Cleaning device

Abstract

This cleaning device comprises: a cylinder that includes a discharge hole; and a piston disposed in the cylinder. The piston is rotatably supported by a rod via a lock shaft. The cleaning device has a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism includes a lock part formed at the tip of the lock shaft. The lock part connects the piston and the rod in a state in which the piston is disposed at a connection position. The lock mechanism is configured such that the connection between the piston and the rod by means of the lock part is released by the piston being rotated around the lock shaft and being moved from the connection position to a release position.

Description

Cleaning equipment

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning device in which air or cleaning liquid is discharged from a discharge hole in a cylinder.

[0002] Conventionally, cleaning devices have been proposed in which a driving force from a drive unit using a motor or the like as a drive source is transmitted to a piston via a rod, and the piston is caused to reciprocate within a cylinder, thereby discharging air and cleaning liquid from a discharge hole in the cylinder (for example, JP 2018-095255 A, JP 2018-053877 A, and JP 2017-101653 A).

[0003] However, with repeated use of such a cleaning device, dirt accumulates on the tip of the piston and the piston seal wears out. This requires maintenance such as cleaning and replacement, but maintenance is not easy if the piston and rod cannot be released from their connection. In some cases, the entire cleaning device may need to be replaced. The above-mentioned patent documents do not take this into consideration, leaving room for improvement.

[0004] The present disclosure provides a cleaning device that allows easy maintenance of the piston.

[0005] The cleaning device of the first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a cylinder having a drain hole, a piston disposed within the cylinder, a rod that rotatably supports the piston via a lock shaft extending from the piston, a drive unit that transmits reciprocating motion to the piston via the rod, and a locking mechanism that is formed at the tip of the rod or the lock shaft and that has a locking unit that connects the piston to the rod when the piston is disposed in a connected position, and that releases the connection between the piston and the rod by the locking unit when the piston is rotated around the locking shaft and moved from the connected position to a released position.

[0006] In the cleaning device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the driving force transmitted from the drive unit is transmitted to the piston via the rod. The piston reciprocates within the cylinder, thereby discharging air and cleaning liquid from a discharge hole provided in the cylinder.

[0007] Here, the rod rotatably supports the piston via a lock shaft extending from the piston. The connection between the rod and the piston can be released via a lock mechanism. This lock mechanism has a lock portion formed at the tip of the rod or the lock shaft, and the lock portion connects the piston and the rod when the piston is located in the connected position. The lock mechanism is configured to release the connection between the piston and the rod by the lock portion when the piston is rotated around the lock shaft and moved from the connected position to the released position.

[0008] By providing the locking mechanism, the connection between the piston and the rod can be released simply by rotating the piston around the locking shaft, which allows the piston to be easily removed from the cleaning device, facilitating piston maintenance.

[0009] In the second type of cleaning device of the present disclosure, in the configuration described in the first aspect, the locking portion is provided on one of the rod or the locking shaft so as to protrude from the tip, and a locking hole through which the locking portion can pass is formed on the other of the rod or the locking shaft, and the locking mechanism connects the piston and the rod in the connected position by the locking portion engaging with the peripheral portion of the locking hole, and in the released position by the locking portion being able to pass through the locking hole, releases the connection between the piston and the rod.

[0010] In a cleaning device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a locking portion is provided at the tip of one of the rod or the locking shaft, and a locking hole through which the locking portion can pass is formed on the other. The locking portion of the locking mechanism protrudes from the tip of the rod or the locking shaft. When the piston is in the coupled position, the locking portion engages with the periphery of the locking hole, thereby connecting the piston and the rod. When the piston is in the released position, the locking portion is allowed to pass through the locking hole, thereby releasing the connection between the piston and the rod. In this way, by rotating the piston around the locking shaft, the locking portion can be inserted into the locking hole, and the connection between the piston and the rod can be easily released. This avoids a complex structure and an increase in the number of parts, making the device easy to manufacture.

[0011] A cleaning device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the configuration according to the second aspect, wherein the lock hole is formed in an elongated shape along the extending direction of the rod.

[0012] In the cleaning device of the third aspect of the present disclosure, the locking hole is elongated along the extension direction of the rod. Therefore, by making the locking portion elongated to correspond to the shape of the locking hole, the locking portion can be easily engaged with the periphery of the locking hole at the coupling position and can easily pass through the locking hole at the release position. This configuration does not complicate the structure or increase the number of parts, making it easy to manufacture.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a cleaning device according to the third aspect, wherein the lock hole has a shape that tapers in a direction in which the piston is retracted.

[0014] In the cleaning device of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the lock hole has a shape tapered toward the retraction direction of the piston. Here, when the rod moves in the direction pushing out the piston, the lock shaft inserted into the lock hole moves relatively toward the retraction direction of the piston. At this time, the lock hole has a shape tapered toward the retraction direction of the piston, and the hole width narrows along the retraction direction. Therefore, the relative movement of the lock shaft within the lock hole is limited at a position where the diameter of the lock shaft is equal to or smaller than the hole width of the lock hole. The piston then moves along with the rod moving in the push direction. By making the lock hole shape tapered toward the retraction direction of the piston, the piston can reciprocate at the piston's connected position. This configuration can efficiently transmit the driving force acting in the piston's push direction, improving operating efficiency.

[0015] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure provides a cleaning device according to the third aspect, wherein the lock hole has a circular hole shape that is elongated along the extension direction of the rod.

[0016] In the cleaning device of the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the lock hole has a tapered shape in the retraction direction of the piston and a round hole shape formed elongated along the extension direction of the rod. By forming the lock hole in a round hole shape, it is easy to machine the rod, further facilitating manufacturing. In addition, the inner surface of the lock hole has a smoothly curved surface, which allows for smooth rotation of the piston (lock shaft).

[0017] A cleaning device of a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is configured as described in any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the rod has a length such that the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder when the piston is positioned at top dead center and rotated to the release position.

