RU2424925C1 - Method of cleaning transport facility video camera input element - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to automotive industry, namely, to cleaning video camera input element. In compliance with proposed method, dirt on video camera input element is detected visually or by dirt pickup to initiate cleaner for cleaning fluid jet to rinse said input element during preset time interval t₁. Fluid drop availability on input element is detected by means of speed pickup. In case transport facility speed is lower than natural drop blow off speed V_bl drops are considered to stay on input element. In case transport facility speed exceeds natural drop blow off speed V_bl drops are considered to be blown off. In case drops stay on input element, aforesaid jet is initiated to blow drops off by compressed air during preset time t₂.

EFFECT: higher efficiency of cleaning.

6 cl

Description

The invention relates to the field of maintenance of equipment of vehicles (TS).

Currently, the safety of the vehicle, in particular the car, is usually provided visually by the driver on the basis that the driver is obliged to independently assess the situation in front of the car and provide such a choice of travel parameters (speed, lane, etc.) that exclude collision with another vehicle or an obstacle, or a pedestrian. However, vehicles with highly tinted windows, as well as cars with a station wagon, make it difficult or impossible for drivers to have a good front or anterolateral view. In addition, there are a large number of trucks, vans and, in particular, all-wheel drive "motor homes" that either have no windows at all, or these windows are too high for the driver to see what is happening behind them. In this regard, external video cameras are becoming increasingly common on the vehicle, providing a preventive warning to the driver about obstacles arising from the front, rear and sides of the vehicle in areas that are not amenable to full visual control by the driver.

However, it should be noted that when using video cameras, the problem arises of maintaining the purity of the input element of the video camera (WEV), in particular its lens or transparent protective element, when exposed to water and pollution.

For camcorders used on vehicles, there are known methods for cleaning wind turbines, which, based on the signals of a pollution sensor, provide for the impact on wind turbines of compressed washing liquid or compressed air (DE 102005021671 A1, B60R 1/10, 11/16/2006; JP 2001171491 A, B60R 1/00, 26.06 .2001; JP 2004182080 A, B60R 1/00, 07/02/2004; JP 11255018 A, B60R 1/00, 09/21/1999; RU 2320501 C2, B60R 1/10, 01/27/2006). However, well-known technical solutions based on the use of only one cleaning component, i.e. only liquids or only air, do not allow to achieve high-quality cleaning of wind turbines.

Closest to the claimed technical solutions related to the cleaning of vehicle equipment is a method of cleaning an electric wind turbine, according to which it is assumed that the contaminated wind turbine is washed with a washing liquid and compressed air in turn using one common or two different nozzles (DE 10302748 A1, B60S 1/46, 08/12/2004).

The disadvantage of this method is manifested in the absence of indications of the duration of exposure to washing liquid and compressed air, as well as a clear criterion for the transition from one type of impact on the wind turbine to another, which determines the unreasonable waste of energy and again the low quality of cleaning the wind turbine.

The objective of the invention is to increase the efficiency of cleaning VEV with the achievement of a technical result, expressed in a reasonable choice of time parameters of compound operations and their reasoned distinction.

The problem is solved by the claimed method of cleaning an electric wind turbine installed on a vehicle, according to which during operation of the vehicle visually or by means of a pollution sensor, pollution of the electric wind turbines is detected, the washing device is activated, and the air flow is washed with a nozzle for a specified time t ₁ , the presence or absence is detected VEV on the water droplets, which is measured by the speed sensor and vehicle speed at vehicle speed lower than the speed V _sd providing natural deflation with water droplets homo VEV ohm ram air, it is believed that VEV water drop remained, and when TC speed greater than V _sd - not remained in the presence of at VEV water droplets include a compressor and via the same nozzle is directed to VEV flow of compressed air for a predetermined time t ₂ for forced blowing with VEV drops of water.

Partial essential features of the invention also contribute to the solution of the problem.

Switching the washing device and compressor on and off is carried out manually or automatically using the signals of the pollution and speed sensors.

The set values of the time t ₁ and t ₂ , as well as the speed V _{sd, are} determined a priori experimentally taking into account the operating conditions, aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle and the location of the video camera on the vehicle.

When forcing off the water droplets remaining on the VE, in addition to the compressor, a receiver is connected.

