In-vehicle device and drive recorder

Abstract

To provide a driver recorder and other on-vehicle devices which can be used with different kinds of vehicles with a configuration of one unit and enables wiring of a power source to be neatly arranged.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle device includes: a cylindrical body 10; a movable part (a ring part 31) which enables a posture of an electronic component stored in the body to move in a circumferential direction; and an attachment part 33 for fixing a case part of the on-vehicle device to an attachment portion of a vehicle. Wiring for providing electric supply to the electronic component is pulled out from a side surface of the case part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to in-vehicle devices such as drive recorders, and more specifically, to an improvement in an attachment structure of an in-vehicle device of a type attached to a front windshield or the like of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] A drive recorder that stores vehicle situation information (front view, vehicle speed, sudden acceleration or deceleration, etc.) before and after an automobile accident provides useful information for verification in the event of a collision accident of an automobile. Therefore, it is increasingly installed in transportation vehicles such as trucks, and commercial vehicles such as taxis and buses, and is also being installed in general vehicles.

[0003] This drive recorder is configured to be able to store a front view for a certain period before and after an accident or sudden braking and driving data indicating the driving operation (brake operation, turn signal operation, driving route, etc.) of the driver. Briefly explaining the configuration for storing video data, a CCD camera constantly captures the vehicle and its surrounding situation from the driver's perspective (field of view), and stores the captured video in a temporary storage memory such as a ring buffer. The video stored in this temporary storage memory is sequentially updated with the latest ones, and the past video data for a set time is retained. On the other hand, the drive recorder is equipped with sensors such as an acceleration sensor that detect impacts occurring during an accident or sudden braking / steering. When the output value of the sensor exceeds a threshold, a certain period of video before the time when the threshold is exceeded (impact detection) is read from the temporary storage memory and stored in a non-volatile memory (such as an SD memory card). After the threshold is exceeded, the video of the CCD camera captured thereafter is stored in the non-volatile memory directly or via the temporary storage memory, so as to save the video and the driving data, etc. for a predetermined time before and after the impact in the non-volatile memory (SD card). When an accident occurs, it is possible to clearly testify to the driver's legitimacy based on the vehicle status information (such as videos) of the vehicle stored in the non-volatile memory. In addition, when the drive recorder detects rough and dangerous driving operations such as sudden steering or sudden braking, it can give the driver a certain sense of tension by emitting a warning sound or the like to prompt the driver's attention.

[0004] Since this drive recorder captures and stores the front view of the vehicle, usually, the drive recorder is attached to the front windshield or the like of the vehicle. Specifically, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a mounting member having a mounting surface inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the main body is provided on the upper surface of a flat rectangular main body incorporating a CCD camera, a sensor, etc., and it is adhered and fixed to a predetermined position on the front windshield using an adhesive tape, a double-sided adhesive tape, a suction cup, etc. provided on the mounting surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, since the inclination of the windshield varies depending on the type of vehicle, if there is only one fixed mounting structure, there is a problem that it cannot be mounted on some vehicles. In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, on the premise that the mounting posture of the drive recorder main body is changed, a technique for detecting the posture of the main body and correcting the video captured by the CCD camera has been proposed. Although it is possible to prepare a plurality of types of mounting members (mounting jigs) according to the inclination of the windshield and attach the drive recorder using the mounting jig suitable for the vehicle to be mounted, in such a configuration, the user has to purchase unnecessary mounting jigs when purchasing a set of such a plurality of types of mounting members, which is not preferable. Therefore, there is still no drive recorder that is suitable for mounting on vehicles with different windshield inclinations.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a drive recorder and other in-vehicle devices that can be compatible with different types of vehicles with a single unit configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the in-vehicle device according to the present invention is an in-vehicle device including: (a) a cylindrical case portion, a movable portion that moves the posture of electronic components housed in the case portion in the circumferential direction, and a mounting portion for fixing the case portion to a mounting location of a vehicle, wherein the wiring for supplying power to the electronic components is led out from the side surface of the case portion. The wiring may be led out by providing a jack as in the embodiment and detaching and attaching the wiring to the jack, or the wiring may be directly connected to the main body. The in-vehicle device according to the present invention is configured to include: (1) a "mounting bracket" including a "main body", a ring portion rotatably mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the main body, and a mounting member connected to the outside of the ring portion, and (2) a "fixing member" for fixing the ring portion to the main body.

