JP2006103600A - Forward visual confirmation device of motorcycle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a forward visual confirmation device of a motorcycle having high visibility capable of picking up an image without any sense of incongruity from an image of a rider during traveling, and hardly depositing bugs, refuse or the like during the traveling. <P>SOLUTION: In the forward visual confirmation device of the motorcycle, a camera 4 to pick up an image forward of a vehicle is installed on a part along a center line P-P' of a window screen 2, and a display screen 5 to display the image picked up by the camera 4 is installed on an opposing part in the sight line direction of a rider of the motorcycle 1. The rider visually recognizes the image forward of the motorcycle 1 by the image displayed on the display screen 5. A driving switch 7 of the camera 4 is installed in the vicinity of a grip 6 of a handlebar, and the image pickup of the camera 4 is started by pressing the driving switch 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a motorcycle front visual recognition device, and more particularly to a motorcycle front visual recognition device having high visibility even while traveling.

  If the front of the vehicle is photographed with a camera while the motorcycle is running, and the photographed video is recorded on a recording medium, various uses can be made later. For example, it is possible to replay and enjoy a photographed landscape while traveling on an image monitor. In addition, when an accident such as a traffic accident occurs, the photographed situation can be reproduced and used to investigate the cause.

  By the way, in order to photograph the front of the motorcycle, it is necessary to attach a camera to the front of the vehicle. However, even if the camera is clamped and fixed to a handle portion of a motorcycle, for example, with a grip or the like, there is a problem in terms of strength against vibration and wind pressure. On the other hand, the frontal portion of a motorcycle does not have much space for mounting a camera compared to a four-wheeled vehicle.

  An example in which a camera is mounted on the frontal portion of a motorcycle is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-175126 (see Patent Document 1).

  The above publication discloses a configuration in which a camera housing recess is provided on the front surface of the cowling that covers the front of the vehicle, and the camera unit is detachably installed therein. In addition to the camera unit, a recording unit for recording the captured video and a monitor for reproducing the recorded video on the screen are installed integrally with the instrument panel. Furthermore, a shooting switch of the camera unit is attached in the vicinity of the handlebar grip.

With such a configuration, the rider can easily take a picture while driving by simply pressing the shooting switch without releasing his hand from the handlebar. If the camera unit is removed from the camera housing recess, not only the front of the vehicle but also a wide range of other images can be taken. In addition, because the monitor is installed on the instrument panel, you can check the video you have taken while in the riding position.
JP 2004-175126 A

  In the above-described method of mounting a camera on a motorcycle, a rider can conveniently take a picture by simply pressing the shooting switch without taking his hand off the handlebar while driving. Since the position of the camera is considerably lower than the line of sight of the rider while traveling, the sensed discomfort is generated in the captured image, which is not preferable. In addition, although the camera unit is housed in the camera housing recess, it is installed at the tip of the cowling, so that insects and dust are likely to adhere to the lens during travel, which may hinder shooting. There is also a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of such points, and when taking a picture with a camera mounted on a motorcycle, it is possible to take a picture that does not feel uncomfortable when the rider sees it while traveling, and insects and dust while traveling. An object of the present invention is to provide a front visual recognition device for a motorcycle having high visibility, which is difficult to adhere.

  A motorcycle front visual recognition device of the present invention is a motorcycle front visual recognition device that visually recognizes the front of a running vehicle with a camera installed in the front of the vehicle, and the camera is located on the center line of the windscreen. A video image installed by the camera and photographed by the camera is displayed on a display screen installed in the vehicle so as to visually recognize the front of the vehicle.

  In a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the center line of the windscreen where the camera is attached projects in a convex shape toward the front of the vehicle.

  It is preferable that the camera is installed at a height corresponding to the line of sight of the rider, which is the center line of the windscreen.

  In a preferred embodiment, the wind screen protrudes downward to a position covering the front of the instrument panel, and the camera is between the wind screen and the instrument panel, It is installed inside the windscreen.

  It is preferable that the camera is installed at a height that is a center line of the windscreen and is located above the upper edge of the headlamp of the vehicle.

