Cleaning assembly of vehicle-mounted laser radar and vehicle comprising cleaning assembly

Abstract

The utility model relates to a cleaning assembly of a vehicle-mounted laser radar and a vehicle comprising the same, the vehicle-mounted laser radar comprises an upper shell and the laser radar, the upper shell is provided with a first containing cavity used for containing the laser radar, the cleaning assembly of the vehicle-mounted laser radar comprises a nozzle and a corresponding nozzle enclosure part, the nozzle is telescopic, and the nozzle enclosure part is provided with a first containing cavity used for containing the laser radar. The nozzle enclosures are placed in the first cavity, located on both sides of the lidar, and cooperate with the upper housing to form a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity being fluidically sealed relative to each other, the nozzle being received in the second cavity, and the nozzle being configured such that, when it protrudes from the second cavity, the nozzle enclosures the nozzle. And spraying a cleaning agent to the transmitting end of the laser radar. The vehicle comprises the vehicle-mounted laser radar and the cleaning assembly of the vehicle-mounted laser radar. The laser radar is completely isolated from the cleaning assembly, the cleaning agent is prevented from flowing into the first containing cavity where the laser radar is located, and therefore the risk that the laser radar is affected with damp and even damaged is reduced or even eliminated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a cleaning component of a vehicle-mounted laser radar and a vehicle comprising the same. Background Art

[0002] One of the main research and development themes in modern automobiles is autonomous / intelligent driving. To achieve autonomous / intelligent driving, the artificial intelligence (AI) systems responsible for running these programs must be provided with environmental data. One essential piece of environmental data is provided by on-board LiDAR (LiDAR). As you can imagine, since the environmental data provided by LiDAR is crucial to autonomous / intelligent driving and even the safety of the occupants, ensuring the proper functioning of the LiDAR is crucial. Furthermore, as vehicles travel on the road for extended periods, the LiDAR's transmitting end will inevitably accumulate dust, scale, and other obstructions. To address this, many vehicle manufacturers equip their LiDARs with cleaning devices. However, these devices extend from the vehicle's housing, impacting the vehicle's aerodynamic shape. Furthermore, when the retractable cleaning device retracts into the housing, it may also carry cleaning fluid back into the housing, potentially damaging the LiDAR, which is also located within the housing. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to overcome at least one of the defects described in the above-mentioned prior art, according to the first aspect of the present application, a cleaning component for a vehicle-mounted laser radar is proposed, wherein the vehicle-mounted laser radar includes an upper shell and a laser radar, and the upper shell has a first cavity for accommodating the laser radar, and is characterized in that the cleaning component includes a nozzle and a corresponding nozzle enclosure, wherein the nozzle is retractable, the nozzle enclosure is placed in the first cavity, located on both sides of the laser radar, and cooperates with the upper shell to form a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity are fluid-sealed relative to each other, the nozzle is accommodated in the second cavity, and the nozzle is configured to spray a cleaning agent toward the emitting end of the laser radar when it extends from the second cavity.

[0004] In one embodiment, the second cavity is designed such that the inner bottom surface thereof is inclined, wherein the inclination direction is gradually downward from the rear end to the front end.

[0005] In another embodiment, the front end of the upper shell is provided with a first through hole connected to the second cavity so that the nozzle extends therefrom, and the nozzle is also provided with an end cover and a seal. The end cover is provided at the front end of the nozzle and is configured to cooperate with the first through hole to close the second cavity. The seal is arranged on the edge of the end cover and seals the junction between the first through hole and the end cover.

[0006] In yet another embodiment, the end cover is designed such that, when it is in the closed position, the front end surface of the end cover and the front end surface of the upper shell together form a continuous and smooth outer contour.

[0007] In yet another embodiment, the front end surface of the end cover and the front end surface of the upper shell are designed to jointly form an aerodynamic surface.

[0008] In another embodiment, the nozzle enclosure further comprises a rear cover plate with a second through hole at its rear end, and the cleaning assembly further comprises a pipe connected to the nozzle through the second through hole, the pipe being used to supply the cleaning agent to the nozzle.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, the invention further comprises a water pump with adjustable water pressure, the water pump being connected to the pipeline and providing pressure for the cleaning agent to be supplied.

