Cleaner

Abstract

A cleaner (1) comprises: a cylinder (60) into which air F flows; a piston (61) that can be displaced in the front-rear direction with respect to the cylinder (60) and that discharges the air F that flowed into the cylinder (60) into a nozzle (22) by displacement in the front direction; a spring member (64) that elastically deforms together with the displacement of the piston (61) in the front-rear direction; and a displacement mechanism (51) that displaces the piston (61) in the rear direction and performs a first operation (OP1) for causing the spring member (64) to store elastic energy and a second operation (OP2) for causing the piston (61) to be displaced forward by the elastic energy. The second operation (OP2) is initiated upon release of contact between portions (70A, 70B) where the displacement mechanism (51) and the piston (61) come into contact with each other. At least one of the material of the contact portion (70A) of the displacement mechanism (51) that comes into contact with the piston (61) and the material of the contact portion (70B) of the piston (61) that comes into contact with the displacement mechanism (51) is composed of a rubber material (70).

Description

Cleaner

[0001] The technology disclosed by this specification relates to a cleaner for removing foreign substances adhering to an object to be cleaned.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaner that injects high-pressure air toward an object to be cleaned. The cleaner includes a cylinder, a piston, a biasing spring that biases the piston, a moving mechanism that moves the piston to a predetermined position in the rear, and a nozzle. When the piston is moved rearward by the moving mechanism, the biasing spring contracts and a biasing force is applied to the piston.

[0003] The moving mechanism includes a worm rotated by a drive unit, a worm wheel meshing with the worm, and a pinion composed of a plurality of gear teeth provided on the worm wheel. The piston is provided with a plurality of rack teeth that mesh with the pinion. As the worm wheel rotates, the pinion rotates, and the rack teeth of the piston are pushed rearward, so that the piston is moved rearward.

[0004] When the piston is moved to a predetermined position in the rear, the meshing between the pinion and the rack teeth is released, and the piston is displaced forward by the biasing force. As a result, the air flowing into the cylinder is compressed, becomes high-pressure air, and is injected from the nozzle.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-95033

[0006] However, when the meshing between the pinion and the rack teeth is released while a biasing force is applied to the pinion during high-pressure air injection, the pinion and the rack teeth rub strongly, generating abnormal noise.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaner that suppresses abnormal noise generated during fluid injection.

[0008] The cleaner disclosed herein is a cleaner for removing foreign matter adhering to an object to be cleaned by spraying a fluid from a nozzle toward the object to be cleaned, and comprises a cylinder into which a fluid flows; a piston that can be displaced in the front-rear direction relative to the cylinder and, by displacement in the front direction, sends the fluid that has flowed into the cylinder toward the nozzle; a spring member that elastically deforms with the displacement of the piston in the front-rear direction; and a displacement mechanism that performs a first operation to displace the piston in the rear direction and store elastic energy in the spring member, and a second operation to displace the piston forward by the elastic energy, wherein the second operation is initiated by releasing contact between the displacement mechanism and the piston, and at least one of the materials of the contact portion of the displacement mechanism that contacts the piston and the contact portion of the piston that contacts the displacement mechanism is made of rubber.

[0009] The cleaner disclosed herein can suppress abnormal noises generated during fluid injection.

[0010] Figure 1A shows a cleaner mounted on the rear of a vehicle. Figure 1B shows a cleaner mounted on the rear of a vehicle. Figure 2 shows the overall configuration of the cleaner. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the cleaner's pump. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the cleaner's pump. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the cleaner's pump. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the cleaner's pump. Figure 7A is a diagram illustrating the state of the worm wheel mounting part before the rubber material is attached. Figure 7B is a diagram illustrating the state of the worm wheel mounting part after the rubber material is attached. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the worm wheel mounting part with the rubber material attached. Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating the state of the rubber material attached to the piston mounting part. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the rubber material.

[0011] (Outline of Embodiments in this Disclosure) First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described.

[0012] (1) The cleaner of the present disclosure is a cleaner for removing foreign matter adhering to an object to be cleaned by spraying a fluid from a nozzle toward the object to be cleaned, and comprises a cylinder into which a fluid flows, a piston which is capable of being displaced in the front-rear direction relative to the cylinder and which sends the fluid flowing into the cylinder toward the nozzle by the displacement toward the front, a spring member which is elastically deformed together with the displacement toward the front-rear direction of the piston, and a displacement mechanism which performs a first operation which displaces the piston toward the rear and stores elastic energy in the spring member, and a second operation which displaces the piston toward the front by the elastic energy, wherein the second operation is started by releasing contact between the displacement mechanism and the piston, and at least one of the materials of the contact portion of the displacement mechanism that contacts the piston and the material of the contact portion of the piston that contacts the displacement mechanism is made of rubber.