  In a preferred embodiment, a wind deflector is installed in front of the wind screen and in the vicinity of the lower part of the site where the camera is installed.

  The wind deflector is preferably installed so that the front surface has an inclined surface.

  In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further includes a recording device that records video captured by the camera.

  In a preferred embodiment, a drive switch for the camera is provided in the vicinity of the grip of the handlebar of the vehicle.

  It is preferable that the camera is a small camera module including an imaging element composed of a CCD or MOS sensor and a lens.

  The motorcycle forward viewing device according to the present invention can capture a range close to the rider's line-of-sight direction by installing the camera at a position along the center line of the windscreen, and see a video without a sense of incongruity. Can do. In addition, since the camera is installed on the part of the windscreen that protrudes in a convex shape, it is difficult for insects and dust to adhere to it, and by installing a wind deflector on the front lower side of the part where the camera is installed In addition, it is possible to reduce the wind perception of the camera, which can further reduce the attachment of insects and dust. As a result, a forward visibility device with higher visibility can be obtained.

  When the inventor of the present application mounts a camera on a motorcycle and photographs the front of the vehicle, the inventor not only simply reproduces and enjoys the captured image, but also records the traveling result as an image and reproduces it later. When trying to use it effectively, I thought it would be preferable to take a video as close as possible to the range that the rider saw while driving.

  For example, in the event of an accident such as a traffic accident, when shooting the situation and investigating the cause, if the video in the same range as the rider's line of sight can be reproduced, the problem of the rider's driving can be solved. It becomes easy to grasp. In addition to the rider's visual confirmation while driving at night, the image captured by the infrared camera can be visually confirmed on the monitor, and if you want to check the safety ahead, monitor the image in the same range as the rider's line of sight as much as possible. It is preferable to do.

  In view of the above points, the inventor of the present application has studied a means that can capture a range close to the direction of the rider's line of sight, and can view an image without a sense of incongruity. The inventors have come up with a useful invention that can prevent deterioration of visibility.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, components having substantially the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals for the sake of simplicity. In addition, this invention is not limited to the following embodiment.
(Embodiment 1)

  With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a basic configuration of the motorcycle forward viewing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of a motorcycle 1 equipped with a forward viewing device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a side view thereof. The camera 4 is installed at a site along the center line PP ′ of the wind screen 2. In addition, the display screen 5 for displaying the video imaged by the camera 4 is installed at a part facing the rider's line-of-sight direction of the vehicle 1. The rider can visually recognize the front of the vehicle 1 by the video displayed on the display screen 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a drive switch 7 of the camera 4 is installed in the vicinity of the grip 6 of the handle bar. By pressing the drive switch 7, shooting of the camera 4 can be started. The control unit 8 of the camera 4 is housed inside the cowling 3.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the camera 4 is installed at a position along the center line of the windscreen located above the cowling 3, so that a range close to the line of sight of the rider 9 can be taken, The video displayed on the display screen 5 can be viewed without a sense of incongruity.

  Since the camera 4 uses a small camera module having a thickness of about 10 mm (or less) made up of an imaging element such as a CCD (solid-state imaging element) or a MOS sensor and a lens, it is sufficiently windy. It can be installed on the screen 2. Even if it is installed on the windscreen, the rider's forward visibility will not be impaired. Therefore, it becomes possible to install the camera 4 at a position corresponding to the line of sight of the rider.

  In addition, if the wiring to the camera 4 is wired on the wind screen 2 using a transparent electrode such as ITO, it is not necessary to worry about unsightly wiring.

  FIG. 4 is an external view of the front of the vehicle as viewed from the rider. The display screen 5 is installed at a part facing the rider's line of sight so that the rider can easily see it. If a liquid crystal monitor is used as the display screen 5, it can also be used as an instrument panel. A drive switch 7 of the camera 4 is attached in the vicinity of the grip 6 of the handle bar. Thereby, the rider can take a picture of the camera 4 without taking his / her hand off the handle even while traveling. The drive switch 7 may also serve as a changeover switch for the display screen 5.

