In-vehicle camera unit

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle camera unit with a camera bracket having a high practical utility when integrally installing an on-vehicle camera and a rain sensor.SOLUTION: A camera bracket 4 of an on-vehicle camera unit includes: an on-vehicle camera fitting part where an on-vehicle camera is attached to; a rain sensor fitting part 42 where a rain sensor 6 is attached to; and reinforcement ribs 81, 82 which are erected on a portion in the vicinity of a strength degradation part that is a part of the camera bracket 4. Thereby, the camera bracket 4 with the on-vehicle camera fitting part and the rain sensor fitting part 42 having enough strength is given without largely increasing the weight so that the on-vehicle camera unit with the camera bracket 4 having high practical utility can be realized when integrally installing the on-vehicle camera and the rain sensor 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle camera unit mounted on a vehicle. In particular, the present invention relates to an improvement for integrally arranging a plurality of devices including an in-vehicle camera.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a vehicle is equipped with an in-vehicle camera (e.g., a monocular camera, etc.) for acquiring vehicle front information for realizing a so-called pre-crash safety function, an automatic driving function, etc. Generally, this type of in-vehicle camera is attached around the inner mirror on the inner surface (the surface on the vehicle interior side) of the vehicle's front windshield (hereinafter simply referred to as the front windshield). Specifically, a camera bracket is attached to the in-vehicle camera, and the in-vehicle camera is disposed at a predetermined position on the front windshield by adhering the adhesive seating surface provided on the camera bracket to the inner surface of the front windshield.

[0003] In addition, a rain sensor may be attached to the inner surface of the front windshield in addition to the in-vehicle camera. This rain sensor includes a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, irradiates light from the light-emitting element onto the front windshield, receives the light reflected by the front windshield with the light-receiving element, and detects raindrops on the outer surface of the front windshield based on the received light amount. In the prior art, a rain sensor bracket is attached to the rain sensor, and the rain sensor is disposed at a predetermined position on the front windshield by adhering the adhesive seating surface provided on the rain sensor bracket to the inner surface of the front windshield.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, the inventors of this invention considered integrating multiple devices attached to the inner surface of the windshield as a means of improving the aesthetics of the area around the inner mirror on the windshield. They focused on the fact that by attaching the on-board camera and rain sensor to a common bracket (camera bracket) and integrating them, the aesthetics of the area around the inner mirror on the windshield can be greatly improved, and since the on-board camera and rain sensor can be supported by a single bracket, it can contribute to reducing the number of parts through the commonality of parts.

[0006] When integrating the on-board camera and rain sensor in this way, it is necessary to provide a mounting section for the rain sensor on the camera bracket. In other words, a configuration for mounting the rain sensor is required on the camera bracket, which may reduce the strength of the camera bracket. One way to prevent this reduction in strength is to increase the thickness of the entire camera bracket, but this would lead to a significant increase in the weight of the camera bracket, which is undesirable. Therefore, in realizing a structure that integrates the on-board camera and rain sensor, improvements were needed to obtain sufficient strength in the camera bracket without causing a significant increase in the weight of the camera bracket.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its objective is to provide an in-vehicle camera unit equipped with a highly practical camera bracket for integrating and arranging an in-vehicle camera and a rain sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a solution for achieving the above objective, which comprises an in-vehicle camera unit having an in-vehicle camera, a rain sensor, and a camera bracket equipped with an in-vehicle camera mounting portion to which the in-vehicle camera is attached and a rain sensor mounting portion to which the rain sensor is attached, wherein the camera bracket is attached to a vehicle body side member. In this in-vehicle camera unit, a part of the camera bracket is a part with reduced strength due to the presence of the rain sensor mounting portion, and the camera bracket has reinforcing ribs erected near the part with reduced strength. The rain sensor is provided with a slide spring for supporting the rain sensor from below and assembling the rain sensor to the camera bracket. The slide spring comprises a lower surface portion that supports the rain sensor from below, a pair of left and right side portions extending upward from both outer ends in the vehicle width direction of the lower surface portion, and a pair of left and right hook portions that are bent from the upper end portions of each side portion and engage with the rain sensor mounting portion. An opening for inserting the slide spring is formed in the rain sensor mounting portion. The slide spring insertion opening is formed by inserting the front end of one of the pair of left and right hook portions from the rear side of the vehicle into the slide spring insertion opening, from the lower side to the upper side of the rain sensor mounting portion. The slide spring is provided with an elongated hole extending along the vehicle's longitudinal direction to engage one of the hook portions with the rain sensor mounting portion by sliding it toward the front of the vehicle. The side edge of the rain sensor mounting portion in the vehicle width direction is provided with a locking projection extending along the vehicle's longitudinal direction to engage the front end of the other hook portion of the pair of left and right hook portions from the lower surface side of the rain sensor mounting portion, thereby engaging the other hook portion with the rain sensor mounting portion by sliding the slide spring toward the front of the vehicle. The width dimension of the rear end portion of the slide spring insertion opening in the vehicle width direction is set to be larger than the width dimension of the other parts of the slide spring insertion opening. It is characterized by the following:

