Extraneous-matter removing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10459219-B2
Application number	US-201615557363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A problem is for saving space of an extraneous-matter removing apparatus. In order to solve this problem, one aspect of embodiments is of an extraneous-matter removing apparatus for removing an extraneous matter attached to a camera and includes an air compressing unit. The air compressing unit includes a cylinder and a vane that is provided in the cylinder to be rotatable around a rotation axis, and ejects a compressed air generated by rotation of the vane to the camera.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An extraneous-matter removing apparatus for removing extraneous matter attached to an optical sensor, the apparatus comprising:
an air compressing unit that includes:
a cylinder; and
a rotating body that is provided in the cylinder to be rotatable around a rotation axis, wherein
the air compressing unit ejects compressed air generated by rotation of the rotating body to the optical sensor,

the cylinder includes:
a cylinder chamber that is cylindrically formed and houses therein the rotating body; and
a wall that is formed along a radial direction of the cylinder chamber to segment the cylinder chamber, and

air between the rotating body and the wall in the cylinder chamber is compressed by the rotating body rotating around the rotation axis toward the wall to generate the compressed air.

2. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air compressing unit ejects the compressed air in a direction of the rotation axis of the rotating body.

3. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the air compressing unit includes a first flow path that is formed in the cylinder along the rotation axis of the rotating body and through which the compressed air flows.

4. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the cylinder further includes:
a second flow path that is formed on a ceiling surface of the cylinder and through which the compressed air flows; and
a communication opening that is arranged near the wall on the ceiling surface of the cylinder and via which the cylinder chamber and the second flow path communicate with each other, wherein
the compressed air generated in the cylinder chamber flows into the second flow path through the communication opening and is ejected from the second flow path to the optical sensor.

5. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising
a drive unit that rotationally drives the rotating body, wherein
the drive unit includes:
a drive source;
a rotating-body gear that is connected with the rotating body to rotate, when a driving force is transmitted from the drive source, the rotating body in one direction;
a biasing part that biases the rotating body to rotate the rotating body in another direction; and
a first chipped-tooth gear that includes (i) an engaging part that is able to be engaged with the rotating-body gear and (ii) a toothless part that is not engaged with the rotating-body gear, the first chipped-tooth gear being connected with the drive source, and

the rotating body is rotated in the one direction against a biasing force of the biasing part, when the engaging part of the first chipped-tooth gear is positioned at a position at which the engaging part is engaged with the rotating-body gear, so as to expand a room between the rotating body and the wall in the cylinder, and is rotated in the other direction by the biasing force of the biasing part, when the toothless part of the first chipped-tooth gear is positioned at a position at which the toothless part faces the rotating-body gear, so as to compress the expanded room.

6. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the air compressing unit further includes one or more rotating bodies, and
the rotating bodies are arranged to be rotational symmetry when the rotating bodies are seen from a direction along the rotation axis.

7. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a wash-fluid ejector that ejects a wash fluid to the optical sensor; and
a drive unit that drives both of the rotating body and the wash-fluid ejector.

8. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air compressing unit includes a first flow path that is formed in the cylinder along the rotation axis of the rotating body and through which the compressed air flows.

9. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the first flow path includes:
an inlet that is formed close to a bottom surface of the cylinder and into which the compressed air flows; and
an outlet that is formed close to a ceiling surface of the cylinder and from which the compressed air flows.

10. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the cylinder further includes:
a second flow path that is formed on a ceiling surface of the cylinder and through which the compressed air flows; and
a communication opening that is arranged near the wall on the ceiling surface of the cylinder and via which the cylinder chamber and the second flow path communicate with each other, wherein
the compressed air generated in the cylinder chamber flows into the second flow path through the communication opening and is ejected from the second flow path to the optical sensor.

11. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the air compressing unit further includes one or more rotating bodies, and
the rotating bodies are arranged to be rotational symmetry when the rotating bodies are seen from a direction along the rotation axis.

12. An extraneous-matter removing apparatus for removing extraneous matter attached to an optical sensor, the apparatus comprising:
an air compressing unit that includes:
a cylinder; and
a rotating body that is provided in the cylinder to be rotatable around a rotation axis; and

a drive unit that rotationally drives the rotating body, wherein
the air compressing unit ejects compressed air generated by rotation of the rotating body to the optical sensor,
the drive unit includes:
a drive source;
a rotating-body gear that is connected with the rotating body to rotate, when a driving force is transmitted from the drive source, the rotating body in one direction;
a biasing part that biases the rotating body to rotate the rotating body in another direction; and
a first chipped-tooth gear that includes (i) an engaging part that is able to be engaged with the rotating-body gear and (ii) a toothless part that is not engaged with the rotating-body gear, the first chipped-tooth gear being connected with the drive source, and

the rotating body is rotated in the one direction against a biasing force of the biasing part, when the engaging part of the first chipped-tooth gear is positioned at a position at which the engaging part is engaged with the rotating-body gear, so as to expand a room between the rotating body and the wall in the cylinder, and is rotated in the other direction by the biasing force of the biasing part, when the toothless part of the first chipped-tooth gear is positioned at a position at which the toothless part faces the rotating-body gear, so as to compress the expanded room.

13. An extraneous-matter removing apparatus for removing extraneous matter attached to an optical sensor, the apparatus comprising:
an air compressing unit that includes:
a cylinder; and
a rotating body that is provided in the cylinder to be rotatable around a rotation axis;

a wash-fluid ejector that ejects a wash fluid to the optical sensor; and
a drive unit that drives both of the rotating body and the wash-fluid ejector, wherein
the air compressing unit ejects compressed air generated by rotation of the rotating body to the optical sensor.

14. The extraneous-matter removing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the drive unit includes:
a drive source; and
a planetary gear that switches between (i) a rotating-body transmission path for transmitting a driving force from the drive source to the rotating body and (ii) a w

Assignees

• Fujitsu Ten Ltd

Inventors

• Otomi Masashi

Classifications

• H04N7/18

  Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast · CPC title

• H04N23/811

  by dust removal, e.g. from surfaces of the image sensor or processing of the image signal output by the electronic image sensor · CPC title

• B60S1/56

  specially adapted for cleaning other parts or devices than front windows or windscreens {(rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior including cleaning devices B60R1/0602)} · CPC title

• G02B27/0006 Primary

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• B60S1/485

  including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like · CPC title