Casing for camera assembly and camera assembly

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a case for a camera assembly configured for a sealing arrangement at a transparent surface. In addition, the present disclosure relates to a camera assembly comprising the case and a camera.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a casing for a camera assembly, which is configured for a sealing arrangement at a transparent surface. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a camera assembly comprising the casing and a camera. Background Art

[0002] The use of cameras in automotive applications is well known. The application areas of the cameras cover, for example, driver monitoring, traffic sign recognition, and parking assistance. In most cases, the corresponding cameras are provided as separate entities, i.e., camera assemblies, whereby the camera assembly comprises a casing in which the camera is arranged.

[0003] Furthermore, it is known to arrange the camera assembly behind a transparent surface and thus to arrange the camera provided in the camera assembly behind the transparent surface. The transparency of the surface still allows the camera to function, i.e., to take pictures or videos of the surrounding environment. This arrangement of the camera behind a transparent surface separate from the camera assembly provides the advantage that, on the one hand, the camera is shielded from harmful contact with the environment, such as dust ingress. On the other hand, the surface can also be adjusted according to the design of the predetermined mounting position of the surface, especially independently of the camera assembly. Therefore, a seal between the contact area of the camera assembly and the external surface is very useful, especially for providing a light-tight environment for the camera.

[0004] According to the prior art, the seal is provided by a gasket directly arranged on the camera housing of the camera assembly. To compensate for tolerances, it is known to provide the gasket with a widened width.

[0005] However, this results in an oversized gasket, which causes several problems. First, such an oversized gasket may limit the field of view of the camera. In addition, since an oversized gasket requires more material, the oversized gasket is more responsive to environmental conditions, especially temperature changes. This can either result in increased pressure on the transparent surface or may cause the gasket to lose contact with the surface. The former may lead to surface failure, either actual defects, or for example imaging errors or distortions (if the transparent surface is also used to cover a screen unit). The latter results in a decrease in the actual sealing between the camera assembly and the external surface.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for such a casing and camera assembly that provides a simple and reliable way to seal the casing relative to an external surface, wherein the negative impacts on both the field of view of the camera and the external surface are minimized. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure provides a housing and a camera assembly according to the independent claims. Embodiments of the present disclosure are given in the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0008] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a housing for a camera assembly, the housing being configured for a sealing arrangement at a transparent surface, the housing including a camera housing and a gasket holder, wherein the gasket holder is slidably arranged on the camera housing and includes an opaque funnel-shaped portion for defining a field of view of the camera, whereby the funnel-shaped portion extends continuously between an inner opening located at an inner end of the funnel-shaped portion and an outer opening located at an outer end of the funnel-shaped portion, wherein the camera housing includes arrangement means for arranging the camera at and / or in the inner opening, wherein the gasket holder includes an annular sealing member surrounding the outer opening for sealingly contacting the transparent surface, and wherein the housing includes spring means arranged between the camera housing and the gasket holder for applying a compression force to the gasket holder towards the outer end of the funnel-shaped portion.

[0009] The housing basically includes two parts, namely, the camera housing and the gasket holder. The camera housing and the gasket holder are slidably arranged on each other. In other words, these two parts can move relative to each other, but they are attached to each other.

[0010] A corresponding camera is arranged in the camera housing. For this purpose, the camera housing includes corresponding arrangement means, such as a mounting space, threaded holes, latches or similar elements for arranging the camera in a form-fitting manner.

[0011] The gasket holder includes an opaque funnel-shaped portion. Opaque means that the funnel-shaped portion is lightproof at least in the wavelength range to which the camera is sensitive. The funnel-shaped portion extends between an inner opening located within the housing and an outer opening leading to the outside of the housing. Similar to a funnel, the cross-section of the inner opening is smaller than the cross-section of the outer opening. The shapes of the cross-sections of the two openings can be the same, the same except for scaling, or can be different.

[0012] The two openings are located at opposite ends of the funnel-shaped portion, that is, the inner end located within the housing and facing the camera housing and the outer end forming the outer boundary of the housing itself. The two openings are connected by the inner surface of the funnel-shaped portion. The inner surface extends continuously from the inner opening located at the inner end to the outer opening located at the outer end. The inner surface is made of an opaque material.

