Camera unit

Abstract

Provided is a camera unit capable of suppressing image noise, which is caused by far-infrared rays emitted from a cover, in a range of detection by a far-infrared camera in a transmission member. A camera unit (100) comprises: a glass member (10) that has formed therein an opening (19) penetrating from a surface on a first direction side (Z1 direction side) to a surface on a second direction side (Z2 direction side) opposite to the first direction side; a transmission member (20) that is disposed in the opening (19) and has an average transmittance of 50% or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 8-13 μm; a far-infrared camera (CA1) that is disposed on the second direction side (Z2 direction side) relative to the transmission member (20) so that a detection range S passes through the transmission member (20), and is sensitive to light having a wavelength of 8-13 μm; and a cover unit (40) that covers the second direction side (Z2 direction side) of the transmission member (20). The variation in emissivity ε in a reflection region (R) on a surface of the cover unit (40), which results from reflection by the transmission member (20) and is detected by the far-infrared camera (CA1), is 0.4 or less.

Description

Camera unit

[0001] This invention relates to a camera unit.

[0002] In recent years, far-infrared cameras have been installed in automobiles. Automobile windows typically do not transmit far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 describes forming an opening in the vehicle glass and providing a far-infrared-transmitting member within the opening. This allows far-infrared rays emitted by objects outside the vehicle to be detected by a far-infrared camera installed inside the vehicle through the transparent member installed in the vehicle glass.

[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 182290

[0004] Incidentally, a cover is provided to enclose the interior side of the transparent material, from the standpoint of suppressing sound leakage into the vehicle, ensuring safety such as penetration resistance, and aesthetics. In this case, it is anticipated that far-infrared rays emitted from the cover will reflect off the transparent material and be captured by the far-infrared camera. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress image noise caused by far-infrared rays emitted from the cover within the field of view of the far-infrared camera in the transparent material.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a camera unit that can suppress image noise caused by far-infrared radiation emitted from a cover in the detection range of a far-infrared camera in a transparent member.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the camera unit according to this disclosure comprises: a glass member having an opening formed that penetrates from the surface on the first direction side to the surface on the second direction side opposite to the first direction side; a transmitting member disposed in the opening and having an average transmittance of 50% or more of light with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm; a far-infrared camera disposed on the second direction side of the transmitting member such that the detection range passes through the transmitting member and is sensitive to light with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm; and a cover unit covering the second direction side of the transmitting member, wherein the variation in emissivity ε in the reflective region of the surface of the cover unit that is reflected by the transmitting member and detected by the far-infrared camera is 0.4 or less.

[0007] According to the present invention, image noise caused by far-infrared radiation emitted from the cover can be suppressed within the detection range of the far-infrared camera in the transparent member.

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle glass according to the first embodiment mounted on a vehicle. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle glass according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the camera unit according to the first embodiment. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the camera unit according to the second embodiment. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the camera unit according to the third embodiment.

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The present invention is not limited by these embodiments, and if there are multiple embodiments, they may be constructed by combining each embodiment. Numerical values ​​include a range of rounding. When a numerical range is indicated by connecting the upper and lower limits with ~, this range includes the upper and lower limits. That is, for example, "X to Y" means that it is X or greater and Y or less. In this embodiment, the lower and upper limits can be combined as appropriate. That is, for example, if a lower limit is listed for a certain parameter and an upper limit is listed for that parameter, the lower limit may be any value selected from the listed lower limits, and the upper limit may be any value selected from the listed upper limits. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, physical properties and dimensions will be described as values ​​at room temperature, i.e., between 5°C and 35°C.

[0010] (First Embodiment) (Vehicle) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle glass according to the first embodiment mounted on a vehicle. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle glass 1 according to the first embodiment is mounted on a vehicle V. The vehicle glass 1 is a window member applied to the windshield of the vehicle V. That is, the vehicle glass 1 is used as the front window of the vehicle V, or in other words, as a windshield. A far-infrared camera CA1 and a visible light camera CA2 are mounted inside the vehicle V. The inside of the vehicle V refers to, for example, the interior of the vehicle where the driver's seat is located. Note that the vehicle glass 1 is not limited to being applied to the windshield of the vehicle V, but may be mounted at any position on the vehicle V.

[0011] The vehicle glass 1, far-infrared camera CA1, and visible light camera CA2 constitute the camera unit 100. The far-infrared camera CA1 is a camera that detects far-infrared rays. The far-infrared camera CA1 captures a thermal image of the outside of the vehicle V by detecting far-infrared rays from outside the vehicle V. The visible light camera CA2 is a camera that detects visible light. The visible light camera CA2 captures an image of the outside of the vehicle V by detecting visible light from outside the vehicle V. In addition to the far-infrared camera CA1 and the visible light camera CA2, the camera unit 100 may further include, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or millimeter-wave radar. Here, far-infrared rays refer to, for example, electromagnetic waves in the wavelength band of 8 μm to 13 μm, and visible light refers to, for example, electromagnetic waves in the wavelength band of 380 nm to 830 nm.

[0012] (Vehicle Glass) Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of vehicle glass according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the upper edge of the vehicle glass 1 will be referred to as the upper edge portion 1a, the lower edge as the lower edge portion 1b, one side edge as the side edge portion 1c, and the other side edge as the side edge portion 1d. The upper edge portion 1a is the edge portion located on the vertically upper side when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The lower edge portion 1b is the edge portion located on the vertically lower side when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The side edge portion 1c is the edge portion located on one side when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The side edge portion 1d is the edge portion located on the other side when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V.

[0013] Hereinafter, among the directions parallel to the surface of the vehicle glass 1, the direction from the upper edge 1a to the lower edge 1b and the direction from the lower edge 1b to the upper edge 1a will be defined as the Y direction, and the direction from the side edge 1c to the side edge 1d and the direction from the side edge 1d to the side edge 1c will be defined as the X direction. In this embodiment, the X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal. The direction perpendicular to the surface of the vehicle glass 1, that is, the thickness direction of the vehicle glass 1, will be defined as the Z direction. Furthermore, one direction along the Z direction will be defined as the Z1 direction (first direction), and the direction opposite to the Z1 direction will be defined as the Z2 direction (second direction). The Z1 direction (first direction) is, for example, the direction from the inside to the outside of the vehicle V when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The Z2 direction (second direction) is, for example, the direction from the outside to the inside of the vehicle V when the vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V. The X and Y directions are along the surface of the vehicle glass 1, but if the surface of the vehicle glass 1 is curved, for example, they may be in directions tangent to the surface of the vehicle glass 1 at the center point O of the vehicle glass 1. The center point O is the center position of the vehicle glass 1 when viewed from the Z direction.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle glass 1 comprises a glass member 10. The glass member 10 is the main body portion of the vehicle glass 1 that constitutes the windshield of the vehicle V. The glass member 10 may be single-pane glass or laminated glass, but in the first embodiment, the glass member 10 is made of laminated glass. Specifically, the glass member 10 comprises a glass substrate 12, a glass substrate 14, an intermediate layer 16, and a light-shielding layer 18. In the vehicle glass 1, the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, the glass substrate 14, and the light-shielding layer 18 are laminated in this order in the Z2 direction. The glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 are fixed (bonded) to each other via the intermediate layer 16.

