CLEANING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE-MOUNTED CAMERA AND METHOD OF CLEANING VEHICLE-MOUNTED CAMERA

• US 20150203077A1
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Gokan, Toshimichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,505,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/08 with separate outlet orifices, e.g. to form parallel jets , i.e. the axis of the jets being parallel, to form intersecting jets , i.e. the axis of the jets converging but not necessarily intersecting at a point
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0848 Cleaning devices for cameras on 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: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/52 Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/811 by dust removal, e.g. from surfaces of the image sensor or processing of the image signal output by the electronic image sensor

Abstract

A nozzle for cleaning a lens surface of a camera includes a cleaning liquid path that guides a cleaning liquid to a discharge port and an air passage that guides a compressed air to a discharge port. Furthermore, a distal end portion of the cleaning liquid path and a distal end portion of the air passage are disposed so as to be proximate to each other, or are disposed so as to be merged with each other. Then, at the time of cleaning the lens surface, the compressed air is made intermittently jet from the discharge port, and the cleaning liquid is suctioned with the negative pressure occurring due to the jetting of the compressed air to make the cleaning liquid intermittently jet from the discharge port, thereby cleaning the lens surface.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera, which cleans a lens surface of a camera mounted on a vehicle, the cleaning device comprising:

a nozzle having a discharge port from which a cleaning liquid and a compressed air discharge and which are disposed so as to face the lens surface, and having a cleaning liquid path that guides the cleaning liquid to the discharge port and an air passage that guides the compressed air to the discharge port, in which a distal end portion of the cleaning liquid path and a distal end portion of the air passage are disposed so as to be proximate to each other, or are disposed so as to be merged with each other;

a cleaning-liquid delivery section that delivers the cleaning liquid through a cleaning liquid pipe to the nozzle;

a compressed-air delivery section that delivers the compressed air through an air pipe to the nozzle; and

a control section that controls the cleaning-liquid delivery section and the compressed-air delivery section, wherein

the control section does cleaning with a continuous water supply mode in which the cleaning-liquid delivery section is driven and the compressed-air delivery section is intermittently driven for a plurality of times to make the cleaning liquid and the compressed air jet from the discharge port.

2. The cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, wherein

in addition to the continuous water supply mode, the control section does cleaning with an air blow mode in which delivery of the cleaning liquid by the cleaning-liquid delivery section is stopped, and the compressed air is delivered by the compressed-air delivery section to make the compressed air jet from the discharge port.

3. The cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 2, wherein

in addition to the continuous water supply mode and the air blow mode, the control section does cleaning with a pressurized cleaning mode in which the cleaning-liquid delivery section is driven and the compressed air is continuously delivered by the compressed-air delivery section to make the cleaning liquid and the compressed air continuously jet from the discharge port.

4. The cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, further comprising a dirt-state determining section that determines a dirt state of the lens surface, wherein

the control section cleans the lens surface with the pressurized cleaning mode if the dirt-state determining section determines that dirt occurs.

5. The cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, further comprising a dirt-state determining section that determines a dirt state of the lens surface, wherein

the control section determines based on vehicle information whether it is raining, and cleans the lens surface with the continuous water supply mode if the dirt-state determining section determines that the lens surface is not dirty, and the control section determines that it is raining.

6. The cleaning device for a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, further comprising a dirt-state determining section that determines a dirt state of the lens surface, wherein

the control section determines based on vehicle information whether it is raining, and cleans the lens surface with the air blow mode if the dirt-state determining section determines that the lens surface is not dirty, and the control section determines that it is not raining.

7. A method of cleaning a vehicle-mounted camera, comprising

doing cleaning with a continuous water supply mode in which a cleaning liquid is delivered to a nozzle, and a compressed air is intermittently delivered to the nozzle for a plurality of times to make the cleaning liquid and the compressed air jet from a discharge port,

the nozzle having the discharge port from which the cleaning liquid and the compressed air discharge and which are disposed so as to face a lens surface of a camera mounted on a vehicle, in which a distal end portion of a cleaning liquid path that guides the cleaning liquid to the discharge port and a distal end portion of an air passage that guides the compressed air to the discharge port are disposed so as to be proximate to each other, or are disposed so as to be merged with each other.