[0018] In the cleaning device of the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the length of the rod is set so that the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder when the piston is positioned at top dead center and rotated to the release position. This makes it possible to set the length of the cylinder assuming that the connection between the piston and the rod will be released when the piston is positioned at top dead center, i.e., when the piston is pushed furthest toward the discharge hole of the cylinder. This allows the cylinder to be shortened in the axial direction, thereby enabling the cleaning device to be made more compact.

[0019] A cleaning device of a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is configured as described in any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the rod has a length such that the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder when the piston is positioned at bottom dead center and rotated to the release position.

[0020] In the cleaning device of the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the length of the rod is set so that the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder when the piston is located at bottom dead center and rotated to the release position. This makes it possible to set the length of the cylinder assuming that the piston and the rod will be released from the connection when the piston is located at bottom dead center, i.e., when the piston is fully retracted toward the base end of the cylinder. This eliminates the need to control the piston's stopping position in consideration of maintenance, simplifying the control design of the cleaning device.

[0021] The cleaning device of the eighth aspect of the present disclosure is configured as described in any one of the first to fifth aspects and includes a control unit that controls the operation of the drive unit, and the control unit controls the stopping of the reciprocating motion and stops the piston at a position where the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder when the piston is rotated to the release position.

[0022] The cleaning device of an eighth aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit that controls the operation of the drive unit. The control unit controls the stopping of the reciprocating motion of the piston so that, when the piston is rotated to the release position, the piston stops at a position where its end does not protrude beyond the base end position of the cylinder. This stops the piston at a position where its end does not protrude beyond the base end position of the cylinder, making it possible to rotate the piston from the coupled position to the released position, thereby facilitating the piston release operation during maintenance.

[0023] A cleaning device of a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is configured as described in the eighth aspect, wherein the drive unit is equipped with a motor as a drive source, and the control unit has a detection unit that detects an output current for driving the motor, a position identification unit that identifies the position of the piston based on the detected value of the output current, and a stop unit that stops the piston at a position where the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder when the piston is rotated to the release position based on the identified position of the piston.

[0024] In a cleaning device according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, the drive unit includes a motor as a drive source. The control unit detects an output current for driving the motor and identifies the position of the piston based on the detected value of the output current. The control unit can then control the stopping of the piston so that the piston stops at a position where the end of the piston does not protrude beyond the base end position of the cylinder when the piston is rotated to the release position. In this configuration, by setting a threshold value in advance for the output current for driving the motor, the stopping of the piston can be controlled relatively easily. This simplifies the control design of the cleaning device.

[0025] A cleaning device of a tenth aspect of the present disclosure has a configuration described in any one of the first to ninth aspects, and is provided with a case in which the drive unit is housed, and the cylinder can be removed from the case by rotating the cylinder around its axis from an engagement position to a removal position relative to the case.

[0026] In a cleaning device according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a cylinder is attached to a case that houses a drive unit. The cylinder can be removed from the case by rotating the cylinder about its axis from a locking position to a removal position relative to the case. This allows the cylinder attached to the case to be removed by rotation, just like the piston, making maintenance of the piston even easier.

[0027] The cleaning device of an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is configured as described in any one of the first to tenth aspects, and includes a tube connected to the discharge hole and a nozzle connected to the tip of the tube, the nozzle being mounted on a vehicle and positioned toward an optical system for monitoring the area around the vehicle.

[0028] In a cleaning device according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, the air and cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning device are discharged onto the object to be cleaned through a tube connected to a discharge hole in the cylinder and a nozzle connected to the tip of the tube. In this aspect, the nozzle of the cleaning device is positioned toward an optical system installed on a vehicle for monitoring the vehicle's surroundings. This allows the cleaning device to clean dirt adhering to optical systems such as cameras and mirrors installed for monitoring the vehicle's surroundings, and regular piston maintenance enables long-term use. This facilitates implementation in vehicle systems such as autonomous driving systems and unmanned monitoring systems.

[0029] A cleaning device of a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is configured as described in any one of the first to tenth aspects, and includes a tube connected to the discharge hole and a nozzle connected to the tip of the tube, the nozzle being positioned toward a sensor mounted on the vehicle to monitor the area around the vehicle.

[0030] In a cleaning device according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, the air and cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning device are discharged onto the object to be cleaned through a tube connected to the discharge hole of the cylinder and a nozzle connected to the tip of the tube. In this aspect, the nozzle of the cleaning device is positioned toward a sensor mounted on the vehicle to monitor the vehicle's surroundings. This allows the cleaning device to clean dirt adhering to sensors such as cameras, radars, and lidars installed to monitor the vehicle's surroundings, and regular piston maintenance enables long-term use. This facilitates installation in vehicle systems such as autonomous driving systems and unmanned monitoring systems.

[0031] As described above, in the cleaning device according to each of the above aspects, maintenance of the piston can be facilitated.

[0032] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from the front left; FIG. 2 is a top view of the interior of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from above; FIG. 3 is a top view of the interior of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from the rear left; FIG. 4 is a view of a piston and a rod of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from the rear left; FIG. 5 is a view of a piston and a rod of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from the rear left; FIG. 6 is a top view of the interior of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from above, showing the piston at its top dead center; FIG. 7 is a top view of the interior of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from above, showing the first stage of the piston being moved rearward; FIG. 8 is a top view of the interior of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from above, showing the piston at its bottom dead center; FIG. 9 is a top view of the interior of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from above, showing the piston at its bottom dead center; FIG. 1 is a top view showing the interior of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a second stage in which the piston is moved forward; FIG. 2 is a side view from the left showing a cylinder of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the cylinder attached to a case of the cleaning device; FIG. 3 is a side view from the left showing a cylinder of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the cylinder rotated about its axis and removed from the case of the cleaning device; FIG. 4 is a top view from above showing a coupled state of a piston and a rod of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the piston in a coupled position and the coupled state of the piston and the rod; FIG. 5 is a top view from above showing a coupled state of a piston and a rod of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the piston in a released position and the state in which the piston and the rod can be released from the coupling; FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a control unit of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control unit of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a stop process executed by a control unit of the cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cleaning apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the front left. Fig. 2A shows a top view of the interior of the cleaning apparatus 10, viewed from above, and Fig. 2B shows a perspective view of the interior of the cleaning apparatus 10, viewed from the rear left. In the drawings, the front of the cleaning apparatus 10 is indicated by an arrow FR, the right of the cleaning apparatus 10 is indicated by an arrow RH, and the top of the cleaning apparatus 10 is indicated by an arrow UP.

