Structure for attaching stereoscopic camera in vehicle

• US 7,403,709 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nagaoka, Nobuharu, Hattori, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Masahito, Katashima, Yoshitaka, Miyazaki, Yasuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey; W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEATHERS, ANTHONY G
• Application Number:
  US11/243,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 396/419, 396/424, 396/427, 396/429, 396/325, 396/324, 396/322, 348/42, 348/47, 348/118, 348/837, 382/104, 701/28
• US Class Current: 396/325
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0038 Engine compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03

Abstract

A structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera to a vehicle, by which a plurality of cameras are attached to a body frame of the vehicle in order to stereoscopically capture images surrounding the vehicle; and the same structure includes a lateral stay for coupling the plurality of cameras with each other; and brackets for fixing the lateral stay or the plurality of cameras on the body frame, which are provided at a plurality of points, spaced from each other, of the lateral stay, or at the plurality of cameras fixed on the lateral stay; wherein the rigidity of at least a part of the brackets is lower than the bending rigidity of the lateral stay.

Claims

1. A structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle, by which a plurality of cameras are attached on a body frame of the vehicle in order to stereoscopically capture images of an area surrounding the vehicle;

the structure comprising;

a lateral stay for coupling the plurality of cameras to each other; and

brackets for fixing at least one of the lateral stay and the plurality of cameras on the body frame, the brackets provided at a plurality of points on at least one of the lateral stay and the plurality of cameras fixed on the stay;

wherein

the rigidity of at least a part of the brackets is lower than the bending rigidity of the lateral stay; and

said lateral stay is connected to the body frame only through said brackets.

2. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the brackets are plate-shaped, and bending portions are provided in the brackets.

3. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the brackets are provided with a reinforcement bead.

4. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the camera is an infrared camera.

5. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the body frame comprises a cross member and side frames, both ends of the cross member comprising a bent portion, which is bent diagonally upward, and a terminal end of the bent portion is linked with the side frames at both sides of an engine room;

and

the brackets are fixed in the vicinity of the terminal end of the bent portion of the cross member.

6. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the brackets are provided at each of the plurality of cameras.

15. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said brackets are adapted to deform prior to the lateral if the vehicle body frame becomes deformed.

7. A structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system including a plurality of cameras to a vehicle, the structure comprising:

an elongate rigid stay, the stay extending in the width direction of the vehicle,

a plurality of brackets securing the plurality of cameras to the stay and adapted to secure the stay to a body frame of the vehicle,

wherein

the brackets are spaced apart along the stay,

the vehicle body frame comprises a cross member extending in the width direction of the vehicle, and a pair of parallel side frames extending perpendicularly to the cross member and supporting opposed ends of the cross member, and

the brackets secure ends of the stay to the cross member adjacent the side frames.

8. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the brackets comprise a first rigidity and the stay comprises a second rigidity, wherein the first rigidity is less than the second rigidity.

9. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the brackets comprise an upper bracket and a lower bracket for each camera, an upper end of each camera secured to an upper bracket, and a lower end of each camera secured to a lower bracket.

10. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 9, wherein a first end of the upper bracket is secured to an end of the stay, and a second end of the upper bracket is secured to the cross member.

11. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 9, wherein the upper bracket comprises a bending portion.

12. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 9, wherein

the cross member comprises a mid section extending between opposed ends,

the ends of the cross member comprise a bent portion which bends diagonally upward, and

a terminal end of the bent portion is fixed to the side frames,

wherein the lower bracket comprises a first end secured to the mid section of the cross member, and a second end secured to the bent portion of the cross member.

13. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 9, wherein the lower bracket comprises a bracket body and a sub-bracket, and wherein the bracket body is a substantially circular are in shape, and the sub-bracket is fixed to one end of the bracket body, and is L-shaped.

14. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 7, wherein

the brackets are provided with a reinforcement bead.

16. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 7, wherein said lateral stay is connected to the body frame only through said brackets.

17. The structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera system to a vehicle of claim 7, wherein said brackets arc adapted to deform prior to the lateral if the vehicle body frame becomes deformed.