Tank truck and camera bracket

Abstract

To provide a tank truck and a bracket for a camera capable of compatibly securing a rear visual field and mountability of a back camera.SOLUTION: A camera bracket 20 for fixing a back camera 19 to a rear bumper 14 includes a pair of right and left bases 21 respectively attached to an upper surface of the rear bumper 14 and extending upward from the upper surface, and a portal part 25 formed in a portal shape by being laterally connected to each other while being respectively extended upward from the pair of bases 21. The back camera 19 is attached to an upper end portion 27 of the portal portion 25. As a result, the camera bracket 20 can ensure both the rear view of the tank lorry 10 and the mountability of the back camera 19.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tank truck and a bracket for a camera, and more particularly to a tank truck and a bracket for a camera that can ensure both rear visibility and the ease of mounting a backup camera. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology for attaching a backup camera to a vehicle to capture an image of the rear of the vehicle so that the driver can check an image of the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving backward, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 describes attaching a backup camera to a tank truck. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-156299 A (e.g., paragraphs 0135 to 0137) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When attaching a mounting accessory to the rear of a tank truck, it is preferable to attach the mounting accessory to the rear bumper rather than to the rear of the tank in order to ensure ease of installation. However, if a backup camera, which is part of the mounting accessory, is attached directly to the rear bumper, which is located lower than the tank, the position of the backup camera will be low, making it difficult to ensure visibility behind the vehicle. Furthermore, because other mounting accessories such as a license plate are attached to the rear bumper, attempting to attach a backup camera directly to the rear bumper may actually reduce the mounting accessory's ease of installation.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a tank truck and a camera bracket that can ensure both rear visibility and the ease of mounting a backup camera. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve this object, the tank truck of the present invention includes a pair of left and right side members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a tank loaded on the side members, a rear bumper joined to rear ends of the pair of side members and extending in the transverse direction, and a camera bracket for fixing a backup camera that photographs the area behind the vehicle to the rear bumper. The camera bracket includes a pair of left and right bases attached to an upper surface of the rear bumper and extending upward from the upper surface, and gate-shaped portions extending upward from the pair of bases and connected to each other on the left and right to form a gate shape, and the backup camera is attached to an upper end of the gate-shaped portion.

[0007] The camera bracket of the present invention is for fixing a backup camera that photographs the area behind the tank truck to a rear bumper of the tank truck, and includes a pair of left and right bases that are attached to an upper surface of the rear bumper and extend upward from the upper surface, and gate-shaped portions that extend upward from the pair of bases and are connected to each other on the left and right to form a gate shape, and the backup camera is attached to an upper end of the gate-shaped portion. The bases have higher rigidity than the gate-shaped portions against loads in the fore-and-aft direction, and the gate-shaped portions are lighter in mass per unit length than the bases. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the tank truck of claim 1, the camera bracket for fixing the backup camera to the rear bumper includes a pair of left and right bases attached to the upper surface of the rear bumper and extending upward from the upper surface, and gate-shaped portions extending upward from the pair of bases and connecting to each other on the left and right to form a gate shape. By attaching the backup camera to the upper end of the gate-shaped portion, the backup camera is positioned higher than the rear bumper, ensuring a good rearward view using the backup camera.

[0009] In addition, the base can be attached to the rear bumper while avoiding interference with other mounted items using the gate-shaped portion, ensuring the mountability of the backup camera via the camera bracket. As described above, the camera bracket can ensure both the rear visibility of the tank truck and the mountability of the backup camera.

[0010] The camera bracket described in claim 2 is for fixing a backup camera that takes pictures of the area behind the tank truck to the rear bumper of the tank truck. The camera bracket includes a pair of left and right bases that are attached to the upper surface of the rear bumper and extend upward from the upper surface, and a gate-shaped portion that extends upward from each of the pair of bases and is connected to each other on the left and right to form a gate shape. The backup camera is attached to the upper end of this gate-shaped portion. Therefore, similar to the effect achieved by the tank truck described in claim 1, it is possible to ensure both rear visibility for the tank truck and the ease of mounting the backup camera.

