JP7639613B2 - Vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure, and in particular to a structure for attaching a vehicle-mounted camera to a bracket fixed to a vehicle.

In-vehicle cameras are widely used. In-vehicle cameras are fixed to the passenger compartment side of the windshield and are used, for example, to perform automatic driving control. The in-vehicle camera captures the reference for the driving route, such as lanes painted on the road, and transmits the video data to a driving control device installed in the automobile. The driving control device performs automatic driving control based on the video data.

As shown in the following Patent Documents 1 to 3, some vehicle-mounted cameras are attached to a bracket fixed to the windshield. A protrusion is provided on the side of the vehicle-mounted camera, and the vehicle-mounted camera is fixed below the bracket by hooking the protrusion onto the bracket. To ensure that the vehicle-mounted camera is securely fixed to the bracket, the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structures described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are provided with a spring that presses the vehicle-mounted camera against the bracket, ensuring that the vehicle-mounted camera is securely hooked onto the bracket.

The vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure described in Patent Document 3 has two brackets. The first bracket is fixed to the windshield, and the protrusion of the vehicle-mounted camera is hooked onto the first bracket. The second bracket is attached below the first bracket and the vehicle-mounted camera, and presses the protrusion of the vehicle-mounted camera against the first bracket.

JP 2020-131809 A JP 2013-193558 A JP 2016-16830 A

When inspecting or replacing the vehicle-mounted camera, the vehicle-mounted camera is removed from the bracket. In conventional vehicle-mounted camera fixing structures, if priority is given to securely fixing the vehicle-mounted camera, it may not be easy to remove the vehicle-mounted camera. For example, in the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structures described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, if the vehicle-mounted camera is pressed against the bracket by a spring with a strong biasing force, it may be difficult to remove the vehicle-mounted camera. Also, in the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure described in Patent Document 3, in order to remove the vehicle-mounted camera from the first bracket, the second bracket must be removed first, which requires a lot of labor for removal.

The object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle camera fixing structure that securely fixes the in-vehicle camera and allows the in-vehicle camera to be easily removed.

The present invention provides a vehicle-mounted camera that is fixed to the windshield of an automobile and that is adapted to move the vehicle-mounted camera in the vehicle width direction , and includes a bracket that holds the vehicle-mounted camera downward , and a hood that is fixed in front of the bracket. The hood includes a camera pressing spring that presses the vehicle-mounted camera downward to hold the vehicle-mounted camera against the bracket, and a camera fixing spring that engages with the vehicle-mounted camera and prevents the vehicle-mounted camera from moving in the vehicle width direction, and the camera fixing spring is fixed from a fixed end of the hood to a the bracket extends in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle toward a mating portion on the upper side of the vehicle-mounted camera and is freely swingable in the direction of mating with respect to the mating portion, and when the vehicle-mounted camera is attached to the bracket, the mating portion slides over the underside of the camera fixing spring in the vehicle width direction, and then the camera fixing spring and the mating portion mating with each other, and when the vehicle-mounted camera is removed from the bracket, the mating between the camera fixing spring and the mating portion is released, and the bracket holds the vehicle-mounted camera so that it can be freely moved in the vehicle width direction .

The present invention provides an in-vehicle camera fixing structure that securely fixes the in-vehicle camera and allows the in-vehicle camera to be easily removed.

1 is a diagram showing an in-vehicle camera fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 shows the hood and bracket before assembly. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure in a state where a hood is fixed to a bracket. FIG. FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the vehicle-mounted camera and the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure in an initial installation state. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the vehicle-mounted camera and the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure in an initial mounting state. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure taken along line AA in which the vehicle-mounted camera is fixed. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure taken along line AA when the vehicle-mounted camera is removed. FIG. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views taken along line BB and line CC of the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure to which the vehicle-mounted camera is fixed. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure taken along line DD in FIG.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the various figures. Identical components shown in multiple figures will be given the same reference numerals to simplify the description. In addition, terms expressing directions such as up, down, left, and right in this specification refer to directions as seen by the passengers of the vehicle.

Figure 1 shows an in-vehicle camera fixing structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and an in-vehicle camera 10 fixed thereto. The in-vehicle camera 10 is used in driving control devices, drive recorders, etc. The in-vehicle camera fixing structure 1 includes a hood 14 and a bracket 12. The in-vehicle camera 10 is attached to the upper inside part of the windshield of the automobile and captures the forward view. For this reason, the bracket 12 is attached to the inside of the windshield, and the hood 14 is also positioned along the inner surface of the windshield. The windshield extends downward and forward from the ceiling of the automobile. Therefore, the in-vehicle camera fixing structure 1 extends as a whole along the inner surface of the windshield from the rear upper end of the bracket 12 to the front lower end of the hood 14.

