JP7624693B2 - In-vehicle equipment, electronic devices and mounting parts, etc. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, in-vehicle devices, electronic devices, and mounting components.

For example, the abstract of Patent Document 1 states the following about an in-vehicle camera with thermal protection: "A heat sink is arranged inside the housing to dissipate heat inside the housing. The in-vehicle camera is fixed to the vehicle by a mounting part that is provided on the outer surface of the housing and is arranged between one end and the other end of the heat sink. An air intake is provided on one end of the heat sink, and an exhaust is provided on the other end opposite the air intake, with the mounting part in between."

JP 2015-60073 A

The temperature inside a car when parked under the blazing sun can become extremely high, exceeding 80 degrees, for example. The interior space of a car can become such a high-temperature environment. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted camera disclosed in Patent Document 1 may not be able to fully expel the heat inside the housing to the outside. For this reason, there is a demand for heat control technology that improves the heat dissipation effect.

The above-mentioned problems are described as being independent, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the problems described. The purpose of the invention of this application is not limited to this, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to configurations that aim to obtain effects from parts of the configuration disclosed in this specification and drawings, etc., through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, this specification discloses a problem in which the phrase "can be" in this specification is read as "the problem is". The problems are described as being independent, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to the configuration for solving this problem alone through divisional applications, amendments, etc. Even if the problem is implicitly understood from the description in the specification, the applicant intends to include part of the configuration described in this specification in the scope of the patent claim by amendment or divisional application. Problems that combine these independent problems are also disclosed.

(1) An in-vehicle device is provided that includes a case for housing a heat source and an attachment part for attaching the case to a predetermined part of a vehicle, the attachment part having a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat source to the predetermined part. In this way, heat generated from the heat source inside the case is transferred to the attachment part in the vehicle via the heat transfer path of the attachment part, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the in-vehicle device. In addition, the attachment part required for attaching the case can also function as a heat dissipation member that promotes heat dissipation to the outside of the in-vehicle device.

(2) It is preferable that the case is provided with a fixing member that has thermal conductivity and fixes the mounting portion to the specified location, and that the mounting portion is formed using a thermally conductive material. In this way, heat generated from a heat source inside the case is transferred to the mounting location via a heat transfer path provided by the mounting portion and the fixing member that fixes the mounting portion to the mounting location, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the in-vehicle device. In addition, the mounting portion and fixing member required for mounting the case can also function as a heat dissipation member that promotes heat dissipation to the outside of the in-vehicle device.

(3) The thermally conductive material may be a thermally conductive resin. In this way, a mounting part that also functions as a heat dissipation member can be constructed using a thermally conductive resin, which is lightweight and relatively easy to form into the desired shape.

(4) It is preferable that at least a portion of the surface of the mounting portion is formed with projections and recesses. This increases the surface area of the mounting portion, which is expected to have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation from the mounting portion.

(5) In the heat transfer path, it is preferable that the thermal conductivity of the fixing member is higher than that of the mounting portion. In this way, the heat transferred to the mounting portion is more easily transferred to the fixing member, which is expected to have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation to the mounting portion of the vehicle.

(6) The mounting portion may be disposed so as to conform to the surface of the case. In this way, the distance between the heat source and the mounting portion that constitutes the heat transfer path is relatively short, which is expected to have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation to the mounting portion of the vehicle.

(7) The fixing member may be a double-sided tape that does not have a cushioning material. In this way, since a double-sided tape that does not have a cushioning material is used, there is no insulation due to the cushioning material, and the double-sided tape used for adhesion can be made thinner.

(8) The thermal conductivity of the heat transfer path is preferably lower than the thermal conductivity of the specified portion. This is expected to have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation from the mounting portion to the mounting portion of the vehicle.

(9) The specified portion may be the glass of the vehicle. In this way, heat from a heat source can be dissipated to the outside of the vehicle by using glass that is normally provided in the vehicle. Examples of glass of the vehicle include glass that faces the outside of the vehicle, such as a windshield, rear window, or glass roof.

(10) It is preferable that the thermal conductivity of the mounting portion and the fixing member in the heat transfer path is higher than that of the case. This can prevent the case from storing heat generated from a heat source inside the case, and can further promote heat dissipation to the mounting portion of the vehicle.

(11) It is preferable that at least a part of the case is formed from a thermally conductive resin. In this way, a resin material may be used as the material for the case, but by selecting a thermally conductive resin as this resin material, the heat generated from the heat source is transferred through the part formed from this thermally conductive resin, so that the heat dissipation effect can be further promoted. It is more preferable that the part of the case made of thermally conductive resin and the mounting part are in contact with or adjacent to each other.

(12) The heat transfer path passes through a first portion of the case on the side of the specified portion, and the thermal conductivity of the first portion is higher than the thermal conductivity of a second portion of the case that is different from the first portion. In this way, when heat generated from the heat source is transferred to the case, it is more efficiently transferred to the mounting portion of the vehicle, and heat dissipation to the mounting portion can be further promoted.

