Attachment structure for in-vehicle camera

• US 10,252,684 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyado, Takahiro, Yamagiwa, Yutaka, Ishihara, Masami, Shinkai, Ryuichi, Takeo, Shinji, Kawamura, Shintaro, Iwamatsu, Ryo, Toyofuku, Kunihiko, Nagae, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Justin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Theis, Matthew T
• Application Number:
  US14/795,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20160009230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 224482
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0026 Windows, e.g. windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0078 Quick-disconnect two-parts mounting means

Abstract

An attachment structure for an in-vehicle camera includes a first bracket and a second bracket. The first bracket is fixed to an inner surface of a windshield. The second bracket holds an in-vehicle camera when the second bracket is attached to the first bracket at an attachment position. The first bracket includes a support portion and a first one-way engagement portion. The second bracket includes a pressing portion and a second one-way engagement portion. The pressing portion presses a pressed portion of the in-vehicle camera against the support portion and holds the pressed portion between the pressing portion and the support portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position. The second one-way engagement portion cooperates with the pressing portion to inhibit the second bracket from moving with respect to the first bracket when the second one-way engagement portion is engaged with the first one-way engagement portion.

Claims

1. An attachment structure for an in-vehicle camera, the attachment structure being configured to attach an in-vehicle camera to an inner surface of a windshield of a vehicle, the attachment structure comprising:

a first bracket fixed to the inner surface of the windshield; and

a second bracket configured to hold an in-vehicle camera with respect to the first bracket when the second bracket is attached to the first bracket at an attachment position, wherein

the first bracket includes a support portion and a first one-way engagement portion, the second bracket includes a pressing portion and a second one-way engagement portion,

the pressing portion has elasticity,

the pressing portion is configured to press a pressed portion of the in-vehicle camera against the support portion and to hold the pressed portion between the pressing portion and the support portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position,

the second one-way engagement portion is configured to cooperate with the pressing portion to inhibit the second bracket from moving with respect to the first bracket when the second one-way engagement portion is engaged with the first one-way engagement portion,

the second bracket is attached to the first bracket when the second bracket is displaced with respect to the first bracket in a first direction substantially along the windshield,

the pressing portion is configured to press the pressed portion in a second direction crossing the first direction and the windshield when the second bracket is at the attachment position, the pressing portion contacting the pressed portion from a windshield side of the attachment structure,

the support portion is provided on a lateral surface of a lateral wall of the first bracket,

the pressing portion is provided on an arm extending in a direction along the windshield and is provided on a lateral wall of the second bracket, the arm including a second contact portion and a first bracket having a first contact portion at a lower side of the first bracket, and

the first contact portion contacts the second contact portion from the windshield side when the second bracket is at the attachment position.

2. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein

the support portion includes a portion positioned below the pressing portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position, and

the second direction is a direction away from the windshield downward.

3. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein

the first bracket includes the first contact portion, the first contact portion extending parallel to the first direction,

the second bracket includes the second contact portion, the second contact portion in contact with the first contact portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position,

at least part of a reaction force generated when the pressing portion presses the pressed portion in the first direction is transmitted from the second one-way engagement portion to the first one-way engagement portion, and

at least part of a reaction force generated when the pressing portion presses the pressed portion in the second direction is transmitted from the second contact portion to the first contact portion.

4. The attachment structure according to claim 2, wherein

the first bracket includes the first contact portion, the first contact portion extending parallel to the first direction,

the second bracket includes the second contact portion, the second contact portion in contact with the first contact portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position,

at least part of a reaction force generated when the pressing portion presses the pressed portion in the first direction is transmitted from the second one-way engagement portion to the first one-way engagement portion, and

at least part of a reaction force generated when the pressing portion presses the pressed portion in the second direction is transmitted from the second contact portion to the first contact portion.

5. The attachment structure according to claim 1, further comprising

the in-vehicle camera, wherein

the pressed portion includes a first pressed portion and a second pressed portion,

the first pressed portion and the second pressed portion are spaced from each other at least in the first direction when the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure,

the support portion includes a first support portion and a second support portion,

the pressing portion includes a first pressing portion and a second pressing portion,

the first pressing portion is configured to press the first pressed portion against the first support portion when the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure, and

the second pressing portion is configured to press the second pressed portion against the second support portion when the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure.