[0011] Furthermore, the base has higher rigidity than the gate-shaped portion against loads in the fore-and-aft direction, and the gate-shaped portion is lighter in mass per unit length than the base. This makes it difficult for the camera bracket extending upward from the rear bumper to vibrate, which in turn makes it difficult for the backup camera attached to the camera bracket to vibrate, thereby preventing a decrease in rearward visibility of the vehicle through the backup camera due to vibration.

[0012] The camera bracket of claim 3 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the camera bracket of claim 2. The cross section of the gate-shaped portion perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is U-shaped with an opening on the inside of the gate-shaped portion. This increases the rigidity of the gate-shaped portion and makes the camera bracket less susceptible to vibration. Furthermore, the wiring for the backup camera can be placed and hidden inside the U-shaped cross section of the gate-shaped portion, and the opening makes it easy to pass the wiring inside the gate-shaped portion and secure it.

[0013] The camera bracket of claim 4 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the camera bracket of claim 3. The front portion of the gate-shaped portion facing the front of the vehicle in the U-shaped cross section is provided with mounting holes that penetrate in the longitudinal direction. The wiring of the backup camera can be fixed to the front portion using fasteners such as U-shaped metal fittings or cable ties that are passed through these mounting holes. As a result, the fasteners are less noticeable from the rear of the tank truck, ensuring the tank truck's aesthetic appearance.

[0014] The camera bracket of claim 5 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the camera bracket of any one of claims 2 to 4. The base and the gate-shaped portion are each made of separate members, which makes it easier to form the base and the gate-shaped portion with different rigidities and masses per unit length.

[0015] The camera bracket according to claim 6 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the camera bracket according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The outer shape of the gate-shaped portion is formed into a trapezoidal shape with an upper base shorter than a lower base when viewed in the front-rear direction. This makes it difficult for the camera bracket to vibrate in the left-right direction, and therefore the backup camera attached to the camera bracket is also difficult to vibrate in the left-right direction, making it possible to further prevent a decrease in the visibility behind the vehicle through the backup camera due to the vibration.

[0016] The camera bracket of claim 7 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the camera bracket of any one of claims 2 to 4. The base includes a bottom surface portion that is attached by overlapping the upper surface of the rear bumper, and a connecting surface portion that is bent upward from the bottom surface portion and continues to the gate-shaped portion. Because the width of the bottom surface portion in the front-to-rear direction is greater than the width of the gate-shaped portion in the front-to-rear direction, a contact area between the bottom surface portion and the rear bumper can be ensured, making it possible to make the camera bracket less susceptible to vibration. Therefore, the backup camera attached to the camera bracket is less susceptible to vibration, and it is possible to further prevent a decrease in rear-vehicle visibility through the backup camera due to vibration.

[0017] Furthermore, the connecting surface connects the bottom surface and the gate-shaped portion so that the center of the gate-shaped portion in the fore-aft direction is shifted toward the front of the vehicle from the center of the bottom surface in the fore-aft direction. This allows the gate-shaped portion to be moved away from the rear surface of the rear bumper toward the front of the vehicle while bringing the bottom surface closer to the rear surface of the highly rigid rear bumper. As a result, it is possible to further reduce the likelihood of the camera bracket vibrating and to reduce the likelihood of the backup camera protruding rearward of the vehicle beyond the rear bumper.

[0018] The camera bracket of claim 8 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the camera bracket of claim 7. The base and the gate-shaped portion are each composed of separate members, and the connecting surface portion of the base is overlapped and joined to the outer gate-shaped surface of the gate-shaped portion. This makes it easy to form the base (bottom surface portion) and the gate-shaped portion with different rigidity, mass per unit length, width, and center position in the front-to-rear direction.