(13) The thermal conductivity of the mounting portion in the heat transfer path is preferably 1.0 W/m/K or more. This provides a higher thermal conductivity than the mounting portion of a conventional in-vehicle device, and is expected to have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation to the mounting portion of the vehicle.

(14) The mounting portion may be formed integrally with the case. In this way, the distance between the heat source and the mounting member having the heat conduction path is relatively short, which is expected to promote the dissipation of heat from the mounting member to the mounting portion of the vehicle.

(15) The device may include an antenna housed in the case, and at least a third portion of the case that serves as a path for electromagnetic waves transmitted or received by the antenna may be made of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, and a fourth portion different from the third portion may be made of a thermally conductive material. In this way, even if at least a portion of the case is made of a thermally conductive material, it is possible to prevent interference with the transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves by the antenna.

(16) It is preferable to provide a heat pipe that constitutes part of the heat transfer path. In this way, heat from the heat source is transferred via the heat pipe, which is expected to have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation to the mounting portion of the vehicle.

(17) The mounting portion may include a stay formed of a thermally conductive material and including a bendable plate-like portion, and a fixing member having thermal conductivity and fixing the plate-like portion to the predetermined portion. In this way, the stay has thermal conductivity, which is expected to have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation to the mounting portion of the vehicle, and when removing the mounting portion after installation, it can be easily removed by gradually bending the plate-like portion from the edge.

(18) The plate-like portion may have a first plate-like portion and a second plate-like portion, and the stay may have the first plate-like portion and the second plate-like portion around the portion to which the case is connected, and the first plate-like portion and the second plate-like portion may be bent independently. In this way, it is possible to easily remove the stay from any of the plate-like members.

(19) It is preferable that the imaging device has at least one of an imaging element and a circuit for processing signals from the imaging element as the heat source. In this way, heat from the imaging element or the circuit for processing signals from the imaging element, which is one of the main heat sources in an imaging device mounted on a vehicle such as a drive recorder, can be dissipated to the mounting portion on the vehicle. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of operational problems associated with high temperatures in the imaging device.

(20) An electronic device may include a case that houses an image sensor and a circuit that processes a signal from the image sensor, and a mounting portion that mounts the case to a predetermined portion having a higher thermal conductivity than the case, the mounting portion having a heat transfer path that transfers heat from the image sensor or the circuit to the predetermined portion. In this way, an electronic device can be provided in which the mounting portion functions as a mounting portion for an in-vehicle device and transfers heat from the in-vehicle device to the mounting portion of the vehicle, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the in-vehicle device.

(21) A mounting member for mounting a case of an in-vehicle device that houses a heat source to a specified location on a vehicle may have a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat source to the specified location. In this way, a mounting member can be provided that functions as a mounting part for the in-vehicle device and can transfer heat from the in-vehicle device to the mounting location on the vehicle, improving the heat dissipation effect of the in-vehicle device.

(22) It is preferable to use a mounting member that mounts a case of an electronic device housing an image sensor and a circuit for processing a signal from the image sensor to a predetermined location having a higher thermal conductivity than the case, and that has a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the image sensor or the circuit to the predetermined location. In this way, it is possible to provide a mounting member that functions as a mounting portion for an in-vehicle device and can transfer heat from the in-vehicle device to a mounting location on the vehicle, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the in-vehicle device.

The inventions (1) to (22) above can be combined in any way. For example, at least a portion of the configuration of at least one of the inventions (2) and after may be added to all or a portion of the configuration of the invention shown in (1). In particular, it is preferable to add at least a portion of the configuration of at least one of the inventions (2) and after to the invention shown in (1). The applicant intends to obtain patent rights, design rights, etc. for those including these configurations by filing amendments, divisional applications, or applications for conversion to design registration applications, etc.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology for heat countermeasures that enhances the heat dissipation effect. In addition, for example, at least one of the following effects can be achieved. Heat generated from a heat source inside the case can be transferred to the mounting portion of the vehicle via the mounting portion, promoting the heat dissipation effect. For example, if the mounting portion is the glass of the vehicle, heat can be transferred to the glass and dissipated from there to the outside of the vehicle. For example, even if the temperature inside the vehicle is much higher than the air temperature, the outside air temperature is usually lower than the temperature inside the vehicle, so it is good because heat can be efficiently dissipated to the outside of the vehicle. In particular, some vehicle glass has a large area in contact with the outside of the vehicle, and in such cases a higher heat dissipation effect can be expected.