[0009] In the embodiment, the fixing member corresponds to the nut member 40. As described in (2) below, it is preferable to fasten the fixing member to the main body using a screw mechanism like the nut portion because it can be realized with a simple configuration. However, it may be fixed using a spring or by an appropriate locking mechanism. Furthermore, it is not limited to sandwiching and fixing the ring portion between the fixing member and the main body as in the embodiment. For example, various mechanisms can be adopted, such as using a screw (bolt) extending from the outside to the inside of the ring portion and fixing it by screwing. Also, in the embodiment, the fixing member is detachable from the main body, but it can of course be configured not to come off the main body. However, if the fixing member is detachable from the main body, the fixing member can be installed in advance in different vehicles, and one main body can be used by being swapped between these different vehicles.

[0010] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the ring portion is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the main body and arranged to be exposed to the outside. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which all or part of the ring portion is housed inside the main body may be adopted. In addition, combined with connecting an attachment member to the outside of the ring portion, if the ring portion is configured to be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the main body and exposed to the outside, the configuration becomes simple, and it is preferable because it is easy to rotate using the outer peripheral surface of the exposed ring portion and adjust the relative angular position between the ring portion and the main body.

[0011] Also, the rotatable angle is 360 degrees for the entire circumference in this embodiment, but it may be a predetermined angular range. Furthermore, if the shape of the main body is mainly cylindrical as in the embodiment, there is also a design unity with the ring portion and it looks good, but it is not necessarily required to be cylindrical, and any shape can be adopted.

[0012] Furthermore, if the attachment position of the ring portion is set to be attached to one end side of the main body as in the embodiment, it is easy to adjust and fix the angle, but a layout installed from the center may also be adopted.

[0013] In the present invention, since the ring part is rotatably attached to the main body, before fixing it to the main body, the ring part and the main body can be relatively rotated to set the relative angular position of the main body and the ring part (bracket) to a desired state. Then, by fixing in that state, the relative angular position between the mounting member fixed to the front glass or the like by adhesion or the like and the main body can be changed and adjusted, and it can be mounted on different vehicles (with different front glass angles) while adopting a single unit configuration.

[0014] (2) The fixing member can be configured to sandwich the ring part between itself and the main body to fix the ring part. In this way, it is preferable because the switching between fixing (positioning by stopping rotation) and releasing (state where it can rotate and the angle can be adjusted) of the ring part can be easily performed. In particular, if the clamping force can be adjusted, temporary fixing can be performed in a lightly tightened state, and the position adjustment work can be performed more simply.

[0015] (3) It is more preferable to interpose a packing between the fixing member and the ring part. By utilizing the elastic force of the packing, in addition to the effect of tightening the ring part by narrowing the distance between the fixing member and the main body, the tightening force can be improved by the elastic force of the packing. Therefore, for example, if the distance between the fixing member and the main body is set slightly wider than the width of the ring (the distance in this slightly wider case is appropriately changed depending on other factors such as the thickness of the packing), and the elastic force of the packing is used to fix the ring part, temporary fixing can be performed. By exerting such a temporary fixing effect, for example, when installing inside the vehicle, if there is no packing, the main body always has to be supported by hand, but with the packing, the hand can be released. Also, when adjusting the angle or the like, for example, it is difficult to support by hand and check the angle while pressing the ring part against the main body side, but since it is temporarily fixed by the packing, it is possible to easily check whether it can be fixed at that angle in a state where the angle is temporarily fixed without supporting by hand. Therefore, it exhibits an excellent effect of facilitating installation and adjustment even in a narrow space inside the vehicle.

[0016] Furthermore, when a rubber material is used as the packing, in addition to the above-described temporary fixing effect, it also exhibits an anti-vibration effect and an anti-slip effect. Therefore, it is more preferable because it exhibits excellent effects not only when mounting in-vehicle devices but also in terms of stability during use.

[0017] (4) One end portion of the main body and the fixing member may be connected by a screw mechanism. With such a configuration, by tightening the screw, the distance between the main body and the fixing member can be narrowed, and the mounting bracket can be firmly fixed with a simple configuration. Regarding the thread that constitutes the screw mechanism, in the present embodiment, a male thread is formed on the main body side and a female thread is formed on the nut portion side which is the fixing member, but of course, the reverse arrangement is also acceptable.

