Camera mounting structure

Abstract

To provide a camera mounting structure for a vehicle that can be installed in a space-saving manner and can secure water-impervious performance.SOLUTION: A camera mounting structure has: a support member 11 fixed toward outside of a vehicle cabin of a vehicle and fixed to the vehicle; a mounting portion 22 for mounting a camera 20 on the support member 11; and a water-impervious member 30 disposed between the support member 11 and the mounting portion 22. The camera mounting structure is for mounting the camera 20 on the vehicle via the support member 11. The support member 11 has a camera opening 13 into which the camera 20 can be fitted toward outside from inside. With an engaging portion 23 fitted in an engaged portion 14a, the water-impervious member 30 is sandwiched between the engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a and in a portion from a surface side, via a tip portion, to a rear side. Thus, the camera mounting structure that saves space and can secure water-impervious performance is provided. The water-impervious member 30 has an extended portion 30a for securing a fixing margin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a camera to a vehicle, and more particularly to a structure for mounting a camera to a member such as a back handle mounted to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with various cameras to assist drivers. For example, a backup camera mounted on the back door of the vehicle is known as one of the cameras. Recently, a back door handle has been known in which a backup camera is built into a support member (corresponding to an inner garnish) of the back door handle in order to improve the design of the vehicle (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-111390 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When mounting a camera on a vehicle door handle, such as the above-mentioned back handle, it is necessary to provide an opening in the support member of the door handle to expose the camera, and it is necessary to seal the periphery of the opening with a waterproof member to prevent water from entering the inside of the door handle and the camera.

[0005] Incidentally, in the back door handle according to the invention of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the camera is fixed to the support member of the back door handle by two screws from the inner side direction facing the inside of the vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a large space for the fixing points for the screws. As a result, the support member of the camera becomes large, causing a problem of impairing the design of the vehicle. In addition, when fixing the camera to the support member, a structure is adopted in which a water-stopping member is sandwiched between the support member and the mounting member of the camera. In other words, the water-stopping member contacts the support member in a flat state to suppress the intrusion of water. Therefore, there is a problem that water is likely to intrude from the outside. Thus, the back door handle according to the invention of Patent Document 1 has the problem of being large, impairing the design of the vehicle, and the problem of water-stopping.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle camera mounting structure that can be installed in a space-saving manner and ensures watertightness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The camera mounting structure of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a support member which is fixed to the vehicle facing outside the passenger compartment and which, by being fixed to the vehicle, has an outer surface facing the outside of the vehicle and an inner surface facing the inside of the vehicle, an attachment portion for attaching a camera to the support member, and a water-stopping member disposed between the support member and the attachment portion, and the camera is mounted on the vehicle via the support member, and the support member has a camera opening which communicates with the inner surface and the outer surface and into which the camera can be fitted from the inner surface toward the outer surface, and an engaged portion formed on the inner surface at a position outside the opening area of ​​the camera opening, the mounting portion having an engaging portion that is fitted into the engaged portion, the engaging portion having a front side portion facing the outer surface when fitted into the engaged portion and a back side portion facing the inner surface, with a tip portion forming the tip as the boundary, and the water-stopping member is sandwiched between the engaging portion and the engaged portion in the portion extending from the front side portion through the tip portion to the back side portion, or in the portion extending through the tip portion to the back side portion when the engaging portion is fitted into the engaged portion.

[0008] The above-mentioned camera mounting structure mounts the camera to the support member via the mounting part by fitting an engagement part provided on the mounting part of the camera into an engaged part of the support member. That is, the mounting part can be fixed to the support member by fitting the engagement part into the engaged part. Therefore, the camera can be mounted to the support member via the mounting part in a space-saving manner.

[0009] In addition, in the above-mentioned camera mounting structure, when the engaging portion is fitted into the engaged portion, a water-stopping member is sandwiched between the engaging portion and the engaged portion in a portion extending from the front side of the engaging portion through the tip to the rear side, or from the tip to the rear side. Therefore, a complicated structure is formed between the engaging portion and the engaged portion. In addition, since the water-stopping member is provided from the front side of the engaging portion through the tip to the rear side of the engaging portion, or from the tip to the rear side, a wide area of ​​the water-stopping member can be secured. As a result, the intrusion of water from the outer surface side of the support member to the inner surface side can be effectively suppressed. Here, the support member and the mounting portion can be made of various materials. For example, the support member and the mounting portion may be made of a resin material. In addition, the water-stopping member can be made of various materials having waterproof properties, such as urethane rubber. In addition, the engaged portion can have various shapes that can engage with the engaging portion, such as a horizontally elongated groove or a protruding portion with a bent tip.