The effects of the invention of this application are not limited to this, and effects achieved from the configuration parts disclosed in this specification and drawings, etc. are also disclosed, and it is our intention to obtain rights to the configuration that achieves said effects through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, in this specification, the phrase "can..." is a description that clearly indicates the effect achieved, and there are also parts that show the effect even without the phrase "can...". Also, there are effects that can be understood from the configuration even without such a description.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a drive recorder which is an example of an in-vehicle device according to the present invention; 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the process of mounting the drive recorder on the windshield. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the drive recorder. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the mounting posture of the drive recorder. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing actual measured values of the temperatures of a heat source and glass when the heat source is attached to glass.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to explain the technical features that may be adopted by the present invention. The configurations and shapes of the devices described are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited thereto. Various changes, modifications, and improvements may be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[Background to the idea]
For example, in a drive recorder, which is one of the in-vehicle devices, the amount of heat generated during operation tends to increase as the functionality becomes more advanced. One of the functions is, for example, parking monitoring, which operates in an environment where no one is present. For example, the temperature inside a car parked under the blazing sun in summer can be very high, exceeding 80 degrees. If the drive recorder generates heat by performing parking monitoring in such a high-temperature environment, there is a risk that the heat cannot be efficiently dissipated or the temperature cannot be reduced below the room temperature. If heat cannot be properly dissipated in this way, for example, the drive recorder may malfunction or stop operating due to a rise in temperature, and the drive recorder may not be able to operate correctly. In the following embodiment, an in-vehicle device having a configuration related to heat countermeasures different from those of the past will be described. Below, heat countermeasures for in-vehicle devices will be described, but there is room for applying heat countermeasure techniques related to electronic devices other than in-vehicle devices based on the same principle.

[Basic configuration of an embodiment of an in-vehicle device]
1 to 4 show an external view of an embodiment of a drive recorder 10, which is an example of an in-vehicle device. The drive recorder 10 is an imaging device having a function of capturing images and a function of recording the captured images. The drive recorder 10 of this embodiment has a function of capturing images in all directions of 360 degrees on a horizontal plane and 360 degrees on a vertical plane, and recording the captured omnidirectional images. The drive recorder 10 includes a main body unit 11 that executes various processes, and a camera unit 12 that is disposed below the main body unit 11 when the drive recorder 10 is installed in a vehicle.

The main body 11 has a flat rectangular main body case 13, in which various circuit boards and devices are mounted. The main body case 13 is constructed by connecting a first case 14 and a second case 15. The first case 14 and the second case 15 are box-shaped with open opposing surfaces, and are connected by a connecting means with their tip surfaces butted together. The connecting means may, for example, be comprised of a protrusion provided on one of the first case 14 and the second case 15, and a recess provided on the other case that links with the protrusion, and the protrusion and the recess may be fitted together.

The first case 14 has a shallow bottom, and the periphery of the opening is a substantially rectangular shape with four rounded corners, and the depth is almost uniform throughout. When the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle, the first case 14 is located at the front of the vehicle and faces the windshield 2. Therefore, the surface opposite the opening of the first case 14 becomes the front surface 13a of the main case 13. This front surface 13a is provided with a joint rail 16. Two joint rails 16 are provided at the top and bottom at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the first case 14. A bracket 17 is detachably attached between the two joint rails 16. The bracket 17 is connected to the main case 13 (the first case 14 in this embodiment) and is an attachment part that is attached to the windshield 2 as an attachment site. The bracket 17 and the double-sided tape 19 constitute the attachment member 1 of this embodiment. The attachment member 1 attaches the main case 13 to the windshield 2. The double-sided tape 19 corresponds to a fixing member that fixes the bracket 17 to the windshield 2. The double-sided tape 19 is a fixing member that has one side attached to the bracket 17 and the other side attached to the windshield 2, and fixes the main body case 13 to the windshield 2 by adhesion.

The second case 15 is a box-shaped case that is deeper than the first case 14, and the periphery of the opening surface is a substantially rectangular shape with four rounded corners, similar to the first case 14. When the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle, the second case 15 is located at the rear of the vehicle and faces the inside of the vehicle. Therefore, the surface opposite the opening surface of the second case 15 becomes the rear surface 13b of the main case 13. The rear surface 13b has a flat surface 13b' adjacent to one of a pair of rectangular long sides, which is a plane parallel to the front surface 13a of the main case 13, and a sloped surface 13b'' adjacent to the other of the pair of long sides. The sloped surface 13b'' is formed so as to gradually approach the opening surface of the second case 15 from the middle of the short side toward the outer long side. Therefore, the depth of the second case 15 is uniform in the first region including the flat surface 13b', and gradually becomes shallower toward the long side in the second region including the inclined surface 13b". By providing the inclined surface 13b", the external shape of the main case 13 is a rectangular parallelepiped with one long side chamfered. The one long side to be chamfered is the upper rear side when the drive recorder 10 is installed in the vehicle. When the first case 14 and the second case 15 are connected, the front surface 13a on the first case 14 side and the flat surface 13b' on the second case 15 side are parallel to each other.

The bracket 17 has a flat plate 17a, and a groove 17b is formed along the longitudinal direction on a pair of long side surfaces of the plate 17a. This groove 17b is configured to mate with the joint rail 16. The user can attach or detach the bracket 17 to or from the main case 13 by aligning this groove 17b with the joint rail 16 and sliding the bracket 17 and the main case 13 relative to one another (see Figure 2, etc.).