[0034] The cleaning device 10 according to this embodiment is installed, for example, in a vehicle (automobile), and the cleaning device 10 sprays air discharged (pressurized) from the discharge hole 24B described below through a tube 42 and from a nozzle 46 at the tip of the tube 42 onto optical systems such as the lens and mirror of a camera mounted on the vehicle, thereby cleaning the lens, mirror, etc.

[0035] 1, 2A, and 2B, the cleaning device 10 is provided with a substantially rectangular box-shaped case 12, which is composed of an upper case 12A and a lower case 12B assembled together. The case 12 is substantially L-shaped when viewed from above, with the rear portion protruding to the left and the left portion of the case 12 open to the front. The case 12 houses a drive unit 13 including a motor 14, a worm 16 as a first gear, a worm wheel 18 as a second gear, a helical gear 20 as a third gear, and a rod 22 connected to the helical gear 20.

[0036] A motor 14 serving as a drive source is fixed within the right portion of the case 12, and an output shaft 14A of the motor 14 extends rearward. A worm 16 serving as a first gear is coaxially fixed to the output shaft 14A, and when the motor 14 is driven, the worm 16 rotates integrally with the output shaft 14A. A worm wheel 18 serving as a second gear is disposed to the left of the worm 16, and the worm wheel 18 is rotatably supported within the case 12 with its axial direction oriented vertically. The worm wheel 18 is meshed with the worm 16 to restrict its rotation, and when the worm 16 rotates, the worm wheel 18 rotates.

[0037] A helical gear 20 serving as a third gear is disposed to the left of the worm wheel 18, and is rotatably supported in the left portion of the case 12 with its axial direction oriented in the up-down direction. The helical gear 20 is meshed with the worm wheel 18, and when the worm wheel 18 rotates, the helical gear 20 rotates. A cylindrical support shaft 20A is integrally provided at the radially middle portion of the helical gear 20, and the support shaft 20A protrudes upward from the helical gear 20.

[0038] A long, plate-shaped rod 22 (see FIG. 3B ) is disposed above the helical gear 20 as a connecting member, and the rear end of the rod 22 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 20A of the helical gear 20. The rod 22 may be made of resin or metal, but in this embodiment, the rod 22 is made of resin. A circular lock hole 22A is formed through the front end of the rod 22. The lock hole 22A has a circular rotation support portion 221 and a fitting portion 223 formed in a substantially triangular shape behind the rotation support portion 221. In plan view, the lock hole 22A has a circular shape extending along the extension direction of the rod 22. The lock hole 22A tapers toward the rear along the extension direction of the rod 22. In other words, the lock hole 22A is formed so that the hole width on the short side narrows toward the rear (piston retraction direction) along the extension direction of the rod 22.

[0039] A generally cylindrical cylinder 24 with a bottom is attached to the front side of the left side portion of the case 12, with the axial direction of the cylinder 24 extending in the front-to-rear direction. The interior of the cylinder 24 is open to the rear and communicates with the interior of the left side portion of the case 12. A generally cylindrical discharge tube 24A is coaxially formed integrally with the front wall (bottom wall) of the cylinder 24 and extends forward from the cylinder 24. The interior of the discharge tube 24A forms a discharge hole 24B which communicates with the interior of the cylinder 24, and a tube 42 is connected to the discharge tube 24A. A nozzle 46 is connected to the tip of the tube 42 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0040] Here, the cylinder 24 is detachably attached to the case 12 by engaging locking projections 50 formed on the outer periphery of the cylinder 24 with locking pieces 52 provided at the front end portion of the left side of the case 12. The locking projections 50 are formed as protrusions projecting radially outward from the outer periphery of the cylinder 24, and are provided as a pair on the left and right sides at the base end (rear end) of the cylinder 24. The locking pieces 52 are formed as plate-like members extending forward from the front end portion of the left side of the case 12 and curved along the outer periphery of the cylinder 24. The locking pieces 52 are provided as a pair spaced apart on the left and right sides at the front end portion of the left side of the case 12, and the base end of the cylinder 24 can be inserted between the pair of locking pieces 52. Each locking piece 52 has a slit 52A formed therethrough that extends along the circumferential direction of the cylinder 24, and the slit 52A is open toward a first direction on one circumferential side of the cylinder 24. The base end of the cylinder 24 is inserted between a pair of locking pieces 52, and the locking protrusions 50 on the left and right sides are inserted through the open ends of the slits 52A formed in the locking pieces 52. In this state, when the cylinder 24 is rotated about its axis in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the locking protrusions 50 are locked into the closed ends of the slits 52A and fitted into the locking pieces 52. This state is referred to as the locking position of the cylinder 24 (see FIG. 5A). To remove the cylinder 24 from the case 12, the cylinder 24, which is positioned in the locking position, is rotated about its axis in the first direction. After the locking protrusions 50 of the cylinder 24 are moved outward from the open ends of the slits 52A of the locking pieces 52, the cylinder 24 can be removed from the locking pieces 52 by moving it toward the front of the case 12 (see FIG. 5B).

[0041] A substantially cylindrical piston 26 is fitted coaxially within the cylinder 24, and the piston 26 is movable forward (one side) and rearward (the other side) within the cylinder 24, and forms a pressure chamber 28 on the front side within the cylinder 24. The piston 26 may be made of resin or metal, but in this embodiment, the piston 26 is made of resin.

[0042] A connecting piece 30 (see FIG. 3A ) having an L-shaped cross section is integrally provided on the rear side of the piston 26 and extends rearward from the piston 26, with a lower portion of the connecting piece 30 protruding rearward from the piston 26. The rear portion of the connecting piece 30 is formed into a cylindrical locking shaft 30A, which protrudes upward. A locking portion 30B having a generally triangular plate shape is integrally formed on the tip (upper end) of the locking shaft 30A, and the locking portion 30B protrudes radially outward from the tip of the locking shaft 30A.