[0013] According to this disclosure, when the contact between the displacement mechanism and the piston is released at the start of the second operation and the piston is pushed forward by the elastic force of the spring member, if both the contact portion of the displacement mechanism and the contact portion of the piston are made of resin, they will come into strong contact without elastic deformation, and the impact when the contact between them is released may generate abnormal noise. Therefore, by making at least one of the materials of the contact portion of the displacement mechanism and the contact portion of the piston a rubber material (for example, any material with rubber elasticity such as nitrile rubber or urethane rubber), the rubber material deforms when it comes into contact with the other side, so the impact when the contact between them is released is mitigated and abnormal noise can be suppressed.

[0014] (2) In (1), the material of the contact portion of the displacement mechanism and the material of the contact portion of the piston may both be made of rubber.

[0015] By using rubber material for both the contact points of the displacement mechanism and the contact points of the piston, the abnormal noise generated when contact between them is released can be further suppressed.

[0016] (3) In (1) or (2), the displacement mechanism comprises a drive unit, a worm rotated by the driving force of the drive unit, and a worm wheel that meshes with the worm and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the worm, wherein the worm wheel comprises a driven gear that meshes with the worm and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the worm, a pinion with a plurality of gear teeth protruding from its outer circumference, and a mounting portion to which the rubber material is attached, wherein the driven gear, the pinion, and the mounting portion are integrally formed, and the piston may be configured to have a plurality of rack teeth that mesh with the plurality of gear teeth and displace the piston rearward in conjunction with the rotation of the worm wheel.

[0017] By integrally forming the driven gear that meshes with the worm, the pinion that meshes with the piston, and the mounting part to which the rubber material is attached, the number of parts can be reduced compared to when each part is constructed individually.

[0018] (4) In (3), the mounting portion may be provided with a cylindrical portion, the rubber material may be cylindrical in shape, and the inner surface of the rubber material and the side surface of the cylindrical portion may be in contact when the rubber material is attached to the mounting portion.

[0019] The rubber material is cylindrical and attached to the cylindrical part of the mounting section. When the rubber material attached to the worm wheel mounting section comes into contact with the piston before the second operation, the elastic force of the spring member causes the rubber material to rotate relative to the cylindrical part, with its inner surface sliding against the side surface of the cylindrical part. As a result, the contact point between the rubber material attached to the mounting section and the piston changes, and the load applied to the rubber material is distributed across the entire side surface of the rubber material. This suppresses wear of the rubber material.

[0020] (5) In (4), the mounting portion may be configured to include a projection that protrudes laterally from the side surface of the cylindrical portion, and the projection may have a tapered surface that is inclined toward the bottom surface of the rubber material when viewed from the mounting direction when attaching the rubber material to the cylindrical portion.

[0021] Since the mounting portion is provided with a protrusion, if the rubber material tries to come out of the cylindrical portion, the bottom surface of the rubber material will come into contact with the protrusion, thus preventing the rubber material from coming off the mounting portion. In addition, the protrusion portion is provided with a tapered surface that slopes toward the bottom surface of the rubber material, so when attaching the rubber material to the cylindrical portion, the inner surface of the rubber material slides against the tapered surface as it is pushed into the cylindrical portion, making it easier to attach the rubber material to the mounting portion compared to when there is no tapered surface.

[0022] (6) In (4) or (5), the rubber material may be configured to have grease applied to it.

[0023] Applying grease to rubber material reduces the coefficient of friction at the grease-applied areas. This, for example, suppresses wear on the side surface of the rubber material when it comes into contact with the piston's contact area. It also suppresses wear on the rubber material when it slides against the mounting area.

[0024] (7) In any of (4) to (6), the material of the cylindrical part may be made of polyacetal resin, and the material of the rubber material may be made of nitrile rubber.

[0025] By selecting materials with relatively low coefficients of friction for the cylindrical part and the rubber material, wear of the rubber material when it comes into contact with the piston can be suppressed. Here, polyacetal resin can be selected as the material for the cylindrical part, and nitrile rubber can be selected as the material for the rubber material.

[0026] (8) In any of (4) to (7), the piston may be configured such that the piston has a second mounting portion to which a rubber material is attached, the second mounting portion has a second cylindrical portion which is cylindrical in shape, the rubber material is cylindrical in shape, and when the rubber material is attached to the second mounting portion, the inner surface of the rubber material and the side surface of the second cylindrical portion are in contact, and the contact portion of the piston is on the side surface of the rubber material attached to the second mounting portion.

[0027] By using rubber material for both the contact points of the displacement mechanism and the contact points of the piston, the abnormal noise generated when contact between them is released can be further suppressed. Furthermore, by providing a second mounting portion on the piston, the rubber material can be attached to the piston.

[0028] In (9) and (8), the rubber material attached to the mounting portion and the rubber material attached to the second mounting portion may be configured to be the same part.

[0029] By using the same rubber material for both the worm wheel and the piston, the number of different parts used in the cleaner can be reduced.

[0030] In any of (10), (4) to (9), the mounting portion may be configured to include two cylindrical portions, the rubber material being attached to each of the cylindrical portions, and one of the rubber materials on each of the cylindrical portions being in contact with the contact portion of the piston.