[0010] In yet another embodiment, a wheel speed sensor is further included, wherein the wheel speed sensor is connected to the water pump and is configured to measure the rotation speed of the wheels of the vehicle and adjust the output pressure of the water pump based on the measured rotation speed.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, the nozzle extends / retracts based on the pressure of the cleaning agent inside it.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present application, a vehicle is proposed, which includes a vehicle-mounted laser radar and a cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar as described in the first aspect of the present application.

[0013] The present application uses a first cavity and a second cavity that are separated from each other, especially separated from each other at the fluid level, to completely isolate the on-board laser radar from the cleaning component, thereby preventing the cleaning agent remaining in the second cavity due to various unexpected reasons from flowing into the first cavity where the on-board laser radar is located, thereby reducing or even eliminating the risk of the on-board laser radar getting damp or even damaged.

[0014] At the same time, the upper shell of the vehicle-mounted laser radar is completely camouflaged with the help of the end cover, and the end cover of the nozzle is also provided with a seal (such as a water-retaining rubber ring) to fill the gap, which not only increases the beauty of the vehicle-mounted laser radar part of the vehicle, but also avoids the wind noise caused by the vehicle driving. The second cavity for accommodating the nozzle has an inclined internal bottom surface, thereby preventing the residual cleaning agent dripping out after the nozzle cleans the vehicle-mounted laser radar from volatilizing, thereby causing condensation inside the radar and even affecting its performance. The vehicle-mounted laser radar cleaning component of the present application is also equipped with a wheel speed sensor, so that the nozzle can adjust the water pressure and extend and retract according to the vehicle speed without the need for an additional motor or solenoid valve, saving space in the first cavity and reducing the total cost of the component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 An exploded view of the cleaning assembly of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to the first aspect of the present application is shown, wherein the nozzle enclosure is omitted for clarity of display.

[0016] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 A bottom-up perspective view of the cleaning assembly of a vehicle-mounted lidar is shown, with the rear cover omitted for clarity.

[0017] Figure 3 Shown Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of the vehicle-mounted laser radar cleaning assembly shown is along the emission direction of the vehicle-mounted laser radar.

[0018] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the principle of regulation between a water pump and a wheel speed sensor according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clear, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0020] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment only illustrate the basic concept of the present application in a schematic manner. Therefore, the illustrations only show components related to the present application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component can be changed at will, and the component layout type may also be more complicated.

[0021] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. depicted in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification so as to facilitate understanding and reading by persons familiar with this technology. They are not intended to limit the conditions under which this application can be implemented, and therefore have no substantive technical significance. Any structural modifications, changes in proportional relationships, or adjustments in size, without affecting the efficacy and objectives that can be achieved by this application, should still fall within the scope of the technical contents disclosed in this application.

[0022] The directions or positional relationships indicated in this specification, such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "radial," and "circumferential," are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely for the purpose of simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] In order to solve the technical problems mentioned above, this application proposes a cleaning component for a vehicle-mounted laser radar. Figure 1 As shown, it shows an exploded view of the cleaning assembly of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to the first aspect of the present application, wherein the nozzle enclosure is omitted for clarity of display. The vehicle-mounted laser radar includes an upper shell 1 and a laser radar 2. The upper shell 1 is designed to have a first cavity. Specifically, the upper shell 1 cooperates with the outer shell of the vehicle so as to accommodate the laser radar 2 and the vehicle-mounted laser radar cleaning assembly in the first cavity. It should be noted here that for the convenience of description in the context, the direction of the emitting end of the laser radar 2 is defined as the front. As the name implies, the terms "front end" and "rear end" throughout the context of this application are defined with reference to the emitting direction of the laser radar 2.

[0024] Combine Figure 2 , which shows Figure 1The bottom perspective view of the cleaning assembly of the vehicle-mounted laser radar is shown. The cleaning assembly includes a nozzle 3 and a corresponding nozzle enclosure 4, and there are two nozzles 3 and two nozzle enclosures 4 surrounding the nozzle 3. In the first cavity, they are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the laser radar 2. Similar to the upper shell 1, the nozzle enclosure 4 is designed to have a curved shape, and its bending / convex direction is opposite to the bending / convex direction of the upper shell 1. Specifically, the nozzle enclosure 4 cooperates with the upper shell 1 to form a second cavity so as to accommodate the nozzle 3 in the second cavity. The nozzle 3 is retractable. In particular, the nozzle 3 extends / retracts based on the pressure of the detergent flowing inside it. For example, when detergent is supplied to the nozzle 3, the detergent pressure inside the nozzle 3 increases, and the nozzle 3 extends; conversely, when detergent is no longer supplied to the nozzle 3, the nozzle 3 retracts. This pressure-based nozzle is well known in the prior art and will not be described in detail here. Furthermore, a first through-hole 11 is defined at the front end of the upper housing 1, through which the nozzle 3 extends. Preferably, when the nozzle 3 extends from the first through-hole 11, it is aligned with the transmitting end of the laser radar 2 to spray the cleaning agent onto the transmitting end of the laser radar 2. It is conceivable that the nozzle 3 is housed within the second cavity, meaning that the first through-hole 11 is necessarily connected to the second cavity. In this embodiment, the cleaning agent may include water, glass cleaner, or the like.