[0015] The glass substrates 12 and 14 may be inorganic glass or organic glass. As inorganic glass, for example, soda-lime glass, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, alkali-free glass, quartz glass, etc., can be used without particular limitation. Among these, soda-lime glass is particularly preferred in terms of manufacturing cost and moldability. For example, in the case of inorganic glass, glass plates formed by the float method or the like are preferred. When glass substrates 12 and 14 are inorganic glass, glass substrates 12 and 14 may be either untempered glass or tempered glass. Tempered glass may be either physically tempered glass or chemically tempered glass. Untempered glass is made by forming molten glass into a plate and slowly cooling it. Tempered glass is made by forming a compressive stress layer on the surface of untempered glass. Tempered glass may be either physically tempered glass or chemically tempered glass. In the case of physically strengthened glass, the glass surface may be strengthened by creating a compressive stress layer on the glass surface due to the temperature difference between the glass surface and the inside of the glass, through operations other than slow cooling, such as air-cooled strengthening, where a uniformly heated glass plate is rapidly cooled from a temperature near its softening point during bending. In the case of chemically strengthened glass, the glass surface may be strengthened after bending by creating compressive stress on the glass surface by methods such as ion exchange. Known molding techniques such as gravity molding, press molding, and roller molding may be used for bending the glass substrate. Glass that absorbs ultraviolet or infrared rays may also be used. Furthermore, the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 may be transparent or colored. The thickness of the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.3 mm or more, more preferably 0.5 mm or more, even more preferably 1 mm or more, even more preferably 1.5 mm or more, and most preferably 2 mm or more. Furthermore, the thickness of the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 is preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or less, and even more preferably 3 mm or less. The intermediate layer 16 is an adhesive layer that bonds the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 together.As the intermediate layer 16, known materials such as polyvinyl butyral (hereinafter also referred to as PVB) modified material, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) material, urethane resin material, and vinyl chloride resin material can be used. The intermediate layer 16 may also contain functional particles such as ultraviolet absorbers, infrared absorbers, adhesion enhancers, antioxidants, and light stabilizers. The intermediate layer 16 may be transparent or colored. The intermediate layer 16 may also have a multilayer structure of two or more layers. More specifically, the glass substrate 12 includes one surface 12A (the surface on the Z1 direction) and the other surface 12B (the surface on the Z2 direction), and the other surface 12B is in contact with one surface 16A (the surface on the Z1 direction) of the intermediate layer 16 and is fixed (adhered) to the intermediate layer 16. The glass substrate 14 includes one surface 14A (the surface facing the Z1 direction) and the other surface 14B (the surface facing the Z2 direction), and the one surface 14A is in contact with the other surface 16B (the surface facing the Z2 direction) of the intermediate layer 16 and is fixed (bonded) to the intermediate layer 16. In this way, the vehicle glass 1 is a laminated glass in which the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 are laminated together. However, the vehicle glass 1 is not limited to laminated glass, and may be a configuration that includes only one of the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14 (i.e., a single-pane glass). In this case, the intermediate layer 16 may not be provided. The intermediate layer 16 may contain a heat-generating film (PET substrate), a heating device, an antenna, a liquid crystal device, a dimming device, an image projection layer, an emitting layer, a heat-reflective layer, etc. Hereinafter, when the glass substrates 12 and 14 are not distinguished, they will be referred to as the glass substrate. When the vehicle glass 1 is installed in a vehicle, the vehicle glass 1 may have a curved shape that protrudes outwards from the vehicle. The curved shape of the vehicle glass 1 from the periphery to the center may be a curved shape in only one direction, a curved shape in two perpendicular directions, or a curved shape in three or more directions. The thickness of the vehicle glass 1 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 4 mm or more, even more preferably 4.5 mm or more, even more preferably 5 mm or more, and most preferably 6 mm or more.Furthermore, the thickness of the vehicle glass 1 is preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 9 mm or less, even more preferably 8 mm or less, and most preferably 7 mm or less. In this embodiment, the upper and lower limits can be combined as appropriate. Also, if the vehicle glass 1 is laminated glass, the above thickness may be read as the total thickness of the laminated glass.

[0016] The light-shielding layer 18 is a layer that blocks visible light. The light-shielding layer 18 may be provided in a strip shape along the periphery of the vehicle glass 1. This suppresses the deterioration of aesthetics due to refraction of the glass substrates 12 and 14. As the light-shielding layer 18, for example, a ceramic light-shielding layer or a light-shielding film can be used. As the ceramic light-shielding layer, for example, a ceramic layer made of conventionally known materials such as a black ceramic layer can be used. As the light-shielding film, for example, a light-shielding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, a light-shielding polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) film, a light-shielding polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) film, etc. can be used. The light-shielding layer 18 includes one surface 18A (the surface on the Z1 direction side) and the other surface 18B (the surface on the Z2 direction side). In the example of Figure 3, one surface 18A is in contact with and fixed to the other surface 14B of the glass substrate 14, but it is not limited to this. For example, the light-shielding layer 18 may be provided on the surface 12B of the glass substrate 12. That is, the light-shielding layer 18 may be provided on the surface 14B of the glass substrate 14, on the surface 12B of the glass substrate 12, or on both the surface 14B and the surface 12B.

[0017] In this embodiment, the side of the vehicle glass 1 on which the light-shielding layer 18 is provided faces the interior side (Z2 direction side) and the glass substrate 12 faces the exterior side (Z1 direction side). However, it is not limited to this, and the light-shielding layer 18 may be provided on the exterior side of the vehicle V. If the vehicle glass 1 is made of laminated glass of glass substrates 12 and 14, the light-shielding layer 18 may be formed between the glass substrate 12 and the glass substrate 14. That is, the light-shielding layer 18 may be formed on, for example, the surface 12B or the surface 14A, or it may be embedded inside the intermediate layer 16.

[0018] The glass member 10 has an opening 19 that penetrates from the inner surface (surface 18B on the Z2 direction side) to the outer surface (surface 12A on the Z1 direction side). A far-infrared transmitting unit U is provided inside the opening 19. In other words, the vehicle glass 1 according to this embodiment is a vehicle glass in which the far-infrared transmitting unit U according to this embodiment is provided in the opening 19. The far-infrared transmitting unit U comprises a transmitting member 20 that transmits far-infrared rays and a frame member 30 provided on the periphery of the transmitting member 20. In the following description, the direction toward the geometric center when the transmitting member 20 is viewed from the Z direction may be described as the radially inward direction, and the direction away from the geometric center may be described as the radially outward direction.

[0019] (Transmitting Member) The transmitting member 20 is positioned inside the opening 19 and transmits far-infrared rays. The average transmittance of far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm is higher for the transmitting member 20 than for the glass member 10. The average transmittance of far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm is higher for the transmitting member 20 than for the frame member 30. Preferably, the average transmittance of far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm for the transmitting member 20 is 25% or more, more preferably 40% or more, even more preferably 50% or more, even more preferably 70% or more, and particularly preferably 85% or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that the average transmittance of far-infrared rays with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm for the transmitting member 20 is 100% or less. In order to make the average transmittance of far-infrared rays 85% or more, it is preferable to provide an anti-reflective coating. When the average transmittance of far-infrared rays is within this numerical range, far-infrared rays are transmitted appropriately, and the performance of the far-infrared camera CA1 can be fully demonstrated. The transmittance of far-infrared rays can be measured, for example, using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (ThermoScientific, product name: Nicolet iS10).

[0020] The material of the transmission member 20 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include ZnS, Ge, Si, chalcogenide glass, and the like. A preferable composition of the chalcogenide glass is, in atomic %, Ge + Ga: 7% to 25%, Sb: 0% to 35%, Bi: 0% to 20%, Zn: 0% to 20%, Sn: 0% to 20%, Si: 0% to 20%, La: 0% to 20%, S + Se + Te: 55% to 80%, Ti: 0.005% to 0.3%, Li + Na + K + Cs: 0% to 20%, F + Cl + Br + I: 0% to 20%. And this glass preferably has a glass transition point (Tg) of 140°C to 550°C.