[0043] The lock hole 22A, lock shaft 30A, and lock portion 30B described above constitute the lock mechanism 70. The lock shaft 30A is configured to be insertable into a rotation support portion 221 of the lock hole 22A provided at the front end of the rod 22. When the lock shaft 30A is inserted into the rotation support portion 221 of the lock hole 22A, the piston 26 is rotatably supported on the rod 22 via the lock shaft 30A.

[0044] When the piston 26 is inserted into the cylinder 24 while positioned at the coupling position where it is coupled to the rod 22, a pressurizing chamber 28 can be formed at the front side of the cylinder 24. When the piston 26 is positioned at the coupling position, a locking portion 30B provided at the tip of the locking shaft 30A is convex toward the left and protrudes in the short direction of the locking hole 22A. As a result, the locking portion 30B is engaged with the periphery of the locking hole 22A, coupling the piston 26 and the rod 22 (see FIG. 6A).

[0045] Thus, when the piston 26 is disposed in the coupled position, the rod 22 connects the helical gear 20 (support shaft 20A) and the piston 26 (lock shaft 30A), and as the helical gear 20 rotates, the rod 22 is reciprocated forward and rearward while rotating relative to the support shaft 20A and the lock shaft 30A, causing the piston 26 to reciprocate forward and rearward within the cylinder 24 (see FIGS. 4A to 4F). The position to which the piston 26 is moved furthest forward is the top dead center of the piston 26 (the position in FIG. 4A), and the position to which the piston 26 is moved furthest rearward is the bottom dead center of the piston 26 (the position in FIG. 4D).

[0046] Furthermore, the lock hole 22A has a fitting portion 223 formed in a substantially triangular shape rearward of the rotation support portion 221. This allows the lock hole 22A to be elongated along the extension direction of the rod 22 and tapered toward the retraction direction of the piston 26 (rearward in this embodiment). Therefore, when the rod 22 is pushed forward and the lock shaft 30A moves rearward relative to the rod 22 inside the lock hole 22A, the lock shaft 30A fits into the fitting portion 223, restricting its rearward movement. That is, the tapered shape of the lock hole 22A narrows the width of the lock hole 22A toward the retraction direction of the piston 26. Therefore, when the rod 22 is pushed forward, the movement of the piston 26 relative to the rod 22 in the retraction direction is restricted, allowing the reciprocating motion of the rod 22 to be efficiently transmitted to the piston 26. Furthermore, the piston 26 (lock shaft 30A) is prevented from falling out of the rod 22 (lock hole 22A).

[0047] On the other hand, when the piston 26 is rotated around the axis of the lock shaft 30A from the coupled position to the released position, the lock portion 30B provided at the tip of the lock shaft 30A becomes insertable through the lock hole 22A, thereby disengaging the piston 26 from the rod 22. In this embodiment, the piston 26 is positioned at the coupled position by rotating it 90 degrees around the axis of the lock shaft 30A, thereby disengaging the piston 26 from the rod 22. When the piston 26 is positioned at the released position, the lock portion 30B provided at the tip of the lock shaft 30A protrudes rearward and extends in the longitudinal direction of the lock hole 22A. This allows the lock portion 30B to be inserted through the lock hole 22A, thereby disengaging the piston 26 from the rod 22 (see FIG. 6B ).

[0048] Here, in order to release the connection between the piston 26 and the rod 22, it is necessary to set the length of the rod so that when the piston 26 is rotated from the connected position to the released position at a predetermined stop position along the axial direction of the cylinder 24, the end of the piston located on the rear side does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder 24. In other words, if the end of the piston located on the rear side protrudes from the base end position of the cylinder 24 when the piston 26 is rotated to the released position, the end of the piston 26 will interfere with the front end portion of the case 12, making it impossible to rotate the piston 26 to the appropriate released position.

[0049] In this embodiment, the piston 26 is stopped at a position where the cylinder 24 is located at the top dead center under the control of the control unit 60, which will be described later. Therefore, the length of the rod 22 is set so that the rear end of the piston 26 does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder 24 when the piston 26 is rotated to the release position at the top dead center. In other words, the length of the rod 22 is set so that a gap t (t>0 [mm]) is formed between the rear end of the piston 26 and the base end position of the cylinder 24 (see FIG. 6B ).

[0050] Here, when the piston 26 is at the top dead center, it is at the maximum thrust position. Therefore, if the length of the rod 22 is set so that the rear end of the piston 26 does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder 24 when the piston 26 is at the top dead center and rotated to the release position, the axial length of the cylinder 24 can be shortened, and the cleaning device 10 can be made more compact.

[0051] However, without being limited to this, the length of the rod 22 may be set to a length such that the rear end of the piston 26 does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder 24 when the piston 26 is rotated to the release position at bottom dead center. The state in which the piston 26 is located at bottom dead center is the state in which the piston 26 is located at the maximum retraction position. Therefore, if the length of the rod 22 is set such that the rear end of the piston 26 does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder 24 when the piston 26 is located at bottom dead center and rotated to the release position, the piston 26 can be rotated to an appropriate release position regardless of the stop position of the piston 26, thereby eliminating the need for the control unit 60 to stop the piston 26, as will be described later.

[0052] 3A , a substantially circular front plate 32 is coaxially provided at the front end of the piston 26 as one side portion, and the front plate 32 has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder 24 and is capable of contacting the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 24. A predetermined number of substantially elongated rectangular through holes 32A are formed through the outer periphery of the front plate 32, and the predetermined number of through holes 32A are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the front plate 32. The longitudinal direction of the through holes 32A is in the radial direction of the front plate 32, and the radially inner end surface of the front plate 32 is convexly curved and the through holes 32A are open radially outward of the front plate 32.