[0010] (2) In the camera mounting structure of the present invention described above, the mounting portion has a front side surface continuing from the front portion and a back side surface continuing from the back portion, and the water-stopping member may have an extension portion formed on the back side surface of the mounting portion that is longer than the depth of the engaged portion.

[0011] According to this configuration, a large surface area of ​​the water-stopping member can be secured. Also, the water-stopping member can be arranged in a complex path around the engaging portion and the engaged portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water from entering from the outer surface side to the inner surface side of the support member.

[0012] (3) In the camera mounting structure of the present invention described above, it is preferable that the extension portion contacts the back surface of the attachment portion.

[0013] According to this configuration, the extension portion can be used as a fixing margin for the water-stopping member. Therefore, a large area and fixing margin for the water-stopping member can be secured. This makes it possible to reliably fix the mounting portion and the water-stopping member. Furthermore, by securing the area of ​​the water-stopping member, the water-stopping effect can be improved.

[0014] (4) In the camera mounting structure of the present invention described above, when the support member is mounted on the vehicle, the engaged portion is preferably formed facing upward, and the engaging portion is preferably formed to face the engaged portion.

[0015] According to this configuration, the mounting part of the camera can be fixed to the support member by engaging the engaging part with the engaged part from above downward. This allows the camera to be reliably fixed to the support member, and the accuracy of photography by the camera can be improved. In addition, since the camera can be fixed without forming new screw holes in the support member, the camera can be mounted in a space-saving manner. This is expected to improve the design freedom and design of the support member. In addition, when the engaging part is engaged with the engaged part, the water-stopping member can be pushed toward the engaged part by the engaging part. Therefore, the water-stopping member can be prevented from protruding from the engaged part. Here, the engaged part can have various shapes that can be engaged with the engaging part, such as a horizontally elongated groove or a protruding tip side that is bent.

[0016] (5) In the camera mounting structure of the present invention described above, it is preferable that the waterproofing member is made of a porous and elastic material.

[0017] According to this configuration, water can be absorbed in the water-stopping member and gradually evaporated. This makes it possible to prevent water from penetrating the inner surface side of the support member due to surface tension. Also, by ensuring a large area for the water-stopping member, the water-retaining effect of the water-stopping member can be further improved, and water dripping from the water-stopping member can be prevented. Here, the water-stopping member may be formed, for example, from a sponge-like member made of urethane rubber.

[0018] (6) In the camera mounting structure of the present invention described above, the mounting portion has a support portion at a position separated from the engagement portion, the support member has a fastening portion at a position facing the support portion, and the support portion and the fastening portion are fastened together by a fastening member.

[0019] According to this configuration, the camera can be supported on the support member at least at two points. This allows the camera to be reliably fixed to the support member, and the shooting accuracy of the camera can be improved. Here, the support portion can be formed in various shapes, such as a circular hole or a U-shaped opening. Furthermore, when a screw is used as the fastening member, the fastening portion may be a screw hole into which the screw can be screwed. The support portion, fastening portion, and fastening member described above can be of various shapes and can be used. Furthermore, the support portion can be provided at various positions away from the engaging portion. For example, the support portion may be provided on the opposite side of the engaged portion via the opening region of the camera opening. This allows the support position of the camera to be further separated, so that the camera can be reliably supported and the shooting accuracy of the camera can be improved. Furthermore, one or more support portions and fastening portions can be provided.

[0020] (7) In the camera mounting structure of the present invention described above, the support member may be mounted on a back door of the vehicle.

[0021] According to this configuration, the rear-view camera can be mounted in the back door in a space-saving manner. Also, water can be prevented from entering the back door. Therefore, the design of the back door can be improved.

[0022] (8) In the camera mounting structure of the present invention described above, the support member may support a door handle so as to be operable, and the camera opening may be positioned away from the door handle.