[0019] Furthermore, the base is provided with inclined edges that are cut off at the rear and upper corners of the connecting surface at an angle, thereby preventing the corners of the connecting surface from protruding due to differences in width and center position in the front-to-rear direction between the bottom surface and the gate-shaped portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a tank truck according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2A is a front view of the tank truck as viewed in the direction of arrow IIa in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a rear view of the tank truck as viewed in the direction of arrow IIb in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tank truck as seen in the direction of arrow III in FIG. [Figure 4] 4(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the tank truck taken along line IVa-IVa in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4(b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the camera bracket taken along line IVb-IVb in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 5]5(a) is a partially enlarged plan view of the camera bracket and rear bumper as viewed in the direction of arrow Va in FIG. 4(a), and FIG. 5(b) is a partially enlarged rear view of the camera bracket and rear bumper as viewed in the direction of arrow Vb in FIG. 5(a). [Figure 6] 5(b) is a bottom view of the camera bracket as viewed in the direction of arrow VIb in FIG. 5(b). FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the overall configuration of a tank truck 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a side view of the tank truck 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2(a) is a front view of the tank truck 10 as viewed in the direction of arrow IIa in Fig. 1. Fig. 2(b) is a rear view of the tank truck 10 as viewed in the direction of arrow IIb in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tank truck 10 as viewed in the direction of arrow III in Fig. 1.

[0022] In addition, arrows U, D, L, R, F, and B in each drawing indicate the upward, downward, leftward, rightward, forward, and backward directions of the tank truck 10, respectively. In addition, the side view of the tank truck 10 seen from the left side in FIG. 1 and the side view of the tank truck 10 seen from the right side (not shown) are symmetrical.

[0023] The tank truck 10 is a vehicle that travels on a road surface S using a plurality of wheels 11, and in this embodiment, is a vehicle that carries liquefied gas (for example, LNG or LPG) as a load. Note that the load may be a liquid, solid, or gas other than liquefied gas.

[0024] A chassis frame 12 that forms the skeleton of the vehicle body is supported by a plurality of wheels 11. The chassis frame 12 includes a pair of left and right side members 13 that extend in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, a cross member (not shown) that connects the pair of side members 13 at multiple points in the front-to-rear direction, and a rear bumper 14 that spans the rear ends of the pair of side members 13 and extends in the left-to-right direction.

[0025] The pair of side members 13 have a U-shaped cross section in the longitudinal direction that opens toward each other (toward the inside in the left-right direction). The rear bumper 14 also has a U-shaped cross section in the longitudinal direction that opens toward the front of the vehicle. A license plate 18 is attached to the center of the top surface of the rear bumper 14 in the left-right direction so as to stand up from the top surface.

[0026] Flat connecting plates 13a are placed on the left-right outer sides of the rear ends of the side members 13 and joined with joining members such as bolts and rivets. The rear end edges of the connecting plates 13a are joined to the rear bumper 14 by welding. In this way, the rear bumper 14 is joined to the rear ends of the side members 13 via the connecting plates 13a.

[0027] A cab 15 configured as a driver's seat is disposed at the front end of the chassis frame 12. A tank 17 is supported (mounted) on the chassis frame 12 located rearward of the cab 15 via a pair of left and right subframes 16.

[0028] The tank 17 is a cylindrical tank for carrying liquefied gas. Before the tank 17 is supported by the chassis frame 12 (before mounting), the subframe 16 is fixed to the tank 17 by welding or the like. The tank 17 is mounted on the chassis frame 12 by fixing the subframe 16 to the chassis frame 12 with a fastener (not shown) or by welding.

[0029] A backup camera 19 is fixed to the tank truck 10 to capture images of the area behind the vehicle so that the driver can check the image of the area behind the vehicle when reversing, etc. In this embodiment, the backup camera 19 is attached to a camera bracket 20 attached to the upper surface of the rear bumper 14.