[0053] A substantially circular rear plate 34 is provided coaxially at the rear end of the piston 26 as the other side, and the outer diameter of the rear plate 34 is the same as the outer diameter of the front plate 32. Therefore, the outer diameter of the rear plate 34 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder 24, allowing the rear plate 34 to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 24. A predetermined number of substantially semicircular communication holes 34A are formed through the outer periphery of the rear plate 34, and the predetermined number of communication holes 34A are arranged at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the rear plate 34. The circumferential surface of the communication holes 34A is convexly curved, and the communication holes 34A open radially outward from the rear plate 34. The maximum radial dimension of the communication holes 34A in the rear plate 34 is smaller than the maximum radial dimension of the through holes 32A in the front plate 32 in the front plate 32, and the maximum circumferential dimension of the communication holes 34A in the rear plate 34 is smaller than the maximum circumferential dimension of the through holes 32A in the front plate 32. The number of communication holes 34A is greater than the number of through holes 32A, and the spacing between the communication holes 34A in the circumferential direction of the rear plate 34 is smaller than the spacing between the through holes 32A in the circumferential direction of the front plate 32.

[0054] A substantially cylindrical intermediate shaft 36 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B ) serving as an intermediate portion is coaxially provided between the front plate 32 and the rear plate 34 of the piston 26, and the intermediate shaft 36 is integrally formed with the front plate 32 and the rear plate 34, thereby forming the front plate 32 and the rear plate 34 as a single unit. The diameter (minimum diameter) of the intermediate shaft 36 is the same as the diameter of the front plate 32 at a position where the radially inner end of the through hole 32A of the front plate 32 is disposed. An annular protrusion 36A is coaxially formed integrally with the outer periphery of the intermediate shaft 36, and the protrusion 36A is disposed from near the front end to the rear end of the intermediate shaft 36 and is integral with the rear plate 34. The cross section (cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction) of the protrusion 36A is substantially triangular, the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 36A is inclined radially outward as it extends rearward, and the rear end of the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 36A is located at a radial position near the communication hole 34A of the rear plate 34. The outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 36A is curved concavely in the axial direction (front-to-rear direction) of the intermediate shaft 36, and the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 36A is smoothly connected to the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate shaft 36 on the front side (radially inner side) and smoothly connected to the front surface of the rear plate 34 on the rear side (radially outer side).

[0055] An annular O-ring 38 serving as a sealing member is disposed between the front plate 32 and the rear plate 34 of the piston 26. The O-ring 38 is made of rubber, has elasticity and sealing properties, and has a circular cross section (a cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction). The inner diameter of the O-ring 38 is smaller than the outer diameters of the front plate 32 and the rear plate 34. The O-ring 38 is temporarily elastically expanded to allow the front plate 32 or the rear plate 34 to pass radially inside, thereby being disposed between the front plate 32 and the rear plate 34. The outer diameter of the O-ring 38 (the outer diameter before being disposed in the cylinder 24) is larger than the inner diameter of the cylinder 24. The O-ring 38 is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 24 and elastically contracts radially inward. Therefore, when the O-ring 38 moves forward or rearward, the O-ring 38 slides against the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 24.

[0056] The dimension of the O-ring 38 in the front-to-rear direction (the diameter of a cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction) is smaller than the distance between the front plate 32 and the rear plate 34 in the front-to-rear direction. When the piston 26 is moved forward, the O-ring 38 abuts against the rear plate 34 and is moved forward by the rear plate 34 while sliding against the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 24 (see FIGS. 4E to 4F). When the piston 26 is moved rearward, the O-ring 38 abuts against the front plate 32 and is moved rearward by the front plate 32 while sliding against the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 24 (see FIGS. 4B to 4D).

[0057] The radius of the cross section (cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction) of the O-ring 38 is larger than the distance between the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 24 and the radially inner end of the communication hole 34A in the rear plate 34. When the piston 26 is moved forward, the O-ring 38 abuts radially inward from the communication hole 34A in the rear plate 34, sealing the gap between the cylinder 24 and the rear plate 34 (the gap between the cylinder 24 and the rear plate 34 and the communication hole 34A). Therefore, even if air in the pressurizing chamber 28 passes through the passage hole 32A in the front plate 32 of the piston 26 and the gap between the front plate 32 and the cylinder 24, it does not flow out from between the cylinder 24 and the rear plate 34 to the rear side of the piston 26. Therefore, the pressure of the air in the pressurizing chamber 28 increases, and the air in the pressurizing chamber 28 is discharged (pressed out) from the discharge hole 24B of the cylinder 24. Furthermore, because no check valve is provided in the discharge hole 24B, no resistance from a check valve is applied to the air discharged from the discharge hole 24B.

[0058] The radius of the cross section (cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction) of the O-ring 38 is smaller than the distance between the inner surface of the cylinder 24 and the radially inner end of the front plate 32 of the through hole 32A, and when the piston 26 is moved rearward, the O-ring 38 abuts against the radially outer side of the front plate 32 rather than the radially inner end of the front plate 32 of the through hole 32A, and does not seal the space between the cylinder 24 and the front plate 32 (through hole 32A).

[0059] The inner diameter of the O-ring 38 is larger than the minimum diameter (diameter at the front end) of the protruding portion 36A on the intermediate shaft 36 of the piston 26, and is smaller than the maximum diameter (outer diameter at the rear end) of the protruding portion 36A. When the piston 26 is moved rearward, a communicating passage 40 is formed between the O-ring 38 and the circumferential surface of the intermediate shaft 36 (including the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 36A) and the front surface of the rear plate 34.

[0060] As a result, air is drawn into the pressurized chamber 28 of the cylinder 24 (forward of the piston 26) from the communication hole 34A of the rear plate 34 of the piston 26 and the gap between the rear plate 34 and the cylinder 24, through the communication passage 40, the passage hole 32A, and the gap between the front plate 32 and the cylinder 24. This prevents air from being drawn into the pressurized chamber 28 from inside the discharge tube 24A (discharge hole 24B) of the cylinder 24, eliminating the need to provide a check valve in the discharge hole 24B and reducing the number of parts.