[0023] According to this configuration, the door handle and the camera can be supported by a common support member. Therefore, the camera can be made less noticeable than when a camera is mounted separately from the door handle. This is expected to improve the design of the vehicle. Here, the camera opening can be arranged in various positions that do not interfere with the door handle. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle camera mounting structure that can be installed in a space-saving manner and ensures waterproofing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a vehicle in which a camera mounting structure according to the present invention is adopted, as viewed from the rear side. [Diagram 2] 1 is an enlarged front view of a door handle of a vehicle that employs a camera mounting structure according to the present invention; [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is an enlarged view of a camera and a mounting portion used in the camera mounting structure according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view of a camera mounting structure according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] An embodiment of a camera mounting structure according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. In this embodiment, a case in which a camera 20 is mounted on a door handle 10 of a back door 2 of a vehicle 1 will be described as an example.

[0027] 1 is a front view of the rear side of a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 has a back door 2 that can be opened and closed vertically. The back door 2 has a door handle 10 that employs the camera mounting structure of the present invention, a rear window 3, etc.

[0028] 2 and 3, the door handle 10 has a support member 11 fixed to the back door 2, an attachment portion 22 for attaching the camera 20 to the support member 11, and a water-stopping member 30 (see FIG. 3) disposed between the support member 11 and the attachment portion 22. In this embodiment, a case in which the camera 20 is mounted on the attachment portion 22 will be described as an example.

[0029] The support member 11 is fixed to the outer surface (surface facing the outside of the vehicle 1) of the back door 2. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3, the support member 11 has an outer surface 11R facing the outside of the vehicle 1 and an inner surface 11F facing the inside of the vehicle 1 when fixed to the vehicle 1. The support member 11 is made of resin and is formed into a substantially rectangular shape by resin molding such as injection molding. Therefore, the support member 11 is formed to be lightweight.

[0030] 2 and 3, the support member 11 has a handle operation portion 12 provided in an upper half portion of the support member 11, and a camera opening portion 13 formed on the lower left side (see FIG. 2) of the handle operation portion 12. The support member 11 also has a sink mark suppression groove 17 on an inner surface 11F (see FIG. 3), an engaged portion 14a formed in the receiving portion 14, a fastening portion 15, etc.

[0031] The upper end side of the handle operating unit 12 is supported by a swing mechanism (not shown) to be swingable relative to the support member 11, and can be operated by an operator. The back door 2 can be opened or closed by operating the handle operating unit 12. The handle operating unit 12 is formed by resin molding, similar to the support member 11. Therefore, the door handle 10 is formed to be lightweight.

[0032] 3, the camera opening 13 is formed so as to communicate with the inner surface 11F and the outer surface 11R of the support member 11. The camera opening 13 is also formed to be slightly larger than the camera 20, which will be described later. Therefore, the camera 20 can be fitted into the support member 11 from the inner surface 11F toward the outer surface 11R.

[0033] The sink mark suppression groove 17 (also referred to as the concave groove 17) is formed on the lower side of the support member 11 so that its longitudinal direction faces the opening edge of the camera opening 13. In this embodiment, both ends of the sink mark suppression groove 17 are formed so as to extend upward. The sink mark suppression groove 17 is a groove formed in a concave shape, and is provided to suppress sink marks that occur in the support member 11 during resin molding. In addition, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the sink mark suppression groove 17 has a pair of groove walls 17a, 17a that face each other in the short side direction. The size, shape, and depth of the sink mark suppression groove 17 can be various in consideration of sink marks.

[0034] 6, the sink mark suppression groove 17 has two receiving portions 14, 14 formed to protrude from the inner surface 11F. The receiving portion 14 has an engaged portion 14a that can be engaged with an engaging portion 23 described later, and a base end portion 14b located on the inner surface 11F side.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the base end portion 14b is connected to a pair of groove walls 17a, 17a at the longitudinal middle portion of the sink mark suppression groove 17. That is, the base end portion 14b is arranged so as to bridge between the groove walls 17a, 17a. This can increase the rigidity of the sink mark suppression groove 17, and suppress deformation of the sink mark suppression groove 17. In addition, the occurrence of sink marks can be effectively suppressed. The number of receiving portions 14 can be various, such as a single one or a plurality of receiving portions. In addition, the receiving portion 14 can be of various forms, such as a receiving portion formed integrally with the sink mark suppression groove 17, or a receiving portion that is mounted on the sink mark suppression groove 17 later as a separate member different from the sink mark suppression groove 17. In addition, the receiving portion 14 may be provided at a location different from the sink mark suppression groove 17. In such a case, a rib or the like may be formed so as to bridge between the groove walls 17a, 17a of the sink mark suppression groove 17.

