Vehicle camera with lens cleaner

• US 10,604,121 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blank, Rodney K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Xi
• Application Number:
  US15/613,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20170349147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 348148, 359508, 15 971, 15 15
• 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: B60S 1/566 including wiping devices B60S1/563, B60S1/583 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A camera module for a vehicle vision system for a vehicle includes a camera fixedly disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. A transparent cover element includes an at least partial cylindrical element that at least partially surrounds the camera with a portion of the transparent cover element disposed in front of a lens of the camera. At least one wiping element engages an exterior surface of said transparent cover element. The transparent cover element is rotatable relative to the camera about a longitudinal axis of the transparent cover element to move portions of the transparent cover element across the at least one wiping element to clean dirt or contaminants from the transparent cover element.

Claims

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

a camera fixedly disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle, wherein said camera comprises a lens having a central axis, and wherein said camera views through an aperture at the exterior portion of the vehicle;

a cover assembly comprising a mounting portion and a transparent cover element rotatable relative to said mounting portion;

wherein said transparent cover element comprises a cylindrically curved element;

wherein said mounting portion is mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle so that a cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element is disposed at the aperture at the exterior portion of the vehicle;

wherein said cylindrically curved element of said transparent cover element surrounds said camera with the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element disposed in front of said lens of said camera so that said camera views through the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element;

at least one wiping element that engages an exterior surface of said transparent cover element; and

wherein said transparent cover element is rotatable relative to said camera about a longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element to move the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element across said at least one wiping element to clean dirt or contaminants from said transparent cover element;

wherein the longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element is parallel to the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element and orthogonal to the central axis of said lens of said camera; and

wherein said cylindrically curved element is fully rotatable about said longitudinal axis to clean the entirety of said transparent cover element with said at least one wiping element.

2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein said at least one wiping element comprises two wiping elements that engage opposite regions of said transparent cover element at or near opposite sides of the aperture.

3. The camera module of claim 2, wherein said transparent cover element is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction, and wherein, when said transparent cover element is rotated in the first direction, one of said wiping elements cleans the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element that was in front of said lens of said camera, and wherein, when said transparent cover element is rotated in the second direction, the other of said wiping elements cleans the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element that was in front of said lens of said camera.

4. The camera module of claim 3, wherein said transparent cover element is rotatable at least 45 degrees in either direction.

5. The camera module of claim 1, wherein said camera module is part of a multi-camera vision system of the vehicle.

6. The camera module of claim 5, wherein said camera module of said multi-camera vision system captures image data for display of a surround view of the vehicle for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

7. The camera module of claim 1, comprising a motor operable to rotatably drive said transparent cover element relative to said camera.

8. A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:

a mounting portion configured to be fixedly and non-movably mounted at an exterior portion of a vehicle;

a camera fixedly disposed at said mounting portion, wherein said camera comprises a lens having a central axis normal to an imager of said camera;

a transparent cover element rotatably disposed at said mounting portion and rotatable relative to said mounting portion about a longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element;

wherein the longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element is orthogonal to the central axis of said lens of said camera;

wherein said transparent cover element comprises a cylindrically curved element;

wherein said cylindrically curved element of said transparent cover element surrounds said camera with a cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element disposed in front of said lens of said camera;

wherein, with said mounting portion mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, said camera views through the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element and through an aperture at the exterior portion of the vehicle;

at least one wiping element that engages an exterior curved surface of said transparent cover element;

wherein said transparent cover element is rotatable relative to said mounting portion and said camera about the longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element to move the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element across said at least one wiping element to clean dirt or contaminants from the cylindrically curved portions of said transparent cover element; and

wherein said cylindrically curved element is fully rotatable about the longitudinal axis to clean the entirety of an outer curved surface of said transparent cover element with said at least one wiping element.

9. The camera module of claim 8, wherein said at least one wiping element comprises two wiping elements that engage opposite regions of said transparent cover element at or near opposite sides of the field of view of said camera.

10. The camera module of claim 9, wherein said transparent cover element is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction, and wherein, when said transparent cover element is rotated in the first direction, one of said wiping elements cleans the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element that was in front of said camera, and wherein, when said transparent cover element is rotated in the second direction, the other of said wiping elements cleans the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element that was in front of said camera.

11. The camera module of claim 10, wherein said transparent cover element is rotatable at least 45 degrees in either direction.

12. The camera module of claim 8, wherein said camera is part of a multi-camera vision system of the vehicle, and wherein said camera of said multi-camera vision system captures image data for display of a surround view of the vehicle for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

13. The camera module of claim 8, comprising a motor operable to rotatably drive said transparent cover element relative to said camera.

14. A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:

a mounting portion configured to be fixedly and non-movably mounted at an exterior portion of a vehicle;

a camera fixedly disposed at said mounting portion, wherein said camera comprises a lens having a central axis normal to an imager of said camera;

a transparent cover element rotatably disposed at said mounting portion and rotatable relative to said mounting portion about a longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element;

wherein the longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element is orthogonal to the central axis of said lens of said camera;

wherein said transparent cover element comprises a cylindrically curved element;

wherein said cylindrically curved element of said transparent cover element surrounds said camera with a cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element disposed in front of said lens of said camera;

wherein, with said mounting portion mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, said camera views through the cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element and through an aperture at the exterior portion of the vehicle;

a motor operable to rotatably drive said transparent cover element relative to said camera;

a first wiping element disposed at a first region of said mounting portion and a second wiping element disposed at a second region of said mounting portion, wherein said first and second regions are at opposite regions of the field of view of said camera, and wherein said first and second wiping elements engage an exterior curved surface of said transparent cover element;

wherein said motor, when actuated, rotates said transparent cover element relative to said mounting portion and said camera about the longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element in a first direction to move a first cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element across said first wiping element to clean dirt or contaminants from the exterior curved surface of the first cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element, and when said motor is actuated another time, said motor rotates said transparent cover element relative to said mounting portion and said camera about the longitudinal axis of said transparent cover element in a second direction opposite the first direction to move a second cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element across said second wiping element to clean dirt or contaminants from the exterior curved surface of the second cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element; and

wherein said cylindrically curved element is fully rotatable about the longitudinal axis to clean the entirety of said transparent cover element with said first and second wiping elements.

15. The camera module of claim 14, wherein, when said transparent cover element is rotated in the first direction, said first wiping element cleans the exterior curved surface of the first cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element that was in front of said camera, and wherein, when said transparent cover element is rotated in the second direction, said second wiping element cleans the exterior curved surface of the second cylindrically curved portion of said transparent cover element that was in front of said camera.

16. The camera module of claim 15, wherein said transparent cover element is rotatable at least 45 degrees in either direction.