[0031] Since at least one of the rubber materials attached to each cylindrical section will come into contact with the piston's contact area, the frequency of contact between each rubber material and the piston's contact area is reduced. This suppresses wear on the rubber material attached to the worm wheel mounting section.

[0032] (11) In any of (1) to (10), the fluid may be air, and the object to be cleaned may be the lens of an on-board camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for checking the area around the rear of the vehicle.

[0033] Because the lenses of in-car cameras are generally small, less than 1 cm in size, water droplets adhering to the lens can be easily removed by simply blowing a small amount of air onto it. Therefore, the cleaner's pump can be small, and the cleaner itself can be made smaller, making it easy to install in the vehicle.

[0034] (Details of Embodiments in this Disclosure) The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, based on preferred embodiments. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments are illustrative and not limiting to the invention, and not all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention.

[0035] (Embodiment) One embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1A to 10. Here, the X direction in Figures 3 to 6 is the front in the front-rear direction, and the Y direction is the right in the left-right direction. Also, the Z direction in Figures 7A to 10 is the up in the up-down direction.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the cleaner 1 is mounted, for example, on the body panel of the back door 200 of the vehicle V. The onboard camera 100 is a camera for checking, for example, the rear of the vehicle, and is mounted so that the lens 101 of the onboard camera 100 (an example of an object to be cleaned) is exposed to the outside of the back door 200 of the vehicle V. For example, when the vehicle V's gear is put into reverse, the onboard camera 100 starts taking pictures under the control of a vehicle control unit (ECU) (not shown). The cleaner 1 is also controlled by the vehicle control unit (ECU) to operate, for example, when the onboard camera 100 starts taking pictures.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, the cleaner 1 comprises a nozzle unit 2, a joint member 3, a hose 4, and a pump 5.

[0038] (Nozzle Unit 2) As shown in Figure 2, the nozzle unit 2 has a connecting part 21 and a nozzle 22 (an example of a spray nozzle), and can be attached to and detached from the in-vehicle camera 100 via the connecting part 21. The connecting part 21 is connected to the housing 102 of the in-vehicle camera 100 so as to cover the top surface of the in-vehicle camera 100. The nozzle 22 sprays compressed air F (an example of a fluid) toward the lens 101 of the in-vehicle camera 100. This removes foreign matter OBJ such as water droplets adhering to the lens 101.

[0039] The nozzle 22 is integrally formed with the connecting portion 21, and is positioned so that when the connecting portion 21 is connected to the housing 102, the tip of the nozzle 22 faces the lens surface of the lens 101. The nozzle unit 2 is formed from, for example, resin.

[0040] (Joint Member 3 and Hose 4) The joint member 3 is a member for joining the nozzle 22 of the nozzle unit 2 and the hose 4. One end of the joint member 3 is connected to the nozzle 22, and the other end is connected to the hose 4. The hose 4, together with the joint member 3, is a piping member that connects the nozzle 22 and the pump 5. One end of the hose 4 is connected to the joint member 3, and the other end is connected to the connecting discharge section 65 of the pump 5. The joint member 3 is made of, for example, resin. The hose 4 is made of, for example, resin or rubber.

[0041] (Pump 5) Pump 5 generates high-pressure air F to be sent to the nozzle 22. The generated high-pressure air F is sent from the outlet 65A of the connecting discharge section 65 to the nozzle 22 via the hose 4 and the joint member 3. Pump 5 is attached to a part of the vehicle body, for example, on the inside of the vehicle.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, the pump 5 comprises a displacement mechanism 51 and a piston 61. The displacement mechanism 51 and the piston 61 are housed in a case portion 50. As shown in Figure 3, the case portion 50 consists of a rear part 501 and a front part 502, and the piston 61 is located in a cylinder 60 formed in the front part 502.

[0043] (Displacement mechanism 51) As shown in Figure 3, the displacement mechanism 51 includes a drive motor 52 (an example of a drive unit), a worm 53, and a worm wheel 54.

[0044] (Drive motor 52) As shown in Figure 3, the drive motor 52 has a main body 52A and a motor shaft 52B extending rearward from the main body 52A. A worm 53 is fixed to the motor shaft 52B, and the worm 53 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor shaft 52B.

[0045] (Worm Wheel 54) The worm wheel 54 is formed of polyacetal resin. As shown in FIG. 7A, a driven gear 55, a cylindrical portion 50B, a pinion 56, and a pair of attachment portions 72 are integrally formed.

[0046] (Driven Gear 55) As shown in FIG. 3, the driven gear 55 is a helical gear that meshes with the worm 53 and is rotated as the worm 53 rotates. As a result, the worm wheel 54 is rotated in the rotational direction RD (clockwise direction) with the support shaft portion 50X as the rotation axis.

[0047] (Cylindrical Portion 50B) As shown in FIG. 7A, the cylindrical portion 50B has a vertically long cylindrical shape and protrudes upward from the center portion of the driven gear 55. As shown in FIG. 3, the cylindrical portion 50B is inserted through a support shaft portion 50X that protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the rear part 501 in the case portion 50. Thereby, the worm wheel 54 is supported by the case portion 50.