[0009] When a camera bracket is equipped with mounting sections for both the on-board camera and the rain sensor in order to integrate the on-board camera and the rain sensor, a portion of the camera bracket may be weakened due to the presence of the rain sensor mounting section. In this solution, reinforcing ribs are erected near this weakened portion. This suppresses the reduction in strength caused by the presence of the weakened portion. In other words, a camera bracket equipped with mounting sections for both the on-board camera and the rain sensor, while maintaining sufficient strength, can be obtained without significantly increasing the weight. As a result, it becomes possible to realize an on-board camera unit equipped with a highly practical camera bracket for integrating the on-board camera and the rain sensor.

[0010] Furthermore, the thickness dimension of the reinforcing rib is set to be greater than the thickness dimension of the parts of the camera bracket other than the reinforcing rib.

[0011] According to this, the rigidity of the reinforcing ribs can be ensured to a high degree, preventing damage to the reinforcing ribs and providing sufficient strength to the camera bracket.

[0012] The in-vehicle camera and the rain sensor are each attached to the lower surface of the camera bracket, and the adhesive seating surface provided on the upper surface of the camera bracket is attached to the vehicle body side member, and the reinforcing rib is erected vertically downward from the lower surface of the camera bracket.

[0013] According to this, the upper side of the camera bracket can be provided with a function for attaching the camera bracket to the vehicle body side member, and the lower side of the camera bracket can be provided with a function for ensuring the strength of the camera bracket, and the presence of reinforcing ribs does not hinder the attachment function to the vehicle body side member.

[0014] The reinforcing rib is set to be L-shaped, so that when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the camera bracket, it conforms to the shape of a part of the outer edge of the rain sensor.

[0015] According to this, it is possible to ensure sufficient strength in the camera bracket while miniaturizing the reinforcing ribs.

[0016] Furthermore, the strength reduction portion is at least one of the following components (I) to (IV).

[0017] (I) When the in-vehicle camera mounting portion and the rain sensor mounting portion each have a mounting surface to which they are attached to the vehicle body side member, the portion adjacent to the boundary between the mounting surface of the in-vehicle camera mounting portion and the mounting surface of the rain sensor mounting portion.

[0018] (II) A portion of the rain sensor mounting area that has been thinned in order to satisfy the requirement that the distance of the rain sensor relative to the vehicle body side member be shorter than the distance of the vehicle camera relative to the vehicle body side member when the vehicle camera and the rain sensor are each mounted on the lower surface of the camera bracket.

[0019] (III) A portion of the camera bracket that is thinned in order to provide space for connecting a connector that is connected to the rain sensor, which is provided in the rain sensor mounting portion.

[0020] (IV) An opening in the rain sensor mounting section for mounting the rain sensor.

[0021] Even when there is such a strength reduction part, by erecting a reinforcing rib near the strength reduction part, the strength of the camera bracket can be increased.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] In the present invention, the camera bracket is provided with a vehicle-mounted camera mounting part to which a vehicle-mounted camera is attached and a rain sensor mounting part to which a rain sensor is attached, and a reinforcing rib is erected near the strength reduction part which is a part of the camera bracket. As a result, it is possible to obtain a camera bracket that has a vehicle-mounted camera mounting part and a rain sensor mounting part and sufficient strength without causing a significant increase in weight. As a result, it becomes possible to realize a vehicle-mounted camera unit provided with a highly practical camera bracket when arranging the vehicle-mounted camera and the rain sensor integrally.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing an inner mirror and a vehicle-mounted camera unit, and is a view seen from below of a state in which these are attached to a windshield. FIG. 1(b) is a view seen from the same direction as FIG. 1(a) of a state in which a vehicle-mounted camera and a rain sensor are attached to a camera bracket. FIG. 1(c) is a view seen from the same direction as FIG. 1(a) of a camera cover. FIG. 1(d) is a view seen from the same direction as FIG. 1(a) for explaining the attachment operation of the rain sensor to the camera bracket. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(a) is a plan view showing a camera bracket and a hood, and FIG. 2(b) is an enlarged plan view showing a rain sensor mounting part in the camera bracket. [Figure 3] FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2, FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 2, FIG. 3(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 2. [Figure 4]A diagram showing a rain sensor mounting portion, where Fig. 4(a) is a plan view of the state where the rain sensor is mounted, Fig. 4(b) is a bottom view of the state where the rain sensor is mounted, Fig. 4(c) is a plan view of the state before the rain sensor is mounted, Fig. 4(d) is a bottom view of the state before the rain sensor is mounted, Fig. 4(e) is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in Fig. 4(a), and Fig. 4(f) is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in Fig. 4(a). [Figure 5] Fig. 5(a) is a perspective view showing the periphery of the right corner of the rear part of the rain sensor in the state where the rain sensor is mounted on the rain sensor mounting portion of the camera bracket, and Fig. 5(b) is an enlarged view of the main part of the rain sensor mounting portion, which is the part surrounded by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 5(a). [Figure 6] Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view showing the periphery of the left corner of the rear part of the rain sensor in the state where the rain sensor is mounted on the rain sensor mounting portion of the camera bracket, and Fig. 6(b) is an enlarged view of the main part of the rain sensor mounting portion, which is the part surrounded by the dashed-dotted line in Fig. 6(a).

