Support for a camera on a motor vehicle

Abstract

A support for a camera on a motor vehicle, including at least a main body with a guide and a bracket element which is pivotable relative to the main body and is connected to the main body via at least one guide rail, and which extends along an extent between a first end and a second end, wherein the camera may be arranged on the second end, wherein the first end is arranged on the guide, wherein the bracket element is pivotably connected to the at least one guide rail between the first end and the second end, and wherein, when the bracket element is pivoted, the first end is displaceable along the guide and the bracket element is displaceable along the at least one guide rail.

Claims

1. A support for a camera on a motor vehicle, comprising at least a main body with a guide and a bracket element which is pivotable relative to the main body, is connected to the main body via at least one guide rail, and which extends along an extent between a first end and a second end, wherein the guide and the at least one guide rail are arranged stationarily relative to each other, wherein the camera is arranged on the second end, wherein the first end is arranged on the guide, wherein the bracket element is pivotably connected to the at least one guide rail between the first end and the second end, and wherein, when the bracket element is pivoted, the first end is displaceable along the guide and the bracket element is displaceable along the at least one guide rail.

2. The support as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a peg, wherein the bracket element is rotatably mounted on the at least one guide rail via the peg.

3. The support as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one spring element, wherein the bracket element is connected to the main body via the at least one spring element.

4. A support for a camera on a motor vehicle, comprising at least a main body with a guide and a bracket element which is pivotable relative to the main body, is connected to the main body via at least one guide rail and a spring element, and which extends along an extent between a first end and a second end, wherein in a starting position of the bracket element, the first end is arranged in a latching position of the guide, wherein the spring element is deflected to a maximum when the bracket element is in the starting position, wherein the camera is arranged on the second end, wherein the first end is arranged on the guide, wherein the bracket element is pivotably connected to the at least one guide rail between the first end and the second end, and wherein, when the bracket element is pivoted, the first end is displaceable along the guide and the bracket element is displaceable along the at least one guide rail.

5. The support as claimed in claim 4, wherein the guide has a sliding region adjacent to the latching position, wherein the latching position is configured such that a first force is required to move the bracket element along the sliding region, wherein a second force is required to move the bracket element out of the latching position, and wherein the first force is smaller than the second force.

6. The support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first end is rotatable along the guide.

7. The support as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a gearwheel, wherein the the gearwheel is arranged on the main body.

8. The support as claimed in claim, 1 wherein the at least one guide rail comprises a first guide rail and a second guide rail.

9. A motor vehicle having at least a bodywork and a support as claimed in claim 1, arranged on the bodywork.

10. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support is arranged on a side of the motor vehicle, and wherein the bracket element is displaceable along the at least one guide rail substantially parallel to a plane defined by all wheel hubs of the motor vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention and the technical field will be explained in more detail below on the basis of the attached figures. It is pointed out that the invention is not restricted by the example embodiments described. In particular, unless explicitly indicated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the situations explained in the figures and combine these with other constituents and knowledge from the present description. In particular, it should be noted that the figures and in particular the illustrated proportions are merely schematic. The drawings show:

(2) FIG. 1: a motor vehicle in a side view;

(3) FIG. 2: a first embodiment variant of a support in a side view;

(4) FIG. 3: the support from FIG. 2 in a top view;

(5) FIG. 4: the support from FIG. 3 in a sectional top view, in a starting position;

(6) FIG. 5: the support from FIG. 4 after pivoting of the bracket element;

(7) FIG. 6: a second embodiment variant of a support in a perspective view;

(8) FIG. 7: the support from FIG. 6 in a perspective view, in a starting position;

(9) FIG. 8: a third embodiment variant of a support in a perspective view;

(10) FIG. 9: the support according to the second embodiment variant in a perspective view, in a starting position;

(11) FIG. 10: the support from FIG. 9 during pivoting of the bracket element;

(12) FIG. 11: the support from FIGS. 9 and 10 in the fully pivoted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 3 in a side view. The motor vehicle 3 includes a bodywork 23 with support 1 attached thereto. The support 1 is arranged on a side 22 of the motor vehicle 3. The bracket element 4 can be displaced along the guide rail 5, 6 substantially parallel to a plane 24 defined by all wheel hubs 23 of the motor vehicle 3.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a side view of a first embodiment variant of a support 1. FIG. 3 shows the support 1 from FIG. 2 in a top view. FIG. 4 shows the support 1 from FIG. 3 in a sectional top view, in a starting position 14. FIG. 5 shows the support 1 from FIG. 4 after pivoting 11 of the bracket element 7. FIGS. 2 to 5 are described jointly below. Reference is made to the statements relating to FIG. 1.