For VEV take its lens or a transparent protective element, made, for example, glass or plastic.

Optical or software-parametric sensors, as well as a rain sensor, are used as a WEA pollution sensor.

It is assumed that in this case we are talking about a video camera mounted on a vehicle with the possibility of front view, i.e. on the front or sides of the vehicle, and blown, in particular by the flow of oncoming air. However, the claimed method is also acceptable for cleaning the rear view camera, which can be blown by swirls of air from under the vehicle.

When the vehicle moves or during its stops, dust, dirt and precipitation from the environment, as well as splashes from under the wheels in front of the traveling vehicles, get on the wind turbines. The pollution sensor detects the pollution formed on the lens or on the transparent protective element of the explosive electric explosives. As already indicated, such a sensor can be optical, i.e. made using photodiodes, or software-parametric, i.e. software responsive to the technical characteristics of the lens, for example, to the sharpness of the resulting image, changing with the pollution of the wind turbine. A traditional rain sensor can also be used as a pollution sensor.

In the event of the formation of a WEA pollution manually or automatically, by the signal of the pollution sensor, a washer is activated and the WEA is washed with a nozzle with a jet of washing liquid for a predetermined time t ₁ using a nozzle. A pump is involved in the supply of liquid to the WEA, pumping it from a special tank.

After washing the WEA, it is checked for the presence or absence of remaining drops of water, which can significantly reduce the quality of the resulting image. Using a speed sensor (for example, a speedometer) measure the speed of the vehicle. At a vehicle speed lower than V _sd , which provides natural blowing of water droplets off the WEV with the flow of incoming air, it is believed that water drops remained on the WEA, but did not remain at a vehicle speed greater than V _sd .

If there are water droplets on the wind turbine, manually or automatically, according to the signal of the speed sensor, the compressor is switched on and, using the same nozzle, the compressed air flow is directed to the wind turbine for a predetermined time t ₂ to force the water droplets to be blown off from the wind turbine. In addition to the compressor, a receiver can be connected to smooth out pressure fluctuations.

The values of time t ₁ and t ₂ , as well as the speed V _SD determine a priori empirically. At the same time, operating conditions are taken into account - the season, temperature and humidity of the environment, especially the road and terrain. In addition, the TS class is taken into account, i.e. its aerodynamic characteristics, as well as the location of the camcorder on the vehicle - front, side or rear. In most cases, the values of time t ₁ and t ₂ are respectively in the ranges of 3-10 and 5-8 seconds, and the speed V _{sd is} assumed to be 80-100 km / h.

Used in the inventive method, the nozzle in the inoperative position is hidden in a special niche, and during its operation it is advanced to the VEV using a separate mechanical device.

Thus, the claimed method provides an efficient cleaning of the explosive waves, which ultimately helps to increase the safety of the vehicle.

Claims (6)

1. The method of cleaning the input element of a video camera mounted on a vehicle, according to which
during operation of the vehicle visually or by means of a pollution sensor detect contamination of the input element of the camera,
activate the washing device and using the nozzle, wash the input element of the camera with a jet of washing liquid for a predetermined time t ₁ ,
detect the presence or absence of water droplets on the input element of the video camera, for which the vehicle speed is measured using a speed sensor and at a vehicle speed lower than V _sd , which naturally blows off water droplets from the video input element of the camera, it is believed that the input element video cameras droplets remained, but at a vehicle speed greater than V _sd , they didn’t remain,
if there are any remaining water droplets on the input element of the video camera, turn on the compressor and use the same nozzle to send a stream of compressed air to the video input element for a predetermined time t ₂ to force water drops to be forced off the video input element. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclusion and shutdown of the washer device and compressor are carried out manually or automatically using the signals of the sensors of pollution and speed. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the set values of the time t ₁ and t ₂ , as well as the speed V _{sd, are} determined a priori experimentally taking into account the operating conditions, aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle and the location of the video camera on the vehicle. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that upon forced blowing off of the water droplets remaining on the input element of the video camera, in addition to the compressor, a receiver is connected. 5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that for the input element of the video camera take its lens or a transparent protective element, made, for example, glass or plastic. 6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical sensor or software-parametric sensors, as well as a rain sensor, are used as a pollution sensor for the input element of the video camera.