Vehicle camera device

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle-mounted camera device that prevents dew condensation with high energy efficiency. A vehicle-mounted camera device (5) includes a bracket (16) fixed to an inner surface (6A) of a window panel (6), a camera (11) supported by the bracket, and a heater (33) provided to the bracket. The bracket includes a frame portion (19) fixed to the inner surface of the window panel, a cover portion (18) bulging from the frame portion toward an inside of the vehicle to define a field-of-view space (S) of the camera on the inside of the window panel, a reflected-wave reduction structure (30) provided to an outer surface (32) of the cover portion on a side facing the window panel, and a plurality of air holes (37) penetrating the cover portion. The heater is disposed on a side of the cover portion opposite the field-of-view space.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a vehicle camera device. BACKGROUND

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicle camera fixed to a window panel. The vehicle camera has a bracket fixed to an inner surface of the window panel, a camera supported to the bracket, and a heater provided to the bracket. The bracket has a frame portion fixed to the inner surface of the window panel, and a cover portion bulging from the frame portion toward an inside of a vehicle, which defines a field-of-view space of the camera on the inside of the window panel. The heater is provided to a lower surface of the cover portion, which heats the cover portion. Thereby, heat of the cover portion is transferred to the window panel, which prevents dew condensation at a portion of the window panel corresponding to the field-of-view space.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-163902 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] However, there is a problem that the heat transfer efficiency via the bracket is poor, and the energy consumption of the heater becomes large. Especially, in a case where the bracket is formed of resin, the efficiency of the heat transfer is further reduced.

[0008] The present application is made in view of the above background, and an object thereof is to prevent dew condensation with high energy efficiency in a vehicle camera device. Another object of the present application is to further improve the safety of traffic by preventing dew condensation, which contributes to the development of sustainable transport systems.

[0009] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0010] To solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present application is a vehicle camera device including: a bracket fixed to an inner surface of a window panel; a camera supported to the bracket; and a heater provided to the bracket, the bracket including: a frame portion fixed to the inner surface of the window panel; a cover portion bulging from the frame portion toward an inside of a vehicle, which defines a field-of-view space of the camera on the inside of the window panel; a reflected-wave reducing structure provided to an outer surface of the cover portion toward the window panel side; and a plurality of air vents through the cover portion, the heater being disposed on a side of the cover portion opposite to the field-of-view space.

[0011] According to the aspect, the air heated by the heater is supplied to the field of view space through the plurality of air holes, and the vehicle window panel can be heated. Thus, in the vehicle camera device, dew condensation can be prevented with high energy efficiency. In addition, the vehicle camera device can further improve the safety of traffic and contribute to the development of a sustainable transport system by preventing dew condensation.

[0012] In the above aspect, the reflection wave reduction structure can have a plurality of groove portions extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the camera, and the plurality of air holes can be opened at bottoms of the plurality of groove portions.

[0013] According to the aspect, the air heated by the heater is supplied to the field of view space through the plurality of air holes, and the vehicle window panel can be heated. Thus, in the vehicle camera device, dew condensation can be prevented with high energy efficiency. In addition, the vehicle camera device can further improve the safety of traffic and contribute to the development of a sustainable transport system by preventing dew condensation.

[0014] In the above aspect, the plurality of air holes can respectively extend along the bottoms of the groove portions.

[0015] According to the aspect, the opening area of the air holes can be increased. Thus, the air heated by the heater can be supplied to the vehicle window panel more.

[0016] In the above aspect, each of the groove portions of the reflection wave reduction structure can be formed by a first inclined surface toward the camera side and a second inclined surface toward the side opposite to the camera, have a triangular cross section, and the air holes can be opened at the second inclined surfaces.

[0017] According to the aspect, the air heated by the heater is supplied to the field of view space through the plurality of air holes, and the vehicle window panel can be heated. Thus, in the vehicle camera device, dew condensation can be prevented with high energy efficiency. In addition, the vehicle camera device can further improve the safety of traffic and contribute to the development of a sustainable transport system by preventing dew condensation.

[0018] In the above aspect, the plurality of air holes can respectively extend in a direction perpendicular to the second inclined surfaces.