  Next, an example of how to install the camera 4 on the windscreen 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the wind screen 2 is installed to protrude downward to a position covering the front of the instrument panel 15. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are views of the wind screen 2 and a part of the instrument panel 15 as viewed from above at the overlapped portion. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the cylindrical small camera 4 is installed between the wind screen 2 and the instrument panel 15 and inside the wind screen 2. The camera 4 is supported by a bracket 12 and is attached to a support portion 13 that protrudes inside the wind screen 2 with a screw bracket or the like. Although there is a slight gap between the wind screen 2 and the instrument panel 15, attachment is possible using a small camera module.

  The camera 4 may be attached to the instrument panel 15 side facing the wind screen 2 at substantially the same position as in FIG. 5A instead of being directly installed on the wind screen 2. An example is shown in FIG. The camera 4 is supported by a bracket 12 and is attached to a support portion 14 protruding from the instrument panel 15 with a screw bracket or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the camera 4 installed on the wind screen 2 by the above method can be seen near the boundary between the wind screen 2 and the instrument panel panel 15 as seen from the rider. That is, the camera 4 is installed at a position that matches the line of sight of the rider and is installed in the gap between the wind screen 2 and the instrument panel 15 so that it does not get in the way.

  It should be noted that the camera 4 is preferably installed at a position higher than the headlight of the vehicle so that the camera 4 is aligned with the rider's line of sight as much as possible.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example in which the camera 4 is actually mounted on the wind screen 2. The camera 4 is attached to the projecting portion of the center line of the wind screen 2. If a thin camera module with a thickness of about 5 mm (or less) is used, it can be mounted sufficiently. In addition, since the windscreen 2 itself is streamlined, insects and dust are less likely to adhere to the camera 4 attached to the windscreen 2 during traveling, but the portion where the camera 4 is attached has a convex shape. By using the overhanging shape, it is possible to avoid the attachment of insects and dust.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of the device for visually confirming a forward direction 10 according to the present invention. The camera 4, the display screen 5, and the drive switch 7 are each connected to the control unit 8. The control unit 8 receives a signal from the drive switch 7 and controls the photographing by the camera 4 and also controls the display of the video photographed by the camera 4 on the display screen 5. The control unit 8 is also provided with a recording device that records video taken by the camera.

Furthermore, if an imaging device having sensitivity in the infrared region is used as the camera 4, night vision photography can be performed, so that the camera 4 is also used as a driving support tool for assisting the rider to visually confirm the front during night driving. You can also. In this case, it may be set so that it can be used by switching to an image sensor having sensitivity in a normal visible light region.
(Embodiment 2)

  Since the camera 4 in the device for visually confirming a forward direction according to the present invention is installed on the wind screen 2 at the front of the vehicle, the camera 4 is properly exposed to wind pressure. This is not so preferable because insects, dust, etc. adhere to the lens of the camera 4 or vibration due to wind pressure is applied to the camera 4 itself.

  In order to solve this problem, a second embodiment in which means for preventing the wind pressure from being applied to the camera 4 as much as possible is described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a front view of the motorcycle 1 showing an example in which such means is applied, and FIG. 9 is a partial side view thereof. Here, the arrangement of the camera 4, the display screen 5, the drive switch 7, and the control unit 8 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the wind deflector 11 is installed in front of the wind screen 2 and in the vicinity of the lower part of the site where the camera 4 is installed. Since the wind deflector 11 is installed so that the front surface has an inclined surface, the air hitting the wind deflector 11 generates an upward airflow with respect to the wind screen 2 as indicated by an arrow. This updraft reduces the wind pressure applied to the camera 4 and also diverts the path of insects and debris flying in front of the camera 4, so that insects and debris are less likely to adhere to the camera 4. Become. Moreover, even if it adheres, cleaning will become easy only by wiping off the surface of a flat windscreen. Furthermore, vibration applied to the camera 4 due to wind pressure can be reduced. In addition, the position where the wind deflector 11 is attached, the size, and the like may be appropriately determined in consideration of traveling conditions and the like.

