JP2012132988A - Cleaning system for on-vehicle optical sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaning system for an on-vehicle optical sensor which can avoid a housing accommodating a camera from becoming large, while a configuration thereof achieving appropriate cleaning of a lens of the camera.SOLUTION: A cleaning system for an on-vehicle optical sensor is configured such that: a compartment air conditioner 14 for air conditioning controlling inside a compartment 15 and a nozzle 9 of an optical sensor unit 1 are connected with a pipe 10; and air which is air conditioning controlled by the compartment air conditioner 14 is made to flow through the pipe 10 by wind force generated upon the air conditioning control and is injected towards a lens surface 5a of a lens 5 of a camera 3 from a cleaning injection port 11 of the nozzle 9. By the configuration, the lens surface 5a can be appropriately cleaned, a housing 2 which accommodates the camera 3 requires no fan or fan driver therein, and the housing 2 can be avoided from becoming large.

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning system for cleaning an optical sensor such as a camera or a laser mounted on a vehicle.

  In recent years, vehicles tend to be equipped with optical sensors such as cameras and lasers. Since this type of optical sensor is mounted outside the passenger compartment, there is a risk that deposits such as water droplets and mud adhere to the lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor. Under such circumstances, a configuration for cleaning the lens surface is desired. As a configuration for cleaning the lens surface, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a fan that blows air toward a lens surface and a fan driving unit that drives the fan are provided in a housing that houses a camera.

JP 2000-171878 A

  However, since the structure described in Patent Document 1 is a structure in which a fan and a fan drive unit are provided in a housing that houses a camera, there is a problem that the housing increases in size, as described above. Considering being mounted, there is a problem that the mountability is inferior.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately clean the optical sensor and to avoid an increase in the size of the housing that houses the optical sensor. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle-mounted optical sensor cleaning system that can be used.

  According to the invention described in claim 1, when there is a housing portion that houses an optical sensor having a lens, and a lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor housed in the housing portion or a cover glass that faces the lens. A nozzle having a cleaning injection port that injects air toward the glass surface of the cover glass, and a pipe that connects the nozzle to the air conditioner that controls the air temperature and humidity. The air controlled by the air conditioner is blown by wind force generated during the air conditioning control so that the air flows through the pipe and is jetted from the nozzle cleaning jet.

  As a result, air that has been air-conditioned by the air conditioner is jetted from the nozzle cleaning jet, so that the optical sensor can be properly cleaned. In this case, a fan or fan drive is installed in the housing that houses the camera. There is no need to provide a portion, and it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the housing that houses the optical sensor.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is provided with a blowing unit that blows air controlled by the air conditioner toward the nozzle, and the air that has been controlled by the air conditioner is generated during the air conditioning control. By being blown by the means, it was configured to flow through the piping and be sprayed from the nozzle for cleaning the nozzle. As a result, air that is air-conditioned by the air conditioner is reliably jetted from the nozzle cleaning jet, and the optical sensor can be cleaned appropriately.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the air conditioner is configured from the vehicle compartment air conditioner that controls the air temperature and humidity of the vehicle interior. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated device for cleaning the optical sensor, and the vehicle compartment air conditioner that controls the air temperature and humidity of the vehicle cabin can be used effectively.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, the pipe has a first pipe that connects the passenger compartment air conditioner and the passenger compartment, and a second pipe that connects the passenger compartment and the nozzle. Air that has been air-conditioned by the air conditioner is blown by wind power generated during air-conditioning control, so that the air flows through the first pipe and is sent to the passenger compartment, and the air sent to the passenger compartment flows through the second pipe. In this way, the nozzle is jetted from the nozzle nozzle for cleaning. Thereby, the air sensor controlled by the air conditioner is jetted from the nozzle jetting nozzle through the passenger compartment, so that the optical sensor can be properly washed.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the air blowing means is configured to blow the air sent into the vehicle interior toward the nozzle, and the air sent into the vehicle interior is blown by the air blowing means. It flowed in the 2nd piping, and it comprised so that it might inject from the injection nozzle for a nozzle. Thereby, the air sent from the vehicle interior air conditioner to the vehicle interior is reliably injected from the cleaning injection port of the nozzle, and the optical sensor can be appropriately cleaned.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, when there is an area including the upper side of the lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor accommodated in the accommodating portion or a cover glass facing the lens, the nozzle of the cover glass It also has a snow / ice removal spout for spraying air toward the area including the upper part of the glass surface, and air controlled by the air conditioner flows through the pipe and is also ejected from the snow / ice removal spout of the nozzle. It was configured as follows.