[0019] According to the aspect, the air heated by the heater is supplied to the field of view space through the plurality of air holes, and the vehicle window panel can be heated. Thus, in the vehicle camera device, dew condensation can be prevented with high energy efficiency. In addition, the vehicle camera device can further improve the safety of traffic and contribute to the development of a sustainable transport system by preventing dew condensation.

[0020] In the above aspect, the heater can be provided to an inner surface of the cover portion opposite to the outer surface.

[0021] According to the aspect, the heater can be supported by the cover portion.

[0022] In the above aspect, an air passage can be formed between the heater and the inner surface.

[0023] According to the aspect, the heater can heat the air present in the air passage.

[0024] In the above-described aspect, the vent passage can be formed by a recess formed in the inner surface.

[0025] According to this aspect, the vent passage can be easily formed in the inner surface of the cover portion.

[0026] In the above-described aspect, the vehicle interior side of the bracket, the camera, and the heater can be covered by a cover.

[0027] According to this aspect, the cover suppresses movement of air, so the heater can efficiently heat air.

[0028] Another aspect of the present application is a vehicle camera device including a bracket fixed to an inner surface of a window panel, a camera supported by the bracket, and a heater provided to the bracket, the bracket including a frame portion fixed to the inner surface of the window panel, a cover portion bulging from the frame portion toward a vehicle interior side and defining a field of view space of the camera on the vehicle interior side of the window panel, and a reflected wave reduction structure provided to an outer surface of the cover portion on a side facing the window panel, the reflected wave reduction structure including a plurality of groove portions extending in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the camera, the heater being disposed at bottoms of the plurality of groove portions.

[0029] According to this aspect, the heater is disposed at a position closer to the window panel than the bracket, so the heater can heat the window panel. Thus, in the vehicle camera device, dew condensation can be prevented with high energy efficiency. In addition, the vehicle camera device can further improve safety of traffic and contribute to development of a sustainable transport system by preventing dew condensation.

[0030] Effects of the Invention

[0031] According to the above aspect, in the vehicle camera device, dew condensation can be prevented with high energy efficiency. In addition, the present application can further improve safety of traffic and contribute to development of a sustainable transport system by preventing dew condensation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a side view showing a front portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle camera device of the first embodiment.

[0033] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle camera device of the first embodiment and a surrounding portion thereof.

[0034] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the vehicle camera device of the first embodiment.

[0035] Figure 4 is a view showing a reflected wave reduction structure of the vehicle camera device of the first embodiment.

[0036] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle camera device of a second embodiment and its periphery.

[0037] Figure 6 is a view showing a reflected wave reducing structure of the vehicle camera device of the second embodiment.

[0038] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0039] 5: Vehicle camera device of the first embodiment

[0040] 6: Front window (example of a window panel)

[0041] 6A: Inner surface (of the front window)

[0042] 11: Front camera (example of a camera)

[0043] 16: Bracket

[0044] 18: Cover portion

[0045] 19: Frame portion

[0046] 28: Cover

[0047] 30: Reflected wave reducing structure

[0048] 33: Heater of the first embodiment

[0049] 34a: First inclined surface

[0050] 35a: Second inclined surface

[0051] 36: Groove portion

[0052] 39: Inner surface

[0053] 37: Vent hole

[0054] 40: Vent passage

[0055] 50: Vehicle camera device of the second embodiment

[0056] 82: Outer surface

[0057] 83: Heater

[0058] S: Field of view space DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] <First Embodiment>

[0060] Hereinafter, a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle camera device 5 of the first embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. The arrow Fr indicated in each drawing represents the front of the vehicle 1.

[0061] Referring to Figure 1 , the vehicle 1 is a 4-wheel automobile. The vehicle 1 has a vehicle body 2 that is long in a front-rear direction. An interior space SP1 is formed inside the vehicle body 2, and a plurality of seats 4 is provided at a central portion in the front-rear direction of the interior space SP1.

