DEVICE FOR SECURING AN OPTICAL DEVICE

Abstract

A device for securing an optical device on a windshield of a vehicle is described. The device comprises a box-shaped bracket in which a holder for the optical device is mounted so as to be pivotable and fixable. It is thereby possible to set various angular positions of the holder relative to the bracket, taking into account different curvatures of the respective windshield. In this way, it is possible to use a single type of securing device to attach optical devices to windshields having different curvatures.

Claims

1. A device for securing an optical device on a windshield of a vehicle, comprising: a box-shaped bracket with a front side which can be glued to the windshield using a liquid adhesive and has an opening for the optical device and which has an average curvature, which results from a measurement of curvatures of standard windshields, and two side surfaces adjoining the front side; a holder for the optical device, which the holder can be inserted into the bracket and can be fixed there, and which the holder is pivotably mounted on the two side surfaces of the bracket and can be fixed in different positions and which the holder is provided with devices for the mounting of the optical device; and a cover for the bracket with the holder mounted therein together with the optical device.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder further comprises elements for the elastic mounting of the optical device.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder further comprises devices for latching the optical device.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracket further comprises devices for latching the cover.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side surfaces of the bracket have a plurality of fixing points for side flanges of the holder for fixing same in various angular positions.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical device is a camera.

7. A device for securing an optical device on a windshield of a vehicle, comprising: a box-shaped bracket with a front side, and an opening for the optical device, wherein the box-shaped bracket has an average curvature of windshields, and two side surfaces adjoined to the front surface; a holder for the optical device, wherein the holder is inserted into the box-shaped bracket and is pivotably mounted on the two side surfaces of the box-shaped bracket; and a cover, wherein the cover encloses the box-shaped bracket with the holder mounted therein together with the optical device.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the optical device is a camera.

9. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the box-shaped bracket is attached to the windshield with a liquid adhesive.

10. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the holder further comprises elements for elastic mounting of the optical device.

11. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the holder further comprises devices for latching the optical device.

12. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bracket further comprises devise for latching the cover.

13. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the side surfaces of the bracket have a plurality of fixing points for side flanges of the holder for fixing the holder in various angular positions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The disclosure will become more fully understood in the detail description below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a schematized three-dimensional illustration of a box-shaped bracket of a securing device for an optical device;

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a schematized three-dimensional illustration of a holder for the optical device; and

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a schematized three-dimensional illustration of a securing device which is mounted on a windshield and which has the bracket and the holder according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The securing device illustrated and described here for an optical device for attaching same to a windshield of a vehicle has three main parts, namely a bracket 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, a holder 13 illustrated in FIG. 2, and a cover 11 shown in FIG. 3. The holder 13 is fixed here to the bracket 1 and carries an optical device 9, for example a camera, the optical axis of which extends horizontally through an opening 4 provided in the front side 2 of the bracket 1. The cover 11 covers the bracket 1 with installed holder 13 and inserted optical device 9.

[0023] For use, the bracket 1 is fastened with its front side 2 to the windshield of a vehicle from the inside. The front side 2 is curved, with the curvature of the front side corresponding to a mean value of the curvatures of standard windshields. Furthermore, the front side 2 is secured on the windshield using a liquid adhesive. Both measures ensure that the bracket 1 can be attached to a multiplicity of windshields that have different curvatures in the vertical and/or horizontal direction.

[0024] From the front side 2, two side surfaces 3 extend rearward at an angle of 90? in FIG. 1. These side surfaces 3 each have a pivot point 7 with which the holder 13 illustrated in FIG. 2 can be mounted pivotably on the side surfaces 3 of the bracket 1. By rotation about the respective pivot point 7, the holder 13 can be positioned in such a way that the optical axis of the optical device 9 extends horizontally. In order to fix the corresponding rotational position, the two side flanges 6 of the holder 13 are adjusted with securing pins (not shown) which extend into securing holes on the side flanges 6 of the holder 13. In the present embodiment, the holder 13 has six securing holes which are arranged at intervals of 2? in each case, such that angles which differ by 2? between the holder 13 and the bracket 1 can be set and fixed. The respective pivot points are illustrated at 7 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0025] When assembling the securing device, the procedure is as follows: the holder 13 is firstly mounted pivotably on the bracket 1 using the pivot points. Thereafter, the holder 13 is fixed in the selected rotational position, in which the optical axis of an optical device 9 assumes a horizontal position. The fixing is undertaken via securing pins that are inserted into a corresponding securing hole 8. This can be carried out, for example, via a screw connection.

[0026] The bracket 1 provided with the holder 13 is then attached to the windshield. For this purpose, the front side 2 of the bracket is glued to the inside of the windshield using a liquid adhesive. The optical device 9 is then secured on the holder 13 by mechanically fixing the optical device 9 to the transverse web 5 of the holder 13, for example. Finally, the cover 11 is placed onto and fixed to the bracket with the optical device 9 inserted. Bracket 1 and optical device 9 are then enclosed by the cover 11.

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates the securing device attached to a part of a windshield 12.