Vehicle external imaging device

Abstract

To sufficiently take in defroster air while narrowing an opening of a vent hole to effectively prevent the generation of dew condensation and fogging and remove the dew condensation and fogging that have been generated.SOLUTION: A device for photographing the outside of a vehicle is used, which is attached to the inside of a vehicle and photographs the outside of the vehicle through the glass of the vehicle, and the device comprises: a light receiving unit that receives light transmitted through the glass; and a front unit that is provided on a light incident side of the light receiving unit, blocks reflected light reflected on an inner face of the glass and incident on the light receiving unit, and forms an air flow channel between the inner face of the glass and the front unit. The front unit has a curved surface swollen toward the inner face of the glass and an air flow direction at an inflow port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle external imaging device that is mounted inside a vehicle and captures the outside of the vehicle through the glass of the vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a vehicle external imaging device having an in-vehicle camera or the like and provided inside the glass of a vehicle. The vehicle external imaging device can record an image and use it for a drive recorder, or capture information outside the vehicle from the image and use it for vehicle control such as a steering wheel, brakes, an accelerator, and the like. In Patent Document 1, a field-of-view restricting portion is provided in a fan shape around the front of the camera to prevent reflected light on the glass from entering the lens portion. Further, defroster air is taken in from a vent to prevent dew condensation or clouding from occurring on the inner surface of the glass or the lens.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to prevent reflected light on the glass from entering the lens portion, it is necessary to narrow the gap due to the vent. However, if the vent is narrow, it is difficult to sufficiently take in defroster air, and it is difficult to effectively generate or remove dew condensation or clouding. In one embodiment of the present invention, an object is to sufficiently take in defroster air while narrowing the gap of the vent and effectively generate or remove dew condensation or clouding that has occurred.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An external vehicle imaging device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an external vehicle imaging device that is installed inside a vehicle and photographs the outside of the vehicle through the glass of the vehicle, comprising: a light receiving unit that receives light transmitted through the glass; and a front unit provided on the light incident side of the light receiving unit, which shields the reflected light that is reflected by the inner surface of the glass and incident on the light receiving unit, and which forms an airflow channel between itself and the inner surface of the glass, wherein the front unit has a curved surface at its inlet that bulges toward the direction of airflow toward the inner surface of the glass. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] By keeping the gaps in the vents narrow to prevent reflected light from the glass from appearing on the light-receiving area, it is possible to take in sufficient defroster air and effectively prevent condensation and fogging from forming, as well as remove any condensation and fogging that has already occurred. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Side view of a vehicle equipped with an external camera. [Figure 2] Front top view of a vehicle equipped with an external camera. [Figure 3] Underside view of the vehicle's external imaging device. [Figure 4] A top-angle view of a conventional light-shielding component. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a conventional light-shielding member. [Figure 6] A side view of the vicinity of a conventional light-shielding member. [Figure 7] A top oblique view of a light-shielding member in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the light-shielding member in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A side view of the vicinity of the light-shielding member in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A top oblique view of the light-shielding member in modified example 1 of the present invention. [Figure 11] A cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the light-shielding member in a modified example 1 of the present invention. [Figure 12] A cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the light-shielding member in a modified example 2 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] This embodiment describes an external vehicle imaging device that captures images of the area outside the vehicle for use in a driver assistance system. Figure 1 is a side view of vehicle 1 and shows the mounting position of the external vehicle imaging device 2. In Figure 1, the white arrow indicates the front of vehicle 1. The external vehicle imaging device 2 of this embodiment is installed inside the windshield 11, which is the glass of vehicle 1, in front of the rearview mirror 12. From the driver's perspective, the external vehicle imaging device 2 is located behind the rearview mirror 12. The external vehicle imaging device 2 is attached to the windshield 11 at the upper center of the windshield 11. In the top view of Figure 2, the external vehicle imaging device 2 is equipped with cameras 21 behind the two camera front spaces S on the left and right sides in the direction of travel of vehicle 1. In Figure 2, the white arrow also indicates the front. The cameras 21 form light-receiving parts that receive light transmitted through the windshield 11. The top surface of the external vehicle imaging device 2 is shielded from light from the outside by the light-shielding part of the windshield 11, except for the portion of the camera front space S. Camera 21 is located below the light-shielding section and is not shown in Figure 2.

