Camera mounting device and work vehicle equipped therewith

Abstract

The present invention provides a camera mounting device and a work vehicle equipped therewith, which allows for easy adjustment of the camera's shooting range without removing the protective cover for the camera. [Solution] The camera mounting device 100 is a camera mounting device for mounting a camera 37 to a work vehicle to monitor the rear of the work vehicle, and comprises a lower bracket 110 which has an upper opening formed on its upper side and is fixed to the work vehicle, and an upper bracket 120 which covers the upper opening of the lower bracket and in which the camera is fixed. Either the upper bracket or the lower bracket is provided with an elongated hole, and the other of the upper bracket or the lower bracket is provided with an insertion hole corresponding to the elongated hole, and the upper bracket is fixed by a bolt 130 inserted through the elongated hole and the insertion hole so that the mounting angle of the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket can be adjusted along the elongated hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera mounting device and a work vehicle equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a work vehicle that performs transportation work on rough terrain, for example, there is a crawler carrier. The crawler carrier is provided with a load bed (vessel) that can undulate on a crawler-type traveling device, and is configured to discharge earth and sand or the like loaded on the vessel in a lying posture by raising and inclining the vessel.

[0003] In such a crawler carrier, a blind spot is created by the vessel in the field of view through the rearview mirror. For this reason, Patent Document 1 describes a crawler carrier provided with a camera that monitors the rear of the vessel and a display that displays the video captured by the camera. In order to obtain a desired shooting range of the camera, it was necessary to adjust the mounting angle of the camera while looking at a display provided in the cab.

[0004] Also, during transportation work, there are flying objects such as earth and sand. Patent Document 2 describes a camera protection mechanism that protects the camera from flying objects such as earth and sand by covering the camera mounted on the work vehicle with a cover plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the camera protection mechanism described in Patent Document 2, it was necessary to remove the cover plate in order to adjust the camera mounting angle, making it difficult to easily adjust the camera's shooting range.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a camera mounting device and a work vehicle equipped therewith that allow for easy adjustment of the camera's shooting range without removing the protective cover for the camera. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A camera mounting device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a camera mounting device for mounting a camera on a work vehicle to monitor the rear of the work vehicle, comprising: a lower bracket fixed to the work vehicle and having an upper opening formed on its upper side; and an upper bracket covering the upper opening of the lower bracket and having the camera fixed inside, wherein either the upper bracket or the lower bracket is provided with an elongated hole, and the other of the upper bracket or the lower bracket is provided with an insertion hole corresponding to the elongated hole, and the upper bracket is fixed by fastening members inserted through the elongated hole and the insertion hole so that the mounting angle of the upper bracket with respect to the lower bracket can be adjusted along the elongated hole.

[0009] In this configuration, since the camera is fixed to the upper bracket, the mounting angle of the camera relative to the lower bracket can be adjusted by adjusting the mounting angle of the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket along the elongated hole. This allows the camera's mounting angle to be adjusted without removing the upper bracket, which covers the camera by holding it inside, and the camera's shooting range can be easily adjusted.

[0010] In the camera mounting device described above, the lower bracket may have an opening window for shooting to ensure the shooting range of the camera. With this configuration, by forming an opening window for shooting in the lower bracket to ensure the shooting range of the camera, it is only necessary to leave the exposed surface of the camera to the extent that the shooting range is secured, thus preventing flying objects such as soil and sand from colliding with the camera.

[0011] In the camera mounting device described above, the surface of the lower bracket on which the opening window is formed is inclined downward toward the front of the work vehicle, and the camera may be fixed to the upper bracket such that the lens surface of the camera is parallel to the surface. According to this configuration, the surface of the lower bracket on which the opening window is formed is inclined downward toward the front of the work vehicle to match the work vehicle on which the camera is intended to be mounted. By fixing the camera to the upper bracket such that the lens surface of the camera is parallel to the inclined surface, the optimal mounting angle of the camera relative to the work vehicle is achieved, and the shooting range of the camera can be easily adjusted.

[0012] In the above-described camera mounting device, the upper bracket is further provided with a camera mounting portion fixed thereto for mounting the camera, the camera mounting portion having a guide portion for guiding the camera in the vertical direction, and the camera may be fixed by a fastening member inserted through the guide portion so as to be able to adjust the vertical position and mounting angle of the camera relative to the camera mounting portion. With this configuration, the mounting angle of the camera relative to the upper bracket can be easily adjusted so that the lens surface of the camera is parallel to the surface of the lower bracket where the opening window is formed. Furthermore, the vertical position and mounting angle of the camera can be adjusted so that the camera does not interfere with the surfaces of the upper bracket or the lower bracket where the opening window is formed.

