Imaging device and waterdrop guiding member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10317671-B2
Application number	US-201415117488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Feb 14, 2014
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A technique for improving the visibility of images from an imaging device even in conditions such that waterdrops adhering on a surface of a lens is very small is provided. An imaging device 13 includes a camera 20 having a lens 23, in which a lens side hydrophilic layer 23a is applied on a surface of the lens 23, and being configured to be provided to a vehicle, and a waterdrop guiding part 21 which guides waterdrops that adhere on the vehicle to the lens 23.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging device comprising:
a camera having a lens, in which a hydrophilic surface treatment is applied on a surface of the lens; and
a waterdrop guiding part that is configured to guide waterdrops to the lens,
wherein the waterdrop guiding part is formed into a triangle shape which protrudes to a lower side in a front view,
a lower end, of the waterdrop guiding part, which is a top point of the triangle shape overlaps the surface of the lens in a front view and the lower end of the water drop guiding part is provided in contact with the surface of the lens.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the waterdrop guiding part is positioned over the lens and includes a groove or a protrusion which guides the waterdrops to the lens.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is mounted on a vehicle, and the waterdrop guiding part includes a vehicle side waterdrop guiding part which extends from the vehicle to the vicinity of a casing of the camera and includes a casing side waterdrop guiding part which is provided to the casing.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is tiltedly provided so that an optical axis is directed obliquely downward, and the waterdrop guiding part supplies the waterdrops from above to the lens.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein when the waterdrop guiding part has a tilt angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane H, a water-repellent layer is provided on a surface of the waterdrop guiding part.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein when the waterdrop guiding part has a tilt angle of not less than 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane H, a hydrophilic layer is provided on a surface of the waterdrop guiding part.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the waterdrop guiding part includes a waterdrop guiding plate which is arranged over the lens by making a lower edge of the waterdrop guiding plate close to the lens, and the waterdrop guiding plate is tiltedly arranged relative to a horizontal plane H.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the camera includes a water retaining part which protrudes from the vicinity of a lower edge of the lens in the approximately optical axis direction.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the waterdrop guiding part is a casing side waterdrop guiding part that is provided to a casing of the camera,
a waterdrop guiding plate that is in a plate-shape is further provided,
a lower edge of the waterdrop guiding plate is positioned at a same height as an upper edge of the casing side waterdrop guiding part,
the lower edge of the waterdrop guiding plate is arranged outer than the upper edge of the casing side waterdrop guiding part so that a space is formed between the lower edge of the waterdrop guiding plate and the upper edge of the casing side waterdrop guiding part.

10. An imaging device comprising:
a camera having a lens, in which a hydrophilic surface treatment is applied on a surface of the lens; and
a waterdrop guiding part that is configured to guide waterdrops to the lens,
wherein the camera is arranged under an eaves of a vehicle, the lens is arranged at an inner side of the vehicle than a lower edge portion of the eaves, the waterdrop guiding plate is vertically extendingly provided so as to connect the lower edge portion of the eaves and the lens, and an upper edge of the waterdrop guiding plate is arranged outer than an outer side of the lower edge portion of the eaves so that a space is formed between the upper edge of the waterdrop guiding plate and the lower edge portion of the eaves.

11. The imaging device according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of a water-repellent layer which is provided on an inside surface of the waterdrop guiding plate and a hydrophilic layer which is provided on an outside surface of the waterdrop guiding plate is provided.

12. The imaging device according to claim 10 , wherein the eaves is a finishing panel which is mounted on an outer surface of a trunk lid in a rear side of the vehicle and which extends laterally, and the waterdrop guiding plate is laterally extendingly arranged between the finishing panel and the lens.

13. The imaging device according to claim 12 , wherein a lower edge of the waterdrop guiding plate is formed with a gutter-like part that extends laterally, and the gutter-like part is slanted so that waterdrops flows in the gutter-like part to the lens.

14. A waterdrop guiding member configured to guide waterdrops that adhere on a vehicle to a lens of a camera, the camera having a lens that is applied with a hydrophilic surface treatment and being provided on the vehicle, and the waterdrop guiding member including a groove or a protrusion that is provided over the lens so as to guide the waterdrops to the lens,
the camera is arranged under an eaves of the vehicle,
the lens is arranged at an inner side of the vehicle than a lower edge portion of the eaves,
the waterdrop guiding member is arranged by making a lower edge portion of the waterdrop guiding member close to the lens, and
a waterdrop guiding part is provided in contact with the surface of the lens.

15. The waterdrop guiding member according to claim 14 , wherein when the waterdrop guiding member has a tilt angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane H, a water-repellent layer is provided on a surface of the waterdrop guiding member.

16. The waterdrop guiding member according to claim 14 , wherein when the waterdrop guiding member has a tilt angle of not less than 90 degrees relative to a horizontal plane H, a hydrophilic layer is provided on a surface of the waterdrop guiding member.

17. The waterdrop guiding member according to claim 14 , comprising:
a vehicle side waterdrop guiding part which extends from the vehicle to the vicinity of a casing of the camera; and
a casing side waterdrop guiding part which is provided to the casing.

18. The waterdrop guiding member according to claim 17 , wherein the vehicle side waterdrop guiding part includes
a waterdrop guiding plate which is tiltedly arranged relative to a horizontal plane H over the lens by making a lower edge of the waterdrop guiding plate close to the lens,
a water-repellent layer is provided on a first surface of the waterdrop guiding plate, which has a tilt angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal plane H, and
a hydrophilic layer is provided on a second surface of the waterdrop guiding plate, which has a tilt angle of not less than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal plane H.

Assignees

• Clarion Co Ltd

Inventors

• Irie Kota
• TSUCHIHASHI Hayato

Classifications

• G03B17/08

  Waterproof bodies or housings · CPC title

• B60R2011/004

  outside the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R13/07

  Water drainage or guide means not integral with roof structure (B60R13/06, {B60J10/25} take precedence; {integral with roof structure B62D25/07; drainage openings having movable or removable closures B62D25/24}) · CPC title

• G03B17/02

  Bodies · CPC title

• B60R11/04

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title