Visual recognition support device for vehicle

Abstract

An engagement part (51B) is provided with: an engagement receiving part (51b) provided to an inner edge part (22c) of a rear housing part (22); and an engagement claw (51a) provided to an inner edge part (21c) of a front housing part (21). A groove part (24) is formed in the outer surface of a housing (2) in a mating part (23). The engagement receiving part (51b) extends toward the engagement claw (51a) beyond the mating part (23).

Description

Vehicle visibility assistance device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle visibility assistance device.

[0002] In the vehicle visibility assistance device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a housing that accommodates a camera as an example of visibility assistance means is composed of a plurality of components, that is, a plurality of housing parts.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-096881

[0004] When a housing is composed of a plurality of housing parts, two adjacent housing parts are assembled to each other by an engaging portion. The engaging portion includes, for example, an engaging claw provided on one of two adjacent housing parts, and an engaging hole provided on the other of these housing parts. When the engaging claw is fitted into the engaging hole, the two housing parts are assembled to each other.

[0005] The engaging portion (the engaging claw and the engaging hole) is arranged inside the housing. Therefore, for example, when disassembling the housing to replace a faulty camera, it is not easy to release the engagement at the engaging portion. In this respect, the conventional vehicle visibility assistance device as disclosed in Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement in terms of maintainability.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to improve the maintainability of a vehicle visibility assistance device.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle visibility assistance device comprising: visibility assistance means for supporting visibility outside a vehicle; a housing configured by a plurality of housing parts including a first housing part and a second housing part that are attached to a vehicle body, accommodate the visibility assistance means, and whose respective edges are aligned with each other to form an abutting portion; and an engaging portion having a first engaging element provided on the inner edge of the first housing part, and a second engaging element provided on the inner edge of the second housing part and engageable with the first engaging element, wherein a groove is formed on an outer surface of the housing at the abutting portion, and the first engaging element extends beyond the abutting portion toward the second engaging element.

[0008] The groove prevents moisture, such as raindrops, from adhering to the visual support means (e.g., the camera lens). Since the first engaging element extends beyond the mating portion toward the second engaging element, for example, when disassembling the housing to replace a faulty visual support means, a tool can be inserted into the mating portion through the groove, and the edges of the first and second housing parts can be bent to release the engagement between the first and second engaging elements. The groove also functions as a guide to improve the ease of inserting a tool into the mating portion when bending the first engaging element, thus making the release of engagement between the first and second engaging elements easier and improving maintainability.

[0009] The present invention may further include a guide rib provided on the edge of one of the first housing part and the second housing part, projecting beyond the edge to the other of the first housing part and the second housing part, and a fitting portion provided on the edge of the other of the first housing part and the second housing part, which engages with the guide rib.

[0010] By providing guide ribs and fitting portions, the relative positioning of the first housing part and the second housing part becomes easier when aligning the edges of the first housing part and the second housing part and engaging the first and second engaging elements. In this respect, the ease of assembly of the first and second housing parts is improved.

[0011] The groove may extend along the joint, the guide rib may be located in the center of the groove, and the engaging portion may be located at the end of the groove.

[0012] In the areas where guide ribs are provided at the mating joint, the flexibility of the edges of the first and second housing parts is relatively low. Since the engaging portion is provided away from the guide ribs, the flexibility of the edges of the first and second housing parts in the areas where the engaging portion is provided is relatively high. Therefore, it becomes even easier to disengage the first and second engaging elements by inserting a tool or the like into the mating joint through the groove.

[0013] The system further comprises a bracket to which the housing is attached, and the fastening portion between the bracket and the housing may be provided at the lower part of the vehicle visibility support device.

[0014] By placing the fastening point between the bracket and the housing at the bottom of the vehicle visibility assistance device, the fastening point becomes less conspicuous externally, improving the aesthetic design of the vehicle visibility assistance device.

[0015] According to the present invention, the maintainability of a vehicle visibility support device can be improved.

[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle visibility support device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front of the vehicle. A perspective view of the vehicle visibility support device of Figure 1, viewed from the rear of the vehicle. An exploded perspective view of the vehicle visibility support device of Figure 1. An exploded perspective view of the entire housing. An exploded perspective view of the lower assembly and end housing parts of the housing. A perspective view of the lower assembly viewed from the inside (assembled state). A perspective view of the lower assembly viewed from the inside (disassembled state). An enlarged perspective view of the lower assembly viewed from the inside of the groove (assembled state). An enlarged perspective view of the lower assembly viewed from the inside of the groove (disassembled state). A cross-sectional view along line XX in Figure 6. A cross-sectional view along line XI-XI in Figure 6. An enlarged view of part XII in Figure 10. An enlarged view of part XIII in Figure 11.