[0036] The engaged portion 14a is formed by bending the tip side of the receiving portion 14 upward. That is, the engaged portion 14a is formed facing upward when mounted on the vehicle 1. The engaged portion 14a is formed to face an engaging portion 23 of the mounting portion 22 described later, and the engaging portion 23 can be fitted and engaged. The number of engaged portions 14a can be changed appropriately according to the shape and number of the engaging portions 23 described later. The engaged portion 14a can have various shapes. For example, the shape of the engaged portion 14a may be formed as a horizontally elongated groove instead of the receiving portion 14.

[0037] 3, the fastening portion 15 is formed so as to protrude from the inner surface 11F of the support member 11. In this embodiment, the fastening portion 15 is formed with a female thread into which a screw 16 (also referred to as a fastening member 16) can be screwed. The fastening portion 15 is fastened to a support portion 24 of the attachment portion 22, which will be described later, by the screw 16.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the camera 20 is a backup camera capable of photographing the rear of the vehicle 1. The camera 20 can assist the driver by photographing the rear of the vehicle 1 when parking the vehicle 1, for example. The camera 20 has a box-shaped support frame, and a lens 21 for photographing is provided in the support frame. A mounting part 22 is attached to the bottom surface of the camera 20, which supports the camera 20 and is used to attach the camera 20 to the support member 11. Note that, although the present embodiment illustrates a case in which the camera 20 is mounted, the mounting part 22 may not be mounted with the camera 20. Also, the camera 20 and the mounting part 22 may be integrally formed.

[0039] 3, the mounting portion 22 is formed of a plate-like member made of a material such as resin or metal, and has a front side surface 22R facing the outside of the vehicle 1 and a back side surface 22F facing the inside of the vehicle 1 when attached to the support member 11. The front side surface 22R is formed continuous with a front side portion 23R (see FIG. 4) of the engagement portion 23 described below, and the back side surface 22F is formed continuous with a back side portion 23F (see FIG. 4) of the engagement portion 23.

[0040] In addition, the mounting portion 22 can support the camera 20 at a position facing the camera opening 13 when attached to the support member 11. The mounting portion 22 is formed to have an outer shape larger than the camera opening 13. In addition, when the camera 20 is fitted into the camera opening 13, the mounting portion 22 can hold a water-stopping member 30 (described later) between the mounting portion 22 and the inner surface 11F around the opening area of ​​the camera opening 13. In addition, the mounting portion 22 is formed by bending a part of the mounting portion 22 so that the lens 21 faces diagonally downward when the camera 20 is fitted into the camera opening 13. In addition, an engagement portion 23 is formed on the lower end side of the mounting portion 22 so as to protrude downward and face the engaged portion 14a.

[0041] 4 and 6, the engaging portion 23 can engage with the engaged portion 14a when the camera 20 is fitted into the camera opening 13. The engaging portion 23 has a tip portion 23T forming a tip end. The engaging portion 23 has a front side portion 23R facing the outer surface 11R of the support member 11 and a back side portion 23F facing the inner surface 11F of the support member 11, with the tip portion 23T as a boundary.

[0042] As described above, the mounting portion 22 can be fixed to the support member 11 by fitting the engaging portion 23 into the engaged portion 14a. Therefore, the camera 20 can be mounted on the support member 11 in a space-saving manner via the mounting portion 22. In addition, since the engaged portion 14a is formed by utilizing the sink mark suppression groove 17, it is possible to fix the mounting portion 22 to the support member 11 in a space-saving manner compared to forming a new screw hole or the like.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the attachment portion 22 has a support portion 24 formed to extend upward. A circular hole is formed in the support portion 24 so as to face the fastening portion 15. The support portion 24 and the fastening portion 15 can be fastened by a screw 16. That is, the camera 20 is supported by the support member 11 at least two points, the engagement portion 23 and the support portion 24. This allows the camera 20 to be reliably fixed to the support member 11, and the photographing accuracy of the camera 20 can be improved. The shapes and sizes of the support portion 24 and the fastening portion 15 described above can be changed to various ones. For example, the support portion 24 may be an elongated hole or a U-shaped notch instead of a circular hole. Also, the fastening member 16 may be an engagement pin or the like instead of a screw.