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. This embodiment will be described by taking as an example the case where an in-vehicle camera is mounted on the right side in the vehicle width direction and a rain sensor is mounted on the left side in the vehicle width direction in a camera bracket.

[0025] -Schematic Configuration of In-Vehicle Camera Unit- First, let's describe the general configuration of the in-vehicle camera unit. Figure 1(a) is a perspective view showing the in-vehicle camera unit 1 and inner mirror 2, viewed from below with the in-vehicle camera unit 1 and inner mirror 2 attached to the windshield (vehicle body side member) FG. Figure 1(b) shows the resin camera bracket 4, in-vehicle camera 5, and rain sensor 6 housed inside the camera cover 3 that constitutes the in-vehicle camera unit 1, viewed from the same direction as in Figure 1(a) with the in-vehicle camera 5 and rain sensor 6 attached to the camera bracket 4. In these figures, arrow FR indicates the direction of extension of the windshield FG, which extends diagonally downward toward the front of the vehicle. Arrow UP indicates a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension of the windshield FG, and extends diagonally upward toward the front of the vehicle. Arrow RH indicates the right side in the vehicle width direction. For convenience, in the following explanation, the direction indicated by arrow FR will be referred to as the front, and the direction opposite to the direction indicated by arrow FR will be referred to as the rear. Furthermore, the direction indicated by the aforementioned arrow UP will be referred to as "upward," and the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow UP will be referred to as "downward."

[0026] As shown in Figure 1(a), the in-vehicle camera unit 1 is mounted on the windshield FG so as to surround the shaft portion 21 of the inner mirror 2, and the camera bracket 4, the in-vehicle camera 5, and the rain sensor 6 are housed inside the camera cover 3. In other words, the in-vehicle camera 5 and the rain sensor 6 are mounted on a single camera bracket 4, and the upper surface of this camera bracket 4 (the surface facing the windshield FG) is bonded to the windshield FG with adhesive.

[0027] The following describes each component that makes up the in-vehicle camera unit 1.

[0028] (Camera cover) Figure 1(c) is a view of the camera cover 3 from the same direction as in Figure 1(a). As shown in Figure 1(c), the camera cover 3 is a component that enhances the overall design of the in-vehicle camera unit 1 by covering the camera bracket 4, the in-vehicle camera 5, and the rain sensor 6 from below. The camera cover 3 has a roughly flat, rectangular base plate portion 31 and outer peripheral wall portions 32 that rise upward (towards the windshield FG) from each outer edge of the base plate portion 31. A space for housing the camera bracket 4, the in-vehicle camera 5, and the rain sensor 6 is formed inside the outer peripheral wall portion 32. The base plate portion 31 is provided with an opening 33 through which the shaft portion 21 of the inner mirror 2 is inserted. Multiple openings 32b, 32b, ... are arranged in a matrix on the front outer peripheral wall portion 32a located on the front side of the outer peripheral wall portion 32. These openings 32b, 32b, ... serve as windows to introduce air to prevent overheating of the in-vehicle camera 5.

[0029] (Camera bracket) Figure 1(d) is a view from the same direction as Figure 1(a) illustrating the installation of the rain sensor 6 to the camera bracket 4. Figure 2(a) is a plan view (viewed from above) showing the camera bracket 4 and hood 7, and Figure 2(b) is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 on the camera bracket 4. Since both the in-vehicle camera 5 and the rain sensor 6 are attached to the lower surface 4B of the camera bracket 4, adhesive is applied to the upper surface 4A, which is the front surface of the paper in the plan view Figure 2(a), and the camera bracket 4 is bonded to the inner surface of the windshield FG. In Figure 2(a), the areas FA1 and FA2 enclosed by dashed lines are the bonding surfaces to which adhesive is applied and bonded to the inner surface of the windshield FG.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1(b), 1(d), and 2(a), a hood 7 is attached to the front edge of the camera bracket 4. This hood 7 is made of a plate material that is roughly fan-shaped in plan view. In other words, this hood 7 has a right-side inclined edge 71, a left-side inclined edge 72, and a front edge 73 that extends between the front ends of the right-side inclined edge 71 and the left-side inclined edge 72. As shown in Figure 1(b), the hood 7 covers the front upper part of the in-vehicle camera 5, thereby suppressing the direct incidence of disturbing light such as sunlight on the in-vehicle camera 5.