[0021] It is more preferable that the transmission member 20 contains at least one of Si and Ge as a main component. Here, the main component may refer to a content rate of 50% by mass or more with respect to the whole transmission member 20.

[0022] The transmission member 20 may be coated on the surface on the vehicle outer side (Z1 direction side) (surface 20A) or the surface on the vehicle inner side (Z2 direction side) (surface 20B). For example, an antireflection film may be provided on the surface 20A. As the antireflection film, an antireflection film of 3 to 12 layers is preferable, and the material is not particularly limited, but Ge, Si, ZnS, ZnSe, As ｘ S ｙ 、As ｘ Se ｙ 、metal oxides (Al ｘ O ｙ 、Bi ｘ O ｙ 、CeO ｘ 、CuO, HfO ｘ 、MgO, SiO, SiO ｘ 、NiO, TiO, TiO ｘ 、Ti ｘ O ｙ 、Y ｘ O ｙ 、ZrO ｘ ), hydrocarbon, diamond-like carbon (DLC), metal fluoride (MgF ｘ 、CaF ｘ 、SrF ｘ 、BaF ｘ 、PbF ｘ 、LaFｘ YF ｘ ) is preferable ( ｘ , ｙ (where is any positive number). The layer on the Z1 side of the anti-reflective coating is preferably a film with a Mohs hardness of 7 or higher and high far-infrared transmittance, from the viewpoint of scratch resistance. The layer on the Z1 side of the anti-reflective coating is ZrO ｘ It is particularly preferable that it be a membrane.

[0023] The shape of the transparent member 20 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a plate-like shape that matches the shape of the opening 19. That is, for example, if the opening 19 is circular, the transparent member 20 is preferably a disc-shaped or cylindrical shape. Also, from the viewpoint of design, the surface shape of the transparent member 20 on the Z1 direction side may be processed to match the curvature of the outer surface shape of the glass substrate 12.

[0024] In the vehicle glass 1 of the first embodiment, the opening 19 on the Z1 direction side surface (surface 12A) has the same configuration as the opening 19 on the Z2 direction side surface (surface 18B), and it is preferable that the shape of the transparent member 20 is also the same as the area on the Z1 direction side surface and the Z2 direction side surface. In other words, there is no step on the inner wall of the opening 19, and the inner wall of the opening 19 extends along the thickness direction of the vehicle glass 1. By adopting such a configuration, the manufacturing of the glass member 10 and the transparent member 20 becomes easier. Furthermore, if the glass member 10 is laminated glass comprising a glass substrate 12 (Z1 direction side) and a glass substrate 14 (Z2 direction side), the opening 19 is formed by the overlapping of the opening 12a of the glass substrate 12 and the opening 14a of the glass substrate 14. In this case, the opening 12a of the glass substrate 12 should overlap with the opening 14a of the glass substrate 14, and a transparent member 20 sized to fit the opening 12a of the glass substrate 12 should be placed inside the opening 12a of the glass substrate 12.

[0025] The frame member 30 is positioned between the inner circumferential surface of the opening 19 of the glass member 10 and the transparent member 20. The frame member 30 holds the outer periphery of the transparent member 20 and is attached to the opening 19. The shape of the frame member 30 is not particularly limited, but if the transparent member 20 is disc-shaped, it is formed in a cylindrical shape and positioned on the periphery of the transparent member 20. The frame member 30 may be composed of a single member or of multiple members. A frame member 30 composed of multiple members may, for example, include a first member including a wall portion and a second member including a flange portion. A frame member 30 composed of multiple members may, for example, be composed of a first member on the Z1 direction side and a second member on the Z2 direction side. The frame member 30 may be composed of three or more members.

[0026] The frame member 30 of this embodiment is composed of a plurality of members, each having a sealing portion 33 disposed between the transparent member 20 and the glass member 10, an adhesive portion 34 formed on the Z2 direction side relative to the sealing portion 33, and a support portion 35 formed on the Z2 direction side relative to the adhesive portion 34. The sealing portion 33 is interposed between the transparent member 20 and the glass member 10 and functions as a sealing material. The sealing portion 33 has a first holding portion 31 that holds the transparent member 20 and a second holding portion 32 formed on the Z2 direction side of the first holding portion 31 that holds the glass member 10. In this embodiment, the sealing portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape that covers the peripheral edge of the transparent member 20.

[0027] The seal portion 33 is formed in a stepped shape, where the inner diameter of the second retaining portion 32 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first retaining portion 31, so that the inner diameter on the Z2 direction side is smaller than that on the Z1 direction side. The first retaining portion 31 of the seal portion 33 is a cylindrical member extending in the Z direction. The second retaining portion 32 is a cylindrical member extending in the Z direction from the radially inner side of the first retaining portion 31. With this shape, when fitting the transparent member 20 into the seal portion 33 during the manufacturing of the far-infrared transmission unit U, the Z2 direction surface 20B of the transparent member 20 is supported by the step between the first retaining portion 31 and the second retaining portion 32, so that the Z direction position of the transparent member 20 relative to the seal portion 33 can be easily determined, and the assembly of the seal portion 33 to the transparent member 20 can be easily performed.

[0028] The adhesive portion 34 is located on the peripheral edge and Z2 direction side of the second holding portion 32. The adhesive portion 34 extends radially outward from the second holding portion 32. The adhesive portion 34 is the portion provided between the second holding portion 32 and the glass member 10, between the second holding portion 32 and the support portion 35, and between the glass member 10 and the support portion 35 when the frame member 30 is attached to the vehicle glass 1. In this way, since the adhesive portion 34 is in contact with the glass member 10, the seal portion 33 and the support portion 35, even if the seal portion 33 deteriorates over time, a decrease in watertightness and load-bearing capacity can be suppressed.

[0029] The support portion 35 is positioned on the Z2 direction side of the adhesive portion 34. The support portion 35 extends radially outward from the second holding portion 32. The support portion 35 is, for example, a ring-shaped member. As a result, since the support portion 35 is positioned on the Z2 direction side of the adhesive portion 34, even if the vehicle V is subjected to load from the outside, such as during car washing, it is possible to suppress the far-infrared transmitting unit U from coming out of the opening 19 of the glass member 10. Note that the shape of the support portion 35 is not limited to a ring shape. The support portion 35 only needs to have a shape that ensures sufficient bonding area between the support portion 35 and the glass member 10 to exert sufficient resistance against loads in the Z1 direction, and for example, the outer edge may have a shape other than a circle.

[0030] The constituent material of the frame member 30 is not particularly limited. At least a portion of the sealing portion 33 and the support portion 35 may be formed from resins such as ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin, AES (Acrylonitrile ethylene styrene) resin, rigid polyvinyl chloride (rigid PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). When the sealing portion 33 and the support portion 35 are formed from thermoplastic resins such as ABS, AES, and rigid polyvinyl chloride, molding methods such as injection molding can be applied.

[0031] At least a part of the seal portion 33 and the support portion 35 may be formed of an elastomer such as ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM: ethylene propylene diene monomer), soft polyvinyl chloride (soft PVC: polyvinyl chloride), vinyl chloride-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPVC: thermoplastic polyvinyl elastomer), polyethylene-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPE: thermoplastic polyethylene elastomer), polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPAE: thermoplastic polyamide elastomer), ethylene tetrafluoride - hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP: fluorinated ethylene propylene), vinylidene fluoride-based fluororubber (FKM), tetrafluoroethylene - perfluorovinyl ether-based fluororubber (FFKM), silicone rubber, etc. Here, FKM and FFKM are elastomers defined by ASTM: D1418. By using an elastomer as the constituent material of the seal portion 33 and the support portion 35, the water-stopping property between the glass member 10 and the transmission member 20 can be improved.