[0009] Figure 3 is a view from below of the vehicle exterior imaging device 2 mounted on the windshield 11 of vehicle 1, with the cover member removed. The white arrow indicates the front. The mounting member 22 of the steel plate has its upper surface, which corresponds to the back side in Figure 3, attached to the windshield 11 by adhesive. Other components of the vehicle exterior imaging device 2 are connected to the mounting member 22. The circuit section 23 is equipped with an ECU such as a recognition device that recognizes the captured image, and is covered by a cover for the circuit section. Two cameras 21 are connected to the circuit section 23. In front of each camera 21, a light-shielding member 25 is provided in the conventional example, and a light-shielding member 26 is provided in the embodiment. When viewed from below, the light-shielding members are almost the same in both the conventional example and the embodiment, so the light-shielding members 25 and 26 are shown together in Figure 3. The light-shielding members 25 and 26 are provided facing the inner surface of the windshield 11 and are located below the cameras 21 to block light from inside the vehicle. There is a gap G between the camera 21 and the light-shielding members 25 and 26, and airflow flows downward from the top of the light-shielding members 25 and 26 through the gap G. The vehicle exterior imaging device 2 is installed inside the vehicle 1 and uses the camera 21 to photograph the outside of the vehicle through the glass of the vehicle 1.

[0010] Figure 4 is a view of a conventional light-shielding member 25 from an oblique angle above. The white arrow indicates the front. Figure 4 is a view from the side of the windshield 11 and corresponds to the front view of the light-shielding member 25 in Figure 3. The width of the light-shielding member 25 gradually narrows laterally from the middle of the front-to-back direction toward the rear. Side plates 252 rise from the sides of the flat bottom plate 251. The side plates 252 are provided in three directions, excluding the front of the bottom plate 251. At the rear of the light-shielding member 25, the bottom plate 251 and the side plates 252 are cut out, forming a notch 253.

[0011] Figure 5 shows a conventional light-shielding member 25 cut vertically along the dotted line V in Figure 4, and a cross-sectional view of its vicinity. A space S in front of the camera is formed between the windshield 11 and the bottom plate 251. The space S in front of the camera is tapered in cross-section, being thinner at the front and thicker at the rear. At the front end of the bottom plate 251, there is an opening between the windshield 11 and the bottom plate 251, which serves as an inlet I for taking in defroster air D. The defroster air D1 that enters the space S in front of the camera flows outward through the gap G1 formed between the light-shielding member 25 and the camera 21.

[0012] Figure 6 shows a side view of the light-shielding member 25 in a conventional example. In Figure 6, the vehicle external camera 2 is attached to the vehicle 1, and a cross-section of the windshield 11 near the vehicle external camera 2 is also shown. The white arrow indicates the front. There is a gap G2 between the side plate 252 of the light-shielding member 25 and the windshield 11. Air flows outwards from the camera front space S inside the light-shielding member 25, along the inner surface of the windshield 11. The camera 21 is located behind the light-shielding member 25 in the notch 253 shown in Figure 4. The notch 253 and the camera 21 are not in close contact, and a gap G1 shown in Figure 3 is provided between them. Air also flows downwards and backwards from the inside of the light-shielding member 25 through the gap G1.

[0013] In Figure 5, light L1 from inside the vehicle 1 is blocked by the bottom plate 251 of the light-shielding member 25 and a cover member (not shown), and does not reach the space S in front of the camera, and does not enter the camera 21 as reflected light from the windshield 11. On the other hand, light L2 at a shallow angle passes through the inlet I and reaches the space S in front of the camera, and enters the lens of the camera 21. For this reason, the gap between the windshield 11 and the bottom plate 251 at the inlet I cannot be made large. However, if the gap is narrow, the defroster wind D, shown by the black arrow in Figure 5, has difficulty entering the space S in front of the camera, and most of it becomes the defroster wind D2 below the bottom plate 251. As a result, there is little defroster wind D1 in the space S in front of the camera between the bottom plate 251 and the windshield 11, making it difficult to remove condensation and fogging from the inside of the windshield 11 and the camera lens.