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0018] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle visibility support device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing 2 and a base 3.

[0019] The base 3 comprises an outer base 3a and a cover base 3b, both made of resin, with a metal inner base 3c housed inside them. The base 3d (lower end in the vehicle height direction) of the base 3 is fixed to a vehicle body (vehicle door in this embodiment) not shown by a stud bolt 4, and the housing 2 is positioned at the tip 3e.

[0020] Housing 2 is a separable structure composed of multiple housing parts, all of which are made of resin. Specifically, housing 2 comprises an upper housing part 5 that constitutes the upper part in the vehicle height direction, a lower assembly 6 that constitutes the lower part in the vehicle height direction, and an end housing part 7 that constitutes the front part in the vehicle width direction. The lower assembly 6 is composed of a front housing part 21 that constitutes the front part in the vehicle length direction and a rear housing part 22 that constitutes the rear part in the vehicle length direction. The rear housing part 22 constitutes the first housing part in the present invention, and the front housing part 21 constitutes the second housing part in the present invention.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, a resin bracket 9 is housed inside the housing 2. Inside the housing 2 are three cameras 8A, 8B, and 8C and an electric retraction unit 10, each attached to the bracket 9. The cameras 8A, 8B, and 8C and the electric retraction unit 10 are examples of the visibility support means in the present invention. The visibility support means in the present invention may be other devices, including door mirrors and door mirror angle adjustment devices, as long as at least a part of it is housed inside the housing 2. In other words, the vehicle visibility support device according to the present invention is not limited to having a visibility support function using cameras as in this embodiment, but may also be a door mirror device. Furthermore, the vehicle visibility support device of the present invention is not limited to being installed on a vehicle door as in this embodiment, but may also be installed on the rear or front of the vehicle.

[0022] The electric drive unit 10 is accessible from the lower end of the housing 2 through a window hole 31 (see, for example, Figure 4) provided in the lower assembly 6, which will be described later. The inner base 3c of the base 3 extends into the interior of the housing 2 through the window hole 31, and the shaft of the electric drive unit 10 is fastened to the upper end of the inner base 3c.

[0023] In this embodiment, camera 8A captures images of the rear side of the vehicle. Camera 8B captures images for autonomous driving. Furthermore, camera 8C captures images for multi-view. Cameras 8A and 8B are positioned so that they can capture images of the outside of the vehicle from the end housing part 7. Camera 8C is positioned so that it can capture images of the outside of the vehicle from the lower assembly 6, more specifically from the rear housing part 22.

[0024] Of the housing 2, all parts except the upper housing part 5 are attached to the bracket 9 by screws. Referring to Figure 3, the end housing part 7 is fastened to the screw part 9a of the bracket 9 by a screw 11A. The front housing part 21 is fastened to the screw part 9b of the bracket 9 by a screw 11B. Furthermore, the rear housing part 22 is fastened to the screw part 9c of the bracket 9 by a screw 11C. The fastening part 64 between the bracket 9 and the front housing part 21 is located at the lower part of the housing 2 in the vehicle height direction, and therefore at the lower part of the vehicle visibility support device 1 in the vehicle height direction. With this configuration, the fastening part 64 between the bracket 9 and the front housing part 21 is not conspicuous in appearance, improving the design of the vehicle visibility support device 1.

[0025] Referring to Figure 4, the upper housing part 5 is detachably assembled to the lower assembly 6 and the end housing part 7. Specifically, a plurality of engaging claws 5a provided on the upper casing part 5 are detachably engaged with the engaging receiving portion 21a of the front housing part 21, the engaging receiving portion 22a of the rear housing part 22, and the engaging receiving portion 7a of the end housing part 7.

[0026] Referring also to Figure 5, the end housing part 7 is detachably assembled to the lower assembly 6. Specifically, the engaging claw 21b provided on the front housing part 21 and the engaging claw 22b provided on the rear housing part 22 are each detachably engaged with the engaging receiving portion 7b of the end housing part 7.

[0027] The front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22, which constitute the lower assembly 6, are assembled to be detachable from each other. The assembly structure of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 will be described below.