[0048] (Pinion 56) As shown in FIG. 7A, the pinion 56 is located above the driven gear 55 and protrudes in a direction intersecting the vertical direction from the cylindrical portion 50B. The pinion 56 is coaxial with the driven gear 55 and rotates together with the driven gear 55. The outer diameter of the pinion 56 is formed smaller than the outer diameter of the driven gear 55.

[0049] (Gear Teeth 57 and Toothless Portions 58) As shown in FIG. 7A, a plurality of gear teeth 57 protruding radially and a plurality of toothless portions 58, which are portions where no gear teeth are provided, are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the pinion 56.

[0050] Four gear teeth 57 are formed, and the opposing gear teeth (gear teeth 57A shown in FIG. 7A, gear teeth 57B shown in FIG. 3) are formed in the same shape. The opposing gear teeth 57A facing each other constitute the first pair, and the opposing gear teeth 57B provided between the first pair constitute the second pair.

[0051] Each of the four gear teeth 57 is formed such that the spacing between it and one adjacent gear tooth is different from the spacing between it and the other adjacent gear tooth. For example, as shown in Figure 7A, in the case of one gear tooth 57B, the spacing between it and the gear tooth 57A on the left side of the page is longer than the spacing between it and the gear tooth 57A on the right side of the page.

[0052] There are four missing teeth 58, and as shown in Figure 3, they are formed so that opposing missing teeth (missing teeth 58A to each other, missing teeth 58B to each other) are the same length. Opposite missing teeth 58A to each other form a first pair, and opposite missing teeth 58B to each other, located between the first pair, form a second pair. As shown in Figure 7A, the length of the missing teeth 58A is shorter than the length of the missing teeth 58B.

[0053] (Mounting portion 72) As shown in Figure 7A, the pair of mounting portions 72 are located above the pinion 56 and protrude from the cylindrical portion 50B in directions intersecting the vertical direction, and are provided to protrude further upward.

[0054] (Cylindrical portion 74 and protruding portion 76) The portion of each mounting portion 72 that protrudes upward is a cylindrical portion 74, and a protruding portion 76 is provided at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 74. The protruding portions 76 are paired and are provided protruding from the cylindrical portion 74 in directions that intersect with the vertical direction.

[0055] (Rubber material 70) The rubber material 70 is made of nitrile rubber and is cylindrical in shape, as shown in Figure 10. Grease GR is applied to all surfaces of the rubber material 70 (side surface 70F, bottom surface 70S, and inner surface 70N). As shown in Figure 7A, the rubber material 70 is attached to the cylindrical portion 74 of the mounting portion 72 from the mounting direction MD (from top to bottom on the cylindrical portion 74). As shown in Figure 8, when the rubber material 70 is attached to the mounting portion 72, the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 and the side surface 74F of the cylindrical portion 74 are in contact.

[0056] Here, since the cylindrical portion 74 is provided with a pair of protrusions 76, even if the attached rubber material 70 tries to come off upward, the bottom surface 70S of the rubber material 70 will come into contact with the protrusions 76 from below, thereby preventing the rubber material 70 from coming off the cylindrical portion 74.

[0057] As shown in Figure 8, the protruding portion 76 of the cylindrical portion 74 has a tapered surface 76F that slopes toward the bottom surface 70S of the rubber material 70 when viewed from the mounting direction MD. As a result, when attaching the rubber material 70 to the cylindrical portion 74, the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 slides against the tapered surface 76F as it is pressed into the cylindrical portion 74, so that the rubber material 70 can be easily attached to the cylindrical portion 74.

[0058] As shown in Figure 4, the gear teeth 57A (shown by dotted lines) of the pinion 56 are located below the mounting portion 72 and the rubber material 70. When viewed from above, the gear teeth 57A are contained within the outer dimensions of the rubber material 70, and therefore the gear teeth 57A cannot be seen from above.

[0059] (Cylinder 60) As shown in Figure 3, the cylinder 60 is a long cylindrical shape in the front-rear direction, and a space 60A is formed inside the cylinder 60 in which the piston 61 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 5, when the piston 61 is moved to its maximum rearward position, air F is stored in the space 60A inside the cylinder 60.

[0060] (Connecting discharge section 65) As shown in Figure 3, a connecting discharge section 65 is formed near the front end of the cylinder 60, protruding to the right. The diameter of the discharge port 65A of the connecting discharge section 65 is smaller than the diameter of the space 60A of the cylinder 60.

[0061] (Piston 61) As shown in Figure 3, the piston 61 is composed of a piston body 66 and a rack 62.

[0062] (Piston body 66 and sealing member 61A) The piston body 66 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an annular groove is formed on the outer circumference of the piston body 66. A sealing member 61A, made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber or resin, is placed in the groove of the piston body 66.

[0063] The diameter of the sealing member 61A is formed to be slightly larger than the diameter of the piston body 66, and the outer circumference of the sealing member 61A protrudes slightly outward from the outer surface of the piston body 66. The piston body 66 is configured such that the sealing member 61A slides against the inner surface of the cylinder 60 in the space 60A.