[0015] The arrangement device of the camera housing is configured such that it can arrange and fix the camera within the housing, at and / or in the inner opening of the funnel-shaped portion. Thus, the field of view of the camera is only limited by the inner surface of the funnel-shaped portion, since the outer opening is open to the outside of the housing. In other words, the field of view of the camera is defined by the funnel-shaped portion, i.e., by the aforementioned inner surface of the funnel-shaped portion.

[0016] Specifically, when the camera housing and the gasket retainer are slid relative to each other, the arrangement of the camera at and / or in the inner opening is substantially unaffected, since at least the objective lens of the camera remains within the funnel-shaped portion during said movement.

[0017] Furthermore, the gasket retainer includes an annular sealing member. The sealing member surrounds the outer opening and is intended to contact the external transparent surface. The sealing member is flexible and / or elastic such that in the installed state of the housing, it can be in sealing contact with the external surface, in particular by slightly compressing the sealing member. In addition to preventing possible harmful contact with the environment (e.g., dust ingress), it can also provide a light-tight connection between the housing and the external transparent surface. Since the sealing member is annular and surrounds the outer opening, said protection can be provided over the entire circumference of the outer opening. For example, the sealing member can be an O-ring.

[0018] As described above, in the installed state of the housing, the sealing member is preferably slightly pressed against the external surface. This is provided by spring means of the housing arranged between the camera housing and the gasket retainer. Since the camera housing and the gasket retainer are slidably arranged on each other, the spring means exerts a pressing force that drives the camera housing and the gasket retainer away from each other. Generally, in the installed state, the camera housing is fixed, and thus, the gasket retainer and hence its sealing member are pressed against the external surface.

[0019] In summary, on the one hand, the housing includes a sealing member that is only responsible for sealing the funnel-shaped portion, thereby sealing the housing relative to the external surface. On the other hand, the housing includes spring means that are used to exert the force required to ensure said seal by pressing the sealing member against the external surface in the installed state of the housing. By separating such devices, in particular the size of the sealing member can be reduced, thereby reducing the amount of material required. This can thus avoid the negative impact on the external surface caused by the gasket material protruding into the field of view and obscuring the camera's field of view or by the expansion or contraction of the gasket material. A housing can be provided that provides a simple and reliable way to seal the housing relative to the external surface.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the washer retainer is arranged on the camera housing in a manner capable of sliding in a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the annular sealing member. The sealing member is intended to seal against an external surface. Therefore, the plane defined by the annular sealing member preferably corresponds to the external surface. By making the sliding movement direction of the washer retainer relative to the camera housing perpendicular to the plane defined by the sealing member, a good sealing contact, namely food sealingly contact, can be provided between the sealing member and the external surface, regardless of the actual relative positions of the camera housing and the washer retainer.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the spring device includes two spring elements, wherein the two spring elements are arranged at opposite sides of the funnel-shaped portion. By providing two spring elements, the pressing force provided by the spring device can be applied at two different positions, and thus can be applied to the entire washer retainer in a more uniform manner. By arranging two spring elements at opposite sides of the funnel-shaped portion, tilting of the washer retainer relative to the camera housing can be avoided.

[0022] According to an improved embodiment, the two spring elements are Z-shaped flat springs. The Z-shaped flat spring is a mechanically particularly simple spring element. In addition, compared with a helical spring, the Z-shaped flat spring is also inexpensive.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the spring device is attached to the washer retainer. By arranging the spring device at the washer retainer, it can be ensured that the spring device is fixed at a specific part of the housing. Preferably, the corresponding spring element is attached at one of its ends to the washer retainer and contacts the camera housing in a form-fitting manner in the direction of the sliding movement of the washer retainer relative to the camera housing.

[0024] According to an improved embodiment, the washer retainer includes one or more sliding legs, and the camera housing includes guiding means configured to linearly guide the one or more sliding legs. In this way, the sliding movement of the washer retainer relative to the camera housing can be set to be a linear sliding movement only in a specific direction. The sliding legs extend along the predetermined sliding direction. The guiding means contacts the sliding legs, thereby prohibiting deviation from the linear sliding movement.

