METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A BASIC ASSEMBLY OF AN EXTERNAL REARVIEW DEVICE

Abstract

Method for assembling a basic assembly (100, 100', 100''') of an external rearview camera (1) to be mounted on a vehicle, comprising the following steps: • Inserting a camera (300, 300', 300'', 300''') into the camera carrier (340', 340'''), in particular into a camera carrier housing section (346'''), • Positioning a camera holder (360''') on the camera carrier (340', 340'''), in particular by means of a clamp, snap and / or latch connection, primarily by means of two clamps (365''', 366''') of the camera holder (360''') which engage in corresponding contact surfaces (348''') which are arranged on opposite sides of the camera carrier housing section (346'''), and • Rotating the camera holder (360''') into the camera carrier (340', 340''') to position the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300''') by means of a clamp and to clamp it in place, so that the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300'''), the camera carrier (340', 340''') and the camera holder (360''') form a camera sub-assembly.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for assembling a base assembly of an exterior rearview device to be mounted on a vehicle and a method for assembling an exterior rearview device.

[0002] A rearview device typically includes a base assembly to be mounted on a vehicle and a head assembly mounted to the base assembly and movable relative to the base assembly. Generally, the head assembly of a rearview device can be rotated between a driving position and a parking position.

[0003] CN 1 12 977 277 A discloses a rearview camera for motor vehicles comprising a mounting plate, a stroke adjustment assembly, an angle adjustment assembly, a camera, an outer shield, and a mounting screw hole. The mounting plate is provided with a stroke adjustment assembly on the lower outer wall. The stroke adjustment assembly comprises a mounting sleeve, a telescopic rod, a mating slot, a spring, a movable block, a plug rod, and a plug hole. The mounting sleeve is welded to the outer wall of the lower end of the mounting plate. The telescopic rod is attached to the inner wall of the lower end of the mounting sleeve. The telescopic rod has a base and is attached to the inner wall of the lower end of the mounting plate. The telescopic rod has a base and is attached to the inner wall of the lower end of the mounting plate. The telescopic rod has a counter slot in the upper inner wall.the counter-slot has a spring welded to an inner wall, the counter-slot has a movable block in the inner wall on the side of the spring, the movable block has an insertion rod welded to the center of an outer wall, and one end of the insertion rod extends through the outside of the counter-slot, the mounting sleeve having insertion holes corresponding to the distribution of the insertion rods through the outer wall on one side, the telescopic rod having an angle adjustment arrangement provided on the outer wall at the lower end.

[0004] The term "rear view" can refer to a view of the surrounding area that is not within the field of vision of a driver of a vehicle, i.e., the directions opposite, left, right, below, and above the line of sight, but can also include the view in the direction of the driver's line of sight and / or any combination of directions. The rear view can be achieved via at least one rear view element in the form of a reflective element, such as a mirror, and / or an image capture device, such as a camera. The rear view, i.e., the driver's field of vision, can be adjusted by moving, in particular rotating, the reflective element and / or the image capture device.

[0005] The base assembly generally includes a base frame that performs a variety of functions, particularly those of supporting and connecting the head assembly and electronic components of the exterior rearview device to the vehicle and a central control unit within the vehicle. A camera is one such electronic component, and it is common to mount such a camera via a camera carrier.

[0006] Furthermore, the base frame is covered by one or more parts to achieve an attractive appearance and to adapt the exterior rearview device to the vehicle's design. However, the cover parts must also fulfill technical functions, such as water drainage and the like. This places high demands on the assembly of a base module.

[0007] It is the object of the present disclosure to further develop the known method for assembling a basic assembly in such a way that a camera can be mounted easily and at the same time reliably.

[0008] This problem is solved by the features of claim 1.

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the method are described in claims 2 to 12.

[0010] The present disclosure also provides, in claim 13, a method for assembling an exterior rearview device.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, a camera mount is attached to a camera carrier into which a camera is mounted to provide clamping force and a reference point for the camera. This clamping force is maintained and even enhanced by attaching the camera subassembly comprising the camera, camera carrier, and camera mount to a base frame of a rearview device base assembly via a clamp, snap, and / or detent connection, and if necessary, a screw connection.