[0064] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the piston 61 reciprocates in the forward and backward direction relative to the cylinder 60. As shown in Figure 6, when the piston 61 is moved to its maximum forward position, the outer circumferential surface of the sealing member 61A is positioned to block the discharge port 65A of the connecting discharge section 65 from the side of the space 60A of the cylinder 60.

[0065] (Rack 62) As shown in Figure 3, the rack 62 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction and is connected to the rear side of the piston body 66. The rack 62 is inserted through an insertion hole (not shown) formed in the rear part 501 of the case 50 and is supported by the case 50. The rack 62 reciprocates in the front-rear direction together with the piston body 66.

[0066] As shown in Figure 9, two rack teeth 63 are provided at the rear end of the rack 62, spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Of the two rack teeth 63, the rear one is designated as the first rack tooth 63A, and the front one as the second rack tooth 63B.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4, the distance between the first rack tooth 63A and the second rack tooth 63B is formed to be approximately the same as the distance between the gear tooth 57B of the pinion 56 and the gear tooth 57A immediately behind it in the rotational direction RD of the pinion 56. Each rack tooth 63A, 63B of the rack 62 is capable of meshing with the gear tooth 57 of the pinion 56.

[0068] (Mounting portion 720) As shown in Figure 9, a mounting portion 720 (an example of a second mounting portion) is provided on the rear side of the rack 62. The mounting portion 720 is composed of a cylindrical portion 740 (an example of a second cylindrical portion) and a protruding portion 760 having a tapered surface 760F, and rubber material 70 is attached to the mounting portion 720. The shapes of the cylindrical portion 740, the protruding portion 760, and the tapered surface 760F in the mounting portion 720 are the same as the shapes of the cylindrical portion 74, the protruding portion 76, and the tapered surface 76F in the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54. In addition, the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 720 is the same part as the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54.

[0069] The cylindrical portion 740 is provided projecting upward from a square plate-shaped portion formed at the upper end of the rack 62, and when viewed from above, is located between the first rack teeth 63A and the second rack teeth 63B. When the rubber material 70 is attached to the mounting portion 720, the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 and the side surface 740F of the cylindrical portion 740 are in contact. The other configurations are the same as those of the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54.

[0070] (Spring member 64) As shown in Figure 3, a spring member 64 is supported between the rear end of the piston body 66 and the rear part 501 of the case portion 50. The spring member 64 is made of a compression coil and elastically deforms inside the cylinder 60 along with the displacement of the piston 61 in the front-rear direction. The spring member 64 biases the piston 61 forward.

[0071] (Positional relationship of gear teeth 57A, 57B and rack teeth 63A, 63B) As shown in Figure 7A, in the pinion 56 of the worm wheel 54, the width W2 of the gear teeth 57B is formed to be less than half the width W1 of the gear teeth 57A. The gear teeth 57B are located on the lower end side of the outer circumference of the pinion 56.

[0072] As shown in Figure 9, in the rack 62, the width W4 of the second rack tooth 63B is less than half the width W3 of the first rack tooth 63A. Also, the second rack tooth 63B is located on the upper side of the left face of the rack 62. As a result, the second rack tooth 63B meshes with the gear tooth 57A of the pinion 56 (as shown in Figure 4), but does not mesh with the gear tooth 57B located on the lower end of the outer circumference of the pinion 56.

[0073] (Operation of Cleaner 1) The operation of Cleaner 1 will be explained here with reference to Figures 3 to 6. For example, when the gear of the vehicle V is switched to reverse or the operation switch of Cleaner 1 is turned ON, the drive motor 52 is driven by the control of the vehicle control unit (ECU). The drive of the drive motor 52 rotates the worm 53, and the driven gear 55 of the worm wheel 54, which is meshed with the worm 53, rotates in the rotation direction RD in Figure 3.

[0074] When the driven gear 55 rotates, the pinion 56, which is integrally formed with the driven gear 55, rotates, and as shown in Figure 3, first the gear teeth 57B of the pinion 56 mesh with the first rack teeth 63A of the rack 62. As a result, the gear teeth 57B push the first rack teeth 63A backward, and the entire piston 61 is displaced backward. The backward displacement of the piston 61 compresses the spring member 64, and elastic energy is stored in the spring member 64.

[0075] As the pinion 56 rotates further, the gear teeth 57B of the rack 62 disengage from the first rack teeth 63A, and the gear teeth 57A of the pinion 56 engage with the second rack teeth 63B of the rack 62, as shown in Figure 4.

[0076] At this time, the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54 and the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 720 of the rack 62 come into contact, and as each rubber material 70 undergoes elastic deformation, the gear teeth 57A push the second rack teeth 63B backward. As a result, the piston 61 is displaced further backward, and more elastic energy is stored in the spring member 64. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, this operation in which elastic energy is stored in the spring member 64 is referred to as the first operation OP1.

[0077] Here, since grease GR is applied to the side surface 70F of the rubber material 70, friction caused by contact between the rubber materials 70 is suppressed, and wear of the side surface 70F of the rubber material 70 is inhibited.

