Anti-fog camera support and unmanned vehicle

Abstract

The anti-fog camera support comprises a protective shell, a transparent baffle is arranged at the front end of the protective shell, a cavity used for containing a camera is formed in the protective shell, a lens of the camera faces the transparent baffle, a buffer part is arranged between the transparent baffle and the lens, and the buffer part is arranged in the cavity. The space between the buffering part and the transparent baffle is filled with transparent glue so as to guarantee the sealing performance between the buffering part and the transparent baffle, in addition, the front end of the protection shell is further provided with a cleaning spray head, and the cleaning spray head can clean the outer surface of the transparent baffle. The buffer part is arranged between the transparent baffle and the lens, and the transparent adhesive tape is filled between the buffer part and the transparent baffle, so that external air can be prevented from entering, a water mist adhesion phenomenon is avoided, and the inner and outer surfaces of the transparent baffle can be ensured to be clean in combination with the cleaning effect of the cleaning nozzle on the outer surface of the transparent baffle; and the definition of the image quality acquired by the camera is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicles, and particularly to an anti-fog camera bracket and an autonomous vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the progress and development of technology, unmanned equipment is increasingly widely used in many fields. Especially in high-risk scenarios such as disaster relief and unexploded ordnance disposal, the importance of unmanned technology has become even more prominent.

[0003] To ensure the safety of operators, tasks are usually performed in a non-line-of-sight remote operation mode. In this operation mode, the camera, as a core component of unmanned equipment, is responsible for providing real-time video information, and its performance and stability have a decisive impact on the success of the task.

[0004] In the prior art, to effectively protect the camera from damage by the external environment, the camera is usually installed in a protective bracket to prevent it from being directly impacted by external factors such as stones and unexploded ordnance.

[0005] During the operation of the camera, due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the bracket, fog or even water droplets are likely to form inside the cavity for accommodating the camera, which will then adhere to the bracket and the camera lens, thereby affecting the imaging clarity of the camera and ultimately bringing great inconvenience to non-line-of-sight operation.

[0006] Therefore, how to ensure the clarity of the camera to improve the reliability of remote operation is a technical problem that those skilled in the art need to solve urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an anti-fog camera bracket that can effectively solve the problem of fogging or water droplet formation when the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the bracket is large, thereby ensuring the clarity of the camera. Another object is to provide an autonomous vehicle including the above anti-fog camera bracket.

[0008] To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0009] An anti-fog camera bracket includes: a protective shell, a transparent baffle is provided at the front end of the protective shell, a chamber for accommodating the camera is provided inside the protective shell, the lens of the camera faces the transparent baffle, a buffer part is provided between the transparent baffle and the lens, the buffer part is provided with an avoidance through hole, the lens corresponds to the avoidance through hole, a transparent glue is filled between the buffer part and the transparent baffle, and a cleaning nozzle is further provided at the front end of the protective shell, and the cleaning nozzle is used to clean the outer surface of the transparent baffle.

[0010] In some embodiments, the protective housing includes a bottom plate and an upper cover covering the bottom plate, the transparent baffle is located at the front end of the upper cover, and the included angle between the transparent baffle and the forward direction of the bottom plate is an obtuse angle.

[0011] In some embodiments, the upper cover includes two side plates, a rear end plate and a top plate, and the front end of at least one of the two side plates and the top plate protrudes forward relative to the transparent baffle.

[0012] In some embodiments, the front end of one of the side plates protrudes forward relative to the transparent baffle, and the included angle between the front end face and the lower surface of the protruding side plate is an acute angle, and the cleaning nozzle is arranged at a position on the transparent baffle close to the protruding side plate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the buffer part is made of rubber sponge.

[0014] In some embodiments, the rubber sponge is made of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber sponge.

[0015] In some embodiments, the camera is connected to a support member, and the support member is connected to the bottom of the protective housing through a fastener.

[0016] In some embodiments, the power cord and the video cable of the camera are placed inside the protective housing.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cleaning nozzle is communicated with a liquid supply pipe, and through holes for the liquid supply pipe to pass through are provided on the transparent baffle and the buffer part.