[0062] In a front portion of the vehicle 1, a front window 6 (an example of a window panel) is provided in front of the plurality of seats 4. The front window 6 demarcates the interior space SP1 and an exterior space SP2 (a space in front of the vehicle 1 in the present embodiment). The front window 6 is inclined toward an upper direction rearward.

[0063] Referring to Figure 2 , the front window 6 has a base material layer 8 and a light-shielding layer 9 that overlaps the upper central portion of the base material layer 8 from the interior side. The base material layer 8 is formed of glass and has transparency. In other embodiments, the base material layer 8 can also be formed of a transparent material other than glass (for example, a transparent resin). The light-shielding layer 9 is formed of black ceramic that is printed on the inner surface of the base material layer 8 and does not have transparency. In other embodiments, the light-shielding layer 9 can also be formed of a material other than black ceramic that has lower transparency than the base material layer 8. A substantially step-shaped opening portion 10 is provided at the central portion of the light-shielding layer 9.

[0064] A front camera 11 (an example of a camera) is provided at the upper rear portion of the front window 6. The front camera 11 is a device that photographs the exterior space SP2 from the interior space SP1 via the front window 6. The front camera 11 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistor), or the like. The front camera 11 is connected to a control device 12 (refer to Figure 1 ). The control device 12 is configured to perform advanced driver assistance control (for example, lane maintenance control, preceding vehicle following control) of the vehicle 1 based on image data transmitted from the front camera 11. The front camera 11 has a lens 13 that converges light incident from the front, left and right plate portions 15 (only the right plate portion 15 is shown in Figure 2 ) provided to the left and right of the lens 13, and a camera body 14 that holds the lens 13. The left and right plate portions 15 have main surfaces that sandwich the lens 13 therebetween. The left and right plate portions 15 extend in the axial direction of the front camera 11. The lower portion of the camera body 14 extends forward more than the upper portion of the camera body 14.

[0065] A bracket 16 is fixed to an inner surface of the substrate layer 8 and the light-shielding layer 9 of the front window 6 (hereinafter, referred to as "an inner surface 6A of the front window 6"). The bracket 16 supports the front camera 11. The bracket 16 and the front camera 11 constitute a vehicle-mounted camera device 5 together. A cover 28 (refer to Figure 3 ) is disposed at a position inward of the bracket 16 and the front camera 11. The cover 28 is connected to the bracket 16 at a front upper side (a front window 6 side) thereof, and houses the front camera 11 inside.

[0066] The bracket 16 has a frame portion 19 fixed to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6, and a cover portion 18 bulging from the frame portion 19 toward a rear lower side (an in-vehicle side).

[0067] The frame portion 19 of the bracket 16 is disposed along the inner surface 6A of the front window 6, and is bonded to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6. In addition, the bonding structure of the frame portion 19 with respect to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6 is described later.

[0068] With reference to Figure 3 , the frame portion 19 has a square frame shape. The frame portion 19 has a front plate portion 22 extending in the left-right direction, left and right side plate portions 23 extending from the front plate portion 22 toward the rear upper side, and a rear plate portion 24 extending in the left-right direction and connecting rear end portions of the left and right side plate portions 23. A support mechanism 25 for supporting a front and rear mirror (not shown) below the vehicle-mounted camera device 5 is formed in the front plate portion 22. The cover 28 is connected to the outer edge of the frame portion 19. The cover 28 covers the cover portion 18 from the in-vehicle side.

[0069] With reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the cover portion 18 of the bracket 16 defines a field-of-view space S (hereinafter, simply referred to as "field-of-view space S") of the front camera 11 on the in-vehicle side of the front window 6. The field-of-view space S is a space for making light from the outside space SP2 of the vehicle incident to the lens 13 of the front camera 11, and is provided on the rear side (in-vehicle side) of the front window 6. The field-of-view space S is provided at a position corresponding to the opening portion 10 of the light-shielding layer 9 of the front window 6, and light from the outside space SP2 of the vehicle is incident to the field-of-view space S through the opening portion 10.

[0070] The cover portion 18 includes left and right side wall portions 26 extending downward from the left and right side plate portions 23 of the frame portion 19, and a bottom wall portion 27 connecting lower end portions of the left and right side wall portions 26.

