Composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of vehicle-mounted camera

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of vehicle-mounted cameras, and provides a composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera, comprising: a delivery pipe fixedly mounted in a gland, located on the outer side of a lens cover, and connected with an external water and gas supply unit; a plurality of spray heads are elastically and rotatably mounted on the conveying pipe, the spray heads rotate through movable parts, the spray heads all face the lens cover, water spray holes and gas spray holes are formed in the spray heads respectively, and the gas spray holes are close to the gland. According to the cleaning device, gas is sprayed out from the gas spraying holes and is sprayed to the lens cover, so that atomized stains can be blown away, even if a vehicle faces the wind, the atomized stains can be blown away, the situation that the atomized stains are blown to the lens cover again and secondary pollution is caused is effectively avoided, and the cleaning effect on the lens cover is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of vehicle-mounted cameras, and in particular relates to a composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of vehicle-mounted cameras. Background Art

[0002] As one of the core sensors of the intelligent driving system, the vehicle camera plays a key role in the fields of autonomous driving, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and surround view monitoring. It provides important environmental perception support for lane keeping, automatic parking, collision warning and other functions by collecting high-precision image data in real time. However, in actual application scenarios, the lens surface is susceptible to a variety of environmental pollutants: raindrops attached in rainy weather, particle accumulation caused by road dust, mud splashing during wading, etc. These pollutants will cause optical refraction effects, resulting in image blur, contrast reduction, loss of key details and other problems. This degradation of optical performance will directly affect the recognition accuracy of the visual algorithm. When the pollutants reach the critical threshold, it may cause misjudgment or functional failure of the camera module. It is worth noting that under extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain and sandstorms, if the vehicle happens to be driving at high speed or in complex road conditions, such faults may cause safety hazards such as lane departure warning delay and pedestrian recognition failure, and may even cause traffic accidents in serious cases.

[0003] At present, an ultrasonic cleaning module is synchronously provided on the vehicle-mounted camera, and the vibration generated by ultrasonic waves is used to atomize the water, stains, etc. on the surface of the lens cover, thereby achieving the purpose of automatically cleaning the vehicle-mounted camera. For example, the patent publication number is CN221983388U, which is a separate camera ultrasonic cleaning device. Its main technical means is to connect the piezoelectric ceramic between the vibration plate and the lens pressure ring. According to the inverse piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric ceramic, the mechanical resonance transmitted to the cover vibration plate is generated, and finally the foreign matter attached to the surface of the vibration plate is forced to fall off, so as to effectively clean the camera lens. According to the analysis of the applicant, the disadvantage of this technical solution is that during ultrasonic cleaning, the water stains, stains, etc. on the camera lens are in a state similar to atomization. When the camera faces the wind, these cleaned atomized stains will be blown onto the camera lens again, causing secondary pollution, thereby reducing the ultrasonic cleaning effect. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of vehicle-mounted cameras, aiming to solve the technical problem in the prior art that after water stains, stains, etc. on the lens are cleaned, if the camera faces the wind, these cleaned atomized stains will be blown onto the camera lens again, causing secondary pollution, thereby reducing the ultrasonic cleaning effect.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera, comprising a camera module, a housing, a gland, a circuit board, a bracket, a lens cover and piezoelectric ceramics, the structure also comprising:

[0007] A delivery pipe, the delivery pipe is fixedly installed in the gland and is located outside the lens cover, and the delivery pipe is connected to an external water supply and air supply unit;

[0008] A nozzle, a plurality of nozzles are elastically and rotatably mounted on the delivery pipe, the nozzles are rotated by movable parts, the plurality of nozzles are all facing the lens cover, the nozzles are respectively provided with water spray holes and air spray holes, and the air spray holes are close to the pressure cover.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, a plurality of telescopic parts are installed on the side of the gland close to the delivery pipe, and a push plate is fixed to the output end of the plurality of telescopic parts, and the push plate abuts against a plurality of nozzles.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the bracket is located between the outer shell and the gland, and an elastic member is provided between the bracket and the outer shell.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, a rubber pad is provided on the inner side of the pressure cover in contact with the lens cover.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, a heating ring is provided between the lens cover and the bracket, the heating ring is connected to the circuit board, and a layer of heat-conducting film is provided on the surface of the lens cover.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, a protective layer is provided on the surface of the thermal conductive film.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, an annular installation cavity is provided on the shell, a part of the bracket is located in the installation cavity, a leakage hole is provided on the shell, and the leakage hole is connected with the installation cavity. When the camera module is installed, the leakage hole faces downward and is located below the camera module.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the gland is provided with an annular extension portion, and the extension portion expands outwards.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0017] 1. In the present invention, the gas is sprayed from the gas spray hole and sprayed toward the lens cover, so that the atomized stains can be blown away, even when the vehicle is facing the wind, the atomized stains can be blown away, effectively preventing the atomized stains from being blown onto the lens cover again and causing secondary pollution, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the lens cover;