[0032] Also, at least a part of the seal portion 33 and the support portion 35 may be formed of a fluororesin such as ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy alkanes), etc. ETFE is a copolymer having units derived from ethylene and units derived from tetrafluoroethylene. ETFE may further contain, as a third component, units derived from a monomer having an adhesive functional group. PFA is a copolymer having units derived from tetrafluoroethylene and units derived from perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether). PFA may further contain, as a third component, units derived from a monomer having an adhesive functional group. Since ETFE and PFA are excellent in moldability, they are preferable as the constituent material of the frame member 30, and the adhesiveness is further improved by containing the third component having adhesiveness.

[0033] As the monomer having an adhesive functional group, a monomer having a carboxy group, an acid anhydride group or a carboxylic acid halide group is preferable, and an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride is more preferable. Examples of the unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride include itaconic anhydride, citraconic anhydride, 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid anhydride (hymic anhydride), maleic anhydride and the like. The monomer having an adhesive functional group may have one kind of adhesive functional group alone or two or more kinds of adhesive functional groups.

[0034] ETFE may have units derived from other monomers other than ethylene, TFE and the monomer having an adhesive functional group, if necessary. Examples of other monomers include fluoroolefins (excluding tetrafluoroethylene), fluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) and the like. PFA may have units derived from other monomers other than TFE, perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) and the monomer having an adhesive functional group, if necessary. Examples of other monomers include fluoroolefins (excluding tetrafluoroethylene) and the like.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the seal portion 33 and the support portion 35 may be formed of different materials. The support portion 35 may be formed of, for example, a metal material such as steel or aluminum, or a resin material such as fiber reinforced plastic (FRP: Fiber Reinforced Plastics). Here, the fiber reinforced plastic refers to a material containing at least one inorganic material of glass fiber and carbon fiber and at least one resin material of unsaturated polyester resin, vinyl ester resin and epoxy resin. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the transmission member 20 from coming off from the glass member 10 due to the load from the outside of the vehicle, improve the load resistance, and improve the adhesiveness with the adhesive portion 34.

[0036] Further, the colors of the seal portion 33 and the support portion 35 are preferably black. Thereby, the aesthetic property can be improved.

[0037] The transparent member 20 is attached to the opening 19 via the frame member 30. Preferably, the Z1-direction side surface (surface 30A) of the frame member 30 is formed flush with (continuously with) the Z1-direction side surface (surface 20A) of the transparent member 20 and the Z1-direction side surface (surface 12A) of the glass substrate 12. In other words, the Z1-direction side surface 30A of the frame member 30 is attached to be continuous with the Z1-direction side surface 20A of the transparent member 20 and the surface 12A of the glass substrate 12. The step difference at the boundary between the Z1-direction side surface 20A of the transparent member 20 and the Z1-direction side surface 30A of the frame member 30 is preferably 0.3 mm or less, more preferably 0.2 mm or less, even more preferably 0.15 mm or less, and still preferably 0.1 mm or less. The step difference at the boundary between the Z1-direction surface 30A of the frame member 30 and the Z1-direction surface 12A of the glass member 10 is preferably 1.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or less, more preferably 0.3 mm or less, more preferably 0.15 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.1 mm or less. The step difference between the surfaces of the vehicle glass 1 can be measured, for example, using a laser displacement meter (Keyence Corporation, inline profile measuring instrument: LJ-X8200), by irradiating a laser into the area enclosed by a line segment 10 mm radially inward from the inner peripheral edge of the surface 30A of the frame member 30 and a line segment 10 mm radially outward from the outer peripheral edge of the surface 30A of the frame member 30, within the entire area of ​​the Z1-direction surface 30A of the frame member 30, the surface 10A of the glass member 10 and the surface 20A of the transparent member 20, and obtaining a step difference profile. In this way, the surface 30A of the frame member 30 on the Z1 direction side is continuous with the surface 20A of the transparent member 20 on the Z1 direction side and the surface 12A of the glass substrate 12, thereby preventing impairment of the wiper's wiping effect. Furthermore, the continuous surface 30A of the frame member 30 with the surface 20A of the transparent member 20 and the surface 12A of the glass substrate 12 does not impair the design of the vehicle V, and prevents the accumulation of sand, dust, etc. between the frame member 30 and the glass member 10, and between the frame member 30 and the transparent member 20.

[0038] The adhesive portion 34 is formed with an adhesive such as a urethane adhesive or a modified silicone adhesive. This improves load-bearing capacity, heat resistance, and cold resistance, and improves adhesive strength and shear strength.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle glass 1 has a light-transmitting region A1 and a light-blocking region A2. The light-transmitting region A1 is the central part of the vehicle glass 1 when viewed from the Z direction. The light-transmitting region A1 is the region that ensures the driver's field of view. The light-transmitting region A1 is the region that transmits visible light. The light-blocking region A2 is the region that is formed around the light-transmitting region A1 when viewed from the Z direction. The light-blocking region A2 is the region that blocks visible light. Within the light-blocking region A2a, which is the part on the upper edge 1a side of the light-blocking region A2, a far-infrared transmitting region B and a visible light transmitting region C are formed.

[0040] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the light-shielding region A2 is formed by providing a light-shielding layer 18 on the glass member 10. In other words, the light-shielding region A2 is the region in which the glass member 10 is equipped with the light-shielding layer 18. Specifically, the light-shielding region A2 is the region in which the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, the glass substrate 14, and the light-shielding layer 18 are laminated. On the other hand, the light-transmitting region A1 is the region in which the glass member 10 is not equipped with the light-shielding layer 18. Specifically, the light-transmitting region A1 is the region in which the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, and the glass substrate 14 are laminated, but the light-shielding layer 18 is not laminated.

[0041] The far-infrared transmission region B is a region that transmits far-infrared rays and is the region in which the far-infrared camera CA1 is installed. The far-infrared camera CA1 is installed in a position that overlaps with the far-infrared transmission region B when viewed from the optical axis direction of the far-infrared camera CA1. The region in which the opening 19 is formed and the far-infrared transmission unit U is installed is the far-infrared transmission region B. In other words, the far-infrared transmission region B is the region in which the opening 19 and the far-infrared transmission unit U, which is placed inside the opening 19, are installed. The far-infrared transmission region B does not have a light-shielding layer 18. That is, in the far-infrared transmission region B, the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, the glass substrate 14, and the light-shielding layer 18 are not provided, and the far-infrared transmission unit U is installed in the formed opening 19.

[0042] The visible light transmission region C is a region that transmits visible light and is the region in which the visible light camera CA2 is installed. The visible light camera CA2 is installed in a position that overlaps with the visible light transmission region C when viewed from the optical axis direction of the visible light camera CA2. As shown in Figure 4, the visible light transmission region C, like the light transmission region A1, is a region in the Z direction in which the glass member 10 does not have a light-shielding layer 18. That is, the visible light transmission region C is a region in which the glass substrate 12, the intermediate layer 16, and the glass substrate 14 are laminated, and the light-shielding layer 18 is not laminated.