The hood 14 is composed of a generally trapezoidal bottom plate 16 whose upper rear horizontal side is shorter than its lower front horizontal side, and side walls 18 erected rearward from the left and right sides of the bottom plate 16. The side walls 18 are formed by bending both side pieces of the hood 14, and are generally triangular in shape, with their width increasing from the lower front to the upper rear. At the very top of the hood 14, the upper ends of the left and right side walls 18 are aligned at the same height, and the very top of the hood 14 is U-shaped with an open rear side when viewed from above. From behind the hood 14, the image sensor 20 of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 looks forward.

The bracket 12 is formed in a plate shape, and has a structure for holding the vehicle-mounted camera 10 on its back side (the side opposite the windshield side). The front side (the side facing the windshield) of the bracket 12 is flat, and the front side of the bracket 12 is fixed to the windshield with adhesive, double-sided tape, or the like. The front lower edge of the bracket 12 is concave in the center, has a shape that spreads toward the front and downward, and extends toward the front and downward on both sides, and has a shape that follows the left and right side walls 18 of the hood 14. The hood 14 is fixed by being inserted into the bracket 12 from the front. The bracket 12 holds the vehicle-mounted camera 10 so that the housing of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 extends from below the bracket 12 to below the hood 14. In other words, the bracket 12 holds the housing of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 on its back side, and the imaging element 20 is designed to look forward from between the hood 14 and the bracket 12.

The bottom plate 16 and left and right side walls 18 of the hood 14 are positioned so as to hide the front side of the imaging element 20 on the windshield from the vehicle interior. The imaging element 20 detects light that passes through the windshield and the upper side of the hood 14. The hood 14 blocks light that travels from outside the vehicle toward the front of the imaging element 20, light that travels from the vehicle interior toward the front of the imaging element 20, and light that enters the vehicle interior from outside the vehicle and is reflected inside the vehicle interior toward the front of the imaging element 20. This prevents the vehicle-mounted camera 10 from detecting light reflected by the windshield.

Figure 2 shows the hood 14 and bracket 12 before the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1 is assembled. Figure 2 is a view from the front and below, and shows the structure of the back of the hood 14 and bracket 12. The rear surfaces of the left and right side walls 18 of the hood 14 are provided with insertion structures 22 for fixing the hood 14 to the bracket 12. The insertion structure 22 has an insertion base portion 22a that spreads out laterally and upwardly to the rear on the rear surface of the side wall 18, and a clawed protrusion 22b that protrudes upwardly to the rear from the insertion base portion 22a. The rear upper end of the insertion base portion 22a has an uneven shape that corresponds to the uneven shape of the front lower end of the bracket 12. The clawed protrusion 22b has a claw at its tip and can bend elastically in the left and right directions. The claws at the tips of the left and right clawed protrusions 22b are formed in a hook shape, and the width expands outward as it moves downwardly from the tip, and then the width suddenly decreases.

On the back surface of the bottom plate 16 of the hood 14, a base 26 is formed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the rear upper end, which is thicker on the back surface and extends in the vehicle width direction. A first camera pressing spring 28 is provided on the right side of the front lower end face of the base 26. The first camera pressing spring 28 extends from the front lower end face of the base 26 along the back surface of the bottom plate 16 toward the front and lower, and is curved in a direction away from the windshield as it moves toward the front and lower. The first camera pressing spring 28 can bend elastically with the joint with the front lower end face of the base 26 as a fixed end. This generates a biasing force in the direction away from the windshield that counteracts the force pressing against the windshield.

A second camera pressing spring 30 is provided on the rear upper end face of the base 26. The second camera pressing spring 30 has a generally trapezoidal shape with the rear side shorter than the front side, extends rearward from the rear upper end face of the base 26, and has a general shape with the tip side warped in a direction away from the windshield. More specifically, the second camera pressing spring 30 has a structure in which a plate-shaped camera pressing piece 30a extending in the vehicle width direction at the rear end is supported by a plurality of elastic frames 30b on the rear upper end face of the base 26. Each elastic frame 30b can bend elastically with the joint with the base 26 as a fixed end. As a result, a biasing force in the direction away from the windshield is generated in the camera pressing piece 30a, which counters the force pressing against the windshield.

