Nozzle and Cleaning Device

Abstract

This nozzle (20) of a cleaner appliance (10) washes a second camera (12) that has a second projection curved surface (14). The nozzle (20) is disposed outside the second projection curved surface (14), and is provide with a second spray port (24) that sprays a cleaning fluid in a fan shape toward the second projection curved surface (14). The shape of the second spray port (24) is specified such that a layer (28) of the cleaning fluid sprayed in a fan shape has a curved shape protruding in the same direction as that of the second projection curved surface (14).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a nozzle and a cleaner device including the same.The present invention also relates to a nozzle assembly and a cleaner device including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, it is known that vehicles are equipped with various cleaning devices such as a window washer for cleaning the front windshield of the vehicle, a lamp cleaner for cleaning the headlamps, etc. In addition to such cleaning devices, a user-friendly vehicle cleaner system has been proposed that integrates a sensor cleaner for cleaning on-board sensors such as a camera and LiDAR (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 230558 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventors of the present invention have studied the above vehicle cleaner system and have come to recognize the following problems. The object to be cleaned often has a convex curved surface, such as a spherical surface, for example, the lens surface of a camera. If a nozzle is placed in front of the object to be cleaned, it is easy to spray the cleaning fluid reliably, but the nozzle may obstruct the view of the object to be cleaned. To avoid this, a nozzle may be placed, for example, on the side of the object to be cleaned so that the cleaning fluid is sprayed from the nozzle sideways or obliquely toward the convex curved surface of the object to be cleaned. In this case, a part of the cleaning fluid sprayed from the nozzle may deviate from the convex curved surface of the object to be cleaned and pass by the vicinity of the object to be cleaned. The cleaning fluid that passes by without hitting the object to be cleaned does not contribute to cleaning and is wasted. Since this cleaning fluid is simply sprayed to the surroundings, there is a concern that the cleaning fluid may splash to the surroundings, especially when the cleaning fluid is liquid. Similar problems may occur not only in vehicle cleaner systems but also in other general-purpose cleaner devices.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its exemplary objectives is to provide a nozzle that can spray more cleaning fluid onto the object to be cleaned, and a cleaning device equipped with the nozzle.

[0006] When an external force is applied to the nozzle of the cleaner device, such as when an operator accidentally hits it with his / her hand during assembly work, the nozzle may become displaced from the correct position depending on how the nozzle is fixed. If the nozzle misalignment causes the spray direction of the cleaning fluid from the nozzle to change, it may become difficult for the cleaning fluid to hit the object to be cleaned, and cleaning may not be performed properly.

[0007] An aspect of the present invention has been made in light of these circumstances, and one exemplary object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle assembly having structure for holding a cleaning fluid jet in the correct position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention relates to a nozzle of a cleaning device for cleaning an object having a convex curved surface. The nozzle is disposed on the outside of the convex curved surface and has an injection port for injecting cleaning fluid in a fan shape onto the convex curved surface. The shape of the injection port is determined so that the injected fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid has a shape that is convexly curved in the same direction as the convex curved surface.

[0009] According to this embodiment, the sprayed fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid can be adapted to the convex curved surface of the object to be cleaned, thereby allowing a larger amount of cleaning fluid to be sprayed onto the object to be cleaned. Also, the amount of cleaning fluid that does not hit the object to be cleaned and is scattered around can be reduced.

[0010] The upper and lower edges of the jet orifice may be curved convexly toward the tip of the nozzle, which makes it easy to impart a convex curved shape to the fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid that is jetted.

[0011] The nozzles may be arranged so that the sprayed fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid hits the convex curved surface on one side of the center of the convex curved surface and flows along the convex curved surface past the center of the convex curved surface to the other side. In this way, the cleaning fluid can be made to flow over a relatively wide area of ​​the convex curved surface, which leads to good cleaning of the object to be cleaned.

[0012] The nozzle may be configured so that both ends of the sprayed fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid are directed toward the periphery of the convex curved surface, thereby reducing the amount of cleaning fluid that splashes out beyond the periphery of the convex curved surface.

[0013] The nozzle may have a plurality of jetting ports, each of which may be arranged to jet the cleaning fluid in a fan shape onto a corresponding convex curved surface among a plurality of convex curved surfaces arranged around the nozzle. The shape of each jetting port may be determined so that the fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid jetted from the jetting port has a shape that is convexly curved toward the same direction as the convex curved surface corresponding to the jetting port. In this way, a plurality of objects to be cleaned (or a plurality of parts of the same object to be cleaned) can be cleaned by the plurality of jetting ports. For each jetting port, the layer of the fan-shaped cleaning fluid jetted is adapted to the corresponding convex curved surface, thereby allowing a larger amount of cleaning fluid to be sprayed onto the object to be cleaned. In addition, the amount of cleaning fluid that does not hit the object to be cleaned and scatters around the surroundings can be reduced.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a cleaning device. The cleaning device may include the nozzle according to any of the above aspects. The convex curved surface may be a surface of an optical element.

[0015] The cleaning device may be attached to a vehicle. The optical element may form a part of an in-vehicle device that is an object to be cleaned.

[0016] The nozzle assembly of the cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention is supported by a bracket to which an object to be cleaned is attached. The bracket has a recess or a protrusion. The nozzle assembly includes a fixing portion that is fixed to the bracket at a position different from the recess or protrusion of the bracket, and a protrusion or recess that combines with the recess or protrusion of the bracket to restrict displacement of the nozzle assembly relative to the object to be cleaned.

[0017] According to this embodiment, the nozzle assembly is not only fixed to the bracket to which the object to be cleaned is attached, but also has a convex portion (or concave portion) that is engaged with a concave portion (or convex portion) of the bracket, thereby restricting the displacement of the nozzle assembly relative to the object to be cleaned. Therefore, the nozzle can be held in the correct position by preventing or sufficiently suppressing the displacement of the nozzle due to accidental external force.

[0018] The fixing part is provided as a first nozzle part having a first injection port for the cleaning fluid. A second nozzle part having a second injection port for the cleaning fluid is connected to the first nozzle part, and the convex part or the concave part may be formed in the second nozzle part. In this way, the first nozzle part is fixed to the bracket, and the second nozzle part is combined with the concave part (or convex part) of the bracket by the convex part (or concave part), whereby both the first nozzle part and the second nozzle part can be held in the correct positions.

[0019] The nozzle assembly may include a nozzle having a first injection port and a second injection port that respectively inject the cleaning fluid in different directions, and a nozzle holder to which the nozzle is attached and that has a fixing part and a convex part or a concave part. In this way, the nozzle holder is fixed to the bracket and is combined with the concave part (or convex part) of this bracket by the convex part (or concave part). Since the nozzle having the first injection port and the second injection port is attached to such a nozzle holder, each injection port can be held in the correct position with respect to the object to be cleaned.

[0020] The convex part or the concave part of the nozzle assembly and the concave part or the convex part of the bracket may not be fixed to each other. In this way, since it is only necessary to combine the convex part (or concave part) and the concave part (or convex part) without fixing them to each other, the assembly work becomes easy.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a cleaner device. The cleaner device may include the nozzle assembly according to any of the above aspects.

[0022] The cleaner device may be attached to a vehicle. The object to be cleaned may be in-vehicle equipment.