When the bracket 17 is attached to the main case 13, the plate 17a has a protrusion 17c on the surface facing the main case 13 (see Figs. 2(a) and (b)). When the bracket 17 is attached between the joint rails 16, the protrusion 17c fits into the hole 14b provided in the leaf spring portion 14a of the first case 14, preventing it from coming off. Double-sided tape 19 is attached to the surface of the bracket 17 opposite to the surface facing the main case 13. When the drive recorder 10 is attached to a vehicle, the bracket 17 is removed from the main case 13, and the removed bracket 17 is attached and fixed to the windshield 2 of the vehicle via the double-sided tape 19 (see Fig. 2(b)). At this time, the bracket 17 is in a horizontal state, with a pair of long sides horizontal. By attaching the main body case 13 to the bracket 17 attached to the windshield 2 in this state (see FIG. 2(c) etc.), the drive recorder 10 is attached and fixed to a fixed position on the vehicle. In this attached state, the front surface 13a and flat surface 13b' of the main body case 13 are arranged parallel to the mounting surface of the windshield 2, the long side of the main body case 13 is located in a horizontal plane, and the side surface on the short side of the main body case 13 is located in a vertical plane. Therefore, the main body case 13 is fixed in a horizontally elongated state attached to the windshield 2, and the camera unit 12 is arranged in a state of being suspended from the bottom side of the main body case 13.

Various processing circuits, power supply circuits, etc. are mounted in the main case 13. As shown in FIG. 3, etc., the processing circuits and power supply circuits are mounted, for example, on the main circuit board 40 and the sub-circuit board 41. The main circuit board 40 and the sub-circuit board 41 are mechanically integrated by connecting the connectors 42 attached to both boards to each other, and the signal lines and power lines formed on each circuit board are connected. The main circuit board 40 and the sub-circuit board 41 are connected in a parallel and overlapping state, and are mounted in the main case 13 in this state. In this mounted state, the main circuit board 40 is located on the second case 15 side, and the sub-circuit board 41 is located in the first case 14. The sub-circuit board 41 is provided with a GPS antenna unit 43 and a battery 44 on the surface opposite to the main circuit board 40. The GPS antenna unit 43 is an example of an antenna that receives electromagnetic waves. The memory card slot 22 is mounted on the surface of the sub-circuit board 41 facing the main circuit board 40. The main circuit board 40 is equipped with a microcomputer having a CPU and memory that handles various controls, a CMOS, the DC jack 24 described above, a speaker 29, and the like. Although not shown, an acceleration sensor is also built into the main body case 13. The CPU uses memory (e.g., RAM) as a work memory to perform various calculations. The CPU processes signals from the CMOS, for example, to generate video data showing captured images. The CMOS is an example of an imaging element. An imaging element such as a CCD may be used instead of the CMOS. The CPU is an example of a circuit that processes signals from an imaging element exemplified by a CMOS.

The camera unit 12 includes a housing 25, a first camera 26 and a second camera 27 mounted in the housing 25, and a switch unit 28. The housing 25 has an overall spherical shape and is configured by connecting a first camera case 30 and a second camera case 31, which are divided into two hemispherical parts, in a butt-to-butt state. The first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 can be fixed to each other by fitting a protrusion provided on one side, for example, the first camera case 30, with a recess provided on the other side, for example, the second camera case 31, in the same manner as the fixing of the first case 14 and the second case 15 described above. The first camera 26 and the second camera 27 are arranged back-to-back, and are fixed and connected to each other so that they take pictures in opposite directions to form a camera unit, which is then mounted in the housing 25.

When using the drive recorder 10, the housing 25 and therefore the camera unit 12 are swiveled back and forth to the desired position after being attached and fixed to the windshield 2 as described above, and the nuts are tightened to fix the orientation of the camera unit 12. The desired position is one in which the first camera 26 faces forward and the second camera 27 faces backward, with the optical axes L of the lens units of these cameras parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle. In this position, as shown in FIG. 4(a) etc., the joint surface M of the first camera case 30 and the second camera case 31 is located in a vertical plane and in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[Heat dissipation function]
In this embodiment, the drive recorder 10, which is an in-vehicle device adhesively fixed to the glass of a vehicle, for example, the windshield 2, has a function of dissipating heat to the glass surface to which it is attached. Inside the main body case 13, there are heat sources that generate heat when, for example, a power circuit, a microcomputer having a CPU and memory, an image sensor such as a CMOS, etc. are driven.

For example, when the vehicle engine is on and the user is in the vehicle, the air conditioner is operating even under the blazing sun, so the temperature inside the vehicle is kept at the set temperature of the air conditioner, and the heat generated from the heat source of the drive recorder 10 is efficiently dissipated outside the main body case 13, which may prevent the heat source from rising excessively. On the other hand, for example, the drive recorder 10 may have a parking monitoring function and may operate even while the vehicle is parked. In this case, for example, the air conditioner is stopped while the vehicle is parked, and the temperature inside the vehicle may exceed 80 degrees under the blazing sun in summer. In such an environment, the heat from the heat source of the drive recorder 10 cannot be efficiently dissipated.

* Double-sided tape 19
In this embodiment, the heat generated from the heat source can be transferred to the windshield 2 and dissipated outside the vehicle, so that excessive temperature rise of the heat source can be suppressed even in an atmosphere where the temperature inside the vehicle is high, and the drive recorder 10 can continue to operate, for example, even when the vehicle is parked.