[0030] The camera bracket 20 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the tank truck 10 taken along line IVa-IVa in Figure 1. Figure 4(b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the camera bracket 20 taken along line IVb-IVb in Figure 4(a). Figure 5(a) is a partially enlarged plan view of the camera bracket 20 and the rear bumper 14 as viewed in the direction of arrow Va in Figure 4(a). Figure 5(b) is a partially enlarged rear view of the camera bracket 20 and the rear bumper 14 as viewed in the direction of arrow Vb in Figure 5(a). The license plate 18 is not shown in Figures 4(a) and 5(b).

[0031] Fig. 6(a) is a side view of the camera bracket 20 and the rear bumper 14 as viewed in the direction of arrow VIa in Fig. 5(b). Fig. 6(b) is a bottom view of the camera bracket 20 as viewed in the direction of arrow VIb in Fig. 5(b). The camera bracket 20 and the rear bumper 14 are bilaterally symmetrical, and the side view of the camera bracket 20 and the rear bumper 14 as viewed from the left side in Fig. 6(a) is symmetrical to the side view of the camera bracket 20 and the rear bumper 14 as viewed from the right side (not shown).

[0032] As shown in Figure 4(a), etc., the camera bracket 20 comprises a pair of left and right bases 21 attached to the rear bumper 14, and a gate-shaped portion 25 extending upward from the bases 21 to which the backup camera 19 is attached, and is made of metal such as steel.

[0033] The base 21 includes a bottom surface 22 that is attached by being superimposed on the upper surface of the rear bumper 14, and a connecting surface portion 23 that extends upward from the inner edge of the bottom surface 22 in the left-right direction. The bottom surface 22 and the connecting surface portion 23 that is bent upward from the bottom surface 22 are formed by bending a single flat plate material that is long in the left-right direction. The angle between the bottom surface 22 and the connecting surface portion 23 is greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees, and the pair of left and right connecting surface portions 23 extend diagonally upward toward each other (above the center in the left-right direction). The length L2 of the connecting surface portion 23 is sufficiently greater than the length L1 of the bottom surface 22, and is at least three times the length L1.

[0034] Mounting holes 22a (see FIG. 6(b)) are formed in the area where the bottom surface portion 22 and the rear bumper 14 overlap, penetrating both of them in the thickness direction (vertical direction). Note that the mounting holes 22a of the rear bumper 14 are not shown. The bottom surface portion 22 is attached to the rear bumper 14 by bolts 31 and nuts 32 inserted into these mounting holes 22a.

[0035] The distance D1 in the left-right direction from the attachment position of the bolts 31 and nuts 32 to the joint (connecting plate 13a) between the side member 13 and the rear bumper 14 is sufficiently small, being equal to or less than the left-right width W1 of the side member 13. This allows the bottom portion 22 to be attached at a position close to the joint.

[0036] Here, the upper surface portion 14a constituting the upper surface of the U-shaped rear bumper 14 contacts the upper surface of the side member 13 and the upper edge of the connecting plate 13a. Furthermore, the rear end edge of the connecting plate 13a is welded to the inside (front side) of the rear surface portion 14b constituting the rear surface of the U-shaped rear bumper 14 over substantially the entire length in the up-down direction. As a result, the joint between the side member 13 and the rear bumper 14 via the connecting plate 13a is highly rigid. By attaching the bottom surface portion 22 to a position close to this joint, the camera bracket 20 can be made less susceptible to vibration. This makes it difficult for the backup camera 19 attached to the camera bracket 20 to vibrate, and reduces the deterioration of rearward visibility of the vehicle through the backup camera 19 due to the vibration.

[0037] As shown in Figure 6(a) and other figures, the bottom surface portion 22 is attached to the rear bumper 14 at two locations in the front-rear direction by bolts 31 and nuts 32. This makes it difficult for the base 21 to vibrate in the front-rear direction, and therefore the camera bracket 20 to vibrate in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, by combining these two attachment locations, front and rear, with attachment near the joint portion described above, the camera bracket 20 can be made even more difficult to vibrate.

