Self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera, comprising: a front cover (2), which comprises a cavity (21); a lens (1), which is arranged in the cavity (21), the lens (1) axially protruding from a first end face of the front cover (2); and a nozzle assembly, which is integrally formed with the front cover (2), wherein the nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle (22) and a nozzle pipe (24), the nozzle (22) being arranged on the first end face of the front cover (2) and being in communication with the nozzle pipe (24), and a nozzle opening of the nozzle (22) being arranged to face one side of the lens (1). The overall dimensions of the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera in the present disclosure can be reduced, thereby realizing a miniaturization configuration; an assembly process is simplified, such that possible abnormal noise caused by the assembly between parts is reduced; and the material cost of the nozzle is eliminated, thereby reducing the overall costs.

Description

Self-cleaning car camera

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This disclosure is based on the Chinese application with application number 202322880617.4 and application date October 26, 2023, and claims its priority. The disclosed content of the above-mentioned Chinese application is hereby introduced into this disclosure as a whole. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera. Background Art

[0004] As more and more vehicles are exported, the demand for vehicles and their accessories has become more international. For example, in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Africa and many countries or regions with poor road conditions, vehicles and their accessories need to face various complex road conditions; and with the development of intelligent driving of vehicles, the advent of driverless driving is accelerating. The unmanned driving of vehicles has huge potential requirements for the high safety and high self-cleaning capabilities of vehicles and on-board cameras.

[0005] In the related technologies known to the inventor, the nozzle of the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera is an independent component, and corresponding installation space needs to be reserved for the nozzle inside the front cover. As a result, the overall external dimensions of the front cover are relatively large, and there are certain restrictions on the installation space. In addition, the installation of the nozzle on the front cover may also cause the risk of abnormal noise due to loose nozzle assembly.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure provides a self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera, which can reduce the external size.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera is provided, comprising:

[0009] a front cover, including a cavity;

[0010] a camera disposed in the cavity, the camera protruding axially from the first end surface of the front cover; and

[0011] The nozzle assembly is integrally formed with the front cover. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle and a nozzle tube. The nozzle is arranged on the first end surface of the front cover and is connected to the nozzle tube. The nozzle opening of the nozzle is arranged toward the camera side.

[0012] In some embodiments, the nozzle tubes are arranged side by side on the side of the camera.

[0013] In some embodiments, a plurality of limiting rib groups are provided on the side wall of the cavity, and the plurality of limiting rib groups include a first limiting rib group, which is located on a side close to the nozzle, and a protruding height of the first limiting rib group is higher than the protruding heights of other limiting rib groups.

[0014] In some embodiments, the cavity includes multiple side walls, and multiple limiting rib groups are arranged one-to-one on the multiple side walls. Each limiting rib group includes two limiting ribs arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction. The limiting ribs extend axially, and multiple limiting ribs surround to form a placement space for setting the camera. In the radial direction of the cavity body, the size of the placement space is smaller than the size of the cavity body.

[0015] In some embodiments, a first opening is provided on the first end surface of the front cover and is communicated with the storage space. The camera is disposed in the storage space and extends through the first opening.

[0016] In some embodiments, the nozzle tube includes a first part and a second part, the first part includes a flow channel arranged in the side wall of the front cover, and the first part is spaced apart from the camera, and the second part protrudes from the second end surface of the front cover.

[0017] In some embodiments, the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera further includes a fixing seat, and the front cover is connected to the fixing seat by snapping, bonding, welding or locking.

[0018] In some embodiments, a heating lens is integrally provided on the camera.

[0019] In some embodiments, a scratch-resistant lens is provided on the heating lens.

[0020] In some embodiments, the outer dimension L*L of the camera is not greater than 20mm*20mm.

[0021] In some embodiments, the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera further includes a fixing base, the fixing base including:

[0022] A first connecting portion, comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface forming a preset angle to accommodate the front cover, the first surface being connected to the second end of the front cover; and

[0023] Two second connection parts are connected to the first connection part and are respectively arranged on both sides of the camera. The second connection part is used to connect to the vehicle, and the inner side walls of the two second connection parts and the first surface and the second surface form a groove for accommodating the front cover.