[0028] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 each have edges 21c and 22c that abut against each other to form a joint 23 (see Figure 1). The edge 22c of the rear housing part 22 is generally composed of three parts, namely a first part 22d, a second part 22e, and a third part 22f. The first part 22d extends in an arc shape forward in the vehicle length direction in the area where the camera 8C is positioned. The second part 22e includes a semicircular notch, and the third part 22f protrudes upward in the vehicle height direction relative to the second part 22e. The edge 21c of the front housing part 21 has a first part 21d, a second part 21e, and a third part 21f, respectively, which have shapes corresponding to the first to third parts 22d, 22e, and 22f of the edge 22c of the rear housing part 22. The window portion 31 is provided by the abutting of the second portions 21e and 22e of the edges 21c and 22c of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22.

[0029] Referring to Figure 1, a groove 24 is provided on the lower outer surface of the housing 1 in the vehicle height direction, in the portion formed by the first parts 21d and 22d of the edges 21c and 22c of the joint portion 23 of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22. The groove 24 extends in an arc shape along the joint portion 23 on the front side in the vehicle length direction relative to the camera 8C. The groove 24 will be further described below with reference to Figures 10 to 13 in conjunction with Figure 1.

[0030] The portion of the first part 22d of the edge 21c of the front housing part 21 that constitutes the groove 24 has a single end face 21g that rises from the outer surface of the front housing part 21 in the direction of vehicle height. On the other hand, the portion of the first part 22d of the edge 22c of the rear housing part 22 that constitutes the groove 24 is composed of five end faces 22g, 22h, 22i, 22j, and 22k. End face 22g rises from the outer surface of the rear housing part 22 in the direction of vehicle height. End face 22h extends from end face 22g in the direction of vehicle width. End face 22i rises from end face 22h in the direction of vehicle height. End face 22j extends from end face 22i in the direction of vehicle width. End face 22k rises from end face 22j in the direction of vehicle height.

[0031] When the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 are assembled, the end face 21g of the front housing part 22 abuts against the end face 22i of the rear housing part 22. The groove 24 is defined by the end face 21g of the front housing part 21 and the end faces 22g and 22h of the rear housing part 22. Therefore, the shape of the cross-section perpendicular to the extending direction of the groove 24 in this embodiment is rectangular with an opening on the lower side in the vehicle height direction. The groove 24 prevents moisture such as raindrops from adhering to the lenses of cameras 8A to 8C while the vehicle is in motion.

[0032] Referring to Figures 6 to 13, engaging portions 51A, 51B, and 52 are provided to hold the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 in a state where their edges 21c and 22c abut against each other to form a joint 23, that is, in a state where the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 are assembled together.

[0033] The engaging portions 51A and 51B are examples of engaging portions in the present invention. The engaging portions 51A and 51B are located on the first portions 21d and 22e of the edges 21c and 22c on the inner surfaces of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22. The engaging portions 51A and 51B are located at the ends of the groove 24.

[0034] Each of the engaging portions 51A and 51B comprises an engaging claw 51a provided on the edge 21c of the front housing part 21 and an engaging receiving portion 51b provided on the edge 22c of the rear housing part 22. The engaging claw 51a is provided inward from the very tip of the edge 21c. The engaging receiving portion 51b is provided so as to protrude from the very tip of the edge 21c. An engaging hole 51c is provided on the tip side of the engaging receiving portion 51b. By fitting the engaging claw 51a into the engaging hole 51c, the engaging claw 51a and the engaging receiving portion 51b engage with each other in a way that allows for disengagement. The engaging receiving portion 51b constitutes the first engaging element in this invention, and the engaging claw 51a constitutes the second engaging element in this invention.

[0035] As is most clearly shown in Figures 8, 9, 12, and 13, the engaging receiving portion 51b protrudes from the leading edge of the edge portion 21c. Therefore, when the edges 21c and 22c of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 are abutted against each other, the engaging receiving portion 51b extends from the edge portion 21c of the front housing part 21, beyond the mating portion 23, toward the edge portion 22c of the rear housing part 22.

[0036] For example, if any of the cameras 8A to 8C malfunction and need to be replaced, the housing 2 must be disassembled. In this case, to separate the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22, a tool or the like is inserted into the mating part 23 via the groove 24, and the edges 21c and 22c of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 are bent to disengage the engaging claw 51a from the engaging hole 51c, thereby releasing the engagement of the engaging parts 51A and 51B.