[0078] Furthermore, the rubber material 70 is made of nitrile rubber, and the mounting portion 72 is made of polyacetal resin, both of which are known to have relatively low coefficients of friction. In addition, to reduce the coefficient of friction of the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70, grease GR is also applied to the inner surface of the grease GR. Therefore, even if the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 slides against the side surface 74F of the cylindrical portion 74 due to contact between the rubber materials 70, wear of the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 is suppressed.

[0079] Furthermore, since grease GR is also applied to the bottom surface 70S of the rubber material 70, wear of the bottom surface 70S of the rubber material 70 is suppressed even when the bottom surface 70S slides against the protruding portion 76 of the mounting portion 72.

[0080] As the pinion 56 rotates further, the gear teeth 57A and the second rack teeth 63B are disengaged, as shown in Figure 5. At this time, contact is still maintained between the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54 and the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 720 of the rack 62.

[0081] Here, as shown in Figure 5, the contact portion 70A on the side surface 70F of the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54 is the portion that comes into contact with the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 720 of the rack 62. Also, the contact portion 70B on the side surface 70F of the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 720 of the rack 62 is the portion that comes into contact with the contact portion 70A of the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54.

[0082] As the pinion 56 rotates further, the contact between the contact portion 70A of the rubber material 70 on the mounting portion 72 and the contact portion 70B of the rubber material 70 on the mounting portion 720 is released, and the second operation OP2 is initiated, as shown in Figure 6. In the second operation OP2, the piston 61 is displaced forward by the elastic energy stored in the spring member 64. This generates high-pressure air F to remove foreign matter OBJ.

[0083] Here, since the length of the missing tooth portion 58B is formed to be longer than the length of the missing tooth portion 58A, compared to the case where the lengths of the missing tooth portion 58B and the missing tooth portion 58A are the same, when the piston 61 is displaced forward, the first rack teeth 63A of the rack 62 come into contact with the gear teeth 57B of the pinion 56, and the reduction in the amount of forward displacement of the piston 61 can be suppressed.

[0084] When cleaning is performed again after the injection of high-pressure air F, the same operation as described above is repeated by the gear teeth 57A and 57B of the pair of pinions 56 on the opposite side.

[0085] (Effects of this embodiment) Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. According to the cleaner 1 of this embodiment, air F is sprayed from a nozzle 22 (an example of a spray port) toward the lens 101 of the in-vehicle camera 100 to remove foreign matter OBJ adhering to the in-vehicle camera 100, and comprises a cylinder 60 into which air F flows, a piston 61 which can be displaced in the front-rear direction relative to the cylinder 60 and which sends the air F that has flowed into the cylinder 60 to the nozzle 22 when displaced in the front-rear direction, a spring member 64 which elastically deforms with the front-rear displacement of the piston 61, and displaces the piston 61 in the rearward direction The device includes a displacement mechanism 51 that performs a first operation OP1 to store elastic energy in a spring member 64 and a second operation OP2 to displace a piston 61 forward using the elastic energy. The second operation OP2 is initiated when the contact between the contact portions 70A and 70B of the displacement mechanism 51 and the piston 61 is released. At least one of the materials of the contact portion 70A of the displacement mechanism 51 that contacts the piston 61 and the contact portion 70B of the piston 61 that contacts the displacement mechanism 51 is made of rubber material 70.

[0086] According to this embodiment, when the contact between the displacement mechanism 51 and the piston 61 is released at the start of the second operation OP2, and the piston 61 is pushed forward by the elastic force of the spring member 64, if both the contact portion 70A of the displacement mechanism 51 and the contact portion 70B of the piston are made of resin, they will come into strong contact without elastic deformation, and the impact when the contact between them is released may generate abnormal noise. Therefore, by making at least one of the materials of the contact portion 70A of the displacement mechanism 51 and the contact portion 70B of the piston 61 out of rubber material 70 (for example, any material with rubber elasticity such as nitrile rubber or urethane rubber), the rubber material 70 deforms when it comes into contact with the other side, thus mitigating the impact when the contact between them is released and suppressing abnormal noise.

[0087] Furthermore, both the material of the contact portion 70A of the displacement mechanism 51 and the material of the contact portion 70B of the piston 61 are made of rubber material 70.

[0088] By making both the contact portion 70A of the displacement mechanism 51 and the contact portion 70B of the piston 61 out of rubber material 70, the abnormal noise generated when contact between them is released can be further suppressed.

[0089] Furthermore, the displacement mechanism 51 includes a drive motor 52 (an example of a drive unit), a worm 53 that is rotated by the driving force of the drive motor 52, and a worm wheel 54 that meshes with the worm 53 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the worm 53. The worm wheel 54 includes a driven gear 55 that meshes with the worm 53 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the worm 53, a pinion 56 with a plurality of gear teeth 57 protruding from its outer circumference, and a mounting portion 72 to which a rubber material 70 is attached. The driven gear 55, the pinion 56, and the mounting portion 72 are integrally formed. The piston 61 includes a plurality of rack teeth 63 that mesh with a plurality of gear teeth 57 and displace the piston 61 rearward in conjunction with the rotation of the worm wheel 54.

