Vehicular imaging device

• US 9,294,657 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Oshida, Kei, Watanabe, Takashi, Nishiguchi, Haruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Velez, Roberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tissire, Abdelaaziz
• Application Number:
  US14/420,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• 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: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0043 for integrated articles, i.e. not substantially protruding from the surrounding parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

A vehicular imaging device is formed by housing a camera, which takes an image of one side and rearwardly of a vehicle body, in an interior of a minor housing of the door mirror. Since an objective lens of the camera is disposed further inside than the outer surface of the mirror housing, it is possible to prevent raindrops or snow flowing from top to bottom along the outer surface of the mirror housing by virtue of gravity or raindrops or snow flowing from front to rear along the outer surface of the mirror housing due to being pushed by air flow from adhering to the objective lens of the camera, thereby enabling the image taking function of the camera to be maintained.

Claims

1. A vehicular imaging device in which a camera that takes an image of one side and rearwardly of a vehicle body is housed in an interior of a mirror housing of a door mirror, wherein

the mirror housing comprises a bulge portion. a substantially horizontal bottom wall connected to the bulge portion, and a side wall rising from an outer end of a vehicle width direction of the bottom wall via a substantially right angled corner portion,

a conical recess portion is formed in the bulge portion and an objective portion of the camera is disposed at a bottom of the recess portion, wherein

the recess portion is opened toward a rear of the vehicle body while being directed toward an outside in the vehicle width direction, and

the bottom wall protrudes in a substantially horizontal direction above the recess portion.

2. The vehicular imaging device according to claim 1, wherein an image taken by the camera has an angle of view of less than 180°

.