IP Library › Granted Patent US 12691476

Granted Patent B2

US 12691476 · App. 18/429,076 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Watertight housing designs for ultrasonic lens cleaning

Inventors: David P. Magee (Allen, TX); Hailong Chen (Richardson, TX)

Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

B08B7/028 B06B1/0207 B06B1/0655 G02B7/025 G02B7/026 G02B27/0006 H04N23/55

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12691476
App. No.: 18/429,076
Granted: Jul 28, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems are described in conjunction with a watertight housing designed for ultrasonic lens cleaning. An example apparatus includes a transducer having a surface and an opening; a bracket having a first surface, a second surface, a third surface, and an opening, the first surface of the bracket coupled to the surface of the transducer, the opening of the bracket aligned with the opening of the transducer; and a lens having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the lens is coupled to the second surface of the bracket, the second surface of the lens coupled to the third surface of the bracket, the lens covering the opening of the transducer and the opening of the bracket.

Claims (60)

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a transducer having a surface and an opening;

a first bracket having a first surface, a second surface, a third surface, and an opening, the first surface of the first bracket coupled to the surface of the transducer, the opening of the first bracket aligned with the opening of the transducer;

a second bracket having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface of the second bracket coupled to the third surface of the first bracket; and

a curved lens having a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface, the first surface of the curved lens is coupled to the second surface of the first bracket, the second surface of the curved lens coupled to the third surface of the first bracket, the third surface of the curved lens coupled to the first surface of the second bracket, the curved lens covering the opening of the transducer and the opening of the first bracket.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is a cylindrical transducer or a ring transducer, the opening of the transducer and the opening of the first bracket is a circular opening that allows the curved lens to provide a field of view through both the transducer and the first bracket.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bracket further has a fourth surface, a fifth surface, and a sixth surface, the first surface and the fourth surface of the first bracket to house the transducer, the second surface and the third surface of the first bracket and the first surface of the second bracket to house the curved lens, the fifth and sixth surface of the first bracket to house empty space opposite of the curved lens.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first adhesive layer coupled between the surface of the transducer and the first surface of the first bracket;

a second adhesive layer coupled between the second surface of the first bracket and the first surface of the curved lens; and

a third adhesive layer coupled between the third surface of the first bracket and the second surface of the curved lens.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first adhesive layer coupled between the surface of the transducer and the first surface of the first bracket; and

a second adhesive layer coupled between the second surface of the first bracket and the first surface of the curved lens;

a third adhesive layer coupled between the third second surface of the first bracket and the second surface of the curved lens;

a fourth adhesive layer coupled between the third surface of the curved lens and the first surface of the second bracket; and

a fifth adhesive layer coupled between the third surface of the first bracket and the second surface of the second bracket.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bracket further has a fourth surface, the apparatus further comprising a housing having a surface and an opening, the surface of the housing coupled to the fourth surface of the first bracket, the opening of the housing aligned with the opening of the transducer and the opening of the first bracket.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

photo diode circuitry having an optical input, the optical input coupled to the curved lens by the opening of the transducer and the opening of the first bracket; and

driver circuitry coupled to the transducer.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a housing having a surface and an opening, the first bracket including:

a fourth surface perpendicular to and intersecting the first surface;

a fifth surface parallel to the first surface, the fourth surface traversing between the first surface and the fifth surface;

a sixth surface perpendicular to and intersecting the fifth surface; and

a seventh surface parallel to the fifth surface, the sixth surface traversing between the fifth surface and the seventh surface, the surface of the housing coupled to the seventh surface of the first bracket.

9 . An apparatus comprising:

a transducer having a surface and an opening;

a first bracket having a first surface, a second surface, a third surface, a fourth surface, a fifth surface, and an opening, the first surface of the first bracket coupled to the surface of the transducer, the first surface and the fourth surface of the first bracket enclose the transducer;

a second bracket having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface of the second bracket coupled to the third surface of the first bracket;

a housing having a surface and an opening, the surface of the housing coupled to the fifth third surface of the first bracket, the opening of the housing aligned with the opening of the transducer and the opening of the first bracket, the curved lens covering the opening of the transducer, the opening of the first bracket, and the opening of the housing.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the transducer is a cylindrical transducer or a ring transducer, the opening of the transducer, the opening of the first bracket, and the opening of the housing are circular openings that provide an optical path through the apparatus.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first bracket further has a sixth surface and a seventh surface, the sixth surface and the seventh surface of the first bracket to enclose an empty space, the sixth surface and the seventh surface of the first bracket separate from the fourth surface of the first bracket and the fifth surface of the first bracket, the empty space created between the transducer and the housing.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a camera having a field of view, the housing to position the first bracket and the transducer in relation to the camera, the field of view of the camera aligned with the opening of the transducer, the opening of the first bracket, and the opening of the housing.

13 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising driver circuitry coupled to the transducer, the transducer to convert electrical energy from the driver circuitry to mechanical energy.

14 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first bracket includes:

a sixth surface perpendicular to and intersecting the first surface;

a seventh surface parallel to the first surface, the sixth surface traversing between the first surface and the seventh surface; and

an eighth surface perpendicular to and intersecting the seventh surface, the eighth surface traversing between the seventh surface and the fifth surface, the fifth surface parallel to the seventh surface.

15 . A system comprising:

a transducer having a surface;

a bracket having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the bracket is coupled to the surface of the transducer, the bracket to enclose the transducer;

a first adhesive layer coupled between the surface of the transducer and the first surface of the bracket;

a lens having a surface coupled to the second surface of the bracket, the bracket separates the transducer and the lens;

a second adhesive layer coupled between the second surface of the bracket and the surface of the lens, the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer are created by an adhesive material corresponding to a threshold shear stress;

driver circuitry coupled to the transducer, the driver circuitry configured to supply electrical energy to the transducer; and

the transducer is configured to vibrate the lens responsive to receiving electrical energy from the driver circuitry, the driver circuitry is configured to supply the electrical energy at a magnitude that prevents vibrations of the transducer from exceeding the threshold shear stress of the adhesive material.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the transducer is configured to remove contaminants from the lens by vibrating at a first frequency and a second frequency.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the surface of the lens is a first surface, the lens has a second surface, and the bracket has a third surface coupled to the second surface of the lens, the second surface and the third surface of the bracket housing the lens.

18 . The system of claim 17 , further including a third adhesive layer coupled between the second surface of the lens and the third surface of the bracket, the third adhesive layer created by the adhesive material corresponding to the threshold shear stress.

19 . An apparatus comprising:

a cap having a first surface and an opening;

a membrane having a first surface, a second surface, and an opening, the first surface of the membrane coupled to the first surface of the cap, the opening of the membrane aligned with the opening of the cap;

a transducer having a surface and an opening; and

a lens having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the lens is coupled to the second surface of the membrane, the second surface of the lens coupled to the surface of the transducer, the lens covering the opening of the transducer, the opening of the membrane, and the opening of the cap.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the transducer is a cylindrical transducer or a ring transducer, the opening of the transducer and the opening of the membrane is a circular opening that allows the lens to provide a field of view through the transducer and the membrane.

21 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further including a housing including a first surface, the first surface of the housing coupled to the second surface of the membrane.

22 . The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the housing has a support ring, the support ring aligned with the transducer.

23 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the first surface of the membrane is coupled to the first surface of the cap using a first adhesive layer, the first surface of the lens is coupled to the second surface of the membrane using a second adhesive layer, and the second surface of the lens is coupled to the surface of the transducer using a third adhesive layer.