[0024] In some embodiments, the axial direction is perpendicular to the first surface, and the preset angle is greater than or equal to 90° and less than 180°.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first surface is higher than the second connecting portion, and the height of the inner sidewall of the second connecting portion gradually increases from a first end away from the first surface to a second end close to the first surface.

[0026] In some embodiments, the nozzle tube is disposed between the cavity and the second surface.

[0027] In some embodiments, a third hole and a fifth hole are provided on the first surface, the third hole is configured to allow a protrusion of the camera to pass through, and the fifth hole is configured to allow a nozzle tube to pass through.

[0028] In some embodiments, the second end of the front cover is provided with a connecting buckle and a positioning portion extending axially, and a sixth hole and a seventh hole are provided on the first surface. The sixth hole is configured to be buckled with the connecting buckle, and the seventh hole is configured to cooperate with the positioning portion.

[0029] Based on the above technical solution, the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera of the embodiment of the present invention has an integrated front cover and nozzle assembly, which optimizes the internal structural space layout and stability, reduces the external dimensions, realizes a miniaturized setting, simplifies the assembly process, reduces the abnormal noise caused by assembly between parts, eliminates the nozzle material cost and reduces the overall cost; moreover, a miniaturized camera is used to realize a miniaturized setting of the vehicle-mounted camera with a self-cleaning function, and brings spatial convenience to the client's design. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0031] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of some embodiments of the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein from a first perspective.

[0032] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a second viewing angle of some embodiments of the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0033] FIG3 is an exploded view of some embodiments of the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0034] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of some embodiments of the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera disclosed herein.

[0035] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of the camera, the front cover, and the nozzle according to the present disclosure, viewed along the camera axis.

[0036] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of some embodiments of the front cover and nozzle assembly disclosed herein.

[0037] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of some embodiments of the camera disclosed herein.

[0038] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of the camera disclosed herein along its axial viewing angle.

[0039] Description of Reference Numerals

[0040] 1. Camera; 11. Heating lens; 2. Front cover; 21. Cavity; 22. Nozzle; 23. First opening; 24. Nozzle tube; 241. First part; 242. Second part; 25. Connecting buckle; 26. First limiting rib group; 27. Positioning part; 3. Fixing seat; 31. First connecting part; 311. First surface; 312. Second surface; 313. Third hole; 314. Fourth hole; 315. Fifth hole; 316. Sixth hole; 317. Seventh hole; 32. Second connecting part; 4. Screw. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The present disclosure is described in detail below. In the following paragraphs, various aspects of the embodiments are defined in more detail. Each aspect defined in this manner may be combined with any other aspect or aspects unless expressly stated not to be combinable. In particular, any feature considered to be preferred or advantageous may be combined with one or more other features considered to be preferred or advantageous.

[0042] The terms "first" and "second" appearing in this disclosure are only for the convenience of description to distinguish different components with the same name, and do not indicate a priority or primary and secondary relationship.

[0043] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "inside" or "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships that are defined based on the camera, front cover or fixing base, etc., and are only used to facilitate the description of the present disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0044] 1 to 8 , the present disclosure proposes a self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera, comprising a fixing base 3, a front cover 2 provided on the fixing base 3, a camera 1 provided on the front cover 2, and a nozzle assembly integrally formed with the front cover 2. The front cover 2 and the fixing base 3 are connected by snapping, bonding, welding or locking. The fixing base 3 is fixed to the vehicle to fix the camera 1 on the vehicle, and the vehicle body supplies power to the camera 1 through a power cord.