[0031] The camera bracket 4 comprises an on-board camera mounting section 41, to which the on-board camera 5 is attached, and a rain sensor mounting section 42, to which the rain sensor 6 is attached. The on-board camera mounting section 41 is located on the camera bracket 4, extending from the center in the vehicle width direction to the right side in the vehicle width direction, while the rain sensor mounting section 42 is located on the left side in the vehicle width direction of the camera bracket 4. The on-board camera 5 is attached to the underside of the on-board camera mounting section 41, and the rain sensor 6 is attached to the underside of the rain sensor mounting section 42.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2(a), the camera bracket 4 comprises, in a plan view, a first plate portion 43 located on the right side in the vehicle width direction, a second plate portion 44 located on the left side in the vehicle width direction, and a third plate portion 45 extending between the first plate portion 43 and the second plate portion 44.

[0033] The first plate portion 43 is roughly pentagonal in shape, and its outer edge located at the front is a front inclined edge 43a that slopes backward as it approaches the third plate portion 45 (as it approaches the center in the vehicle width direction). The inclination angle of this front inclined edge 43a is roughly the same as the inclination angle of the right inclined edge 71 of the hood 7, and this right inclined edge 71 is supported by the front inclined edge 43a of the first plate portion 43.

[0034] Similarly, the second plate portion 44 is also roughly pentagonal in shape, and its outer edge located at the front is a front inclined edge 44a that slopes backward as it approaches the third plate portion 45 (as it approaches the center in the vehicle width direction). The inclination angle of this front inclined edge 44a is approximately the same as the inclination angle of the left inclined edge 72 of the hood 7, and this left inclined edge 72 is supported by the front inclined edge 44a of the second plate portion 44.

[0035] The third plate section 45 has a dimension in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body that is shorter than the longitudinal length dimension of the first plate section 43 and the second plate section 44, respectively, and connects the central parts of the first plate section 43 and the second plate section 44 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1(b) and 1(d), the vehicle camera mounting portion 41 is formed across the first plate portion 43, the third plate portion 45, and the right-leaning area of ​​the second plate portion 44. The upper surface of the vehicle camera 5 is superimposed on the lower surface of this vehicle camera mounting portion 41 so that the camera lens faces forward, and the vehicle camera 5 is attached to the lower surface 4B of the camera bracket 4. One means of attachment is snap-fitting. In addition to snap-fitting, screw fastening or adhesive may also be used.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1(b) and 1(d), the rain sensor mounting portion 42 is formed in the left-leaning area of ​​the second plate portion 44. The rain sensor mounting portion 42 is provided with a sensing opening 46 for fitting the sensing portion (the part that detects ambient illumination: see Figures 4(a) and 4(f)) 61 of the rain sensor 6. The rain sensor 6 is positioned below the camera bracket 4 so that the sensing portion 61 faces the sensing opening 46, and the rain sensor 6 is attached to the rain sensor mounting portion 42.

[0038] The mounting structure of the rain sensor 6 will now be described. Figure 4 shows the rain sensor mounting portion 42, where Figure 4(a) is a plan view with the rain sensor 6 mounted, Figure 4(b) is a bottom view with the rain sensor 6 mounted, Figure 4(c) is a plan view of the rain sensor 6 before mounting, Figure 4(d) is a bottom view of the rain sensor 6 before mounting, Figure 4(e) is a cross-sectional view along the EE line in Figure 4(a), and Figure 4(f) is a cross-sectional view along the FF line in Figure 4(a). As shown in Figure 2(b), in addition to the sensing opening 46 (sensing opening into which the sensing portion 61 of the rain sensor 6 is fitted) mentioned above, the rain sensor mounting portion 42 has four claw locking openings 47, 47, ..., a projection insertion opening 48, and a slide spring insertion opening 49.

[0039] The claw-locking openings 47, 47, ... are provided in a total of four locations: two in front of the sensing opening 46 and two behind it. These claw-locking openings 47, 47, ... are openings into which each locking claw (not shown) provided on the rain sensor 6 is locked from the lower side of the rain sensor mounting portion 42.

[0040] The projection insertion opening 48 is an opening for inserting the projection 62 (see Figure 4(a)) that protrudes from the upper part of the rain sensor 6.

[0041] The slide spring insertion opening 49 is provided to the right of the sensing opening 46 in the rain sensor mounting portion 42 and is formed as an elongated hole extending in the front-rear direction. This slide spring insertion opening 49 is an opening through which a part of the slide spring 63 (see Figures 1(d), 4(b)(f)) is inserted and locked, which supports the rain sensor 6 from below and assembles the rain sensor 6 to the camera bracket 4.

