Vehicle camera with lens cleaner
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A camera module for a vision system for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification