Washer nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097696-B2
Application number	US-201816231610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2018
Priority date	Feb 1, 2018
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washer nozzle which supplies a cleaning liquid to an object to be cleaned, comprising:
a main body portion having a flow path through which the cleaning liquid flows;
an inflow portion provided on an upstream side of the flow path;
a discharge portion provided on a downstream side of the flow path; and
a plurality of stepped portions provided in the flow path and formed in a stepped shape in a flowing direction of the cleaning liquid;
wherein the main body portion comprises a bottom wall portion in which the plurality of stepped portions are provided and a pair of side wall portions which protrude from two sides of the bottom wall portion in a width direction of the bottom wall portion, and an opening portion is provided on a side opposite to a side on which the bottom wall portion is provided,
wherein the opening portion is located between the pair of side wall portions and between the inflow portion and the discharge portion, and the opening portion is closed by a cover member,
wherein the cover member comprises a cover main body and a splash prevention wall, and the splash prevention wall is inclined in a predetermined angle along an inclination of the plurality of stepped portions with respect to the cover main body,
wherein a flow direction changing portion which directs a flow direction of the cleaning liquid flowing along the cover member toward the plurality of stepped portions is provided in the cover member,
wherein a plurality of straightening ribs which direct the cleaning liquid flowing along the cover member toward the flow direction changing portion are provided in a portion of the cover member opposite to the bottom wall portion.

2. The washer nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stepped portions are provided on the downstream side of the flow path.

3. The washer nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein two sides of the plurality of stepped portions in the width direction of the bottom wall portion are respectively connected to the pair of side wall portions.

4. The washer nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein a pair of engaging ribs which protrude toward the bottom wall portion and are engaged with the pair of side wall portions are provided in a portion of the cover member opposite to the bottom wall portion, and
two sides of the flow direction changing portion in the width direction of the bottom wall portion are respectively connected to the pair of engaging ribs.

5. The washer nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the object to be cleaned is an imaging lens of an in-vehicle camera, and
the discharge portion is disposed on a rear side of the imaging lens in an imaging direction of the in-vehicle camera, wherein the imaging direction is a direction that the imaging lens is capable of imaging view.

6. The washer nozzle according to claim 5 , wherein a width dimension of the discharge portion is at least ⅔ of a diameter dimension of the imaging lens.

Assignees

• Mitsuba Corp

Inventors

• Tokunaka Hiroki

Classifications

• B60R11/04 Primary

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

• B60S1/56 Primary

  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

  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

• B05B1/02

  designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, {or having an outlet of particular shape}(B05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05B15/65

  Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits · CPC title