Sensor components for vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sensor assembly (100) configured to be mounted on a vehicle (10). The sensor assembly (100) comprises a sensor (20); and a housing (30) accommodating the sensor (20). The housing (30) comprises: an inclined front wall (32), the inclined front wall being configured to face the main travel direction (A) of the vehicle (10) and the direction (B) away from the vehicle (20); a vehicle-facing wall (34), the vehicle-facing wall being configured to face the vehicle (10), the vehicle-facing wall (34) comprising an air inlet (35); and a rear opening (36), the rear opening forming a viewing opening of the sensor (20), the rear opening (36) being in fluid connection with the air inlet (35), so that air entering the air inlet (35) leaves the housing (30) through the rear opening (36).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The inventive concept relates to a sensor assembly configured to be mounted on a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In the past few years, vehicles such as fuel vehicles and electric vehicles have developed rapidly. The new generation of vehicles are more equipped with various types of sensors and cameras. These various types of sensors and cameras allow sensing of the vehicle environment. For self-driving cars, the sensing of the vehicle environment becomes extremely important.

[0003] Nowadays, the use of various types of sensors and cameras in vehicles is limited by their cleanliness, as they can become dirty, for example due to bad weather conditions. Therefore, they need to be protected from dirt and kept clean. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is an object of the inventive concept to address this need. Further and alternative objects may be understood from the following.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a sensor assembly is provided. The sensor assembly is configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the sensor assembly comprising a sensor; and a housing accommodating the sensor. The housing comprises: an inclined front wall, the inclined front wall being configured to face the main travel direction of the vehicle and the direction away from the vehicle; a vehicle-facing wall, the vehicle-facing wall being configured to face toward the vehicle, the vehicle-facing wall comprising an air inlet; and a rear opening, the rear opening forming a viewing opening of the sensor. The rear opening is in fluid connection with the air inlet, so that air entering the air inlet leaves the housing through the rear opening.

[0006] The inclined front wall of the housing, which faces the vehicle, faces the wind generated by the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is driving in the main driving direction. The inclined front wall guides or reflects at least a part of the wind away from the vehicle due to its inclination. Therefore, the air pressure around the rear opening of the housing becomes less than the air pressure of the wind impacting the inclined front wall of the housing. This creates a negative pressure around the rear opening of the housing and causes air to be sucked into the housing via the air inlet, so that the air enters the housing from the air inlet and leaves the housing from the rear opening. Therefore, the sensor can be protected from dirt such as mud and other particles. In addition, the sensor can be protected from moisture because the air leaving the rear opening can prevent water droplets from reaching the sensor and thus sticking to the sensor. Therefore, the sensor assembly of the present invention can provide a simple and maintenance-free solution for keeping the sensor clean.

[0007] A sensor herein refers to a sensing device configured to sense the vehicle's surroundings. For example, the sensor may be a camera configured to capture a video stream of the vehicle's surroundings. According to other examples, the sensor may include one or more of: a lidar, a radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser sensor, a passive infrared sensor (PIR), a smoke sensor, a fire sensor, and a temperature sensor. A housing herein refers to an object that covers or protects a sensor, such as a housing or an enclosure. An air inlet herein refers to an opening through which air passes.

[0008] The housing may further include a filter configured to filter the air entering the air inlet. Thus, the air drawn into the air inlet may be filtered by the filter. Thus, the air exiting the housing through the rear opening and around the sensor may be clean air free of dirt and / or moisture.

[0009] The rear opening of the housing may circumferentially surround the sensor. Thus, air may exit via the rear opening circumferentially surrounding the sensor. Thus, a volume of clean air may surround the sensor.

[0010] The cross-sectional dimensions of the rear opening may be at least twice the cross-sectional dimensions of the sensor. Thus, the volume of clean air leaving the rear opening may be large enough to protect the sensor from dirty ambient air.

[0011] The cross-sectional dimension of the rear opening is hereby understood to be the smallest dimension of the rear opening in a direction perpendicular to the main direction of travel of the vehicle. The cross-sectional dimension of the sensor is hereby understood to be the largest dimension of the sensor in a direction perpendicular to the main direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0012] The area of ​​the air inlet may be at least 50% to 80% of the cross-sectional size of the rear opening. Therefore, it is possible to ensure that sufficient air enters the air inlet.