  As a result, air that has been air-conditioned by the air conditioner is jetted from the nozzle cleaning nozzle, so that the optical sensor can be cleaned appropriately, and air that has been air-conditioned by the air conditioner can be removed from the snow and ice of the nozzle. By spraying also from the ejection port for removal, it is possible to appropriately remove snow and ice protruding in a bowl shape from the upper surface of the housing to the front upper part of the lens surface or the front upper part of the glass surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent the front of the lens surface or the front of the glass surface from being covered with snow or ice, or the snow or ice from adhering to the lens surface or the glass surface, so that the field of view of the optical sensor is adequate. Can be secured.

  According to the invention described in claim 7, when there is a housing portion that houses an optical sensor having a lens, and a lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor housed in the housing portion or a cover glass that faces the lens. A housing having a nozzle having a cleaning injection port for injecting air toward the glass surface of the cover glass, a pipe connecting the passenger compartment and the nozzle, and blowing air in the passenger compartment toward the nozzle A blower is provided, and air in the vehicle compartment is blown by the blower so that it flows in the pipe and is jetted from the nozzle for cleaning the nozzle.

  As a result, the air in the passenger compartment is ejected from the nozzle cleaning outlet, so that the optical sensor can be appropriately cleaned in the same manner as described in the first aspect. It is not necessary to provide a fan or a fan driving unit in the housing to be accommodated, and it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the housing that houses the optical sensor.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, when the nozzle has a region including the upper part of the lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor housed in the housing portion or a cover glass facing the lens, It also has a snow and ice removing injection port for injecting air toward the area including the upper part of the glass surface, and the air in the passenger compartment is blown by the blowing means so that it flows in the pipe and flows from the nozzle for removing snow and ice. Also configured to be injected.

  As a result, the air in the vehicle compartment is blown by the air blowing means, and flows through the pipe and is injected from the nozzle nozzle for cleaning, so that the optical sensor can be properly cleaned, Since the air is blown by the blowing means and flows through the pipe and is also jetted from the nozzle for removing snow and ice of the nozzle, the lens is formed from the upper surface portion of the casing in the same manner as described above. It is possible to appropriately remove snow and ice protruding in a bowl shape in front of the surface or in front of the glass surface.

The 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, and the figure which shows the whole structure roughly The figure which shows the aspect by which the camera cover and the camera are isolate | separated The perspective view which shows the aspect mounted in the vehicle flowchart FIG. 1 equivalent diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention 4 equivalent diagram FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a third embodiment of the present invention FIG. 1 equivalent view showing another embodiment Equivalent to FIG. Equivalent to FIG. Equivalent to FIG. Equivalent to FIG.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment in which a camera is applied as the optical sensor of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the optical sensor unit 1 is configured by detachably mounting a camera 3 (corresponding to an optical sensor in the present invention) on a camera cover 2. A lens 5 is provided on the front side (left side in FIG. 1B) of the housing 4 of the camera 3, and power is supplied to the camera 3 from the rear side (right side in FIG. 1B) of the housing 4. A power supply line (not shown) for supplying the video signal, a video signal output line (not shown) for outputting the video signal, and the like are drawn out. The lens 5 is a fish-eye lens in which a lens surface 5a that enables wide-angle shooting is formed in a curved shape.

  A housing 7 for housing the camera 3 is provided inside the housing 6 of the camera cover 2, and an opening 8 is provided on the back side of the housing 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the camera 3 is attached to the camera cover 2 from the outside through the opening 8 and is removed from the camera cover 2 through the opening 8 to the outside. A nozzle 9 is provided above the accommodating portion 7 of the camera cover 2. The nozzle 9 has an “L” shape, and its base end portion 9 a is connected to one end portion 10 a of the pipe 10 on the back side of the housing 6, and its tip end portion 9 b opens downward for cleaning. It functions as the injection port 11.