[0018] 2. In the present invention, when the gas nozzle sprays gas toward the lens cover, in the initial state, the gas is sprayed vertically. As the nozzle rotates, the spraying direction of the gas slowly tilts, so that when the lens cover is blown by the gas, the blown gas can drive the lens cover to move toward the shell, thereby compressing the elastic member. As the gas spraying direction tilts, the force exerted on the lens cover by the gas gradually decreases, and the lens cover slowly returns to its original position in conjunction with the rebound ability of the elastic member. In this process, the lens cover shakes, and in conjunction with the resonance of the piezoelectric ceramic, the cleaning efficiency of the lens cover can be further improved;

[0019] 3. In the present invention, when the gas is sprayed toward the lens cover, the gas can be used to clean the surface of the lens cover again, and dust and other impurities attached to the surface of the lens cover can be blown away, thereby further improving the cleaning effect of the lens cover; at the same time, the blown gas can dry the surface of the lens cover, so that the lens cover can be cleaned quickly, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the shell;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The enlarged structural diagram at A in the middle;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the delivery pipe and nozzle structure;

[0024] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the present invention.

[0025] In the figure:

[0026] 1. Camera module; 2. Shell; 21. Installation cavity; 22. Leak hole; 3. Pressure cover; 31. Extension; 32. Rubber pad; 4. Circuit board; 5. Bracket; 6. Lens cover; 61. Thermal conductive film; 7. Piezoelectric ceramics; 8. Delivery pipe; 9. Elastic part; 10. Heating ring; 11. Nozzle; 111. Moving part; 112. Water spray hole; 113. Air spray hole; 12. Telescopic part; 13. Push plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0028] The specific implementation of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0029] like Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, a composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera includes a camera module 1, a housing 2, a pressure cover 3, a circuit board 4, a bracket 5, a lens cover 6 and a piezoelectric ceramic 7, and the structure also includes:

[0030] The delivery pipe 8 is fixedly installed in the pressure cover 3, and the delivery pipe 8 is located outside the lens cover 6, and the delivery pipe 8 is connected to the external water supply and air supply unit;

[0031] The nozzle 11 is elastically and rotatably mounted on the delivery pipe 8 , and the nozzle 11 is rotated by a movable part 111 . The nozzles 11 are all facing the lens cover 6 . The nozzles 11 are respectively provided with a water spray hole 112 and an air spray hole 113 , and the air spray hole 113 is close to the pressure cover 3 .

[0032] In one case of the present embodiment, the piezoelectric ceramic 7 is connected to the circuit board 4, wherein the piezoelectric ceramic 7 and the circuit board 4 are both prior arts, and the present application does not improve them, therefore, it is not necessary to disclose their specific mechanical structures and circuit structures, and does not affect the integrity of the present application; through the inverse piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric ceramic 7, the bracket 5 drives the lens cover 6 to generate mechanical resonance, so that water stains, stains, etc. on the surface of the lens cover 6 are atomized and fall off, thereby achieving the purpose of automatically cleaning the vehicle-mounted camera; the image collected by the camera module 1 is transmitted to the circuit board 4, and through the data analysis of the chip on the circuit board 4, the circuit board 4 outputs a driving signal of a corresponding frequency to control the piezoelectric ceramic 7 to generate a resonance of a corresponding frequency, that is, a driving signal of a corresponding frequency is provided and a resonance of a corresponding frequency is generated when the lens cover 6 has different degrees of dirtiness, so as to self-clean according to different degrees of dirtiness; the elastic rotating part of the nozzle 11 can be provided with a torsion spring, or other components that can make the nozzle 11 always have a tendency to rotate toward the pressure cover 3.