[0038] The base 21 is configured by cutting off obliquely a corner 23a of the connecting surface 23 at the rear and upper part of the vehicle from a plate material having a constant width W2 in the front-to-rear direction along its entire length. The edge formed by cutting off the corner 23a at an angle is called an inclined edge 23b. The inclined edge 23b is formed from the upper end of the connecting surface 23 to approximately the center in the up-down direction.

[0039] The width W2 of the bottom surface portion 22 is smaller than the width W3 in the front-to-rear direction of the rear bumper 14. Furthermore, the bottom surface portion 22 is attached to the rear bumper 14 so that the front edge of the bottom surface portion 22 coincides with the front edge of the rear bumper 14. This makes it difficult for the camera bracket 20 and the backup camera 19 to protrude rearward from the rear surface portion 14b of the rear bumper 14.

[0040] 4(a) and other figures, the gate-shaped portion 25 includes a pair of left and right leg portions 26 extending upward from the connecting surface portions 23 of the pair of left and right bases 21, respectively, and an upper end portion 27 connecting the upper ends of the pair of legs 26 in the left-right direction, and is formed into a gate shape by these portions. The backup camera 19 is attached to the center of the upper end portion 27 in the left-right direction. As a result, the backup camera 19 is positioned higher than the rear bumper 14, and therefore a wider rearward field of view can be secured by the backup camera 19 than when the backup camera 19 is attached directly to the rear bumper 14.

[0041] The gate-shaped portion 25 allows the base 21 to be attached to the rear bumper 14 while avoiding interference with the license plate 18 (see FIG. 2(b)), which is an attachment other than the backup camera 19, and therefore ensures the mounting of the backup camera 19 via the camera bracket 20. As a result, the camera bracket 20 can ensure both the rear visibility of the tank truck 10 and the mounting of the backup camera 19.

[0042] Furthermore, the license plate 18 is attached to the center of the rear bumper 14 in the left-right direction, but by providing the gate-shaped portion 25 so as to surround the license plate 18, the backup camera 19 can also be positioned in the center of the rear bumper 14 in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to make the rear view provided by the backup camera 19 uniform on both the left and right sides.

[0043] The outer shape of the gate-shaped portion 25 is formed in a trapezoidal shape (a hat-like shape that flares outward) with an upper base shorter than a lower base when viewed in the front-rear direction. This trapezoidal shape includes a case in which there is no lower base, as in this embodiment, and a case in which there is a lower base. The trapezoidal gate-shaped portion 25 makes it difficult for the camera bracket 20 to vibrate in the left-right direction, so that the backup camera 19 attached to the camera bracket 20 is also difficult to vibrate in the left-right direction, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in the visibility behind the vehicle through the backup camera 19 due to the vibration.

[0044] 4(b) and other figures, the cross section of the gate-shaped portion 25 (the leg portion 26 and the upper end portion 27) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is formed in a U-shape that opens to the inside of the gate-shaped portion. That is, the leg portion 26 is formed in a U-shape by a front portion 26a facing the front of the vehicle, a rear portion 26b disposed behind the front portion 26a and facing the rear of the vehicle, and a side portion 26c connecting the outer edges of the front portion 26a and the rear portion 26b in the left-right direction.

[0045] Similarly, the upper end portion 27 is formed in a U-shape by a front portion 27a facing the front of the vehicle, a rear portion 27b positioned behind the front portion 27a and facing the rear of the vehicle, and an upper portion 27c connecting the upper edges of the front portion 27a and the rear portion 27b.

[0046] The backup camera 19 is placed on the rear surface of the rear surface 27b at the center in the left-right direction of the front surface 27a of the upper end portion 27, and is attached by two bolts 35 that pass through through holes (not shown) provided in the front surface 27a. In order to ensure the field of view of the backup camera 19, a notch 27d is formed in the center in the left-right direction of the rear surface 27b, with the lower edge recessed upward.