[0071] The left and right side wall portions 26 of the cover portion 18 define left and right side portions of the field-of-view space S. The left and right side wall portions 26 are provided integrally with the frame portion 19. The opposite interval of the left and right side wall portions 26 gradually widens as it goes from the rear toward the front.

[0072] The bottom wall portion 27 of the cover portion 18 demarcates a lower portion of the field-of-view space S. The bottom wall portion 27 has an outer surface 32 that opposes the front window 6 and an inner surface 39 that is opposite the outer surface 32. The outer surface 32 opposes the front window 6 at a spaced interval in the up-down direction. The opposing interval between the outer surface 32 of the bottom wall portion 27 and the front window 6 gradually widens as it goes from the front toward the rear. A camera chamber 29 is provided at the rear of the cover portion 18.

[0073] The camera chamber 29 houses the lenses 13 and the left and right plate portions 15 of the front camera 11 inside thereof. The camera chamber 29 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped hollow structure. The camera chamber 29 is open upward at an upper portion thereof. The upper portion of the camera chamber 29 is connected to the left and right side wall portions 26 and the rear wall portion 24. The camera chamber 29 is open forward at a front portion thereof. The front portion of the camera chamber 29 is connected to the left and right side wall portions 26 and the bottom wall portion 27 of the cover portion 18. The front camera 11 is housed in the camera chamber 29 in a manner such that the left and right plate portions 15 extend from the rear toward the front of the camera chamber 29. The front ends of the left and right plate portions 15 can be disposed in a manner that approaches the connection portion of the front portion of the camera chamber 29 and the rear portion of the cover portion 18. In the camera chamber 29, the camera body 14 of the front camera 11 is mounted via a mounting mechanism (not shown).

[0074] A reflection wave reduction structure 30 (SLS: Stray Light Shield) for suppressing stray light (reflected light) that is incident on the lenses 13 of the front camera 11 is provided on the outer surface 32 of the bottom wall portion 27. For example, the reflection wave reduction structure 30 is composed of a plurality of protrusions 31 that are arranged continuously in the front-rear direction.

[0075] Referring to Figure 2 to Figure 4 , each protrusion 31 extends in a linear shape in the left-right direction and is arranged to the lower end portion of the left and right side wall portions 26. The protrusions 31 each have a first inclined surface 34 that faces the camera side and a second inclined surface 35 that faces the side opposite the camera.

[0076] The first inclined surface 34 and the second inclined surface 35 are each imparted with an angle in a manner that allows light that is incident from the outside space SP2 to be accepted. The first inclined surface 34 is imparted with an angle in a manner that allows light that is incident from a position that is relatively higher up to be accepted. The second inclined surface 35 is imparted with an angle in a manner that allows light that is incident from a position that is relatively more forward to be accepted. The first inclined surface 34 and the second inclined surface 35 are connected to each other at respective upper ends. Thus, the upper portion of each protrusion 31 has a triangular cross section.

[0077] The plurality of protrusions 31 is composed of a plurality of protrusions 31a disposed at the front portion of the bottom wall portion 27 and a plurality of protrusions 31b disposed at the rear portion of the bottom wall portion 27. A pitch P1 is provided between the plurality of protrusions 31a. A pitch P2 is provided between the plurality of protrusions 31b. The pitch P1 is larger than the pitch P2. In addition, the first inclined surface 34 includes a first inclined surface 34a of the protrusion 31a and a first inclined surface 34b of the protrusion 31b. The second inclined surface 35 includes a second inclined surface 35a of the protrusion 31a and a second inclined surface 35b of the protrusion 31b. An angle Θ1 formed by the first inclined surface 34a and the second inclined surface 35a of the protrusion 31a and an angle Θ2 formed by the first inclined surface 34b and the second inclined surface 35b of the protrusion 31b are different from each other. The angle Θ1 can be smaller than the angle Θ2. The angle Θ1 can also be larger than the angle Θ2. In another embodiment, the angle Θ1 and the angle Θ2 can also be equal. A groove portion 36 is defined between two protrusions 31a adjacent in the front-rear direction.

