Spherical rotary cleaning device for camera or sensor
A self-cleaning camera device includes: a housing that includes a reservoir configured to hold a fluid within the housing; a frusto-spherical member that is transparent, that is located within the housing; an electric motor configured to rotate the frusto-spherical member in a predetermined direction about an axis; a support member that (i) extends through a second opening of the frusto-spherical member and into the inner cavity of the frusto-spherical member and (ii) does not rotate with the frusto-spherical member; a camera that is located on the support member within an inner cavity of the frusto-spherical member and that includes a lens that one of: (i) faces a first opening in the housing; (ii) extends into the first opening in the housing; and (ii) extends outwardly past the first opening in the housing; and a wiping member is configured to wipe the fluid from the exterior surface of the frusto-spherical member.
1. A self-cleaning camera device for a vehicle, the self-cleaning camera device comprising:
a housing that has a first opening and that includes a reservoir configured to hold a fluid within the housing;
a frusto-spherical member that is transparent, that is located within the housing, that includes an inner cavity defined by an inner surface, and that includes an exterior surface;
an electric motor configured to rotate the frusto-spherical member in a predetermined direction about an axis,
wherein the axis is perpendicular to a second opening in the frusto-spherical member;
a cupping member that is fixed to the frusto-spherical member and that includes a first shaft that is coupled to a second shaft of the electric motor;
a support member that (i) extends through the second opening of the frusto-spherical member and into the inner cavity of the frusto-spherical member and (ii) does not rotate with the frusto-spherical member;
a camera that is located on the support member within the inner cavity of the frusto-spherical member and that includes a lens that one of: (i) faces the first opening in the housing; (ii) extends into the first opening in the housing; and (ii) extends outwardly past the first opening in the housing; and
a wiping member that directly contacts the exterior surface of the frusto-spherical member and that is configured to wipe the fluid from a portion of the exterior surface of the frusto-spherical member before the portion of the exterior surface of the frusto-spherical member is rotated in front of the lens of the camera.
2. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 further comprising a nozzle configured to spray the fluid onto a second portion of the frusto-spherical member before the second portion of the frusto-spherical member rotates to the wiping member.
3. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 2 wherein the nozzle is configured to spray the fluid onto the second portion of the frusto-spherical member outside of a field of view (FOV) of the camera.
4. A system comprising:
the self-cleaning camera device of claim 2 ; and
an electric pump configured to draw the fluid from the reservoir in the housing and pumps the fluid to the nozzle.
5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a filter,
wherein the electric pump is configured to draw the fluid from the reservoir in the housing through the filter.
6. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 wherein a second portion of the exterior surface of the frusto-spherical member contacts the fluid within the reservoir before the second portion of the frusto-spherical member rotates to the wiping member.
7. A system comprising:
the self-cleaning camera device of claim 6 ; and
an electric pump configured to pump the fluid from a second reservoir into the reservoir of the housing.
8. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 wherein the support member supports the first shaft of the cupping member.
9. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 further comprising a second cupping member that is fixed to the frusto-spherical member.
10. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 9 wherein:
the second cupping member includes a flange that extends outwardly away from the frusto-spherical member; and
the housing includes a support member that supports the flange of the second cupping member.
11. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 wherein:
the support member includes a portion that extends away from the axis and toward the first opening in the housing; and
wherein the camera is located on the portion of the support member that extends away from the axis and toward the first opening in the housing.
12. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 wherein the wiping member includes a convex surface that contacts the exterior surface of the frusto-spherical member.
13. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 wherein a first plane of the first opening of the housing is perpendicular to a second plane of the second opening of the frusto-spherical member.
14. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a sealing member around the first opening in the housing.
15. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 14 wherein the sealing member directly contacts at least a portion of the frusto-spherical member.
16. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 14 wherein the sealing member does not contact any portion of the frusto-spherical member.
17. The self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 wherein the fluid is washer fluid.
18. A vehicle comprising:
the self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 ,
wherein the camera is arranged to capture images of behind the vehicle; and
a control module configured to begin applying power to the electric motor when a transmission of the vehicle is in reverse.
19. A vehicle comprising:
the self-cleaning camera device of claim 1 ,
wherein the camera is arranged to capture images outside of the vehicle; and
a control module configured to begin applying power to the electric motor when an enabling condition is satisfied.