The double-sided tape 19 that comes into direct contact with the windshield 2 is made of thermally conductive double-sided tape to dissipate heat to the glass surface. Thermally conductive double-sided tape is an example of a fixing member that has thermal conductivity. Thermally conductive double-sided tape is made of a material that has higher thermal conductivity than general double-sided tape. For example, this thermally conductive double-sided tape may be made of a film substrate with both sides coated with a thermally conductive adhesive such as an acrylic adhesive. The thermal conductivity may be, for example, about 0.7 to 1.5 W/m/K, and may be even higher.

It is advisable to use a double-sided tape 19 whose thermal conductivity is lower than that of the windshield 2. In this way, it is expected that the attachment member 1 will have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation to the windshield 2 of the vehicle.

In addition, while some conventional double-sided tapes have adhesive layers on both sides of a rubber cushioning material, this embodiment does not have such a cushioning material, and instead, as described above, a thermally conductive adhesive such as an acrylic adhesive is applied to both sides of the film substrate. If a cushioning material is used, there is a risk that the cushioning material will inhibit heat conduction. In contrast, double-sided tape 19 without a cushioning material is used, so there is no insulation due to the cushioning material, and the fixing member used for adhesion can be made thinner.

*Bracket 17
The bracket 17, which is the mounting portion for mounting the main body case 13, is formed using a thermally conductive resin. By selecting a thermally conductive resin as the material, the bracket 17, which also functions as a heat dissipation member, is formed using a thermally conductive resin that is lightweight and relatively easy to form into a desired shape. It is particularly preferable that the bracket 17 is formed using a highly thermally conductive resin. The highly thermally conductive resin may be, for example, a highly thermally conductive polycarbonate (thermal conductivity 8.3 W/m/K) or a resin (thermal conductivity 1.0 W/m/K or more) to which a thermally conductive filler such as a ceramic filler is added, such as highly thermally conductive polybutylene terephthalate. In addition, the highly thermally conductive resin may be, for example, a resin such as polycarbonate or nylon mixed with a thermally conductive filler such as inorganic particles. The thermal conductor forming the bracket 17 may not be limited to a thermally conductive resin, and other materials with high thermal conductivity such as metals and semiconductors may be used. The thermal conductor may be, for example, a metal having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper, or a resin having good thermal conductivity such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin. As an example, the thermal conductor may be an epoxy resin made by mixing alumina filler and CTBN (Carboxy-Terminated Butadiene-Nitrile).

Conventional resins used for brackets and the like in this type of product are, for example, glass-filled PC+GF 30 wt % materials, and the thermal conductivity of this type of resin is 0.3 W/m/K. In contrast, the thermal conductivity of the high thermal conductivity resin of this embodiment is sufficiently higher than that of conventional products, and a higher heat dissipation effect than conventional products can be expected. As a result, heat generated from a heat source inside the main body case 13 is transferred via the bracket 17 to the double-sided tape 19 and ultimately to the windshield 2, where it is dissipated.

It is desirable that the thermal conductivity of the double-sided tape 19 is higher than that of the bracket 17. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the thermal conductivity of the material of the double-sided tape 19 is higher than that of the highly thermally conductive resin. In this way, the heat transferred to the bracket 17 is more easily transferred to the double-sided tape 19, which is expected to have the effect of further promoting heat dissipation to the windshield 2. As a result, heat generated from the heat source of the main body case 13 is more easily able to flow from the bracket 17 side to the double-sided tape 19.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bracket 17 has a flat, planar plate 17a, and the surface of the plate 17a that faces the main body case 13 is in contact with or close to the main body case 13. In this way, when the bracket 17 is arranged along the surface of the main body case 13, the distance between the heat source and the bracket 17 is relatively short, so that heat generated inside the main body case 13 is easily transferred to the plate 17a, i.e., the bracket 17, and it is expected that the effect of further promoting heat dissipation from the mounting member 1 to the windshield 2 can be expected.

*Main body case 13
The main body case 13 is formed using a predetermined resin material, for example, ABS resin. In this case, it is desirable that the thermal conductivity of the bracket 17 and the double-sided tape 19 in the heat transfer path is higher than the thermal conductivity of the main body case 13. In this way, it is possible to prevent the heat generated from the heat source inside the main body case 13 from being stored in the main body case 13, and therefore it is possible to further promote the dissipation of heat from the mounting member 1 to the windshield 2.

It is also preferable that at least a portion of the main body case 13 is made of a highly heat-conductive resin or other heat-conductive resin. In this way, a resin material may be used as the material for the case, but by selecting a heat-conductive resin as this resin material, the heat generated from the heat source stored in the main body case 13 is transferred through the portion made of this heat-conductive resin, thereby further promoting the heat dissipation effect. In this case, it is preferable that the heat conductivity of the bracket 17 is higher than the heat conductivity of the heat-conductive resin that makes up the main body case 13.