[0078] The groove portion 36 is defined by the first inclined surface 34a of the protrusion 31a on the front side and the second inclined surface 35a of the protrusion 31a on the rear side among two protrusions 31a adjacent in the front-rear direction. That is, each groove portion 36 is formed by the first inclined surface 34a and the second inclined surface 35a, and has a triangular cross section toward a direction opposite to the up-down direction of each protrusion 31a. The groove portion 36 is formed along the extension direction of the protrusion 31a. That is, the groove portion 36 extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the front camera 11. An air passage hole 37 is provided at the bottom of each groove portion 36.

[0079] The air passage hole 37 extends along the bottom of the groove portion 36. That is, the air passage hole 37 extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the front camera 11. The air passage hole 37 is opened on the second inclined surface 35a of the protrusion 31a on the rear side among the two protrusions 31a defining the groove portion 36. The air passage hole 37 extends in a direction perpendicular to the second inclined surface 35a. That is, the air passage hole 37 is opened toward the front and upward. The air passage hole 37 is provided so as to penetrate the bottom wall portion 27.

[0080] The front portion of the bottom wall portion 27 has left and right side portions 27A and left and right central portions 27B. The left and right side portions 27A and the left and right central portions 27B are each divided left and right by a plurality of wall portions 38.

[0081] The wall portion 38 is provided at the groove portion 36, and connects the inner surface 39 side and the outer surface 32 side of the bottom wall portion 27. The wall portion 38 connects the first inclined surface 34a of the protrusion 31a on the front side and the second inclined surface 35a of the protrusion 31a on the rear side among two protrusions 31a adjacent. Thus, the wall portion 38 divides the groove portion 36 in the left-right direction.

[0082] The left and right side portions 27A are provided integrally with the left and right side wall portions 26. The left and right central portions 27B can be detachably embedded in the left and right side portions 27A of the bottom wall portion 27. In this case, the wall portion 38 can be formed integrally with either one of the left and right side portions 27A and the left and right central portions 27B. Alternatively, the wall portion 38 can be formed integrally with both of the left and right side portions 27A and the left and right central portions 27B. A pair of claw portions 42 are provided on the inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27.

[0083] The pair of claw portions 42 are provided on the front and rear portions of the bottom wall portion 27. The claw portions 42 extend downward from the inner surface 39, respectively. The end portion of one claw portion 42 provided on the front portion of the bottom wall portion 27 is bent rearward. The end portion of the other claw portion 42 provided on the rear portion of the bottom wall portion 27 is bent forward. Thus, the end portions of the pair of claw portions 42 face each other. The claw portions 42 are formed in the left and right directions of the bottom wall portion 27, respectively. The pair of claw portions 42 can extend in the left and right directions or a plurality of claw portions 42 can be provided in the left and right directions. The heater 33 is supported by the pair of claw portions 42.

[0084] The heater 33 heats the front window 6. The heater 33 constitutes the vehicle-mounted camera device 5 together with the front camera 11 and the bracket 16. The heater 33 is constituted by a plurality of electric heating wires (not shown). The heater 33 is supported below the inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27. In addition, the heater 33 is located directly above the lower portion of the camera main body 14 of the front camera 11. That is, the heater 33 is disposed on the side opposite to the field-of-view space S of the cover portion 18. In the present embodiment, the heater 33 is disposed throughout the entirety of the bottom wall portion 27. In another embodiment, the heater 33 can be disposed throughout the front portion of the bottom wall portion 27 corresponding to the protrusion 31a. The air passage 40 is formed between the heater 33 and the inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27.

[0085] The air passage 40 is a region in which air heated by the heater 33 flows inside. The air passage 40 is formed by a recessed portion 45 formed in the inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27. The recessed portion 45 can be disposed throughout the entire inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27. The recessed portion 45 is demarcated by a plurality of convex portions 46 protruding downward from the inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27.

[0086] The plurality of convex portions 46 can be disposed in a lattice-like pattern in a bottom view of the bottom wall portion 27. In another embodiment, the convex portions 46 can be disposed in other regular patterns in the bottom view of the bottom wall portion 27. In another embodiment, the convex portions 46 can be irregularly disposed in the bottom view of the bottom wall portion 27.