[0090] By integrally forming the worm wheel 54 that meshes with the worm 53, the pinion 56 that meshes with the piston 61, and the mounting portion 72 to which the rubber material 70 is attached, the number of parts can be reduced compared to when each component is constructed individually.

[0091] Furthermore, the mounting portion 72 is equipped with a cylindrical portion 74, and the rubber material 70 is cylindrical in shape. When the rubber material 70 is attached to the mounting portion 72, the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 and the side surface 74F of the cylindrical portion 74 are in contact.

[0092] Since the rubber material 70 is cylindrical and attached to the cylindrical portion 74 of the mounting portion 72, when the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54 comes into contact with the piston 61 before the second operation OP2, the elastic force of the spring member 64 causes the rubber material 70 to rotate relative to the cylindrical portion 74, with the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 sliding against the side surface 74F of the cylindrical portion 74. As a result, the contact area 70A between the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 and the piston 61 changes, and the load applied to the rubber material 70 is distributed across the entire side surface of the rubber material 70. This suppresses wear of the rubber material 70.

[0093] Furthermore, the mounting portion 72 includes a projection 76 that protrudes laterally from the side surface of the cylindrical portion 74, and the projection 76 has a tapered surface 76F that is inclined toward the bottom surface 70S of the rubber material 70 when viewed from the mounting direction MD when attaching the rubber material 70 to the cylindrical portion 74.

[0094] Since the mounting portion 72 is provided with a protrusion 76, if the rubber material 70 tries to come out of the cylindrical portion 74, the bottom surface 70S of the rubber material 70 will come into contact with the protrusion 76, thereby preventing the rubber material 70 from coming off the mounting portion 72. Furthermore, since the protrusion 76 is provided with a tapered surface 76F that slopes toward the bottom surface 70S of the rubber material 70, when attaching the rubber material 70 to the cylindrical portion 74, the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 slides against the tapered surface 76F, pushing the rubber material 70 into the cylindrical portion 74. Compared to the case without the tapered surface 76F, the rubber material 70 can be attached to the mounting portion 72 more easily.

[0095] Furthermore, grease GR is applied to the side surface 70F of the rubber material 70.

[0096] By applying grease GR to the rubber material 70, the coefficient of friction of the grease GR-applied portion of the rubber material 70 can be reduced. This suppresses wear, for example, when the side surface 70F of the rubber material 70 comes into contact with the contact portion 70B of the piston 61. It also suppresses wear when the rubber material 70 slides against the mounting portion 72.

[0097] Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 74 is made of polyacetal resin, and the rubber material 70 is made of nitrile rubber.

[0098] By selecting materials with relatively low coefficients of friction for the cylindrical portion 74 and the rubber material 70, wear of the rubber material 70 when it comes into contact with the piston 61 can be suppressed. Here, polyacetal resin can be selected as the material for the cylindrical portion 74, and nitrile rubber can be selected as the material for the rubber material 70.

[0099] Furthermore, the piston 61 is provided with a mounting portion 720 to which the rubber material 70 is attached, and the mounting portion 720 is provided with a cylindrical portion 740, and the rubber material 70 is cylindrical, with the inner surface 70N of the rubber material 70 and the side surface 740F of the cylindrical portion 740 in contact, and the contact portion 70B of the piston 61 is on the side surface 70F of the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 720.

[0100] By making both the contact portion 70A of the displacement mechanism 51 and the contact portion 70B of the piston 61 out of rubber material 70, the abnormal noise generated when contact between them is released can be further suppressed. In addition, by providing a mounting portion 720 on the piston 61, the rubber material 70 can be attached to the piston 61.

[0101] Furthermore, the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 and the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 720 are considered to be the same part.

[0102] By making the rubber material 70 attached to the worm wheel 54 and the rubber material 70 attached to the piston 61 the same part, the number of parts used in the cleaner 1 can be reduced.

[0103] Furthermore, at least two cylindrical portions 74 are provided, and rubber material 70 is attached to each cylindrical portion 74, with one of the rubber materials 70 on each cylindrical portion 74 contacting the contact portion 70B of the piston 61.

[0104] Since at least one of the rubber materials 70 attached to each cylindrical portion 74 comes into contact with the contact portion 70B of the piston 61, the frequency of contact between each rubber material 70 and the contact portion 70B of the piston 61 is reduced. This suppresses wear of the rubber material 70 attached to the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54.

[0105] Furthermore, the fluid is air F, and the object to be cleaned is the lens 101 of an onboard camera 100 mounted on the rear of the vehicle V, which is used to check the area around the rear of the vehicle V.

[0106] Since the lens 101 of the in-vehicle camera 100 is generally small, less than 1 cm in size, water droplets adhering to the lens can be easily removed by simply blowing a small amount of air onto the lens. For this reason, the pump 5 of the cleaner 1 can be small, and the cleaner 1 can be made smaller, so the cleaner 1 can be easily mounted on the vehicle V.