[0018] (5) At least a part of the opposing surfaces where the main body and the ring portion face each other may be formed with unevenness, and when the ring portion is fixed by the fixing member, the unevenness may be made to match. Although the rotational movement of the mounting bracket can be suppressed to some extent by the tightening force between the fixing member and the main body, by providing unevenness at appropriate positions, the rotation can be more reliably suppressed. Also, in the embodiment, the unevenness was continuously formed over the entire circumference, but they may be discretely arranged. However, continuous formation is preferable because the adjustment of the rotation angle can be made finer.

[0019] (6) Preferably, it is the end face located on the plane orthogonal to the axis of the ring portion. That is, in order to suppress rotation, the opposing surfaces for forming the unevenness can utilize various positions (planes). As an example, for instance, it can also be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the ring portion in a form similar to an internal gear. However, when formed on the inner peripheral surface, when adjusting the angle, it is necessary to first shift the ring portion to a position where there is no unevenness formed on the main body, set the angle in that state, and then insert it again. Therefore, as in (6), it is more preferable to provide unevenness on the plane (side surface) orthogonal to the axis of the ring portion because there is no such problem (rotation becomes possible when the firm engagement of the unevenness is released). The invention described in (6) is realized by the embodiment.

[0020] (7) It is preferable that the unevenness has a shape with an inclined surface that inclines along the rotation direction of the ring portion. As the shape constituting the inclined surface, it may be a flat surface (taper: triangular wave-shaped unevenness) as in the embodiment, may be appropriately curved (wave type), or may be spherical (hemispherical) in shape, and can take various forms. Since it is inclined along the rotation direction, even if the unevenness of each other is fitted to some extent, the fixing force for the ring portion is weak (the tightening force between the main body and the fixing member is weak). In the case of a temporarily fixed state, when a strong force is applied in the rotation direction, it can rotate over the unevenness of each other, that is, the angle can be adjusted. On the other hand, if the unevenness has side walls extending in a direction orthogonal to the rotation direction, such as a rectangular wave, it will be in a complete fitting state and adjustment will be difficult (angle adjustment is required in a state where the fitting is released).

[0021] (8) The installation surface of the switch formed on the surface of the main body is preferably made a flat surface, and the camera's field of view is directed to the side opposite to the installation surface. (9) In this case, it is more preferable that the flat surface and the direction of the field of view are set to be orthogonal. When a camera is provided and it is configured to capture the front as in a drive recorder, it is difficult to directly confirm the direction of the camera facing forward from the inside of the vehicle. However, since the installation surface of the switch (facing the inside of the vehicle because the driver etc. operates it) is made a flat surface and the camera's field of view is directed to the side opposite to the flat surface, since the direction of the camera with respect to the installation surface (flat surface) is known, the direction of the camera can be estimated from the direction of such an installation surface. At this time, as in the invention of (9), when the direction of the camera is orthogonal to the flat surface, for example, if the installation surface is made parallel to the vertical direction, the camera will face the horizontal direction, so the estimation in that direction can be performed more easily. However, even if it is not necessarily orthogonal, there is no problem as long as the direction of the camera with respect to the installation surface is determined and the estimation can be performed.

[0022] (10) The GPS antenna built into the main body may be arranged to tilt obliquely upward. Arranging it to tilt obliquely upward means that the antenna surface of the GPS faces obliquely upward with respect to the basic posture of the main body (the standard posture when installing the in-vehicle device on the vehicle). By doing so, for example, even if the orientation of the main body (for example, the orientation of the camera when a camera is built in) is downward, the GPS antenna can obtain good GPS reception sensitivity.

[0023] (11) It is preferable to draw out the wiring for supplying power to the electronic device mounted in the main body from the side surface of the main body. For the wiring drawout, as in the embodiment, a jack may be provided and the wiring may be attached and detached to and from the jack, or the wiring may be directly connected to the main body. In either case, if the wiring (power supply) is drawn out from the side surface, the wiring can be hidden behind the rearview mirror, which is aesthetically pleasing.

[0024] (12) An operation switch may be arranged on the front surface of the main body, and a volume operation unit for adjusting the volume of the built-in speaker may be arranged on the side surface of the main body. By doing so, since the switch with high usage frequency is on the front surface, it is easy to operate.