[0014] Fig. 7 shows a view of the light-shielding member 26 in the embodiment of the present invention as seen obliquely from above. The white arrow indicates the front. Fig. 7 is a view seen from the side of the windshield 11 and corresponds to the front side view of the light-shielding member 26 in Fig. 3. The lateral width of the light-shielding member 26 gradually narrows horizontally from the middle in the front-rear direction toward the rear. Also, side plates 262 rise from the sides of the bottom plate 261. The side plates 262 are provided in three directions excluding the front of the bottom plate 261. And behind the light-shielding member 26, the bottom plate 261 and the side plates 262 are cut out, forming a notch portion 263. Different from the light-shielding member 25 of the conventional example, the bottom plate 261 of the light-shielding member 26 has a curved surface with an upward bulge on the surface facing the windshield 11 of the front portion 264.

[0015] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the light-shielding member 26 in the embodiment of the present invention and its vicinity, longitudinally cut along the dotted line V in Fig. 7. A pre-camera space S is formed between the windshield 11 and the bottom plate 261. The pre-camera space S is a substantially wedge-shaped space. The bottom plate 261 has a curved surface with an upward bulge on the upper surface of the front portion 264 located in the front. As shown in Fig. 8, the front portion 264 is located beside the air flow of the defroster air D in the light-shielding member 26 and consists of a front curved surface 264a, which is in front of the portion closest to the windshield 11, and a rear curved surface 264b. There is a gap between the windshield 11 and the front portion 264, forming an air flow path C for taking in the defroster air D. The defroster air D1 that enters the pre-camera space S flows outward through a gap G1 formed between the light-shielding member 26 and the camera 21. Also, the longitudinal section of the tip surface 264c, which is the tip of the front portion 264a of the bottom plate 261, is a curved surface that bulges forward along the surface of the windshield 11. Thus, the bottom plate 261 has a cross-sectional shape similar to that of an airplane wing. And the vehicle external photographing device 2 having the light-shielding member 26 is mounted inside the vehicle 1 and photographs the outside of the vehicle through the glass of the vehicle 1.

[0016] Fig. 9 shows the side surface of the light-shielding member 26 in an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 9, the vehicle external imaging device 2 is attached to the vehicle 1, and the windshield 11 near the vehicle external imaging device 2 is also shown. The white arrow indicates the front direction. There is a gap between the side plate 262 of the light-shielding member 26 and the windshield 11, which is the gap G2. An air current flows from the inside to the side of the light-shielding member 26 through the gap G2. Further, the camera 21 is located in the notch 263 shown in Fig. 7 behind the light-shielding member 26. The notch 263 and the camera 21 are not in close contact, and a gap G1 shown in Fig. 3 is provided therebetween. An air current also flows from the inside of the light-shielding member 26 to the rear and downward through the gap G1.

[0017] In Fig. 8, the light L1 from the interior of the vehicle 1 is blocked by the bottom plate 261 of the light-shielding member 26 and a cover member not shown and does not reach the space S in front of the camera, and does not enter the camera 21 as reflected light on the windshield 11. On the other hand, the light L2 at a shallow angle reaches the air duct C after being reflected by the windshield 11, but is blocked by the curved surface of the front portion 264b and does not reach the space S in front of the camera, and does not enter the lens of the camera 21. Thus, the light-shielding member 26 can have high light-shielding properties due to the shape of the bottom plate 261 without making the air duct C too narrow. Further, due to the shape between the windshield 11 and the front portion 264a, the pressure at the inlet of the air duct C can be increased, and a large amount of defroster air D indicated by the black arrow can be introduced into the space S in front of the camera through the air duct C. Further, the shape of the tip surface 264c of the bottom plate 261 is a curved surface bulging forward along the surface of the windshield 11. Then, a high-pressure portion is generated by the defroster air D colliding with the tip surface 264c, and since an air current flows along the front portion 264 of the bottom plate 261 above the high-pressure portion, an even larger amount of defroster air D1 can be introduced into the space S in front of the camera. Note that below the high-pressure portion, the defroster air D2 flows along the lower surface of the bottom plate 261.