  By the way, although the design of the appearance of the motorcycle 1 is also emphasized, in particular, the front of the vehicle is one of the parts where the design is most important as the part that becomes the face of the motorcycle. Therefore, since the wind deflector 11 is installed in front of the wind screen 2, the wind deflector 11 is also required to have a shape that takes into account design.

  10 and 11 are diagrams showing an example in which the design of the shape of the wind deflector 11 is given. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the wind deflector 11 covers the entire width of the wind screen 2 so as to hide the lower part of the wind screen 2, and both ends thereof are fixed at the cowling 3.

  When the wind deflector 11 is installed in such a shape, the wind screen 2, the wind deflector 11, and the cowling 3 are unified as a design having a sense of unity. Can be prevented. Of course, even in this case, if the shape and installation location of the wind deflector 11 are appropriately determined, effects such as prevention of adhesion of insects and dust and vibration due to wind pressure can be obtained.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated by suitable embodiment, such description is not a limitation matter and of course various modifications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a case where one camera is installed has been described. However, a plurality of cameras may be installed so that shooting from different angles can be performed depending on the purpose of shooting.

  According to the present invention, when taking a picture with a camera mounted on a motorcycle, it is possible to shoot a video that does not feel uncomfortable when the rider sees it while traveling, and it is difficult for insects and dust to adhere to it while traveling. The present invention can be provided to a front visual recognition device for a motorcycle having visibility.

1 is a front view of a motorcycle showing the arrangement of a motorcycle forward viewing device according to the present invention. 1 is a partial side view of a motorcycle showing an arrangement of a motorcycle forward visual recognition device of the present invention. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle showing an arrangement of cameras in the present invention. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the display screen and drive switch in this invention. (A) And (b) is a figure explaining the attachment method of the camera in this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the example of the windscreen equipped with the camera in this invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a motorcycle forward viewing device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of a motorcycle showing an arrangement of wind deflectors in the present invention. 1 is a partial side view of a motorcycle showing an arrangement of wind deflectors in the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of a motorcycle showing another arrangement of the wind deflector in the present invention. FIG. 6 is a partial side view of a motorcycle showing another arrangement of the wind deflector in the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Motorcycle 2 Wind screen 3 Cowling 4 Camera 5 Display screen 6 Grip 7 Drive switch 8 Control unit 9 Rider 10 Forward visual recognition device 11 Wind deflector 12 Brackets 13 and 14 Support part 15 Instrument panel

Claims (10)

A motorcycle front visual recognition device for visually recognizing the front of a running vehicle by a camera installed at the front of the vehicle,
The camera is installed at a location along the center line of the windscreen,
An apparatus for visually confirming a forward direction of a motorcycle, wherein an image captured by the camera is displayed on a display screen installed in the vehicle to visually recognize the front of the vehicle.   2. The motorcycle forward visual recognition device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the windscreen center line where the camera is attached projects in a convex shape toward the front of the vehicle.   2. The motorcycle forward visual recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the camera is installed at a height corresponding to a center line of the windscreen and in a line-of-sight direction of the rider. The windscreen is installed to protrude downward to a position covering the front of the instrument panel,
The motorcycle forward viewing device according to claim 1, wherein the camera is installed between the wind screen and the instrument panel and inside the wind screen.   The motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the camera is installed at a height that is a center line of the windscreen and is located above an upper edge of a headlight of the vehicle. Forward-looking device.   2. The motorcycle forward visual recognition device according to claim 1, wherein a wind deflector is installed in front of the wind screen and in the vicinity of the lower part of the site where the camera is installed.   The motorcycle forward viewing device according to claim 6, wherein the wind deflector is installed such that a front surface has an inclined surface.   The apparatus for visually confirming a forward direction of a motorcycle according to claim 1, further comprising a recording device that records an image captured by the camera.   The motorcycle forward viewing device according to claim 1, wherein a drive switch of the camera is provided in the vicinity of a grip of a handlebar of the vehicle. The motorcycle forward viewing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the camera is a small camera module including an imaging element and a lens made of a CCD or MOS sensor.

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