[0013] In the camera mounting device described above, a round hole is provided in one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket, and a second through hole is provided in the other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket. When viewing the camera mounting device from the side, the round hole is positioned closer to the position where the camera is fixed to the upper bracket than the elongated hole. The upper bracket may be fixed by a second fastening member inserted through the round hole and the second through hole so that the mounting angle of the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket can be adjusted. If the position of the elongated hole is closer to the position where the camera is fixed to the upper bracket than the position of the round hole when viewing the camera mounting device from the side, then when attempting to change the camera mounting angle by rotating the upper bracket along the elongated hole around the second fastening member inserted through the round hole, the vertical position of the camera will also change significantly. As a result, the appropriate shooting range of the camera cannot be obtained unless the size of the opening window is increased. With this configuration, the camera mounting angle can be changed without changing the vertical position of the camera.

[0014] In the above-described camera mounting device, a plate on which the lower bracket is placed may be further provided, and when the camera mounting device is viewed from directly above, the camera may be positioned inward from the side surface of the plate. With this configuration, since the plate is directly below the camera, damage to the camera due to upward impact from flying objects such as soil and sand can be prevented. In addition, when attaching the camera mounting device to a work vehicle, the plate can be fixed to the work vehicle by welding, for example, thus improving ease of assembly.

[0015] A work vehicle according to a second embodiment is a work vehicle comprising a running gear and a load bed that is adjustable in height, and further comprising a camera for monitoring the rear of the work vehicle and the camera mounting device to which the camera is attached, wherein the camera mounting device is located on the running gear. With this configuration, by arranging the camera on the running gear, the camera can always monitor the rear of the work vehicle even when the load bed is tilted upright.

[0016] In the above-described work vehicle, the traveling device includes a pair of left and right traveling units and a lower frame provided between the pair of left and right traveling units, and the camera mounting device may be disposed on the lower frame. According to this configuration, by disposing the camera mounting device on the lower frame, it is possible to prevent the camera from being damaged by being pushed up from below by flying objects such as earth and sand.

[0017] In the above-described work vehicle, it further includes a plate on which the lower bracket is disposed, and when the camera mounting device is viewed from directly above, the camera may be located inside the side surface of the plate. According to this configuration, even if the camera protrudes from the lower frame, there is a plate directly below the camera, so it is possible to prevent the camera from being damaged by being pushed up from below by flying objects such as earth and sand. Further, when the camera mounting device is attached to the work vehicle, the plate may be fixed to the work vehicle by welding, for example, so that the assemblability is improved.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to easily adjust the shooting range of the camera without removing the cover that protects the camera.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view from the left front of the crawler carrier according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view from the left rear of the crawler carrier according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a left side view of the crawler carrier according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a left side view of the crawler carrier according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a front perspective view of the camera mounting device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a front perspective view of the state where the upper bracket and the plate are removed from the camera mounting device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7]It is a front perspective view of the state where the plate and the lower bracket are removed from the camera mounting device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a front perspective view of the camera. [Figure 9] It is an exploded perspective view of the state where the plate is added to the state of FIG. 6. [Figure 10] It is an exploded perspective view of the state of FIG. 7. [Figure 11] It is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the positions of the long holes, the round holes, and the position where the camera is fixed to the upper bracket. [Figure 12] It is a view when looking directly down on the camera mounting device mounted on the crawler carrier.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below show an example of implementing the present invention, and do not limit the present invention to the specific configurations described below. In implementing the present invention, specific configurations according to the embodiments may be appropriately adopted.

[0021] [Configuration of Crawler Carrier] In the present embodiment, as a work vehicle, a crawler carrier which is a transport vehicle for earth and sand, materials, etc. on rough ground will be described as an example. First, the overall configuration of the crawler carrier 1 according to the present embodiment will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 to 4. Note that in the present embodiment, the work vehicle is the crawler carrier 1, and a work device for performing a predetermined work can be attached, but a work vehicle that cannot attach a work device may also be used.