  In a state in which the camera 3 is normally accommodated in the accommodating portion 7 (in a normal use state shown in FIG. 1), the lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3 is positioned directly below the tip portion 9b of the nozzle 9. It has become. The cleaning nozzle 11 of the nozzle 9 is provided in a region outside the angle of view of the camera 3 (indicated by “θ” in FIG. 1), and the injection direction (see arrow A in FIG. 1) It faces the lens surface 5a of the lens 5. The optical sensor unit 1 configured as described above is attached, for example, above the rear window 13 of the vehicle body 12 as shown in FIG. That is, the camera 3 functions as a back view camera that captures the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle moves backward.

  The other end portion 10b of the pipe 10 is connected to a passenger compartment air conditioner 14 (for example, a car air conditioner). The passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is connected to a passenger compartment 15 such as a driver's seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat through a pipe 16 that is a space in which a passenger sits. The air conditioner 14 for the passenger compartment includes a compressor (compressor) that compresses the refrigerant with the power of the engine, a condenser (condenser) that cools and liquefies the compressed and stored refrigerant by forced air cooling with running air or an electric fan, An evaporator (evaporator) or the like that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant is provided, and the temperature and humidity of the air in the passenger compartment 15 are controlled by air conditioning. A valve 17 made of, for example, an electromagnetic valve is provided at an intermediate position of the pipe 10 connecting the nozzle 9 and the passenger compartment air conditioner 14. The valve 17 prohibits the air-conditioning-controlled air flow from the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 to the nozzle 9 and the air-conditioning-controlled air flow from the passenger compartment air-conditioner 14 to the nozzle 9. Switch between closed state.

  The air conditioning switch 18 is a switch that can be operated by the user to set the temperature, humidity, air volume, etc. of the air in the passenger compartment 15, and the user operates the air conditioning switch 18 (the air temperature, humidity, air volume, etc.). If set, an operation detection signal capable of specifying the operation content of the user is output. There are manual setting (manual setting) and automatic setting (auto setting) as a method for the user to set the temperature, humidity, and air volume of the air in the passenger compartment 15. The valve switch 19 is a switch that can be operated by the user. When the user operates the valve switch 19, an operation detection signal that can specify the operation content of the user is output. The air conditioning switch 18 and the valve switch 19 may be mechanical switches provided around the instrument panel, and are displayed on a display device (not shown) including a liquid crystal display of a vehicle navigation device, for example. It may be a touch switch. The notification device 20 outputs various types of notification information to the user.

  The control device 21 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, an I / O bus, and the like, executes a control program, and outputs an air conditioning control signal to the vehicle air conditioner 14 to operate the vehicle air conditioner 14. And the operation of the valve 17 is controlled by outputting a valve control signal to the valve 17, and the operation of the notification device 20 is controlled by outputting a notification control signal to the notification device 20. The on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system includes the optical sensor unit 1, the pipe 10, the air conditioner 14 for the passenger compartment, the valve 17, the air conditioner switch 18, the valve switch 19, the notification device 20, the control device 21, and the like. .

  When the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is in operation, the air that has been air-conditioned by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is transmitted from the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 via the pipe 16 by the wind generated during the air conditioning control. 15 is sent. At this time, if the valve 17 is in the open state, the air that has been air-conditioned by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is sent from the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 to the nozzle 9 via the pipe 10 by the wind force generated during the air conditioning control. Is also sent. The air sent to the nozzle 9 is jetted from the cleaning jet 11 toward the lens surface 5 a of the lens 5 of the camera 3. The term “injection” as used herein has such an amount and strength that it can remove deposits such as water droplets and mud adhering to the lens surface 5a. Further, for example, when the outside air temperature is low and snow or ice is attached to the lens surface 5a, the lens surface 5a is attached to the lens surface 5a by the air that is warmed as the interior of the passenger compartment 15 is heated. The amount and strength of melting snow and ice.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the control device 21.
The control device 21 determines whether or not the air-conditioning switch 18 and the valve switch 19 are operated when the power switch is on in response to, for example, an ignition switch or an accessory switch being on (steps S1 to S4). ). Here, when the control device 21 inputs an operation detection signal from the air conditioning switch 18 and determines that the user has performed an air conditioning control start operation ("YES" in step S1), the control device 21 sends the air conditioning control signal to the vehicle compartment air conditioning device. The air-conditioning control by the passenger compartment air-conditioning apparatus 14 is started according to the air temperature, humidity, and air volume set by the user (step S5). Further, when the control device 21 inputs an operation detection signal from the air conditioning switch 18 and determines that the user has performed the end operation of the air conditioning control (“YES” in step S2), the control device 21 sends the air conditioning control signal to the vehicle compartment air conditioning device 14. And the air conditioning control by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is terminated (step S6).