[0087] Next, the bonding configuration of the frame portion 19 with respect to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6 will be described in detail. The frame portion 19 has an opposing surface 41 that is substantially parallel to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6. In other embodiments, however, the opposing surface 41 can not be substantially parallel to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6. The opposing surface 41 can be a flat surface, or can be partially or entirely curved. The opposing surface 41 is bonded to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6 via an adhesive (not shown). The adhesive is covered by the light-shielding layer 9 of the front window 6 when viewed from the outside of the vehicle. That is, the adhesive is disposed at a position that cannot be visually confirmed from the outside of the vehicle.

[0088] The opposing surface 41 of the frame portion 19 has a covered portion 43 and an exposed portion 44. The covered portion 43 is constituted by the outer surface of the front portion of the front plate portion 22, the outer surfaces of the left and right side plate portions 23, and the outer surface of the rear plate portion 24. The covered portion 43 is covered by the light-shielding layer 9 of the front window 6 when viewed from the outside of the vehicle. That is, the covered portion 43 is disposed at a position that cannot be visually recognized from the outside of the vehicle. The exposed portion 44 is constituted by the outer surface of the rear portion of the front plate portion 22. The exposed portion 44 is disposed at a position corresponding to the opening portion 10 of the light-shielding layer 9 of the front window 6, and is exposed from the light-shielding layer 9 when viewed from the outside of the vehicle. That is, the exposed portion 44 is disposed at a position that can be visually confirmed from the outside of the vehicle. The exposed portion 44 extends in the left-right direction from the left edge portion to the right edge portion of the opening portion 10.

[0089] A groove 47 is provided on the opposing surface 41 of the frame portion 19. The groove 47 extends linearly in the left-right direction below the front of the plurality of protrusions 31 of the reflected wave reduction structure 30. The width W of the groove 47 is the same as the pitch P1 of the plurality of protrusions 31a of the front portion of the bottom wall portion 27. In other embodiments, however, the width W of the groove 47 can be the same as the pitch P2 of the plurality of protrusions 31b of the rear portion of the bottom wall portion 27. In other embodiments, the width W of the groove 47 can be wider than the pitch P1 of the plurality of protrusions 31a of the front portion of the bottom wall portion 27. The width W of the groove 47 can also be narrower than the pitch P2 of the plurality of protrusions 31b of the rear portion of the bottom wall portion 27. In other embodiments, the width W of the groove 47 can be narrower than the pitch P1 and wider than the pitch P2.

[0090] The left and right central portions of the groove 47 are disposed at the exposed portion 44 of the opposing surface 41. That is, the left and right central portions of the groove 47 are disposed at a position that can be visually confirmed from the outside of the vehicle. The left and right end portions of the groove 47 extend to the covered portion 43 of the opposing surface 41. That is, the groove 47 is continuous from the left end portion to the right end portion of the exposed portion 44. In other embodiments, however, the groove 47 can be entirely housed within the range of the exposed portion 44.

[0091] The connecting portion 48 is provided in the frame portion 19 to connect the exposed portion 44 of the opposing surface 41 and the outer surface 32 of the bottom wall portion 27 of the cover portion 18 (i.e., the surface provided with the reflected wave reduction structure 30). The groove 47 is not provided in the connecting portion 48. Therefore, the interval between the front end of the protrusion 31a and the groove 47 is wider than the pitch P1 of the plurality of protrusions 31a.

[0092] In the present embodiment, a bracket 16 that supports the front camera 11 is fixed to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6. The bracket 16 has a frame portion 19 that is fixed to the inner surface 6A of the front window 6, and left and right side wall portions 26 and a bottom wall portion 27 that bulge from the frame portion 19 toward the inside of the vehicle to define a field of view space S of the front camera 11 on the inside of the front window 6. The reflected wave reduction structure 30 is provided on the outer surface 32 side of the bottom wall portion 27, and the heater 33 is disposed on the inner surface 39 side of the bottom wall portion 27. The plurality of air holes 37 are formed in the bottom wall portion 27 in a penetrating manner.