[0022] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crawler carrier 1 according to this embodiment, taken from the front left. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the crawler carrier 1 according to this embodiment, taken from the rear left. Figures 3 and 4 are left side views of the crawler carrier 1 according to this embodiment. For the convenience of the following explanation, directions are defined as follows: The direction in which the operator (driver) seated in the driver's seat of the crawler carrier 1 faces forward is defined as the front, and the opposite direction is defined as the rear. The left side from the perspective of the operator seated in the driver's seat is defined as "left," and the right side is defined as "right." Furthermore, the direction of gravity perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions is defined as the up-down direction, with the upstream side of the direction of gravity being defined as "up," and the downstream side being defined as "down."

[0023] The crawler carrier 1 comprises a running gear 2 and a vessel 3, which is a loading platform that is raised and lowered relative to the running gear 2. The vessel 3 is an example of a working device that performs a predetermined task.

[0024] The running device 2 has a pair of left and right crawler-type running sections 5 and a lower frame 6 which serves as a base and is provided between the left and right running sections 5.

[0025] The running gear 5 has a configuration in which tracks are wound around multiple rotating bodies such as sprockets and idlers supported by the lower frame 6. The running gear 5 is operated by the drive of a hydraulic motor 25.

[0026] A slewing frame 18 is mounted to the rear of the lower frame 6 so as to be able to rotate. The slewing frame 18 is mounted on a slewing mechanism 19 that is installed on the lower frame 6. A vessel 3 is provided on the slewing frame 18, and a dump cylinder 16 is provided between the slewing frame 18 and the vessel 3.

[0027] The vessel 3 is formed in a box shape with an open top and has a width that is slightly narrower by several tens of millimeters than the width between the left and right running sections 5, that is, the width between the left outer edge of the left running section 5 and the right edge of the right running section 5. At the rear of the bottom of the vessel 3, a sloping bottom surface 30 is formed, which is lower at the front and higher at the rear. On the front of the left and right sides of the vessel 3, a left sloping wall 31 and a right sloping wall 32 are formed. In a plan view from directly above, the left sloping wall 31 and the right sloping wall 32 are in an inclined position, with the front edge of the wall positioned inward and the rear edge of the wall positioned outward. In other words, by providing the left sloping wall 31 and the right sloping wall 32, the vessel 3 has a shape in which the front corners of the rectangle are chamfered when viewed from directly above. By forming the vessel 3 in this way, the vessel 3 can rotate to the left or right integrally with the slewing frame 18 without colliding with the cockpit 13 or engine room 14, which will be described later.

[0028] The lower rear side of the vessel 3, that is, the back of the inclined bottom surface 30, is connected to the rear end of the slewing frame 18 via a tilting axis 17 that is oriented in the left-right direction. A dump cylinder 16, provided between the slewing frame 18 and the vessel 3, has one end connected to the slewing frame 18 and the other end connected to the vessel 3. Therefore, the vessel 3 rotates and rises and falls around the tilting axis 17 as a pivot point due to the operation of the dump cylinder 16.

[0029] A camera mounting device 100 is provided at the rear of the lower frame 6 for mounting a camera 37 to monitor the rear of the crawler carrier 1. Since the lower frame 6 does not move with the rotation of the vessel 3, by positioning the camera 37 on the lower frame 6, the camera 37 can always monitor the rear of the crawler carrier 1 even when the vessel 3 is tilted upright. The camera 37 is mounted facing rearward relative to the lower frame 6.

[0030] At the front of the lower frame 6, there is a cockpit 13 with a driver's seat and an engine room 14.

[0031] The engine compartment 14 is located on the right side of the lower frame 6. The engine compartment 14 houses a diesel engine, heat exchange means, fuel tank, and electrical units, and these components are covered by a bonnet 15. The cockpit 13 is located on the left side of the lower frame 6. The cockpit 13 is a sealed (or open) type where the operator sits and operates the vehicle. Inside the cockpit 13 are a travel lever for the operator to control the vehicle's movement, an operating lever for operating the vessel 3, and an accelerator pedal for adjusting the engine's throttle opening (none of which are shown). Alternatively, the cockpit 13 may be located on the right side of the lower frame 6, and the engine compartment 14 on the left side of the lower frame 6.

[0032] [Configuration of the camera mounting device] Next, the camera mounting device 100 mounted on the crawler carrier 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 10. The camera mounting device 100 according to this embodiment is a device for mounting a camera 37 to monitor the rear of the crawler carrier 1 on the crawler carrier 1, which is a work vehicle to which a vessel 3, an example of a work device, can be attached.

