FRONT END MOUNTED VIDEO CAMERA FOR VEHICLE

• US 20110267466A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velvac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Velvac Incorporated
• Inventors: Brester, Robert R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,896,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A vehicle camera mount has a bracket, a support arm, and a camera housing. The bracket is used to fasten the support arm to a vehicle. The camera housing is connected to the support arm, the camera housing contains a camera, and the camera housing has a wind resistance reducing aerodynamic profile configured to reduce wind resistance by the camera housing as the vehicle is moving. The support arm is configured to support the camera housing to the vehicle so that the camera housing is above a front fender of the vehicle and alongside a hood of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle camera mount comprising:

a bracket fastened to a vehicle;

a support arm connected to the bracket; and

,

a camera housing connected to the support arm, wherein the camera housing contains a camera, and wherein the camera housing has a wind resistance reducing aerodynamic profile configured to reduce wind resistance by the camera housing as the vehicle is moving;

wherein the support arm supports the camera housing to the vehicle so that the camera housing is above a front fender of the vehicle and alongside a hood of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle camera mount of claim 1 wherein the camera housing has a total surface area, wherein the camera housing has a wind facing surface area that faces the wind when the vehicle is moving, and wherein the wind facing surface area is in the range of 5% to 30% of the total surface area.

3. The vehicle camera mount of claim 1 wherein the camera housing has a total surface area, wherein the camera housing has a wind facing surface area that faces the wind when the vehicle is moving, and wherein the wind facing surface area is substantially 13% of the total surface area.

4. The vehicle camera mount of claim 1 wherein the support arm is fastened to the camera housing so as to permit rotation of the camera housing around a vertical axis.

5. The vehicle camera mount of claim 1 wherein the support arm is fastened to the camera housing so as to permit rotation of the camera housing around a horizontal axis.

6. The vehicle camera mount of claim 1 wherein the support arm is fastened to the camera housing so as to permit rotation of the camera housing around vertical and horizontal axes.

7. The vehicle camera mount of claim 1 wherein the camera is supported by the camera housing so that, when the support arm is fastened to the camera housing and the bracket is fastened to the vehicle, the camera has a field of view in a direction reverse to the forward motion of the vehicle.

8. A vehicle camera mount comprising:

a bracket, wherein the bracket is configured to be fastened to a vehicle;

a support arm connected to the bracket; and

,

a camera housing connected to the support arm, wherein the camera housing contains a camera, and wherein the camera housing has a wind resistance reducing aerodynamic profile configured to reduce wind resistance by the camera housing as the vehicle is moving;

wherein the support arm is configured to support the camera housing to the vehicle so that the camera housing is above a front fender of the vehicle and alongside a hood of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle camera mount of claim 8 wherein the camera housing has a total surface area, wherein the camera housing has a wind facing surface area that faces the wind when the vehicle is moving, and wherein the wind facing surface area is in the range of 5% to 30% of the total surface area.

10. The vehicle camera mount of claim 8 wherein the camera housing has a total surface area, wherein the camera housing has a wind facing surface area that faces the wind when the vehicle is moving, and wherein the wind facing surface area is substantially 13% of the total surface area.

11. The vehicle camera mount of claim 8 wherein the support arm is fastened to the camera housing so as to permit rotation of the camera housing around a vertical axis.

12. The vehicle camera mount of claim 8 wherein the support arm is fastened to the camera housing so as to permit rotation of the camera housing around a horizontal axis.

13. The vehicle camera mount of claim 8 wherein the support arm is fastened to the camera housing so as to permit rotation of the camera housing around vertical and horizontal axes.

14. The vehicle camera mount of claim 8 wherein the camera is supported by the camera housing so that, when the support arm is fastened to the camera housing and the bracket is fastened to the vehicle, the camera has a field of view in a direction reverse to the forward motion of the vehicle.