Deployable Side-View Camera Mount for Vehicle Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reduction of rear-view mirrors in vehicles for reduced air resistance leads to decreased visibility for pedestrians and two-wheeled vehicle drivers, increasing the risk of collisions.
Innovation Solution
A dynamically deployable side-view camera mount that deploys and retracts to maintain visibility, featuring a support body with a biasing member for retraction, parallel support arms, and a cover to reduce wind loading, with motorized control and a light source for enhanced safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a small-sized imaging unit is provided to a vehicle instead of an existing rear-view mirror, then air resistance is reduced, but visibility from people around the vehicle is reduced and collision risk is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The support body is designed to be dynamically deployable between a deployed position (extending outward to capture rearward perspective images) and a retracted position (positioned closer to the vehicle body). This dynamic positioning allows the imaging unit to maintain visibility function when deployed and reduce collision risk when retracted, resolving the contradiction between air resistance reduction and safety
Solution Approach 2:
The support body includes parallel support arms that can nest together when retracted, with support links attached at pivot points allowing the arms to remain substantially in parallel when deployed. This nesting mechanism enables compact storage close to the vehicle body while maintaining structural integrity for outward deployment
2Loss of information
If the support body is positioned away from the vehicle to capture rearward perspective, then visibility is improved, but collision risk with pedestrians and two-wheeled vehicle drivers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the support body position based on operational needs. When deployed, the distal end positions the imaging unit away from the vehicle to capture the required rearward perspective angular range. When retraction is needed for safety, the support body moves closer to the vehicle body, maintaining visibility function while reducing collision exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing member is pre-configured to automatically urge the support body toward the retracted position in response to contact forces, providing preliminary protective action before a collision can occur. This automatic retraction mechanism ensures safety without requiring external intervention
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the support body is retracted closer to the vehicle, then collision risk is reduced, but the angular range captured by the side-view camera may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging unit is designed to maintain its angular range capture capability even when the support body is in the retracted position. The camera positioning system ensures that the optical axis and field of view are optimized for both deployed and retracted states, allowing the camera to capture the necessary angular range from the retracted position as well
4Reliability
If a biasing member is added to provide automatic retraction, then collision avoidance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing member is configured to automatically urge the support body toward the retracted position in response to contact forces without requiring external control systems. This self-service mechanism provides collision avoidance functionality through passive mechanical action, reducing the need for complex electronic controls while improving safety reliability
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 safety by maintaining visibility and reducing collision risks through controlled camera positioning and retraction, while minimizing the impact of wind resistance and enhancing driver awareness.
Implementation Method 1
a retraction device comprising a biasing member that, in response to a contact force on the support body and/or side-view camera, applies a retraction force that urges the support body toward the motorized vehicle to the retracted position
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamically deployable side-view camera mount includes a support body that is movable between a deployed position and a retracted position. The support body in the retracted position allows the camera to at least partially include the angular range captured when the support body is in the deployed position.