[0033] Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the camera mounting device 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the camera mounting device 100 according to this embodiment with the upper bracket 120 and plate 160 removed. Figure 7 is a front perspective view of the camera mounting device 100 according to this embodiment with the plate 160 and lower bracket 110 removed. Figure 8 is a front perspective view of the camera 37. Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the state in Figure 6 with the plate 160 added. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the state in Figure 7.

[0034] The camera mounting device 100 according to this embodiment comprises a lower bracket 110 having an upper opening 111 formed thereon, at least on its upper side, and an upper bracket 120 that covers the upper opening 111 of the lower bracket 110 and is held by the lower bracket 110.

[0035] The lower bracket 110 is formed by bending a plate-shaped metal into a box shape and has a bottom portion 112 and side portions 113 formed on the left and right sides of the bottom portion 112. The lower bracket 110 is attached to the plate 160 by inserting bolts 114 as fastening members through three insertion holes (not shown) formed in the bottom portion 112 and screwing the bolts 114 into three screw holes 161 formed in the plate 160. The lower bracket 110 is fixed to the crawler carrier 1 by welding the plate 160 to the lower frame 6 of the crawler carrier 1. The attachment of the plate 160 to the crawler carrier 1 is not limited to welding and may also be done by bolting. Alternatively, the bottom portion 112 of the lower bracket 110 may be directly welded or bolted to the lower frame 6 of the crawler carrier 1 without using the plate 160.

[0036] In this embodiment, the camera 37 is housed within the box-shaped lower bracket 110, but if the camera 37 is fixed inside the upper bracket 120, it is not necessary for the camera 37 to be housed within the lower bracket 110.

[0037] Furthermore, each side portion 113 of the lower bracket 110 has a first insertion hole 131 for inserting the first bolt 130, which serves as a fastening member. As will be described later, the first insertion hole 131 is formed in the lower bracket 110 in correspondence with the elongated hole 132 formed in the upper bracket 120.

[0038] The upper bracket 120 is configured to hold the camera 37 securely inside. This provides the upper bracket 120 with a protective function that covers the camera 37. The upper bracket 120 is formed by bending a plate-shaped metal so that its cross-section is an inverted U-shape, and has an upper surface portion 121 and side portions 122 formed on the left and right sides of the upper surface portion 121. Three through holes 123 are formed in the upper surface portion 121 of the upper bracket 120. The camera 37 is fixed to the upper surface portion 121 of the upper bracket 120 by inserting bolts 124, which serve as fastening members, through the through holes 123 and screwing the bolts 124 into screw holes 173 formed in the upper plate portion 171 of the camera mounting portion 170, which will be described later. Each side portion 122 of the upper bracket 120 has an elongated hole 132.

[0039] In this embodiment, an upper bracket 120, with a camera 37 attached to its upper surface portion 121, is attached to the lower bracket 110 so as to cover the upper opening 111 of the lower bracket 110. The upper bracket 120 is then fixed by a first bolt 130 and a first nut 133, which are inserted through an elongated hole 132 formed in the upper bracket 120 and a first insertion hole 131 formed in the lower bracket 110, so that the mounting angle of the upper bracket 120 relative to the lower bracket 110 can be adjusted along the elongated hole 132. By forming an elongated hole 132 in the upper bracket 120 instead of a round hole, the position of the upper bracket 120 relative to the lower bracket 110 can be moved along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 132 by loosening the first bolt 130, and the mounting angle of the upper bracket 120 relative to the lower bracket 110 can be adjusted to the optimal angle for work by tightening the first bolt 130. This allows the mounting angle of the camera 37 to be adjusted without removing the upper bracket 120 that covers the camera 37 by holding it internally, and the shooting range of the camera 37 can be easily adjusted.

[0040] In this embodiment, the upper bracket 120 is provided with an elongated hole 132, and the lower bracket 110 is provided with a first through hole 131. However, the upper bracket 120 may be provided with the first through hole 131, and the lower bracket 110 may be provided with the elongated hole 132. That is, the elongated hole 132 may be provided in either the upper bracket 120 or the lower bracket 110, and the first through hole 131 may be provided in the other of the upper bracket 120 or the lower bracket 110.