[0025] (13) The main body is provided with a card slot for mounting a memory card for storing recorded data, and the outlet of the card slot is preferably set on the end surface opposite to the fixing bracket. By doing so, it becomes easier to attach and remove a memory card such as an SD card to and from the card slot.

[0026] (14) The fixing member is attached to the side surface of the main body, and an opening is provided in a part thereof, and an interface with the outside is provided on the side surface of the main body located within the opening. It is preferable to do so. In the embodiment, the opening corresponds to the "through hole 42". Further, in the embodiment, the interface corresponds to the DC jack 15 and the volume dial 23. In this way, when attaching the fixing member to the side surface of the main body, by providing the opening, a part of the side surface of the main body can be exposed to the outside from the opening. Therefore, by arranging the interface with the outside mounted inside the main body at the exposed part, the operation target can be efficiently installed in the limited space of the main body. Furthermore, by bringing the interface and the fixing member close to each other, it becomes easier for the user to pay attention to the state of the fixing member when operating the interface, and it is possible to naturally and easily check whether there is looseness or the like. (15) The in-vehicle device of each of the above configurations can be a drive recorder. Of course, other in-vehicle devices may also be used.

Effects of the Invention

[0027] In the present invention, since the ring portion of the mounting bracket is rotatably attached to the main body, the relative rotational angle relationship between the mounting member of the mounting bracket and the main body can be changed, and different types of vehicles can be supported with the configuration of one unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a drive recorder according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the drive recorder of the present embodiment has a cylindrical main body 10, and a mounting bracket 30 is attached to one end side in the axial direction of the main body 10.

[0030] The main body 10 is configured by butting a first case 11 and a second case 12 that are divided (halved) front and back. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and the like, one end portions 11a and 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12 are formed with their outer dimensions slightly smaller, and a step is formed between the one end portions 11a and 12a and the central portion in the axial direction of the main body. Triangular wave-shaped (saw blade-shaped) tooth portions 17 are formed on the wall surface where this step is generated. Further, male threads 18 are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the tip sides of the one end portions 11a and 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12.

[0031] The mounting bracket 30 includes a ring portion 31 having an inner diameter that substantially matches (is slightly larger than) the outer diameter of one end portion 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12, a connecting column portion 32 erected on the outer peripheral surface of the ring portion 31, and a mounting plate 33 provided at the tip of the connecting column portion 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting plate 33 is arranged obliquely at a predetermined angle with respect to the diameter direction of the ring portion 31.

[0032] Also, on one side of the ring portion 31 (the surface facing the main body 10), a tooth portion 34 is formed over the entire circumference. This tooth portion 34 is set to have the same dimensional shape so as to match the tooth portion 17 formed on the main body 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the width D of the ring portion 31 is made substantially the same as the width D1 of the flat portion (the region where the male thread 18 is not formed) of one end portion 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12. Of course, it may be set wider than D1 (D1 < D), but in that case, it should be set shorter than the width D2 up to the tip including the male thread 18 (D1 < D < D2). And a nut member 40 is attached to the male thread 18. The nut member 40 is in the form of a flat disc-shaped cap, and a female thread that matches the male thread 18 is formed on its inner peripheral surface 41. Also, a circular through-hole 42 is formed in the central portion of the nut member 40. From this through-hole 42, the small semi-circular convex portions 11d, 12d (small circular convex portions) of the main body are exposed to the outside, and objects to be operated by the user such as the volume dial 23 and the DC jack 15 are provided on the exposed portions of these convex portions. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to install the object to be operated in the limited space of the main body 10, and as a result, the user's attention can be attracted during operation, and it is easy to check whether the nut member 40 is loose.

[0033] Thereby, when the ring portion 31 is attached to one end portion 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12, the ring portion 31 can be rotated relatively forward and backward with respect to one end portion 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12 with its central axis as the rotation center. Then, by engaging the tooth portion 17 provided on the main body 10 and the tooth portion 34 provided on the ring portion 31, the rotation is suppressed.