[0045] In order to make the structure of the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera more compact, in some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 to 8, the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera includes a front cover 2, a camera 1 and a nozzle assembly, the front cover 2 includes a cavity 21, the camera 1 is arranged in the cavity 21, the camera 1 protrudes axially from the first end face of the front cover 2, the nozzle assembly and the front cover 2 are integrally formed, the nozzle assembly includes a nozzle 22 and a nozzle tube 24, the nozzle 22 is arranged on the first end face of the front cover 2 and is connected to the nozzle tube 24, and the nozzle mouth of the nozzle 22 is arranged toward the side of the camera 1.

[0046] Optionally, the front cover 2 and the nozzle assembly can be made of plastic, rubber, metal, etc. Optionally, the shape of the cavity 21 can be any shape such as a rectangle, a circle, or a regular polygon.

[0047] In this embodiment, the front cover 2 and the nozzle assembly are integrally formed. Under the premise of being aesthetically pleasing to install, protected by the outer shell, and capable of directly spraying water or air to achieve the self-cleaning function, the internal structural space layout and stability are optimized, the external dimensions are reduced, a miniaturized setting is achieved, and the assembly process is simplified, thereby reducing the abnormal noise that may be caused by assembly between parts, eliminating the nozzle material cost and reducing the overall cost. Moreover, a miniaturized camera is used to achieve a miniaturized setting of the vehicle-mounted camera plus the self-cleaning function, which brings spatial convenience to the client's design.

[0048] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the nozzle tubes 24 are arranged side by side on the camera 1. Alternatively, the nozzle tubes 24 may be arranged side by side on any circumferential side of the camera 1. For example, the nozzle tubes 24 may be arranged on the underside of the camera 1, or between the camera 1 and the vehicle. Alternatively, the nozzle tubes 24 may be configured in any shape, for example, the nozzle tubes 24 may extend axially.

[0049] The nozzle tube 24 of this embodiment is arranged on the side of the camera 1, which can optimize the internal structure of the vehicle-mounted camera, reduce the external dimensions, and reduce the difficulty of mold processing.

[0050] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, a plurality of limiting rib groups are provided on the side wall of the cavity 21, and the plurality of limiting rib groups include a first limiting rib group 26. The first limiting rib group 26 is located on a side close to the nozzle 22, and the protruding height of the first limiting rib group 26 is higher than the protruding height of other limiting rib groups.

[0051] This embodiment can reduce the use of injection molding materials and lower production costs by setting up multiple limiting rib groups; supporting the camera 1 by the limiting rib group can improve the stability of the camera 1 and prevent the camera 1 from shaking or making abnormal noises due to collisions; the first limiting rib group 26 is located on the side close to the nozzle 22, which can appropriately increase the distance between the lens of the camera 1 and the nozzle mouth, avoiding the lens protrusion blocking the cleaning path of the cleaning medium, so that the cleaning liquid from the nozzle mouth can cover the entire lens area.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 , at least one limiting rib is protruded from each side wall of the cavity 21 , and the height of the limiting rib on one side is higher than that of the other limiting ribs.

[0053] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the cavity 21 includes multiple side walls, and multiple limiting rib groups are arranged one by one on the multiple side walls. Each limiting rib group includes two limiting ribs arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction. The limiting ribs extend axially, and multiple limiting ribs surround to form a placement space for setting the camera 1. In the radial direction of the cavity 21, the size of the placement space is smaller than the size of the cavity 21.

[0054] Specifically, the cavity 21 may include four side walls. Four limiting rib groups are provided on the side walls of the cavity 21 . The protruding height of the first limiting rib group 26 is higher than the protruding heights of the other three limiting rib groups.

[0055] This embodiment forms a placement space for the camera 1 by surrounding it with multiple limiting ribs, which can reduce the use of injection molding materials and lower production costs; it can also improve the stability of the camera 1 and prevent the camera 1 from shaking or making abnormal noises due to collisions.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , a first opening 23 communicating with the receiving space is defined on a first end surface of the front cover 2 , and the camera 1 is disposed in the receiving space and extends through the first opening 23 .