[0042] The support structure for the rain sensor 6 using this slide spring 63 will now be described. As shown in Figures 1(d) and 4(b)(f), the slide spring 63 has a lower surface portion 63a for supporting the rain sensor 6 from below, and a pair of left and right side portions 63b and 63c extending upward from both outer ends in the vehicle width direction of the lower surface portion 63a. Hereinafter, the side portion located on the right side in the vehicle width direction will be called the right side portion 63b, and the side portion located on the left side in the vehicle width direction will be called the left side portion 63c. In addition, the upper ends of each side portion 63b and 63c are slightly bent inward (inward in the vehicle width direction of the slide spring 63) to form hook portions 63d and 63e. These hook portions 63d and 63e are the parts that are locked to the rain sensor mounting portion 42 of the camera bracket 4. In the following, of these hook portions 63d and 63e, the hook portion located on the right side in the vehicle width direction will be referred to as the right hook portion 63d, and the hook portion located on the left side in the vehicle width direction will be referred to as the left hook portion 63e.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2(b), the slide spring insertion opening 49 comprises a locking portion 49a located on the front side and a slide opening 49b that is continuous with the rear side of the locking portion 49a. Thus, in order to lock the right hook portion 63d of the slide spring 63 to the rain sensor mounting portion 42, as shown in the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 4(f), the tip of the right hook portion 63d (the front tip) is inserted from the lower side to the upper side of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 through the slide opening 49b to the slide spring insertion opening 49, and the slide spring 63 is slid so that the right hook portion 63d moves toward the locking portion 49a, thereby locking the right hook portion 63d to the rain sensor mounting portion 42, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(f). Furthermore, in order to facilitate the insertion of the tip of the right hook portion 63d of the slide spring 63, the width dimension (dimension in the vehicle width direction) of the rear end portion of the slide opening 49b is set to be larger than the width dimension of the other portions (the front portion of the slide opening 49b and the locking portion 49a). Specifically, it is formed as an opening that gradually widens towards the center of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 from the rear.

[0044] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4(f), a locking projection 42a is provided on the left edge of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 in the vehicle width direction, slightly below the position of the upper surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 and protruding to the left in the vehicle width direction. The length dimension (length dimension in the front-rear direction) of this locking projection 42a is approximately the same as the length dimension of the slide spring insertion opening 49. As a result, when locking the left hook portion 63e of the slide spring 63 to the rain sensor mounting portion 42, the tip of the left hook portion 63e (the front tip) is locked to the locking projection 42a from the lower surface to the upper surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42, and the slide spring 63 is slid so that this left hook portion 63e moves forward, so that the left hook portion 63e is locked to the rain sensor mounting portion 42 (locked to the locking projection 42a), as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(f). The operation in which the left hook portion 63e is engaged with the rain sensor mounting portion 42 occurs simultaneously with the operation in which the right hook portion 63d is engaged with the rain sensor mounting portion 42.

[0045] -Challenges in integrating the in-vehicle camera and rain sensor- As described above, by equipping the camera bracket 4 with an on-board camera mounting section 41 and a rain sensor mounting section 42, the on-board camera 5 and the rain sensor 6 are integrated, which makes it possible to improve the aesthetic appearance around the inner mirror 2 on the windshield FG. Furthermore, since the on-board camera 5 and the rain sensor 6 can be supported by a single camera bracket 4, it is possible to reduce the number of parts through the commonality of components.

[0046] However, since a new configuration is required on the camera bracket 4 to attach the rain sensor 6, there is a risk that the strength of the camera bracket 4 may be reduced. The part of the camera bracket 4 that is at risk of having its strength reduced corresponds to the strength-reduced part in this invention. The following describes the problems (reduction in the strength of the camera bracket 4) that result from integrating the in-vehicle camera 5 and the rain sensor 6.

[0047] (I) Issues caused by stress differences The adhesive seating surface on the upper surface of the onboard camera mounting portion 41 (the surface that adheres to the windshield FG) and the adhesive seating surface on the upper surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 of the camera bracket 4 have different required areas for each component. Therefore, when the adhesive seating surfaces of the onboard camera mounting portion 41 and the rain sensor mounting portion 42 are close together, a stress difference occurs due to this difference in area, and for this reason, it is necessary to ensure the strength of the camera bracket 4 in the area around the part where this stress difference occurs (the part with reduced strength). Specifically, the areas FA1 and FA2 enclosed by dashed lines in Figure 2(a) are adhesive seating surfaces. When adhesive seating surfaces FA1 and FA2 are set in each of these areas, the part of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 (within the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 2(a)) that is close to the boundary between adhesive seating surface FA1 and adhesive seating surface FA2, and the part with a dashed line in Figure 2(b), is the part where it is necessary to ensure strength due to the aforementioned stress difference.