[0018] An autonomous vehicle includes the anti-fog camera bracket according to any one of the above, and further includes a vehicle frame, and the anti-fog camera bracket is installed on the vehicle frame.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the above technical solution has the following advantages:

[0020] An anti-fog camera bracket provided by the present invention includes: a protective shell. A transparent baffle is provided at the front end of the protective shell. A chamber for accommodating the camera is provided inside the protective shell. The lens of the camera faces the transparent baffle. A buffer part is provided between the transparent baffle and the lens. The buffer part can effectively buffer and protect the lens, thereby reducing the mechanical stress on the camera during operation. Transparent glue is filled between the buffer part and the transparent baffle to ensure the sealing between the buffer part and the transparent baffle. Therefore, external air can be prevented from entering between the buffer part and the transparent baffle. In addition, a cleaning nozzle is provided at the front end of the protective shell of the present invention, and the cleaning nozzle can clean the outer surface of the transparent baffle. By providing a buffer part between the transparent baffle and the lens and filling transparent glue between the buffer part and the transparent baffle, external air can be prevented from entering, thereby avoiding the generation of water mist attachment. Combining the cleaning effect of the cleaning nozzle on the outer surface of the transparent baffle can ensure that the inner and outer surfaces of the transparent baffle are clean, thereby improving the clarity of the image obtained by the camera.

[0021] An unmanned vehicle provided by the present invention includes the above anti-fog camera bracket and also includes a vehicle frame. The anti-fog camera bracket is installed on the vehicle frame. Since the unmanned vehicle includes the anti-fog camera bracket, it also has corresponding advantages. Description of the Drawings

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the provided drawings without creative efforts.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic three-dimensional structure diagram of an anti-fog camera bracket provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic front view structure diagram of an anti-fog camera bracket provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic bottom view structure diagram of an anti-fog camera bracket provided by a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0027] 10 - protective shell, 11 - transparent baffle, 12 - upper cover, 121 - left side plate, 122 - right side plate, 123 - top plate, 124 - rear end plate, 13 - bottom plate;

[0028] 20 - camera, 21 - support member, 22 - power cord, 23 - video cable;

[0029] 30 - Buffer section;

[0030] 40 - Cleaning nozzle, 41 - Liquid supply pipe. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0032] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3。An anti-fog camera bracket provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes: a protective shell 10, a transparent baffle 11 is provided at the front end of the protective shell 10. The protective shell 10 can be formed by welding plate members, and the plate members can be selected as bulletproof steel plates, so that the protective shell 10 has impact resistance and bulletproof performance, and can effectively resist the physical impact of high-speed objects such as bullets. Inside the protective shell 10, there is a chamber for accommodating the camera 20. The lens of the camera 20 is arranged facing the transparent baffle 11. The transparent baffle 11 can be selected as an acrylic baffle, which has excellent light transmittance and impact resistance, can prevent direct damage to the camera 20 caused by external impact, and can ensure the clear vision of the camera 20. A buffer portion 30 is provided between the transparent baffle 11 and the lens. The buffer portion 30 is provided with an avoidance through hole, and the lens corresponds to the avoidance through hole, so as to facilitate light to pass through the avoidance through hole, thereby avoiding the buffer portion 30 from blocking the lens. The buffer portion 30 can effectively buffer and protect the lens, thereby reducing the mechanical stress received by the camera 20 during operation. A transparent glue is filled between the buffer portion 30 and the transparent baffle 11 to ensure the sealing between the buffer portion 30 and the transparent baffle 11, so that external air can be prevented from entering between the buffer portion 30 and the transparent baffle 11. The transparent glue is preferably UV liquid optical glue. In addition, one end of the buffer portion 30 away from the transparent baffle 11 is in close contact with the camera 20, so that external air can be prevented from entering between the transparent baffle 11 and the lens, thereby avoiding water mist from adhering to the inner surface of the transparent baffle 11 or the lens due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the protective shell 10. The buffer portion 30 is preferably rubber sponge. However, in the prior art, a rubber sponge is usually not provided between the lens and the transparent baffle 11, and no transparent glue is filled between the rubber sponge and the transparent baffle 11, resulting in external air entering between the transparent baffle 11 and the lens, so that under the action of the temperature difference, water mist is likely to be generated on the transparent baffle 11 and the lens, thereby affecting the clarity of the lens. In addition, a cleaning nozzle 40 is further provided at the front end of the protective shell 10 of the present invention. The cleaning nozzle 40 is used to clean the outer surface of the transparent baffle 11. By sealing between the transparent baffle 11 and the lens, external air can be prevented from entering, thereby avoiding the generation of water mist adhesion. Combining the cleaning effect of the cleaning nozzle 40 on the outer surface of the transparent baffle 11, the inner and outer surfaces of the transparent baffle 11 can be ensured to be clean, thereby improving the clarity of the image quality obtained by the camera 20.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the protective shell 10 includes a bottom plate 13 and an upper cover 12 covering the bottom plate 13. The lower end of the upper cover 12 and the bottom plate 13 can be fixed by welding. The transparent baffle 11 is located at the front end of the upper cover 12. The angle between the transparent baffle 11 and the front direction of the bottom plate 13 is an obtuse angle. Through the obtuse angle design, on the one hand, the driving resistance can be reduced, and on the other hand, the impact force during a frontal impact can be reduced, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the camera 20. In addition, as Figure 2 shown, the bottom plate 13 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. The height of the front end of the bottom plate 13 is lower than the height of the rear end of the bottom plate 13. Two connecting protrusions protruding outward are respectively provided on both sides of the bottom plate 13. Mounting holes are provided on the connecting protrusions to facilitate the installation of the bottom plate 13 on the frame of the unmanned vehicle through bolts, specifically as Figure 1 shown. It should be noted that the camera 20 can be completely located inside the protective shell 10 or partially located inside the protective shell 10. For example Figure 2 shown. In addition, the lower end of the rubber sponge can extend out of the lower end of the protective shell 10. After the bracket is installed on the frame, the lower ends of the camera 20 and the rubber sponge are located in the corresponding concave cavities inside the frame.