[0012] The foregoing summary and the following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For purposes of illustration, certain examples of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact arrangements and instrumentalities shown. The accompanying drawings, together with the detailed description, serve to explain advantages and principles according to the present disclosure, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first exterior rearview device having a head assembly for supporting a mirror and a base assembly for supporting the head assembly and at least one camera; Fig. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a base assembly of a second exterior rearview device carrying two cameras, and the Fig. 3a-3d are perspective views illustrating the attachment of a camera to a base frame of the base assembly of Fig. 2 show, are.

[0013] Fig. 1 illustrates a first exterior rearview device 1. It comprises a base assembly 100 assembled according to the invention, to which a movable head assembly 200 is attached at a head attachment portion. The base assembly 100 is designed to be mounted on a door attachment portion 115 of a vehicle.

[0014] The head assembly 200 includes a reflective element 250 in the form of, for example, a mirror glass, and the base assembly 100 includes a camera 300. The camera 300 is arranged in the base assembly 100 such that a lens 320 can capture a rearview image through an opening 310 provided by the base assembly 100. The camera 300 is attached to a base frame 110 via a camera carrier, as described with respect to the Fig. 3a to 3d, and the opening 310 may be provided by cover parts of a base frame 110. These cover parts may comprise at least three parts, as described in detail in DE 10 2021 107 597.1, which is incorporated herein by reference. These three parts may include a base cover cap 180, a lower base cover 170, and an upper base cover 190, and they releasably enclose the base frame 110 by being attached via clamping, snap-on, and / or locking connections.

[0015] Furthermore, the cover of the base frame 110 may include a glare shield 350. The glare shield 350 may be removably attached to the base cover cap 180 and to the camera carrier by means of a clip.

[0016] Fig. Figure 2 shows an alternative base assembly 100' of a second rearview device, assembled according to the invention, which is equipped with two cameras 300', 300'', which can be arranged substantially perpendicular to each other and to an axis of a head mounting portion 117'. Also visible are a door mounting portion 115', a lower base cover 170'', and an upper base cover 190'.

[0017] A first camera 300' can extend through an opening 310' in a base cover cap 180' with its lens 320', as shown in relation to Fig. 1. A glare shield, as described above, may be attached to the base cover cap 180' and a camera support 340'. A second camera 300'' may be arranged such that its lens 320'' extends through an opening 310'' in the lower base cover 170''. A cleaning system, which may include a nozzle 370'' attached to and / or extending through the lower base cover 170'', may be associated with the second camera 300''. The cleaning system may be controlled by a control unit in response to the output of a sensor that detects contamination.

[0018] The Fig. 3a to 3d illustrate the attachment of a camera 303''' to a base frame 110''' of a base assembly 100''' by utilizing a two-part design, namely in the form of a camera carrier 340''' and a camera holder 360'''.

[0019] The camera carrier 340''' includes at least one clamp 341''' for attachment to the base frame 110'''. Furthermore, at a first end of the camera carrier 340''', there is an opening 342'' through which at least one lens 320''' of the camera 300''' can be pushed so that images can be captured. The camera carrier 340''' further includes an arm 343''' that extends at a second end, opposite the first end with the opening 342''' functioning as a viewing port. The arm 343''' is provided with a projection 344''' through which an opening extends to enable attachment of the camera holder 360''' to the base frame 110''', so that the camera carrier 340''' is positioned between the camera holder 360''' and the base frame 110'''. Furthermore, the camera carrier 340''' has a housing section 346''' into which a camera 300''' can be inserted by moving it along the arrow A, as in Fig. 3a.

[0020] There is a further projection 347''' provided by the camera carrier 340''', which also serves to clamp the camera carrier 340''', which holds the camera 300''', between the camera holder 360''' and the base frame 110''', as explained below. To provide further strength to the connection, the camera carrier 340''' has an extension 345''' to be inserted into a complementary recess of the base frame 110'''. Thus, the extension 345''' and the projections 344''', 347''' are provided to be clamped into the base frame 110'''. Furthermore, the camera carrier 340''' is provided with two contact surfaces 348''', one on each side of the housing portion 346''', for attaching the camera holder 360'''.

[0021] Fig. 3b shows the camera 300''' inserted into the camera carrier 340'''. The arrow B illustrates a first step of attaching the camera holder 360''' to the camera carrier 340''', namely by positioning the camera holder 360''' in the camera carrier 340''' as soon as two clamps 365''' and 366''' of the camera holder 360''' engage the contact surfaces 348''' of the camera carrier 340''', as shown in Fig. 3c shown.