[0013] The area of ​​the air inlet refers here to the combined area of ​​the opening / openings constituting the air inlet allowing air to be drawn into the housing.

[0014] The inclined front wall may be at an angle in the range of 10° to 40° to the main travel direction of the vehicle. Thus, the inclined front wall, due to its inclination, directs or reflects at least a portion of the air away from the vehicle. In addition, the inclination of the inclined front wall may promote air flow through the housing. Furthermore, the angle range of 10° to 40° may prevent or at least reduce the formation of vortices in the housing and may promote laminar airflow in the housing.

[0015] The air inlet may include a plurality of openings. Thus, the air inlet may provide a support surface for the filter. Furthermore, the air inlet itself may act as a filter by filtering out particles larger than the size of the openings.

[0016] The housing may further comprise at least one mounting bracket, which is positioned at a distance from the rear opening, the distance preferably being at least 10% of the cross-sectional dimension of the rear opening. Thus, the sensor can be mounted at a distance from the rear opening. Thus, a certain volume of clean air can be ensured to surround the sensor, thereby keeping the sensor clean. Furthermore, the sensor can thereby be surrounded and protected by the rear opening. For example, in the case of a camera, the lens of the camera can be protected from pebbles and stones from the road, collisions with wheels or other cars.

[0017] The housing may further include a side wall connecting the inclined front wall and the vehicle-facing wall. The side wall may facilitate the formation of a closed passage for air to pass through the housing.

[0018] The air inlet may be configured to be connected to an interior of a vehicle such that air may enter the housing from the interior of the vehicle.

[0019] According to the detailed description given below, the further applicable scope of the present invention will become apparent. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, although indicating the preferred embodiments of the present invention, are only given in an illustrative manner, because according to this detailed description, various changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art.

[0020] Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific parts and components of the described components, because these parts and components can change. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be restrictive. It must be noted that, unless the context clearly stipulates otherwise, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the articles "a, an", "the" and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more elements. Therefore, for example, mentioning "sensor" or "the sensor" can include several devices, etc. In addition, the words "comprising", "including", "containing" and similar terms do not exclude other elements or steps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention. The drawings should not be considered to limit the invention to the specific embodiments; rather they are used to explain and understand the invention.

[0022] As shown in the figures, the size is exaggerated for illustration purposes and is thus provided to illustrate the general structure of an embodiment of the present invention.Throughout the text, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0023] Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle including a sensor assembly.

[0024] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sensor assembly configured to be mounted on a vehicle.

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A top view of the sensor assembly.

[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Side view of the sensor assembly.

[0027] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 Rear view of the sensor assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present invention will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to achieve thoroughness and completeness, and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to the skilled person.

[0029] Combination Figure 1 , showing a vehicle 10. Figure 1 , the vehicle 10 may be a car. However, the vehicle may be any other type of vehicle, such as a truck, a bus, a tractor, a boat, etc. The vehicle 10 has a main travel direction A. The main travel direction A may also be referred to as the forward travel direction of the vehicle 10.

[0030] Combination Figure 1 , four sensor assemblies 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d are mounted on the vehicle 10. It should be understood that the vehicle 10 may have fewer or more sensor assemblies mounted thereon. Figure 1 It is shown that the sensor assemblies can be mounted at different locations of the vehicle 10. For example, the sensor assemblies 100a, 100b can be mounted below the vehicle 10, such as below the middle of the vehicle 10 (sensor assembly 100a) and / or below the front of the vehicle 10 (sensor assembly 100b). According to another example, the sensor assembly 100c can be mounted on the top of the vehicle 10. According to yet another example, the sensor assembly 100d can be mounted on the side of the vehicle 10.

[0031] Combination Figure 2 , an elevation view of the sensor assembly 100 is shown. Figures 3 to 5They are shown respectively Figure 2 , a top view, a side view, and a rear view of the sensor assembly 100 shown in . The sensor assembly 100 includes a sensor 20 and a housing 30. The sensor 20 can send and / or receive information from an information sending unit arranged along the road. An example of such a sensor is a PIR sensor for motion detection. Other examples of such a sensor are a lidar, a radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a temperature sensor, a smoke sensor, a fire sensor, a laser sensor, and an infrared (IR) sensor. The sensor 20 can be a camera that observes the surrounding environment of the vehicle. In the following, the sensor 20 is referred to as the camera 20. However, the sensor 20 is not limited to the camera 20, and can be any sensor 20 that needs to be kept clean and is configured on the vehicle 10. According to other examples, the sensor may include one or more of the following: a lidar, a radar, an ultrasonic sensor, and a temperature sensor.