[0061] The cleaning device 10 configured as described above includes a control unit 60 that controls the operation of the drive unit 13. The motor 14 serving as a drive source is electrically connected to the control unit 60, and its rotation is controlled based on a signal transmitted from the control unit 60. The configuration of the control unit 60 will be described in detail below.

[0062] (Hardware Configuration of Control Unit 60) Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control unit 60. As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 60 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 62, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 63, a storage unit 64, a communication interface (I / F) 65, and an input / output interface (I / F) 66. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 68 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0063] The CPU 61 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 61 reads programs from the ROM 62 or the storage unit 64 and executes the programs using the RAM 63 as a work area. The CPU 61 as a processor controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 62 as a memory or the storage unit 64 as a memory.

[0064] The ROM 62 stores various programs and various data, and the RAM 63 serves as a working area for temporarily storing programs or data.

[0065] The storage unit 64 is configured with a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory, and stores various programs and various data. The storage unit 64 stores a program 64A for causing the CPU 61 to execute a stop process, which will be described later.

[0066] The communication interface 65 is an interface for communicating with other devices, and the communication may use a wired communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or FDDI, or a wireless communication standard such as 4G, 5G, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0067] The input / output interface 66 is an interface for connecting the control unit 60 with various systems of a vehicle (not shown) equipped with the cleaning device 10. The input / output interface 66 is connected to a current sensor 71 for measuring the current value of the output current for driving the motor 14 of the cleaning device 10. The input / output interface 66 is also connected to an automatic driving system 72, a remote driving system 74, a surroundings monitoring system 76, and the like equipped in the vehicle.

[0068] The automatic driving system 72 is an autonomous driving control system that automatically performs some or all of the vehicle's driving operations based on information obtained by peripheral monitoring sensors consisting of cameras that photograph the vehicle's surroundings, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), etc.

[0069] The remote driving system 74 is a control system that connects the vehicle to an operation terminal operated by an operator at a remote location via a network, and remotely controls some or all of the vehicle's driving operations based on operation information input by the operator to the remote operation terminal. The operator receives information acquired by the above-mentioned surrounding monitoring sensors via the operation terminal and drives the vehicle while checking the situation around the vehicle.

[0070] The periphery monitoring system 76 is a system that monitors the periphery of the vehicle while the vehicle is stopped based on information acquired by the periphery monitoring sensor. This periphery monitoring system 76 may be an unmanned monitoring system in which the vehicle or an external server connected to the vehicle via a network monitors the periphery of the vehicle based on information acquired by the periphery monitoring sensor, or may be a remote monitoring system in which information acquired by the periphery monitoring sensor is transmitted to a user's terminal connected via a network, and the user monitors the periphery of the vehicle via the user's terminal.

[0071] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above, and the control unit 60 may be configured to be connected to an automatic driving system 72, a remote driving system 74, a surroundings monitoring system 76, etc., installed in the vehicle via a communication interface 65.

[0072] (Functional Configuration of Control Unit 60) Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 60. As shown in this figure, the control unit 60 has, as its functional components, an actuation unit 61A, a detection unit 61B, a position identification unit 61C, and a stopping unit 61D. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 61 reading and executing a program 64A stored in the storage unit 64.

[0073] The operating unit 61A operates the cleaning device 10 based on signals transmitted from the above-described automatic driving system 72, remote driving system 74, and perimeter monitoring system 76. In this embodiment, the nozzle 46 of the cleaning device 10 is arranged to face a perimeter monitoring sensor mounted on the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor includes an optical system such as a camera lens or mirror mounted on the vehicle to monitor the perimeter of the vehicle. Note that the term "optical system" here is a broad concept that refers to an instrument or device that creates an image of an object or focuses light by utilizing properties such as reflection or refraction of light. Other perimeter monitoring sensors include known sensors such as a camera, radar, and lidar mounted on the vehicle to monitor the perimeter of the vehicle.

[0074] When the control unit 60 receives an activation signal for the cleaning device 10 transmitted from the automatic driving system 72, the remote driving system 74, or the periphery monitoring system 76, the operating unit 61A drives the motor 14 to rotate and activates the cleaning device 10. As a result, air discharged from the nozzle 46 is sprayed onto the optical system, such as the lens and mirror of the camera that constitutes the periphery monitoring sensor mounted on the vehicle, thereby removing dirt adhering to the optical system.

[0075] The detector 61B detects the output current for driving the motor 14 during operation of the cleaning device 10. Specifically, the detector 61B acquires the current value measured by the current sensor 71 via the input / output interface 66 and detects the output current for driving the motor 14.

[0076] The position specifying unit 61C specifies the position of the piston 26 along the axial direction of the cylinder 24 based on the detection value acquired by the detection unit 61B.

[0077] The stopping unit 61D stops the rotation of the motor 14 and stops the piston 26 at a predetermined stop position when a predetermined stop condition is met based on the position of the piston 26 identified by the position identifying unit 61C. In one example of this embodiment, the stopping unit stops the piston 26 at the top dead center. As described above, the length of the rod 22 supporting the piston 26 is such that the rear end of the piston 26 does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder 24 when the piston 26 is positioned at the top dead center and rotated to the release position. Therefore, by stopping the piston 26 at the top dead center under the control of the control unit 60, an operator can rotate the piston 26 to an appropriate release position during maintenance of the piston 26.

[0078] Specifically, the stopping unit 61D controls the piston 26 to stop moving after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detecting unit 61B detected a preset threshold value as the output current for driving the motor 14. For example, the output current for driving the motor 14 reaches a maximum at an intermediate point in the movement of the piston 26 from bottom dead center to top dead center. Therefore, if the maximum value of the output current is set as a threshold value in advance, the position identifying unit 61C can identify that the piston 26 is located at an intermediate point in the movement from bottom dead center to top dead center at the time the detecting unit 61B detects the maximum value of the output current. The stopping unit 61D calculates the time elapsed from the intermediate point to top dead center for the piston 26, and controls the piston 26 to stop after a predetermined time has elapsed since the position identifying unit 61C identified that the piston 26 is located at an intermediate point in the movement from bottom dead center to top dead center, thereby stopping the piston 26 at top dead center.