[0047] The head of bolt 35 is exposed on the vehicle front side of front portion 27a, but since tank 17 is located in front of that (see FIG. 1, etc.), bolt 35 can be made less noticeable. Also, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4(b), backup camera 19 may be attached with bolt 35 to the top surface of top surface portion 27c instead of to front portion 27a. In this case, too, since the head of bolt 35 is located inside the U-shaped cross section of upper end portion 27, bolt 35 can be made less noticeable. Therefore, regardless of where backup camera 19 is attached, the aesthetic appearance of tank truck 10 can be ensured.

[0048] Wiring 19a of the backup camera 19 can be arranged and hidden inside the U-shaped cross section of the gate-like portion 25. As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), a plurality of mounting holes 37 are formed through the front surface portions 26a, 27a in the plate thickness direction (front-rear direction). The plurality of mounting holes 37 are arranged in pairs adjacent to each other in the width direction of the front surface portions 26a, 27a, with spaces between them in the length direction.

[0049] The wiring 19a can be fixed to the front portions 26a, 27a by fasteners 38 such as cable ties passed through a pair of mounting holes 37. This makes the fasteners 38 less noticeable from the rear of the tank truck 10, thereby ensuring the aesthetic appearance of the tank truck 10. Furthermore, the U-shaped cross section of the gate-shaped portion 25 opens to the inside of the gate, making it easy to pass the wiring 19a through the inside of the gate-shaped portion 25 and fix it therein.

[0050] As shown in Figure 6(a) and other figures, the dimensions decrease in order from the maximum width W2 of the base 21, to the width W4 of the gate-shaped portion 25 (side surface portion 26c and top surface portion 27c) in the front-to-rear direction, to the widths of the front surface portions 26a, 27a and the rear surface portions 26b, 27b. The thickness of each portion of the base 21 is greater than the thickness of each portion of the gate-shaped portion 25. The second moment of area against a load in the front-to-rear direction, which is determined by each of these dimensions, is greater for the base 21 than for the gate-shaped portion 25.

[0051] Furthermore, the base 21 is formed of steel with a slightly higher Young's modulus than the gate-shaped portion 25. Therefore, the base 21 has higher rigidity against loads in the front-rear direction than the gate-shaped portion 25. Also, in terms of mass per unit length, the gate-shaped portion 25 is lighter than the base 21. As a result, the camera bracket 20 extending upward from the rear bumper 14 is less likely to vibrate. Therefore, the backup camera 19 attached to the camera bracket 20 is less likely to vibrate, and the visibility behind the vehicle provided by the backup camera 19 can be prevented from decreasing due to the vibration.

[0052] Furthermore, even if the plate thickness of gate-shaped portion 25 is thin to make it lighter, gate-shaped portion 25 has a U-shaped cross section, which allows for high rigidity of gate-shaped portion 25. As a result, camera bracket 20 is made less susceptible to vibration, and the visibility behind the vehicle through backup camera 19 can be further prevented from decreasing due to the vibration.

[0053] The base 21 and the gate-shaped portion 25 are each made of separate members and joined by bolts 33 and nuts 34. This makes it easy to form the base 21 and the gate-shaped portion 25 with different rigidity and mass per unit length.

[0054] The connecting surface portion 23 of the base 21 is overlapped on the outer side of the side surface portion 26c of the gate-shaped portion 25 in the left-right direction, and a bolt 33 passes through this overlapping portion. The bolt 33 and nut 34 join the connecting surface portion 23 and the side surface portion 26c at two locations spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. This makes it difficult for the gate-shaped portion 25 to vibrate in the front-rear direction relative to the base 21, and prevents the visibility behind the vehicle through the backup camera 19 from decreasing due to the vibration.