[0037] As mentioned above, the groove 24 is provided to prevent raindrops and the like from adhering to the cameras 8A to 8C. However, referring to Figure 13, the wall surfaces defining the groove 24, that is, the end face 21g of the first portion 21d of the edge 21c of the front housing part 21 and the end faces 22g and 22h of the first portion 22d of the edge 22c of the rear housing part 22, function as guides to improve the ease of inserting tools into the mating portion 23 when inserting tools into the mating portion 23 to flex the edges 21c and 22c of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22. As a result, the work of disengaging the engaging portions 51A and 51B is made easier, and maintainability is improved.

[0038] Referring to Figure 7, the engaging portion 52 comprises an engaging claw 52a provided on the third portion 22f of the edge 22c of the rear housing part 22, and an engaging receiving portion 52b provided on the third portion 21f of the edge 21 of the front housing part 21. The engaging claw 52a fits into the engaging hole 52c provided in the engaging receiving portion 52b, thereby engaging the engaging claw 52a and the engaging receiving portion 52b in a way that allows them to be released from each other.

[0039] Referring to Figures 6 to 13, the front housing part 21 is provided with three guide ribs 62A, 62B, and 62C. These guide ribs 62A to 62C are located on the inside of the edge portion 21c of the front housing part 21 and protrude beyond the edge portion 21c into the rear housing part 22. Guide rib 62A is located on the first portion 21d of the edge portion 21c, corresponding to the central portion of the groove portion 24. Guide ribs 62B and 62C are located on the second portion 21e of the edge portion 21c.

[0040] Of the tips of the edge portion 22c of the rear housing part 22, three portions corresponding to the guide ribs 62A to 62C function as fitting portions 63A, 63B, and 63C that engage with the guide ribs 62A to 62C. Referring to Figure 13, for example, fitting portion 63A fits between the guide rib 62A and the first portion 21d of the edge portion 21c. By providing the guide ribs 62A to 62C and fitting portions 63A to 63C, when the edges 21c and 22d of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 are brought together and the engaging claw 51a and engaging receiving portion 51b are engaged, the relative positioning of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 becomes easier. In this respect, providing the guide ribs 62A to 62C and fitting portions 63A to 63C improves the ease of assembly of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22.

[0041] As described above, the guide rib 62A is located in the center of the groove 24, and the engaging portions 51A and 51B are located at the ends of the groove 24. In the portion of the mating portion 23 where the guide rib 62A is provided, the flexibility of the edges 21c and 22c of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 is relatively low. Since the engaging portions 51A and 51B are provided away from the guide rib 62A, the flexibility of the edges 21c and 22c of the front housing part 21 and the rear housing part 22 in the portion where the engaging portions 51A and 51B are provided is relatively high. Therefore, it becomes even easier to disengage the engaging claw 51a and the engaging receiving portion 51b by inserting a tool or the like into the mating portion 23 via the groove 24.

[0042] 1. Vehicle visibility support device 2. Housing 3. Base 8A, 8B, 8C. Camera 9. Bracket 10. Electrically retractable unit 21. Front housing part 21c. Edge 22. Rear housing part 22c. Edge 23. Joint part 24. Groove part 51A, 51B. Engaging part 62A, 62B, 62C. Guide rib 63A, 63B, 63C. Fitting part 64. Fastening part

Claims

1. A vehicle visibility support device comprising: a visibility support means for assisting visibility outside the vehicle; a housing composed of a plurality of housing parts, including a first housing part and a second housing part that are attached to the vehicle body, house the visibility support means, and whose edges are joined together to form a joint; and an engagement portion having a first engagement element provided on the inner edge of the first housing part and a second engagement element provided on the inner edge of the second housing part and capable of engaging with the first engagement element, wherein a groove is formed on the outer surface of the housing at the joint, and the first engagement element extends beyond the joint toward the second engagement element.

2. The vehicle visibility support device according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide rib provided on the edge of one of the first housing part and the second housing part, projecting beyond the edge to the other of the first housing part and the second housing part; and a fitting portion provided on the edge of the other of the first housing part and the second housing part, which fits with the guide rib.

3. The vehicle visibility support device according to claim 2, characterized in that the groove extends along the joint, the guide rib is located in the center of the groove, and the engaging portion is located at the end of the groove.

4. The vehicle visibility support device according to claim 1, further comprising a bracket to which the housing is attached, wherein the fastening portion between the bracket and the housing is provided at the lower part of the vehicle visibility support device.

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