[0107] (Other Embodiments) (1) In the above embodiment, the on-board camera 100 and the cleaner 1 are mounted on the body panel of the back door 200 of the vehicle V, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the on-board camera 100 and the cleaner 1 may be mounted on the body panel on the front side or side of the vehicle.

[0108] (2) In the above embodiment, the cleaner 1 is a device for an in-vehicle camera 100, but it is not limited to this. For example, it can be applied as a device for cleaning foreign matter adhering to vehicle lights, windows, mirrors, collision prevention sensors, etc. Furthermore, the cleaner 1 is not limited to in-vehicle use, and may be applied, for example, to cleaning the lenses of outdoor surveillance cameras.

[0109] (3) In the above embodiment, the rubber material 70 was attached to both the mounting portion 72 of the worm wheel 54 and the mounting portion 720 of the piston 61, but it is not limited to this. For example, the rubber material may be attached to at least one of the worm wheel 54 and the piston 61, and the material of the contact portion on the other side to which the rubber material is not attached may be resin.

[0110] (4) In the above embodiment, the gear teeth 57A and 57B of the pinion 56 each formed an opposing pair, but this is not the only configuration. For example, the gear teeth 57A and 57B may be configured to be one each, without being paired.

[0111] (5) In the above embodiment, the pinion 56 was formed such that the length of the missing tooth portion 58B was longer than the length of the missing tooth portion 58A, but it is not limited to this. For example, the pinion may be formed such that the lengths of each missing tooth portion are all the same.

[0112] (6) In the above embodiment, the worm wheel 54, the pinion 56, and the mounting portion 72 were formed as a single unit, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the worm wheel, the pinion, and the mounting portion may each be made as separate parts.

[0113] (7) In the above embodiment, grease GR was applied to all surfaces of the rubber material 70, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, grease GR may be applied only to the side surface 70F of the rubber material 70.

[0114] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-180766, 2024-180750, 2024-180664, 2024-180707, 2024-180733, 2024-180781, 2024-180796, and 2025-060384, filed on 1 April 1, 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A cleaner for removing foreign matter adhering to an object to be cleaned by spraying a fluid from a nozzle onto the object to be cleaned, comprising: a cylinder into which a fluid flows; a piston that can be displaced in the front-rear direction relative to the cylinder and, by displacement in the front direction, sends the fluid that has flowed into the cylinder to the nozzle; a spring member that elastically deforms with the displacement of the piston in the front-rear direction; and a displacement mechanism that performs a first operation to displace the piston in the rear direction and store elastic energy in the spring member, and a second operation to displace the piston forward by the elastic energy, wherein the second operation is initiated by releasing contact between the displacement mechanism and the piston, and at least one of the materials of the contact portion of the displacement mechanism that contacts the piston and the contact portion of the piston that contacts the displacement mechanism is made of rubber.

2. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein both the material of the contact portion of the displacement mechanism and the material of the contact portion of the piston are made of rubber.

3. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the displacement mechanism comprises a drive unit, a worm rotated by the driving force of the drive unit, and a worm wheel that meshes with the worm and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the worm, the worm wheel comprises a driven gear that meshes with the worm and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the worm, a pinion with a plurality of gear teeth protruding from its outer circumference, and a mounting portion to which the rubber material is attached, the driven gear, the pinion and the mounting portion are integrally formed, and the piston comprises a plurality of rack teeth that mesh with the plurality of gear teeth and displace the piston rearward in conjunction with the rotation of the worm wheel.

4. The cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the mounting portion comprises a cylindrical portion, the rubber material is cylindrical in shape, and when the rubber material is attached to the mounting portion, the inner surface of the rubber material and the side surface of the cylindrical portion are in contact.

5. The cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the mounting portion includes a projection that protrudes laterally from the side surface of the cylindrical portion, and the projection has a tapered surface that, when viewed from the mounting direction when attaching the rubber material to the cylindrical portion, is inclined toward the bottom surface of the rubber material.

6. The cleaner according to claim 4, wherein grease is applied to the rubber material.

7. The cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the material of the cylindrical part is made of polyacetal resin, and the material of the rubber material is made of nitrile rubber.

8. The cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the piston comprises a second mounting portion to which a rubber material is attached, the second mounting portion comprises a second cylindrical portion having a cylindrical shape, the rubber material is cylindrical in shape, and when the rubber material is attached to the second mounting portion, the inner surface of the rubber material and the side surface of the second cylindrical portion are in contact, and the contact portion of the piston is on the side surface of the rubber material attached to the second mounting portion.

9. The cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the rubber material attached to the mounting portion and the rubber material attached to the second mounting portion are the same part.

10. The cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the mounting portion comprises two cylindrical portions, the rubber material is attached to each of the cylindrical portions, and one of the rubber materials on each of the cylindrical portions is in contact with the contact portion of the piston.

11. The cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is air, and the object to be cleaned is the lens of an on-board camera mounted on the rear of the vehicle for checking the area around the rear of the vehicle.

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