[0034] On the one hand, when the ring portion 31 is attached to one end portions 11a and 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12 as described above, the male screw 18 protrudes outside the ring portion 31. Therefore, the nut member 40 is attached to the protruding male screw 18. Then, by firmly fastening the female screw of the nut member 40 and the male screw 18 of the main body 10, the distance between the nut member 40 and the stepped portion forming the tooth portion 17 of the main body 10 is narrowed, and the ring portion 31 can be clamped between the main body 10 and the nut member 40 with a predetermined force. In the state of being firmly fastened in this way, the tooth portions 17 and 34 mesh with each other, and the rotation of the ring portion 31 and thus the mounting bracket 30 is suppressed. When the nut member 40 is loosened, the rotation is permitted. Therefore, the relative angular positional relationship between the main body 10 and the mounting bracket 30 can be set (adjusted) to an arbitrary position and fixed at that position. That is, when the plane (direction) parallel to the joint surface of the first case 11 and the second case 12 is taken as the basic vertical direction of the main body 10, the angle formed by the vertical direction and the mounting plate 33 of the mounting bracket 30 can be changed.

[0035] A double-sided tape (not shown) or other adhesive member is attached to the upper surface of the mounting plate 33, and the double-sided tape is used to adhere and fix it to the vehicle's windshield. Therefore, the drive recorder of the present embodiment can be adjusted according to the angles (25 to 75 degrees) of various windshields. That is, the mounting plate 33 becomes parallel to the angle of the windshield. However, as described above, since the relative angle of the main body 10 with respect to the mounting plate 33 (mounting bracket 30) can be adjusted, regardless of the angle of the mounting plate 33 (windshield), the main body 10 can be made parallel to the basic vertical direction, for example, a vertical plane (with respect to the ground). Of course, the angle formed by the basic vertical direction of the main body 10 and the vertical plane with respect to the ground can also be set to an appropriate angle. Therefore, one drive recorder can be mounted on different types of vehicles.

[0036] Furthermore, by firmly fastening the nut member 40, the tooth portions 17 of the main body 10 and the tooth portions 34 of the mounting bracket 30 are firmly engaged with each other and their rotation is reliably prevented. Therefore, even if an impact is applied to the drive recorder due to an accident or the like, the orientation and posture of the main body 10 can be maintained in the basic posture when the drive recorder is attached to the windshield (as long as the mounting plate 33 does not peel off from the windshield) and can be firmly fixed.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, a packing 50 made of an elastic body such as rubber is disposed inside the nut member 40 (on the side of the main body 10). The inner diameter of this packing 50 is set to be substantially the same as or slightly wider than the outer diameter of the male thread 18 of the main body 10, and the outer diameter of the packing 50 is set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the ring portion 31. And the thickness of the packing 50 is made uniform over the entire circumference. In the present embodiment, since the width D of the ring portion 31 is substantially the same as the width D1 of the flat portion (the region where the male thread 18 is not formed) of one end portions 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12, in a state where the ring portion 31 is attached to the one end portions 11a, 12a, the tip of the flat portion of the one end portions 11a, 12a and the end face on the nut member 40 side of the ring portion 31 are substantially in the same plane position. Therefore, one surface of the packing 50 can contact the main body 10 and the ring portion 31 beyond the male thread 18, and the other surface of the packing 50 contacts the inner surface of the nut member 40.

[0038] In addition, when the width D of the ring portion and the lengths D1, D2 of the respective portions of the one end portions 11a, 12a are set such that D1 < D < D2, the packing 50 may be provided with an annular convex portion that fits into the step portion between D and D1 with respect to the ring portion instead of being a ring shape (doughnut shape) with a uniform thickness.

[0039] By additionally disposing the packing 50 in this way, it is possible to prevent loosening due to vibration, prevent unnecessary recording triggered by the vibration of the drive recorder, and more reliably record accident images during impact. Of course, it is not always necessary to provide this packing 50.

[0040] Next, the arrangement structure of each component mounted inside the main body 10 and the external exposure structure of the component will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, on the first case 11 side, a CCD camera 13, a GPS antenna 14, a DC jack 15, and a power supply circuit or the like are mounted. A circular opening 11b is formed at a predetermined position (the position facing the CCD camera 13) of the first case 11, and the CCD camera 13 is exposed to the outside through the opening 11b.