[0022] The camera holder 360''' is provided with an arm 361''', which is provided at its free end with a projection 362''' through which a passage is provided to form an opening. Furthermore, another projection 363''' in the form of a tapered shoulder is provided in the region of a support portion 364''' of the camera holder 360''', strengthening the same.

[0023] As indicated by arrow C in Fig. 3c, the camera holder 360''' is to be rotated in a second attachment step in the direction of the camera carrier 340''' so that the projections 362''' and 363''' enter corresponding openings of the camera carrier 340''', as shown in Fig. 3d. Consequently, by rotating the camera holder 360''' into the camera carrier 340''', a clamping connection is achieved, which places the camera 300''' in its final position of a camera subassembly that, in addition to the camera 300''', includes both the camera carrier 340''' and the camera holder 360'''.

[0024] As further stated in Fig. As shown in Figure 3d, the camera subassembly is attached to the lower surface of the base frame 110''', i.e., to a camera attachment portion 118''', while the head attachment portion 117''' is located on top of the base frame 110''', and the door attachment portion 115''' can also be seen. Attachment is not only achieved by projections 362''' and 363''' clamped to the base frame 110''', but is further secured by two screws 400''' and 401''' extending through the opening extending through projection 362''' and another opening, and thus through both the camera carrier 340''' and the camera holder 360'''. The two screws 400''', 401''' further clamp the camera subassembly to the base frame 110''', which ensures the clamping force for the camera 300''' within the camera subassembly.

[0025] Once the camera subassembly is attached to the base frame 110''', a lower base cover, a base cover cap, and an upper base cover can be attached to the base frame 110''' to Fig. 2 to obtain the basic assembly shown.

[0026] The installation of the camera 300''' via the camera carrier 340''' and the camera holder 360''' ensures correct placement of the camera 300''' due to the Fig. 3b explained positioning and the one with regard to Fig. 3c by simply turning the camera holder 360''', whereby the clamping force between the camera holder 360''', the camera carrier 340''' and the base frame 110''' is maintained via the screws 400''' and 401'''.

[0027] In summary, the 360''' camera mount provides clamping force and a reference point to the 300''' camera, i.e., the camera body. This results in a well-defined suspension of the 300''' camera within the base assembly.

[0028] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications could be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the general spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and is intended to cover modifications that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. REFERENCE SYMBOL 1 external rearview device 100, 100', 100''' base assembly 110, 110''' base frame 115, 115', 115''' door mounting section 117', 117''' Head mounting section 118''' Camera mounting section 170, 170'' lower base cover 180, 180' base cover cap 190, 190' upper base cover 200 head assembly 250 reflective element 300, 300', 300'', 300''' camera 310, 310', 310'' opening 320, 320', 320'', 320''' lens 340', 340''' camera carrier 341''' brackets 342''' opening 343''' Arm 344''' lead 345''' Extension 346''' housing section 347''' lead 348''' contact area 350 glare shielding 360''' camera mount 361''' Arm 362''' lead 363''' lead 364''' support section 365''' bracket 366''' bracket 370'' cleaning nozzle 400''' screw 401''' screw

