then, the compressed air is delivered from from the distal end portions 14a and 14b illustrated in Figure 4(b) to the splicing flow paths 16a and 16b. At that time, since the flow path area of each of the distal end portions 14a and 14b is adjusted so that it is less than that of the air passage 12, the air flow velocity increases in each of the distal end 14a and 14b. This makes the pressure of the distal end portions 15a and 15b of the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b located downstream of the union flow paths 16a and 16b negative to suck the cleaning liquid stored in the secondary tank 13, and the cleaning liquid. sucked cleaning passes through cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b, and enters splicing flow paths 16a and 16b. In other words, using the reduction in pressure in the secondary tank 13 due to the compressed air flow, the cleaning liquid from the secondary tank 13 is sucked through the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b, and the cleaning liquid. cleaning is induced to enter the union flow paths 16a and 16b.
    [036] As a result, together with the compressed air, the cleaning liquid is blasted from the union flow paths 16a and 16b in the form of a mist. Thus, the cleaning liquid in the form of a mist can be induced to be blasted from the discharge ports 10a and 10b which serve as the distal ends of the splicing flow paths 16a and 16b, and sprayed onto the lens surface. 1st. This makes it possible to remove foreign substances affixed to the surface of the lens 1a with the synergistic effect of the cleaning liquid in the form of a mist and air pressure.
    [037] Additionally, after the cleaning liquid inside the secondary tank 13 is blasted, and all the cleaning liquid is consumed in a time t2 shown in Figure 7(b), only the compressed air is blasted for a period of time of t2 to t3, thus, water droplets attached to the surface of the lens 1a can be removed by this compressed air.
    [038]In other words, pressurized cleaning mode is a mode in which the air pump 5 (compressed air distribution section) is activated; compressed air is induced to be blasted from discharge ports 10a and 10b; the cleaning liquid supplied to the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b is sucked in by the negative pressure that occurs as a result of the compressed air jet to jet the cleaning liquid from the discharge ports 10a and 10b; and the surface of lens 1a is cleaned by compressed air and blast cleaning liquid. By activating the cleaning liquid pump 3 (cleaning liquid distribution section) and continuously distributing the compressed air by the air pump 5 (compressed air distribution section), the cleaning liquid and the compressed air are induced to blast continuously from the discharge ports 10a and 10b. With the compressed air jet, the pressure of the cleaning liquid path becomes negative to transform the cleaning liquid into a mist and induce it to blast, thus the lens surface can be effectively cleaned with a small amount of cleaning liquid. This pressurized cleaning mode is suitable for applications that remove foreign substances such as mud attached to the surface of lens 1a.
    [039]In addition, by increasing the time period to activate the cleaning liquid pump 3 shown in Figure 7(a) (for example, setting the time period from t0 to t1 to 400 ms), it is possible to push the cleaning liquid stored in the secondary tank 13 by the pressure of the cleaning liquid pump 3, and the pressurized cleaning liquid can be supplied to the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b, thus, it is possible to clean the surface of the lens 1a with high pressure.
    [040]The air blowing mode will be described below. In air blow mode, only the air pump 5 is activated in a state where the cleaning liquid is not stored in the secondary tank 13. More specifically, the cleaning liquid pump 3 is stopped as illustrated in Figure 8 (a), and the air pump 5 is activated for a period of time from t10 to t11 (eg two seconds) as illustrated in Figure 8(b). Then, compressed air passes through the distal end portions 14a and 14b of the air passage 12 and the splicing flow paths 16a and 16b to jet from the discharge ports 10a and 10b, and is sprayed onto the lens surface. 1st. As a result, water droplets fixed on the surface of lens 1a of camera 1 can be removed by air pressure.
    [041]At this time, the tube 23 connected to the secondary tank 13 is placed in a substantially vertical direction as illustrated in Figure 6(b). Additionally, the lower surface 13d of the secondary tank 13 is placed in a position higher than the discharge ports 10a and 10b, and the lower surface 13d of the secondary tank 13 and the tube for the cleaning liquid are sloped downwardly, thereby the cleaning liquid does not remain in the secondary tank 13 and its tube. Thus, even in the case where the compressed air is blasted, and the pressure inside the secondary tank 13 becomes negative, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from being introduced into the union flow paths 16a and 16b, and it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid mixes with compressed air. This makes it possible to avoid the occurrence of a problem in which the cleaning liquid mixed with the compressed air is fixed on the surface of the lens 1a again at the time of blasting compressed air to remove the water droplets fixed on the surface of the lens 1a. In other words, the air blow mode is a mode in which the dispensing of the cleaning liquid by the cleaning liquid pump 3 (cleaning liquid dispensing section) is stopped; the compressed air is distributed to the air tube 6 by the air pump 5 (compressed air distribution section) in a state where the supply of cleaning liquid is interrupted; and compressed air is induced to blast from the discharge ports 10a and 10b, thereby the surface of the lens 1a is cleaned. The air blow mode is suitable for removing the water droplets fixed on the surface of the lens 1a.