[0043] As described above, the light-shielding region A2 has a far-infrared transmitting region B and a visible light transmitting region C. Therefore, the light-shielding region A2 blocks far-infrared rays in areas other than where the far-infrared transmitting region B is formed, and blocks visible light in areas other than where the visible light transmitting region C is formed. The far-infrared transmitting region B and the visible light transmitting region C are surrounded by a light-shielding region A2a. This surrounding light-shielding region A2a is preferable because it protects the various sensors from sunlight. It is also preferable from a design standpoint because the wiring of the various sensors becomes invisible from outside the vehicle. The position where the far-infrared transmitting region B is formed is not limited to within the light-shielding region A2, but can be any position.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, the far-infrared transmitting region B is formed near the upper edge 1a of the vehicle glass 1 in the Y direction and near the center of the vehicle glass 1 in the X direction. That is, the opening 19 and the transmitting member 20 are formed near the upper edge 1a of the vehicle glass 1 in the Y direction and near the center of the vehicle glass 1 in the X direction. Furthermore, the visible light transmitting region C is preferably located near the upper edge 1a in the Y direction and near the far-infrared transmitting region B, similar to the far-infrared transmitting region B.

[0045] Specifically, the center of the far-infrared transmission region B as viewed from the Z direction is defined as the center point OB, and the center of the visible light transmission region C as viewed from the Z direction is defined as the center point OC. When viewed from the Z direction, the shortest distance between the far-infrared transmission region B (the opening 19 described later) and the visible light transmission region C is defined as distance L. Preferably, distance L is greater than 0 mm and 100 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 80 mm or less. By positioning the visible light transmission region C within this range relative to the far-infrared transmission region B, it is possible to capture images at close range with the far-infrared camera CA1 and the visible light camera CA2, while suppressing the amount of transmission distortion in the visible light transmission region C, allowing the visible light camera CA2 to capture images appropriately. By capturing images at close range with the far-infrared camera CA1 and the visible light camera CA2, the load on the computational processing of the data obtained from each camera is reduced, and the routing of power and signal cables is also optimized.

[0046] As shown in Figure 2, it is preferable that the visible light transmission region C and the far-infrared transmission region B are located side by side in the X direction. That is, it is preferable that the visible light transmission region C is not located on the Y-direction side of the far-infrared transmission region B, but is aligned with the far-infrared transmission region B in the X direction. By arranging the visible light transmission region C side by side with the far-infrared transmission region B in the X direction, the parallax between the far-infrared camera CA1 and the visible light camera CA2 can be minimized, improving the object recognition rate of the target object, and the visible light transmission region C can be positioned near the upper edge 1a. Therefore, the driver's field of view in the light-transmitting region A1 can be appropriately secured. Note that being located side by side in the X direction means being within a range of ±50 mm with respect to the Y direction.

[0047] (Camera Unit) Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the camera unit of the first embodiment. The camera unit 100 includes a vehicle glass 1 including a glass member 10, a transparent member 20 and a frame member 30, a far-infrared camera CA1, a visible light camera CA2 and a cover unit 40.

[0048] The vehicle glass 1 is mounted on the vehicle V so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Therefore, if the direction along the downward vertical direction is defined as the YV direction, the Y direction of the vehicle glass 1 when mounted on the vehicle V is inclined with respect to the YV direction. Also, if the horizontal direction from the front to the rear of the vehicle V is defined as the ZV direction, the Z direction of the vehicle glass 1 when mounted on the vehicle V is inclined with respect to the ZV direction. However, the vehicle glass 1 is not limited to being mounted on the vehicle V so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction; for example, the Y direction of the vehicle glass 1 when mounted on the vehicle V may be along the YV direction, and the Z direction of the vehicle glass 1 when mounted on the vehicle V may be along the ZV direction. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the vehicle glass 1 is described in the state in which it is mounted on the vehicle V.

[0049] The type of far-infrared camera CA1 is not particularly limited, and any known far-infrared camera can be used. The far-infrared camera CA1 is sensitive to light with a wavelength of at least 8 μm to 13 μm. The far-infrared camera CA1 is installed on the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the vehicle glass 1's transparent member 20 so that it can capture an external thermal image through the far-infrared transmission region B of the vehicle glass 1. More specifically, the far-infrared camera CA1 is installed so that its detection range S passes through the transparent member 20. The detection range S refers to the range (imaging range) that the far-infrared camera CA1 can detect. The far-infrared camera CA1 can be said to detect far-infrared rays that enter through the detection range S. The detection range S can be described as a space that expands around the optical axis AXR with a predetermined field of view angle as it moves away from the far-infrared camera CA1. The size and field of view angle of the detection range S may be set appropriately depending on the distance and range to be detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. The field of view of the far-infrared camera CA1 is preferably 100 degrees or less, more preferably 70 degrees or less, and even more preferably 40 degrees or less. Furthermore, the field of view of the far-infrared camera CA1 is preferably 10 degrees or more, more preferably 15 degrees or more, and even more preferably 20 degrees or more. In this embodiment, the upper and lower numerical values ​​can be combined as appropriate. The far-infrared camera CA1 is attached, for example, to the inner surface (Z2 direction side) 18B of the glass member 10 by a mounting mechanism not shown.

[0050] The type of visible light camera CA2 is not particularly limited, and any known visible light camera can be used. The visible light camera CA2 is installed on the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the vehicle glass 1 so that it can capture images of the outside through the visible light transmission area C of the vehicle glass 1. Preferably, the visible light camera CA2 is mounted so that the optical axis AXR of the far infrared camera CA1 and the optical axis of the visible light camera CA2 are approximately parallel. Approximately parallel is a concept that includes not only cases where these optical axes are perfectly parallel, but also cases where they are slightly deviated from parallel by an error margin. By doing so, the optical axis AXR of the far infrared camera CA1 and the center of the field of view of the visible light camera CA2 almost coincide, which is preferable when combining images obtained from these cameras for information processing.

[0051] The cover unit 40 is installed on the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the vehicle glass 1. The cover unit 40 houses the far-infrared camera CA1. The cover unit 40 may also house a visible light camera CA2. The cover unit 40 prevents objects that have penetrated the transparent member 20 from the outside of the vehicle from reaching the interior of the vehicle, and prevents occupants and other objects that collide from the inside of the vehicle from being thrown out of the vehicle during a collision with the vehicle V. The cover unit 40 of the first embodiment has a cover member 50.

[0052] The cover member 50 is attached to the glass member 10 so as to cover the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the transparent member 20. Specifically, the end of the cover member 50 is attached to the interior side (Z2 direction side) surface 18B of the glass member 10. The cover member 50 is preferably made of a material that does not transmit visible light, thereby preventing the far-infrared camera CA1 etc. housed in the cover member 50 from being visible to the occupants of the vehicle V from the interior side surface 50B of the cover member 50.

[0053] A portion of the surface 50A of the cover member 50 on the side facing the transmission member 20 is reflected by the transmission member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. Hereafter, the region of the surface 50A of the cover member 50 detected by the far-infrared camera CA1 will be referred to as the reflection region R. The emissivity ε in the reflection region R of the surface 50A of the cover member 50 preferably has a variation of 0.4 or less, more preferably 0.3 or less, even more preferably 0.2 or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 or less. Here, variation refers to the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the emissivity ε in the reflection region R. By making the variation of the emissivity ε of the entire reflection region R 0.4 or less, unevenness in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted from the surface 50A of the cover member 50 in the reflection region R can be suppressed. As a result, image noise caused by far-infrared radiation emitted from the cover member 50 can be suppressed in the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 on the transmission member 20.

[0054] The emissivity ε is measured using known methods such as JIS A1423:2017 "Simplified method for measuring normal emissivity using an infrared radiation thermometer" or JIS R 1801:2002 "Method for measuring spectral emissivity of ceramics used as radiating elements in far-infrared heaters using FTIR".