As described above, the main body case 13 is divided into two parts: the first case 14 (corresponding to the first part of the main body case 13 on the windshield 2 side) located on the windshield 2 side when attached to the vehicle, and the second case 15 (corresponding to the second part of the main body case 13 different from the first part) located on the rear side of the vehicle, on the inside of the vehicle. Therefore, it is preferable that the thermal conductivity of the first case 14 is higher than that of the second case 15. For example, it is preferable that the first case 14 is formed of a highly thermally conductive resin, and the second case 15 is formed of a resin that does not have normal thermal conductivity. Heat is transferred through the first case 14, the bracket 17, and the double-sided tape 19 to the windshield 2. In this way, when heat generated from the heat source is transferred to the main body case 13, it is easier to transfer the heat to the windshield 2 side more efficiently, so that the heat dissipation from the mounting member 1 to the windshield 2 can be further promoted. In addition, because the second case 15 has a lower thermal conductivity than the first case 14, the temperature rise of the second case 15 due to heat generated from the heat source can be suppressed relatively compared to the first case 14.

In particular, heat from the imaging element or the circuit that processes the signal from the imaging element, which is one of the main heat sources in the drive recorder 10, can be dissipated to the windshield 2, which is the mounting portion of the mounting member 1. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of operational problems caused by high temperatures in the drive recorder 10.

In the above-described embodiment, the layout is such that the GPS antenna unit 43 is disposed near the center of the sub-circuit board 41 in the longitudinal direction, and is located opposite the bracket 17. For example, if the thermally conductive resin used for the bracket 17 is made of a material that does not easily transmit GPS signals, the GPS antenna unit 43 may be disposed in a position that does not face the bracket 17. In addition, if the first case 14 is formed of a thermally conductive resin, the portion facing the receiving area of the GPS antenna unit 43 may be formed of a resin that transmits GPS signals, and the other portions may be formed of a thermally conductive resin. In this way, at least the portion (corresponding to the third portion) of the main case 13 that is the path of the electromagnetic waves (i.e., GPS signals) received by the GPS antenna unit 43 is formed of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, so that the reception of electromagnetic waves by the GPS antenna unit 43 is not hindered.

When the drive recorder 10 performs wireless communication using LTE or other communication methods, it is preferable that the portion of the main body case 13 that is the path of the electromagnetic waves transmitted and received by the antenna (corresponding to the third portion) is made of a radio wave transparent material that allows the radio waves to pass through. In this way, it is possible to prevent the transmission or reception of signals related to wireless communication from being impeded. When the drive recorder 10 has an antenna, regardless of its use, it is preferable that the portion that is the path of the transmitted or received electromagnetic waves is made of a radio wave transparent material.

When the bracket 17 is attached to the first case 14, it is advisable to provide an opening in some or all of the area of the first case 14 that faces the bracket 17. In this way, the internal space of the main case 13 comes into direct contact with the bracket 17, so that heat generated from the heat source is transferred directly to the bracket 17, which is advantageous as it allows efficient heat dissipation. In addition, when in use, the opening is covered by the bracket 17, preventing the interior from opening up.

In the above embodiment, the heat generated from the heat source is transmitted through the air inside the main case 13 to the main case 13, and then transmitted to the bracket 17 via the main case 13. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, various types of heat conductive members may be interposed between the heat source and the main case 13 so that they are in contact with each other. In this case, the main case 13 to which the heat conductive member is connected is preferably the side closer to the bracket 17, such as the first case 14.

The heat-conducting member may be constructed using, for example, a heat pipe, with one end placed in direct contact with or close to the bracket 17. In this way, heat generated from the heat source can be transferred to the bracket 17 more efficiently. The heat pipe may extend from, for example, a board on which the heat source, the microcomputer and image sensor, are mounted, in the direction of the bracket 17 from the main circuit board 40 in this embodiment. In this way, there is a higher degree of freedom in selecting the position at which the heat source housed in the main body case 13 should be placed in order to dissipate heat to the windshield 2, which in turn improves the degree of freedom in designing the drive recorder 10.

(Modifications of mounting portion and bracket)
In the above embodiment, the detachable bracket 17 is provided on the main body case 13, and the main body case 13 is adhesively fixed to the windshield 2 via the bracket 17, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a thermally conductive double-sided tape 19 may be attached to the surface of the main body case 13, and the adhesive surface on the opposite side of the thermally conductive double-sided tape 19 may be attached to the windshield 2 to directly attach the main body case 13 to the windshield 2. In this way, heat can be dissipated to the windshield 2 more efficiently. In this case, the main body case 13 constitutes the mounting portion, and the mounting portion is integrated with the main body case 13. In this way, the distance between the heat source and the mounting portion having the heat conduction path is relatively short, so that the effect of further promoting heat dissipation to the mounting portion of the vehicle can be expected.

In addition, in the case of a configuration in which the mounting portion is a separate member from the main case 13 as described above, for example, as in bracket 17' shown in FIG. 5 and bracket 17" shown in FIG. 6, the adhesive surface 17d to which the double-sided tape 19 is affixed to the windshield 2 is separated from the main case 13, and a support portion for supporting the case by hanging may be provided. In this case, the entire unit may be integrally formed from resin as shown in FIG. 5, or may be composed of multiple members as shown in FIG. 6. In either case, each member may be composed of, for example, a thermally conductive resin.