    [042] The continuous water supply mode will be described below. In continuous water supply mode, cleaning liquid is supplied from cleaning liquid pump 3 to secondary tank 13, and additionally air pump 5 is intermittently actuated, thereby cleaning liquid is dripped on a surface of the lens 1a. More specifically, as illustrated in Figure 9(a) and Figure 9(b), the cleaning liquid is stored in the secondary tank 13 by driving the cleaning liquid pump 3 for a period of time from t20 to t21 , and then, at a time t22, the air pump 5 is intermittently actuated several times within a time period T1, thereby, the small amount of cleaning liquid is dropped onto the surface of the lens 1a. For example, by setting the time period from t22 to t23 to 30 ms, the small amount (eg 0.25 cc) of cleaning liquid is dropped onto the surface of lens 1a for each drop.
    [043] As a result, it is always possible to keep the surface of lens 1a in a wet state, and it is possible to avoid the deposition of contaminants contained in the water droplet splashed by the vehicle itself during a rainy climate. In other words, the continuous water supply mode is a mode in which compressed air is induced to blast intermittently from the discharge ports 10a and 10b for several times, and the cleaning liquid is sucked in by the negative pressure that occurs due to to the compressed air jet to induce the cleaning liquid to blast from the discharge ports 10a and 10b onto the surface of the lens 1a. This continuous water supply mode is suitable for keeping the surface of lens 1a in the wet state in wet weather to prevent contaminants from being deposited on the surface of lens 1a before this happens.
    [044]Each of the cleaning modes described above can be adjusted by the vehicle driver through manual operations. Alternatively, it may be possible to detect dirty camera 1 states or weather states, and automatically select a cleaning mode according to the detection result, thus performing cleaning.
    [045] Additionally, in this mode, when the water cleaning is complete, the compressed air is induced to blast, and all the cleaning liquid remaining in the secondary tank 13 is discharged to empty the secondary tank 13. At this time, if the liquid blast, which is blasted together with compressed air, is fixed onto the surface of the lens 1a, this can have an effect on the images captured by the camera 1. Therefore, in order to reduce this effect, the compressed air is induced to blast for a predetermined period of time (eg 30 seconds) to dry the lens surface 1a after all the cleaning liquid remaining in the secondary tank 13 is completely discharged.
    [046] Additionally, in the case when it is raining or things attached to the surface of the lens 1a are water droplets, even if conditions for modes (the continuous water supply mode, or the pressurized cleaning mode) using water are canceled, it determines Be aware that there is a possibility that this mode will be performed again because splashing or rain may become severe again. Therefore, the compressed air jet in order to discharge the remaining cleaning water is stopped for a period until a predetermined period of time elapses after the condition described above is cancelled.
    [047] Additionally, if compressed air is induced to blast when a vehicle is parked, this can lead to a case where cleaning water settles in the vicinity of a trunk, or the discharge of compressed air causes a passenger feel awkward when opening the trunk. Therefore, if the vehicle speed is less than or equal to a certain speed (for example, 10 km/h), the compressed air jet is stopped. Additionally, taking this case into account, the compressed air is induced to blast when the vehicle speed increases at a certain speed or faster (eg 5 km/h or faster) after the vehicle ignition is turned. During the compressed air jet, the cleaning mode is stopped.
    [048] Additionally, if the compressed air is induced to blast to discharge the cleaning water in a state where only a small amount of cleaning water remains in the secondary tank 13, the cleaning water blasts intermittently, and this may have an effect about capturing images using the camera 1. Therefore, it may be possible to blast compressed air, for example, in the case where the vehicle speed is reduced so that it is less than or equal to the speed (eg 30 km/h) in the which an application that uses the images captured by camera 1 is activated.
    [049] Additionally, it may be possible to blast compressed air for a predetermined period of time to dry the surface of the lens 1a if a predetermined distance is traveled or a predetermined period of time elapses in the case where the conditions for cleaning the surface of the lens 1a are canceled.