  When control device 21 receives an operation detection signal from valve switch 19 and determines that the user has performed a cleaning start operation (“YES” in step S3), control device 21 determines whether or not vehicle air conditioner 14 is in operation. If it is determined (step S7) and it is determined that the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is operating ("YES" in step S7), a valve control signal is output to the valve 17 and the valve 17 is opened from the closed state. The state is switched to open the valve 17 (step S8). At this time, the air controlled by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is sent from the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 into the passenger compartment 15 via the piping 16 by being blown by the wind force generated during the air conditioning control. At the same time, it is sent to the nozzle 9 through the pipe 10 and injected from the cleaning injection port 11 toward the lens surface 5 a of the lens 5 of the camera 3.

  On the other hand, when control device 21 determines that vehicle compartment air conditioner 14 is not operating (“NO” in step S7), it outputs a notification control signal to notification device 20, and vehicle compartment air conditioner 14 is operating. Is notified to the user (step S9). Further, when the control device 21 receives the operation detection signal from the valve switch 19 and determines that the user has finished the cleaning operation ("YES" in step S4), the control device 21 outputs the valve control signal to the valve 17, The valve 17 is closed by switching 17 from the open state to the closed state (step S10).

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the vehicle interior air conditioner 14 that controls the air in the vehicle interior 15 is connected to the nozzle 9 of the optical sensor unit 1 via the pipe 10. Air that has been air-conditioned by the room air conditioner 14 flows through the pipe 10 by the wind generated during air-conditioning control, and is jetted from the cleaning nozzle 11 of the nozzle 9 toward the lens surface 5 a of the lens 5 of the camera 3. Since the lens surface 5a can be appropriately cleaned, it is not necessary to provide a fan or a fan driving unit in the housing 2 that houses the camera 3, and the housing 2 is increased in size. Can also be avoided. In addition, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated device for cleaning the lens surface 5a, and the vehicle compartment air conditioner 14 that controls the air temperature and humidity in the vehicle cabin can be used effectively.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, description is abbreviate | omitted about the same part as above-mentioned 1st Embodiment, and a different part is demonstrated. The first embodiment described above is configured such that the air-conditioning-controlled air by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is sent to the nozzle 9 without passing through the passenger compartment 15, but the second embodiment is for the passenger compartment. The air-conditioning-controlled air by the air conditioner 14 is sent to the nozzle 9 through the interior of the passenger compartment 15.

  That is, the vehicle interior air conditioner 14 and the vehicle interior 15 are connected via the first pipe 31. The base end 9 a of the nozzle 9 is connected to one end 32 a of the second pipe 32 on the back side of the housing 6, and the other end 32 b of the second pipe 32 is connected to the vehicle interior 15. A fan 33 (corresponding to the air blowing means in the present invention) is provided in the middle of the second pipe 32 connecting the nozzle 9 and the vehicle compartment 15. In the operating state, the fan 33 stirs the air in the second pipe 32 and blows the air in the vehicle compartment 15 toward the nozzle 9.

  The fan switch 34 is a switch that can be operated by the user. When the user operates the fan switch 34, an operation detection signal that can specify the operation content of the user is output. The fan switch 34 may be a mechanical switch provided around the instrument panel, or may be a touch switch displayed on a display device of a vehicle navigation device, for example. The control device 35 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, an I / O bus, and the like, executes a control program, and outputs a fan control signal to the fan 33 to control the operation of the fan 33.