[0034] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 shown, the upper cover 12 includes two side plates, a rear end plate 124 and a top plate 123. The front end of at least one of the two side plates and the top plate 123 protrudes forward relative to the transparent baffle 11. When a frontal impact occurs, through the protruding structure, the protruding structure can first contact and absorb the impact force, further reducing the risk of damage to the camera 20. Specifically, the two side plates are respectively a left side plate 121 and a right side plate 122. The two sides of the top plate 123 and the rear end plate 124 are respectively fixedly connected to the left side plate 121 and the right side plate 122. The transparent baffle 11 is fixedly connected to the front ends of the left side plate 121, the right side plate 122 and the top plate 123. It is only necessary to ensure that the front end of one of the left side plate 121, the right side plate 122 and the top plate 123 protrudes forward relative to the transparent baffle 11. For example, the front end of the left side plate 121 is selected to protrude forward. When the front ends of two or three are selected to protrude forward, the protection effect can be further improved. As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the angle between the rear end plate 124 and the rear direction of the bottom plate 13 is an obtuse angle to ensure the structural stability of the protective shell 10 and the driving stability. The inclination angle of the rear end plate 124 is preferably greater than the inclination angle of the transparent baffle 11.

[0035] In some embodiments, the front end of one of the side plates protrudes forward relative to the transparent baffle 11. The angle between the front end face and the lower surface of the protruding side plate is an acute angle. The cleaning nozzle 40 is arranged at a position on the transparent baffle 11 close to the protruding side plate. For example Figure 1As shown, the front end of the left side plate 121 protrudes forward, and the cleaning nozzle 40 is arranged on the transparent baffle 11 near the left side plate 121. Since an included angle area is formed between the protruding part of the left side plate 121 and the transparent baffle 11, setting the cleaning nozzle 40 in the included angle area can protect the cleaning nozzle 40. When the protective shell 10 is impacted from the front, the structure where the left side plate 121 bulges forward will first contact the collision object to absorb the impact force. Further, the upper cover 12 as a whole is offset to the left front relative to the bottom plate 13, that is, the extending directions of the left side plate 121 and the right side plate 122 towards the left front direction have a deflection angle relative to the front, and the deflection angle is an acute angle. The purpose of such a design is to further reduce the frontal impact on the transparent baffle 11.

[0036] In some embodiments, the rubber sponge is preferably made of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber sponge. The rubber sponge of this material has hydrophobicity, and the low water absorption rate can prevent the influence of moisture on the camera 20. At the same time, this material has a strong elastic compression amount, which is convenient for the installation and positioning of the rubber sponge, and can play a buffering and protective role for the camera 20, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the camera 20.

[0037] In some embodiments, the camera 20 is connected to the support member 21, and the support member 21 is connected to the bottom of the protective shell 10 through a fastener, and the fastener can be selected as a screw. As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the camera 20 can be fixed to the support member 21 by screws, and the support member 21 can be fixed to the bottom of the protective shell 10 by screws. For example, the support member 21 is a plate member, and two connecting portions are respectively provided on both sides of the plate member. Corresponding connecting holes are respectively provided on the four connecting portions and the protective shell 10, and the screws can be passed through the connecting holes to realize the fixation of the support member 21 and the protective shell 10. Fixing the camera 20 relatively fixedly in the protective shell 10 can ensure the mechanical stability of the camera 20 under complex working conditions, and thus prevent displacement or damage in a vibration or impact environment.

