Vehicle rearview mirror assembly with self-shading function and vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of vehicles, and aims to solve the problem of surface dust of the scene detection part of a vehicle, and provides a vehicle rearview mirror assembly with a self-shielding function and a vehicle, the vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising a base, a folding body, a driving motor, a first transmission mechanism and a scene detection device, the folding body being rotatably arranged on the base, the driving motor being arranged on the base and being capable of driving the folding body to rotate relative to the base through the first transmission mechanism, the scene detection device being arranged in the folding body and a detection part thereof being exposed from the folding body, the rearview mirror assembly further comprising a second transmission mechanism and a shielding member, the second transmission mechanism directly driving the shielding member to move by the driving motor or indirectly driving the shielding member to move by the first transmission mechanism, when the folding body is driven to a folded state by the first transmission mechanism, the shielding member is driven to a position capable of shielding the detection part by the second transmission mechanism, so as to ensure the detection accuracy of the scene detection device and improve the safety of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle technology, specifically to a rearview mirror assembly and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Autonomous vehicles can use multiple sensors to perceive their surroundings in a 360-degree manner and navigate autonomously to guide passengers to their destination. LiDAR, an essential sensing component in autonomous driving systems, is typically positioned at the front side of the vehicle. LiDAR provides the vehicle's global location on a high-precision map and tracks various parameters during its journey. While dust doesn't easily accumulate on the lens surface during driving due to rapid airflow, after parking, the surface of the LiDAR or camera remains exposed to dust, which can affect the clarity of detection, reducing safety during autonomous driving and compromising the customer experience.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need in the art for a new vehicle rearview mirror assembly and vehicle with self-shading function to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problem, namely, to solve the problem of dust accumulation on the surface of the lidar or camera of a vehicle.

[0005] This invention provides a vehicle rearview mirror assembly with self-shading function and a vehicle. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly includes a base, a folding body, a drive motor, a first transmission mechanism, and a scene detection device. The folding body is rotatably mounted on the base. The drive motor is mounted on the base and can drive the folding body to rotate relative to the base through the first transmission mechanism. The scene detection device is mounted inside the folding body, and the detection part of the scene detection device is exposed outside the folding body. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly also includes a second transmission mechanism and a blocking member. The second transmission mechanism is configured to be able to move by being directly driven by the drive motor or indirectly driven by the first transmission mechanism to move the blocking member. When the folding body is driven to rotate to a folded state through the first transmission mechanism, the blocking member is driven by the second transmission mechanism to move to a position that can block the detection part of the scene detection device.

[0006] With this setup, when the drive motor returns the folding body to its folded state, the scene detection device on the folding body moves to a fixed position. Simultaneously, the second transmission mechanism moves the blocking component to the same fixed position. This allows for the rotation of the folding body and the movement of the blocking component to be achieved with only one drive source. The blocking component then blocks the detection part of the scene detection device, preventing dust accumulation from affecting the detection effect after prolonged exposure. This ensures the accuracy of the scene detection device, improves vehicle safety during driving, and allows the rearview mirrors to be folded when the vehicle is not in use, improving aesthetics, reducing usable space, and saving costs.

[0007] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle rearview mirror assembly, the second transmission mechanism is a gear and rack pair. The power input side of the gear and rack pair is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor or to the first transmission mechanism, and the power output side of the gear and rack pair is connected to the shielding component. By setting the gear and rack pair in this way, the utilization efficiency of the drive motor can be improved, while saving space in the base. The drive motor provides power to the gear and rack pair, and then provides power to the shielding component.

[0008] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle rearview mirror assembly, the gear and rack pair includes a drive gear, a transmission gear, and a moving rod with a rack. The drive gear is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, the drive gear meshes with the transmission gear, and the transmission gear meshes with the rack. The blocking component is set on the moving rod. Through this arrangement, the transmission power of the gear is large, and the drive motor can be used more efficiently to drive both the gear and the rack simultaneously. At the same time, the applicability and flexibility of the drive motor are improved, and the structure is simple.