The rear surface of the right side wall 18 is provided with a spring support part 32 that is formed in a band shape and extends upward and rearward. A third camera pressing spring 34 is provided at the rear end of the spring support part 32. The third camera pressing spring 34 bends in a direction away from the windshield as it moves upward and rearward, and can bend elastically with the joint with the spring support part 32 as a fixed end. As a result, a biasing force is generated in the third camera pressing spring 34 in a direction away from the windshield that counteracts the force pressing against the windshield. A camera fixing spring 38 is provided on the right side surface of the spring support part 32. The camera fixing spring 38 extends in a band shape from the spring support part 32 to the right, and can bend elastically with the joint with the spring support part 32 as a fixed end. As a result, a biasing force is generated in the camera fixing spring 38 in a direction away from the windshield that counteracts the force pressing against the windshield. The tip of the camera fixing spring 38 is a free end and can swing freely.

A hood fixing spring piece 48 is provided on the left side of the spring support portion 32 at the upper rear end of the right side wall 18. The hood fixing spring piece 48 protrudes rearward and downward in a J-shape from the rear surface of the right side wall 18. The hood fixing spring piece 48 can bend elastically with the joint with the upper rear end of the right side wall 18 as the fixed end. This generates a forward and downward biasing force in the hood fixing spring piece 48 that counteracts the force pressing rearward and upward.

The left and right hook walls 42 on which the clawed protrusions 22b of the hood 14 are hooked are provided on the front lower part of the back side of the bracket 12. The left and right hook walls 42 are erected from the back side of the bracket 12 at the front lower end on both sides of the bracket 12, extend in the vehicle width direction, and have one end (inner end) at the position where the clawed protrusions 22b are hooked. In front of the left and right hook walls 42, abutment ribs 44 are provided that extend along the back side of the bracket 12. The abutment rib 44 extends forward and downward from the front lower surface of the hook wall 42 and protrudes from the front lower edge of the bracket 12. A hood fixing claw 46 is provided on the left side of the right abutment rib 44. The hood fixing claw 46 protrudes from the front lower edge of the bracket 12. The tip of the hood fixing claw 46 is formed in a hook shape, and becomes thicker from the tip toward the base, and then the thickness rapidly decreases. A hood fixing claw 46 with a similar structure is provided on the right side of the left abutment rib 44.

When the hood 14 is fixed to the bracket 12, the rear upper end of the hood 14 is brought closer towards the front lower end of the bracket 12. This causes the left clawed protrusion 22b to hook onto the right end of the left hook wall 42, and the right clawed protrusion 22b to hook onto the left end of the right hook wall 42. In addition, the left and right hood fixing claws 46 on the bracket 12 are hooked onto the upper sides of the left and right insertion base parts 22a. The tips of the left and right abutment ribs 44 abut against the innermost parts of the recesses 24 formed in the left and right insertion base parts 22a.

3 shows the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1 with the hood 14 fixed to the bracket 12 together with the vehicle-mounted camera 10. FIG. 3 is a view seen from the front and bottom, similar to FIG. 2. The bracket 12 is provided with a first hanging ring 50, a second hanging ring 52, and a third hanging ring 54 for engaging with the first camera protrusion 62, the second camera protrusion 64, and the third camera protrusion 66 of the vehicle-mounted camera 10. The first hanging ring 50 is provided on the left side of the bracket 12. The second hanging ring 52 is provided on the right front lower side of the bracket 12, and the third hanging ring 54 is provided on the right rear upper side of the bracket 12. Each hanging ring 50, 52, 54 is formed in a U-shape, and both ends of each hanging ring 50, 52, 54 are connected to the back side of the bracket 12. The openings of each hanging ring 50, 52, 54 are closed by the back side of the bracket 12, and the openings are directed in the vehicle width direction. A camera hole is formed between the front lower end of the bracket 12 and the rear upper end of the hood 14 so that the imaging element 20 of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 can view forward.

The vehicle-mounted camera 10 has a housing 56 that is substantially L-shaped when viewed from the side. The housing 56 is made up of a camera base portion 58 that extends in a direction along the bracket 12, and an erect portion 60 that protrudes from the rear upper end of the camera base portion 58 (the end away from the hood 14) toward the bracket 12, and the imaging element 20 is fixed to the front of the erect portion 60.