  When the vehicle compartment air conditioner 14 is in operation, the air that has been air-conditioned by the vehicle compartment air conditioner 14 is blown by the wind power generated during the air conditioning control, so It is sent into the passenger compartment 15 via the pipe 31. At this time, if the fan 33 is in operation, the air sent into the passenger compartment 15 is blown by the wind power generated by the fan 33, so that the air is sent from the passenger compartment 15 to the nozzle 9 via the second pipe 32. Is also sent. The air sent to the nozzle 9 is jetted from the cleaning jet 11 toward the lens surface 5 a of the lens 5 of the camera 3. Note that, for example, immediately after the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 starts operating, and the wind force generated during the air conditioning control is extremely strong, the air is sent to the passenger compartment 15 even if the fan 33 is not operating. The generated air may be sent from the passenger compartment 15 to the nozzle 9 via the second pipe 32 by being blown by wind force generated during the control.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the control device 35.
The control device 35 determines whether or not the air conditioning switch 18 and the fan switch 34 have been operated when the power is on (steps S11 to S14), and is similar to that described in the first embodiment. If it is determined that the user has performed an air conditioning control start operation ("YES" in step S11), the air conditioning control by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 according to the air temperature, humidity, and air volume set by the user is started. If it is determined that the user has performed an air conditioning control end operation (“YES” in step S12) (step S15), the air conditioning control by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 ends (step S16).

  When the control device 35 receives an operation detection signal from the fan switch 34 and determines that the user has started the cleaning operation ("YES" in step S13), the vehicle compartment air conditioner 14 is operating. (Step S17), and if it is determined that the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is operating ("YES" in step S17), a fan control signal is output to the fan 33, and the air blowing operation by the fan 33 is performed. Is started (step S18). At this time, the air controlled by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is blown by the wind force generated during the air conditioning control, so that the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 enters the passenger compartment 15 via the first pipe 31. The air sent into the passenger compartment 15 is sent from the passenger compartment 15 to the nozzle 9 via the second pipe 32 by being blown by the wind generated by the fan 33, and from the cleaning injection port 11. It is ejected toward the lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3.

  On the other hand, when control device 35 determines that vehicle compartment air conditioner 14 is not operating ("NO" in step S17), it outputs a notification control signal to notification device 20, and vehicle compartment air conditioner 14 is operating. Is notified to the user (step S19). When the control device 35 receives an operation detection signal from the fan switch 34 and determines that the user has performed the cleaning end operation ("YES" in step S14), the control device 35 outputs a fan control signal to the fan 33. The air blowing operation by 33 is terminated (step S20).

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the cabin air conditioner 14 and the cabin 15 are connected via the first pipe 31, and the cabin 15 and the nozzle 9 of the optical sensor unit 1 are connected. The air that is connected via the second pipe 32 and is air-conditioned by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 flows through the first pipe 31 and is sent into the passenger compartment 15 by the wind generated during the air-conditioning control. The air sent into the air 15 flows through the second pipe 32 by the wind generated by the fan 33 and is jetted from the cleaning jet 11 of the nozzle 9 toward the lens surface 5 a of the lens 5 of the camera 3. Since it is configured, the lens surface 5a can be appropriately cleaned as described in the first embodiment, and in this case also, it is necessary to provide a fan or a fan drive unit in the housing 2 that houses the camera 3 To avoid the case 2 from becoming large It can be.

  Also, a fan 33 is provided in the second pipe 32, and the air sent into the passenger compartment 15 is blown by the operation of the fan 33, so that it flows in the second pipe 32 and passes from the cleaning injection port 11 of the nozzle 9 to the camera. Since air is directed toward the lens surface 5a of the third lens 5, the air sent from the vehicle interior air conditioner 14 into the vehicle compartment 15 is reliably injected from the cleaning injection port 11 of the nozzle 9. The lens surface 5a can be cleaned appropriately.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, description is abbreviate | omitted about the same part as above-mentioned 2nd Embodiment, and a different part is demonstrated. The second embodiment described above is configured such that the air-conditioning-controlled air by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is sent from the passenger compartment 15 to the nozzle 9, but the third embodiment is the air in the passenger compartment 15. Is sent to the nozzle 9.