However, in this embodiment, the bracket 17 is preferably constructed in a flat plate shape and arranged along the surface of the main body case 13, because the heat inside the main body case 13 is efficiently transferred via the bracket 17 to the double-sided tape 19 and ultimately to the windshield 2.

In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the mounting parts of the brackets 17, 17', 17" are all constructed using a thermally conductive resin, but as an example of a thermally conductive material, a stay made of, for example, metal may be used. As shown in FIG. 7, the stay 50 has a shape including a first wing-shaped portion 52 and a second wing-shaped portion 53 on both longitudinal sides of a base portion 51. The base portion 51 has a flat base portion 51a and side portions 51b connected to the left and right sides of the base portion 51a. The first wing-shaped portion 52 and the second wing-shaped portion 53 are connected to the tips of the pair of side portions 51b, respectively.

By appropriately bending the boundary between the first wing-shaped portion 52 and the side portion 51b, the boundary between the second wing-shaped portion 53 and the side portion 51b, and the boundary between the base portion 51a and the side portion 51b, the side portion 51b is raised and the base portion 51a is positioned forward of the first wing-shaped portion 52 and the second wing-shaped portion 53.

The first wing-like portion 52 and the second wing-like portion 53 each have a notch 52a, 53a at the center of the side opposite the connection side with the side portion 51b, thereby forming two plate-like portions 54 (corresponding to the first plate-like portion and the second plate-like portion). Double-sided tape 19 is attached to one side of this plate-like portion 54, i.e., the side opposite the raised base portion 51a, and the plate-like portion 54 is adhered and fixed to a predetermined position on the windshield 2 via the double-sided tape 19. Furthermore, the base portion 51a has a notch 51a' that extends from the midpoint of one side that is not in contact with the side portion 51b toward the center. The double-sided tape 19 is a thermally conductive double-sided tape.

On the other hand, the drive recorder 60 has a camera 62 on one side of a main body case 61 in which a heat source and other devices are mounted, and a connection part 63 to the stay 50. The connection part 63 may be configured to be inserted into a cut groove 51a' provided in the base part 51a, for example, for connection.

When mounting the drive recorder 60 having such a configuration to a vehicle using the stay 50, for example, first, the double-sided tape 19 is attached to the plate-like portion 54, and then the stay 50 is attached to a predetermined position on the windshield 2. At this time, the side of the base 51a on which the cut groove 51a' is provided is positioned at the top. The drive recorder 60 is then attached to the attached stay 50. In other words, this can be done by inserting the connecting portion 63 of the main body case 61 from the upper opening of the cut groove 51a'.

The stay 50 may be made of a plate material with good thermal conductivity, such as a metal such as stainless steel, and may be formed, for example, by bending a single metal plate as appropriate. The plate-shaped portion 54 is bendable because it is made of a metal plate, and when the stay 50 is attached to the windshield 2, it can be deformed to a shape that conforms to the glass surface and can be neatly glued and fixed. Furthermore, by adjusting the bending angle of the boundary portion of the side portion 51b, for example, the camera 62 can be directed forward even with a curved windshield 2.

Since the stay 50 has a relatively high thermal conductivity, heat generated from a heat source inside the main body case 61 is transferred from the stay 50 to the windshield 2 via the double-sided tape 19 and dissipated. To enhance this heat dissipation effect, it is recommended that part or all of the main body case 61 be made of a thermally conductive resin or the like.

The plate-like portions 54 are separated by the first and second wing-like portions 52 and 53, and are further divided into two by the notches 52a and 53a, resulting in a layout in which four are arranged around the base 51a. Each of the plate-like portions 54 can be bent independently. Therefore, for example, if it is desired to remove the stay 50 after it has been adhered to the windshield 2 as described above, each of the plate-like portions 54 can be peeled off little by little from the edge while being appropriately bent, and the stay can be removed without causing any scratches on the windshield.

In the drive recorder of each embodiment described above, the vehicle mounting location is the windshield 2, but it may also be glass that faces the outside of the vehicle, such as the rear window or glass roof. In this way, heat from the heat source can be dissipated to the outside of the vehicle by using glass that is normally equipped on the vehicle. In addition, such glass is always in contact with the outside air, has a lower thermal resistance than air, and is less likely to heat up even in direct sunlight because it transmits light. Furthermore, when the drive recorder 10 is in use, the fact that the drive recorder 10 is always in contact with glass is also a reason why it is desirable to dissipate heat to the mounting location.

Figure 8 shows the actual measured temperatures of the heat source and glass when the heat source is attached to glass. Figure 8 shows the temperature distribution when the glass is viewed from the side opposite the side where the heat source is present, with the figure on the left showing the temperature distribution when the heat source is in contact with the glass, and the figure on the right showing the temperature distribution when the heat source is not in contact with the glass but is separated from it as a comparative example. In Figure 8, the areas of the heat source that are displayed as whitish have lower temperatures, and the areas that are displayed as darker have higher temperatures (excluding the black area in the background). It can also be seen from Figure 8 that when the heat source is in contact with glass, the temperature of the heat source drops as heat is dissipated from the heat source to the glass.