A first camera protrusion 62 is provided on the left side of the housing 56. A second camera protrusion 64 and a third camera protrusion 66 are provided on the right side of the housing 56, arranged in front and behind. The first camera protrusion 62 protrudes leftward from the left side of the housing 56, and the second camera protrusion 64 and the third camera protrusion 66 protrude rightward from the right side of the housing 56. Each of the camera protrusions 62, 64, 66 may be cylindrical or prismatic.

When the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is attached to the bracket 12, the first camera protrusion 62 is first inserted into the opening of the first hanging ring 50. The vehicle-mounted camera 10 is brought closer to the first hanging ring 50 and is in the initial mounting state in which it is in contact with the first camera pressing spring 28, the second camera pressing spring 30, and the third camera pressing spring 34.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the third hanging ring 54. In the following description, the direction toward the windshield when viewed from the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1 is referred to as the upward direction, and the direction away from the windshield is referred to as the downward direction. The third hanging ring 54 is provided with a leaf spring 68 that protrudes leftward from its inner surface. The tip of the leaf spring 68 is provided with a contact protrusion 70 that protrudes downward. When the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is in the initial mounting state, the top surface of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 comes into contact with the contact protrusion 70 of the leaf spring 68.

As a result, the leaf spring 68 bends upward and presses the vehicle-mounted camera 10 downward. An anti-break rib 72 that extends downward on the back surface of the bracket 12 is provided above the contact protrusion 70 of the leaf spring 68. If the vehicle-mounted camera 10 presses the leaf spring 68 strongly, causing the leaf spring 68 to bend significantly, the leaf spring 68 comes into contact with the lower end of the anti-break rib 72, limiting the bending. This prevents excessive stress from being applied to the leaf spring 68.

Figure 5 shows the vehicle-mounted camera 10 and the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1 in the initial installation state. Figure 5 is a view from the front lower side of the vehicle cabin. From this state, the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is moved to the right while being pressed toward the windshield, so that the second camera protrusion 64 and the third camera protrusion 66 are inserted into the openings of the second hanging ring 52 and the third hanging ring 54, respectively. With each camera protrusion inserted into each hanging ring, the first camera pressing spring 28, the second camera pressing spring 30, and the third camera pressing spring 34 (Figure 3) press the vehicle-mounted camera 10 in a direction away from the windshield, and each camera protrusion is pressed against each hanging ring. As a result, each camera protrusion is suspended from each hanging ring, and the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is held by the bracket 12 with each camera protrusion freely sliding. By pressing each camera protrusion against each hanging ring, the sliding direction of each camera protrusion is determined, and the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is reliably guided in the vehicle width direction.

Figure 6 shows a cross section of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 and vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1 in the initial installation state, taken along line AA in Figure 5. However, to simplify the drawing, the shading indicating the cross section of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 has been omitted. The same applies to the vehicle-mounted camera 10 in each of the following drawings. As explained below, by moving the vehicle-mounted camera 10 to the right, the camera fixing spring 38 engages with the vehicle-mounted camera 10, preventing the vehicle-mounted camera 10 from moving in the vehicle width direction.

The camera fixing spring 38 extends from the spring support 32 to the right through the extension region 74, extends diagonally downward to the right through the diagonal region 76, and then draws an upwardly concave curve in the concave region 78. The edge 80 at the right end of the top surface of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 protrudes upward. By moving the vehicle-mounted camera 10 to the right, the edge 80 slides along the bottom surface of the camera fixing spring 38.

As the edge 80 moves from the extension region 74 to the diagonal region 76, the camera fixing spring 38 is pushed up by the edge 80. As the edge 80 approaches the recessed region 78 from the diagonal region 76, the recessed region 78 engages with the edge 80 as shown in FIG. 7. As the recessed region 78 engages with the edge 80, the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is prevented from moving in the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is fixed to the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1.

As shown in FIG. 7, the tip of the camera fixing spring 38 is located at a position that protrudes from the edge 80 of the vehicle-mounted camera 10, and the camera fixing spring 38 is free to swing with the connection part with the spring support part 32 as the fixed end. In other words, the camera fixing spring 38 extends from the fixed end in the hood 14 toward the edge 80 as the fitting part of the vehicle-mounted camera 10, and the tip is a free end and is free to swing in the direction of fitting and disengaging with the edge 80 (up and down).

This structure makes it easy to remove the vehicle-mounted camera 10 from the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the user pushes up the tip of the camera fixing spring 38 to release the engagement between the recessed area 78 and the edge portion 80, allowing the vehicle-mounted camera 10 to move freely in the vehicle width direction. The user simply moves the vehicle-mounted camera 10 to the left, returning the vehicle-mounted camera 10 to its initial installation state, and then removes the vehicle-mounted camera 10 from below.

