Rear Door Camera Mounting for Splash Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Rear cameras installed on vehicle bumpers above the license plate position are prone to capturing raindrops and muddy water due to their low position, leading to image contamination.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle body rear structure with an opening and closing body featuring an outer and inner panel, an emblem with a projecting part, and an image capturing device installed between the panels, positioned below the projecting part to prevent water from adhering to the lens.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the rear camera is disposed on a portion of the bumper above the license plate to achieve proper angle of view, then the angle of view requirement is satisfied, but raindrops and muddy water adhere to the lens causing image contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveangle of viewVSAvoidimage contamination from raindrops and muddy water

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent moves the rear camera from the bumper (lower dimension) to the rear door or tailgate (higher dimension), changing the vertical position to escape the harmful zone of raindrop accumulation and muddy water splash while maintaining the required angle of view through adjusted mounting orientation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the rear camera is positioned at a low position near the ground surface to capture rear images, then image coverage is achieved, but the camera is exposed to raindrops and splashed muddy water

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage capture functionVSAvoidexposure to raindrops and muddy water

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the rear camera from the vulnerable bumper area and relocates it to the rear door or tailgate, separating the camera from the harmful environment of low-position water accumulation and splash zones while preserving its image capture function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the opening and closing body is designed with both outer panel and inner panel to protect the image capturing device, then protection from external forces is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from external forcesVSAvoiddual panel structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The outer panel and inner panel of the opening and closing body serve multiple functions: they provide structural integrity, aesthetic appearance, and protective shielding for the rear camera, eliminating the need for separate protective structures and reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10889252B2Vehicle body rear structure

Publication Date: 2021.01.12 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle body rear structure includes: an opening and closing body for opening and closing an opening defined in a vehicle body rear part, the opening and closing body having an outer panel and an inner panel located inwardly of the outer panel, the outer panel having a rear surface part facing substantially in a vehicle rearward direction; a license plate provided on a bumper member under the opening and closing body; an emblem disposed on the rear surface part and having a projecting part projecting rearward from the rear surface part outer panel; and an image capturing device installed between the rear surface part and the inner panel and configured to capture images behind the vehicle. The rear surface part has an installation hole which is located at a position lower than the projecting part and in which the image capturing device is installed.