Lens assembly and camera
By designing a lens assembly arranged around the lens barrel in the camera with a multi-frequency ultrasonic vibrator, the problem of low cleaning efficiency of existing camera lenses is solved, efficient water droplets and dust removal is achieved, and stable imaging and driving safety of the camera is ensured.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202420909425.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-11
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-04-28
AI Technical Summary
The lens cleaning technology of existing cameras has problems such as insufficient cleaning and slow cleaning efficiency, especially when cars encounter rain and dust, which affects the recognition of the camera.
A lens assembly is designed, including a lens module, a housing and an ultrasonic generator. The ultrasonic generator is arranged around the lens barrel by a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators, the vibration frequency of at least one vibrator is smaller than the frequency of other vibrators, and the water droplets on the lens are attracted and moved by a low-frequency vibrator, and the water trace is atomized and disappeared by a high-frequency vibrator.
It significantly improves the efficiency of lens cleaning, ensures the normal operation of the camera, extends the service life, and ensures driving safety.
Smart Images
Figure CN222602485U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of camera cleaning, in particular to a lens assembly and a camera. Background Art
[0002] With the advancement of autonomous driving technology, more and more cameras are used in cars. However, cars may encounter rain, dust, etc. during the driving process, which will affect the camera's recognition, so certain requirements are put forward for the camera's cleaning technology.
[0003] Traditional cameras generally use mechanical structures to clean the lens, or use methods such as spraying water, blowing air, etc. The above methods require the addition of external mechanical structures, increasing the risk of mechanical failure, and the cleaning level is not high.
[0004] Ultrasonic waves are also used in the prior art to clean lenses. High-frequency vibrations are used to atomize water droplets attached to the lens or shake off dust. Traditional ultrasonic structures cause the outermost lens of the module to vibrate in a full circle. While the water droplets turn into mist, the water also gathers at the center of the lens, causing the water droplets to dissipate too slowly. Utility Model Content
[0005] Since the existing camera defog technology has the shortcomings of insufficient cleaning degree and slow cleaning efficiency, it is necessary to provide a lens assembly and a camera.
[0006] A lens assembly, comprising:
[0007] A lens module, the lens module comprising a lens body and a lens barrel extending from the lens body;
[0008] A housing, the housing comprising a shell having a light inlet and a lens sealed at the light inlet, the shell covering the lens barrel and the light inlet being arranged corresponding to the lens barrel; and
[0009] An ultrasonic generating device comprises a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators which are arranged around the lens barrel at intervals and are transmission-connected to the lens, and the vibration frequency of at least one of the ultrasonic vibrators is lower than the vibration frequency of the remaining ultrasonic vibrators.
[0010] With this setting, water droplets on the lens will move toward the low-frequency ultrasonic vibrator, and the remaining water marks on the lens will also be atomized and disappear under the vibration of the ultrasonic wave, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of lens cleaning, and the dirt on the lens will also fall off under the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator, ensuring the normal operation of the camera.
[0011] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic generating device further comprises a mounting bracket, wherein the mounting bracket has a contact surface correspondingly located in the interval between two adjacent ultrasonic vibrators and contacting the ultrasonic vibrators.
[0012] With such arrangement, two adjacent ultrasonic vibrators are fixed by the mounting bracket, which facilitates assembly, and the abutment surface prevents the two adjacent mounting brackets from contacting each other, thereby avoiding vibration interference.
[0013] In one embodiment, the mounting bracket includes a mounting ring and a plurality of baffles extending axially from the mounting ring, the baffles are located in a gap between two adjacent ultrasonic vibrators, and two sides of the baffles facing the two ultrasonic vibrators are the abutment surfaces.
[0014] Such an arrangement facilitates the installation of the ultrasonic vibrator on the mounting bracket in advance, which is beneficial to improving assembly efficiency.
[0015] In one embodiment, the lens assembly further includes a buffer pad located between the housing and the ultrasonic vibrator.
[0016] Such an arrangement can reduce the influence of the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator on the housing, which is helpful to avoid the resonance problem of the ultrasonic vibrator, the lens and the housing.
[0017] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the shell is further provided with a mounting groove surrounding the light inlet, the buffer pad is annular and accommodated in the mounting groove, and the buffer pad abuts against the ultrasonic vibrator.
