US 5,096,287 · Granted 1992-03-17
The 1992 Dashboard Camera That Mounted on Your Rearview Mirror
This patent describes a video camera bolted to the rearview mirror arm of a car, pointing out the front windshield to record the road ahead. A protective boot and optional air duct keep the lens clean and dry while the car is moving.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a video camera assembly mounted on an automobile's rearview mirror support arm, with the camera aimed forward through the windshield. What's protected is the specific arrangement of mounting the camera on the mirror arm, the protective boot that seals the lens from moisture and dust, and the optional air circulation system that connects the boot to the car's air conditioning to maintain a clean lens during operation.
Why it matters
This early patent staked out a key location and design for dashboard recording — mounting cameras on the rearview mirror rather than the dashboard itself. By filing in 1991 and granting in 1992, Aisin Seiki got ahead of the eventual explosion in dashcam adoption. The focus on lens protection through environmental sealing (dust, moisture, airflow) addressed a real engineering problem that would matter as these cameras became standard in vehicles worldwide.
Real-world use
When a modern dashcam or forward-facing safety camera is mounted near your rearview mirror and stays crystal clear mile after mile, you're benefiting from the protective design principles this patent locked down decades earlier.
Original USPTO abstract
A video camera for an automobile is mounted on the arm which carries a rear view mirror. The camera is directed forwardly to take pictures through the front windshield of an automobile and a boot is connected between the camera and the windshield to isolate the camera lens from moisture and dust. An air duct may be connected between the boot and the air conditioner to provide a flow of air through the boot.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,096,287
- Filing date
- 1991-03-15
- Grant date
- 1992-03-17
- Assignee
- Aisin Seiki K.K.
- Inventor(s)
- KAKINAMI; TOSHIAKI, SAIKI; MITSUYOSHI
- CPC class
- B60R11/04
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