[0041] Also, the GPS antenna 14 is arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction of the main body 10 (a plane (direction) parallel to the joint surface of the first case 11 and the second case 12) so as to face obliquely upward (see FIG. 13 etc.). Thereby, for example, even when the field of view of the CCD camera 13 is set to face obliquely downward when mounted on a truck or the like, good GPS reception sensitivity can be obtained.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, etc., the DC jack 15 is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the main body 10 and is exposed on one end side of the main body 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 1 etc., a window hole 11c is formed at a predetermined position on the end face (side face orthogonal to the axial direction) of one end 11a of the first case 11, and the DC jack 15 is exposed to the outside through the window hole 11c. By attaching a DC plug (not shown) attached to one end of a power cable connected to a cigarette socket, for example, to this DC jack 15, the drive recorder of the present embodiment can be supplied with power from the vehicle battery. In this way, since the power cable is drawn out from the side surface of the main body 10, by attaching the drive recorder beside or near the rearview mirror, the power cable can be hidden behind the rearview mirror, making it aesthetically pleasing.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, etc., locking claws 12c are provided at predetermined positions on the joint surface of the second case 12. On the joint surface of the first case 11, locking recesses are formed at positions corresponding to these locking claws 12c. When the first and second cases 11 and 12 are butted together, the locking claws 12c and the recesses engage with each other to position and prevent displacement (particularly axial movement). Furthermore, small semi-circular protrusions 11d and 12d are formed on the end faces (side faces orthogonal to the axial direction) of one end portions 11a and 12a of the first and second cases 11 and 12. In the state where the first and second cases 11 and 12 are butted together, both protrusions 11d and 12d are butted together to form a small circular protrusion. By fitting an annular retaining member 16 onto these protrusions 11d and 12d, the effect of preventing displacement due to vibration can be further enhanced. Furthermore, when the nut member 40 is fastened, these protrusions 11d and 12d enter into the through hole 42 of the nut member 40 and are exposed to the outside from the axial side faces.

[0044] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10, etc., on the second case 12 side, man-machine interfaces such as a switch section 20, a display section 21, an SD card slot 22, a volume dial 23, etc., and a control circuit are mounted. The control circuit is a circuit for realizing the basic functions of the drive recorder, stores the video captured by the CCD camera 13, and stores data such as the above-mentioned captured video in a non-volatile memory based on a detection signal from an impact detection sensor such as an acceleration sensor (not shown). Also, although not shown, an output device such as a speaker is mounted. From the speaker, for example, an operation sound in the switch section 20 and various messages (guides, warnings, etc.) are notified. The volume dial 23 adjusts the output level of this speaker. Furthermore, on the second case 12 side, an acceleration sensor for detecting a collision or the like and other electronic components and electronic circuits for realizing the functions of the drive recorder are incorporated.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the surfaces of the first case 11 and the second case 12 on the side opposite to the joint surface are flat surfaces 11e and 12e parallel to the joint surface. Therefore, both flat surfaces 11e and 12e are set parallel to each other (see FIG. 12). The CCD camera 13 is exposed to the outside from the flat surface 11e of the first case 11 (the circular opening 11b is formed in this flat surface 11e), and the direction of the field of view of the CCD camera 13 is set to be perpendicular to the flat surface 11e.

[0046] On the other hand, a switch unit 20 and a display unit 21 are arranged on the flat surface 12e of the second case 12. When attaching the drive recorder to the windshield, the first case 11 (CCD camera 13) is installed facing the front of the vehicle, and the second case 12 is installed facing the inside of the vehicle. Therefore, it is difficult for a user such as a driver inside the vehicle to directly check the direction of the CCD camera 13. However, in the present embodiment, since the flat surface 11e of the first case 11 and the flat surface 12e of the second case 12 are set to be parallel, the direction of the flat surface 12e of the second case 12 facing the inside of the vehicle is directly the direction of the flat surface 11e of the first case 11 and thus the direction of the CCD camera 13. Therefore, by looking at the direction of the switch unit 20 and the display unit 21 (the flat surface 12e), the direction of the CCD camera 13 can be estimated, and the direction of the CCD camera 13 can be easily adjusted.