Effects of the Invention

[0023] According to an aspect of the present invention, more cleaning fluid can be sprayed onto the object to be cleaned. According to an aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a nozzle assembly having a structure for holding the injection port of the cleaning fluid in the correct position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a schematic diagram of a cleaning device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic mounting state of a nozzle assembly of the cleaner device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3(a) and 3(b) are perspective views that diagrammatically show a first ejection port of the nozzle and a sector-shaped layer of cleaning liquid ejected from the first ejection port onto a first convex curved surface of the first camera. [Figure 4] 4(a) and 4(b) are perspective views that diagrammatically show a second ejection port of the nozzle and a fan-shaped layer of cleaning liquid ejected from the second ejection port onto the second convex curved surface of the second camera. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a schematic view of a cleaner device according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram illustrating a schematic cross section of the second nozzle portion shown in FIG. 5 taken along line AA. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a front view showing a schematic diagram of a cleaning device according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a perspective view showing a schematic state in which the nozzle assembly of the cleaner device shown in FIG. 7 is attached to a bracket, and FIG. 8(b) is a partial cross-sectional view in which a part of the second nozzle portion of the nozzle assembly in FIG. 8(a) is cut away. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of the bracket shown in FIG. 8(a) in a state where the nozzle assembly is not attached. [Figure 10] FIG. 8(b) is a perspective view showing the nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 8(a) from the rear side. [Figure 11] FIG. 11(a) shows the FF cross section shown in FIG. 8(a), and FIG. 11(b) shows the GG cross section shown in FIG. 11(a). [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a schematic view of a cleaner device according to another embodiment. [Figure 13]FIG. 13(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which the nozzle assembly of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 12 is attached to a bracket, and FIG. 13(b) is a partial cross-sectional view in which a part of the nozzle assembly in FIG. 13(a) is cut away. [Figure 14] FIG. 13(b) is a perspective view of the bracket shown in FIG. 13(a) without the nozzle assembly attached. [Figure 15] FIG. 13(b) is a perspective view showing the nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 13(a) from the rear side. [Figure 16] This shows a cross section taken along line AA shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The scale and shape of each part shown in each drawing are set for convenience to facilitate explanation, and are not to be interpreted as being limiting unless otherwise specified. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. used in this specification or claims do not indicate any order or importance, but are intended to distinguish one configuration from another. In addition, some of the members that are not important in explaining the embodiment in each drawing are omitted.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a front view showing a typical example of a cleaner device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cleaner device 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a vehicle cleaner device that is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

[0027] The cleaner device 10 is configured to clean a plurality of objects to be cleaned, for example, the first camera 11 and the second camera 12. The first camera 11 and the second camera 12 are arranged adjacent to each other side by side, for example, as shown in the figure. The first camera 11 and the second camera 12 are installed in different postures so as to photograph different directions, such as the front and the rear of a vehicle. As shown in the figure, in this example, the first camera 11 and the second camera 12 have different outer shapes. The first camera 11 has a circular shape, and the second camera 12 has a rectangular shape.

[0028] As a surface to be cleaned by the cleaner device 10, the first camera 11 has a first convex curved surface 13, and the second camera 12 has a second convex curved surface 14. These convex curved surfaces are the surfaces of optical elements exposed to the outside, which are components of the camera. The optical element may be, for example, a lens, or a light-transmissive lens cover for protecting the lens, or other optical elements. The first convex curved surface 13 and the second convex curved surface 14 can also take different shapes according to the design and specifications of each camera.

[0029] The convex curved surface is, for example, a part of a spherical surface. However, the convex curved surface may be, for example, other quadratic surfaces such as a paraboloid, or other shaped surfaces that are convexly curved outward, such as an aspherical surface. Note that the convex curved surface is not limited to the one whose entire surface is a curved surface, and may be a shape that appears convex outward as a whole, and a flat region may be included in a part thereof.

[0030] The cleaner device 10 includes a nozzle 20, and the nozzle 20 is provided with a plurality of injection ports for injecting cleaning liquid in different directions from each other, for example, a first injection port 22 and a second injection port 24. These plurality of injection ports are arranged to inject the cleaning liquid onto the corresponding convex curved surface among the plurality of convex curved surfaces arranged around the nozzle 20. Specifically, the first injection port 22 is arranged to inject the cleaning liquid onto the first convex curved surface 13, and the second injection port 24 is arranged to inject the cleaning liquid onto the second convex curved surface 14.

[0031] Nozzle 20 is disposed outside the field of view of first camera 11 and second camera 12, for example to the side of first camera 11 and second camera 12, so as not to interfere with image capture by these cameras or to minimize the influence on image capture. First jet nozzle 22 is disposed outside first convex curved surface 13, and second jet nozzle 24 is disposed outside second convex curved surface 14.

[0032] In this embodiment, the nozzle 20 is installed between the first camera 11 and the second camera 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the first camera 11 is on the right side of the nozzle 20, and the second camera 12 is on the left side of the nozzle 20. The first convex curved surface 13 is located on one side of the nozzle 20, and the second convex curved surface 14 is located on the other side of the nozzle 20. Therefore, the first injection port 22 and the second injection port 24 are provided on the nozzle 20 so as to inject the cleaning liquid in approximately opposite directions. The tip of the nozzle 20 has a conical shape, and the first injection port 22 and the second injection port 24 open on the side of the cone. The first injection port 22 and the second injection port 24 are provided on one side and the other side of the center of the nozzle 20.

[0033] The first nozzle 22 is configured to spray the cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the first convex curved surface 13, and the second nozzle 24 is configured to spray the cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the second convex curved surface 14. For ease of understanding, Fig. 1 shows a fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the first nozzle 22 onto the first convex curved surface 13, and a fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the second nozzle 24 onto the second convex curved surface 14.

[0034] Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, the shape of one or both of the first jet nozzle 22 and the second jet nozzle 24 may be determined so that the sprayed fan-shaped layer of cleaning liquid has a shape that is convexly curved in the same direction as the convex curved surface. In this embodiment, for example, the shape of the second jet nozzle 24 is determined so that the sprayed fan-shaped layer of cleaning liquid 28 has a shape that is convexly curved in the same direction as the second convex curved surface 14.

[0035] 1, the periphery of the first camera 11, the second camera 12, and the nozzle 20 is covered with a cover member 16. Therefore, the parts of the cleaning device 10 other than the nozzle 20 are covered and hidden by the cover member 16.

[0036] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic mounting state of the nozzle assembly 30 of the cleaner device 10 shown in Fig. 1. Note that Fig. 2 shows a state in which the cover member 16 shown in Fig. 1 has been removed. Thus, Fig. 2 shows the nozzle assembly 30 as viewed from the second injection port 24 side of the nozzle 20, together with a part of the bracket 18 arranged behind the cover member 16.

[0037] The nozzle assembly 30 includes the nozzle 20 and a nozzle holder 32. The nozzle 20 is attached to the nozzle holder 32. The nozzle 20 and the nozzle holder 32 are formed of an appropriate synthetic resin material, such as polyacetal resin, acrylic resin, or polycarbonate resin.

[0038] The nozzle holder 32 is fixed to the bracket 18 by, for example, screws 34. The nozzle holder 32 may be fixed to the bracket 18 by other fixing means. As described above, in this embodiment, the cleaner device 10 is a vehicle cleaner device, so the nozzle assembly 30 is supported on the vehicle body via the bracket 18. Although not shown, the bracket 18 may also have attached thereto not only the nozzle assembly 30 but also the first camera 11 and the second camera 12.