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the cavity 21 has four sidewalls, and each sidewall is provided with two spaced-apart limiting ribs. The limiting ribs are divided into four groups, one of which is higher than the other groups, and one of which is provided as a first limiting rib group 26, while the other three groups are provided as a second limiting rib group. The four groups of limiting ribs are arranged in a circle to form a placement space. The upper end surface of the front cover 2 is provided with a first opening 23 that is in communication with the cavity 21, and the first opening 23 is provided to pass through the corresponding placement space. The lower end surface of the front cover 2 is provided with a lower opening that is in communication with the cavity 21. The camera 1 is inserted into the cavity 21 from the lower opening and passes through the first opening 23 so that the head of the camera 1 is protruding from the first opening 23. The four groups of limiting ribs limit the position of the camera 1 to prevent the camera 1 from shaking.

[0058] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the nozzle tube 24 is disposed on the side wall of the front cover 2 and extends from a first end surface of the front cover 2 to a second end surface protruding from the front cover 2. The nozzle tube 24 includes a first portion 241 and a second portion 242. The first portion 241 includes a flow channel disposed within the side wall of the front cover 2 and is spaced apart from the camera 1. The second portion 242 protrudes from the second end surface of the front cover 2.

[0059] In this embodiment, the nozzle tube 24 is arranged on the side wall of the front cover 2, which can reduce the external dimensions of the vehicle-mounted camera, achieve a miniaturized setting, simplify the assembly process, eliminate the nozzle material cost, and reduce the overall cost.

[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the nozzle 22 is opened toward one side of the first opening 23 so that the cleaning fluid or the cleaning gas is supplied from the nozzle tube 24 to the nozzle 22 and sprayed from the nozzle 22 to the camera 1. When the vehicle is traveling on a bad road, the lens surface of the camera is prone to dirt and affects the image quality. The nozzle 22 sprays the cleaning fluid or the cleaning gas toward the camera 1 for timely cleaning to ensure that the camera 1 can work normally. Here, the cleaning fluid can also be water.

[0061] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6 , at least two connecting buckles 25 are axially protruding from the second end surface of the front cover 2, with the multiple connecting buckles 25 spaced apart from each other. Specifically, the connecting buckles 25 are provided on the two lower end surfaces adjacent to the nozzle, with each lower end surface having two connecting buckles 25 protruding from each other, and a positioning portion 27 protruding between each two connecting buckles 25. The front cover 2 is secured to the fixing base 3 via the connecting buckles 25 and the positioning portion 27.

[0062] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a heating lens 11 is provided on the camera 1, and the camera 1 and the heating lens 11 are integrated. When the camera 1 encounters severe road conditions such as rainy, icy and frosty weather, the heating lens 11 can be heated to remove ice and frost in time, thereby ensuring the clarity of the camera 1 shooting and improving the safety of vehicle driving.

[0063] In some embodiments, the camera 1 is equipped with a scratch-resistant lens. When the vehicle is traveling on complex road conditions, such as roads with a lot of gravel and sand, the scratch-resistant lens can withstand the impact of gravel and prevent the scratch-resistant lens from breaking. Optionally, the scratch-resistant lens can be installed on the heated lens 11. Using a scratch-resistant lens on the heated lens 11 can resist the impact of gravel and, combined with the self-cleaning function, can improve the camera's recognition capabilities in adverse weather and road conditions.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 , the camera 1 is miniaturized, with an outer dimension L*L no greater than 20mm*20mm, to conserve vehicle space and provide space convenience for client design. In some implementations, the outer dimension L*L of the camera 1 is no greater than 19mm*19mm, further facilitating space design. In some specific embodiments, the outer dimension L*L of the camera 1 is set to 18mm*18mm, ensuring that the camera 1 is sufficiently miniaturized without affecting the internal structure and functional configuration of the camera 1.