[0055] Emissivity ε varies depending on the material, surface condition, and temperature of the surface of a substance. Surface condition includes surface roughness and oxidation state. Generally, emissivity ε tends to be higher for nonmetals than for metals, higher for oxidized or rough surfaces than for polished surfaces, and higher at higher temperatures than at lower temperatures. The surface 50A of the cover member 50 may be covered with a non-oxidizing film that has a different composition from the base material, such as an oxide film, paint, or film. This suppresses the change in emissivity ε due to rusting on a portion of the surface 50A, which can lead to large variations in emissivity ε in the reflection region R. The reflection region R of at least the surface 50A of the cover member 50 may be formed of metal, nonmetal, or both metal and nonmetal. The reflective region R of at least the surface 50A of the cover member 50 is formed from, for example, at least one of the following metals: composite alloy plated steel sheet, galvanized steel sheet, painted galvanized steel sheet, pre-coated steel sheet, phosphate-treated steel sheet, oxidized stainless steel, blast-treated stainless steel, etc. Alternatively, it may be formed from at least one nonmetal selected from glass fiber reinforced polyamide, glass fiber reinforced polyimide, glass fiber reinforced polypropylene, etc.

[0056] The emissivity ε in the reflective region R of the surface 50A of the cover member 50 is preferably 0.2 or more and 1.0 or less, more preferably 0.25 or more and 0.9 or less, and even more preferably 0.3 or more and 0.7 or less.

[0057] The specular reflectance ρ in the reflective region R of the surface 50A of the cover member 50 is preferably 20% or less, and more preferably 10% or less. Having the specular reflectance ρ within this range suppresses image noise caused by far-infrared rays emitted from surrounding objects being reflected by the cover member 50. The specular reflectance ρ is measured by a known method such as JIS D570.

[0058] The thickness of the cover member 50 is preferably 0.5 mm to 3 mm, more preferably 0.7 mm to 2.5 mm, and even more preferably 0.9 mm to 2.0 mm. The thermal conductivity of the cover member 50 is preferably 1 W / (m·K) to 1000 W / (m·K), more preferably 10 W / (m·K) to 300 W / (m·K), and even more preferably 15 W / (m·K) to 100 W / (m·K). By having the thickness and thermal conductivity of the cover member 50 within this range, in-plane temperature variations in the reflection region R of the surface 50A of the cover member 50 are less likely to occur, and variations in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted can be suppressed. The thermal conductivity is measured by known methods such as JIS A 1412-2 or ISO 22007-3.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the frame member 30 is not included in the region that is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. In other words, in the first embodiment, the frame member 30 does not have a reflective region that is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1.

[0060] (Second Embodiment) (Camera Unit) Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the camera unit of the second embodiment. The camera unit 102 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, instead of the cover unit 40 having a cover member 50, it includes a cover unit 42 having a first cover member 60 and a second cover member 70.

[0061] The cover unit 42, like the cover unit 40 in the first embodiment, is provided on the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the vehicle glass 1, and houses the far-infrared camera CA1, and may also house the visible light camera CA2.

[0062] The first cover member 60 is attached to the glass member 10 so as to cover the interior side (Z2 direction side) of the transparent member 20, similar to the cover member 50 of the first embodiment. Specifically, the end of the first cover member 60 is attached to the interior side (Z2 direction side) surface 18B of the glass member 10. The first cover member 60 is preferably made of a material that does not transmit visible light, thereby preventing the far-infrared camera CA1 etc. housed in the first cover member 60 from being visible to the occupants of the vehicle V from the interior side surface 60B of the first cover member 60.

[0063] The second cover member 70 is provided between the transparent member 20 and the first cover member 60. One end of the second cover member 70 is attached to the interior (Z2 direction) surface 18B of the glass member 10. The surface 70B of the second cover member 70 on the first cover member 60 side faces the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 on the transparent member 20 side. The second cover member 70 is meshed and perforated for purposes such as weight reduction and shock absorption. In other words, the second cover member 70 has a hole 72 that penetrates from the surface 70A on the transparent member 20 side to the surface 70B on the first cover member 60 side.

[0064] In other words, in the cover unit 40 of the first embodiment, the cover member 50 is responsible for both aesthetic design and impact resistance, whereas in the cover unit 42 of the second embodiment, the first cover member 60 is responsible for the aesthetic design function, and the second cover member 70 is mainly responsible for the impact resistance function.

[0065] A portion of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 on the side facing the transparent member 20 passes through the hole 72 of the second cover member 70, is reflected by the transparent member 20, and is detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. Hereafter, the region of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 detected by the far-infrared camera CA1 will be called the first reflection region R1. Similarly, a portion of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 on the side facing the transparent member 20 is reflected by the transparent member 20 and is detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. Hereafter, the region of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 detected by the far-infrared camera CA1 will be called the second reflection region R2. The portion of the second cover member 70 in which the hole 72 is formed is excluded from the second reflection region R2.

[0066] The emissivity ε in the reflection region R, which is the sum of the first reflection region R1 of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 and the second reflection region R2 of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70, preferably has a variation of 0.4 or less, more preferably 0.3 or less, even more preferably 0.2 or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 or less. Here, variation refers to the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of emissivity ε in the reflection region R. The maximum value of emissivity ε in the reflection region R is the larger of the maximum value of emissivity ε in the first reflection region R1 and the maximum value of emissivity ε in the second reflection region R2. The minimum value of emissivity ε in the reflection region R is the smaller of the minimum value of emissivity ε in the first reflection region R1 and the minimum value of emissivity ε in the second reflection region R2. By reducing the variation in the emissivity ε across the entire reflection region R to 0.4 or less, unevenness in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted from the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 and the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 in the reflection region R can be suppressed. As a result, image noise caused by far-infrared radiation emitted from the first cover member 60 and the second cover member 70 can be suppressed in the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 in the transmission member 20.

[0067] In the second embodiment, the difference in emissivity ε between the first reflection region R1 of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 and the second reflection region R2 of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 may be 0.4 or less, or 0.3 or less, or 0.2 or less, or 0.1 or less. Specifically, the difference between the average value of emissivity ε per unit area in the first reflection region R1 and the average value of emissivity ε per unit area in the second reflection region R2 may be 0.4 or less, or 0.3 or less, or 0.2 or less, or 0.1 or less.

[0068] The surface 60A of the first cover member 60 may be covered with a non-oxidizing film having a different composition from the base material, such as an oxide film, paint, or film. This suppresses the increase in emissivity ε due to rusting on a portion of the surface 60A, which can lead to a large variation in emissivity ε in the first reflection region R1. The first reflection region R1 of at least the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 may be formed of metal, nonmetal, or both metal and nonmetal. For example, the first reflection region R1 of at least the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 may be formed of at least one metal selected from composite alloy plated steel sheet, galvanized steel sheet, painted galvanized steel sheet, pre-coated steel sheet, phosphate-treated steel sheet, oxidized stainless steel, blast-treated stainless steel, etc. The first reflection region R1 of at least the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 may be formed of at least one nonmetal selected from glass fiber reinforced polyamide, glass fiber reinforced polyimide, glass fiber reinforced polypropylene, etc.

[0069] Furthermore, the emissivity ε in the first reflection region R1 of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 is preferably 0.2 or more and 1.0 or less, more preferably 0.25 or more and 0.9 or less, and even more preferably 0.3 or more and 0.7 or less.

[0070] The specular reflectance ρ in the first reflection region R1 of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 is preferably 20% or less, and more preferably 10% or less. Having the specular reflectance ρ within this range suppresses image noise caused by far-infrared rays emitted from surrounding objects being reflected by the cover member 50.