[0039] A connection hose 36 is connected to the nozzle holder 32. The connection hose 36 is connected to a flow path of the cleaning liquid inside the nozzle holder 32, and the flow path inside the nozzle holder 32 is further connected to the first jet nozzle 22 and the second jet nozzle 24 through an internal flow path of the nozzle 20. The connection hose 36 is also connected to a cleaning liquid supply source including a cleaning liquid tank and a pump for sending the cleaning liquid from the tank.

[0040] Therefore, when the cleaner device 10 is in operation, cleaning liquid is sprayed from the first jet nozzle 22 and the second jet nozzle 24 through the connection hose 36, the nozzle holder 32, and the internal flow passage of the nozzle 20 from the cleaning liquid supply source. As a result, a fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid is sprayed from the first jet nozzle 22 onto the first convex curved surface 13, and a fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid is sprayed from the second jet nozzle 24 onto the second convex curved surface 14, as shown in FIG.

[0041] 3(a) and 3(b) are perspective views that typically show the first ejection port 22 of the nozzle 20 and the fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid ejected therefrom onto the first convex curved surface 13 of the first camera 11. FIG. 3(a) shows an enlarged view of the first ejection port 22 of the nozzle 20 together with the first convex curved surface 13 and the layer 26 of cleaning liquid when viewed from a direction in which the first convex curved surface 13 of the first camera 11 is closer to the first ejection port 22 of the nozzle 20, and FIG. 3(b) shows the shape of the layer 26 of cleaning liquid when the nozzle 20 is viewed from the same direction but at a greater distance than in FIG. 3(a). For convenience, in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b), the central axis 21 of the nozzle 20 is shown as being in the up-down direction.

[0042] The first camera 11 is installed at a slight incline with respect to the central axis 21 of the nozzle 20, and the first convex curved surface 13 is also at a slight incline with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis 21. As shown in the figure, the first convex curved surface 13 is gently inclined downward to the right. The first convex curved surface 13 has a center 13a and a peripheral edge 13b. As described above, the first convex curved surface 13 is curved convexly outward (upward in FIG. 3(a)), so that the center 13a protrudes outward (upward) with respect to the peripheral edge 13b. In this example, the center 13a is the apex of the first convex curved surface 13 that protrudes most outward, and the peripheral edge 13b describes a circle centered on the center 13a. The first convex curved surface 13 is a gently curved surface, and the height of the center 13a with respect to the peripheral edge 13b is smaller than the radius of the peripheral edge 13b.

[0043] The first nozzle 22 has a straight upper edge 22a, a lower edge 22b, a left edge 22c, and a right edge 22d, and has an overall rectangular shape with rounded corners. The upper edge 22a and the lower edge 22b are connected to each other by the left edge 22c and the right edge 22d. The upper edge 22a and the lower edge 22b are somewhat longer than the left edge 22c and the right edge 22d, and the first nozzle 22 is elongated horizontally.

[0044] In order to make the fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid from the first jet nozzle 22 conform to the first convex curved surface 13 arranged at an angle as described above, the first jet nozzle 22 has a similarly inclined shape. Thus, the upper edge 22a and the lower edge 22b are gently inclined downward to the right, similar to the first convex curved surface 13. Since the upper edge 22a and the lower edge 22b of the first jet nozzle 22 extend generally parallel to each other, the fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid from the first jet nozzle 22 forms a flat liquid layer, as shown in FIG. 3(b).

[0045] The first jet nozzle 22 is disposed to the side of the first convex curved surface 13 (rearward in FIG. 3(a)), and is positioned slightly above the first convex curved surface 13. The upper edge 22a and the lower edge 22b of the first jet nozzle 22 are positioned above the center 13a of the first convex curved surface 13. Therefore, the layer 26 of cleaning liquid is jetted obliquely downward from the first jet nozzle 22 towards the first convex curved surface 13.

[0046] Moreover, the first injection port 22 is disposed so that the injected fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid hits the first convex curved surface 13 on one side (the back side in FIG. 3(a)) of the center 13a of the first convex curved surface 13, and flows along the first convex curved surface 13 beyond the center 13a of the first convex curved surface 13 to the other side (the front side in FIG. 3(a)). In this way, the cleaning liquid can be made to flow over a relatively wide range of the first convex curved surface 13 (for example, almost the entire area of ​​the first convex curved surface 13), leading to good cleaning of the first convex curved surface 13.

[0047] Moreover, the distance between the left edge 22c and the right edge 22d of the first jet nozzle 22 gradually increases from the back to the front of the first jet nozzle 22. Due to such a lateral expansion of the first jet nozzle 22, the layer 26 of the cleaning liquid jetted from the first jet nozzle 22 spreads in a fan shape in the lateral direction.

[0048] The first jet nozzle 22 is configured so that both ends 26b of the jetted fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid are directed toward the periphery 13b of the first convex curved surface 13. As shown in Fig. 3(a), both ends 26b of the fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid jetted from the first jet nozzle 22 are sprayed onto the first convex curved surface 13 so as to pass through the periphery 13b of the first convex curved surface 13 in a tangent manner from each of the left edge 22c and the right edge 22d. Therefore, the amount of cleaning liquid that splashes outside the periphery 13b of the first convex curved surface 13 can be reduced.

[0049] 4(a) and 4(b) are perspective views that show the second nozzle 24 of the nozzle 20 and the fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the second nozzle 24 onto the second convex curved surface 14 of the second camera 12. FIG. 4(a) shows an enlarged view of the second nozzle 24 together with the second convex curved surface 14 and the layer 28 of cleaning liquid when viewed from a direction in which the second convex curved surface 14 of the second camera 12 is closer to the second nozzle 24 of the nozzle 20, and FIG. 4(b) shows the shape of the layer 28 of cleaning liquid when the nozzle 20 is viewed from the same direction but from a more distant viewpoint than that of FIG. 4(a). In FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b), the central axis 21 of the nozzle 20 is shown as the up-down direction for convenience.

[0050] The second camera 12 is installed along the central axis 21 of the nozzle 20, and the second convex curved surface 14 is arranged along a plane perpendicular to the central axis 21. The second convex curved surface 14 has a center 14a and a peripheral edge 14b. As described above, the second convex curved surface 14 is convexly curved outward (upward in FIG. 4(a)), so that the center 14a protrudes outward (upward) relative to the peripheral edge 14b. In this example, the center 14a is the apex of the second convex curved surface 14 that protrudes most outward, and the peripheral edge 14b describes a circle centered on the center 14a. The second convex curved surface 14 is a gently curved surface, and the height of the center 14a relative to the peripheral edge 14b is smaller than the radius of the peripheral edge 14b.

[0051] The shape of the second jetting orifice 24 is determined so that the jetted fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid has a shape that is convexly curved in the same direction as the second convex curved surface 14. For this reason, the upper edge 24a and the lower edge 24b of the second jetting orifice 24 are curved convexly toward the tip of the nozzle 20. In this way, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the jetted fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid can be easily given a convexly curved shape.

[0052] The second nozzle 24 has linear left and right edges 24c and 24d, and the upper and lower edges 24a and 24b are connected to each other by the left and right edges 24c and 24d. The upper and lower edges 24a and 24b are somewhat longer than the left and right edges 24c and 24d, and the second nozzle 24 is elongated in the horizontal direction.