[0079] (Functions and Effects) Next, the functions and effects of the cleaning device 10 according to this embodiment will be described while explaining the flow of the stop process executed by the control unit 60 with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. The stop process is performed by the CPU 61 reading out the program 64A from the storage unit 64, loading it into the RAM 63, and executing it. The stop process is executed, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cleaning device 10 was activated.

[0080] In step S10, the CPU 61 detects the output current for driving the motor 14 based on the function of the detection unit 61B.

[0081] In step S11, the CPU 61 identifies the position of the piston 26 along the axial direction of the cylinder 24 based on the function of the position identification unit 61C.

[0082] In step S12, the CPU 61 determines whether the position of the piston 26 satisfies the stop condition. For example, the CPU 61 determines that the stop condition is satisfied when the position of the piston 26 is identified as being at an intermediate point between bottom dead center and top dead center based on the detected value of the current detected by the detection unit 61B. If the CPU 61 determines that the position of the piston 26 satisfies the stop condition, the process proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if the CPU 61 determines that the position of the cylinder 24 does not satisfy the stop condition, the process returns to step S10.

[0083] In step S13, the CPU 61 stops the piston 26 at a predetermined stop position based on the function of the stopping unit 61D, and ends the stopping process. In the example of the present embodiment, the CPU 61 stops the piston 26 at the top dead center, and ends the stopping process.

[0084] When performing maintenance on the piston 26, with the piston 26 stopped at top dead center, the worker rotates the cylinder 24 around its axis in a first direction and moves it to the removal position, thereby removing the cylinder 24 from the case 12 (see Figure 5B).

[0085] 6A to the release position shown in Fig. 6B, thereby releasing the connection between the piston 26 and the rod 22. This allows the piston 26 to be removed from the cleaning device 10, and various maintenance tasks can be performed, such as cleaning the piston 26, replacing the piston 26, and cleaning and replacing the O-ring 38 serving as a sealing member.

[0086] As described above, in the cleaning device 10 according to this embodiment, the driving force transmitted from the driving unit 13 is transmitted to the piston 26 via the rod 22. Then, the piston 26 reciprocates within the cylinder 24, thereby enabling air to be discharged from the discharge hole 24B provided in the cylinder 24.

[0087] Here, the rod 22 rotatably supports the piston 26 via a lock shaft 30A extending from the piston 26. The connection between the rod 22 and the piston 26 can be released via a lock mechanism 70. This lock mechanism 70 includes a lock portion 30B formed at the tip of the lock shaft 30A, and the lock portion 30B connects the piston 26 to the rod 22 when the piston 26 is disposed in the connected position. The lock mechanism 70 is configured to release the connection between the piston 26 and the rod 22 by the lock portion 30B when the piston 26 rotates around the lock shaft 30A and moves from the connected position to the released position.

[0088] By providing the locking mechanism 70, an operator can release the connection between the piston 26 and the rod 22 simply by rotating the piston 26 around the locking shaft 30A. This allows the piston 26 to be easily removed from the cleaning device 10, making maintenance of the piston 26 easier.

[0089] In this embodiment, the rod 22 has a lock hole 22A through which the lock shaft 30A is inserted. The lock shaft 30A is inserted into the lock hole 22A to rotatably support the piston 26. The lock portion 30B of the lock mechanism 70 protrudes from the tip of the lock shaft 30A. When the piston 26 is in the engaged position, the lock portion 30B engages with the periphery of the lock hole 22A, thereby connecting the piston 26 to the rod 22. When the piston 26 is in the released position, the lock portion 30B is allowed to pass through the lock hole 22A, thereby releasing the connection between the piston 26 and the rod 22. By rotating the piston 26 around the lock shaft 30A, the lock portion 30B can be inserted into the lock hole 22A, allowing the piston 26 to easily release the connection between the rod 22 and the piston 26. This avoids a complex structure and an increase in the number of parts, making manufacturing easy.

[0090] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, the lock hole 22A may be formed elongated along the extension direction of the rod 22. In this case, by making the lock portion 30B elongated to correspond to the shape of the lock hole 22A, the lock portion 30B can be easily locked onto the periphery of the lock hole 22A at the coupled position, and can easily pass through the lock hole 22A at the released position. This configuration does not complicate the structure or increase the number of parts, making it easy to manufacture.

[0091] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, the lock hole 22A may be tapered toward the retraction direction of the piston 26. Here, when the rod 22 is moved forward in the direction pushing out the piston 26, the lock shaft 30A inserted through the lock hole 22A moves relatively toward the retraction direction of the piston 26. At this time, the width of the lock hole 22A narrows in the short direction toward the retraction direction of the piston 26. Therefore, at a position (fitting portion 223) where the diameter of the lock shaft 30A is equal to or smaller than the width of the lock hole, the relative movement of the lock shaft 30A in the retraction direction of the piston 26 with respect to the lock hole 22A is restricted. As a result, the piston 26 moves forward together with the rod 22 moving in the extrusion direction. By tapering the lock hole 22A toward the retraction direction of the piston 26 in this manner, the driving force of the drive unit 13 is efficiently transmitted to the piston 26 via the rod 22 at the coupling position of the piston 26, causing the piston 26 to reciprocate. This configuration can efficiently transmit the driving force acting in the direction of pushing the piston out, thereby improving the operating efficiency.

[0092] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, the lock hole 22A can be a circular hole formed in an elongated shape along the extension direction of the rod 22. By forming the lock hole 22A in a circular hole shape, it is easy to machine the rod 22, further facilitating manufacturing. Furthermore, because the inner surface of the lock hole 22A is a smoothly curved surface, the rotational operation of the piston 26 (lock shaft 30A) can be smoothed.

[0093] In this embodiment, the length of the rod 22 is set so that when the piston 26 is located at the top dead center and rotated to the release position, the rear end of the piston 26 does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder 24. This makes it possible to set the length of the cylinder 24 on the assumption that the connection between the piston 26 and the rod 22 will be released when the piston 26 is located at the top dead center, that is, when the piston 26 is pushed furthest toward the discharge hole 24B of the cylinder 24. This allows the cylinder 24 to be shortened in the axial direction, thereby enabling the cleaning device 10 to be made more compact.