[0009] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle rearview mirror assembly, the first transmission mechanism includes a sleeve and a connecting rod. The sleeve is sleeved on the output shaft of the drive motor, one end of the connecting rod is connected to the sleeve, and the other end of the connecting rod is connected to the folding body. The drive gear is connected to the sleeve. With this arrangement, when the drive motor rotates, it can drive the connecting rod to fold the folding body, and at the same time drive the drive gear to mesh, ensuring the synchronous rotation of the two gears.

[0010] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle rearview mirror assembly, the moving rod is configured to extend from the base, and the blocking component is a felt disposed at the extended end of the moving rod. The felt is configured to wipe and clean the detection part of the scene detection device while it blocks the detection part of the scene detection device. With this configuration, the felt can not only block the detection part of the scene detection device, but also clean it. That is, the felt can remove dirt from the detection part of the scene detection device while blocking it, ensuring the detection accuracy of the scene detection device and ensuring the safety of the vehicle during use.

[0011] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle rearview mirror assembly, a guide rail is provided in the base, and the moving rod is set on the guide rail. The guide rail can guide the moving rod. With this arrangement, under the meshing of the transmission gear and rack, the moving rod can be guided to move on the guide rail, making the sliding of the moving rod more stable and improving the service life of the moving rod.

[0012] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle rearview mirror assembly, a cavity structure is formed on the base. The cavity structure accommodates at least a portion of the moving rod, allowing the moving rod to extend from and retract into the cavity structure. This arrangement forms a dustproof and protective cover for the moving rod and felt, thereby enabling the moving rod to move within the relatively fixed cavity structure. At the same time, it can prevent impurities such as mud and sand in the environment from entering the interior of the base during use, thus improving the overall aesthetics of the device.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment of the vehicle rearview mirror assembly described above, the felt is disposed on the upper surface of the extended end of the moving rod, and the extended end of the moving rod has an upwardly extending stop structure. The stop structure can block the felt. By such a arrangement, the stop structure can prevent the felt from falling out of the chamber, thereby increasing the stability of the device. When the moving rod moves to its limit position, the felt also moves to its limit position.

[0014] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned vehicle rearview mirror assembly, the moving rod retracts into the cavity structure, and the stop structure can cover the opening of the cavity structure. This arrangement enhances the aesthetics of the device. At the same time, the stop structure can limit the travel of the moving rod, and the stop structure can also cover the opening of the cavity structure to prevent dust from entering the cavity structure.

[0015] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a vehicle that includes the aforementioned rearview mirror assembly, thereby enabling the vehicle to also possess the aforementioned technical effects. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle before folding, according to the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle of the present invention after folding. Figure 2 ;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle before folding, according to the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle of the present invention after folding. Figure 2 .

[0021] List of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Base; 2. Folding body; 3. Drive motor; 4. Scene detection device; 5. Drive gear; 6. Transmission gear; 71. Moving rod; 72. Rack; 8. Sleeve; 9. Connecting rod; 10. Felt; 11. Guide rail; 12. Chamber structure; 13. Stop structure. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," which indicate directional or positional relationships, are based on the directional or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0024] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] Based on the problem of dust accumulation on the surface of lidar or cameras in vehicles mentioned in the background art, the present invention provides a vehicle rearview mirror assembly with self-masking function. It aims to use a drive motor to drive two transmission mechanisms until the detection part of the scene detection device coincides with the masking component, thereby making the masking component mask the detection part, ensuring the detection accuracy of the scene detection device, improving the safety of the vehicle during driving, and the rearview mirror can be folded to isolate dust when the vehicle is not in use.