[0053] The second jet nozzle 24 is disposed to the side of the second convex curved surface 14 (rearward in FIG. 4(a)), and is positioned slightly above the second convex curved surface 14. The upper edge 24a and the lower edge 24b of the second jet nozzle 24 are positioned above the center 14a of the second convex curved surface 14. Thus, the layer 28 of cleaning liquid is jetted obliquely downward from the second jet nozzle 24 towards the second convex curved surface 14.

[0054] Further, the second injection port 24 is disposed so that the injected fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid hits the second convex curved surface 14 on one side (the back side in FIG. 4(a)) of the center 14a of the second convex curved surface 14 and flows along the second convex curved surface 14 beyond the center 14a of the second convex curved surface 14 to the other side (the front side in FIG. 4(a)). In this way, the cleaning liquid can be made to flow over a relatively wide range of the second convex curved surface 14 (for example, almost the entire area of ​​the second convex curved surface 14), leading to good cleaning of the second convex curved surface 14.

[0055] Moreover, the distance between the left edge 24c and the right edge 24d of the second jet nozzle 24 gradually increases from the back to the front of the second jet nozzle 24. Due to such a lateral expansion of the second jet nozzle 24, the layer 28 of the cleaning liquid jetted from the second jet nozzle 24 spreads in a fan shape in the lateral direction.

[0056] The second jet nozzle 24 is configured so that both ends 28b of the jetted fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid are directed toward the periphery 14b of the second convex curved surface 14. As shown in Fig. 4(a), both ends 28b of the fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid jetted from the second jet nozzle 24 are sprayed onto the second convex curved surface 14 so as to pass through the periphery 14b of the second convex curved surface 14 in a tangent manner from each of the left edge 24c and the right edge 24d. Therefore, the amount of cleaning liquid that splashes outside the periphery 14b of the second convex curved surface 14 can be reduced.

[0057] As described above, the nozzle 20 of the cleaner device 10 according to the embodiment includes the second nozzle 24 that is disposed outside the second convex curved surface 14 and that sprays the cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the second convex curved surface 14. The shape of the second nozzle 24 is determined so that the sprayed fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid has a shape that is convexly curved toward the same direction as the second convex curved surface 14. In this way, the sprayed fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid is adapted to the second convex curved surface 14 of the second camera 12, and thus a larger amount of cleaning liquid can be sprayed onto the second convex curved surface 14. In addition, when the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the nozzle in a straight line, it hits the convex curved surface locally, but by spraying the cleaning liquid in a fan shape, it is easy to spray the cleaning liquid onto the entire convex curved surface.

[0058] Furthermore, if the fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid were flat, only the center of the liquid layer would directly strike the vicinity of the center 14a of the second convex curved surface 14, and the edge of the liquid layer would pass above the periphery 14b of the second convex curved surface 14 without striking the second convex curved surface 14, which may tend to cause the liquid to splash around. However, in this embodiment, the fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid is actually convexly curved like the second convex curved surface 14, so that the entire layer 28 of cleaning liquid can directly strike the second convex curved surface 14, thereby reducing such splashing of the cleaning liquid.

[0059] It is not essential that the curved shapes of the upper edge 24a and the lower edge 24b of the second injection port 24 can be directly confirmed by visual inspection. Depending on the design of the nozzle 20, the second injection port 24, and the size, shape, and so forth of the corresponding second convex curved surface 14, the curved shapes of the upper edge 24a and the lower edge 24b of the second injection port 24 may be visible when viewed enlarged with a magnifying glass.

[0060] Fig. 5 is a front view showing a schematic diagram of a cleaner device 10 according to another embodiment. The cleaner device 10 shown in Fig. 5 differs from the cleaner device 10 shown in Fig. 1 in terms of the nozzle configuration, but is common in other respects.

[0061] The cleaner device 10 includes a nozzle assembly 40, which includes a first nozzle section 42 having a first nozzle port 22 and a second nozzle section 44 having a second nozzle port 24. The first nozzle section 42 is fixed to a support member such as a bracket with a screw 46. The first nozzle section 42 may be fixed to the support member by other fixing means. The second nozzle section 44 is connected to the first nozzle section 42. The cleaning liquid is supplied to the first nozzle section 42 from a supply source such as a tank, and is supplied to the second nozzle section 44 via the first nozzle section 42. The cleaning liquid supplied to the first nozzle section 42 is sprayed from the first nozzle port 22, and the cleaning liquid supplied to the second nozzle section 44 is sprayed from the second nozzle port 24.

[0062] The first jet orifice 22 is disposed to jet the cleaning liquid onto the first convex curved surface 13 of the first camera 11, and the second jet orifice 24 is disposed to jet the cleaning liquid onto the second convex curved surface 14 of the second camera 12. The first nozzle unit 42 is disposed above the first camera 11, and the first jet orifice 22 jets the cleaning liquid downward toward the first convex curved surface 13. The second nozzle unit 44 is disposed between the first camera 11 and the second camera 12, and the second jet orifice 24 jets the cleaning liquid obliquely downward toward the second convex curved surface 14.

[0063] The first nozzle 22 is configured to spray the cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the first convex curved surface 13, and the second nozzle 24 is configured to spray the cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the second convex curved surface 14. For ease of understanding, Fig. 5 shows a fan-shaped layer 26 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the first nozzle 22 onto the first convex curved surface 13, and a fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the second nozzle 24 onto the second convex curved surface 14.

[0064] Also, similarly to the embodiment described with reference to Fig. 1, the shape of one or both of the first jet nozzle 22 and the second jet nozzle 24 may be determined so that the sprayed fan-shaped layer of cleaning liquid has a shape that is convexly curved in the same direction as the convex curved surface. In this embodiment, for example, the shape of the second jet nozzle 24 is determined so that the sprayed fan-shaped layer of cleaning liquid 28 has a shape that is convexly curved in the same direction as the second convex curved surface 14. As an example, the shape of the second jet nozzle 24 can be the same as that described with reference to Figs. 4(a) and 4(b).

[0065] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the cross section of the second nozzle section 44 taken along line AA in Fig. 5. The second nozzle section 44 is formed with an internal flow passage 48 whose diameter decreases toward the nozzle tip. The second jetting port 24 is provided so as to bend at a substantially right angle from the small diameter portion on the tip side of this internal flow passage 48. However, as described with reference to Fig. 4(a), the second jetting port 24 is disposed slightly above the second convex curved surface 14, and therefore faces slightly obliquely downward in order to direct the cleaning liquid toward the second convex curved surface 14.

[0066] As described above, the second nozzle section 44 of the cleaner device 10 according to the embodiment includes the second nozzle 24 that is disposed outside the second convex curved surface 14 and that sprays the cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the second convex curved surface 14. The shape of the second nozzle 24 is determined so that the sprayed fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid has a shape that is convexly curved in the same direction as the second convex curved surface 14. In this way, the sprayed fan-shaped layer 28 of cleaning liquid is adapted to the second convex curved surface 14 of the second camera 12, and thus, more cleaning liquid can be sprayed onto the second convex curved surface 14. In addition, the amount of cleaning liquid that does not hit the second convex curved surface 14 and scatters around can be reduced.

