Washer Nozzle Stepped Flow Path for Lens Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washer nozzles for in-vehicle cameras have a narrow discharge port that makes it difficult to evenly distribute cleaning liquid across the imaging lens, leading to insufficient flow rate and potential uneven cleaning, and increasing the port size is not feasible without increasing the apparatus size.
Innovation Solution
A washer nozzle with a main body featuring a flow path that includes a series of stepped portions, which widen the flow width of the cleaning liquid as it flows, allowing for even distribution across the lens without increasing the pump's discharge capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the width dimension of the discharge portion is increased to evenly spread the cleaning liquid, then the cleaning liquid distribution is improved, but the flow rate becomes insufficient and the cleaning liquid becomes biased toward one side
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge portion is divided into multiple discharge holes arranged in a specific pattern, segmenting the single flow stream into multiple smaller streams that collectively cover the entire lens surface, achieving uniform distribution without increasing individual flow rate
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge holes are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix pattern across the discharge portion, transitioning from a single linear discharge path to a multi-dimensional discharge structure that covers the lens surface more effectively
2Productivity
If the discharge capacity of the pump is increased to improve cleaning liquid flow, then the flow rate is improved, but the size of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single high-flow requirement is segmented into multiple lower-flow discharge holes, allowing the use of a smaller pump while achieving the same overall cleaning coverage through distributed discharge
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge structure parameters (number of holes, hole diameter, hole arrangement) are optimized to maximize flow distribution efficiency, enabling effective cleaning with reduced pump capacity
3Area of stationary object
If the width dimension of the discharge portion is increased to cover the entire lens area, then the coverage area is improved, but the nozzle size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge portion uses multiple small discharge holes distributed across a compact area, achieving full lens coverage without requiring a large nozzle footprint
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge holes are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix pattern that maximizes coverage area within a compact nozzle structure, effectively covering the entire lens surface without increasing nozzle dimensions
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a washer nozzle that since a plurality of stepped portions (stepped wall portions) formed in a stepped shape in a flow direction of the cleaning liquid are provided in a flow path between an inflow hole and a discharge port in a main body portion, it is possible to spread the cleaning liquid in a width direction of the flow path by causing the cleaning liquid flowing from an upstream side to collide with stepped surfaces of the plurality of stepped portions one after another. Therefore, even when a flow rate of the cleaning liquid is small, without increasing a discharge capacity of a washer pump, it is possible to disperse the cleaning liquid fully in the width direction of the flow path, and it is possible to uniformly discharge the cleaning liquid to substantially the entire surface of an imaging lens.