[0055] The larger the distance between these two joints, the more difficult it is to vibrate gate-shaped portion 25 relative to base 21. In order to ensure this distance and make gate-shaped portion 25 difficult to vibrate, length L2 of connecting surface portion 23 is made sufficiently larger than length L1 of bottom surface portion 22.

[0056] Also, because the width W2 of the bottom surface portion 22 of the base 21 is larger than the width W4 of the gate-shaped portion 25, the contact area between the bottom surface portion 22 and the rear bumper 14 can be secured, making it possible to make the camera bracket 20 less likely to vibrate. Furthermore, because the width W2 is larger than the width W4, it is possible to easily separate the two joints (bolts 31 and nuts 32) between the bottom surface portion 22 and the rear bumper 14, making it possible to make the camera bracket 20 even less likely to vibrate.

[0057] By utilizing this difference between the widths W2 and W4, the bottom surface portion 22 and the gate-shaped portion 25 are connected by the connecting surface portion 23 so that the fore-aft center of the gate-shaped portion 25 is shifted further forward of the vehicle than the fore-aft center of the bottom surface portion 22. This allows the bottom surface portion 22 to be brought closer to the rear surface portion 14b of the highly rigid rear bumper 14, while moving the gate-shaped portion 25 away from the rear surface portion 14b toward the front of the vehicle. As a result, the camera bracket 20 can be made even less susceptible to vibration, and the backup camera 19 can be made less likely to protrude rearward of the vehicle than the rear surface portion 14b of the rear bumper 14.

[0058] Note that the base 21 and the gate-shaped portion 25 are separate members, and the connecting surface portion 23 is overlapped and joined to the outside of the side surface portion 26c in the left-right direction, making it easy to form the base 21 (bottom surface portion 22) and the gate-shaped portion 25 that have different widths W2, W4 and center positions in the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, the inclined edge portion 23b can suppress the protrusion of the corner portion 23a of the connecting surface portion 23 that occurs due to the difference in widths W2, W4 and center positions in the front-to-rear direction between the bottom surface portion 22 and the gate-shaped portion 25.

[0059] Furthermore, the natural frequency of the camera bracket 20 described above is preferably 40 Hz or higher for both longitudinal and lateral vibrations. Here, the vibration frequency of the tank truck 10 when idling is often 30 Hz or lower, and the vibration frequency when reversing, when the backup camera 19 is mainly used, is close to this. Therefore, by setting the natural frequency of the camera bracket 20 to 40 Hz or higher, the camera bracket 20 can be made less likely to vibrate when the tank truck 10 is reversing, and the visibility behind the vehicle through the backup camera 19 can be prevented from decreasing due to the vibration.

