Device for opening a vehicle lock and for capturing an image on the exterior of the vehicle

• US 8,243,137 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Schuetz, Heiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Barqadle, Yasin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chacko, Joe
• Application Number:
  US12/310,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 359/872, 396/427
• 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: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5889 For automotive vehicles

Abstract

A device that has the double function of opening a lock upon actuation of a handle, and as the need may arise, of capturing the exterior of the vehicle in an image via a camera. A hole is provided in the back wall of a support shell receiving the handle, and the housing of a module is mounted on the hole. The camera is supported in a pivoting and translatory manner in the module housing via a camera mount between a retracting position and an extending position. Furthermore, a drive and a gear are mounted on the module housing for a rotational-translatory displacement of the camera.

Claims

1. A device for opening a lock, which acts between a moving vehicle body part and a stationary part of the body, said device simultaneously obtaining images of an area outside the vehicle, the device comprising:

a camera, with a support shell, which camera is located in an opening of exterior cladding of the body of the vehicle;

a handle rotatably supported in the support shell on a hinge, wherein the handle is moveable between a closed position, in which the handle closes a shell opening of the support shell and leaves the lock unactuated, and an open position, in which the handle is manually swung on the hinge out of the support shell and/or into the support shell to actuate the lock, the camera being mounted on a rear wall of the support shell,

wherein the rear wall of the support shell has a hole;

a module housing mounted behind the hole in the rear wall;

a mount for the camera rotatably supported and translationally guided in the module housing in order to swivel the camera between a retracted position and an extended position; and

a drive unit and a gear unit mounted on the module housing to provide rotational-translational movement of the camera mount.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the module housing has a window, in the retracted position, the camera facing away from the window in the module housing and occupying a space-saving longitudinal position in an interior of the module housing.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the camera has an image-recording end, in the extended position, the camera occupying an inclined position in a housing interior, and the image-recording end extending from the module housing.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein, in the extended position, the camera also extends from the shell opening of the support shell, and the drive unit is an electric motor.

5. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein, in the extended position of the camera mount, the camera in the module housing arranged substantially parallel to the open position of the handle in the support shell.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a single type of uniform module that is assignable to several different types of the device, the uniform module being mountable on and detachable from the device.

7. A device in accordance with claim 5, and further comprising a cover configured to cover the window of the module housing.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the cover is rotationally supported on the module housing and is acted upon by spring tension, which acts to press the cover against the window of the module housing.

9. A device in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a gasket arranged between the window of the module housing and the cover to seal the interior of the module housing from an interior of the support shell in a closed position of the cover.

10. A device in accordance with claim 8, further comprising an actuator on the camera mount or on the gear unit, the actuator being operative to produce the movement of the camera mount and effect movement of the cover with respect to the window of the module housing.

11. A device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the actuator consists of a projection arranged on the camera mount to swivel the cover open against the spring tension during the swiveling movement of the camera mount out of the retracted position and into the extended position of the camera.

12. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a motor mounted on an exterior of the module housing.

13. A device in accordance with claim 12, further comprising spacers arranged between the motor and the module housing, at least part of the gear unit that serves to move the camera mount being arranged between the spacers.

14. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one connecting link drive arranged to produce the rotational-translational movement of the camera mount.

15. A device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the camera mount has a swivel bearing integrated in a sliding block of the link drive.

16. A device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the link drive consists of a two-part sliding block on the camera mount and a two-part slotted link on the module housing.

17. A device in accordance with claim 16, wherein the module housing consists of a sleeve with a rectangular profile, where the window of the module housing is set in a front wall of the sleeve, and where corresponding parts of the slotted link are located on sidewalls of the sleeve that are arranged on both sides of the front wall of the sleeve.

18. A device in accordance with claim 16, wherein the sliding block consists of a section of a pivot element of the camera mount, about which the camera can be swiveled between the retracted position and the extended position.

19. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a gear drive arranged to move the camera mount, where a double-arm lever is connected on an output side of the gear drive, where the two arms of the double-arm lever are nonrotatably connected with each other and are rotatably supported in the module housing with a common bearing shaft, where one of the arms acts on an output gear of the gear drive via a guide and a guide element, and where the other arm of the double-arm lever articulates with the camera mount.

20. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a gear drive arranged to move the camera mount, where an output gear of the gear drive is nonrotatably connected with a bearing shaft of a lever arm, and where the lever arm articulates with the camera mount.

21. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a gear drive arranged to move the camera mount, where a shaft of an output gear of the gear drive is nonrotatably connected with a lever, which is rotatably supported in the module housing, where an end of the lever articulates with the camera mount, and further comprising at least one link drive that acts on the camera mount.

22. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a double link drive that controls the rotational-translational movement of the camera mount, the double link drive including two slotted links offset from each other on the module housing, the slotted links being engaged by two sliding blocks located on the camera mount.

23. A device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the cover is provided with control devices that produce an opening movement and/or a closing movement of the handle in the support shell during the swiveling movement of the cover.

24. A device in accordance with claim 23, wherein the control devices of the cover include a shoulder on the cover and a cooperating shoulder on the handle, the handle being under spring tension in a direction of its closed position.

25. A device in accordance with claim 23, further comprising a motor arranged to effect the opening movement and/or the closing movement of the handle, where the motor starts the movement of the handle in an opening direction no later than a beginning of camera activation and/or ends movement of the handle in a closing direction after deactivation of the camera.

26. A device in accordance with claim 25, wherein a single motor is provided for swiveling the camera mount and for hinged rotation of the handle.

27. A device in accordance with claim 26, wherein the motor has two gear outputs and/or couplings, one of which is used for the control movement of the camera mount, while the other is used for the rotational movement of the handle.

28. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein, when the handle is operated, the handle acts on the lock by mechanical elements.

29. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein, when the handle is operated, the handle acts on the lock by electric or electronic elements.