    [050] As previously described, in the cleaning device 100 for a vehicle-mounted camera according to this embodiment, the air passage 12 is provided to the distal end portion of the nozzle 7; cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b are provided in the vicinity of the air passage 12; and, the distal end portions 14a and 14b of the air passage 12 and the distal end portions 15a and 15b of the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b are joined together. Additionally, the secondary tank 13 is provided upstream of the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b, and a certain amount of cleaning liquid is stored in the secondary tank 13. Therefore, it is possible to mix the compressed air with the cleaning liquid stored in the secondary tank 13 for blasting the mixture onto the surface of the lens 1a of the camera 1, thereby, it is possible to clean the surface of the lens 1a with a small amount of cleaning liquid.
    [051] Additionally, by supplying compressed air to the air passage 12 to induce it to be blasted from the distal end portions 14a and 14b, the pressure of the secondary tank 13 becomes negative to suck in the cleaning liquid a from the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b, and the cleaning liquid and compressed air are mixed in the joining flow paths 16a and 16b to induce the mixture to blast from the discharge ports 10a and 10b. Therefore, it is possible to transform the cleaning liquid in the form of a mist, and further reduce the amount of cleaning liquid needed for cleaning.
    [052] Additionally, the check valve 24 is provided to the secondary tank 13, and external air is introduced into the secondary tank 13 in the case where the pressure inside the secondary tank 13 becomes negative, thus, it is possible to prevent the liquid of cleaning liquid enters the secondary tank 13 through the cleaning liquid pipe 4 in the case where the pressure inside the secondary tank 13 becomes negative. For this reason, the dispensing of the cleaning liquid ends at the moment when all the cleaning liquid stored in the secondary tank 13 is consumed, and the dispensing of the cleaning liquid is suspended until the cleaning liquid is freshly supplied by the cleaning liquid pump. cleaning 3, in this way, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from being blasted unnecessarily.
    [053] Additionally, the tube 23 (see Figures 6(a) and 6(b)) that serves to supply the cleaning liquid to the secondary tank 13 is placed in the vertical direction. In other words, a connecting portion of the cleaning liquid tube connected to the secondary tank 13 is arranged in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the case where the supply of cleaning liquid by the cleaning liquid pump 3 (see Figure 1) is interrupted, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid that remains in the path from accidentally entering the secondary tank 13. Therefore, for example , when the compressed air is induced to blast with the air blow mode, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from being mixed.
    [054] Additionally, the lower surface 13d of the secondary tank 13 is placed in a position higher than the discharge ports 10a and 10b, and the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b connecting the secondary tank 13 to the nozzle 7 are inclined so descending from the secondary tank 13 to the discharge ports 10a and 10b. Hence, the cleaning liquid stored in the secondary tank 13 and in the cleaning liquid paths 11a and 11b is distributed to the discharge ports 10a and 10b without remaining there. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from being unevenly discharged at all times.
    [055]These are descriptions of the cleaning device for a vehicle mounted camera according to the present invention based on the illustrated embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to those described above, and it may be possible to replace the configuration of each unit with a given configuration that has a similar function.
    [056] For example, in the embodiment described above, descriptions of an example have been conceived in which an air passage line 12 and two trajectory lines for cleaning liquid are provided at the nozzle 7, and these are joined to form two lines of union flow paths 16a and 16b. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it may be possible to employ a configuration whose one or more air passages and one or more cleaning liquid paths are joined at the distal end portion.
    [057] Additionally, the embodiment described above employs the configuration in which the compressed air and cleaning liquid are joined at the distal end portion of the nozzle 7. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to employ a configuration in which the air passage and the cleaning liquid paths are arranged so that they approach each other, and when the compressed air is discharged from the air passage, the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid path cleaning is transformed in the form of a mist using negative pressure at that time, thereby blasting it. In that case, the distal end portions 14a and 15a and the distal end portions 14b and 15b, shown in Figure 4(b), are not joined, and blasting is performed in a state where they do not approach each other.
