Vehicle camera with replaceable cover

• US 10,399,509 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Byrne, Steven V., Lu, Yuesheng, Hough, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Fuentes, Luis
• Application Number:
  US15/062,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20160264064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/52 Arrangement of nozzles; Liquid spreading meansnozzles per se B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/56 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 Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 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 Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices

Abstract

A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The camera has a camera housing and a lens. A cover element is removably disposed at the camera. The cover element includes a curved transparent portion and a mounting portion. The curved transparent portion of the cover element, when the cover element is disposed at the camera, protects the lens so that the lens is not exposed to the environment external the vehicle. The cover element may be configured to be fixedly mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, such that the camera is removably mounted at the vehicle by detachable attachment at the cover element.

Claims

1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, said camera having a camera housing and a lens;

wherein said camera is configured to fixedly mount at the exterior portion of the vehicle;

wherein, with said camera mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, said lens is disposed at an aperture through the exterior portion of the vehicle;

a cover element, wherein said cover element, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, is detachably attached at said camera housing, wherein said cover element comprises a curved transparent portion and a mounting portion;

wherein said mounting portion of said cover element is detachably attachable to said camera housing, and wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, and with said mounting portion of said cover element detachably attached at said camera housing, said cover element substantially covers or encompasses the aperture through the exterior portion of the vehicle;

wherein said curved transparent portion of said cover element, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle and with said cover element detachably attached at said camera housing, (i) is disposed in front of said lens, so that light passing through said curved transparent portion is received by said lens, and (ii) protects said lens so that said lens is not exposed to the environment external the vehicle;

wherein said cover element comprises a washer fluid dispensing portion, and wherein said washer fluid dispensing portion is configured to connect to a washer system of the vehicle, and wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle and with said washer fluid dispensing portion connected to the washer system of the vehicle, the washer system and said washer fluid dispensing portion provide washer fluid to said cover element; and

wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle and with said mounting portion of said cover element detachably attached at said camera housing, said camera captures image data for a driving assistance system of the vehicle.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said mounting portion includes internal threads that threadedly engage external threads at said camera housing to threadedly attach said cover element at said camera.

3. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said cover element comprises a transparent polycarbonate material.

4. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, said camera having a camera housing and a lens;

wherein said camera is configured to fixedly mount at the exterior portion of the vehicle;

wherein, with said camera mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, said lens is disposed at an aperture through the exterior portion of the vehicle;

a cover element, wherein said cover element, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, is detachably attached at said camera, wherein said cover element comprises a curved transparent portion and a mounting portion;

wherein said mounting portion comprises internal attaching elements that engage external attaching elements at said camera housing to detachably attach said cover element at said camera housing;

wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, and with said mounting portion of said cover element detachably attached at said camera housing, said cover element substantially covers or encompasses the aperture through the exterior portion of the vehicle;

wherein said curved transparent portion of said cover element, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle and with said mounting portion detachably attached at said camera housing, (i) is disposed in front of said lens, so that light passing through said curved transparent portion is received by said lens, and (ii) protects said lens so that said lens is not exposed to the environment external the vehicle;

wherein said cover element comprises a washer fluid dispensing portion, and wherein said washer fluid dispensing portion is configured to connect to a washer system of the vehicle, and wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle and with said washer fluid dispensing portion connected to the washer system of the vehicle, the washer system and said washer fluid dispensing portion provide washer fluid to said cover element; and

wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, and with said mounting portion of said cover element detachably attached at said camera housing, said camera captures image data for a driving assistance system of the vehicle.

5. The vision system of claim 4, wherein said internal attaching elements comprise internal threads that threadedly engage threads of said external attaching elements of said camera housing.

6. The vision system of claim 4, wherein said cover element comprises a transparent polycarbonate material.

7. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, said camera having a camera housing and a lens;

wherein said camera is configured to fixedly mount at the exterior portion of the vehicle;

wherein, with said camera mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, said lens is disposed at an aperture through the exterior portion of the vehicle;

a cover element, wherein said cover element, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, is detachably attached at said camera, and wherein said cover element comprises a curved transparent portion and a mounting portion, and wherein said mounting portion comprises a threaded mounting portion for detachably attaching said cover element at said camera housing;

wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, and with said mounting portion of said cover element detachably attached at said camera housing, said cover element substantially covers or encompasses the aperture through the exterior portion of the vehicle;

wherein said curved transparent portion, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, and with said mounting portion of said cover element detachably attached at said camera housing, (i) is disposed in front of said lens, so that light passing through said curved transparent portion is received by said lens, and (ii) protects said lens so that said lens is not exposed to the environment external the vehicle;

wherein said cover element comprises a washer fluid dispensing portion and wherein, with said cover element disposed at said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle, said washer fluid dispensing portion connects to a washer system of the vehicle to provide washer fluid to said cover element; and

wherein, with said camera disposed at the exterior portion of the vehicle and with said mounting portion of said cover element detachably attached at said camera housing, said camera captures image data for a driving assistance system of the vehicle.

8. The vision system of claim 7, wherein said threaded mounting portion of said cover element is configured to threadedly attach said cover element at a threaded portion of said camera housing.

9. The vision system of claim 7, wherein said cover element comprises a transparent polycarbonate material.