[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the front cover 2 and the fixing base 3 are interlocked and integrally connected. The fixing base 3 includes a first connecting portion 31 and two second connecting portions 32 disposed on either side of the first connecting portion 31. The second connecting portions 32 are used to connect and secure the fixing base 3 to the vehicle. The first connecting portion 31 is V-shaped and is arranged at an angle relative to the second connecting portion 32. The two flat surfaces of the V-shaped first connecting portion 31 are respectively configured as a first surface 311 and a second surface 312. The end of the second surface 312 away from the first surface 311 is connected to the distal end of the second connecting portion 32, and the first surface 311 extends to the outside of the end surface of the second connecting portion 32.

[0066] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , a third hole 313 is provided through the first surface 311, and the third hole 313 accommodates the end of the camera 1 away from the heating lens 11. The third hole 313 is set as a rectangular hole, and the third hole 313 is arranged at an angle. Fourth holes 314 are provided on both sides of the long side of the third hole 313. The spatial arrangement of the third hole 313 and the two fourth holes 314 can reduce the space and make the space utilization more optimized and reasonable. Two fixing holes away from each other are provided at the end of the camera 1 away from the heating lens 11. Two screws 4 are respectively passed through the fourth holes 314 and locked in the fixing holes to fix the camera 1 on the fixing base 3, so that the axial direction of the camera 1 is inclined to the end face of the second connecting portion 32 of the fixing base 3. When the fixing base 3 is fixed on the vehicle, the camera 1 can be set at an angle to the ground to shoot and record clear images.

[0067] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3 , a fifth hole 315 is defined on the side of the third hole 313 adjacent to the second surface 312. The nozzle tube 24 extends through the fifth hole 315 and connects to a component supplying cleaning fluid or cleaning gas. The first surface 311 also includes a plurality of sixth holes 316 corresponding to the positioning portions 27 and the connecting buckles 25. The sixth holes 316 are located on either side of the third hole 313. The positioning portions are inserted into the corresponding sixth holes 316, and the connecting buckles 25 are fastened to the corresponding sixth holes 316 to secure the front cover 2 to the fixing base 3.

[0068] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera further includes a fixing base 3 , which includes:

[0069] The first connecting portion 31 includes a first surface 311 and a second surface 312 . The first surface 311 and the second surface 312 form a predetermined angle to accommodate the front cover 2 . The first surface 311 is connected to the second end of the front cover 2 .

[0070] Two second connection parts 32 are connected to the first connection part 31 and are respectively arranged on both sides of the camera 1. The second connection part 32 is used to connect to the vehicle, and the inner side walls of the two second connection parts 32 and the first surface 311 and the second surface 312 form a groove for accommodating the front cover 2.

[0071] This embodiment forms a groove for accommodating the front cover 2 through the inner side walls of the two second connecting parts 32 and the first surface 311 and the second surface 312, which can stably accommodate the front cover 2, prevent the front cover 2 from shaking, and improve the structural stability of the vehicle-mounted camera.

[0072] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 , the axis is perpendicular to the first surface 311 , and the preset angle is greater than or equal to 90° and less than 180°.

[0073] This embodiment limits the range of the preset angle so that the axis of the camera 1 is set at an angle to the end surface of the second connecting portion 32 of the fixing base 3. When the fixing base 3 is fixed on the vehicle, the camera 1 can be set at an angle to the ground to capture and record clear images.

[0074] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3 , the first surface 311 is higher than the second connection portion 32 , and the height of the inner sidewall of the second connection portion 32 gradually increases from a first end away from the first surface 311 to a second end close to the first surface 311 .

[0075] This embodiment changes the height of the inner side wall of the second connecting portion 32, thereby forming a groove for accommodating the front cover 2 and improving the structural stability of the vehicle-mounted camera, and also enables the axial direction of the camera 1 to be set at an angle to the end face of the second connecting portion 32 of the fixing seat 3, so that the camera 1 is set at an angle to the ground to capture and record clear images.

[0076] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4 , the nozzle tube 24 is disposed between the cavity 21 and the second surface 312 .