If the above-mentioned heat dissipation effect can be expected at the mounting portion, the relationship between the thermal conductivity values and the thermal conductivity of each portion does not have to be as described above. For example, if the thermal conductivity relationship is that of the mounting portion (e.g., the windshield 2) > the fixing member (e.g., the double-sided tape 19), it is considered that the effect of promoting the heat dissipation effect can be expected. Also, if the relationship is that of the mounting portion (e.g., the windshield 2) > the fixing member (e.g., the double-sided tape 19) > the mounting portion (e.g., the bracket 17, 17', 17" or the stay 50) > the case of the drive recorder (e.g., the main body case 13 (e.g., the first case 14) or 61), it is considered that the effect of promoting the heat dissipation effect can be expected. Also, even if the entirety of each member does not have such a thermal conductivity relationship, if a heat transfer path that satisfies such a relationship is formed, it is expected that the effect of promoting the heat dissipation effect can be expected.

The drive recorder may be mounted on a location other than the glass. The mounting location should be such that heat generated from the heat source can be transferred to the mounting location and dissipated outside the vehicle.

An example of application to a drive recorder as an in-vehicle device has been described, but it is preferable to apply it to in-vehicle devices that operate while parked, such as parking monitoring devices, but it may also be applied to in-vehicle devices that generate heat while driving. It may also be an electronic device for an in-vehicle device, such as a photographing device exemplified by a surveillance camera. Even if the photographing device is installed on the windowpane of a facility such as a house using a mounting member and photographs the outdoors through the windowpane, a high heat dissipation effect can be expected due to the same action as described above.

The fixing member for fixing the mounting portion of the in-vehicle device to the mounting site is not limited to double-sided tape, but may be an adhesive sheet or other fixing member. In this way, the fixing member is not limited to adhesion, and the mounting portion may be fixed to the mounting site by adhesion or mechanical methods. However, if the fixing member is a relatively thin member such as a sheet or plate like double-sided tape, the distance between the mounting portion and the mounting site will be closer, and the heat dissipation effect can be expected to be improved.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed in this specification. The configurations of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the attached claims, but it is our intention to include configurations disclosed in this specification in the claims in the future, even if they are not currently specified in the claims.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments. The components of each of the above-mentioned embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Any components of each of the embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily combined with any components described in the means for solving the invention or any components that embody any components described in the means for solving the invention. We intend to acquire rights to these as well through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc. Even if there is a description such as "in the case of" or "when", this is not intended to describe a configuration that is limited to that case or time. We also disclose configurations that are not in these cases or times, and we intend to acquire rights to them. Furthermore, the parts that are described in order are not limited to this order. We also disclose configurations in which some parts are deleted or the order is changed, and we intend to acquire rights to them.

In addition, by converting to a design registration application, it is intended to obtain rights to the overall design or partial design. The drawings show the entire device in solid lines, but they include not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for a portion of the device. For example, it is not only a drawing that includes a portion of the device as a partial design, but also a drawing that includes a portion of the device as a partial design regardless of the portion. A portion of the device may be a portion of the device, or a portion of that portion. It is intended to obtain rights to not only the overall design, but also partial designs in which any portion of the solid line portion of the drawing is shown as a broken line portion. In addition, the modules, materials, parts, etc. inside the device's casing, all of which are shown in the drawings, are subject to trade independently, and it is intended to obtain rights to them by converting to a design registration application in the same way.

2: Windshield 10: Drive recorder 13: Main body case 14: First case 15: Second case 17: Bracket 17': Bracket 17": Bracket 19: Double-sided tape 50: Stay 54: Plate-shaped portion 60: Drive recorder 61: Main body case

Claims (4)

A case for storing a heat source;
an attachment portion for attaching the case to a glass of a vehicle;
Equipped with
The case is configured by connecting a first case and a second case that are divided into two parts with their tip surfaces butted against each other,
The attachment portion is disposed on the first case side,
When the mounting portion is attached to the glass, the first case is located on the glass side and the second case is located inside the vehicle cabin,
The thermal conductivity of the first case is made higher than the thermal conductivity of the second case, heat from the heat source is transferred to the glass via a heat transfer path leading from the first case to the mounting portion, and a temperature rise of the second case due to heat from the heat source is relatively suppressed compared to the first case. A case for storing a heat source;
an attachment portion for attaching the case to a glass of a vehicle;
a fixing member having thermal conductivity and fixing the mounting portion to the glass ;
Equipped with
the mounting portion is formed using a thermally conductive material and has a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat source to the glass ;
The thermal conductivity of the mounting portion in the heat transfer path is higher than the thermal conductivity of the case, and the thermal conductivity of the fixing member is higher than the thermal conductivity of the mounting portion,
The thermal conductivity of the fixing member is lower than the thermal conductivity of the glass . a heat pipe constituting a part of the heat transfer path;
The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein one end of the heat pipe is disposed in direct contact with or adjacent to the attachment portion, and the other end of the heat pipe is disposed on the heat source side. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat source is an imaging device having at least one of an image sensor and a circuit for processing a signal from the image sensor.

Images