Vehicle Camera Cleaning Device Using Piston-Driven Air Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for cleaning vehicle cameras require additional space for air pumps, making them bulky and inefficient for attaching to vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A compact fluid spraying device integrated with a vehicle camera, featuring a suction portion, discharge portion, flow passage, piston-driven mechanism, and valves to efficiently spray air or cleaning fluid onto the camera's light entrance portion, minimizing space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate air pump is connected to the nozzle unit by a hose, then the cleaning function can be provided, but additional space is required for disposing the air pump
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump is integrated into the nozzle unit, merging two previously separate components into a single unified device. This eliminates the need for separate disposal spaces while maintaining the cleaning function, directly resolving the contradiction between operational capability and space requirement.
2Volume of moving object
If the air pump is integrated into the nozzle unit, then space requirement is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump is nested within the nozzle unit housing, with the pump chamber formed inside the same casing that houses the nozzle components. This nested arrangement reduces overall device volume while containing the increased structural complexity within a compact, integrated form factor.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and reliable removal of water droplets and dust from the camera's light entrance portion without the need for a separate air pump, providing a compact and effective cleaning solution.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure chamber (10) in front of the piston (9); a drive mechanism (12) for the piston (9) including a motor (12a)
Implementation Method 2
a first valve (14) located between the suction portion (6) and a communication portion (13) between the pressure chamber (10) and the flow passage (8), and functioning such that the first valve (14) opens when the piston (9) moves backward, and closes when the piston (9) moves forward
Implementation Method 3
a second valve (15) located between the communication portion (13) between the pressure chamber (10) and the flow passage (8) and the discharge portion (7), and functioning such that the second valve (15) opens when a pressure in the pressure chamber (10) reaches a predetermined value by a forward movement of the piston (9)
Implementation Method 4
a rotation member (12c) including a cam portion (12d) against which a back end portion (9k) of the piston (9) abuts by an urging force, and rotation-driven by the motor (12a), wherein when the rotation member (12c) rotates, the piston (9) moves forth and back by a shape of the cam portion (12d)
Data Source
AI summary
A device for spraying a fluid on a vehicle camera includes a flow passage for connecting a suction portion with a discharge portion; a cylinder for communicating a pressure chamber in front of a piston with the flow passage; a drive mechanism for the piston including a motor; a first valve located between the suction portion and the pressure chamber, and functioning such that the first valve opens when the piston moves backward and closes when the piston moves forward; a second valve located between the pressure chamber and the discharge portion, and functioning such that the second valve opens when a pressure in the pressure chamber reaches a predetermined value by a forward movement of the piston; and a casing for housing the flow passage, the cylinder, the drive mechanism, the first valve, and the second valve to be combined with the vehicle camera.