Vehicle rear viewing device with a housing, an imaging device, and a display screen

• US 10,486,595 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2018
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ajisaka, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Atala, Jamie J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cammarata, Michael Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/992,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20180361931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0229 for displays, e.g. cathodic tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0021 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• 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 vehicle rear viewing device includes an imaging device at a side portion of a vehicle configured to capture images toward a vehicle rear side. The device may also include a display device that has a display screen that displays images captured by the imaging device and a housing disposed at a vehicle front side of a side door glass of a sliding-type door and at a vehicle lower side of a front pillar. The housing may include an outer side portion that has a door handle mounted thereto and that structures a case of the imaging device and that includes an outer side through portion that exposes a lens portion of the imaging device. The housing may also include an inner side portion that structures a case of the display device and includes an inner side through portion that exposes the display screen toward a vehicle inner side.

Claims

1. A vehicle rear viewing device comprising:

an imaging device that is disposed at a side portion of a vehicle and is configured to capture images toward a vehicle rear side;

a display device including a display screen that is configured to display the images captured by the imaging device; and

a housing that is mounted to a side door of the vehicle and that, in a state in which a vehicle upper side portion of a side door opening of a vehicle body that is opened and closed by the side door is closed by a side door glass, is configured to be disposed at a vehicle front side of the side door glass and at a vehicle lower side of a front pillar that structures a portion of the vehicle body, the housing including an outer side portion that structures a first side surface at a vehicle transverse direction outer side, and an inner side portion that structures a second side surface at a vehicle transverse direction inner side,

wherein the outer side portion structures a portion of a case of the imaging device, and includes an outer side through portion, through which a lens portion of the imaging device is exposed,

the inner side portion structures a portion of a case of the display device, and includes an inner side through portion, through which the display screen is exposed in a state of facing a vehicle transverse direction inner side,

the side door is a sliding-type door, and

a door handle for opening and closing the side door is mounted to the outer side portion.

2. The vehicle rear viewing device of claim 1, wherein

the housing has a substantially triangle shape whose width widens toward the vehicle rear side as seen from a thickness direction of the side door that is in a state of closing the side door opening,

the inner side through portion has a substantially triangle shape whose peripheral edge portion runs along a peripheral edge portion of the inner side portion, and

the display screen has a substantially triangle shape whose peripheral edge portion runs along the peripheral edge portion of the inner side through portion.

3. The vehicle rear viewing device of claim 1, wherein

the outer side portion includes an outer concave portion that is recessed toward the inner side portion, and

the door handle is accommodated inside the outer concave portion.