[0025] According to a further improved embodiment, each of the one or more sliding legs terminates in a hook, wherein when the washer retainer is in the position farthest from the camera housing, the corresponding hook contacts the camera housing in a form-fitting manner. In other words, the washer retainer is arranged at the camera housing in an anti-loss manner. This is particularly useful for transporting or storing a pre-installed housing because there is no external surface restricting the sliding movement of the washer retainer relative to the camera housing.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the camera housing includes one or more mounting elements for arranging the housing onto a device including a transparent surface. The mounting elements can be, for example, threaded or non-threaded screw holes, latch elements, pins or similar elements. As already described above, in most cases, the camera housing provides a mounting function for the entire housing. By providing the arranging elements, the above-mentioned mounting function can be easily achieved.

[0027] On the other hand, the present disclosure relates to a camera assembly including a housing and a camera of the camera according to one of the above embodiments, wherein the camera is arranged in the camera housing at and / or within the inner opening of the funnel-shaped portion.

[0028] The camera assembly includes a housing according to one of the above-described embodiments. Thus, all features and advantages described above with respect to the housing can also be provided by a camera assembly having such a housing.

[0029] Specifically, the camera assembly includes a camera that has been arranged within the housing. The camera can capture static images and / or videos of the environment. The camera is arranged at and / or within the inner opening of the funnel-shaped portion by the arranging means of the camera housing. In this way, the camera fills the inner opening and the inner surface of the funnel-shaped portion, thereby defining the field of view of the camera.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the control and / or readout electronics of the camera are also arranged within the camera housing. Thereby, all electronics required for controlling and / or reading out the camera are available within the camera assembly itself. Only a power supply and a data connection need to be provided, and the power supply can also be provided as an internal power supply, such as a battery or a storage battery. In this way, a camera assembly independent of external control and / or readout can be provided.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the camera is sensitive to visible light and / or infrared light. A camera sensitive to visible light is particularly suitable for applications that present the captured images and / or videos to the user, such as providing real-time video for parking assistance. Infrared cameras can be used, respectively, for monitoring the environment and the user or the driver. Specifically, when an infrared-sensitive camera is used, the scene captured by the camera can also be illuminated with infrared light without disturbing users whose eyes are insensitive to infrared light.

[0032] According to one embodiment, one or more light sources are arranged in the camera housing and / or the gasket retainer. The one or more light sources can be used to illuminate the surrounding environment of the camera assembly. In this way, the camera can capture images and / or videos regardless of the original lighting conditions.

[0033] According to an improved embodiment, two light sources are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the funnel-shaped part. As described above, the funnel-shaped part limits and defines the field of view of the camera. By providing two light sources, the illumination of the environment can be made more uniform. By arranging two light sources on opposite sides of the funnel-shaped part, the illumination of the environmental area directly in front of the funnel-shaped part can be further enhanced, thereby further enhancing the illumination of the center of the field of view of the camera.

[0034] According to an alternative or additional embodiment, one or more light sources are infrared light sources. As already described above, the human eye is insensitive to infrared light. Therefore, by using infrared light sources, illumination of the environment captured by the camera can be provided without the risk of blinding the user. This is particularly important for automotive applications, as blinding the driver of a vehicle is especially dangerous. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Exemplary embodiments and functions of the present disclosure are described herein in connection with the following drawings, which schematically show:

[0036] Figure 1 The camera assembly is schematically shown in a front-side perspective view,

[0037] Figure 2 The camera assembly is schematically shown in a front-side view Figure 1 being separated into a camera housing and a gasket retainer,

[0038] Figure 3 The camera assembly is schematically shown in a dorsal view before being mounted to an external transparent surface, Figure 1 and

[0039] Figure 4 The camera assembly is schematically shown in a dorsal view after being mounted to an external transparent surface. Figure 1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Figures 1 to 4 An embodiment of a camera assembly 100 including a housing 10 and a camera 110 is depicted. In Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the camera assembly 100 is shown in a front-side perspective view, fully assembled in Figure 1 and shown separated into a camera housing 20 and a gasket retainer 30 in Figure 2 . Figure 3 and Figure 4 show dorsal views of the camera assembly 100 and the external transparent surface 200, before installation in Figure 3 and after mounting the camera assembly 100 on the surface 200 in Figure 4 .

[0041] The camera assembly 100 shown will be described below with reference to specific features visible in the respective figures. Figures 1 to 4 The camera assembly 100 shown.