[0018] Such an arrangement facilitates the fixing of the buffer pad and is also beneficial to improving the sealing of the lens assembly at the lens.
[0019] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic vibrator is a piezoelectric ceramic, and the piezoelectric ceramic is glued to the lens.
[0020] Such an arrangement makes the vibration frequency of the lens consistent with the vibration frequency of the piezoelectric ceramic, thereby improving the transmission effect between the piezoelectric ceramic and the lens.
[0021] In one embodiment, the housing is provided with a first threaded hole, the lens body is provided with a second threaded hole, and the lens assembly further includes a fastening bolt threadedly connected to the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole.
[0022] With such an arrangement, the outer shell and the lens body are detachable, which facilitates replacement of the outer shell that is susceptible to wear and tear, thereby extending the service life of the entire lens assembly.
[0023] In one of the embodiments, the lens assembly further includes a sealing ring located between the housing and the lens body, wherein the sealing ring abuts against the housing and the lens body.
[0024] Such an arrangement is conducive to improving the sealing performance inside the lens assembly and preventing water vapor and dust from entering the interior of the lens assembly.
[0025] In one embodiment, the number of the ultrasonic vibrators is four and they are evenly spaced around the lens barrel.
[0026] With this arrangement, the four ultrasonic vibrators are opposite to each other in pairs, and can control the water droplets on the lens from two directions, making it convenient to adjust the moving direction of the water droplets through the combination of ultrasonic vibrators of different frequencies.
[0027] In one embodiment, the lens assembly further includes a controller located in the lens body, and the controller is electrically connected to the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators.
[0028] Such an arrangement reduces the volume of the entire lens assembly, and at the same time, multiple ultrasonic vibrators are powered by the same controller, making it convenient to switch the ultrasonic generating device on and off.
[0029] The present application also provides a camera, comprising:
[0030] a packaging shell; and
[0031] As a lens assembly as mentioned above, the lens assembly is installed in a packaging shell.
[0032] With this arrangement, with the support of the lens assembly with self-cleaning function, even if the lens is blocked by water droplets and dust, the water droplets and dust can be shaken off in the first time, thereby ensuring stable imaging of the camera, further ensuring driving safety, and extending the service life of the camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a lens assembly in an embodiment provided in the present application;
[0034] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the movement of water droplets during the actual cleaning process of the lens assembly shown;
[0035] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the lens assembly shown;
[0036] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the lens assembly shown;
[0037] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The lens assembly is shown in a cross-sectional view along the AA direction;
[0038] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of a lens assembly along the AA direction in another embodiment provided by the present application;
[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a mounting bracket in another embodiment provided in the present application.
[0040] Reference numerals:
[0041] 10. Lens module; 11. Lens body; 111. Second threaded hole; 12. Lens barrel; 20. Outer shell; 21. Shell; 211. Light inlet; 212. Mounting groove; 213. First threaded hole; 22. Lens; 30. Ultrasonic generator; 31. Ultrasonic vibrator; 32. Mounting bracket; 321. Mounting ring; 322. Baffle; 3201. Abutment surface; 40. Buffer pad; 50. Fastening bolt; 60. Sealing ring; 70. Controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the utility model are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the utility model. However, the utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the utility model, so the utility model is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.
[0044] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.
[0045] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0046] In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.
[0047] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be the only implementation method.
[0048] With the advancement of autonomous driving technology, more and more cameras are used in cars. However, cars may encounter interference such as rain and dust during the driving process, which will affect the camera's recognition, so certain requirements are put forward for the camera's cleaning technology.
[0049] Traditional cameras generally use mechanical structures to clean the lens, or use methods such as spraying water, blowing air, etc. The above methods require the addition of external mechanical structures, increasing the risk of mechanical failure, and the cleaning level is not high.
[0050] Ultrasonic waves are also used in the prior art to clean lenses. High-frequency vibrations are used to atomize water droplets attached to the lens or shake off dust. Traditional ultrasonic structures cause the outermost lens of the module to vibrate in a full circle. While the water droplets turn into mist, the water also gathers at the center of the lens, causing the water droplets to dissipate too slowly.
[0051] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a lens assembly and a camera that can improve the lens cleaning efficiency.