[0033] In actual application of this embodiment, when the piezoelectric ceramic 7 is used to resonate and clean the lens cover 6, water stains, dirt, etc. on the surface of the lens cover 6 form a state similar to atomization. At this time, the external air supply unit is controlled to supply air to the delivery pipe 8, and the gas is ejected from the air spray hole 113 and sprayed toward the lens cover 6, so that these atomized dirt can be blown away, even when the vehicle is facing the wind, these atomized dirt can be blown away, effectively preventing these atomized dirt from being blown onto the lens cover 6 again and causing secondary pollution, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the lens cover 6;

[0034] When the gas is sprayed toward the lens cover 6, the gas can be used to clean the surface of the lens cover 6 again, and dust and other impurities attached to the surface of the lens cover 6 can be blown away, thereby further improving the cleaning effect of the lens cover 6; at the same time, the blown gas can dry the surface of the lens cover 6, so that the lens cover 6 can be cleaned quickly, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency;

[0035] When the dirt on the surface of the lens cover 6 is difficult to resonate off, water is supplied to the delivery pipe 8 through the external water supply unit, and the water is sprayed out from the water spray hole 112 and sprayed toward the lens cover 6, thereby flushing the lens cover 6, and the resonance generated by the piezoelectric ceramic 7 improves the cleaning efficiency.

[0036] Furthermore, a plurality of telescopic members 12 are installed on one side of the gland 3 close to the delivery pipe 8 , and a push plate 13 is fixed to the output end of the plurality of telescopic members 12 , and the push plate 13 abuts against the plurality of nozzles 11 .

[0037] In one case of this embodiment, the telescopic member 12 may be a cylinder, or other components that can meet the requirements of telescopic drive and installation space; the telescopic member 12 is connected to the circuit board 4, and the telescopic movement of the telescopic member 12 is controlled by the circuit board 4.

[0038] In actual application of this embodiment, when the nozzle 11 sprays air, since the sprayed gas is only in one direction, the atomized stains resonated from other parts of the lens cover 6 cannot be blown away; at this time, the telescopic member 12 is extended, so that the push plate 13 pushes the plurality of nozzles 11 to rotate, and the nozzles 11 rotate outward, so that the gas sprayed from the nozzles 11 can be blown to all positions of the lens cover 6, thereby being able to blow away all the atomized stains resonated as much as possible, thereby preventing these atomized stains from being blown onto the lens cover 6 again and causing secondary pollution, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the lens cover 6.

[0039] Furthermore, the bracket 5 is located between the housing 2 and the gland 3 , and an elastic member 9 is provided between the bracket 5 and the housing 2 .

[0040] In one case of this embodiment, the elastic member 9 may be a spring, or other elastically retractable member.

[0041] In actual application of this embodiment, when the gas nozzle 113 sprays gas toward the lens cover 6, in the initial state, the gas is sprayed vertically. As the nozzle 11 rotates, the spraying direction of the gas slowly tilts, so that when the lens cover 6 is blown by the gas, the blown gas can drive the lens cover 6 to move toward the shell 2, thereby compressing the elastic member 9. As the gas spraying direction tilts, the force exerted on the lens cover 6 by the gas gradually decreases, and with the rebound ability of the elastic member 9, the lens cover 6 slowly returns to its original position. In this process, the lens cover 6 shakes, and with the resonance of the piezoelectric ceramic 7, the cleaning efficiency of the lens cover 6 can be further improved.

[0042] Furthermore, a rubber pad 32 is provided at the inner side of the pressure cover 3 which contacts the lens cover 6 .

[0043] In actual application of this embodiment, when the lens cover 6 resonates or shakes, the rubber pad 32 can protect the lens cover 6 and effectively prevent the lens cover 6 from being damaged.

[0044] Furthermore, a heating ring 10 is provided between the lens cover 6 and the bracket 5 , the heating ring 10 is connected to the circuit board 4 , and a layer of heat-conducting film 61 is provided on the surface of the lens cover 6 .

[0045] In one case of this embodiment, the heating ring 10 is connected to the circuit board 4; the thermal conductive film 61 can be an ITO thermal conductive film, or other films capable of conducting heat.

[0046] In actual application of this embodiment, when encountering icy and snowy weather, a layer of ice or snow may be attached to the surface of the lens cover 6. At this time, the heating ring 10 is controlled by the circuit board 4 to heat, and the heat is then conducted by the heat conductive film 61 to melt the ice or snow on the surface of the lens cover 6. Combined with the resonance of the piezoelectric ceramic 7, the ice or snow can be washed away, thereby improving the practicality of this structure.

[0047] Furthermore, a protective layer is provided on the surface of the heat conductive film 61 .

[0048] In one case of this embodiment, the protective layer may be a coating or a film, so as to provide a waterproof, dustproof, and wear-resistant protective layer, such as a TPU film, a PTFE film, a super-hydrophobic material coating, and a polyurethane coating.