[0026] Specifically, the vehicle of the present invention includes a vehicle body and two rearview mirror assemblies, which are located on the left front and right front sides of the vehicle body, respectively. The rearview mirror assemblies can be fixed to the vehicle door, or alternatively, to other components of the vehicle body. Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the vehicle rearview mirror assembly includes a base 1, a folding body 2, a drive motor 3, a first transmission mechanism, and a scene detection device 4. Those skilled in the art can flexibly set the specific position and fixing method of the drive motor 3 within the base 1 in practical applications. For example, it can be fixed to the base 1 by screwing, welding, or other methods. The first transmission mechanism and the drive motor 3 can be integrally cast or connected by bonding or other methods. The specific position and fixing method of the scene detection device 4 within the folding body 2 can also be adaptively adjusted according to actual applications, such as being connected to the folding body 2 by screwing, welding, bonding, or other methods. In a preferred embodiment, the folding body 2 is rotatably mounted on the base 1, and the drive motor 3 is mounted on the base 1 and drives the folding body 2 to rotate relative to the base 1 through a first transmission mechanism. A scene detection device 4 is disposed inside the folding body 2, with its detection portion protruding from the folding body 2. The scene detection device 4 is a lidar or camera. The drive motor 3 is fixed to the inner wall of the base 1 by screwing, and the scene detection device 4 is fixed to the inner wall of the folding body 2 by screwing. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of the present invention also includes a second transmission mechanism and a blocking component. (The last sentence appears to be a fragment and doesn't translate directly.) In practical applications, the personnel can flexibly set the specific position and fixing method of the second transmission mechanism within the base 1. For example, it can be connected to the inner wall of the base 1 by means of screwing, welding, or bonding. The second transmission mechanism is configured to be directly driven by the drive motor 3 or indirectly driven by the first transmission mechanism. For example, the second transmission mechanism can be indirectly driven by the first transmission mechanism to move linearly or rotate. In a preferred embodiment, the second transmission mechanism is indirectly driven by the first transmission mechanism to drive the blocking member to move linearly. When the folded body 2 rotates to the limit position of the folded state, the position of the blocking member coincides with the position of the detection part of the scene detection device 4 to block the detection part of the scene detection device 4. Of course, the position and fixing method in the above preferred embodiment are just examples and are not limited. The drive motor 3 can also be replaced with other drive sources. At the same time, the second transmission mechanism can also be configured to be indirectly driven by the first transmission mechanism to drive the blocking member to rotate to the limit position to block the detection part of the scene detection device 4. Those skilled in the art can flexibly set the specific implementation method and movement path of the above device according to the actual application, as long as the function of the present invention can be achieved and the optimal effect can be achieved.

[0027] The following reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The vehicle rearview mirror assembly in the embodiments of the present invention will be described. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle before folding, according to the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle of the present invention after folding. Figure 2 .

[0028] In embodiments of the present invention, the second transmission mechanism may employ a lead screw pair, a crank-slider structure, a cam guide rod pair, a gear and rack transmission, or other similar structures. The power input side of the second transmission mechanism may be connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 3 or to the first transmission mechanism. If the second transmission mechanism employs a cam guide rod pair, the cam may be a grooved cam. The rotating shaft of the grooved cam is sleeved and connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 3. One end of the guide rod is slidably disposed in the groove of the grooved cam, and the other end of the guide rod is connected to the blocking member. The drive motor 3 drives the grooved cam to rotate, thereby driving the guide rod to perform guiding motion. In a preferred embodiment, the second transmission mechanism is a gear and rack pair. The power input side of the gear and rack pair is connected to the first transmission mechanism or to the output shaft of the drive motor 3, and the power output side of the gear and rack pair is connected to the blocking member.