[0052] See also Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lens assembly in an embodiment provided in the present application. Figure 4 for Figure 1 The internal structure diagram of the lens assembly shown in FIG. Figure 5 for Figure 4 The lens assembly shown is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA axis.
[0053] The lens assembly provided in the present application includes a lens module 10, a housing 20 and an ultrasonic generator 30. The lens module 10 includes a lens body 11 and a lens barrel 12 extending from the lens body 11; the housing 20 includes a shell 21 and a lens 22, the shell 20 has a light inlet 211, the lens 22 is sealed in the light inlet 211, the shell 21 is covered on the lens barrel 12 and the light inlet 211 is arranged corresponding to the lens barrel 12; the ultrasonic generator 30 includes a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 31, the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 31 are arranged around the lens barrel 12 at intervals and are connected to the lens 22 by transmission, and the vibration frequency of at least one ultrasonic vibrator 31 is less than the vibration frequency of the remaining ultrasonic vibrators 31. In this way, in actual use, the water droplets on the lens 22 will move toward the low-frequency ultrasonic vibrator 31, and the residual water marks on the lens 22 will also be atomized and disappear under the vibration of the ultrasonic wave, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of lens cleaning, and the dirt on the lens 22 will also fall under the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 31, ensuring the normal operation of the camera.
[0054] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the lens assembly shown. Optionally, in an embodiment provided by the present application, there are four ultrasonic vibrators 31 and they are evenly spaced and arranged around the lens barrel 12. In this way, the four ultrasonic vibrators 31 are opposite to each other, and the water droplets on the lens 22 can be controlled from two directions, which facilitates the adjustment of the moving direction of the water droplets by combining ultrasonic vibrators 31 of different frequencies.
[0055] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6This is a cross-sectional view of the lens assembly in the AA direction in another embodiment provided by the present application. It can be understood that the ultrasonic vibrator 31 can present but is not limited to Figure 5 The arc shown can also be Figure 6 The rectangle shown, that is, the shape of the ultrasonic vibrator 31 is not limited, and the specific shape is determined by the size of the ultrasonic vibrator 31 and the size of the internal space of the lens assembly.
[0056] See also Figure 3 Optionally, the ultrasonic generating device 30 further includes a mounting bracket 32, and the mounting bracket 32 has a contact surface 3201 correspondingly located in the interval between two adjacent ultrasonic vibrators 31 and abutting against the ultrasonic vibrators 31. In this way, the two adjacent ultrasonic vibrators 31 are fixed by the mounting bracket 32, which facilitates assembly, and the abutting surface 3201 prevents the two adjacent mounting brackets 32 from contacting each other, thereby preventing the vibrations of the multiple ultrasonic vibrators from interfering with each other.
[0057] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a mounting bracket 32 in another embodiment provided for the present application. As an alternative embodiment, the mounting bracket 32 includes a mounting ring 321 and a plurality of baffles 322 extending axially from the mounting ring 321, the baffles 322 are located in the interval between two adjacent ultrasonic vibrators 31, and the two sides of the baffles 322 facing the two ultrasonic vibrators 31 are abutment surfaces 3201. The plurality of baffles 322 are fixed to the same mounting ring 321, which facilitates the installation of the ultrasonic vibrator 31 on the mounting bracket 32 in advance, and is conducive to improving assembly efficiency. It is understandable that the ultrasonic vibrator 31 and the mounting bracket 32 can be a modular integrated structure, which is also convenient for maintenance and replacement.
[0058] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the lens assembly further includes a buffer pad 40 located between the housing 20 and the ultrasonic vibrator 31. The buffer pad 40 reduces the impact of the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 31 on the housing 20, which helps to avoid the resonance problem of the ultrasonic vibrator 31, the lens 22 and the housing 20.
[0059] See also Figure 4 Specifically, the inner wall of the housing 21 is further provided with a mounting groove 212 surrounding the light inlet 211, and the buffer pad 40 is annular and accommodated in the mounting groove 212, and the buffer pad 40 abuts against the ultrasonic vibrator 31. This facilitates fixing the buffer pad 40, and in addition, the buffer pad 40 can not only absorb the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 31, but also help to improve the sealing performance of the lens assembly at the lens 22.