    [058] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-155360 filed on July 11, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by way of reference. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
    [059] The present invention can be used to effectively clean the surface of a camera lens mounted on a vehicle with a small amount of cleaning liquid. With the secondary tank being provided, the cleaning liquid needed for cleaning is stored in the secondary tank in advance. Therefore, it is possible to maintain an appropriate amount of cleaning liquid in advance, and effectively clean the lens surface with a small amount of cleaning liquid without excessively discharging the cleaning liquid.REFERENCE SIGNALS LIST1 - camera2 a - lens surface3 b - top surface4 - cleaning liquid reservoir tank (primary tank)5 - cleaning liquid pump6 - cleaning liquid tube air pump 7 - air tube8 - nozzle9 a - blast surface 10 - side surface (end surface nozzle distal)11 - lower surface12 - lid13 - controller 10a, 10b - discharge port11a, 11b - trajectory for cleaning liquid12 - air passage13 - secondary tank13a, 13b - plug14c - supply port15 d - lower surface14a, 14b - distal end portion15a, 15b - distal end portion16a, 16b - union flow path22 - nozzle unit23 - tube24 - check valve25 - breath adouro100 - cleaning device
    权利要求:
    Claims (6)
    [0001]
    1. Cleaning device (100) for a vehicle-mounted camera (1), which serves to clean a lens surface (1a) of a vehicle-mounted camera (1), CHARACTERIZED by the fact that the cleaning device ( 100) comprises: a nozzle (7) provided on the upper surface of the chamber body (1) having: a discharge port (10a, 10b) projecting from the front side of the chamber (1) and from the which a cleaning liquid is discharged directed down to the lens surface (1a); and a cleaning liquid path (11a, 11b) that directs the cleaning liquid to the discharge port (10a, 10b); a primary tank (2) that stores the cleaning liquid; a secondary tank (13) that stores the cleaning liquid which has a volume to store smaller than the primary tank (2), is connected upstream of the nozzle (7), is adapted to temporarily store the cleaning liquid supplied from the primary tank (2), is connected to the cleaning liquid path (11a, 11b); and a cleaning liquid dispensing pump (3) which distributes the cleaning liquid stored in the primary tank (2) to the secondary tank (13) through a cleaning liquid tube (4) connected to the secondary tank (13).
    [0002]
    2. Cleaning device (100) for a vehicle-mounted camera (1), according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it further comprises: a compressed air distribution section (5) that distributes compressed air to the nozzle (7) through an air tube (6) connected to an air passage (12), wherein the air passage (12) is provided in the nozzle (7) and directs the compressed air to the discharge port (10a, 10b), and the cleaning liquid and compressed air are discharged from the discharge port (10a, 10b).
    [0003]
    3. Cleaning device (100) for a vehicle mounted camera (1), according to claim 2, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that a distal end portion (15a, 15b) of the path for cleaning liquid (11a, 11b) it joins with a distal end portion (14a, 14b) of the air passage (12) to form a union flow path (16a, 16b), the distal end of which forms the discharge port (10a , 10b), compressed air supplied from the compressed air distribution section (5) is induced to be blasted from the distal end portion (14a, 14b) of the air passage (12), the cleaning liquid of the secondary tank (13) is sucked into the path for cleaning liquid (11a, 11b) using a reduction in pressure in the secondary tank (13) caused by the air flow resulting from the blasting, and the sucked cleaning liquid is induced to be blasted from the distal end portion (15am 15b) of the cleaning liquid path (11a, 11b).
    [0004]
    4. Cleaning device (100) for a vehicle mounted camera (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 3, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that: the secondary tank (13) is provided with a check valve (24 ) which prevents an external flow of air from the secondary tank (13) to the outside and allows air to enter the secondary tank (13) from the outside.
    [0005]
    5. Cleaning device (100) for a vehicle mounted camera (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 4, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that: a connecting portion of the cleaning liquid tube (4) connected to the secondary tank (13) is placed in a vertical direction.
    [0006]
    6. Cleaning device (100) for a vehicle mounted camera (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 5, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that: the secondary tank (13) is arranged in a position higher than the port of discharge (10a, 10b) from the nozzle (7), and the cleaning liquid path (11a, 11b) connecting the secondary tank (13) and the nozzle (7) is arranged so that it is inclined downwards from from the secondary tank (13) to the nozzle (7).
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    法律状态:
    2018-12-04| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according [chapter 6.6 patent gazette]|
    2020-03-17| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: procedure suspended [chapter 6.21 patent gazette]|
    2021-06-08| B09A| Decision: intention to grant [chapter 9.1 patent gazette]|
    2021-07-20| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 09/07/2013, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    JP2012-155360|2012-07-11|
    JP2012155360|2012-07-11|
    PCT/JP2013/068717|WO2014010580A1|2012-07-11|2013-07-09|Vehicle-mounted-camera cleaning device|
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