[0044] In addition, in this embodiment, the support portion 24 is provided at a position that is offset upward from the camera opening 13. That is, the support portion 24 is provided at the upper end side of the mounting portion 22, and the engagement portion 23 is provided at the lower end side of the mounting portion 22. This allows the support position of the camera 20 to be spaced apart, so that the camera 20 can be reliably supported, and the shooting accuracy of the camera 20 can be improved. The support portion 24 can be provided at various positions that are offset from the engagement portion 23. For example, the support portion 24 may be provided on the opposite side of the engaged portion 14a through the opening region of the camera opening 13. This allows the support position of the camera 20 to be spaced apart, so that the camera 20 can be reliably supported, and the shooting accuracy of the camera 20 can be improved. In addition, one or more support portions 24 and fastening portions 15 may be provided.

[0045] Next, the water-stopping member 30 used in the camera mounting structure of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. The water-stopping member 30 is formed of a waterproof material such as urethane rubber. The water-stopping member 30 is formed of a porous and elastic material (also called a sponge-like material), for example. By forming the water-stopping member 30 from a sponge-like material in this way, water can be absorbed in the water-stopping member 30 and gradually volatilized. This makes it possible to prevent water from penetrating the inner surface 11F of the support member 11 due to surface tension.

[0046] The water-stopping member 30 is disposed so as to surround the opening area of ​​the camera opening 13 (see FIG. 5). That is, the water-stopping member 30 is provided at a position outside the opening area of ​​the camera opening 13.

[0047] The lower end side of the water-stopping member 30 is folded back toward the rear side portion 23F from the front side portion 23R through the tip portion 23T of the engaging portion 23. In this embodiment, the water-stopping member 30 has an extension portion 30a formed on the rear surface 22F of the mounting portion 22 so as to be longer than the depth of the engaged portion 14a.

[0048] When the engaging portion 23 is fitted into the engaged portion 14a, the water-stopping member 30 is sandwiched between the engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a in a portion extending from the front side portion 23R through the tip portion 23T to the back side portion 23F. This forms a complicated structure between the engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a. In addition, since the water-stopping member 30 is provided from the front side portion 23R of the engaging portion 23 through the tip portion 23T to the portion extending to the back side portion 23F of the engaging portion 23, a wide area of ​​the water-stopping member 30 can be secured. As a result, the intrusion of water from the outer surface 11R side of the support member 11 toward the inner surface 11F side can be effectively suppressed. In addition, since the area of ​​the water-stopping member 30 is secured wide, when the water-stopping member 30 is formed of a sponge-like material, the water-retaining effect of the water-stopping member 30 can be further enhanced. This makes it possible to suppress water from dripping from the water-stopping member 30.

[0049] The extension portion 30a of the water-stopping member 30 is formed so as to extend from the back side portion 23F of the engaging portion 23 to the back surface 22F of the mounting portion 22. This allows the area of ​​the water-stopping member 30 to be secured wide. Also, the water-stopping member 30 can be arranged in a complex path around the engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a. This makes it possible to prevent water from entering the support member 11 from the outer surface 11R side toward the inner surface 11F side.

[0050] In this embodiment, the extension portion 30a is formed so that its thickness increases toward the upper end side. Moreover, the extension portion 30a is in contact with the rear side surface 22F of the mounting portion 22. Therefore, the extension portion 30a can be used as a fixing margin for the water-stopping member 30. Therefore, a large area and fixing margin for the water-stopping member 30 can be secured. This makes it possible to reliably fix the mounting portion 22 and the water-stopping member 30. Furthermore, by securing the area of ​​the water-stopping member 30, the water-stopping effect can be improved.