[0067] Fig. 7 is a front view showing a schematic diagram of a cleaner device 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cleaner device 110 shown in Fig. 7 is a vehicle cleaner device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

[0068] The cleaner device 110 is configured to clean a plurality of objects to be cleaned, for example, a first camera 111 and a second camera 112. The first camera 111 and the second camera 112 are arranged side-by-side adjacent to each other, for example, as shown in the figure. The first camera 111 and the second camera 112 are installed in different orientations so as to capture different directions, for example, the front and rear of the vehicle. As shown in the figure, in this example, the first camera 111 and the second camera 112 have different outer shapes, the first camera 111 has a circular shape, and the second camera 112 has a square shape.

[0069] As surfaces to be cleaned by the cleaner device 110, the first camera 111 has a first surface 113, and the second camera 112 has a second surface 114. These surfaces to be cleaned are surfaces of optical elements exposed to the outside, which are components of the cameras. The optical elements may be, for example, lenses, or light-transmitting lens covers for protecting the lenses, or may be other optical elements. The first surface 113 and the second surface 114 may be curved surfaces that are convexly curved toward the outside, such as spherical surfaces, or may be surfaces having a flat surface or other shape. The first surface 113 and the second surface 114 may have the same shape, but generally may have different shapes depending on the design and specifications of each camera.

[0070] The cleaner device 110 includes a nozzle assembly 120, which includes a first nozzle section 121 having a first nozzle hole 122 and a second nozzle section 123 having a second nozzle hole 124. As shown in FIG. 7, the nozzle assembly 120 has an approximately L-shaped configuration in which the horizontally long first nozzle section 121 and the vertically long second nozzle section 123 are connected to each other. The cleaning liquid is supplied from a supply source such as a tank to the first nozzle section 121, and is supplied to the second nozzle section 123 via the first nozzle section 121. The cleaning liquid supplied to the first nozzle section 121 is sprayed from the first nozzle hole 122, and the cleaning liquid supplied to the second nozzle section 123 is sprayed from the second nozzle hole 124. The first nozzle hole 122 is arranged to spray the cleaning liquid onto the first surface 113, and the second nozzle hole 124 is arranged to spray the cleaning liquid onto the second surface 114.

[0071] The first jets 122 are configured to spray cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the first surface 113, and the second jets 124 are configured to spray cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the second surface 114. For ease of understanding, Figure 7 shows a fan-shaped layer 126 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the first jets 122 onto the first surface 113, and a fan-shaped layer 128 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the second jets 124 onto the second surface 114.

[0072] Furthermore, nozzle assembly 120 is disposed outside the field of view of first camera 111 and second camera 112 so as not to interfere with or to minimize the effect on imaging by these cameras. As an example, first nozzle unit 121 is disposed above first camera 111, and first jet 122 jets cleaning liquid downward toward first surface 113. Second nozzle unit 123 is disposed between first camera 111 and second camera 112, and second jet 124 jets cleaning liquid obliquely downward toward second surface 114.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 7, the periphery of the first camera 111, the second camera 112, and the nozzle assembly 120 is covered with a cover member 116. Behind the cover member 116, a support member for supporting the first camera 111, the second camera 112, and the nozzle assembly 120, for example, a bracket 118 shown in Fig. 8(a), is provided. The first camera 111, the second camera 112, and the nozzle assembly 120 are attached to this bracket 118. As described above, in this embodiment, since the cleaner device 110 is a cleaner device for a vehicle, the first camera 111, the second camera 112, and the nozzle assembly 120 are supported on the vehicle body via the bracket 118.

[0074] Furthermore, first nozzle unit 121 not only serves to spray cleaning liquid onto first surface 113 of first camera 111, but is also provided as a fixing unit for fixing nozzle assembly 120 to bracket 118. First nozzle unit 121 is fixed to bracket 118 by, for example, screws 30 serving as fixing members. Alternatively, first nozzle unit 121 may be fixed to bracket 118 or a support member by other fixing means.

[0075] Each part of the nozzle assembly 120 and the bracket 118 are formed of an appropriate synthetic resin material, such as polyacetal resin, acrylic resin, polycarbonate resin, etc. Each part of the nozzle assembly 120 and the bracket 118 are formed of, for example, the same material, but may be formed of different materials.

[0076] As will be described later with reference to Figures 8(a) to 11(b), the nozzle assembly 120 is configured to regulate the displacement of the nozzle assembly 120 relative to the object to be cleaned (i.e., the first camera 111 and the second camera 112) by combining with the bracket 118. The first nozzle part 121 is fixed to the bracket 118, and the second nozzle part 123 is connected to the first nozzle part 121, and a displacement regulation structure for the nozzle assembly 120 is formed by the second nozzle part 123 and the bracket 118. The second nozzle part 123 and the bracket 118 are not directly fixed, but the second nozzle part 123 and the bracket 118 are provided with uneven shapes that combine with each other to suppress the movement of the nozzle assembly 120 relative to the bracket 118 as a displacement regulation structure.

[0077] Fig. 8(a) is a perspective view showing a schematic state in which the nozzle assembly 120 of the cleaner device 110 shown in Fig. 7 is attached to the bracket 118, and Fig. 8(b) is a partial cross-sectional view in which a part of the second nozzle portion 123 of the nozzle assembly 120 in Fig. 8(a) is cut away. Note that Figs. 8(a) and 8(b) show the nozzle assembly 120 viewed from the second injection port 124 side of the second nozzle portion 123 together with a part of the bracket 118 in a state in which the cover member 116 shown in Fig. 7 has been removed. Fig. 8(b) shows a vertical cross section of the second nozzle portion 123.

[0078] Moreover, Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the bracket 118 shown in Fig. 8(a) in a state where the nozzle assembly 120 is not attached. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the nozzle assembly 120 shown in Fig. 8(a) from a rear side. Fig. 11(a) shows the FF cross section shown in Fig. 8(a), and Fig. 11(b) shows the GG cross section shown in Fig. 11(a).

[0079] 10, the first nozzle portion 121 has a horizontally long substrate portion 132, an ejection portion 134 formed in the center of the front surface of the substrate portion 132, and an inlet portion 136 formed in the center of the rear surface of the substrate portion 132. The ejection portion 134 is provided with the first ejection port 122 shown in Fig. 7. An internal flow path for guiding the cleaning liquid to the first ejection port 122 and the second nozzle portion 123 is formed penetrating the substrate portion 132 from the inlet portion 136 to the ejection portion 134.

[0080] Furthermore, in the substrate portion 132 of the first nozzle portion 121, a screw hole 138 is formed on one side relative to the ejection portion 134, and a positioning pin 140 is formed on the opposite side relative to the ejection portion 134. The screw hole 138 penetrates the substrate portion 132 from the front side to the rear side. The positioning pin 140 is a rod-shaped protrusion that protrudes from the rear side of the substrate portion 132.

[0081] The second nozzle portion 123 has a nozzle 142 having a second ejection port 124 and a vertically long nozzle holder 144. The nozzle holder 144 has a connection portion 146 for connecting the second nozzle portion 123 to the first nozzle portion 121 and a nozzle holding portion 147 shown in FIG. 11(b). The connection portion 146 is formed, for example, on the upper side of the nozzle holder 144 and is fitted, for example, by press fitting, into the ejection portion 134 of the first nozzle portion 121, thereby connecting the second nozzle portion 123 to the first nozzle portion 121. The nozzle holding portion 147 is formed, for example, on the center of the front surface of the nozzle holder 144. The nozzle 142 is fitted, for example, by press fitting, into the nozzle holding portion 147, thereby mounting the nozzle 142 to the nozzle holder 144. The nozzle holder 144 has an internal flow path for guiding the cleaning liquid from the connection portion 146 to the nozzle holding portion 147. Therefore, the cleaning liquid can flow from the ejection portion 134 of the first nozzle portion 121 to the second ejection port 124 of the nozzle 142 through the internal flow path of the nozzle holder 144. A cap 148 is attached to the lower end of the nozzle holder 144, and this opening is closed by the cap 148 so that the cleaning liquid flowing through the internal flow path of the nozzle holder 144 does not flow out from the opening at the lower end of the nozzle holder 144.