[0029] In the above preferred embodiment, the gear in the gear rack pair can be a spur gear, helical gear, bevel gear, etc., and can be one gear or two gears. If it is one gear, the input end of the gear is connected to the output end of the drive motor 3 and meshes with the rack. If it is two gears, the first gear is connected to the drive motor 3, thereby driving the second gear and the rack that mesh with it to move. Similarly, the rack in the gear rack pair can be a spur rack, helical rack, etc. The rack in the gear rack pair can be a separate rack or a rack integrally set on other components. Preferably, in this embodiment, the gear rack pair uses a spur gear, and the rack is a spur rack cast integrally with other components. Figure 3 In this embodiment, the gear and rack pair includes a drive gear 5, a transmission gear 6, and a moving rod 71 with a rack. The rack 72 on the moving rod 71 can be set according to the required meshing range. In the installed state, the drive gear 5 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the drive motor 3. The drive gear 5 is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 3. The drive gear 5 meshes with the transmission gear 6, and the transmission gear 6 meshes with the rack 72. The blocking component is set on the moving rod 71.

[0030] In this embodiment, the input end of the first transmission mechanism is connected to the output end of the drive motor 3, and the output end of the first transmission mechanism is connected to the folding body 2. The drive motor 3 drives the first transmission mechanism to fold the folding body 2. The input end of the first transmission mechanism can be directly connected to the output end of the drive motor 3 or indirectly connected to the outer periphery of the drive motor 3. (Refer to...) Figure 4In a preferred embodiment, the first transmission mechanism includes a sleeve 8 and a connecting rod 9. The connecting rod 9 and the folding body 2 can be connected by welding, riveting, screwing, etc. The connecting rod 9 and the sleeve 8 can be integrally formed, welded, or bonded. The sleeve 8 can be made of metal or high-strength plastic, such as POM plastic, ABS plastic, and other composite materials. Using hard plastic instead of metal to make the sleeve 8 can reduce wear between the sleeve 8 and the drive motor 3 while ensuring driving strength. The drive gear 5 is sleeved on the outer circumference of the bottom end or the outer circumference of the top end of the sleeve 8, or the drive gear 5 is integrally cast with the sleeve 8. Preferably, the sleeve 8 is made of ABS plastic. The sleeve 8 is sleeved on the output shaft of the drive motor 3. One end of the connecting rod 9 is welded to the sleeve 8, and the other end of the connecting rod 9 is fixed to the folding body 2 by screwing. The drive gear 5 is sleeved on the outer circumference of the bottom end of the sleeve 8. The drive motor 3 drives the drive gear 5 to rotate in the same direction through the sleeve 8.

[0031] Furthermore, the material of the shielding component can be polyurethane foam, polyester fiber, polyester fiber, etc., see further reference. Figure 3 In a preferred embodiment, the moving rod 71 is configured to extend from the base 1 to guide its movement. The felt 10 is made of a composite of wool and polyester fibers. When installed, the felt 10 can completely cover the detection part of the scene detection device 4 to prevent dust accumulation from affecting the detection effect. At the same time, the highest point of the felt 10 in contact with the detection part of the scene detection device 4 is higher than the detection part of the scene detection device 4. Since the felt 10 is made of a deformable material, it does not affect the covering effect of the felt 10 on the detection part of the scene detection device 4. When it covers the detection part of the scene detection device 4, it can repeatedly wipe and clean the detection part of the scene detection device 4, so that the detection part of the scene detection device 4 is cleaned under the cover of the felt 10.

[0032] Furthermore, a guide rail 11 is provided inside the base 1, which is arranged in the same direction as the moving rod 71, so that the guiding movement of the moving rod 71 is smoother. The moving rod 71 is set on the guide rail 11, and a sliding groove is formed inside the guide rail 11. A groove is formed at the bottom of the moving rod 71. The groove of the moving rod 71 is movably locked in the sliding groove of the guide rail 11, and there is a gap at the connection. The guide rail 11 can guide the moving rod 71.