[0093] With such a structure, the air heated by the heater 33 flows to the field of view space S through the plurality of air holes 37, and the front window 6 can be heated. In a case where the air holes 37 are not provided, the bottom wall portion 27 of the front window 6 is heated by the heater 33, the temperature in the field of view space S is raised by the heated bottom wall portion 27, and thus the front window 6 is heated. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted camera device 5 of the present embodiment can efficiently heat the front window 6 as compared to a case where the air holes 37 are not provided. Thus, in the vehicle-mounted camera device 5, dew condensation can be prevented with high energy efficiency. In addition, the vehicle-mounted camera device 5 can further improve the safety of traffic by preventing dew condensation, and contribute to the development of a sustainable transport system.

[0094] In addition, the reflected wave reduction structure 30 has a plurality of groove portions 36 that extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the front camera 11, and the plurality of air holes 37 are opened in the bottom portions of the groove portions 36. The bottom portions of the groove portions 36 are formed in portions that do not adversely affect the reduction of reflected waves that are incident from the outside of the front window 6 (i.e., the outside space SP2 of the vehicle). Therefore, the air holes 37 can be provided in the reflected wave reduction structure 30 without impairing the function of the reflected wave reduction structure 30. In addition, the groove portions 36 are provided in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the front camera 11, and thus the front window 6 can be uniformly heated. Therefore, dew condensation of the front window 6 can be uniformly prevented.

[0095] In addition, the plurality of air holes 37 respectively extend along the bottom portions of the groove portions 36. Thus, the opening area of the air holes 37 can be increased. Therefore, the air heated by the heater 33 can be more supplied to the front window 6. In addition, the air holes 37 extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the front camera 11, and thus the front window 6 can be uniformly heated.

[0096] Further, the groove portions 36 are each formed of a first inclined surface 34a toward the front camera 11 side and a second inclined surface 35a toward the side opposite to the front camera 11, and have a triangular cross section. The vent hole 37 is opened in the second inclined surface 35a. The bottom of the second inclined surface 35a does not adversely affect the lowering of the reflected wave incident from the outside of the front window 6, that is, the vehicle exterior space SP2. Therefore, the vent hole 37 can be provided to the reflected wave lowering structure 30 without impairing the function of the reflected wave lowering structure 30.

[0097] Further, the plurality of vent holes 37 each extend in a direction perpendicular to the second inclined surface 35a. Thereby, the vent hole 37 can be provided to the reflected wave lowering structure 30 without impairing the function of the reflected wave lowering structure 30.

[0098] Further, the heater 33 is provided to an inner surface 39 opposite to the outer surface 32 of the bottom wall portion 27. Thereby, the heater 33 can be supported to the cover portion 18. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide other mechanism for supporting the heater 33 to the vehicle-mounted camera device 5. Therefore, the vehicle-mounted camera device 5 can be configured to be compact as a whole.

[0099] Further, the vent passage 40 is formed between the heater 33 and the inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27. Thereby, the heater 33 can heat the air present in the vent passage 40. The heated air can circulate in the vent passage 40, and therefore the heater 33 can efficiently heat the front window 6.

[0100] Further, the vent passage 40 is formed of a recessed portion 45 formed in the inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27. Thereby, the vent passage 40 can be easily formed in the inner surface 39 of the bottom wall portion 27. Further, it is not necessary to provide other components to form the vent passage 40, and therefore the assembly is easy.

[0101] Further, the cover 28 is arranged on the vehicle interior side of the bracket 16, the front camera 11, and the heater 33. The cover 28 suppresses the movement of the air, and therefore the heater 33 can efficiently heat the air. Therefore, the dew condensation can be prevented with high energy efficiency.

[0102] <Second Embodiment>

[0103] Next, the vehicle-mounted camera device 50 of the second embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The vehicle-mounted camera device 50 of the second embodiment is different from the vehicle-mounted camera device 5 of the first embodiment in that the bottom wall portion 77 does not have the vent hole 37, the claw portion 42, and the recessed portion 45 (respectively, the vent hole 37, the claw portion 42, and the recessed portion 45 are not provided to the bottom wall portion 77 in the second embodiment) in the first embodiment. Figure 2This point is different from the point that the heater 83 is disposed on the outer surface 82 of the bottom wall portion 77. Other structures are the same as those of the in-vehicle camera device 5 of the first embodiment, and thus the same reference numerals are given and the explanation is omitted.