[0082] Furthermore, the nozzle holder 144 has a protrusion 150 as the above-mentioned displacement restriction structure, and the protrusion 150 is formed, for example, in the center of the back surface of the nozzle holder 144. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10, the protrusion 150 has an H-shape and has two first vertical ribs 150a and a horizontal rib 150b connecting these first vertical ribs 150a at their centers.

[0083] 9, bracket 118 has an attachment portion 152 that protrudes toward the front side. Attachment portion 152 has an attachment surface 153 that comes into contact with the back surface of substrate portion 132 of first nozzle portion 121 when first nozzle portion 121 is attached. A flow path 154 opens in the center of attachment surface 153, and a screw hole 156 is formed on one side of this flow path 154, and a positioning hole 158 is formed on the opposite side of spray portion 134. Flow path 154 is connected to a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown) that includes a cleaning liquid tank and a pump for sending the cleaning liquid from the tank.

[0084] The bracket 118 also has a second vertical rib 160 protruding towards the front side. The second vertical rib 160 is formed at a position corresponding to the rear of the second nozzle portion 123 when the nozzle assembly 120 is attached to the bracket 118. The second vertical rib 160 is provided with a recess 162 as the displacement restriction structure described above. The recess 162 is formed on a front end surface 160a of the second vertical rib 160 so as to combine with the protrusion 150 of the nozzle holder 144 to restrict the displacement of the second nozzle portion 123 in at least one direction.

[0085] The nozzle assembly 120 is fixed to the bracket 118 by fixing the first nozzle portion 121 to the mounting portion 152 of the bracket 118. At this time, the positioning pin 140 of the first nozzle portion 121 is inserted into the positioning hole 158 of the bracket 118, and the inlet portion 136 of the first nozzle portion 121 is fitted into the flow path 154 of the bracket 118. Then, a screw 30 (see FIG. 7) is screwed into the screw hole 138 of the first nozzle portion 121 and the screw hole 156 of the bracket 118, and the first nozzle portion 121 is fixed to the mounting portion 152 of the bracket 118. In this way, the nozzle assembly 120 is fixed to the bracket 118 by a single screw 30, so that the assembly work is relatively easy.

[0086] When the nozzle assembly 120 is fixed to the bracket 118, as shown in Fig. 8(b), Fig. 11(a) and Fig. 11(b), the convex portion 150 of the second nozzle portion 123 fits into the concave portion 162 of the bracket 118. In this manner, the convex portion 150 and the concave portion 162 are combined. Since the concave portion 162 is a notch formed in the second longitudinal rib 160, the convex portion 150 is sandwiched vertically by the second longitudinal rib 160 within the concave portion 162. At this time, there may be a slight gap between the convex portion 150 and the concave portion 162, or the convex portion 150 and the concave portion 162 may be in contact with each other on at least a portion of their surfaces. Therefore, when an external force acts in the vertical direction on the nozzle assembly 120 (e.g., the second nozzle portion 123), the convex portion 150 of the second nozzle portion 123 abuts against the second vertical rib 160 within the concave portion 162, thereby restricting the vertical displacement or movement of the second nozzle portion 123 relative to the bracket 118.

[0087] The protrusion 150 of the nozzle assembly 120 and the recess 162 of the bracket 118 are not fixed to each other. In this way, the protrusion 150 and the recess 162 can be simply combined without being fixed to each other, which makes the assembly work easier.

[0088] A front end surface 160a of the second vertical rib 160 in which the recess 162 is provided faces the back surface of the second nozzle portion 123 below the recess 162. There may be a slight gap between the front end surface 160a of the second vertical rib 160 and the back surface of the second nozzle portion 123, or they may be in contact with each other. When the nozzle assembly 120 (e.g., the second nozzle portion 123) is pushed from the front to the rear, the second nozzle portion 123 abuts against the front end surface 160a of the second vertical rib 160, thereby restricting the displacement or movement of the second nozzle portion 123 in the front-rear direction relative to the bracket 118.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 11(a), the two first vertical ribs 150a of the convex portion 150 are disposed on both sides of the second vertical rib 160 of the bracket 118 at a distance from each other, and the two first vertical ribs 150a are not in contact with the second vertical rib 160. Therefore, the left-right displacement of the second nozzle portion 123 relative to the bracket 118 is permitted. However, instead of this, the left-right displacement or movement of the second nozzle portion 123 relative to the bracket 118 may be restricted by sandwiching the second vertical rib 160 between the two first vertical ribs 150a to bring the convex portion 150 and the concave portion 162 into contact with each other or sufficiently close to each other.

[0090] By fixing the nozzle assembly 120 to the bracket 118, the flow path 154 of the bracket 118 is connected to the first nozzle 122 through the internal flow path of the first nozzle portion 121. At the same time, the flow path 154 is connected to the second nozzle 124 through the internal flow paths of the first nozzle portion 121 and the second nozzle portion 123. Therefore, when the cleaner device 110 is operated, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the first nozzle 122 and the second nozzle 124 through the flow path 154, the first nozzle portion 121 and the second nozzle portion 123 from the cleaning liquid supply source (the flow of the cleaning liquid is shown diagrammatically by arrows in FIG. 8(b)). A fan-shaped layer 126 of the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the first nozzle 122 to the first surface 113 of the first camera 111, and a fan-shaped layer 128 of the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the second nozzle 124 to the second surface 114 of the second camera 112. In this manner, the cleaning device 110 can clean the first camera 111 and the second camera 112 with the cleaning liquid, as shown in FIG.

[0091] Incidentally, during the assembly work of the nozzle assembly 120 or a device nearby, an external force may be applied to the nozzle assembly 120, such as when a worker's hand accidentally hits the nozzle assembly 120. If such an accidental external force is large, the nozzle assembly 120 may move unintentionally or become displaced. Alternatively, if a part of the nozzle assembly 120 on which such an accidental external force acts is relatively far from the fixed part of the nozzle assembly 120 to the bracket 118, i.e., the first nozzle part 121, such as the second nozzle part 123, the torque applied by the external force may become large, and as a result, the nozzle assembly 120 may move unintentionally or become displaced. In this way, the first jet nozzle 122 or the second jet nozzle 124 (particularly the second jet nozzle) may be displaced from the correct position. If the direction of the cleaning fluid sprayed from the nozzle changes due to the misalignment of the jet nozzle, it may become difficult for the cleaning fluid to hit the first camera 111 or the second camera 112, and cleaning may not be performed properly.

[0092] To address this, nozzle assembly 120 of cleaner device 110 according to the embodiment includes a fixed portion, i.e., first nozzle portion 121, which is fixed to bracket 118 at a position different from recess 162 of bracket 118, and a protrusion 150 which combines with recess 162 of bracket 118 to regulate displacement of nozzle assembly 120 relative to first camera 111 and second camera 112. Protrusion 150 is formed in second nozzle portion 123.