[0060] While the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, it is readily apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and that various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, the tank 17 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, but may be an elliptical or rectangular cylindrical shape. The number of bolts 31, 33, 35 and nuts 32, 34 joining the various parts may be changed as appropriate. The joining method of the various parts may be changed to rivets, welding, or the like. The dimensional relationships between the various parts may be reversed.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the tank truck 10 has been described in which the cab 15 is disposed at the front end of the chassis frame 12 on which the tank 17 is supported, and the tank 17 and the cab 15 are not separable. However, the present invention may also be applied to a trailer-type tank truck in which the tank 17 and the cab 15 are separable. The trailer portion on which the tank 17 is supported may be a semi-trailer that does not have front wheels and therefore can stand on its own by deploying auxiliary legs, or a full trailer with multiple wheels that can stand on its own.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the base 21 and the gate-shaped portion 25 are separate members, but this is not limiting. For example, the base 21 and the gate-shaped portion 25 may be formed from the same member (integrally molded). In this case, too, it is preferable to adjust the dimensions of the base 21 and the gate-shaped portion 25 and compare them to make the base 21 highly rigid and the gate-shaped portion 25 have a low mass per unit length. However, the rigidity of the two may be the same, or the gate-shaped portion 25 may be high, or the mass per unit length of the two may be the same, or the mass per unit length of the base 21 may be low.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the cross section of gate portion 25 perpendicular to the length direction is U-shaped, but this is not limited to this. For example, the cross section may be formed into a ring shape. This can increase the rigidity of gate portion 25. Furthermore, front portions 26a, 27a may be omitted, and the cross section perpendicular to the length direction of gate portion 25 may be formed into an L-shape. This can further reduce the mass per unit length of gate portion 25 while hiding wiring 19a inside gate portion 25. Note that the cross section perpendicular to the length direction of gate portion 25 may be formed into a polygonal or plate-like shape, etc.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the gate portion 25 has a trapezoidal shape when viewed in the front-rear direction, but this is not limiting. For example, the gate portion 25 may have a polygonal shape such as a rectangular shape, or a semicircular shape when viewed in the front-rear direction.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the fasteners 38 are cable ties, but this is not limiting. For example, the fasteners 38 may be U-bolts, hooks, or the like. The positions, shapes, and number of the mounting holes 37 may be changed as appropriate. The embodiment is not limited to a case where one fastener 38 is attached to a pair of mounting holes 37, and one fastener 38 may be attached to one mounting hole 37. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Tanker Truck 13 Side member 14 Rear bumper 17. Tank 19 Rearview camera 20 Camera bracket 21 Base 22 Bottom part 23 Connecting surface part 23a Corner 23b Sloped edge 25 Portulae 26a,27a Front part 27 Upper end 37 Mounting hole

Claims

1. a pair of left and right side members extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; A tank loaded on the side member; a rear bumper joined to rear ends of the pair of side members and extending in the left-right direction; a camera bracket for fixing a backup camera that photographs the area behind the vehicle to the rear bumper, The camera bracket is a pair of left and right bases attached to an upper surface of the rear bumper and extending upward from the upper surface; a gate-shaped portion extending upward from each of the pair of bases and connected to each other on the left and right to form a gate-like shape, and having the backup camera attached to its upper end.

2. A camera bracket for fixing a backup camera that photographs the area behind a tank truck to a rear bumper of the tank truck, a pair of left and right bases attached to an upper surface of the rear bumper and extending upward from the upper surface; a gate-shaped portion extending upward from each of the pair of bases and connected to each other laterally to form a gate shape, the upper end of which is provided with the backup camera; the base has higher rigidity than the gate-shaped portion against a load in the front-rear direction, A camera bracket, characterized in that the gate-shaped portion is lighter than the base in terms of mass per unit length.

3. 3. The camera bracket according to claim 2, wherein the cross section of the gate-shaped portion perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is U-shaped with an opening on the inside of the gate-shaped portion.

4. 4. The camera bracket according to claim 3, wherein a front portion of the U-shaped cross section of the gate-shaped portion facing the front of the vehicle has mounting holes extending therethrough in the longitudinal direction and aligned in a longitudinal direction.

5. 5. The camera bracket according to claim 2, wherein the base and the gate-shaped portion are formed from separate members.

6. 5. The camera bracket according to claim 2, wherein the gate-shaped portion has an outer shape that is trapezoidal, with an upper base shorter than a lower base, when viewed from the front-rear direction.

7. the base has a bottom surface portion attached to the upper surface of the rear bumper; a connecting surface portion bent upward from the bottom surface portion and connected to the gate-shaped portion, The width of the bottom surface portion in the front-rear direction is greater than the width of the gate-shaped portion in the front-rear direction, A camera bracket as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the connecting surface portion connects the bottom surface portion and the gate-shaped portion so that the fore-and-aft center of the gate-shaped portion is shifted toward the front of the vehicle from the fore-and-aft center of the bottom surface portion.

8. The base and the gate-shaped portion are formed from separate members, The connecting surface portion is overlapped and joined to an outer surface of the gate-shaped portion, 8. The camera bracket according to claim 7, wherein the base is provided with inclined edges formed by cutting off corners of the connecting surface at an angle on the rear and upper sides of the vehicle.

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