[0051] In this embodiment, the water-stopping member 30 is provided integrally so as to surround the entire periphery of the camera opening 13, but fragmentary water-stopping members 30 may be combined and placed around the camera opening 13. In addition, the water-stopping member 30 may be placed at a position that is not visible when the camera opening 13 is viewed from the front from the outer surface 11R in a state in which the camera 20 is mounted on the vehicle 1 via the support member 11. The above is an embodiment of the camera mounting structure of the present invention.

[0052] <<Variations>> Next, a modified example of the arrangement of the water-stopping member 30 will be described below with reference to Fig. 7. This modified example is similar to the above-described embodiment except for the configuration of the water-stopping member 30, so a description of similar parts will be omitted. Also, please note that the same reference numerals are used for the same members.

[0053] When the engaging portion 23 is fitted into the engaged portion 14a, the water-stopping member 30 is sandwiched between the engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a in a portion that passes through the tip portion 23T and reaches the back side portion 23F. That is, in this modification, the water-stopping member 30 is not disposed on the front side portion 23R side of the engaging portion 23. This allows the water-stopping member 30 to be disposed between the engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a, for example, even if there is only a small gap between the engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a.

[0054] The above are modified examples of the camera mounting structure of the present invention, but the camera mounting structure of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modified examples, and various modifications can be made.

[0055] In this embodiment, the camera 20 is mounted on the back door 2, but the camera mounting structure of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the camera 20 may be mounted on a radiator grille or a front bumper provided on the front side of the vehicle 1. The camera 20 may also be mounted on the side of the vehicle 1 or on a door mirror. In this embodiment, the camera 20 is mounted on the door handle 10 of the back door 2, but the camera mounting structure of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the camera 20 can be mounted on various things. For example, the camera 20 may be mounted on a separate support member independent of the door handle 10. In addition, when the camera 20 is mounted on the door handle 10, it can be mounted in various positions that do not affect the operation of the handle operation unit 12. In addition, the door handle 10 can be mounted not only on the back door 2 but also on various door handles mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the camera 20 is mounted on the mounting portion 22, but the camera 20 does not have to be mounted on the mounting portion 22. In such a case, an appropriate member that blocks the camera opening 13 may be mounted on the mounting portion 22 instead of the camera 20. This allows parts to be shared between a vehicle that does not mount the camera 20 (cameraless) and a vehicle that mounts the camera 20. The shapes and sizes of the support member 11 and the camera 20 can be changed to various shapes and sizes. The shapes and sizes of the camera opening 13 and the mounting portion 22 of the camera 20 can also be changed as appropriate. The shape, size, and number of the engaging portion 23 provided on the mounting portion 22 can also be changed as appropriate. The shape, size, and number of the engaged portion 14a provided on the support member 11 can also be changed as appropriate.

[0057] In addition, in this embodiment, the engaged portion 14a is formed facing upward when mounted on the vehicle 1, but the direction in which the engaged portion 14a is formed can be various directions depending on the arrangement of the engaging portion 23. The engaged portion 14a may be formed as a horizontally elongated groove, not only in the receiving portion 14. The shape and size of the receiving portion 14 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the receiving portion 14 can be formed horizontally elongated. The receiving portion 14 can be provided not only in a single portion but also in a plurality of portions. The receiving portion 14 may be branched at the tip end to provide a plurality of engaged portions 14a. In addition, in this embodiment, the base end side of the receiving portion 14 is formed so as to bridge between the groove walls 17a, 17a inside the sink mark suppression groove 17, but the receiving portion 14 may not bridge between the groove walls 17a, 17a.

[0058] In addition, in this embodiment, the receiving portion 14 is formed by utilizing the sink mark suppression groove 17, but the receiving portion 14 may not utilize the sink mark suppression groove 17. The support member 11 may not have the sink mark suppression groove 17. The engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a may be provided not only in one piece but also in multiple pieces. The material of the support member 11 and the mounting portion 22 may be various materials other than resin. The engaging portion 23 and the engaged portion 14a may be formed by exchanging their positions with each other.