[0060] Optionally, the ultrasonic vibrator 31 is a piezoelectric ceramic, and the piezoelectric ceramic is glued to the lens 22. In this way, the vibration frequency of the lens 22 can be consistent with the vibration frequency of the piezoelectric ceramic, thereby improving the transmission effect between the piezoelectric ceramic and the lens 22. It is understandable that the ultrasonic vibrator 31 can also be other elements that can generate ultrasonic waves, and no further limitation is made here. As an alternative embodiment, the piezoelectric ceramic can also abut against the lens 22, which is convenient for replacement.
[0061] Please refer again Figure 1 and Figure 3 Specifically, in an embodiment provided in the present application, the housing 21 is provided with a first threaded hole 213, the lens body 11 is provided with a second threaded hole 111, and the lens assembly further comprises a fastening bolt 50 screwed to the first threaded hole 213 and the second threaded hole 111. In this way, the housing 20 and the lens body 11 are detachable, which facilitates the replacement of the housing 20 which is easily subject to wear, thereby extending the service life of the entire lens assembly.
[0062] See also Figure 3 Optionally, in an embodiment provided in the present application, the lens assembly further includes a sealing ring 60 located between the housing 20 and the lens body 11, and the sealing ring 60 abuts against the housing 20 and the lens body 11. This is conducive to improving the sealing performance inside the lens assembly and preventing water vapor and dust from entering the interior of the lens assembly.
[0063] See also Figure 4 Optionally, in one embodiment provided in the present application, the lens assembly further includes a controller 70 located in the lens body 11. The controller 70 is electrically connected to the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 31 to make the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 31 vibrate, thereby driving the lens 22 to vibrate, and the interference on the lens 22 is thus driven close to the low-frequency ultrasonic vibrator 31. The controller 70 is located in the lens body 11, which reduces the volume of the entire lens assembly. Preferably, the controller 70 is integrated into a sensor circuit board in the lens body 11, so that the vibration of the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators 31 can be controlled simultaneously by the controller 70.
[0064] The present application also provides a camera, including a packaging shell and a lens assembly as described above, wherein the lens assembly is installed in the packaging shell. With the support of the lens assembly with a self-cleaning function, even if the lens 22 is blocked by water droplets and dust, the water droplets and dust can be shaken off in the first time, thereby ensuring stable imaging of the camera, further ensuring driving safety, and extending the service life of the camera.
[0065] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0066] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the utility model, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this field, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the utility model, which all belong to the protection scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model patent shall be based on the attached claims.
Claims
1. A lens assembly, characterized in that: include: A lens module, the lens module comprising a lens body and a lens barrel extending from the lens body; A housing, the housing comprising a shell having a light inlet and a lens sealed at the light inlet, the shell covering the lens barrel and the light inlet being arranged corresponding to the lens barrel; and The ultrasonic generating device comprises a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators which are arranged around the lens barrel at intervals and are transmission-connected to the lens, and the vibration frequency of at least one of the ultrasonic vibrators is lower than the vibration frequency of the remaining ultrasonic vibrators.
2. A lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic generating device further includes a mounting bracket having a contact surface located in a gap between two adjacent ultrasonic vibrators and contacting the ultrasonic vibrators.
3. A lens assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting bracket includes a mounting ring and a plurality of baffles extending axially from the mounting ring. The baffles are located in a gap between two adjacent ultrasonic vibrators, and two sides of the baffles facing the two ultrasonic vibrators are the abutment surfaces.
4. A lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lens assembly further includes a buffer pad located between the housing and the ultrasonic vibrator.
5. A lens assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner wall of the shell is further provided with a mounting groove surrounding the light inlet. The buffer pad is annular and accommodated in the mounting groove. The buffer pad abuts against the ultrasonic vibrator.
6. The lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic vibrator is a piezoelectric ceramic, and the piezoelectric ceramic is glued to the lens.
7. The lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the ultrasonic vibrators is four and they are evenly spaced and arranged around the lens barrel.
8. A lens assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The housing is provided with a first threaded hole, the lens body is provided with a second threaded hole, and the lens assembly further comprises a fastening bolt threadedly connected to the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole; and / or The lens assembly also includes a sealing ring located between the housing and the lens body.
9. The lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lens assembly further includes a controller located in the lens body, and the controller is electrically connected to the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators.
10. A camera, characterized in that: include: Package shell; and A lens assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the lens assembly is installed in the packaging shell.