[0042] The casing 10 of the camera assembly 100 basically includes two main parts, namely, the camera housing 20 and the gasket retainer 30. As depicted, specifically, the camera housing 20 can be constructed from several elements.

[0043] The camera housing 20 includes a layout device 22 for arranging the actual camera 110. In addition, the control and / or readout electronics 102 of the camera assembly 100 can also be arranged within the camera housing 20. In the depicted embodiment, specifically referring to Figure 2 , the camera 110 and the control and / or readout electronics 102 are arranged together on an additional circuit board, which is arranged and fixed within the camera housing 20 by the layout device 22.

[0044] The gasket retainer 30 forms the front end of the casing 10. Specifically, the gasket retainer 30 is slidably arranged at the camera housing 20. For this purpose, specifically referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the camera housing 20 includes a guiding device 24, and the gasket retainer 30 includes sliding legs 32. The sliding legs 32 engage with the guiding device 24, thereby allowing the gasket retainer 30 to perform a linear sliding movement relative to the camera housing 20. Hooks 34 at the corresponding ends of the sliding legs 32 limit the sliding movement, in particular providing a loss-proof arrangement of the gasket retainer 30 on the camera housing 20.

[0045] The gasket retainer 30 includes a funnel 40 as a central part, specifically referring to Figure 2 , which continuously extends between an internal opening 44 and an external opening 48. The internal opening 44 faces the camera housing 20 at an internal end 42, and the external opening 48 is open to the environment at an external end 46. Specifically referring to Figure 1 , the camera housing 20 and the gasket retainer 30 are constructed in relation to each other such that the camera 110 is arranged at and / or within the internal opening 44 of the funnel 40 in its mounted state. In other words, the funnel 40 limits and defines the field of view of the camera 110.

[0046] The camera assembly 100 is specifically intended for and arranged on an external transparent surface 200, for example, in an automotive environment. The external surface 200 as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown. As depicted, the outer surface 200 is a part separate from the camera assembly 100 according to the present invention. The outer surface 200 may include one or more windows that are explicitly transparent to the wavelengths perceivable by the camera 110 and / or the wavelengths of the corresponding light source 120. Thereby, the camera 110 and the light source 120 (if applicable) can be shielded, for example, from environmental damage, while the camera assembly 100 can be constructed independently of the internal design, which is protected by the outer surface 200. To achieve such an arrangement, the camera housing 20 preferably includes mounting elements 26 for directly mounting the housing 10 to the transparent surface 200 and / or the device including the transparent surface 200, and thus directly mounting the camera assembly 100 to the transparent surface 200 and / or the device including the transparent surface 200.

[0047] To seal the camera assembly 100 relative to the environment as described, see Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 , a sealing member 50 is arranged at the outer end 46 of the funnel-shaped portion 40 and surrounds the outer opening 48. Specifically, the sealing member 50 may be provided as being made of an elastic material so as to form a washer against the outer surface 200.

[0048] However, since the washer retainer 30 is slidably arranged at the camera housing 20, it must be ensured that the sealing member 50 is pressed against the outer surface 200 (see Figure 4 ) to achieve a reliable seal. For this purpose, the housing 10 includes spring means 60 which are arranged between the camera housing 20 and the washer retainer 30 for applying a pressing force 70 towards its outer end 46 to the washer retainer 30 (see Figure 1 ). In particular, as Figure 2 depicted, two spring elements 62 are arranged on opposite sides of the funnel-shaped portion 40 at the washer retainer 30, which are provided as Z-shaped leaf springs 64. In this way, the pressing force 70 can be provided in a more evenly distributed manner.

[0049] The spring means 60 drives the washer retainer 30 away from the camera housing 20. When the camera housing 20 is fixed to the transparent outer surface 200 by the mounting elements 26 (see Figure 4 ), the washer retainer 30 is pressed against the outer surface 200, and thus the sealing member 50 is pressed against the outer surface 200. Thereby, a reliable seal can be provided and manufacturing tolerances can be compensated for.

[0050] In this case, it should be noted that the sliding movement of the washer retainer 30 relative to the camera housing 20 is preferably provided such that it is perpendicular to the plane defined by the sealing member 50 and thus perpendicular to the outer surface 200. For example, this can be achieved by guide means 24 and sliding legs 32 which are constructed in a corresponding manner, respectively.