[0059] In the present embodiment, the water-stopping member 30 has the extension portion 30a, but the extension portion 30a may not be provided. The extension portion 30a may have various lengths and sizes (including thickness) according to the shape of the mounting portion 22. The extension portion 30a may be in contact with the rear side surface 22F of the mounting portion 22, and may be separated from the rear side surface 22F of the mounting portion 22. In the present embodiment, the water-stopping member 30 is formed of a porous and elastic material, but the water-stopping member 30 is not limited to this, and various materials capable of waterproofing may be used. The water-stopping member 30 may be in various shapes and sizes, such as annular or fragmentary.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the mounting portion 22 has the support portion 24 at a position separated from the engagement portion 23, but the support portion 24 can be arranged at various positions depending on the position where the fastening portion 15 is formed. For example, the support portion 24 and the fastening portion 15 may be arranged in the lateral direction of the camera opening 13. It is desirable that the above-mentioned support portion 24 and the fastening portion 15 are arranged at positions that save space according to the shape and size of the member to be mounted. In addition, the support portion 24 and the fastening portion 15 are not limited to those fastened by the screw 16, and various fastening means can be adopted. For example, the support portion 24 and the fastening portion 15 may be fastened by an engagement pin or the like. In addition, the shape and size of the support portion 24 and the fastening portion 15 can be changed to various ones. For example, the support portion 24 may be an elongated hole or a U-shaped notch instead of a circular hole.

[0061] The above are various embodiments and modifications of the camera mounting structure according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to those exemplified in the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, and it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that other embodiments are possible in accordance with the teachings and spirit of the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0062] The camera mounting structure of the present invention can be used when mounting a camera outside the passenger compartment of various vehicles. Also, the camera mounting structure of the present invention can be preferably used when mounting a camera on a door handle provided on a back door or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1: Vehicle 2: Backdoor 10: Door handle 11: Support member 11R:Outer surface 11F:Inner side 12: Handle operation section 13: Camera opening 14: Receiving 14a: Engaged part 14b: Proximal end 15: Fastening part 16: Fastening parts (screws) 17: Sink mark suppression groove (concave groove) 17a: Groove wall 20: Camera 21: Lens 22: Mounting part 22R: Front side 22F: Back side 23: Engagement part 23R: Front side 23T:Tip 23F: Back side 24: Support part 30:Water-stopping material

Claims

1. A support member that is fixed to an exterior of a vehicle cabin and has an outer surface that faces the outside of the vehicle and an inner surface that faces the inside of the vehicle by being fixed to the vehicle; a mounting portion for mounting the camera to the support member; a water-stopping member disposed between the support member and the mounting portion, The camera is mounted on the vehicle via the support member, The support member is a camera opening that communicates with the inner surface and the outer surface and into which the camera can be fitted from the inner surface toward the outer surface; an engaged portion formed on the inner surface at a position outside an opening area of ​​the camera opening; a groove formed on the lower side of the support member such that the longitudinal direction is oriented in a direction along the opening edge of the camera opening, The attachment portion has an engagement portion that is fitted into the engaged portion, the engaging portion has a front side portion facing the outer surface side when fitted into the engaged portion, and a back side portion facing the inner surface side, the front side portion being defined by a tip portion that forms a tip end, When the engaging portion is fitted into the engaged portion, the water-stopping member is sandwiched between the engaging portion and the engaged portion in a portion extending from the front portion through the tip portion to the back portion, or in a portion extending from the tip portion to the back portion, The groove has a pair of groove walls opposed to each other in a short side direction of the groove, A camera mounting structure characterized in that, of the receiving portion having the engaged portion and a base end portion, the base end portion is positioned so as to bridge between the pair of groove walls.

2. The mounting portion has a front side surface continuing from the front side portion and a back side surface continuing from the back side portion, 2. The camera mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the waterproofing member has an extension portion formed on the rear side surface of the mounting portion, the extension portion being longer than a depth of the engaged portion.

3. A camera mounting structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that the extension portion is in contact with the rear side surface of the mounting portion.

4. When the support member is mounted on the vehicle, the engaged portion is formed facing upward, 4. The camera mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is formed so as to face the engaged portion.

5. The mounting portion has a support portion at a position separated from the engagement portion, The support member has a fastening portion at a position facing the support portion, 5. The camera mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the support portion and the fastening portion are fastened by a fastening member.

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