[0071] The thickness of the first cover member 60 is preferably 0.5 mm to 3 mm, more preferably 0.7 mm to 2.5 mm, and even more preferably 0.9 mm to 2.0 mm. The thermal conductivity of the first cover member 60 is preferably 1 W / (m·K) to 1000 W / (m·K), more preferably 10 W / (m·K) to 300 W / (m·K), and even more preferably 15 W / (m·K) to 100 W / (m·K). By having the thickness and thermal conductivity of the first cover member 60 within this range, in-plane temperature variations in the first reflection region R1 of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 are less likely to occur, and variations in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted can be suppressed.

[0072] Furthermore, the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 may be covered with a non-oxidizing film having a different composition from the base material, such as an oxide film, paint, or film. This suppresses the increase in emissivity ε due to rusting on a portion of the surface 70A, which can lead to a large variation in emissivity ε in the second reflection region R2. The second reflection region R2 of at least the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 may be formed of metal, nonmetal, or both metal and nonmetal. For example, the second reflection region R2 of at least the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 may be formed of at least one metal selected from composite alloy plated steel sheet, galvanized steel sheet, painted galvanized steel sheet, pre-coated steel sheet, phosphate-treated steel sheet, oxidized stainless steel, blast-treated stainless steel, etc. The second reflection region R2 of at least the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 may be formed of at least one nonmetal selected from glass fiber reinforced polyamide, glass fiber reinforced polyimide, glass fiber reinforced polypropylene, etc.

[0073] Furthermore, the emissivity ε in the second reflection region R2 of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 is preferably 0.2 or more and 1.0 or less, more preferably 0.25 or more and 0.9 or less, and even more preferably 0.3 or more and 0.7 or less.

[0074] The specular reflectance ρ in the second reflection region R2 of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 is preferably 20% or less, and more preferably 10% or less. Having the specular reflectance ρ within this range suppresses image noise caused by far-infrared rays emitted from surrounding objects being reflected by the cover member 50.

[0075] The thickness of the second cover member 70 is preferably 0.5 mm to 3 mm, more preferably 0.7 mm to 2.5 mm, and even more preferably 0.9 mm to 2.0 mm. The thermal conductivity of the second cover member 70 is preferably 1 W / (m·K) to 1000 W / (m·K), more preferably 10 W / (m·K) to 300 W / (m·K), and even more preferably 15 W / (m·K) to 100 W / (m·K). By having the thickness and thermal conductivity of the second cover member 70 within this range, in-plane temperature variations in the second reflection region R2 of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 are less likely to occur, and variations in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted can be suppressed.

[0076] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the frame member 30 is not included in the region that is reflected by the transmissive member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. In other words, in the second embodiment, the frame member 30 does not have a reflective region that is reflected by the transmissive member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1.

[0077] (Third Embodiment) (Camera Unit) Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the camera unit of the third embodiment. The components of the camera unit 104 according to the third embodiment are the same as the components of the camera unit 102 according to the second embodiment. In the camera unit 104 according to the second embodiment, the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 is wider than that of the first embodiment.

[0078] In the third embodiment, the frame member 30 is included in the region that is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. In other words, in the third embodiment, the frame member 30 has a third reflection region R3 that is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1.

[0079] The emissivity ε in the reflection region R, which is the sum of the first reflection region R1 of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60, the second reflection region R2 of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70, and the third reflection region R3 of the surface (inner circumferential surface 30C) of the frame member 30, preferably has a variation of 0.4 or less, more preferably 0.3 or less, even more preferably 0.2 or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 or less. Here, variation is the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of emissivity ε in the reflection region R. The maximum value of emissivity ε in the reflection region R is the larger of the maximum value of emissivity ε in the first reflection region R1, the maximum value of emissivity ε in the second reflection region R2, and the maximum value of emissivity ε in the third reflection region R3. The minimum value of emissivity ε in the reflection region R is the smaller of the minimum value of emissivity ε in the first reflection region R1, the minimum value of emissivity ε in the second reflection region R2, and the minimum value of emissivity ε in the third reflection region R3. By reducing the variation in the emissivity ε across the entire reflection region R to 0.4 or less, it is possible to suppress unevenness in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted from the surface 60A of the first cover member 60, the surface 70A of the second cover member 70, and the surface (inner circumferential surface 30C) of the frame member 30 in the reflection region R. As a result, it is possible to suppress image noise caused by far-infrared radiation emitted from the first cover member 60, the second cover member 70, and the frame member 30 in the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 in the transmission member 20.

[0080] (Other Embodiments) In the configuration of the first embodiment, which includes a cover unit 40 having one cover member 50, the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 may be widened as in the third embodiment. That is, the frame member 30 may be included in the region that is reflected by the transmission member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. In this case, the emissivity ε in the reflection region R, which is the sum of the reflection region R of the surface 50A of the cover member 50 and the third reflection region R3 of the surface (inner circumferential surface 30C) of the frame member 30, is preferably 0.4 or less, more preferably 0.3 or less, even more preferably 0.2 or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 or less.

[0081] (Effects of the present disclosure) Camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the first aspect of the present disclosure include a glass member 10 in which an opening 19 is formed that penetrates from the surface 12A on the first direction side (Z1 direction side) to the surface 18B on the second direction side (Z2 direction side) opposite to the first direction side; a transmitting member 20 disposed in the opening 19 and having an average transmittance of 50% or more of light with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm; a far-infrared camera CA1 disposed on the second direction side (Z2 direction side) of the transmitting member 20 such that the detection range passes through the transmitting member 20 and is sensitive to light with wavelengths of 8 μm to 13 μm; and cover units 40 and 42 that cover the second direction side (Z2 direction side) of the transmitting member 20, wherein the variation in emissivity ε in the reflection region R of the surfaces 50A, 60A, and 70A of the cover units 40 and 42 that are reflected by the transmitting member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1 is 0.4 or less. The camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the first embodiment can suppress unevenness in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted from the surfaces 50A, 60A, and 70A of the cover units 40 and 42 in the reflection region R by reducing the variation in the emissivity ε of the entire reflection region R to 0.4 or less. As a result, image noise caused by far-infrared radiation emitted from the cover units 40 and 42 can be suppressed in the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 in the transmission member 20.

[0082] Camera units 102, 104 according to a second aspect of the present disclosure are camera units 102, 104 according to the first aspect, wherein the cover unit 42 includes a first cover member 60 that covers the second direction side (Z2 direction side) of the transparent member 20, and a second cover member 70 provided between the transparent member 20 and the first cover member 60, having a hole 72 that penetrates from the surface 70A on the transparent member 20 side to the surface 70B on the first cover member 60 side, wherein the reflection regions R of the surfaces 60A, 70A of the cover unit 42 include a first reflection region R1 of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60 that passes through the hole 72 and is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1, and a second reflection region R2 of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70 excluding the hole 72 that is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. The camera units 102 and 104 according to the second embodiment can suppress unevenness in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted from the surfaces 60A and 70A of the cover unit 42 in the reflection region R by reducing the variation in the emissivity ε of the entire reflection region R to 0.4 or less. As a result, image noise caused by far-infrared radiation emitted from the cover unit 42 can be suppressed in the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 in the transmission member 20.

[0083] Camera units 102, 104 according to a third aspect of this disclosure are camera units 102, 104 according to the first aspect, wherein the cover unit 42 includes a first cover member 60 that covers the second direction side (Z2 direction side) of the transparent member 20, and a second cover member 70 provided between the transparent member 20 and the first cover member 60, having a hole 72 that penetrates from the surface 70A on the transparent member 20 side to the surface 70B on the first cover member 60 side, wherein the difference between the average value of emissivity ε per unit area in the first reflection region R1 of the surface 60A of the first cover member 60, which passes through the hole 72 and is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1, and the average value of emissivity ε per unit area in the second reflection region R2 of the surface 70A of the second cover member 70, excluding the hole 72, which is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1, is 0.4 or less. The camera units 102 and 104 according to the third embodiment can suppress unevenness in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted from the surfaces 60A and 70A of the cover unit 42 in the first reflection region R1 and the second reflection region R2 by making the difference between the emissivity ε of the first reflection region R1 and the emissivity ε of the second reflection region R2 0.4 or less. As a result, image noise caused by far-infrared radiation emitted from the cover unit 42 can be suppressed in the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 in the transmission member 20.

