Vehicle Camera Mounting Assembly With Airflow and Windshield Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial vehicles with large windshields and limited windshield wiper reach pose challenges for camera assemblies in ADAS and AD systems, as they can be obscured in inclement weather, tampered with, and experience temperature and condensation control issues due to inadequate mounting and air circulation.
Innovation Solution
A camera mounting assembly attached to the vehicle's cowl, with a cover structure integrated into the dashboard valence panel, providing a seal and air flow to maintain camera visibility and prevent condensation, and a shroud or light-absorbing material to reduce stray light, eliminating the need for a separate windshield-mounted bracket.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the camera assembly is mounted near the top of the windshield within reach of windshield wipers, then the camera's view is kept clean and unobstructed, but the camera assembly may be tampered with and exposed to temperature and condensation control problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the camera assembly from the traditional top-of-windshield position to the lower dashboard area, fundamentally changing the mounting dimension. This new location provides better protection from tampering while still maintaining an unobstructed view through the windshield, and allows for improved thermal and condensation management through proximity to the vehicle's climate control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a specialized mounting assembly that acts as an intermediary between the camera and the dashboard structure. This mounting assembly includes integrated features for structural attachment, environmental sealing, and thermal management, mediating the camera's interaction with the vehicle interior environment while protecting it from harmful factors.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the camera assembly is mounted on a bracket affixed to the lower portion of the windshield, then the camera is protected from tampering, but the dashboard blocks the camera's view and there are no effective means for circulating climate control air
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of mounting the camera on the lower windshield, the patent positions it on the upper dashboard surface, changing the vertical dimension of installation. This location avoids the dashboard blocking the view while still providing protection from tampering, and enables effective integration with the climate control air circulation system.
3Device complexity
If the camera assembly is mounted without integrated air circulation, then the mounting structure is simpler, but temperature and condensation control problems affect camera operation and vision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the mounting assembly: structural support, environmental sealing, and thermal management. By integrating climate control air circulation channels directly into the mounting structure, the system addresses temperature and condensation control without significantly increasing overall complexity, as these functions are merged rather than added separately.
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
Ensures camera visibility in inclement weather, protects against tampering, and addresses temperature and condensation issues by maintaining a clear field of view and proper air circulation, enhancing safety and operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The camera mounting assembly and the camera are in fluid communication with an air flow channel that is disposed through the cowl or other body structure of the vehicle, providing air flow and convection through the camera mounting assembly and to the camera
Implementation Method 2
A seal is provided between the camera mounting assembly and/or cover structure and the windshield, thereby protecting the area around the camera from collecting dirt and debris
Implementation Method 3
A shroud is also provided around the camera that reduces the amount of stray light entering the camera imaging space and creating 'ghost objects' in the images that the camera captures
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle camera arrangement, including: a camera mounting assembly coupled to a structure of a vehicle adjacent to a lower portion of a windshield of the vehicle; and a camera assembly coupled to the camera mounting assembly having visibility through the lower portion of the windshield of the vehicle. The structure of the vehicle is associated with a dashboard of the vehicle. The camera mounting assembly includes a sealing member disposed between a front portion thereof and the lower portion of the windshield of the vehicle. The vehicle camera arrangement further includes an air duct adapted to deliver an air flow to a front portion of the camera mounting assembly and the camera assembly through the structure of the vehicle.