[0041] Furthermore, the lower bracket 110 has a rear surface portion 115 formed behind the bottom surface portion 112 (i.e., behind the crawler carrier 1). The rear surface portion 115 has a shooting opening window 116 formed therein to secure the shooting range of the camera 37. By forming a shooting opening window 116 on the lower bracket 110 in this way to secure the shooting range of the camera 37, it is possible to prevent flying objects such as soil and sand from colliding with the camera 37, as the exposed surface of the camera 37 only needs to be left to secure the shooting range.

[0042] Furthermore, each side portion 113 of the lower bracket 110 has a second insertion hole 141 for inserting a second bolt 140, which serves as a fastening member. And each side portion 122 of the upper bracket 120 has a round hole 142, corresponding to the second insertion hole 141 formed in the lower bracket 110.

[0043] In this embodiment, when viewing the camera mounting device 100 from the side, the round hole 142 is positioned closer to the position where the camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120 than the elongated hole 132. The upper bracket 120 is fixed to the lower bracket 110 by a second bolt 140 and a second nut 143 inserted through the round hole 142 and a second insertion hole 141 provided in the lower bracket 110, so that the mounting angle of the upper bracket 120 relative to the lower bracket 110 can be adjusted.

[0044] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the position of the elongated hole 132, the position of the round hole 142, and the position where the camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120. Figure 11(a) is a view of the camera mounting device 100 from the front, Figure 11(b) is a view of the camera mounting device 100 from the side, and Figure 11(c) is a cross-sectional view AA in Figure 11(a). As is clear from Figure 11(c), when viewing the camera mounting device 100 from the side, the round hole 142 is located closer to the position where the camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120 than the elongated hole 132. That is, the distance from the round hole 142 to the position where the camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120 is smaller than the distance from the elongated hole 132 to the position where the camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120.

[0045] This allows the camera 37 to be mounted at an optimal angle for the work by loosening the first bolt 130 and the second bolt 140, moving the upper bracket 120 along the elongated hole 132 around the second bolt 140, and then tightening the first bolt 130 and the second bolt 140 again.

[0046] In this embodiment, the upper bracket 120 is provided with a round hole 142, and the lower bracket 110 is provided with a second insertion hole 141. However, the upper bracket 120 may be provided with a second insertion hole 141, and the lower bracket 110 may be provided with a round hole 142. That is, the round hole 142 may be provided in either the upper bracket 120 or the lower bracket 110, and the second insertion hole 141 may be provided in the other of the upper bracket 120 or the lower bracket 110. However, since both the round hole 142 and the second insertion hole 141 are holes for inserting the second bolt 140, their shapes are the same or substantially the same.

[0047] In this embodiment, the upper bracket 120 is provided with an elongated hole 132, but an arc-shaped hole may be provided instead. This allows the upper bracket 120 to be rotated along the arc-shaped hole around the second bolt 140, enabling smooth adjustment of the mounting angle of the upper bracket 120.

[0048] Furthermore, if the position of the elongated hole 132 is closer to the position where the camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120 than the position of the round hole 142 when viewing the camera mounting device 100 from the side, then when attempting to change the mounting angle of the camera 37 by rotating the upper bracket 120 along the elongated hole 132 around the second bolt 140 inserted through the round hole 142, the vertical position of the camera 37 will also change significantly. As a result, unless the size of the opening window 116 is increased, it becomes impossible to obtain an appropriate shooting range for the camera 37. On the other hand, by arranging the round hole 142 and the elongated hole 132 as in this embodiment, the mounting angle of the camera 37 can be changed without significantly changing the vertical position of the camera 37.

[0049] The rear surface portion 115 of the lower bracket 110 is inclined downwards toward the front of the crawler carrier 1. The camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120 such that the lens surface of the camera 37 is parallel to the inclined surface of the rear surface portion 115.

[0050] The optimal mounting angle for camera 37 on a work vehicle varies depending on the type of work vehicle and the mounting position of the camera mounting device 100. Therefore, conventionally, it was necessary to adjust the mounting angle of camera 37 while viewing a display in the driver's cabin 13. However, in the camera mounting device 100 according to this embodiment, the rear surface portion 115 of the lower bracket 110, where the opening window 116 is formed, is inclined downwards toward the front of the crawler carrier 1 to match the work vehicle on which camera 37 is intended to be mounted. By fixing camera 37 to the upper bracket 120 so that its lens surface is parallel to this inclined surface, the optimal mounting angle for camera 37 on the work vehicle is achieved, allowing for easy adjustment of the camera's shooting range.