[0048] (II) Issues arising from resin materials The in-vehicle camera 5 and the rain sensor 6 have different placement requirements relative to the inner surface of the windshield FG. Specifically, there is a requirement that the distance of the rain sensor 6 relative to the inner surface of the windshield FG be shorter than the distance of the in-vehicle camera 5 relative to the inner surface of the windshield FG. In conventional technology, the rain sensor was attached to the windshield by a rain sensor bracket (a separate component from the camera bracket), so by making the rain sensor bracket out of metal, the rain sensor bracket could be made thinner (while maintaining the strength of the rain sensor bracket), making it possible to shorten the distance of the rain sensor relative to the inner surface of the windshield. However, in this embodiment, when a rain sensor mounting portion 42 is provided on a resin camera bracket 4, there is a concern that simply thinning the rain sensor mounting portion 42 will reduce the strength of the camera bracket 4.

[0049] Figure 3 shows cross-sections of various parts of the camera bracket 4 to satisfy the aforementioned requirements for the distance of the on-board camera 5 to the inner surface of the windshield FG and the distance of the rain sensor 6 to the inner surface of the windshield FG. Figure 3(a) is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 2, Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 2, Figure 3(c) is a cross-sectional view along line CC in Figure 2, and Figure 3(d) is a cross-sectional view along line DD in Figure 2. In these figures, T1 is the distance dimension between the inner surface of the windshield FG and the on-board camera mounting portion 41, which is defined to satisfy the requirement for the distance of the on-board camera 5 to the inner surface of the windshield FG. On the other hand, in these figures, T2 is the distance dimension between the inner surface of the windshield FG and the rain sensor mounting portion 42, which is defined to satisfy the requirement for the distance of the rain sensor 6 to the inner surface of the windshield FG. Thus, in order to make T2 shorter than T1, and to shorten the distance between the sensing part 61 of the rain sensor 6, which is attached to the back side of the rain sensor mounting part 42, and the inner surface of the windshield FG, it is necessary to thin the rain sensor mounting part 42. However, there is a concern that simply thinning the rain sensor mounting part 42 will reduce the strength of the camera bracket 4.

[0050] (III) Issues related to connector connection work As shown in Figure 4(e), a connector for connecting a signal line is connected to the rain sensor 6 (shown by a dashed line in Figure 4(e)). The connection of this connector is performed by an operator, but as mentioned above, since the rain sensor 6 is attached to the lower surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 on the camera bracket 4, a workspace is required for the operator to grasp the connector and connect it to the rain sensor 6. The space enclosed by the dashed line WS in Figure 4(e) is the workspace that must be secured to connect this connector, and the portion CO enclosed by the dashed line is the area where the connector connected to the rain sensor 6 is located. In order to secure the aforementioned workspace WS, it is conceivable to make a part of the lower surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 an inclined surface 42b that slopes upward toward the front, but in this case, there is a concern that the plate thickness dimension of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 in the part where this inclined surface 42b is formed (the part with reduced strength) will become smaller, resulting in a decrease in strength.

[0051] (IV) Issues arising from the presence of an opening in the rain sensor mounting area As mentioned above, the rain sensor mounting portion 42 not only has a sensing opening 46, but also two claw-locking openings 47, 47 located behind the sensing opening 46, and a slide spring insertion opening 49 located to the right of the sensing opening 46. The presence of these openings (parts with reduced strength) 46, 47, and 49 also contributes to a reduction in the strength of the camera bracket 4.

[0052] -Structure of reinforcing ribs- To address the aforementioned issues, in this embodiment, reinforcing ribs 81 and 82 are erected on the lower surface of the camera bracket 4, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The shape of these reinforcing ribs 81 and 82, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the camera bracket 4, is set to an L-shape that follows the shape of a part of the outer edge of the rain sensor 6. The plate thickness of these reinforcing ribs 81 and 82 is set to be larger than the plate thickness of the parts of the camera bracket 4 other than the reinforcing ribs 81 and 82. The plate thickness of these reinforcing ribs 81 and 82 has been designed through experimentation or simulation to ensure the necessary strength of the camera bracket 4 (sufficient strength to support the on-board camera 5 and rain sensor 6, and strength that prevents cracking or other damage due to vibration, etc.). Hereinafter, the reinforcing rib located on the right side in the vehicle width direction will be called the right reinforcing rib 81, and the reinforcing rib located on the left side in the vehicle width direction will be called the left reinforcing rib 82. The following describes these reinforcing ribs 81 and 82.

[0053] Figure 5(a) is a perspective view showing the area around the right corner of the rear of the rain sensor when the rain sensor 6 is attached to the rain sensor mounting portion 42 of the camera bracket 4, and Figure 5(b) is an enlarged view of the main part of the rain sensor mounting portion 42, which is the part enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 5(a).