  That is, the base end 9 a of the nozzle 9 is connected to one end 32 a of the second pipe 32 on the back side of the housing 6, and the other end 32 b of the second pipe 32 is connected to the vehicle interior 15. A fan 33 is provided in the middle of the second pipe 32 connecting the nozzle 9 and the interior of the vehicle compartment 15. In the operating state, the fan 33 stirs the air in the second pipe 32 and blows the air in the vehicle compartment 15 toward the nozzle 9. In this case, if the control device 41 determines that the user has performed a cleaning start operation, the control device 41 outputs a fan control signal to the fan 33 without determining whether or not the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 is operating. The air blowing operation by the fan 33 is started (step S18). At this time, the air in the passenger compartment 15 is sent from the passenger compartment 15 through the second pipe 32 to the nozzle 9 by being blown by the wind generated by the fan 33.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, the passenger compartment 15 and the nozzle 9 of the optical sensor unit 1 are connected via the second pipe 32, and air in the passenger compartment 15 is generated by the fan 33. Since it is configured to flow in the second pipe 32 by the wind force and to be ejected from the cleaning ejection port 11 of the nozzle 9 toward the lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3, the first and second embodiments are used. Similarly to what has been described, the lens surface 5a can be cleaned appropriately, and in this case as well, there is no need to provide a fan or a fan driving unit in the housing 2 that houses the camera 3, and the housing 2 is enlarged. This can also be avoided.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
The optical sensor is not limited to the camera 3 and may be any device that has a lens and optically measures a physical quantity, and may be another sensor such as a laser.
The configuration is not limited to the configuration using the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 that controls the air in the passenger compartment 15, and a dedicated air conditioner that controls the air conditioning only for cleaning the optical sensor may be provided. good.

As a blowing means, not only a fan but another equipment such as a pump may be used.
In the first embodiment, a fan is provided at an intermediate portion of the pipe 10, and the air that is air-conditioned by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 by agitating the air in the pipe 10 in the operating state of the fan is directed toward the nozzle 9. May be configured to blow air. That is, the air that is air-conditioned by the passenger compartment air conditioner 14 flows through the pipe 10 due to the wind generated during the air-conditioning control and the wind generated by the fan, and the lens of the camera 3 from the cleaning nozzle 11 of the nozzle 9. 5 may be ejected toward the lens surface 5a.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a cover glass 54 made of a transparent member is provided on the front side of the housing 53 of the camera cover 52 of the optical sensor unit 51 so as to face the lens 5 of the camera 3. The air-conditioning-controlled air may be jetted from the cleaning nozzle 11 of the nozzle 9 toward the glass surface 54a of the cover glass 54. In this case, since the entire camera 3 is accommodated in the housing 53, the size of the housing 53 in the front-rear direction (from the front side to the back side) is the same as that of the housing 6 described in the first to third embodiments. It becomes longer than the dimension. With this configuration, the lens 5 of the camera 3 is protected by the cover glass 54, and the attached matter attached to the glass surface 54a of the cover glass 54 can be appropriately removed. The camera 3 can be operated appropriately while avoiding the problem of being unable to shoot.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the housing 66 of the camera cover 62 of the optical sensor unit 61 may be provided with a nozzle 66 having a cleaning spray port 64 and a snow and ice removing spray port 65. The cleaning injection port 64 is disposed in front of the lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3, and the injection direction (see arrow B in FIG. 9) is set downward from the front upper side of the lens surface 5a toward the lens surface 5a. The air thus controlled is jetted toward the lens surface 5a. The snow / ice removal spraying port 65 is disposed above the lens surface 5 a of the lens 5 of the camera 3 and above the cleaning spraying port 64, and above the lens surface 5 a and above the upper surface of the housing 63. The injection direction (see arrow C in FIG. 9) is set upward toward the area including the air-conditioning-controlled air toward the area including the lens surface 5a and the upper surface portion of the housing 63. Spray. Further, the spray direction in which the snow / ice removing nozzle 65 sprays air is also outside the angle of view of the camera 3.

  If comprised in this way, while the deposit | attachment adhering to the lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3 can be removed appropriately, the air by which air-conditioning control was carried out above the lens surface 5a, and the housing | casing 63 is carried out. By spraying toward the area including the upper part of the upper surface part, the snow and ice projecting in a bowl shape from the upper surface part of the housing 63 of the camera cover 62 to the front upper side of the lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3 are removed. Can be removed appropriately. As a result, it is possible to prevent the front of the lens surface 5a from being covered with snow or ice, or the snow or ice to adhere to the lens surface 5a, and the field of view of the camera 3 is blocked by the snow or ice. Can be avoided in advance.