[0018] The front portion 264 is provided on the light incidence side of the camera 21 and shields the reflected light that is reflected off the inner surface of the windshield 11 and incident on the camera 21, while also forming an airflow channel C between itself and the inner surface of the windshield 11. The front portion 264a has a spherical surface that bulges toward the inner surface of the windshield 11 at the inlet I, and a curved surface that bulges toward the direction of the defroster airflow D.

[0019] <Example 1> In Modification 1, a slat channel Cp, which is a separate airflow channel from the airflow channel C, is provided in the bottom plate 261 of the embodiment. Figure 10 shows a view of the light-shielding member 27 in Modification 1 from diagonally above. The white arrow indicates the front. Figure 10 is a view from the side of the windshield 11. The light-shielding member 27 gradually narrows laterally from the middle of the front-to-back direction toward the rear. Side plates 272 rise from the sides of the bottom plate 271. Side plates 272 are provided in three directions, excluding the front of the bottom plate 271. At the rear of the light-shielding member 27, the bottom plate 271 and the side plates 272 are cut out, forming a notch 273. Similar to the light-shielding member 26, the bottom plate 271 of the light-shielding member 27 has a curved surface with the upper surface of the front portion 274 bulging upwards. Furthermore, the front section 274 has gaps between the slat flow channels Cp, and the area in front of the slat flow channels Cp is the slat 275.

[0020] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the light-shielding member 27, including a cross-section of the light-shielding member 27 in an embodiment of the present invention, which is cut vertically along the dotted line V in Figure 10. A space S in front of the camera is formed between the windshield 11 and the bottom plate 271. The space S in front of the camera is a roughly wedge-shaped space. The bottom plate 271 has a curved surface where the upper surface of the front portion 274 located at the front is curved upwards. There is an open space between the windshield 11 and the front portion 274, which serves as an airflow channel C for taking in defroster air D. The defroster air D1 that enters the space S in front of the camera flows outwards through the gap G1 formed between the light-shielding member 27 and the camera 21, and the gap G2 formed between the windshield 11 and the side plate 272. The front portion 274 consists of a front portion 274a, which is the curved surface in front of the part closest to the windshield 11, and a front portion 274b, which is the curved surface at the rear. Furthermore, the longitudinal cross-section of the front surface 274c, which is the tip of the front portion 274a of the bottom plate 271, is a curved surface that bulges forward along the surface of the windshield 11. Thus, the bottom plate 271 has a cross-sectional shape similar to that of an airplane wing. In addition, the bottom plate 271 has a slat channel Cp formed therein that is angled forward. The front of the slat channel Cp is a slat 275.

[0021] In Figure 11, as in Figure 8, light L1 from inside the vehicle 1 is blocked by the bottom plate 271 of the light-shielding member 27 and does not reach the space S in front of the camera, and does not enter the camera 21 as reflected light from the windshield 11. On the other hand, light L2 at a shallow angle is reflected by the windshield 11 and reaches the airflow channel C, but is blocked by the curved surface of the front part 274b and does not reach the space S in front of the camera, and does not enter the camera 21. In this way, the shape of the bottom plate 271 of the light-shielding member 27 allows for high light-shielding performance without significantly narrowing the airflow channel C. Also, the shape between the windshield 11 and the front part 274a allows for high pressure at the inlet of the airflow channel C, and the defroster air D, indicated by the black arrow, can be introduced into the space S in front of the camera via the airflow channel C. Furthermore, the shape of the front surface 274c of the bottom plate 271 is a curved surface that bulges forward along the surface of the windshield 11. Furthermore, the defroster airflow D that collides with the front surface 274c generates a high-pressure area, and as the airflow flows along the front section 274, even more defroster airflow D1 can be introduced into the space S in front of the camera.