[0077] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , a third hole 313 and a fifth hole 315 are provided on the first surface 311 . The third hole 313 is configured to allow the protrusion of the camera 1 to pass through, and the fifth hole 315 is configured to allow the nozzle tube 24 to pass through.

[0078] This embodiment provides a clearance opening on the first surface 311 , thereby reducing the area occupied by the first surface 311 , making space utilization more optimized and reasonable, and further reducing the overall size of the vehicle-mounted camera.

[0079] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the second end of the front cover 2 is provided with a connecting buckle 25 and a positioning portion 27 extending axially, and a sixth hole 316 and a seventh hole 317 are provided on the first surface 311. The sixth hole 316 is configured to be buckled with the connecting buckle 25, and the seventh hole 317 is configured to cooperate with the positioning portion 27.

[0080] This embodiment can improve the stability of the connection between the front cover 2 and the first surface 311 by providing a connection hole on the first surface 311; by providing a positioning hole on the first surface 311, it can improve the convenience of connecting the front cover 2 and the first surface 311 and reduce the processing difficulty and cost of the vehicle-mounted camera.

[0081] In some embodiments, the present disclosure proposes a self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera, including a camera and a front cover, with a nozzle integrally formed on the front cover; the camera is protruded from the upper end surface of the front cover, and the front cover has a hollow body. The nozzle includes a nozzle tube and a nozzle mouth, the nozzle tube is arranged in the hollow body, the nozzle mouth is arranged on the upper end surface of the front cover and is connected with the nozzle tube, and the nozzle mouth is opened toward one side of the camera.

[0082] In some embodiments, the camera is disposed in the cavity and extends and protrudes from the upper end surface of the front cover, and the camera and the nozzle tube are arranged in parallel.

[0083] In some embodiments, the cavity is divided into a placement space and a receiving space, the camera is disposed in the placement space, and the nozzle tube is disposed in the receiving space.

[0084] In some embodiments, at least one limiting rib is protruding from each side wall of the cavity body, wherein the height of the limiting rib on one side in the axial direction of the cavity body is higher than that of the other limiting ribs, and the higher limiting rib on one side is set as the first limiting rib.

[0085] In some embodiments, the cavity body has four side walls, each of which is convexly provided with two spaced-apart limiting ribs, and multiple limiting ribs surround to form a placement space. An upper opening is provided on the upper end surface of the front cover and is connected to the cavity body. The upper opening passes through the corresponding placement space, and the camera is arranged in the placement space and extends through the upper opening.

[0086] In some embodiments, a plurality of first limiting ribs form an accommodating space, and the nozzle tube is disposed in the accommodating space to be spaced apart from the camera.

[0087] In some embodiments, the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera further includes a fixing seat, and the front cover is connected to the fixing seat by snapping, bonding, welding, or locking.

[0088] In some embodiments, a heating lens is integrally provided on the camera.

[0089] In some embodiments, a scratch-resistant lens is provided on the heating lens.

[0090] In some embodiments, the outer dimension L*L of the camera is no greater than 20 mm*20 mm.

[0091] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the front cover and the nozzle are integrally formed, which has the advantages of being beautifully installed, protected by the outer shell, and capable of directly spraying water and air to achieve the self-cleaning function, while optimizing the internal structural space layout and stability, reducing the external dimensions, achieving a miniaturized setting, simplifying the assembly process, reducing the assembly between parts that may cause abnormal noise, eliminating the nozzle material cost and reducing the overall cost; moreover, a miniaturized camera is used to achieve a miniaturized setting of the vehicle-mounted camera plus the self-cleaning function, bringing spatial convenience to the client's design; and a heating lens is provided on the camera, which can be heated and highly safe to achieve the de-icing and defrosting function; a scratch-resistant lens is used on the heating lens, which can withstand the impact of gravel, and combined with the self-cleaning function, improves the recognition ability of the camera in severe weather and road conditions; multiple functions are integrated into one.