[0054] As shown in these figures, a right-side reinforcing rib 81 is integrally formed on the lower surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42, projecting downward along the right corner of the rear of the rain sensor. This right-side reinforcing rib 81 comprises a first extension portion 81a that extends in the front-rear direction along the right edge of the rain sensor 6, and a second extension portion 81b that extends from the rear end of the first extension portion 81a toward the left side (towards the center in the width direction of the rain sensor 6).

[0055] The first extension portion 81a protrudes downward from the left edge in the vehicle width direction of the slide spring insertion opening 49 (the central edge in the vehicle width direction of the rain sensor mounting portion 42). The longitudinal length of this first extension portion 81a is approximately the same as the longitudinal length of the slide spring insertion opening 49. A projection 81c is provided on the inner surface of the first extension portion 81a (the side facing the installation position of the rain sensor 6) that protrudes to the left (towards the center in the width direction of the rain sensor 6). This projection 81c is continuous with the lower surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42. A thickened portion 81d is provided on the outer surface of the first extension portion 81a (the side facing the opposite side from the installation position of the rain sensor 6) with a partially increased plate thickness (plate thickness in the horizontal direction). This thickened portion 81d also serves as a guide for guiding the right hook portion 63d of the aforementioned slide spring 63 from the lower side to the upper side of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 (from the upper side to the lower side in Figure 5(b)).

[0056] The second extension portion 81b extends to the left from the rear end of the first extension portion 81a, reaching a position opposite the connector connection portion 64 of the rain sensor 6. A rectangular through-hole 81e is provided at the base end of this second extension portion 81b (near the portion connected to the first extension portion 81a), penetrating in the front-to-back direction. This through-hole 81e was designed through experimentation or simulation to ensure the necessary strength of the camera bracket 4 while minimizing the increase in weight of the camera bracket 4 due to the provision of the right-side reinforcing rib 81.

[0057] The left reinforcing rib 82 has a shape symmetrical to the right reinforcing rib 81. Figure 6(a) is a perspective view showing the area around the left corner of the rear of the rain sensor when the rain sensor 6 is attached to the rain sensor mounting portion 42 of the camera bracket 4, and Figure 6(b) is an enlarged view of the main part of the rain sensor mounting portion 42, which is the part enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 6(a).

[0058] As shown in these figures, a left-side reinforcing rib 82 is integrally formed on the lower surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42, projecting downward along the left corner of the rear of the rain sensor. This left-side reinforcing rib 82 comprises a first extension portion 82a that extends in the front-rear direction along the left edge of the rain sensor 6, and a second extension portion 82b that extends from the rear end of the first extension portion 82a toward the right side (towards the center in the width direction of the rain sensor 6).

[0059] The first extension portion 82a protrudes downward from the lower surface of the locking projection 42a. The length of the first extension portion 82a in the front-rear direction is approximately the same as the length of the locking projection 42a in the front-rear direction. A projection 82c is provided on the inner surface of the first extension portion 82a (the side facing the installation position of the rain sensor 6) that protrudes toward the right (towards the center in the width direction of the rain sensor 6). This projection 82c is continuous with the lower surface of the rain sensor mounting portion 42. A thickened portion 82d is provided on the outer surface of the first extension portion 82a (the side facing away from the installation position of the rain sensor 6) with a partially increased plate thickness (plate thickness in the horizontal direction). This thickened portion 82d also serves as a guide for guiding the left hook portion 63e of the aforementioned slide spring 63 from the lower side to the upper side (from the upper side to the lower side in Figure 6(b)) of the rain sensor mounting portion 42 to engage with the locking projection 42a.

[0060] The second extension portion 82b extends to the right from the rear end of the first extension portion 82a, reaching a position opposite the connector connection portion 64 of the rain sensor 6. A rectangular through-hole 82e, which penetrates in the front-to-back direction, is also provided at the base end of this second extension portion 82b (near the portion connected to the first extension portion 82a). This through-hole 82e was designed through experimentation or simulation to ensure the necessary strength for the camera bracket 4 while minimizing the increase in weight of the camera bracket 4 due to the provision of the left-side reinforcing rib 82.

[0061] -Effects of the embodiment- As described above, in this embodiment, the camera bracket 4 is provided with an on-board camera mounting section 41 to which the on-board camera 5 is attached and a rain sensor mounting section 42 to which the rain sensor 6 is attached, and reinforcing ribs 81 and 82 are erected near the weaker part of the camera bracket 4. This makes it possible to obtain a camera bracket 4 that has the on-board camera mounting section 41 and the rain sensor mounting section 42 and has sufficient strength without significantly increasing the weight. As a result, it is possible to realize an on-board camera unit 1 equipped with a camera bracket 4 that is highly practical for integrating the on-board camera 5 and the rain sensor 6.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper surface 4A of the camera bracket 4 is provided with a function for attaching the camera bracket 4 to the windshield FG, and the lower surface 4B of the camera bracket 4 is provided with a function for ensuring the strength of the camera bracket 4 (a function provided by reinforcing ribs 81 and 82), and the presence of the reinforcing ribs 81 and 82 does not hinder the attachment function to the windshield FG.