[0049] In actual application of this embodiment, the protective layer serves as the outermost protective layer of the lens cover 6, which can effectively prevent water stains, dirt, etc. from staying outside the lens cover 6, thereby reducing the probability of the surface of the lens cover 6 being in a dirty state, so that the lens cover 6 can remain clear for a long time, ensuring that the camera module 1 can collect images normally; at the same time, when hard objects such as gravel hit the lens cover 6, the protective layer can protect the lens cover 6, effectively preventing the lens cover 6 from being damaged, thereby increasing the service life of the lens cover 6.

[0050] Furthermore, an annular installation cavity 21 is provided on the shell 2, a portion of the bracket 5 is located in the installation cavity 21, a leakage hole 22 is provided on the shell 2, and the leakage hole 22 is connected to the installation cavity 21. When the camera module 1 is installed, the leakage hole 22 faces downward and is located below the camera module 1.

[0051] In actual application of this embodiment, since the lens cover 6 is a curved surface, if the camera module 1 faces the wind, the water stains, stains, etc. on the surface of the lens cover 6 will move to the edge of the lens cover 6. Over time, these water stains, stains, etc. will slowly squeeze the lens cover 6 and damage the lens cover 6; when the lens cover 6 is cleaned, the gas blows the lens cover 6 to move into the housing 2, and a gap is formed between the lens cover 6 and the rubber pad 32, so that the water stains, stains, etc. at the edge of the lens cover 6 can enter the installation cavity 21. Since the leakage hole 22 of the camera module 1 faces downward after installation, the water stains, stains, etc. located in the installation cavity 21 will flow downward and be discharged from the leakage hole 22, thereby effectively preventing these water stains and stains from always being located at the edge of the lens cover 6 and causing damage to the lens cover 6.

[0052] Furthermore, the gland 3 is provided with an annular extension portion 31 , which expands outwards.

[0053] In actual application of this embodiment, the extension portion 31 can prevent rain and dust from contacting the lens cover 6 to a certain extent, thereby effectively preventing the surface of the lens cover 6 from becoming dirty, so that the lens cover 6 can remain clear for a long time, ensuring that the camera module 1 can capture images normally; at the same time, the extension portion 31 can effectively prevent light from directly hitting the camera module 1, thereby ensuring that the camera module 1 can capture images normally.

[0054] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the above embodiments and descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention may have various changes and improvements, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the present invention to be protected.

Claims

1. A composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera, comprising a camera module (1), a housing (2), a gland (3), a circuit board (4), a bracket (5), a lens cover (6) and a piezoelectric ceramic (7), characterized in that: The structure also includes: A delivery pipe (8), wherein the delivery pipe (8) is fixedly installed in the gland (3), and the delivery pipe (8) is located outside the lens cover (6), and the delivery pipe (8) is connected to an external water supply and air supply unit; A nozzle (11), wherein a plurality of nozzles (11) are elastically rotatably mounted on the delivery pipe (8), wherein the nozzles (11) are rotated by a movable member (111), wherein the plurality of nozzles (11) are all directed toward the lens cover (6), wherein the nozzles (11) are respectively provided with a water spray hole (112) and an air spray hole (113), wherein the air spray hole (113) is close to the pressure cover (3).

2. The composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of telescopic parts (12) are installed on the side of the gland (3) close to the delivery pipe (8), and a push plate (13) is fixed to the output end of the plurality of telescopic parts (12), and the push plate (13) abuts against the plurality of nozzles (11).

3. The composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bracket (5) is located between the outer shell (2) and the pressure cover (3), and an elastic member (9) is provided between the bracket (5) and the outer shell (2).

4. The composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, characterized in that: A rubber pad (32) is provided at the inner side of the pressure cover (3) which contacts the lens cover (6).

5. The composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heating ring (10) is provided between the lens cover (6) and the bracket (5), the heating ring (10) is connected to the circuit board (4), and a layer of heat-conducting film (61) is provided on the surface of the lens cover (6).

6. The composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 5, characterized in that: A protective layer is provided on the surface of the heat-conducting film (61).

7. The composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (2) is provided with an annular mounting cavity (21), a portion of the bracket (5) is located in the mounting cavity (21), and the housing (2) is provided with a leakage hole (22), the leakage hole (22) is connected to the mounting cavity (21), and when the camera module (1) is installed, the leakage hole (22) faces downward and is located below the camera module (1).

8. The composite structure for ultrasonic cleaning of a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gland (3) is provided with an annular extension portion (31), and the extension portion (31) is expanded outwards.

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