[0093] In this way, the nozzle assembly is not only fixed to the bracket 118 to which the first camera 111 and the second camera 112 are attached, but is also combined with the recess 162 and protrusion 150 of this bracket 118, thereby restricting displacement of the nozzle assembly 120 relative to the first camera 111 and the second camera 112. Therefore, displacement of the first jet nozzle 122 and the second jet nozzle 124 due to accidental external force is prevented or sufficiently suppressed. With a simple structure of combining the protrusion 150 and the recess 162, the first jet nozzle 122 and the second jet nozzle 124 can be held in the correct positions.

[0094] Next, a cleaner device 170 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12 to Fig. 16. This cleaner device 170 is common to the above-described cleaner device 110 shown in Fig. 7 in that it is provided for cleaning the first camera 111 and the second camera 112, but differs in terms of the nozzle configuration and the displacement regulation structure.

[0095] Fig. 12 is a front view showing a cleaner device 170 according to another embodiment. Fig. 13(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which a nozzle assembly 171 of the cleaner device 170 shown in Fig. 12 is attached to a bracket 175, and Fig. 13(b) is a partial cross-sectional view in which a part of the nozzle assembly 171 in Fig. 13(a) is cut away. Figs. 13(a) and 13(b) show the nozzle assembly 171 together with a part of the bracket 175 in a state in which the cover member 174 shown in Fig. 12 has been removed.

[0096] Moreover, Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing the bracket 175 shown in Fig. 13(a) in a state where the nozzle assembly 171 is not attached. Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the nozzle assembly 171 shown in Fig. 13(a) from the rear side. Fig. 16 shows the AA cross section shown in Fig. 13(a).

[0097] The cleaner device 110 includes a nozzle 172 having a plurality of nozzles for spraying cleaning liquid in different directions, for example, a first nozzle 122 and a second nozzle 124. The first nozzle 122 is arranged to spray cleaning liquid onto a first surface 113 of the first camera 111, and the second nozzle 124 is arranged to spray cleaning liquid onto a second surface 114 of the second camera 112.

[0098] In this embodiment, the nozzle 172 is installed between the first camera 111 and the second camera 112. As shown in FIG. 12, the first camera 111 is on the right side of the nozzle 172, and the second camera 112 is on the left side of the nozzle 172. Therefore, the first jet orifice 122 and the second jet orifice 124 are provided in the nozzle 172 so as to jet the cleaning liquid in approximately opposite directions. The tip of the nozzle 172 has a conical shape, and the first jet orifice 122 and the second jet orifice 124 open on the side of the cone. The first jet orifice 122 and the second jet orifice 124 are provided on one side and the other side of the center of the nozzle 172.

[0099] The first jets 122 are configured to spray cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the first surface 113, and the second jets 124 are configured to spray cleaning liquid in a fan shape onto the second surface 114. For ease of understanding, Figure 12 shows a fan-shaped layer 126 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the first jets 122 onto the first surface 113, and a fan-shaped layer 128 of cleaning liquid sprayed from the second jets 124 onto the second surface 114.

[0100] As shown in Fig. 12, the periphery of the first camera 111, the second camera 112, and the nozzle 172 is covered with a cover member 174. Behind the cover member 174, a support member for supporting the first camera 111, the second camera 112, and the nozzle assembly 171, for example, a bracket 175 shown in Fig. 13(a), is provided. The first camera 111, the second camera 112, and the nozzle assembly 171 are attached to this bracket 175. As described above, in this embodiment, since the cleaner device 110 is a cleaner device for a vehicle, the first camera 111, the second camera 112, and the nozzle assembly 171 are supported on the vehicle body via the bracket 175.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 13(a) and FIG. 13(b), the nozzle assembly 171 includes a nozzle 172 and a nozzle holder 173. The nozzle 172 is attached to the front of the nozzle holder 173. The nozzle 172 and the nozzle holder 173 are made of an appropriate synthetic resin material, such as polyacetal resin, acrylic resin, or polycarbonate resin. A connection hose 176 is connected to the lower end of the nozzle holder 173. The connection hose 176 is connected to a flow path of the cleaning liquid in the nozzle holder 173, and the flow path in the nozzle holder 173 is connected to the first jet nozzle 122 and the second jet nozzle 124 through an internal flow path of the nozzle 172. The connection hose 176 is connected to a cleaning liquid supply source including a cleaning liquid tank and a pump for sending the cleaning liquid from the tank.

[0102] Therefore, when the cleaner device 110 is operated, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the first jet nozzle 122 and the second jet nozzle 124 through the internal flow passages of the cleaning liquid supply source, the connection hose 176, the nozzle holder 173, and the nozzle 172. As a result, as shown in Fig. 12, a fan-shaped layer 126 of the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the first jet nozzle 122 onto the first surface 113, and a fan-shaped layer 128 of the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the second jet nozzle 124 onto the second surface 114. In this way, the cleaner device 170 can clean the first camera 111 and the second camera 112 with the cleaning liquid.

[0103] 15, nozzle holder 173 has a fixing portion 177 and a recess 178 as a displacement restriction structure. Fixed portion 177 is formed at the upper end of nozzle holder 173, and a screw hole 179 penetrates from the front surface to the rear surface. Recess 178 is formed on the rear surface of nozzle holder 173 on the opposite side to nozzle 172.

[0104] 14, bracket 175 has mounting portion 181 with screw hole 180 formed therein, and protrusion 182 as a displacement restriction structure. Protrusion 182 is provided to protrude toward the front side from mounting portion 181. Protrusion 182 is configured to restrict displacement of nozzle assembly 171 in at least one direction by combining with recess 178 of nozzle holder 173. Note that, unlike bracket 118 shown in FIG. 9, bracket 175 is not provided with a flow path for cleaning liquid.

[0105] For example, a screw 83 as a fixing member is screwed into a screw hole 179 of the fixing portion 177 and a screw hole 180 of the mounting portion 181, and the fixing portion 177 of the nozzle holder 173 is fixed to the mounting portion 181 of the bracket 175. At this time, the recessed portion 178 of the nozzle holder 173 is inserted into the protruding portion 182 of the bracket 175, and the protruding portion 182 and the recessed portion 178 are combined. In this manner, the nozzle assembly 171 is fixed to the bracket 175. There may be a slight gap between the protruding portion 182 and the recessed portion 178, or the protruding portion 182 and the recessed portion 178 may be in contact with each other on at least a part of their surfaces. When an external force acts on the nozzle assembly 171 in the vertical direction, the nozzle holder 173 abuts against the protruding portion 182 of the bracket 175 within the recessed portion 178, thereby restricting the vertical displacement or movement of the nozzle assembly 171 relative to the bracket 175. Similarly, the left-right and front-rear displacement of the nozzle assembly 171 relative to the bracket 175 is also restricted.

[0106] 16, when the protrusion 182 is placed in the recess 178, it comes into contact with a protrusion 184 formed in the recess 178. The contact between the protrusion 182 and the protrusion 184 in the recess 178 positions the nozzle assembly 171 relative to the bracket 175, thereby enabling the first jet orifice 122 and the second jet orifice 124 to be accurately positioned relative to the first camera 111 and the second camera 112, respectively.

