Camera Lens Cleaning via High-Pressure Air Atomization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera washing devices for in-vehicle cameras consume excessive water and require a long time to wash the lens, causing visibility issues for drivers until the water evaporates and dries.
Innovation Solution
A camera washing device that uses a high-pressure air generation part, an injection nozzle, a wash water supply part, a junction joint, and a control part to mix high-pressure air and wash water, generating water particles for efficient lens cleaning, reducing water consumption and drying time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wash water is sprayed onto the front glass for a long period of time to ensure thorough cleaning, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the driver cannot see the camera image until the water evaporates and dries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of water by using high-pressure air to atomize wash water into fine particles. This transformation allows the water to be applied in a different form (fine particles instead of liquid spray) that dries faster while still achieving effective cleaning of the camera lens
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic or pulsed high-pressure air injection to deliver water particles intermittently rather than continuous spraying. This periodic action reduces overall water application time and allows faster evaporation between pulses, decreasing the total drying time while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
2Reliability
If conventional spray method is used to wash the camera lens, then the lens surface is cleaned, but excessive water is consumed requiring frequent water tank refilling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs high-pressure air (pneumatic system) to atomize and deliver wash water to the camera lens. This pneumatic delivery method uses compressed air to create fine water particles that are efficiently distributed and removed, significantly reducing water consumption compared to conventional liquid spraying while maintaining effective cleaning
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms water from liquid spray form to fine particle form through high-pressure air atomization. This parameter change in water delivery form increases cleaning efficiency per unit of water and reduces overall water consumption, eliminating the need for frequent tank refilling
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
The device effectively reduces water usage and drying time, allowing for quicker restoration of camera visibility, enhancing driver safety by minimizing the duration the camera is obscured during washing.
Implementation Method 1
a high-pressure air generation part which generates high-pressure air
Implementation Method 2
mix the high-pressure air and the wash water at the high-pressure air passage to generate water particles
Implementation Method 3
The injection part injects the water particles to the lens
Data Source
AI summary
A camera washing device has an air pump, a wash water tank storing wash water, an injection nozzle with an injection part, a junction joint having a high-pressure air passage and a wash water passage, and an electromagnetic valve. The air pump generates and supplies high-pressure air to the high-pressure air passage. When the control part instructs the electromagnetic valve to be switched to an open state, the wash water and the high-pressure air are mixed in the junction joint to generate water particles. The generated water particles are supplied to the injection nozzle. When the electromagnetic valve is switched to the open state after injecting the high-pressure air only to a lens of a rear camera, the injection part injects the water particles to the lens of the camera.