Self-contained camera wash system and method
AssigneeDlhbowles, Inc.
InventorRussell Hester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-contained, compact camera wash system 1000 for a drone 800 or as an automotive aftermarket kit 1101 uses a pressurized container 1002 similar to a common aerosol can to supply washer fluid to a washer nozzle 1020 via actuable valving. The fluid supply container is small for use with drone cameras (e.g., ˜15 ml in volume) and is readily packaged in a compact assembly. For the automotive aftermarket kit 1101 a larger volume container volume is provided and configured to be easily replaced as needed.
Claims12
A kit for an image sensor or camera lens wash system for selectively cleaning a lens of an image sensor or camera, said kit comprising:
- an actuator;
- a receiver configured to receive a remotely generated signal;
- a controller configured for electrical connection to said receiver and configured to provide a control signal to said actuator in response to reception at said receiver of said remotely generated signal;
- a housing configured to be mounted on the drone vehicle with a removable container of pressurized wash liquid suitable for cleaning camera lenses and said controller disposed interiorly of said housing;
- a luer-lock connector inside the housing configured to engage with a releasably engageable fluid tight connector of the removable container in a turn motion, wherein said removable container is an aerosol container that has a liquid storage capacity in the range of 5 ml to 100 ml;
- wherein said actuator is configured to selectively release pressurized wash liquid from the removable container in response to said control signal;
- and
- a nozzle configured to be connected to receive a pressurized wash liquid that is selectively released from said removable container by said actuator and to issue the pressurized wash liquid in a defined spray pattern;
- wherein said nozzle is configured to be mounted in an orientation such that said defined spray pattern is issued across the image sensor or camera lens generally transversely of a field of view of said image sensor or camera lens;
- wherein said kit is configured to, when assembled, selectively clean a lens of a camera of a drone vehicle while in-flight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.