[0107] As described above, nozzle assembly 171 of cleaner device 170 according to the embodiment includes fixing portion 177 that is fixed to bracket 175 at a position different from protrusion 182 of bracket 175, and recess 178 that combines with protrusion 182 of bracket 175 to regulate displacement of nozzle assembly 171 relative to first camera 111 and second camera 112. Recess 178 is formed in nozzle holder 173.

[0108] In this way, nozzle assembly 171 is not only fixed to bracket 175 to which first camera 111 and second camera 112 are attached, but is also combined with convex portion 182 and concave portion 178 of bracket 175, thereby restricting displacement of nozzle assembly 171 relative to first camera 111 and second camera 112. Therefore, displacement of first jet nozzle 122 and second jet nozzle 124 due to accidental external force is prevented or sufficiently suppressed. With a simple structure of combining convex portion 182 and concave portion 178, first jet nozzle 122 and second jet nozzle 124 can be held in the correct positions.

[0109] The recess 178 of the nozzle assembly 171 and the protrusion 182 of the bracket 175 are not fixed to each other. In this way, the protrusion 182 and the recess 178 can be simply combined without being fixed to each other, which makes the assembly work easier.

[0110] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, but may be combined with the embodiments and modifications, or may be further modified, such as various design changes, based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art, and such combined or further modified embodiments and modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention. The above-mentioned embodiment and modifications, and new embodiments resulting from the combination of the above-mentioned embodiment and modifications with the following modifications, have the same effects as the combined embodiment, modifications, and further modifications.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the upper edge 24a and the lower edge 24b of the second ejection port 24 are curved convexly in the same direction as the second convex curved surface 14, but this is not limited to the above. At least one of the upper edge 24a and the lower edge 24b of the second ejection port 24, for example at least the upper edge 24a, may be curved convexly to match the second convex curved surface 14.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the shape of one of the first jet orifice 22 and the second jet orifice 24, specifically the second jet orifice 24, is convexly curved to match the second convex curved surface 14, but both the first jet orifice 22 and the second jet orifice 24 may be convexly curved. Thus, the nozzle may include a plurality of jet orifices, each of which may be arranged to jet the cleaning fluid in a fan shape onto a corresponding convex curved surface among a plurality of convex curved surfaces arranged around the nozzle. The shape of each jet orifice may be determined so that the fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid jetted from that jet orifice has a shape that is convexly curved in the same direction as the convex curved surface corresponding to that jet orifice.

[0113] In the above-described embodiment, the multiple jets are arranged to jet cleaning liquid onto different objects, but instead, the multiple jets may be arranged to jet cleaning liquid onto different parts of the same object, or onto the same part of the same object from different directions.

[0114] The number of injection ports is not particularly limited, and three or more injection ports may be provided, or only one injection port may be provided.

[0115] The arrangement and shape of the convex and concave portions as the displacement restricting structure are not limited to the above-described specific forms and can take various other forms. For example, in the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11(b), the H-shaped convex portion 150 having two first vertical ribs 150a and one horizontal rib 150b is used. However, for example, the convex portion 150 may have only the horizontal rib 150b without the first vertical rib 150a. Further, although the convex portion 150 is formed on the back surface of the nozzle holder 144, instead of this, for example, a convex portion may be formed on the side surface of the nozzle holder 144 (the surface on the same side as the connecting portion 146 or the opposite surface), and a concave portion combined with this convex portion may be formed on the bracket 118.

[0116] Further, instead of the convex portion, a concave portion may be provided. Conversely, instead of the concave portion, a convex portion may be provided. For example, in the cleaner device 110 according to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11(b), a concave portion is formed in the nozzle assembly 120, a convex portion is formed in the bracket 118, and a displacement restricting structure may be formed by combining these concave and convex portions. Also, in the cleaner device 170 according to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 16, a convex portion is formed in the nozzle assembly 171, a concave portion is formed in the bracket 175, and a displacement restricting structure may be formed by combining these convex and concave portions.

[0117] In the above-described embodiment, the nozzle having the injection port and the nozzle holder are prepared as separate components, and the nozzle is attached to the nozzle holder. However, instead of this, one nozzle component in which the nozzle and the nozzle holder are integrally formed may be used.

[0118] Also in the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 16, similar to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1, the shape of one or both of the first injection port 122 and the second injection port 124 may be determined so that the layer of the fan-shaped cleaning liquid to be injected is convexly curved in the same direction as the convex curved surface of the object to be cleaned.

[0119] In the above embodiment, the cleaning fluid is a cleaning liquid. However, the cleaning fluid may be a gas such as air.

[0120] In the above-mentioned embodiment, a vehicle cleaner device for cleaning an on-board camera is described as an example, but the object to be cleaned by the cleaner device 10, 110 may be an on-board sensor other than an on-board camera, such as a distance measuring sensor such as LiDAR, or may be other on-board equipment. The optical element to be cleaned may constitute a part of the on-board equipment to be cleaned. In addition, the cleaner device 10, 110 is not limited to being used for a vehicle. The cleaner device according to the embodiment may be mounted on, for example, outdoor lighting equipment such as a street light, sensor equipment, or various other equipment, and may be used to clean various objects to be cleaned that are provided on such equipment.

[0121] The present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiments, but the embodiments merely show one aspect of the principles and applications of the present invention, and many modifications and changes in arrangement are permitted to the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0122] The present invention can be used in a nozzle and a cleaning device including the nozzle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 10 Cleaning device, 13 First convex curved surface, 14 Second convex curved surface, 20 Nozzle, 22 First nozzle, 22a Upper edge, 22b Lower edge, 24 Second nozzle, 26 Layer of cleaning liquid, 26b Both ends, 28 Layer of cleaning liquid, 28b Both ends, 110 Cleaning device, 111 First camera, 112 Second camera, 113 First surface, 114 Second surface, 118 Bracket, 120 Nozzle assembly, 121 First nozzle portion, 122 First nozzle portion, 123 Second nozzle portion, 124 Second nozzle portion, 142 Nozzle, 144 Nozzle holder, 150 Convex portion, 150a First vertical rib, 150b Horizontal rib, 160 Second vertical rib, 162 Recess.

Claims

1. A nozzle of a cleaning device for cleaning an object having a convex curved surface, an injection port disposed on an outer side of the convex curved surface and configured to inject a cleaning fluid in a fan shape onto the convex curved surface; the shape of the jet orifice is determined so that the jetted fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid has a shape curved convexly in the same direction as the convex curved surface; A nozzle characterized in that the upper and lower edges of the injection port are curved convexly toward the tip of the nozzle.

2. 2. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle orifice is arranged so that the sprayed fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid strikes the convex curved surface on one side of a center of the convex curved surface and flows along the convex curved surface beyond the center of the convex curved surface to the other side.

3. 3. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the injection port is configured so that both ends of the injected fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid are directed toward the periphery of the convex curved surface.

4. the nozzle includes a plurality of jetting ports, each of which is arranged to jet the cleaning fluid in a fan shape onto a corresponding one of a plurality of convex curved surfaces arranged around the nozzle; 4. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the shape of each nozzle is determined so that the fan-shaped layer of cleaning fluid sprayed from that nozzle has a convex curved shape in the same direction as the convex curved surface corresponding to that nozzle.

5. A nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A cleaning device, wherein the convex curved surface is a surface of an optical element.

6. 6. The cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the cleaner is attached to a vehicle, and the optical element constitutes a part of an in-vehicle device that is an object to be cleaned.

Images