US 11,889,171 B2
Vehicular camera with lens/cover cleaning feature
Timothy W. Condron, Canton, MI (US)
Assigned to Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US)
Filed by Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US)
Filed on Feb. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/650,908.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/200,110, filed on Feb. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0263990 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. H04N 23/52 (2023.01); G02B 27/00 (2006.01); B60S 1/12 (2006.01); F15B 15/20 (2006.01); H04N 23/51 (2023.01); H04N 23/54 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/52 (2023.01) [B60S 1/12 (2013.01); F15B 15/20 (2013.01); G02B 27/0006 (2013.01); H04N 23/51 (2023.01); H04N 23/54 (2023.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular camera module comprising:
a camera disposed in a housing;
a transparent cover at the housing, the camera viewing through the transparent cover;
a fluid spraying device that, with the vehicular camera module mounted at an exterior portion of a vehicle, outputs fluid onto the transparent cover;
a wiper element that movably engages the transparent cover to clean the transparent cover;
wherein the wiper element is moved relative to the transparent cover via operation of a hydraulic actuator, and wherein the wiper element pivots back and forth about a pivot axis;
wherein, with the vehicular camera module mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, the camera views through the transparent cover and captures image data of a scene exterior of the vehicle;
wherein, with the vehicular camera module mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, pressurized fluid supplied to the hydraulic actuator imparts movement of a drive element of the hydraulic actuator to move the wiper element at the transparent cover to clean the transparent cover of the vehicular camera module; and
wherein, as the pressurized fluid is supplied to the hydraulic actuator and as the drive element of the hydraulic actuator moves to pivot the wiper element back and forth about the pivot axis, the fluid spraying device outputs at least a portion of the pressurized fluid supplied to the hydraulic actuator onto the transparent cover.