  In addition, air is jetted toward an area outside the angle of view of the camera 3 to remove snow and ice outside the angle of view of the camera 3 and droops from outside the angle of view of the camera 3 into the angle of view. Snow and ice can be reliably removed, and the field of view of the camera 3 can be reliably ensured. Further, the air is jetted toward a region including the upper portion of the upper surface portion of the housing 63, so that the upper surface portion of the housing 63 of the camera cover 62 moves upward from the lens surface 5 a of the lens 5 of the camera 3. In addition to properly removing the snow and ice protruding in a shape, the snow and ice accumulated on the upper surface of the housing 63 can also be removed appropriately.

  As shown in FIG. 10, air is jetted from the cleaning jet 64 at a branching point where the air flow to the cleaning jet 64 of the nozzle 66 and the air flow to the snow and ice removing jet 65 are branched. And a valve 71 that selectively switches between a state in which air is injected from the snow and ice removing injection port 65 and a state in which air is injected from the snow and ice removing injection port 65 may be employed. The valve 71 may have a function of adjusting the amount and strength of air injected from the cleaning injection port 64 and the amount and strength of air injected from the snow and ice removing injection port 65.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the housing 83 of the camera cover 82 of the optical sensor unit 81 may be provided with a nozzle 86 having a cleaning spray port 84 and a snow and ice removing spray port 85. The snow and ice removing spray port 85 is disposed above the lens surface 5 a of the lens 5 of the camera 3 and above the cleaning spray port 84, and in a region including the front of the housing 83 and above the lens surface 5 a. The direction of injection (see arrow D in FIG. 11) is set sideways, and air that has been air-conditioned is injected toward the area above the lens surface 5a and including the front of the housing 83.

  If comprised in this way, while the deposit | attachment adhering to the lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3 can be removed appropriately, the air by which air-conditioning control was carried out above the lens surface 5a and the housing | casing 83 is possible. By spraying on the area including the front, it is possible to appropriately remove snow and ice dripping from the upper surface of the housing 83 of the camera cover 82 to the front of the lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3. As a result, in this case as well, it is possible to prevent the front of the lens surface 5a from being covered with snow or ice or the snow or ice from adhering to the lens surface 5a. It is possible to avoid being obstructed.

  As shown in FIG. 12, air is jetted from the cleaning jet port 84 at a branching point where the air flow to the cleaning jet port 84 of the nozzle 86 and the air flow to the snow and ice removing jet port 85 are branched. And a valve 91 that selectively switches between a state in which the air is injected from the snow and ice removing injection port 85 may be used. The valve 91 may also have a function of adjusting the amount and strength of air injected from the cleaning injection port 84 and the amount and strength of air injected from the snow and ice removing injection port 85.

The configuration of the optical sensor unit shown in FIGS. 8 to 12 may be applied to the second embodiment or the third embodiment.
The lens surface 5a of the lens 5 of the camera 3 and the glass surface 54a of the cover glass 54 may be water-repellent and the lens surface 5a and the glass surface 54a may be coated with a water-repellent film. Further, the lens surface 5a and the glass surface 54a may be subjected to hydrophilic treatment, photocatalyst treatment or antifouling treatment, and the hydrophilic surface, photocatalyst film or antifouling film may be coated on the lens surface 5a or glass surface 54a. With such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for deposits such as water droplets and mud to adhere to the lens surface 5a and the glass surface 54a. And even if deposits such as water droplets and mud adhere, the lens surface 5a and the glass surface 54a can be washed favorably by air being jetted.

  The casing 6 of the camera cover 2 is provided with a nozzle through which the cleaning liquid flows in parallel with the nozzle 9 through which the air-conditioning controlled by the passenger compartment air-conditioning device 14 flows. In addition to being sprayed toward the surface 5a and the glass surface 54a, the cleaning liquid is sprayed toward the lens surface 5a and the glass surface 54a, and the air-controlled air cleaning and the cleaning liquid cleaning are used in combination. Also good.