6. The attachment structure according to claim 5, wherein

the first pressed portion includes a pair of first pressed portions configured to extend along the windshield and to be spaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the first direction when the second bracket is at the attachment position and the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure,

the second pressed portion includes a pair of second pressed portions configured to extend along the windshield and to be spaced from each other in the direction perpendicular to the first direction when the second bracket is at the attachment position and the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure,

the first support portion includes a pair of first support portions configured to extend along the windshield and to be spaced from each other in the direction perpendicular to the first direction when the second bracket is at the attachment position and the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure,

the second support portion includes a pair of second support portions configured to extend along the windshield and to be spaced from each other in the direction perpendicular to the first direction when the second bracket is at the attachment position and the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure,

the first pressing portion includes a pair of first pressing portions configured to extend along the windshield and to be spaced from each other in the direction perpendicular to the first direction when the second bracket is at the attachment position and the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure, and

the second pressing portion includes a pair of second pressing portions configured to extend along the windshield and to be spaced from each other in the direction perpendicular to the first direction when the second bracket is at the attachment position and the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure.

7. The attachment structure according to claim 5, wherein

the second bracket is configured to be displaced in a third direction from the second support portion toward the first support when the second bracket is attached to the first bracket,

the first pressing portion is positioned on an advanced side with respect to the second pressing portion in the third direction,

the first pressing portion is configured to press, when the second bracket is attached to the first bracket, the first pressed portion against the first support portion before the second pressing portion presses the second pressed portion against the second support portion, and

the second pressing portion is configured to make a surface contact with the second pressed portion when the second bracket reaches the attachment position.

8. The attachment structure according to claim 6, wherein

the second bracket is configured to be displaced in a third direction from the second support portion toward the first support when the second bracket is attached to the first bracket,

the first pressing portion is positioned on an advanced side with respect to the second pressing portion in the third direction,

the first pressing portion is configured to press, when the second bracket is attached to the first bracket, the first pressed portion against the first support portion before the second pressing portion presses the second pressed portion against the second support portion, and

the second pressing portion is configured to make a surface contact with the second pressed portion when the second bracket reaches the attachment position.

9. The attachment structure according to claim 5, wherein

the first support portion includes a portion positioned below the first pressing portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position,

the second support portion includes a portion positioned below the second pressing portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position, and

the second direction is a direction away from the windshield downward.

10. The attachment structure according to claim 6, wherein

the first support portion includes a portion positioned below the first pressing portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position,

the second support portion includes a portion positioned below the second pressing portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position, and

the second direction is a direction away from the windshield downward.

11. The attachment structure according to claim 7, wherein

the first support portion includes a portion positioned below the first pressing portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position,

the second support portion includes a portion positioned below the second pressing portion when the second bracket is at the attachment position, and

the second direction is a direction away from the windshield downward.

12. The attachment structure according to claim 5, wherein

the first one-way engagement portion is positioned between the first support portion and the second support portion in the first direction.

13. The attachment structure according to claim 5, wherein

the first bracket includes a pair of first contact portions, the first contact portions extending parallel to the first direction and being spaced from each other in the first direction,

the second bracket includes a pair of second contact portions,

each of the second contact portions is configured to come in contact with a corresponding one of the first contact portions when the second bracket is at the attachment position,

at least part of a reaction force generated when the first pressing portion presses the first pressed portion in the first direction is transmitted from the second one-way engagement portion to the first one-way engagement portion,

at least part of a reaction force generated when the second pressing portion presses the second pressed portion in the first direction is transmitted from the second one-way engagement portion to the first one-way engagement portion,

at least part of a reaction force generated when the first pressing portion presses the first pressed portion in the second direction is transmitted from the second contact portions to the first contact portions and the first one-way engagement portion, and

at least part of a reaction force generated when the second pressing portion presses the second pressed portion in the second direction is transmitted from the second contact portions to the first contact portions and the first one-way engagement portion.

14. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein

the first bracket includes a first guide portion,

the second bracket includes a second guide portion, and

the first guide portion and the second guide portion are configured to cooperate with each other to guide the second bracket to move in the first direction.

15. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein

the second bracket includes a camera engagement portion, and

the camera engagement portion is configured to be engaged, when the second bracket is at the attachment position and the in-vehicle camera is attached in the attachment structure, with the in-vehicle camera to inhibit the in-vehicle camera from moving along the windshield perpendicularly to the first direction with respect to the first bracket and the second bracket.

16. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein

the first bracket includes a pair of first lateral walls,

the first lateral walls extend along the windshield in the first direction, and are spaced from each other perpendicularly to the first direction,

the second bracket includes a pair of second lateral walls,

the second lateral walls extend along the windshield in the first direction and are spaced from each other perpendicularly to the first direction when the second bracket is at the attachment position,

one of the pair of the first lateral walls and the pair of the second lateral walls is configured to directly hold at least a part of the in-vehicle camera, and

at least a part of the first lateral wall is engaged, when the second bracket is at the attachment position, with the second lateral wall to inhibit the second bracket from moving with respect to the first bracket in a direction crossing the first lateral walls and the second lateral walls.

17. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein

an inclination angle of the first direction with respect to the windshield is 20 degrees or less.

18. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein

an inclination angle of the second direction with respect to the windshield is 70 degrees or more.

19. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein

the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.