JPH04116833U - Imaging device lens cover structure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To prevent deposits such as raindrops from adhering to the lens 15 of a camera 12 mounted on the outside of an automobile. [Structure] A camera 12 is installed outside the car. A cylindrical cover body 16 that surrounds the front area of the lens 15 is provided on the front side of the lens 15 of the camera 12. Tube cover body 16
A transparent partition cover 21 is provided inside to partition the inside of the cylinder cover body 16 into front and rear parts. The partition cover 21 is provided in an inclined shape that gradually descends from the front side toward the lens 15 on the rear side.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Industrial application field]

This invention is based on a review of imaging devices such as CCD cameras installed in vehicles such as automobiles. The lens cover structure of imaging devices is designed to prevent deposits such as raindrops and snow from adhering to the lens. It is related to construction.

0002

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, the rear of the car was used to warn of rear-end collisions when parking the car or in traffic jams. Alternatively, the distance to an object in front is automatically detected.

0003 For example, as shown in FIG. Two 2D CCD cameras 2a and 2b are mounted side by side in close proximity on the left and right, and both cameras An object in front is imaged by the lenses 2a and 2b.

0004 Then, as shown in FIG. 6, output is generated from both cameras 2a and 2b according to the amount of light received. The luminance signals are A/D converted by A/D converters 3a and 3b, respectively, and both signals are converted into digital signals. The digital data of the brightness of each pixel for each horizontal line on the imaging surface of cameras 2a and 2b is For example, after being converted to a brightness level of 256 gradations, it is stored in each of the memories 4a and 4b. are stored in the memories 4a and 4b by the arithmetic processing unit (CPU) 5, respectively. The slope of the brightness distribution curve of each pixel on the corresponding horizontal line is calculated and The parallax between both cameras 2a and 2b is derived from the gradient, and from the derived parallax, calculation is performed. Therefore, the configuration is such that the distance between the object and both cameras 2a and 2b is detected. Ru.

[0005] The principle of distance detection by calculation will not be explained as it is not the gist of the invention. Omit the description. For details, please refer to Japanese Patent Application No. 2-186669 filed by the applicant. sea bream.

[0006]

[Problem that the idea aims to solve]

However, the structure of installing the CCD cameras 2a and 2b outside the car 1 is not suitable. When driving in the rain, raindrops may adhere to the front surface of the lens, which is exposed to the outside. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the image 6 may be distorted or Otherwise, the brightness level of the pixel may decrease, making it impossible to obtain accurate image information, which may cause problems with subsequent images. There was a problem with the data processing, that is, the inability to accurately detect distance. .

[0007] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has been developed to prevent deposits such as raindrops from adhering to the lens. To provide a lens cover structure for an imaging device that can prevent the above and ensure good image information. The purpose is to

[0008]

[Means to solve the problem]

The technical means to achieve the above purpose are mounted on the outside of the vehicle, and through the lens In an imaging device that images an object using a lens, a lens front region is provided on the front side of the lens. A surrounding cylindrical tube cover body is provided, and a tube cover body is provided inside the tube cover body. The inside is divided into front and back parts, and the lens gradually slopes downward from the front side to the rear side. The main feature is that a transparent partition cover is provided.

[0009]

[Effect]

According to the present invention, the imaging device includes a transparent partition cover and a lever inside the cylindrical cover body. The object in front of the lens is imaged through the lens.

0010 A tube cover body is provided on the front side of the lens, and a partition cover is provided inside the tube cover body. The front of the lens is covered, which prevents raindrops from adhering to the lens. Prevented. In addition, since the partition cover is installed inside the tube cover, the tube cover The body prevents raindrops from adhering to the partition cover, and also prevents raindrops from adhering to the partition cover. is provided in an inclined shape that gradually descends from the front side toward the rear side of the lens. Attachment to the front side of the partition cover from raindrops etc. that fell from the front opening side of the tube cover body. It is also possible to effectively prevent the image from being damaged, and good image information can be stably obtained.

[0011]

【Example】

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings.As shown in FIG. As described above, two two-dimensional CCD cameras are installed on the front of the vehicle body outside the vehicle 11 as imaging devices. The camera 12 is mounted side by side via a mounting bracket 13 or the like. Also both turtles A lens is attached to the front side of the camera 12 using a mounting bracket 13 or a camera 12, etc. A cover 14 is attached to each.

0012 The lens cover 14 is located in front of the lens 15 of the camera 12, as shown in FIGS. A cylinder cover body 16 formed in a rectangular cylinder shape is provided to surround the area. A closing plate 17 is integrally provided to close the rear edge opening. to the occlusion plate 17 is a lens holder provided protruding from the camera body 18 side to hold the lens 15. A fitting hole 20 into which the holding portion 19 is fitted is formed, and a lens holding portion is inserted into the fitting hole 20. The tube cover body 16 is attached with the portion 19 fitted in the shape.

[0013] The tube cover body 16 has a rectangular square tube shape that is short in the height direction and long in the horizontal direction. As shown in Fig. 3, the horizontal length L is determined by the horizontal imaging angle (angle of view) θ. The structure is such that it has a sufficient length.