[0038] In some embodiments, the power cord 22 and the video cable 23 of the camera 20 are placed inside the protective shell 10. As Figure 3 shown, the power cord 22 and the video cable 23 are connected to the rear end part of the camera 20, and the power cord 22 and the video cable 23 can be fixed inside the protective shell 10 through a wire groove or a wire clip to avoid loosening or interference. By arranging the power cord 22 and the video cable 23 inside the protective shell 10, the interference or potential damage of the external environment can be avoided, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the whole machine.

[0039] In some embodiments, a liquid supply pipe 41 is connected to the cleaning nozzle 40, and the liquid supply pipe 41 is connected to a liquid supply device. The liquid supply device can provide cleaning liquid, low-temperature windshield washer fluid, antifreeze, etc. Through holes for the liquid supply pipe 41 to pass through are provided on the transparent baffle 11 and the buffer portion 30. The liquid supply pipe 41 can be bonded to the through holes to ensure structural sealing and stability. The liquid ejected from the cleaning nozzle 40 can effectively remove dust, fog, or other contaminants on the outer surface of the transparent baffle 11, thereby improving the clarity of the image obtained by the camera 20.

[0040] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an autonomous vehicle, which includes the anti-fog camera bracket provided in any one of the above embodiments, and also includes a vehicle frame. The anti-fog camera bracket is installed on the vehicle frame. For the beneficial effects of the autonomous vehicle, reference can be made to the above anti-fog camera bracket, and details are not described herein again.

[0041] It should be noted that in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity from several other entities, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities.

[0042] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts among the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0043] The above has introduced in detail an anti-fog camera bracket and an autonomous vehicle provided by the present invention. Specific examples are used herein to elaborate on the principle and implementation manner of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the core idea of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of the present invention, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An anti-fog camera bracket, characterized in that, Comprising: A protective housing (10), a transparent baffle (11) is provided at the front end of the protective housing (10), a chamber for accommodating a camera (20) is provided inside the protective housing (10), the lens of the camera (20) is arranged towards the transparent baffle (11), a buffer portion (30) is provided between the transparent baffle (11) and the lens, the buffer portion (30) is provided with an avoidance through hole, the lens corresponds to the avoidance through hole, transparent glue is filled between the buffer portion (30) and the transparent baffle (11), a cleaning nozzle (40) is further provided at the front end of the protective housing (10), and the cleaning nozzle (40) is used for cleaning the outer surface of the transparent baffle (11).

2. The anti-fog camera bracket according to claim 1, wherein The protective housing (10) includes a bottom plate (13) and an upper cover (12) covering the bottom plate (13), the transparent baffle (11) is located at the front end of the upper cover (12), and the included angle between the transparent baffle (11) and the bottom plate (13) in the forward direction is an obtuse angle.

3. The anti-fog camera bracket according to claim 2, wherein, The upper cover (12) includes two side plates, a rear end plate (124) and a top plate (123), and at least one of the two side plates and the top plate (123) protrudes forward relative to the transparent baffle (11).

4. The anti-fog camera bracket according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front end of one of the side plates protrudes forward relative to the transparent baffle (11), the included angle between the front end face and the lower surface of the protruding side plate is an acute angle, and the cleaning nozzle (40) is arranged at a position on the transparent baffle (11) close to the protruding side plate.

5. The anti-fog camera bracket according to claim 1, wherein The buffer portion (30) is a rubber sponge.

6. The anti-fog camera bracket according to claim 5, characterized in that, The rubber sponge is made of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber sponge.

7. The anti-fog camera bracket according to claim 1, wherein, The camera (20) is connected to a support member (21), and the support member (21) is connected to the bottom of the protective housing (10) through a fastener.

8. The anti-fog camera bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power cord (22) and the video cable (23) of the camera (20) are placed inside the protective housing (10).

9. The anti-fog camera bracket according to claim 1, wherein The cleaning nozzle (40) is communicated with a liquid supply pipe (41), and through holes for the liquid supply pipe (41) to pass through are provided on the transparent baffle (11) and the buffer portion (30).

10. An autonomous vehicle, characterized in that, Including the anti-fog camera bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further including a vehicle frame, and the anti-fog camera bracket is installed on the vehicle frame.

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