[0092] The above is a detailed introduction to the self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera provided by the present disclosure. This article uses specific embodiments to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present disclosure. The description of the above embodiments is only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present disclosure. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, without departing from the principles of the present disclosure, various improvements and modifications can be made to the present disclosure, and such improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera, comprising: A front cover (2) including a cavity (21); A camera (1) is disposed in the cavity (21), wherein the camera (1) protrudes axially from a first end surface of the front cover (2); and A nozzle assembly is formed integrally with the front cover (2), the nozzle assembly comprising a nozzle (22) and a nozzle tube (24), the nozzle (22) being arranged on a first end surface of the front cover (2) and being connected to the nozzle tube (24), the nozzle opening of the nozzle (22) being arranged toward one side of the camera (1).

2. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle tubes (24) are arranged side by side on the sides of the camera (1).

3. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of limiting rib groups are provided on the side wall of the cavity (21), the plurality of limiting rib groups including a first limiting rib group (26), the first limiting rib group (26) being located on a side close to the nozzle (22), and a protruding height of the first limiting rib group (26) being higher than a protruding height of other limiting rib groups.

4. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, wherein the cavity (21) comprises a plurality of side walls, a plurality of the limiting rib groups are arranged one-to-one on the plurality of side walls, each of the limiting rib groups comprises two limiting ribs arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction, the limiting ribs extend along the axial direction, and a plurality of the limiting ribs surround to form a placement space for setting the camera (1), and in the radial direction of the cavity (21), the size of the placement space is smaller than the size of the cavity (21).

5. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 4, wherein the first end surface of the front cover (2) is provided with a first opening (23) which is in communication with the placement space, and the camera (1) is arranged in the placement space and extends through the first opening (23).

6. A self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the nozzle tube (24) comprises a first portion (241) and a second portion (242), the first portion (241) comprising a flow channel arranged in a side wall of the front cover (2), and the first portion (241) is spaced apart from the camera (1), and the second portion (242) protrudes from a second end surface of the front cover (2).

7. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a fixing seat (3), wherein the front cover (2) is connected to the fixing seat (3) by buckling, bonding, welding or locking.

8. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a heating lens (11) is integrally provided on the camera (1).

9. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 8, wherein the heating lens (11) is provided with a scratch-resistant lens.

10. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the outer dimension L*L of the camera (1) is not greater than 20 mm*20 mm.

11. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a fixing seat (3), wherein the fixing seat (3) comprises: A first connecting portion (31), comprising a first surface (311) and a second surface (312), wherein the first surface (311) and the second surface (312) form a preset angle to accommodate the front cover (2), and the first surface (311) is connected to the second end of the front cover (2); and Two second connection parts (32), the two second connection parts (32) are both connected to the first connection part (31) and are respectively arranged on both sides of the camera (1), the second connection parts (32) are used to connect to the vehicle, and the inner side walls of the two second connection parts (32) and the first surface (311) and the second surface (312) form a groove for accommodating the front cover (2).

12. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 11, wherein the axial direction is perpendicular to the first surface (311), and the preset angle is greater than or equal to 90° and less than 180°.

13. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the first surface (311) is higher than the second connecting portion (32), and the height of the inner wall of the second connecting portion (32) gradually increases from a first end away from the first surface (311) to a second end close to the first surface (311).

14. The self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the nozzle tube (24) is arranged between the cavity (21) and the second surface (312).

15. A self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein a third hole (313) and a fifth hole (315) are provided on the first surface (311), the third hole (313) being configured to allow a protruding portion of the camera (1) to pass through, and the fifth hole (315) being configured to allow the nozzle tube (24) to pass through.

16. A self-cleaning vehicle-mounted camera according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the second end of the front cover (2) is provided with a connecting buckle (25) and a positioning portion (27) extending along the axial direction, and the first surface (311) is provided with a sixth hole (316) and a seventh hole (317), the sixth hole (316) is configured to be buckled with the connecting buckle (25), and the seventh hole (317) is configured to cooperate with the positioning portion (27).

Images