[0022] Furthermore, in the modified example 1, the front of the bottom plate 271 is a slat 275, and the rear is the bottom plate body 276. A slat flow path Cp is formed between the lower surface of the slat 275 and the upper surface of the bottom plate body 276, which is a gap extending from the lower front to the upper rear of the slat 275. The lower surface of the slat 275 forming the slat flow path Cp curves in the same direction from the bulging curved surface of the tip surface 274c, and then curves in the opposite direction to reach the rear end of the slat 275. The upper surface of the bottom plate body 276 is a curved surface that is roughly in line with the surface of the windshield 11 near the front end, and curves toward the windshield 11 as it goes towards the rear. Then it curves in the opposite direction midway, forming an S shape. The slat flow path Cp, which is the gap sandwiched between the slat 275 and the bottom plate body 276, is curved in a roughly S shape when viewed in lateral cross-section, and light from inside the vehicle does not reach the space S in front of the camera through the slat flow path Cp. On the other hand, the defroster airflow D that collides with the tip surface 274c generates a high-pressure section and splits into upper and lower portions. The upper defroster airflow D1 reaches the space in front of the camera S via the airflow channel C, while a portion of the lower defroster airflow Dp reaches the space in front of the camera S via the slat channel Cp. In the space in front of the camera S, the defroster airflow D1 and Dp combine to form defroster airflow D1p. Thus, the presence of the slat 275 allows for the delivery of a larger amount of defroster airflow D1p to the space in front of the camera S than in the previously described embodiment, while maintaining the light-shielding properties of the bottom plate 271.

[0023] The front portion 274 is provided on the light incidence side of the camera 21 and shields the reflected light that is reflected off the inner surface of the windshield 11 and incident on the camera 21, while also forming an airflow channel C between it and the inner surface of the windshield 11. The slat 275 having the front portion 274 also forms a slat channel Cp between it and the bottom plate body 276. The front portion 274a has a curved surface that bulges toward the inner surface of the windshield 11 at the inlet I, and a curved surface that bulges toward the direction of the defroster airflow D.

[0024] <Modification 2> In Modification 2, the front of the bottom plate 281 of the embodiment is a cover member 24. Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the light-shielding member 28 in Modification 2. A camera front space S is formed between the windshield 11 and the bottom plate 281. The camera front space S is a roughly wedge-shaped space. The cover member 24 has a curved surface on the upper surface of the front portion 241 located at the front, which bulges upward. There is an open space between the windshield 11 and the front portion 241, which serves as an airflow channel C for taking in defroster air D. The defroster air D1 that enters the camera front space S flows outward through the gap G1 formed between the light-shielding member 28 and the camera 21, and the gap G2 formed between the windshield 11 and the side plate (not shown). The front portion 241 consists of a front portion 241a, which is the curved surface in front of the part closest to the windshield 11, and a front portion 241b, which is the curved surface at the rear. Furthermore, the longitudinal cross-section of the front end surface 241c, which is the tip of the front portion 241a of the cover member 24, is a curved surface that bulges forward along the surface of the windshield 11.

[0025] In Figure 12, light L1 from inside the vehicle 1 is blocked by the cover member 24 and the bottom plate 281 and does not reach the space S in front of the camera, and does not enter the camera 21 as reflected light from the windshield 11. On the other hand, light L2 at a shallow angle is reflected by the windshield 11 and reaches the airflow channel C, but is blocked by the curved surface of the front portion 241b of the cover member 24 and does not reach the space S in front of the camera, and does not enter the camera 21. In this way, the cover member 24 can provide high light shielding without making the airflow channel C too narrow. Also, the shape between the windshield 11 and the front portion 241 allows the pressure at the entrance of the airflow channel C to be increased, and the defroster air D, indicated by the black arrow, can be introduced into the space S in front of the camera via the airflow channel C. Furthermore, the shape of the tip surface 241c is a curved surface that bulges forward along the surface of the windshield 11. Furthermore, the defroster airflow D that collides with the tip surface 241c generates a high-pressure area, and above the high-pressure area, airflow flows along the front portion 241 of the cover member 24, thereby allowing even more defroster airflow D1 to be introduced into the space S in front of the camera. Below the high-pressure area, defroster airflow D2 flows along the lower surface of the cover member 24.