[0063] -Other Embodiments- Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and all modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the claims and equivalents thereof.

[0064] For example, in the above embodiment, the case in which the onboard camera 5 is positioned on the right side in the vehicle width direction and the rain sensor 6 is positioned on the left side in the vehicle width direction was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this arrangement of the onboard camera 5 and the rain sensor 6. For example, the rain sensor 6 may be positioned on the right side in the vehicle width direction and the onboard camera 5 may be positioned on the left side in the vehicle width direction. [Industrial applicability]

[0065] The present invention is applicable to an in-vehicle camera unit in which an in-vehicle camera and a rain sensor are mounted on a camera bracket and integrated into one unit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 1…In-vehicle camera unit 4…Camera bracket 4B…Bottom 41... Mounting section for in-vehicle camera 42... Mounting section for rain sensor 46... Opening for sensing 47…Opening for claw locking 48…Opening for projection insertion 49…Opening for slide spring insertion 5…In-car camera 6…Rain sensor 81…Right side reinforcing rib 82…Left side reinforcing rib FG... Windshield (vehicle body side component)

Claims

1. An in-vehicle camera unit comprising an in-vehicle camera, a rain sensor, and a camera bracket having an in-vehicle camera mounting portion to which the in-vehicle camera is attached and a rain sensor mounting portion to which the rain sensor is attached, wherein the camera bracket is attached to a vehicle body side member, A portion of the camera bracket has reduced strength due to the presence of the rain sensor mounting portion. The camera bracket has reinforcing ribs erected near the area where strength is reduced. The rain sensor is provided with a slide spring for supporting it from below and assembling it to the camera bracket, the slide spring comprising a lower surface portion that supports the rain sensor from below, a pair of left and right side portions extending upward from both outer ends in the vehicle width direction of the lower surface portion, and a pair of left and right hook portions that are bent from the upper end portions of each side portion and engage with the rain sensor mounting portion, The rain sensor mounting portion has an opening for inserting a slide spring. The slide spring insertion opening is an elongated hole extending along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, so that the front-facing tip of one of the pair of left and right hook portions is inserted from the rear side of the slide spring insertion opening across the lower and upper sides of the rain sensor mounting portion, and the slide spring is slid forward to engage with the rain sensor mounting portion. The side edge of the rain sensor mounting portion in the vehicle width direction is provided with a locking projection that extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, in order to lock the front-facing tip of the other of the pair of left and right hook portions from the lower surface side of the rain sensor mounting portion, thereby locking the other hook portion to the rain sensor mounting portion by sliding the slide spring toward the front of the vehicle. An in-vehicle camera unit characterized in that the width dimension of the slide spring insertion opening at the rear end of the vehicle, in the direction along the vehicle width, is set to be larger than the width dimension of the other parts of the slide spring insertion opening.

2. In the in-vehicle camera unit according to claim 1, An in-vehicle camera unit characterized in that the plate thickness dimension of the reinforcing rib is set to be larger than the plate thickness dimension of the part of the camera bracket other than the reinforcing rib.

3. In the in-vehicle camera unit according to claim 1 or 2, The in-vehicle camera and the rain sensor are each attached to the lower surface of the camera bracket, and the adhesive seating surface provided on the upper surface of the camera bracket is attached to the vehicle body side member. An in-vehicle camera unit characterized in that the reinforcing ribs are erected vertically from the lower surface of the camera bracket toward the ground.

4. In the in-vehicle camera unit according to claim 1 or 2, The in-vehicle camera unit is characterized in that the reinforcing rib, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the camera bracket, is set to an L-shape that follows the shape of a part of the outer edge of the rain sensor.

5. In the in-vehicle camera unit according to claim 1 or 2, The in-vehicle camera unit is characterized in that the strength reduction portion is at least one of the following components (I) to (IV). (I) When the in-vehicle camera mounting portion and the rain sensor mounting portion each have a mounting surface to which they are attached to the vehicle body side member, the portion adjacent to the boundary between the mounting surface of the in-vehicle camera mounting portion and the mounting surface of the rain sensor mounting portion. (II) A portion of the rain sensor mounting area that has been thinned in order to satisfy the requirement that the distance of the rain sensor relative to the vehicle body side member be shorter than the distance of the vehicle camera relative to the vehicle body side member when the vehicle camera and the rain sensor are each attached to the lower surface of the camera bracket. (III) A portion of the camera bracket that is thinned in order to provide space for connecting a connector that is connected to the rain sensor, which is provided in the rain sensor mounting portion. (IV) An opening in the rain sensor mounting portion for mounting the rain sensor.

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