[0051] The camera 37 may be directly fixed to the upper bracket 120, but it is preferable that the mounting angle of the camera 37 relative to the upper bracket 120 can be easily adjusted so that the lens surface of the camera 37 is parallel to the inclined surface of the rear surface portion 115 of the lower bracket 110.

[0052] Therefore, the camera mounting device 100 according to this embodiment further includes a camera mounting portion 170 for mounting the camera 37, which allows adjustment of the mounting angle of the camera 37 relative to the upper bracket 120. The camera mounting portion 170 is fixed to the upper bracket 120.

[0053] The camera mounting section 170 has an upper plate section 171 fixed to the upper bracket 120, and vertical plate sections 172 formed on the lower surface of the upper plate section 171 with a gap between them on the left and right. The upper plate section 171 and the left and right vertical plate sections 172 are formed by bending a single plate.

[0054] Three screw holes 173 are formed in the upper plate portion 171. By inserting a bolt 124 through the insertion hole 123 formed in the upper surface portion 121 of the upper bracket 120 and screwing the bolt 124 into the screw hole 173 formed in the upper plate portion 171 of the camera mounting portion 170 and fastening it, the camera mounting portion 170 is fixed to the upper surface portion 121 of the upper bracket 120. As a result, the camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120.

[0055] Each vertical plate portion 172 has a guide portion 174 that guides the camera 37 in the vertical direction. The guide portion 174 is made up of an elongated hole that is long in the vertical direction. The camera 37 is attached to the camera mounting portion 170 by inserting a bolt 175 as a fastening member through the guide portion 174 of the vertical plate portion 172 of the camera mounting portion 170 and screwing the bolt 175 into the screw holes 38 formed on the left and right sides of the camera 37, thereby allowing adjustment of the vertical position and mounting angle of the camera 37 relative to the camera mounting portion 170.

[0056] With the above configuration, the mounting angle of the camera 37 relative to the upper bracket 120 can be easily adjusted so that the lens surface of the camera 37 is parallel to the inclined surface of the rear surface 115 of the lower bracket 110. Furthermore, the vertical position and mounting angle of the camera 37 can be adjusted so that the camera 37 does not interfere with the upper bracket 120 or the rear surface 115 of the lower bracket 110.

[0057] Next, the mounting position of the camera 37 on the plate 160 will be described. The camera mounting device 100 in this embodiment includes a plate 160 on which the lower bracket 110 is placed. Figure 12 is a view of the camera mounting device 100 mounted on the crawler carrier 1 from directly above.

[0058] The crawler carrier 1 has a slewing mechanism 19 on the lower frame 6, and a slewing frame 18 is provided on top of that, in order to allow the vessel 3 to rotate. For this reason, the crawler carrier 1 often does not have enough space on the lower frame 6 to install the camera mounting device 100.

[0059] If there is insufficient space on the lower frame 6 to install the camera mounting device 100, at least a portion of the camera 37 will protrude from the lower frame 6 in a top view of the camera mounting device 100, as shown in Figure 12. However, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 12, the lower bracket 110 is fixed to the plate 160 such that the camera 37 is located inside the side surface of the plate 160 in a top view of the camera mounting device 100. In other words, in a top view of the camera mounting device 100, the camera 37 is located inside the plate 160.

[0060] By positioning the camera 37 on the plate 160 in this way, the plate 160 will always be directly beneath the camera 37. Therefore, even if there is not enough space on the lower frame 6 to position the camera mounting device 100, and at least a part of the camera 37 protrudes from the lower frame 6, damage to the camera 37 from upward impacts by flying debris such as soil can be prevented. Furthermore, when attaching the camera mounting device 100 to the crawler carrier 1, the plate 160 can be fixed to the crawler carrier 1 by welding, for example, which reduces the number of parts and improves ease of assembly.

[0061] Furthermore, since the plate 160 is preferably sturdy in order to prevent damage to the camera 37 from being pushed up from below by flying debris such as soil and sand, it is preferable that it be a metal plate with a thickness of about 10 to 20 mm.

[0062] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the embodiments above. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the embodiments above without departing from the spirit of the invention, and such modified or improved forms are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0063] In the above embodiment, a swivel-type crawler carrier in which the vessel 3 is both upright and rotatable was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to a non-swivel-type crawler carrier in which the vessel 3 is only upright and not rotatable.