[0051] In addition to the camera 110, two light sources 120 are also part of the depicted embodiment of the camera assembly 100. The depicted arrangement of the light sources 120 on opposite sides of the funnel-shaped portion 40 causes the area of the environment captured by the camera 110 to be particularly brightly and evenly illuminated. Preferably, the light sources 120 can be infrared light sources 120. In this case, the camera 110 is preferably also sensitive to infrared light. However, cameras 110 sensitive to the visual light regime can also be applicable in the camera assembly 100, even cameras 110 sensitive to both the infrared light regime and the visual light regime.

[0052] List of reference numerals

[0053] 10 housing

[0054] 20 camera housing

[0055] 22 arranging means

[0056] 24 guide means

[0057] 26 mounting element

[0058] 30 washer retainer

[0059] 32 sliding leg

[0060] 34 hook

[0061] 40 funnel-shaped portion

[0062] 42 inner end

[0063] 44 inner opening

[0064] 46 outer end

[0065] 48 outer opening

[0066] 50 sealing member

[0067] 60 spring means

[0068] 62 spring element

[0069] 64 leaf spring

[0070] 70 pressing force

[0071] 100 Camera Assembly

[0072] 102 Electronic Device

[0073] 110 Camera

[0074] 120 Light Source

[0075] 200 Transparent Surface

Claims

1. A housing (10) for a camera assembly (100), the housing (10) being configured for a sealing arrangement at a transparent surface (200), the housing (10) comprising a camera housing (20) and a gasket retainer (30), wherein, The washer retainer (30) is slidably arranged on the camera housing (20) and includes an opaque funnel-shaped portion (40) for defining the field of view of the camera (110), whereby the funnel-shaped portion (40) extends continuously between an inner opening (44) at an inner end (42) of the funnel-shaped portion (40) and an outer opening (48) at an outer end (46) of the funnel-shaped portion (40). Wherein, the camera housing (20) includes an arranging device (22) for arranging the camera at and / or in the inner opening (44). Wherein, the washer retainer (30) includes an annular sealing member (50) surrounding the outer opening (48) for sealingly contacting the transparent surface (200), and Wherein, the housing (10) includes a spring device (60) arranged between the camera housing (20) and the washer retainer (30) for applying a pressing force (70) on the washer retainer (30) towards the outer end (46) of the funnel-shaped portion (40).

2. The housing (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The washer retainer (30) is slidably arranged on the camera housing (20) along a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the annular sealing member (50).

3. The sheathed body (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring device (60) includes two spring elements (62), wherein the two spring elements (62) are arranged on opposite sides of the funnel-shaped portion (40).

4. The housing (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The two spring elements (62) are Z-shaped leaf springs (64).

5. The housing (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring device (60) is attached to the washer retainer (30).

6. The housing (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The washer retainer (30) includes one or more sliding legs (32), and the camera housing (20) includes guiding means (24) configured to linearly guide the one or more sliding legs (32).

7. The housing (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the one or more sliding legs (32) terminates in a hook portion (34). Wherein, the corresponding one or more hook portions (34) contact the camera housing (20) in a form-fitting manner for defining the position where the washer retainer (30) is furthest from the camera housing (20).

8. The housing (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera housing (20) includes one or more mounting elements (26) for arranging the housing (10) to a device including the transparent surface (200).

9. A camera assembly (100) comprising a housing (10) and a camera (110) according to claim 1, wherein, The camera (110) is arranged in the camera housing (20) at or in the inner opening (44) of the funnel-shaped portion (40).

10. The camera assembly (100) according to claim 9, wherein, The control and / or readout electronics (102) of the camera (110) are also arranged within the camera housing (20).

11. The camera assembly (100) according to claim 9, wherein, The camera (110) is sensitive to visible light and / or infrared rays.

12. The camera assembly (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that, One or more light sources (120) are arranged in the camera housing (20) and / or the gasket holder (30).

13. The camera assembly (100) according to claim 12, characterized in that, Two light sources (120) are arranged at opposite sides of the funnel-shaped part (40).

14. The camera assembly (100) according to claim 12, wherein, The one or more light sources (120) are infrared light sources (120).

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