9 shows a cross section of the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1 with the vehicle-mounted camera 10 fixed thereto, which appears when the structure is cut along line BB in FIG. 5, by a solid line. The bottom plate 16 of the hood 14 extends from the lower front to the upper rear, and the right side wall 18 extends upward from the rear end of the bottom plate 16. A hood fixing spring piece 48 protrudes from the rear surface of the side wall 18. The hood fixing spring piece 48 bends downward from the rear surface of the side wall 18 to the lower part of the side wall 18. A hood pressing part 82 that protrudes upward is formed on the upper surface of the camera base part 58 of the housing 56 of the vehicle-mounted camera 10. The hood pressing part 82 may extend in the vehicle width direction. The hood pressing part 82 contacts the front surface of the tip of the hood fixing spring piece 48. When the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is held by the bracket 12, the hood pressing part 82 presses the hood fixing spring piece 48 backward.

Figure 9 shows by a two-dot chain line the cross section that appears when the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1 is cut along line CC in Figure 5. When the hood pressing portion 82 presses the hood fixing spring piece 48 rearward, the hood 14 is pressed rearward and the tip of the abutment rib 44 abuts against the innermost part of the recess 24 formed in the insertion base portion 22a. This attaches the vehicle-mounted camera 10 to the bracket 12 and securely fixes the hood 14 to the bracket 12. With the hood 14 securely fixed to the bracket 12, each camera pressing spring provided on the hood 14 securely presses the vehicle-mounted camera 10 against the bracket 12.

Figure 10 shows a cross section of the vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure 1 with the vehicle-mounted camera 10 fixed thereto, taken along line DD in Figure 5. The top surface of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 comes into contact with the contact protrusion 70 of the leaf spring 68, and the leaf spring 68 presses the vehicle-mounted camera 10 downward. This causes the third camera protrusion 66 of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 to be pressed against the third hanging ring 54. When the vehicle-mounted camera 10 is removed, depending on the direction of removal, the top surface of the vehicle-mounted camera 10 may press the leaf spring 68 strongly. Even if the leaf spring 68 bends significantly at this time, the leaf spring 68 comes into contact with the lower end of the anti-break rib 72, limiting the bending of the leaf spring 68. This prevents excessive stress from being applied to the leaf spring 68.

1 Vehicle-mounted camera fixing structure, 10 Vehicle-mounted camera, 12 Bracket, 14 Hood, 16 Bottom plate, 18 Side wall, 20 Imaging element, 22 Insertion structure, 22a Insertion base portion, 22b Protrusion with claw, 24 Recess, 26 Base portion, 28 First camera pressing spring, 30 Second camera pressing spring, 30a Camera pressing piece, 30b Elastic frame, 32 Spring support portion, 34 Third camera pressing spring, 38 Camera fixing spring, 42 Hook wall, 44 Abutment rib, 46 Hood fixing claw, 48 Hood fixing spring piece, 50 First hanging ring, 52 Second hanging ring, 54 Third hanging ring, 56 Housing, 58 Camera base portion, 60 Standing portion, 62 First camera protrusion portion, 64 Second camera protrusion portion, 66 Third camera protrusion portion, 68 Leaf spring, 70 contact protrusion, 72 anti-break rib, 74 extension area, 76 diagonal area, 78 recessed area, 80 edge.

Claims (1)

a bracket that is fixed to a windshield of a vehicle, the bracket being configured to move the vehicle-mounted camera in a vehicle width direction to mount the vehicle-mounted camera thereon , and that holds the vehicle-mounted camera downward ;
a hood fixed to a front of the bracket,
The hood is
a camera pressing spring that presses the vehicle-mounted camera downward to hold the vehicle-mounted camera against the bracket;
a camera fixing spring that is engaged with the vehicle-mounted camera and prevents the vehicle-mounted camera from moving in a vehicle width direction;
The camera fixing spring is
the hood extends in a vehicle width direction from a fixed end toward a fitting portion on an upper side of the vehicle-mounted camera, and is pivotable in a direction to be fitted into or removed from the fitting portion,
When the vehicle-mounted camera is attached to the bracket, the fitting portion slides along the lower surface of the camera fixing spring in the vehicle width direction, and then the camera fixing spring and the fitting portion fit together,
When the vehicle-mounted camera is removed from the bracket, the engagement between the camera fixing spring and the mating portion is released, and the bracket holds the vehicle-mounted camera so that it can move freely in the vehicle width direction .

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