[0094] In this embodiment, the cleaning device 10 also includes a control unit 60 that controls the operation of the drive unit 13. The control unit 60 controls the stopping of the reciprocating motion of the piston 26 so that, with the piston 26 rotated to the release position, the rear end of the piston 26 stops at a position where it does not protrude beyond the base end position of the cylinder 24. Specifically, in this embodiment, the control unit 60 stops the piston 26 at the top dead center. This stops the piston 26 at a position where the rear end of the piston 26 does not protrude beyond the base end position of the cylinder 24, making it possible to rotate the piston 26 from the coupled position to the released position. This facilitates the release operation of the piston 26 during maintenance.

[0095] The piston 26 may also be stopped at a position rearward of the top dead center. In this case, the length of the rod 22 may be set so that the rear end of the piston 26 does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder 24 when the piston 26 is located at the bottom dead center and rotated to the release position. In this way, the length of the cylinder 24 can be set assuming that the connection between the piston 26 and the rod 22 will be released when the piston 26 is located at the bottom dead center, i.e., when the piston 26 is most retracted toward the base end of the cylinder 24. This eliminates the need to control the stop position of the piston 26 in consideration of maintenance, simplifying the control design of the cleaning device 10.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the motor 14 is provided as a drive source, and the control unit 60 detects the output current for driving the motor 14 and stops the piston 26 at a predetermined stop position based on the detected value of the output current. In this configuration, by setting a threshold value in advance for the output current for driving the motor 14, it is possible to relatively easily control the stopping of the piston 26. This simplifies the control design of the cleaning device 10.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the cylinder 24 is attached to the case 12 that houses the drive unit 13. Here, the cylinder 24 can be removed from the case 12 by rotating it about its axis from a locking position to a removal position relative to the case 12. This allows the cylinder attached to the case 12 to be removed by a rotational operation, just like the piston 26, making piston maintenance even easier.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the air discharged from the cleaning device 10 is discharged to the object to be cleaned via the tube 42 connected to the discharge hole 24B of the cylinder 24 and the nozzle 46 connected to the tip of the tube 42. In this embodiment, the nozzle 46 of the cleaning device 10 is positioned toward an optical system or sensor mounted on the vehicle for monitoring the vehicle's surroundings. This allows the cleaning device 10 to clean dirt adhering to optical systems such as cameras and mirrors, and sensors such as surveillance cameras, radars, and lidars, which are provided for monitoring the vehicle's surroundings. Periodic maintenance of the piston 26 also enables the cleaning device 10 to be used for a long period of time. This allows the cleaning device 10 to be easily incorporated into various systems, such as an autonomous driving system 72 or a surroundings monitoring system 76, mounted on the vehicle.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the cleaning device 10 is configured to discharge air, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cleaning device 10 may discharge cleaning liquid.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the locking portion 30B is provided at the tip of the locking shaft 30A, and the locking hole 22A corresponding to the locking portion 30B is provided in the rod 22, but this relationship may be reversed. That is, the locking portion may be provided at the tip of the rod, and the locking hole may be provided at the tip of the locking shaft.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the stop processing executed by the CPU 61 after reading the software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of such processors include programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and dedicated electrical circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to execute specific processes. The notification processing may be executed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the program 64A is pre-stored (installed) in the storage unit 64, but this is not limiting. The program 64A may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The program 64A may also be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0103] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-098055, filed on June 14, 2023, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0104] All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A cleaning device comprising: a cylinder having a drain hole; a piston disposed within the cylinder; a rod rotatably supporting the piston via a lock shaft extending from the piston; a drive unit which transmits reciprocating motion to the piston via the rod; and a locking mechanism which is formed at the tip of the rod or the lock shaft and which has a locking unit which connects the piston and the rod when the piston is disposed in a connected position, and which releases the connection between the piston and the rod by the locking unit when the piston is rotated around the lock shaft and moved from the connected position to a released position.

2. A cleaning device as described in claim 1, wherein the locking portion is provided protruding from the tip portion on one of the rod or the lock shaft, and a locking hole through which the locking portion can pass is formed on the other of the rod or the lock shaft, and the locking mechanism connects the piston and the rod in the connected position by the locking portion engaging with the peripheral portion of the locking hole, and releases the connection between the piston and the rod in the released position by the locking portion being able to pass through the locking hole.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the lock hole is formed in an elongated shape along the extension direction of the rod.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the lock hole has a shape tapered in the retracting direction of the piston.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 3, wherein the lock hole has a circular hole shape formed in an elongated shape along the extension direction of the rod.

6. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rod has a length such that when the piston is positioned at top dead center and rotated to the release position, the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder.

7. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rod has a length such that when the piston is positioned at bottom dead center and rotated to the release position, the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder.

8. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a control unit which controls the operation of the drive unit, the control unit controlling the stopping of the reciprocating motion and stopping the piston at a position where the end of the piston does not protrude from the base end position of the cylinder when the piston has been rotated to the release position.

9. The cleaning device described in claim 8, wherein the drive unit includes a motor as a drive source, and the control unit includes a detection unit that detects an output current for driving the motor, a position identification unit that identifies a position of the piston based on the detected value of the output current, and a stop unit that stops the piston at a position where an end of the piston does not protrude from a base end position of the cylinder when the piston is rotated to a release position based on the identified position of the piston.

10. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a case in which the drive unit is housed, and wherein the cylinder can be removed from the case by rotating the cylinder about its axis from an engagement position to a removal position relative to the case.

11. A cleaning device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: a tube connected to the discharge hole; and a nozzle connected to the tip of the tube, the nozzle being positioned toward an optical system mounted on the vehicle for monitoring the periphery of the vehicle.

12. A cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: a tube connected to the discharge hole; and a nozzle connected to the tip of the tube, the nozzle being positioned toward a sensor mounted on the vehicle for monitoring the surroundings of the vehicle.

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