[0047] In addition, the volume dial 23 implemented within the second case 12 is disposed on one end portion 12a side of the second case 12, and a part of the volume dial 23 protrudes to the outside from a vertical slit 12f provided on a small semi-circular convex portion 12d formed on the end face (side face orthogonal to the axial direction) of the one end portion 12a, enabling a rotation operation. Furthermore, the SD card slot 22 is disposed on the side face opposite to the one end portion 12a of the second case 12 (see FIG. 11 etc.). In this way, among the man-machine interfaces, those with a high usage frequency such as the switch portion 20 are arranged on the front surface, and those with a low usage frequency such as the volume dial 23 and the SD card slot 22 are arranged on the side surface, thereby improving the operability. Moreover, since the SD card slot 22 is arranged on the side surface, there are no front glass or roof etc. in the insertion / removal direction of the SD card 60, and the SD card 60 can be easily inserted and removed regardless of the inclination angle of the front glass to which the drive recorder is attached or the orientation of the drive recorder. Moreover, since the SD card slot 22 is arranged on the side face opposite to the mounting bracket 30, the attachment / removal of the SD card 60 to / from the SD card slot 22 is even easier.

[0048] Furthermore, in the form shown in FIG. 1 etc., when viewed from the driver, the SD card slot 22 is located on the right side, and the mounting bracket 30 (DC jack 15, volume dial 23) is located on the left side. And the main body 10 (one end portions 11a, 12a) and the mounting bracket 30 (ring portion 31) can be relatively rotated 360 degrees by loosening the nut member 40. Therefore, when the main body 10 is rotated 180 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 1 etc. to invert the top and bottom, when the drive recorder is attached to the front glass, conversely, when viewed from the driver, the SD card slot 22 is located on the left side, and the mounting bracket 30 (DC jack 15, volume dial 23) is located on the right side. Thus, it can be attached with a left-right inversion and can be compatible with both right-hand and left-hand steering wheels. Furthermore, it is also easy to pre-attach the mounting bracket 30 to a plurality of vehicles and use a single main body by mounting it on these multiple vehicles and changing the mounting position.

Explanation of Symbols

[0049] 10 Main body 13 CCD camera 20 Switch section 22 SD card slot 30 Mounting bracket 31 Ring section 33 Mounting plate 40 Nut section (fixing member)

Claims

1. A first part having a camera in a cylindrical part, A second part located on one side in the axial direction of the cylinder relative to the first part, An attachment member provided in the second part for attachment to a predetermined location, and having, In response to rotation about the axis of the first part, the second part rotates about the axis while the attachment member does not rotate, The second part includes a cylindrical part, The attachment member includes a ring part in which the cylindrical part of the second part is located inside, Concavities and convexities are formed along the circumferential direction in the ring part, having concavities and convexities that match the concavities and convexities at positions facing the concavities and convexities An in-vehicle device.

2. A first part having a camera in a cylindrical part, A second part located on one side in the axial direction of the cylinder relative to the first part, An attachment member provided in the second part for attachment to a predetermined location, and having, In response to rotation about the axis of the first part, the second part rotates about the axis while the attachment member does not rotate, The second part includes a cylindrical part, The attachment member includes a ring part in which the cylindrical part of the second part is located inside, Concavities and convexities are formed along the circumferential direction at positions facing the second part in the ring part An in-vehicle device.

3. The cylindrical part of the second part has an outer diameter smaller than that of the first part The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. having a fixing member capable of rotatably fixing the attachment member to the second part, In response to rotation about the axis of the first part, the second part and the fixing member rotate about the axis while the attachment member does not rotate The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A first part having a camera in a cylindrical part, A second part located on one side in the axial direction of the cylinder relative to the first part, An attachment member provided in the second part for attachment to a predetermined location, and having, In response to rotation about the axis of the first part, the second part rotates about the axis while the attachment member does not rotate, having a fixing member capable of rotatably fixing the attachment member to the second part, In response to rotation about the axis of the first part, the second part and the fixing member rotate about the axis while the attachment member does not rotate The fixing member can be attached to the in-vehicle device with the mounting member provided at the second part. In-vehicle device.

6. The second part includes a cylindrical part having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first part, The mounting member includes a ring part in which the cylindrical part of the second part is located inside. The in-vehicle device according to claim 5.

7. The in-vehicle device according to claim 6, wherein unevenness is formed along the circumferential direction on the ring part.

8. including a first case and a second case that can be divided along the axial direction, The in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 6, and 7, wherein, when viewed from the opening surface side of the ring part, the boundary line between the first case and the second case crosses the opening surface of the ring part.

9. A drive recorder including the in-vehicle device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images