[0084] The camera units 100 and 102 according to the fourth aspect of this disclosure are camera units 100 and 102 according to any of the first to third aspects, further comprising a frame member 30 that holds the outer periphery of the transparent member 20 and is attached to the opening 19, wherein the frame member 30 does not have a reflection region R that is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1. By not including the frame member 30 in the reflection region R, the camera units 100 and 102 according to the fourth aspect can suppress image noise caused by far-infrared rays emitted from the surface (inner circumferential surface 30C) of the frame member 30 in the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 in the transparent member 20.

[0085] A camera unit 104 according to a fifth aspect of this disclosure is a camera unit 104 according to either the first or second aspect, further comprising a frame member 30 that holds the outer periphery of the transparent member 20 and is attached to the opening 19, wherein the variation in emissivity ε between the reflection regions R, R1, R2 of the surfaces 50A, 60A, 70A of the cover unit 42 and the third reflection region R3 of the surface (inner surface 30C) of the frame member 30 that is reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1 is 0.4 or less. The camera unit 104 according to the fifth aspect can suppress unevenness in the amount of far-infrared radiation emitted from the surfaces 50A, 60A, 70A of the cover units 40, 42 and the surface (inner surface 30C) of the frame member 30 in the reflection region R by making the variation in emissivity ε of the entire reflection region R 0.4 or less. Therefore, in the detection range S of the far-infrared camera CA1 in the transparent member 20, image noise caused by far-infrared rays emitted from the cover units 40, 42 and the frame member 30 can be suppressed.

[0086] The camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the sixth aspect of this disclosure are camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to any of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the field of view of the far-infrared camera CA1 is 10 deg or more and 100 deg or less. By setting the field of view of the far-infrared camera CA1 within this range, the camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the sixth aspect can ensure the detection range S by the far-infrared camera CA1 while preventing the reflection region R of the surfaces 50A, 60A, and 70A of the cover units 40 and 42 from becoming too wide, thereby suppressing large variations in emissivity ε in the reflection region R.

[0087] The camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure are camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to any of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the emissivity ε in the reflection region R of the surfaces 50A, 60A, and 70A of the cover units 40 and 42, which are reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1, is 0.2 or more and 1.0 or less. By setting the emissivity ε in the reflection region R of the camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the seventh aspect to this range, image noise caused by far-infrared rays emitted from the cover can be suppressed.

[0088] The camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the eighth aspect of this disclosure are camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to any of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the specular reflectance ρ in the reflection region R of the surfaces 50A, 60A, and 70A of the cover units 40 and 42, which are reflected by the transparent member 20 and detected by the far-infrared camera CA1, is 20% or less. By setting the specular reflectance ρ in the reflection region R of the camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the eighth aspect to such a range, image noise caused by far-infrared rays emitted from surrounding objects being reflected by the cover member 50 can be suppressed.

[0089] The camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the ninth aspect of this disclosure are camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to any of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the transparent member 20 includes a substrate composed of at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnS, and chalcogenide glass. By using this material for the transparent member 20, the camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the ninth aspect can appropriately capture thermal images with the far-infrared camera CA1.

[0090] Camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the tenth aspect of this disclosure are camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to any of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the surface (surface 20A) of the transparent member 20 on the first direction side (Z1 direction side) is provided with 3 to 12 layers of anti-reflective coating, and the layer of the anti-reflective coating closest to the first direction is ZrO ｘ It is a film. The camera units 100, 102, and 104 according to the tenth embodiment are equipped with such an anti-reflective film on the transparent member 20, which enables the far-infrared camera CA1 to capture thermal images appropriately.

[0091] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to those described herein. Furthermore, the aforementioned components include those that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that fall within the so-called equivalent range. Moreover, the aforementioned components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments described above.

[0092] 1 Vehicle glass 10 Glass member 19 Opening 20 Transmitting member 30 Frame member 40, 42 Cover unit 50 Cover member 60 First cover member 70 Second cover member 72 Holes 100, 102, 104 Camera unit A1 Light-transmitting area A2 Light-blocking area B Far-infrared transmitting area C Visible light transmitting area CA1 Far-infrared camera CA2 Visible light camera R Reflection area R1 First reflection area R2 Second reflection area R3 Third reflection area S Detection range U Far-infrared transmitting unit V Vehicle

Claims

1. A camera unit comprising: a glass member having an opening formed therein that penetrates from the surface on a first direction side to the surface on a second direction side opposite to the first direction side; a transparent member disposed within the opening and having an average transmittance of 50% or more of light with a wavelength of 8 μm to 13 μm; a far-infrared camera disposed on the second direction side of the transparent member such that its detection range passes through the transparent member and is sensitive to light with a wavelength of 8 μm to 13 μm; and a cover unit covering the second direction side of the transparent member, wherein the variation in emissivity ε in the reflective region of the surface of the cover unit that is reflected by the transparent member and detected by the far-infrared camera is 0.4 or less.

2. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover unit comprises: a first cover member covering the second direction side of the transparent member; and a second cover member provided between the transparent member and the first cover member, having a hole formed therein that penetrates from the surface on the transparent member side to the surface on the first cover member side, and the reflective region of the surface of the cover unit includes: a first reflective region of the surface of the first cover member that passes through the hole and is reflected by the transparent member and detected by the far-infrared camera; and a second reflective region of the surface of the second cover member excluding the hole, which is reflected by the transparent member and detected by the far-infrared camera.

3. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover unit comprises: a first cover member covering the second direction side of the transparent member; and a second cover member provided between the transparent member and the first cover member, having a hole formed therein that penetrates from the surface on the transparent member side to the surface on the first cover member side, wherein the difference between the average value of emissivity ε per unit area in a first reflection region of the surface of the first cover member, which passes through the hole and is reflected by the transparent member and detected by the far-infrared camera, and the average value of emissivity ε per unit area in a second reflection region of the surface of the second cover member excluding the hole, which is reflected by the transparent member and detected by the far-infrared camera, is 0.4 or less.

4. The camera unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a frame member that holds the outer periphery of the transparent member and is attached to the opening, wherein the frame member does not have a reflective region that is reflected by the transparent member and detected by the far-infrared camera.

5. The camera unit according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a frame member that holds the outer periphery of the transparent member and is attached to the opening, wherein the variation in emissivity ε between the reflective region of the surface of the cover unit and the third reflective region of the surface of the frame member that is reflected by the transparent member and detected by the far-infrared camera is 0.4 or less.

6. The camera unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the far-infrared camera has a field of view of 10 degrees or more and 100 degrees or less.

7. The camera unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the emissivity ε in the reflective region of the surface of the cover unit, which is reflected by the transparent member and detected by the far-infrared camera, is 0.2 or more and 1.0 or less.

8. The camera unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the specular reflectance ρ in the reflective region of the surface of the cover unit, which is reflected by the transmissive member and detected by the far-infrared camera, is 20% or less.

9. The camera unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transparent member includes a substrate composed of at least one selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnS, and chalcogenide glass.

10. The surface of the transparent member facing the first direction is provided with 3 to 12 layers of anti-reflective coating, and the layer of the anti-reflective coating facing the first direction is ZrO ｘ A camera unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the camera unit is a membrane.

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