(15) The support 1 has at least one main body 4 with a guide 27 and a bracket element 7 which is pivotable relative to the main body 4 and connected to the main body 4 via the first guide rail 5 and the second guide rail 6. The bracket element 7 extends along an extent 10 between a first end 8 and a second end 9. The camera 2 is arranged on the second end 9. The first end 8 is arranged on the guide 27. The bracket element 7 is connected pivotably to the guide rails 5, 6 between the first end 8 and the second end 9. When the bracket element 7 is pivoted 11, the first end 8 is displaceable along the guide 27 and the bracket element 7 is displaceable along the guide rails 5, 6 (relative to the main body 4).

(16) The support element 7 is mounted rotatably on the guide rails 5, 6 via a peg 12. The support element 7 is guided along the guide rails 5, 6 via the peg 12. The peg 12 and hence the bracket element 7 are moved (transversely) relative to the guide rails 5, 6 by the displacement amount 28 when the bracket element 7 is pivoted 11.

(17) The bracket element 7 is here pivotable relative to the peg 12. The peg 12 is displaceable in the guide rails 5, 6 but is not rotatable relative to the guide rails 5, 6.

(18) The bracket element 7 is connected to the main body 4 via a spring element 13. In the present case, the peg 12, via which the bracket element 7 is mounted rotatably on the guide rails 5, 6, is connected to the main body 4 via the spring element 13.

(19) The spring element 13 is a tension spring. The spring element 13 is deflected to a maximum when the bracket element 7 is in the starting position 14. As the bracket element 7 pivots 11 further relative to the starting position 14, the deflection of the spring element 13 is increasingly reduced. The pivoting 11 of the bracket element 7 is supported by the spring element 13 or is caused thereby (after the bracket element 7 has pivoted 11 out of the latching position 15).

(20) The first end 8 is arranged in a latching position 15 of the guide 27 when the bracket element 7 is in a starting position 14 (see FIG. 4). The latching position 15 is formed for example by a depression in the guide 27, in which a latching lug of the bracket element 7 is arranged.

(21) The guide 27 has a sliding region 16 adjacent to the latching position 15, wherein the latching position 15 is configured such that a first force 17 is required to move the bracket element 7 along the sliding region 16 (see FIG. 5, at least until the end position shown is reached), wherein a second force 18 is required to move the bracket element 7 out of the latching position 15 (see FIG. 4).

(22) The pivoting 11 of the bracket element 7 may be limited via a damper 25 which is arranged on the bracket element 7 (alternatively or additionally, may be arranged on the main body 4) and cooperates with the main body 4 (see FIG. 5).

(23) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment variant of the support 1. FIG. 7 shows the support 1 from FIG. 6 in a perspective view, in a starting position 14. FIGS. 6 and 7 are described jointly below. Reference is made to the statements concerning FIGS. 2 to 5.

(24) In contrast to the first embodiment variant, the first end 8 of the bracket element 7 is formed by a rotatable element 19 so that on pivoting of the bracket element 7, the element 19 rolls along the guide 27. The rotatable element may be formed e.g. by a cylindrical body which forms part of the otherwise rigid bracket element 7. A rotational axis of the rotatable element 19 is in particular arranged parallel to an axis of pivoting 11 of the bracket element 7. The first end 8 configured as a rotatable element 19 is here connected to the main body 4 via a respective holder 26. The first end 8 may thus be guided by the holder 26 along the guide 27 on the main body 4.

(25) FIG. 8 shows in a perspective view a third embodiment variant of a support 1 (which is configured in particular to be suitable for a motorized drive). Reference is made to the statements relating to FIGS. 6 and 7.

(26) In contrast to the second embodiment variant, the rotatable element 19 may be driven via a drive element 20 (e.g. a gearwheel or similar) of the support 1, in order to pivot the bracket element 7. The drive element 20 is arranged on the main body 4.

(27) FIG. 9 shows the support 1 in the second embodiment variant in a perspective view, in a starting position 14. FIG. 10 shows the support 1 from FIG. 9 during pivoting 11 of the bracket element 7. FIG. 11 shows the support 1 from FIGS. 9 and 10 in the fully pivoted position. FIG. 9 to are described jointly below. Reference is made to the statements relating to FIGS. 6 and 7.

(28) In the starting position 14, the first end 8 (here the rotatable element 19) is arranged in a latching position 15 of the guide 27. In the partly pivoted position (FIG. 10), the first end 8 is situated in the sliding region 16 of the guide 27. The first end 8 is guided relative to the main body 4 via a holder 26. The peg 12 and the bracket element 7 are displaced by the displacement amount 28 along the first guide rail 5. In the fully pivoted position (FIG. 11), the peg 12 is displaced relative to the first guide rail 5 so far that it is arranged in the region of the main body 4.