Vehicular extendable camera assembly

A vehicular camera assembly, the vehicular camera assembly comprising:

• a mounting base configured to mount the vehicular camera assembly at a side of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular camera assembly;
• an arm pivotally mounted at the mounting base and pivotable relative to the mounting base;
• a camera disposed at an outer end region of the arm;
• wherein, with the vehicular camera assembly mounted at the vehicle, the arm is pivotable relative to the mounting base between at least (i) a drive position, where the camera is positioned outward from the side of the vehicle so that the camera is positioned for viewing rearward of the vehicle, and (ii) a folded position, where the camera is positioned inward from the drive position toward the side of the vehicle;
• an actuator operable to pivot the arm between the folded position and the drive position;
• wherein, with the vehicular camera assembly mounted at the vehicle, and when the arm is pivoted from the drive position toward a forward fold position, the arm is at least partially received in a forward cavity at the side of the vehicle;
• and
• a forward flap assembly that seals the forward cavity when the arm is pivoted toward the forward fold position, and wherein the forward flap assembly, when the arm is pivoted away from the folded position and beyond the drive position toward the forward fold position, engages the arm and biases the arm toward the drive position.

A vehicular camera assembly, the vehicular camera assembly comprising:

• a mounting base configured to mount the vehicular camera assembly at a side of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular camera assembly;
• an arm pivotally mounted at the mounting base and pivotable relative to the mounting base;
• a camera disposed at an outer end region of the arm;
• wherein, with the vehicular camera assembly mounted at the vehicle, the arm is pivotable relative to the mounting base between at least (i) a drive position, where the camera is positioned outward from the side of the vehicle so that the camera is positioned for viewing rearward of the vehicle, and (ii) a folded position, where the camera is positioned inward from the drive position toward the side of the vehicle;
• an actuator that is electrically operable to pivot the arm between the drive position and the folded position;
• wherein the actuator comprises a primary detent interface that is engaged to maintain the arm at the drive position when the arm is pivoted to the drive position;
• wherein the actuator comprises a secondary detent interface;
• wherein the arm is manually pivotable relative to the mounting base, and wherein, when the arm is manually pivoted between the folded position and the drive position, the secondary detent interface is disengaged;
• wherein, when the arm is pivoted between the folded position and the drive position via the actuator, the secondary detent interface is engaged and the primary detent interface is disengaged;
• wherein the actuator comprises an output gear disposed at a pivot post structure, and wherein a biasing element (i) urges the output gear along the pivot post structure toward the mounting base and (ii) urges a middle detent element along the pivot post structure into engagement with a lower detent surface of the pivot post structure;
• a forward flap assembly that seals a forward cavity when the arm is between the folded position and the drive position, and wherein the forward flap assembly, when the arm is pivoted from the drive position toward a forward fold position, engages the arm and biases the arm toward the drive position;
• wherein, with the vehicular camera assembly mounted at the vehicle, and with the arm in the drive position, the camera captures video image data;
• and
• wherein, with the vehicular camera assembly mounted at the vehicle, video image data captured by the camera is processed by an image processor for at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) display of video images derived from video image data captured by the camera and (ii) detection of an object viewed by the camera.