[0032] When the vehicle 10 is parked or driving, the camera 20 can provide a view of the vehicle's surroundings. In the case where the sensor assembly 100 is installed below the vehicle 10, the camera 20 can provide a view below the vehicle 10. For example, when the vehicle 10 is parked, the camera 20 can observe animals below the vehicle 10. The camera can be equipped with IR lighting. Therefore, the camera 20 can even automatically detect cold objects moving below the vehicle 10. The camera can be further equipped with a fire sensor for fire detection. The camera 20 can capture a video stream of the vehicle environment. For example, if the sensor assembly 100 is installed below the vehicle 20, the camera 20 can provide a video stream of the road where the vehicle 10 is driving. The data obtained by the camera 20 can be used to navigate, control or drive the vehicle 10.

[0033] The housing 30 accommodates the camera 20. The housing 30 may be formed of a material resistant to temperature changes and humidity. The housing may be formed of an electromagnetic compatible material. The housing 30 may be formed of, for example, metal. Examples of such metals are aluminum, steel, and stainless steel.

[0034] The housing 30 includes an inclined front wall 32 facing at least two directions. The inclined front wall 32 of the housing 30 faces the main travel direction A of the vehicle 10. The inclined front wall 32 of the housing 30 also faces the direction B away from the vehicle 10. For example, in the case where the sensor assembly 100 is installed below the vehicle 10, the inclined front wall 32 faces the main travel direction A of the vehicle and the road. Another example is that in the case where the sensor assembly 100c is installed above the vehicle 10, the inclined front wall 32 faces the main travel direction A and the sky. The inclined front wall 32 can have an angle in the range of 10° to 40° relative to the main travel direction A of the vehicle 10.

[0035] The housing 30 further includes a vehicle-facing wall 34, which is configured to face the vehicle 10. The vehicle-facing wall 34 can be a flat wall. The vehicle-facing wall 34 can be slightly inclined at an angle in the range of 0° to 20° relative to the main driving direction of the vehicle 10. The vehicle-facing wall 34 includes an air inlet 35. The air inlet 35 may include an opening. The air inlet 35 may include a plurality of openings. One or more openings of the air inlet 35 may have various shapes, such as a rectangle or a circle. The air inlet 35 can be configured to be connected to the interior of the vehicle 10 so that air entering the housing 30 is extracted from the interior of the vehicle 10.

[0036] The housing may further include a side wall 38 connecting the inclined front wall 32 and the vehicle-facing wall 34. The side wall 38 may connect the inclined front wall 32 and the vehicle-facing wall 34 to form a closed passage for air to pass through the housing 30.

[0037] The housing 30 may further include a filter 40 configured to filter the air entering the air inlet 35. The filter 40 may be arranged to be connected to the air inlet 35. The filter 40 may be arranged just above the air inlet 35. The filter 40 may be arranged just below the air inlet 35. The air inlet 35 may include two layers, and the filter 40 may be arranged between the two layers. The filter 40 may be composed of fibers or porous materials for removing particles such as dust and / or moisture from the air entering the housing 30. The filter 40 may be disposable. The filter 40 may be washable and reusable. The filter 40 may have various shapes designed based on the shape of the air inlet 35 (such as a rectangle or a circle).

[0038] The housing 30 further includes a rear opening 36 that forms a viewing opening for the camera 20. The rear opening 36 of the housing 30 may surround the camera 20. The rear opening 36 is in fluid connection with the air inlet 35 so that air entering the air inlet 35 may exit the housing 30 through the rear opening 36. The cross-sectional dimensions of the rear opening 36 may be at least twice the cross-sectional dimensions of the camera 20. The area of ​​the air inlet 35 may be at least 80% of the cross-sectional dimensions of the rear opening 36. The rear opening 36 may be rectangular. The rear opening 36 may be circular or may have other shapes.

[0039] Typical dimensions of the housing 30 along the main direction of travel A are 5 to 20 cm, along the direction B facing away from the vehicle 10 , 1 to 7 cm, and along the direction perpendicular to the A and B directions, 3 to 10 cm.