[0104] The groove portion 36 formed in the front portion of the bottom wall portion 77 is demarcated by the first inclined surface 34a of the front-side protrusion 31a and the second inclined surface 35a of the rear-side protrusion 31a. That is, each groove portion 36 has a triangular cross section toward a direction opposite to each protrusion 31a in the up-down direction. The groove portion 36 is formed along the extension direction of the two protrusions 31a adjacent in the front-rear direction. That is, the groove portion 36 extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the front camera 11. The heater 83 is disposed on the outer surface 82 of the bottom wall portion 77 at the bottom portion of each groove portion 36.

[0105] The heater 83 is composed of an electric heating wire. The electric heating wire can be selected from a nickel-chromium alloy wire or an iron wire, or the like, which has a relatively high thermal conductivity. The heater 83 extends along the groove portion 36.

[0106] With such a structure, the heater 83 is disposed at a position closer to the front window 6 than the bottom wall portion 77. Thus, the heater 83 can efficiently heat the front window 6. Thus, in the in-vehicle camera device 50, it is possible to efficiently prevent dew condensation with high energy efficiency. In addition, the in-vehicle camera device 50 can further improve the safety of traffic by preventing dew condensation, and contribute to the development of a sustainable transport system.

[0107] In the present embodiment, the front camera 11 is taken as one example of the camera, but in other embodiments, a rear camera or a side camera (none of which is shown) can be taken as one example of the camera.

[0108] The above describes a specific embodiment, but the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be widely modified and implemented.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted camera device having: a bracket fixed to an inner surface of a window panel; a camera supported by the bracket; and a heater provided to the bracket, the bracket having: a frame portion fixed to the inner surface of the window panel; a cover portion bulging from the frame portion toward an in-vehicle side, defining a field-of-view space of the camera on the in-vehicle side of the window panel; a reflected-wave reducing structure provided to an outer surface of the cover portion toward the window panel; and a plurality of air holes passing through the cover portion, the cover portion including left and right side wall portions extending downward from the frame portion, and a bottom wall portion connecting lower end portions of the left and right side wall portions, the reflected-wave reducing structure having a plurality of protrusions arranged continuously in a front-rear direction, and a plurality of groove portions defined between two protrusions adjacent in the front-rear direction and extending in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the camera, the plurality of protrusions being composed of a plurality of front-side protrusions disposed at a front portion of the bottom wall portion, and a plurality of rear-side protrusions disposed at a rear portion of the bottom wall portion, a pitch of the plurality of front-side protrusions being larger than a pitch of the plurality of rear-side protrusions, the plurality of air holes being opened at bottoms of the groove portions formed between the plurality of front-side protrusions, and the heater being disposed at a side of the cover portion opposite to the field-of-view space.

2. The vehicle-mounted camera device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of air holes respectively extend along the bottoms of the groove portions.

3. The vehicle-mounted camera device according to claim 2, wherein each of the groove portions of the reflected-wave reducing structure is formed of a first inclined surface toward the camera side and a second inclined surface toward a side opposite to the camera, has a triangular cross section, the air holes are opened at the second inclined surface, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are connected by a wall portion, and the groove portion is divided by the wall portion.

4. The vehicle-mounted camera device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of air holes respectively extend in a direction perpendicular to the second inclined surface.

5. The vehicle-mounted camera device according to claim 1, wherein the heater is provided to an inner surface of the cover portion opposite to the outer surface, and is supported by a pair of claw portions provided to the inner surface.

6. The vehicle-mounted camera device according to claim 5, wherein an air passage is formed between the heater and the inner surface.

7. The vehicle-mounted camera device according to claim 6, wherein the air passage is formed by a recess formed in the inner surface.

8. The vehicle-mounted camera device according to claim 1, further comprising a cover disposed on an in-vehicle side of the bracket, the camera, and the heater. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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