Claims

[1] Method for assembling a base assembly (100, 100', 100''') of an exterior rearview device (1) to be mounted on a vehicle, comprising the following steps: • Inserting a camera (300, 300', 300'', 300''') into the camera carrier (340', 340'''), in particular into a camera carrier housing section (346'''), • Positioning a camera holder (360''') on the camera carrier (340', 340'''), in particular by means of a clamp, snap and / or latching connection, primarily by means of two clamps (365''', 366''') of the camera holder (360'''), which engage in corresponding contact surfaces (348''') arranged on opposite sides of the camera carrier housing section (346'''), and • Rotating the camera holder (360''') into the camera carrier (340', 340''') to position the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300''') using a clamp and to clamp it in place so that the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300'''), the camera carrier (340', 340''') and the camera holder (360''') form a camera subassembly. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by following steps: Clamping the camera subassembly to a base frame (110, 110''') of the base assembly (100, 100', 100''') and Securing the clamping force exerted on the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300''') within the camera subassembly and the clamping force acting between the camera subassembly and the base frame (110, 110''') via a further connection, in particular a screw connection. [3] The method of claim 2, further comprising characterized by following steps: Providing components of a base assembly (100, 100', 100''') comprising the base frame (110, 110''') and at least the camera subassembly to be attached to the base frame (110, 110'''), which comprises at least the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300'''), the camera carrier (340', 340''') and the camera holder (360''') which can provide a clamping force and a reference point on the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300'''). [4] Method according to claim 3, characterized by , that • the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300''') extends at least partially through the camera carrier housing section (346''') of the camera carrier (340', 340''') when inserted into the camera carrier (340', 340'''), and / or • the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300''') is clamped in the camera carrier housing section (346''') of the camera carrier (340', 340'''), and / or • a lens (320, 320', 320'', 320''') is provided which extends beyond an opening (342''') of the camera carrier (340', 340''') so that the camera (300, 300', 300'', 300''') can capture images through the opening (342'''). [5] Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by that the camera carrier (340', 340''') of the camera subassembly is clamped to the base frame (110, 110'''), in particular both directly and via the camera holder (360'''), wherein preferably • the camera carrier (340', 340''') comprises at least one extension (345''') and / or a projection (344''', 347''') which can be inserted and / or clamped into a complementary recess of the base frame (110, 110'''), and / or • the camera carrier (340', 340''') comprises at least one clamp (341''') which can be inserted and / or clamped into a complementary part of the base frame (110, 110'''), and / or • the camera carrier (340', 340''') provides at least one opening through which a projection (362''', 363''') of the camera holder (360''') can pass, and / or • the camera carrier (340', 340''') provides at least one contact surface (348''') that can be engaged by a clamp (365''', 366''') of the camera holder (360'''). [6] Method according to claim 5, characterized by that a first camera support opening extends through the camera support projection (344'''), which is preferably arranged in an arm (343''') extending from the camera support housing section (346''') at the end opposite the opening (342''') beyond which the lens (320''') extends, and / or a second camera support opening is arranged in the region of the camera support housing section (346'''). [7] Method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by , that two camera carrier contact surfaces (348''') are provided, which are preferably arranged on two opposite lateral sides of the camera carrier housing section (346'''), and / or the camera carrier extension (345''') is arranged in the camera carrier housing section (346''') and / or two camera support projections (344''', 347''') are provided, one of which is preferably arranged in the camera support housing section (346''') and another in the arm (343''') extending therefrom. [8] Method according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized by that the positioning of the camera holder within the camera subassembly is achieved by its clamp(s) (365''', 366'''), and the locking of the camera holder within the camera subassembly is achieved by its clamp(s) (365''', 366''') and projection(s) (362''', 363''') by means of clamping force. [9] Method according to one of claims 3 to 8, characterized by that the camera subassembly is clamped to the base frame (110, 110'''), and the clamped camera subassembly is secured via at least one screw connection, wherein preferably • a screw (400''', 401''') is passed through the projections (362''', 363''') and / or openings (344''', 347''') of the camera holder (360''') and the camera carrier (340', 340'''). [10] Method according to one of claims 3 to 9, characterized byin that the base frame (110, 110''') provides a head mounting portion (117', 117''') designed to mount a head assembly (200) of the rearview device, and a camera mounting portion (118''') designed to mount the camera subassembly, wherein the head mounting portion (117', 117''') and the camera mounting portion (118''') are arranged on opposite sides of the base frame (110, 110'''), preferably at an end portion opposite a door mounting portion (115, 115', 115''') of the base frame (110, 110'''). [11] Method according to one of the preceding claims 3 to 10, characterized by that cover parts are provided which can detachably enclose the base frame (110, 110''') by being attached via a clamp, snap and / or locking connection, wherein preferably • the cover parts provide a lower base cover (170, 170''), a base cover cap (180, 180'') and an upper base cover (190, 190'), and / or • at least one of the cover parts provides a camera opening (310, 310', 310''), and / or • at least one of the cover parts is attached to the camera subassembly via a clamp, snap and / or locking connection. [12] Method according to one of claims 3 to 11, characterized bythat a glare shield (350) is provided which surrounds the lens (320) of the camera (300), in particular the lens (320) extending through the opening (310) of the base cover cap (180), and provides an opening through which the camera (300) can capture images, wherein the glare shield (350) can be detachably attached to the cover parts and / or the camera carrier (340', 340''') and / or the camera holder (360'''), preferably via the clamp, snap and / or latching connection. [13] Method for assembling an external rearview device (1) comprising the following steps: • Providing a base assembly (100, 100', 100''') assembled according to one of the preceding claims, • Providing a head assembly (200), and • Mounting the head assembly (200) to the base assembly (100, 100', 100''') so that the head assembly (200) is movably attached to the base assembly (100, 100', 100''').

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