[0033] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, a cavity structure 12 is formed on the base 1. The material of the cavity structure 12 is the same as that of the base 1. The direction of the cavity structure 12 is the same as the movement trajectory of the moving rod 71. The cavity structure 12 accommodates at least a part of the moving rod 71. A gap is formed between the cavity structure 12 and the moving rod 71, allowing the moving rod 71 to extend from and retract into the cavity structure 12, thereby forming a protective cavity for the moving rod 71, further enhancing the reliability and aesthetics of the device.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the blocking member can be a sheet-like blocking object disposed at the protruding end of the moving rod 71, or a sleeve-like blocking object fitted onto the protruding end of the moving rod 71, such as... Figure 4 As shown, preferably, the felt 10 is a sheet-like shielding material disposed on the upper surface of the extended end of the moving rod 71. To prevent the felt 10 from falling off due to friction when it overlaps with the scene detection part, the extended end of the moving rod 71 is provided with an upwardly extending stop structure 13. The stop structure 13 can block the felt 10. The stop structure 13 can be a protruding structure on one side of the moving direction of the moving rod 71, or a protruding structure on both sides or around the perimeter, as long as it can prevent the felt 10 from falling off. In this embodiment, the stop structure 13 is a protruding structure extending upward on one side of the moving direction of the moving rod 71. Those skilled in the art can also flexibly set the length and height of the chamber structure 12 and the stop structure 13 in practical applications.

[0035] In the preferred embodiment, when the drive motor 3 performs a reset drive, it drives the sleeve 8 to reset and rotate. At the same time, the connecting rod 9 drives the folding body 2 to reset and move back to its original position. The drive gear 5 starts to reset and rotate under the drive of the sleeve 8 and meshes with the transmission gear 6. Then, the transmission gear 6 meshes with the rack 72 provided on the moving rod 71. After the moving rod 71 slides out and completes the shielding and cleaning of the detection part of the scene detection device 4 by the felt 10, when the moving rod 71 retracts back into the chamber structure 12 under the action of the rack 72 meshing with the transmission gear 6, the stop structure 13 can cover the opening of the chamber structure 12 and isolate the chamber structure 12 from the external dust.

[0036] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly with self-shading function, characterized in that, The vehicle rearview mirror assembly includes a base, a folding body, a drive motor, a first transmission mechanism, and a scene detection device. The folding body is rotatably mounted on the base. The drive motor is mounted on the base and can drive the folding body to rotate relative to the base via the first transmission mechanism. The scene detection device is disposed within the folding body, and the detection portion of the scene detection device protrudes from the folding body. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly also includes a second transmission mechanism and a blocking member. The second transmission mechanism is configured to be able to move by being directly driven by the drive motor or indirectly driven by the first transmission mechanism to move the blocking member. When the folding body is driven to rotate to a folded state by the first transmission mechanism, the blocking member is driven by the second transmission mechanism to move to a position that can block the detection part of the scene detection device.

2. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second transmission mechanism is a gear and rack pair. The power input side of the gear and rack pair is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor or to the first transmission mechanism, and the power output side of the gear and rack pair is connected to the shielding member.

3. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gear and rack pair includes a drive gear, a transmission gear, and a moving rod with a rack. The drive gear is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, the drive gear meshes with the transmission gear, the transmission gear meshes with the rack, and the blocking member is disposed on the moving rod.

4. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first transmission mechanism includes a sleeve and a connecting rod. The sleeve is sleeved on the output shaft of the drive motor. One end of the connecting rod is connected to the sleeve, and the other end of the connecting rod is connected to the folding body. The drive gear is connected to the sleeve.

5. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The moving rod is configured to extend from the base, and the shielding member is a felt disposed at the extended end of the moving rod. The felt is configured to wipe and clean the detection part of the scene detection device while it is shielding the detection part of the scene detection device.

6. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The base is provided with a guide rail, and the moving rod is mounted on the guide rail, which can guide the moving rod.

7. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, A cavity structure is formed on the base, the cavity structure accommodating at least a portion of the moving rod, and enabling the moving rod to extend from and retract into the cavity structure.

8. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The felt is disposed on the upper surface of the extended end of the moving rod, and the extended end of the moving rod has an upwardly extending stop structure that can block the felt.

9. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The moving rod retracts into the chamber structure, and the stop structure can cover the opening of the chamber structure.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes the vehicle rearview mirror assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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