[0014] Inside the tube cover body 16, a transparent glass is installed to partition the inside of the tube cover body 16 into front and rear parts. , a partition cover 21 made of resin or the like is provided. The lens 15 is attached in an inclined manner that gradually descends from the front side toward the rear side of the lens 15. stop At the bottom 16a of the cylinder cover body 16 located below the rear edge of the partition cover 21, A plurality of drain holes 22 are formed in the width direction so that the inside and outside communicate with each other.

[0015] Further, on the front side of the front edge opening 23 of the cylinder cover body 16, there is a rectangular shape corresponding to the opening 23. An opening/closing lid 24 is provided, and the opening/closing lid 24 is provided on one side of the bottom side. It is supported by a drive motor 25 so that it can be raised and lowered around an axis in the horizontal direction. So The opening 25 is configured to be freely opened and closed by forward and reverse driving of the drive motor 25. has been completed. Note that the drive motor 25 is attached to the mounting bracket 13 or the tube cover body 1. It is fixed on the 6th side.

[0016] The drive motor 25 is driven and controlled by a drive signal from the control section 26. 6 is connected to a raindrop sensor 27 and a vehicle speed sensor 28, which are appropriately arranged. The raindrop sensor 27 detects rain, and when rain is detected, the control unit 26 The device is configured to output a rain detection signal. Further, the vehicle speed sensor 28 detects, for example, the vehicle speed. This is to detect whether the speed is 10km/h or more, and if the speed is 10km/h or more, It is configured to output a high-speed detection signal to the control section 26 when the detection signal is detected. and control section 2 6 is a combination of the rain detection signal from the raindrop sensor 27 and the high speed detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor 28. Only when both are input, the opening/closing lid 24 is operated to close and the opening 23 is closed. However, in other signal input states, the opening/closing cover 24 is operated to open the opening 23. It is configured to be radial.

[0017] The tube cover body 16 and the opening/closing lid 24 may be made of either a transparent material or an opaque material. There may be.

[0018] The embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, and is mainly used for 10 km/h during traffic congestion. Used when driving at low speeds below h. For example, when using it during traffic jams on rainy days. Since the vehicle travels at a low speed of 10 km/h or less, the opening/closing lid 24 is left open. child At this time, the lens holding part 19 is fitted into the cylinder cover body 16 through the fitting hole 20, Since a partition cover 21 is provided inside the tube cover body 16, the front of the lens 15 is The side is covered in a closed structure to prevent raindrops from adhering to the front surface of the lens 15. Wear.

[0019] In addition, since the partition cover 21 is provided inside the tube cover body 16, the tube cover body 16 prevents raindrops from adhering to the partition cover 21, and also improves driving performance. Accordingly, even if the partition cover 21 descends from the front edge opening 23, the partition cover 21 Because it is provided in an inclined shape that gradually descends toward the lens 15 on the rear side, the partition It is also possible to effectively prevent raindrops from adhering to the front side of the cover 21. Also from the opening 23 The rainwater that has fallen is appropriately drained through the drain holes 22 and the like. Camera 12 is here Good image information is provided through the partition cover 21 inside the tube cover body 16 and the lens 15. can be obtained stably. Therefore, accurate information can be stably obtained, and The distance between the image object and the camera 12 can be detected with high accuracy.

[0020] In addition, the tube cover body 16 has a rectangular square tube shape and is short in the height direction. Because of this, it is possible to effectively prevent falling from the front edge opening, and the horizontal length is also small. Since L has a length that can secure a predetermined imaging angle, the required horizontal line The image on the screen can be captured well without any problems.

[0021] Furthermore, when moving to high speed driving of 10km/h, the raindrop sensor 27 and the vehicle speed The opening/closing lid 24 is automatically closed upon detection by both sensors 28, and the Raindrops can be prevented from adhering to the front side of the partition cover 21 during operation.

[0022] In the above embodiment, the front edge opening 23 of the cylinder cover body 16 can be freely opened and closed. Although a structure is shown in which an opening/closing lid 24 is provided to close the door, a structure without opening/closing lid 24 is shown. You can. It also shows a structure in which a camera 12 is attached to the front of a car 11. , the structure may be such that it is attached to the rear. Furthermore, a CCD camera 12 is used as an imaging device. However, it is not limited to this. Mela etc. may also be used.

[0023]

[Effect of the idea]

As described above, according to the lens cover structure of the imaging device of the present invention, the lens cover structure of the imaging device A cylindrical cover body that surrounds the front area of the lens is provided on the front side of the lens. In the cylinder cover body, the cylinder cover body is partitioned into front and back, and there is a partition between the front side and the rear side. It is equipped with a transparent partition cover that slopes gradually downward in the direction of the lens. Yes, it effectively prevents raindrops and other deposits from adhering to the imaging device lens and partition cover. can be prevented, good image information can be stably secured, and data based on image information can be Processing can be performed more accurately.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the device installed in an automobile.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a conventional example installed in an automobile.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a signal processing system in the device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a captured image.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Automobile 12 CCD camera 14 Lens cover 15 Lens 16 Tube cover body 21 Partition cover

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An imaging device that is mounted on the outside of a vehicle and that images an object through a lens, wherein a cylindrical cover body is provided on the front side of the lens and surrounds a front area of the lens, and a cylindrical cover body that surrounds a front area of the lens is provided. A lens cover structure for an imaging device, characterized in that a transparent partition cover is provided which partitions the interior of the cylindrical cover body into the front and back and is sloped gradually downward from the front side toward the rear side of the lens.