Vehicle vision system with camera and mirror mount

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015251605-A1
Application number	US-201514641811-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Mar 10, 2014
Publication date	Sep 10, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle mirror and camera mounting system includes a windshield attachment member configured to adhesively attach at a vehicle windshield and a camera mounting bracket configured to attach at the windshield attachment member. The camera mounting bracket is an injection molded bracket that is formed by injection molding a thermoplastic reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin. With the windshield attachment member adhesively attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield, the camera mounting bracket, with a camera module attached thereat, is attached at the windshield attachment member. The camera mounting bracket includes a mirror attachment portion for attaching an interior rearview mirror assembly. The mirror mount includes an attaching portion that is configured to insert at least partially into a socket of the mirror attachment portion of the camera mounting bracket to attach the interior rearview mirror assembly at the camera mounting bracket.

First claim

1 . A vehicle mirror and camera mounting system comprising:
a windshield attachment member configured to adhesively attach at an in-cabin surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said mirror and camera mounting system; a camera mounting bracket configured to attach at said windshield attachment member when said windshield attachment member is adhesively attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera mounting bracket comprises an injection molded bracket that is formed by injection molding a thermoplastic polymeric molding resin, said thermoplastic polymeric molding resin comprising a reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin; a camera module attached at said camera mounting bracket, wherein said camera module comprises a camera having an image sensor array and a lens; wherein, with said windshield attachment member attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield, said camera mounting bracket, with said camera module attached thereat, is attached at said windshield attachment member; wherein said camera, when said camera module is attached at said camera mounting bracket and with said camera mounting bracket attached at said windshield attachment member adhesively attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, has a field of view through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mirror mount; wherein said camera mounting bracket includes a mirror attachment portion for attaching said interior rearview mirror assembly thereat, and wherein said mirror attachment portion comprises a socket; and wherein said mirror mount comprises an attaching portion that is configured to insert at least partially into said socket of said mirror attachment portion of said camera mounting bracket to attach said interior rearview mirror assembly at said camera mounting bracket.

2 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 1 , wherein, with said camera mounting bracket attached at said windshield attachment member adhesively attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield, said mirror mount of said interior rearview mirror assembly is attachable to said socket of said mirror attachment portion of said camera mounting bracket.

3 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 1 , comprising a spring element disposed at said socket and configured to engage and retain said attaching portion of said mirror mount when said attaching portion is at least partially received in said socket.

4 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 3 , wherein said spring element engages and retains said attaching portion of said mirror mount when said attaching portion is inserted into said socket and twisted about an axis of said socket.

5 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 4 , wherein said spring element comprises a three lobed spring element having three tabs that engage three tabs of said attaching portion of said mirror mount when said attaching portion is inserted into said socket and twisted about an axis of said socket.

6 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 1 , wherein said attaching portion and said socket are configured so that said socket attaches said attaching portion via a twist-lock attachment.

7 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 1 , comprising a stray light shroud attached at one of said camera module and said camera mounting bracket, wherein, when said camera module is mounted at said camera mounting bracket and said camera mounting bracket is attached at said windshield attachment member adhesively attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield, said stray light shroud shields said image sensor array from light emanating from within the cabin of the equipped vehicle.

8 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 7 , wherein said stray light shroud is disposed at said camera module and said lens views via a pocket of said stray light shroud and through the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

9 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 1 , wherein said windshield attachment member includes a rain sensor attachment portion, and wherein, with said windshield attachment member attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield, a rain sensor is mountable to said rain sensor attachment portion of said windshield attachment member.

10 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 1 , wherein said camera mounting bracket comprises a generally U-shaped bracket.

11 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 1 , wherein said reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin comprises at least one of (i) a thermoplastic glass fiber reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin, (ii) a thermoplastic carbon fiber reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin and (iii) a thermoplastic mineral reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin.

12 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 1 , wherein said reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin comprises RENY™ polymeric molding resin.

13 . A vehicle mirror and camera mounting system comprising:
a windshield attachment member configured to adhesively attach at an in-cabin surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said mirror and camera mounting system; a camera mounting bracket configured to attach at said windshield attachment member when said windshield attachment member is adhesively attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera mounting bracket comprises an injection molded bracket that is formed by injection molding a thermoplastic polymeric molding resin, said thermoplastic polymeric molding resin comprising at least one of (i) a thermoplastic glass fiber reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin, (ii) a thermoplastic carbon fiber reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin and (iii) a thermoplastic mineral reinforced polyamide polymeric molding resin; a camera module attached at said camera mounting bracket, wherein said camera module comprises a camera having an image sensor array and a lens; wherein, with said windshield attachment member attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield, said camera mounting bracket, with said camera module attached thereat, is attached at said windshield attachment member; wherein said camera, when said camera module is attached at said camera mounting bracket and with said camera mounting bracket attached at said windshield attachment member adhesively attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, has a field of view through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mirror mount; wherein said camera mounting bracket includes a mirror attachment portion for attaching said interior rearview mirror assembly thereat, and wherein said mirror attachment portion comprises a socket; a metallic spring element disposed at said socket and configured to engage and retain an attaching portion of said mirror mount when said attaching portion is at least partially received in said socket; and wherein said attaching portion is configured to insert at least partially into said socket of said mirror attachment portion of said camera mounting bracket and engage said metallic spring element to attach said interior rearview mirror assembly at said camera mounting bracket.

14 . The vehicle mirror and camera mounting system of claim 13 , wherein, with said camera mounting br

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Uken John T
• Kendall Craig
• Shooks Jeremy R

Classifications

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• B60R2001/1253

  with cameras, video cameras or video screens · CPC title