  A sensor is provided to detect that an adhering substance such as water droplets or mud is attached to the lens surface 5a or the glass surface 54a, and the sensor detects that the adhering substance has adhered without the user operating the valve switch 19 or the fan switch 34. When detected, the valve 17 may be switched from the closed state to the open state to open the valve 17 or start the air blowing operation by the fan 33. Similarly, a sensor for detecting rain or snow is provided, and the valve 17 is switched from the closed state to the open state when the sensor detects rain or snow without the user operating the valve switch 19 or the fan switch 34. The valve 17 may be opened or the air blowing operation by the fan 33 may be started. Further, in conjunction with the air conditioning control operation, the valve 17 may be opened or the air blowing operation by the fan 33 may be performed during the air conditioning control operation period.

  In the drawings, 3 is a camera (optical sensor), 5 is a lens, 5a is a lens surface, 6 is a housing, 7 is a housing portion, 9 is a nozzle, 10 is a pipe, 11 is a washing outlet, and 14 is for a vehicle compartment. An air conditioner (air conditioner), 15 is a passenger compartment, 31 is a first pipe, 32 is a second pipe, 33 is a fan (air blowing means), and 65 is an outlet 65 for removing snow and ice.

Claims (8)

When there is a housing portion that houses an optical sensor having a lens, and a lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor that is housed in the housing portion or a cover glass that faces the lens, it faces the glass surface of the cover glass. And a nozzle having a cleaning nozzle for jetting air,
An air conditioner that controls the air temperature and humidity, and a pipe that connects the nozzle,
An in-vehicle optical sensor characterized in that air controlled by the air conditioner is blown by wind force generated during air conditioning control and flows through the pipe and is injected from a cleaning injection port of the nozzle. Cleaning system. In the on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system according to claim 1,
A blower for blowing air that is air-conditioned by the air conditioner toward the nozzle;
The air that is air-conditioned by the air conditioner is blown by the wind force generated during the air-conditioning control and the blower, and then flows through the pipe and is jetted from the nozzle for cleaning the nozzle. In-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system. In the on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system according to claim 1 or 2,
The on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system is characterized in that the air conditioner is composed of an air conditioner for vehicle compartment that controls the temperature and humidity of air in the vehicle compartment. In the on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system according to claim 3,
The pipe has a first pipe connecting the cabin air conditioner and the cabin, and a second pipe connecting the cabin and the nozzle,
The air that is air-conditioned by the air conditioner for the passenger compartment is blown by the wind force generated during the air-conditioning control so that the air flows through the first pipe and is sent into the passenger compartment. An in-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system, wherein the in-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system flows through the second pipe and is sprayed from a cleaning spray port of the nozzle. In the on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system according to claim 4,
The blowing means blows air sent into the passenger compartment toward the nozzle,
An in-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system, wherein the air sent into the passenger compartment is blown by the blower and flows through the second pipe and is jetted from a cleaning jet of the nozzle. In the on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The nozzle includes a region including the upper part of the lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor housed in the housing part or a region including the upper part of the glass surface of the cover glass when there is a cover glass facing the lens. It also has a snow and ice removal jet that jets air toward the
The in-vehicle optical system characterized in that air controlled by the air conditioner is blown by wind force generated during air conditioning control and flows through the pipe and is also injected from the nozzle for removing snow and ice of the nozzle. Sensor cleaning system. When there is a housing portion that houses an optical sensor having a lens, and a lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor that is housed in the housing portion or a cover glass that faces the lens, it faces the glass surface of the cover glass. And a nozzle having a cleaning nozzle for jetting air,
Piping connecting the passenger compartment and the nozzle;
Air blowing means for blowing air in the passenger compartment toward the nozzle,
An in-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system characterized in that air in a passenger compartment is blown by the blowing means and flows through the pipe and is injected from a cleaning injection port of the nozzle. In the on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system according to claim 7,
The nozzle includes a region including the upper part of the lens surface of the lens of the optical sensor housed in the housing part or a region including the upper part of the glass surface of the cover glass when there is a cover glass facing the lens. It also has a snow and ice removal jet that jets air toward the
An in-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system characterized in that air in a passenger compartment is blown by the blowing means and flows through the pipe and is also injected from a snow / ice removing nozzle of the nozzle.

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