Camera Wiper Housing and Motion Conversion for Freeze-Safe Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera wipers for vehicles are prone to contamination and operational issues, such as getting stuck or failing in freezing conditions, which can lead to damage and limited effectiveness in cleaning the camera lens protective covers.
Innovation Solution
A wiping apparatus for cameras that includes a housing with a rotation part, conversion part, and cleaning part, where the cleaning part extends to wipe the protective cover without exposing the blade to the exterior, and a control method that adjusts power supply and voltage to ensure effective operation and prevent damage, allowing for complete surface cleaning and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional wipers are exposed to the exterior environment, then they can clean the camera lens protective cover, but they get contaminated themselves and have limited cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is nested inside the arm member, which is rotatable about a rotation axis. The blade can be rotated to expose it for cleaning the protective cover or retract it to protect it from contamination. This nested configuration allows the blade to be shielded when not in use, preventing contamination while maintaining cleaning effectiveness when needed.
2Ease of operation
If conventional wipers are simply operated by being turned on and off, then they are easy to control, but they get stuck due to foreign substances or fail to operate in freezing temperatures, leading to potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The arm member is designed to be rotatable about a rotation axis, allowing dynamic adjustment of the blade position. The blade can be rotated to different angles and positions to adapt to various operating conditions, such as retracting to avoid foreign substances or adjusting the cleaning angle. This dynamic capability enhances reliability while maintaining ease of control through rotational movement.
3Ease of repair
If the blade is detachably mounted in the arm member, then it allows easy replacement and maintenance, but it adds complexity to the mounting structure with steps and interference features
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented from the arm member through detachable mounting. The blade can be independently removed and replaced by disengaging from the mounting hole and steps in the arm member. This segmentation allows easy maintenance and replacement of the blade without affecting the arm member or other components, while the mounting features provide straightforward attachment and detachment mechanisms.
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 apparatus effectively wipes the entire surface of the camera lens protective cover, minimizes contamination, and ensures operational reliability even in adverse conditions, with a fail-safe feature to prevent damage and facilitate easy identification of operating states.
Implementation Method 1
The blade may include an elastic piece, which is configured to elastically contact the surface of the protective cover when inserted into the mounting hole
Implementation Method 2
a rotation part that rotates by being engaged with a worm gear, which is coupled to a first rotation axis of the driving part
Implementation Method 3
a conversion part that converts a rotational motion into a linear reciprocating motion within the housing by being engaged with the rotation part
Data Source
AI summary
A wiping apparatus for a camera includes a housing in which a driving part is configured to be mounted; a rotation part that rotates by being engaged with a worm gear, which is coupled to a first rotation axis of the driving part; a conversion part that converts a rotational motion into a linear reciprocating motion within the housing by being engaged with the rotation part; and a cleaning part that extends from the conversion part to an outside of the housing. The cleaning part wipes a surface of a protective cover, which is provided in front of a lens of a camera module.