[0064] In a non-swiveling crawler carrier, there is no need to provide a swivel mechanism 19 on the lower frame 6 to allow the vessel 3 to swivel. Therefore, there is sufficient space on the lower frame 6 to accommodate the camera mounting device 100. In this case, if the camera mounting device 100 can be positioned on the lower frame 6 so that the camera 37 does not protrude from the lower frame 6, the lower bracket 110 may be fixed directly to the lower frame 6 without providing the plate 160.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the upper bracket 120 was provided with elongated holes 132 and round holes 142 on each side portion 122. The mounting angle of the camera 37 was changed by rotating the upper bracket 120 along the elongated holes 132 around a second bolt 140 inserted through the round hole 142.

[0066] However, the round holes 142 provided in each side portion 122 of the upper bracket 120 may be elongated holes having the same or similar shape as the elongated holes 132.

[0067] As a result, two elongated holes with substantially equal longitudinal directions are formed in each side portion 122, allowing the vertical position of the upper bracket 120 relative to the lower bracket 110 to be adjusted along these two elongated holes. Therefore, when the camera 37 is fixed to the upper bracket 120 and the upper bracket 120 is attached to the lower bracket 110, if the position of the lens portion of the camera 37 is misaligned vertically with respect to the opening window 116, the vertical position of the camera 37 relative to the opening window 116 can be adjusted without removing the upper bracket 120.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the camera mounting device 100 was attached to the crawler carrier 1. However, the camera mounting device 100 of this embodiment can also be attached to other work vehicles such as crawler-type or tire-type hydraulic excavators. Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the camera mounting device 100 for a camera 37 that monitors the rear, the camera mounting device 100 of this embodiment may also be a camera mounting device for a camera that monitors the sides of the work vehicle. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1 Crawler Carrier 3 Vessel 2. Traveling device 5. Running section 6 Lower Frame 37 Camera 100 Camera mounting device 110 Lower bracket 120 Upper bracket 132 long hole 131 First insertion hole 142 Round holes 141 Second insertion hole 116 Opening window 111 Top opening 160 Plates 170 Camera mounting section

Claims

1. A camera mounting device for attaching a camera to a work vehicle to monitor the rear of the work vehicle, An upper opening is formed on the upper side, and a lower bracket is fixed to the work vehicle, An upper bracket covers the upper opening of the lower bracket and has the camera fixed inside, Equipped with, An elongated hole is provided in either the upper bracket or the lower bracket. The other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with an insertion hole corresponding to the elongated hole, A camera mounting device in which the upper bracket is fixed by fastening members inserted through the elongated hole and the insertion hole, so that the mounting angle of the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket can be adjusted along the elongated hole.

2. The camera mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the lower bracket has a shooting opening window formed therein to secure the shooting range of the camera.

3. The surface of the lower bracket on which the opening window is formed is inclined downward toward the front of the work vehicle. The camera mounting device according to claim 2, wherein the camera is fixed to the upper bracket such that the lens surface of the camera is parallel to the surface.

4. The upper bracket is fixed to the camera mounting section, which is further equipped with a camera mounting section for mounting the camera. The camera mounting portion has a guide portion that guides the camera in the vertical direction, The camera is fixed by a fastening member inserted through the guide portion so that the vertical position and mounting angle of the camera relative to the camera mounting portion can be adjusted, according to the camera mounting device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. A round hole is provided in one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket. The other of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is provided with a second insertion hole. When the camera mounting device is viewed from the side, the round hole is positioned closer to the position where the camera is fixed to the upper bracket than the elongated hole. The camera mounting device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the upper bracket is fixed by a second fastening member inserted through the round hole and the second insertion hole, so as to be able to adjust the mounting angle of the upper bracket relative to the lower bracket.

6. The plate on which the lower bracket is placed further comprises The camera mounting device according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed from directly above, the camera is located inward from the side surface of the plate.

7. A work vehicle comprising a running gear and a load platform that can be raised and lowered, A camera that monitors the rear of the aforementioned work vehicle, The camera mounting device according to claim 1, to which the camera is attached, The camera mounting device is a work vehicle positioned on the traveling device.

8. The aforementioned traveling device comprises a pair of left and right traveling sections and a lower frame provided between the pair of left and right traveling sections. The work vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the camera mounting device is arranged on the lower frame.

9. The plate on which the lower bracket is placed further comprises The work vehicle according to claim 8, wherein, when the camera mounting device is viewed from directly above, the camera is located inward from the side surface of the plate.

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