[0026] The front portion 241 is provided on the light incidence side of the camera 21 and shields the reflected light that is reflected off the inner surface of the windshield 11 and incident on the camera 21, while also forming an airflow channel C between itself and the inner surface of the windshield 11. The front portion 241a has a spherical surface that bulges toward the inner surface of the windshield 11 at the inlet I, and a curved surface that bulges toward the direction of the defroster airflow D.

[0027] In this embodiment, the light-shielding member 26 is formed from a single component, but it may be formed from multiple components, such as by combining the front portion 264 as a separate component. The same applies to the modified example. Furthermore, in the embodiment and modified example, a vehicle external imaging device used in a driver assistance system to capture images of the area outside the vehicle has been described. However, it may also be used as a vehicle external imaging device for other devices such as a drive recorder. Moreover, it may be used not only as a device mounted on the inside of the windshield, but also as a device mounted on the inside of other glass. The curved front portion may be positioned on the side of the airflow of a mounting member, such as a blanket, that supports a light-receiving unit such as a camera and attaches to the glass or a member that fixes the glass.

[0028] Furthermore, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. In addition, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purpose and configuration. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 1 vehicle 11 Windshield 12 Rearview mirror 2. Vehicle external imaging device 21 Cameras 22 Mounting components 23 Circuit section 24 Cover component 241 Front section 241a Anterior part 241b Front part 241c Tip surface 25 Shading member 251 Bottom panel 252 Side panel 253 Notch 26 Shading member 261 Bottom panel 262 Side panel 263 Notch 264 Front part 264a Front part 264b Front part 264c Tip surface 27 Shading member [[ID=Y7]]271 Bottom panel 272 Side panel 273 Notch 274 Front part 274a Front part 274b Front part 274c Tip surface 275 Slat 276 Bottom panel body 28 Shading member 281 Bottom panel S Camera front space I Inlet C Air supply flow path Cp Slat flow path D Defroster air D1 Defroster air D1p Defroster air D2 Defroster air Dp Defroster air [[ID=Y8]] G1 Gap G2 Gap

Claims

1. An external vehicle camera that is installed inside a vehicle and photographs the outside of the vehicle through the vehicle's glass, A light-receiving unit that receives light transmitted through the glass, The light receiving portion is provided on the light incident side and includes a front portion that shields the reflected light that is reflected by the inner surface of the glass and incident on the light receiving portion, and also forms an airflow channel between itself and the inner surface of the glass, The vehicle exterior imaging device is characterized in that the front portion has a continuous curved surface that bulges toward the inner surface of the glass, comprising a curved surface that gradually moves away from the glass as it moves away from the glass at the rear of the portion closest to the glass, and a curved surface at the inlet that gradually moves away from the glass as it moves away from the portion closest to the glass, and the longitudinal cross-section of the tip surface, which is the tip of the front portion, has a curved surface that bulges forward along the surface of the glass.

2. The vehicle exterior imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front portion is located on the side of the airflow of a light-shielding member provided opposite to the inner surface of the glass on the light-incident side of the light-receiving portion.

3. The vehicle external imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front portion is located on the side of the airflow of the mounting member that supports the light receiving portion and attaches to the glass or the member that fixes the glass.

4. The vehicle external imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front portion is located on the side of the airflow of the cover member covering the light-receiving portion.

5. The vehicle exterior imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the front portion has an airflow channel separate from the one between it and the inner surface of the glass.

6. The vehicle external imaging device according to claim 5, characterized in that the other airflow channel is substantially S-shaped when viewed from a lateral cross-section.

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