[0040] The housing 30 may further include sensor mounting brackets 50a, 50b. The sensor mounting brackets 50a, 50b may be arranged inside the housing 30. The camera 20 may be mounted in the housing 30 by the sensor mounting brackets 50a, 50b. The sensor mounting brackets 50a, 50b may be positioned at a distance from the rear opening 36. The distance may preferably be at least 10% of the cross-sectional size of the rear opening 36. Therefore, the camera 20 may preferably be mounted at a distance from the rear opening.

[0041] The housing 30 may further include a vehicle mounting bracket. The vehicle mounting bracket may be arranged outside the housing 30. Therefore, the housing 30 may be mounted on the vehicle 10 via the vehicle mounting bracket.

[0042] Those skilled in the art realize that the present invention is by no means limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

[0043] For example, the housing 30 may further include a flushing arrangement configured to flush a cleaning liquid onto the sensor 20. Thus, the flushing arrangement may clean the sensor if necessary.

[0044] Additionally, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled artisan in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly, the sensor assembly being configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the sensor assembly comprising: sensor; as well as A housing configured to accommodate the sensor, the housing comprising: an inclined front wall, the inclined front wall being configured to face in a main travel direction of the vehicle and in a direction away from the vehicle, a vehicle-facing wall, the vehicle-facing wall being configured to face toward and be disposed adjacent to the vehicle, the vehicle-facing wall comprising an air inlet, and a rear opening forming a viewing opening for the sensor, the rear opening being in fluid connection with the air inlet so that air entering the air inlet exits the housing through the rear opening, wherein the smallest cross-sectional dimension of the rear opening in a direction perpendicular to the main travel direction of the vehicle is at least twice the largest cross-sectional dimension of the sensor in a direction perpendicular to the main travel direction of the vehicle, Therein, the air inlet is configured to be connected to the interior of the vehicle so that air entering the housing is extracted from the interior of the vehicle.

2. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The housing further includes a filter configured to filter air entering the air inlet.

3. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The rear opening of the housing surrounds the sensor.

4. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The inclined front wall makes an angle in the range of 10° to 40° with the main direction of travel of the vehicle.

5. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The air inlet includes a plurality of openings.

6. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The housing further includes at least one mounting bracket positioned a distance from the rear opening.

7. The sensor assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The distance is at least 10% of the cross-sectional dimension of the rear opening.

8. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The housing further includes a side wall connecting the inclined front wall and the vehicle-facing wall.

9. A sensor assembly, the sensor assembly being configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the sensor assembly comprising: sensor; as well as A housing for accommodating the sensor, the housing comprising: an inclined front wall, the inclined front wall being configured to face in a main travel direction of the vehicle and in a direction away from the vehicle, a vehicle-facing wall, the vehicle-facing wall being configured to face toward and be disposed adjacent to the vehicle, the vehicle-facing wall comprising an air inlet, wherein the air inlet comprises a plurality of openings, and a rear opening forming a viewing opening for the sensor, the rear opening being in fluid connection with the air inlet so that air entering the air inlet exits the housing through the rear opening, Therein, the air inlet is configured to be connected to the interior of the vehicle so that air entering the housing is extracted from the interior of the vehicle.

10. A sensor assembly, the sensor assembly being configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the sensor assembly comprising: sensor; as well as A housing for accommodating the sensor, the housing comprising: an inclined front wall, the inclined front wall being configured to face in a main travel direction of the vehicle and in a direction away from the vehicle, a vehicle-facing wall, the vehicle-facing wall being configured to face toward and be disposed adjacent to the vehicle, the vehicle-facing wall comprising an air inlet, and a rear opening forming a viewing opening for the sensor, the rear opening being in fluid connection with the air inlet so that air entering the air inlet exits the housing through the rear opening, Therein, the air inlet is configured to be connected to the interior of the vehicle so that air entering the housing is extracted from the interior of the vehicle.

11. The sensor assembly according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The housing further includes a filter configured to filter air entering the air inlet.

12. The sensor assembly according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The rear opening of the housing surrounds the sensor.

13. The sensor assembly according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The inclined front wall makes an angle in the range of 10° to 40° with the main direction of travel of the vehicle.

14. The sensor assembly according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The housing further includes a side wall connecting the inclined front wall and the vehicle-facing wall.

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