In-vehicle camera

• US 10,086,773 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Okuda, Syo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tarko, Asmamaw G
• Application Number:
  US15/831,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20180093620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0026 Windows, e.g. windscreen

Abstract

In an in-vehicle camera 1, when an in-vehicle camera body 5 is hooked on a hook portion 33 of a bracket 3 attached to a windshield, a leaf spring 34 presses the in-vehicle camera body 5 against the bracket 3 to fix the in-vehicle camera body to the bracket 3. Therefore, the in-vehicle camera body 5 can be attached to the windshield without permitting the windshield to come off from the vehicle by the bracket'"'"'s being strongly pushed such as by a jig, or without permitting the jig to scratch the windshield. Since the in-vehicle camera body is fixed to the bracket 3 by being pressed against the bracket 3 by the leaf spring 34, there is no problem of causing backlash relative to the bracket 3.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle camera assembly comprising:

a bracket adapted to be attached to a windshield of a vehicle;

a camera that is supported by the bracket; and

a pair of hook portions defined by the bracket, the pair of hook portions supporting the camera, wherein

the bracket includes a leaf spring disposed on a rear portion of the bracket,

the pair of hook portions are projected downwardly from both right and left sides of the bracket and are positioned rearward relative to a front-rear center of the bracket,

the camera has a case including bosses which are projected from right and left side surfaces of the case, the bosses come into contact with the respective hook portions when the camera is mounted to the bracket, and

the front end portion of the bracket defines an engagement portion by which an engagement projection projected from a front end portion of the case is restricted, and the pair of hook portions are configured to restrict right and left movement of the camera before fixation.

2. The in-vehicle camera assembly according to claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted to the bracket by the following steps of:

deforming the leaf spring by the case and disposing the case so that the engagement portion and the engagement projection are arranged in a line; and

releasing deformation of the leaf spring, so that the engagement portion and the engagement projection are engaged.

3. The in-vehicle camera assembly according to claim 1, wherein

the leaf spring has an edge portion to be in contact with the case, and

the case has a contact surface to be pressed by the edge portion.

4. The in-vehicle camera assembly according to claim 3, wherein

the edge portion and the contact surface are disposed rearward relative to the hook portions.