[0025] An end cap 5 and a seal 6 are also provided on the nozzle 3. The end cap 5 is provided at the front end of the nozzle 3 and cooperates with the first through hole 11 to close the second cavity, and the seal 6 is arranged on the edge of the end cap 5. In other words, the end cap 5 plays a camouflage role. When the end cap 5 closes the first through hole 11, the existence of the end cap 5 makes the upper shell 1 look like a complete closed shell, which minimizes the wind noise caused by the hole. However, even with the presence of the end cap 5, a gap is still formed in the first through hole 11 between the end cap 5 and the upper shell 1. The seal 6 can be set as a water-repellent rubber ring, which means that when the end cap 5 closes the first through hole 11, the seal 6 is configured to seal the junction (i.e., the gap) between the first through hole 11 and the end cap 5, so that the seal 6 can prevent water vapor in the external environment from entering the second cavity. Furthermore, the end cover 5 is designed so that when it closes the first through hole, the front end face of the end cover 5 and the front end face of the upper shell 1 together form a continuous and smooth outer contour, for example, the two together form a coplanar flat surface or a continuous and smooth / continuously conductive curved surface. Preferably, the front end face of the end cover 5 and the front end face of the upper shell 1 together form an aerodynamic surface.

[0026] The cleaning assembly of the vehicle-mounted LiDAR also includes a pipe 7. The nozzle enclosure 4 includes a rear cover plate 8, which encloses the rear end of the second cavity. A second through-hole is provided on the rear cover plate 8, allowing the pipe 7 to pass through the second through-hole and connect to the nozzle 3, ultimately supplying the cleaning agent to the nozzle 3. The other end of the pipe 7 is connected to a water pump 9, whose output pressure is adjustable. In other words, the fluid pressure of the cleaning agent sprayed by the nozzle 3 is provided by the water pump.

[0027] Furthermore, the cleaning assembly of the vehicle-mounted laser radar further includes a wheel speed sensor 10, which is connected to the water pump 9. The wheel speed sensor 10 is configured to measure the rotation speed of the vehicle's wheels and adjust the output pressure of the water pump 9 based on the measured rotation speed.

[0028] Reference Figure 4 , which shows a schematic diagram of the principle of regulation between the water pump and the wheel speed sensor. The wheel speed sensor 10 measures the wheel speed in different speed value ranges and can accordingly instruct the water pump 9 to output different output pressures. For example, when the measured rotation speed is in the low speed range, the vehicle speed is low and the wind resistance it faces is naturally low, so it is only necessary to instruct the water pump 9 to output low pressure x; when the measured rotation speed is in the medium speed range, the wind resistance faced by the vehicle naturally increases slightly, so it is necessary to instruct the water pump 9 to output medium pressure y; when the measured rotation speed is in the high speed range, the wind resistance faced by the vehicle is naturally also high, so it is necessary to instruct the water pump 9 to output high pressure z.

[0029] Preferably, waterproof material, such as foam, is placed at the junction of the upper housing 1 and the nozzle enclosure 4, as well as at the junction of the nozzle enclosure 4 and the rear cover 8. This arrangement fluidically isolates the first cavity, particularly the laser radar 2 therein, from the second cavity, particularly the nozzle 3 therein and any cleaning agent present.

[0030] In order to further prevent the cleaning agent dripping out after the nozzle cleans the vehicle-mounted laser radar from remaining in the second cavity and evaporating, thereby causing condensation inside the radar and even affecting its performance, the second cavity for accommodating the nozzle 3 can also be specially designed. Figure 3 , which shows Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of the vehicle-mounted laser radar cleaning assembly shown is along the emission direction of the vehicle-mounted laser radar. Specifically, the nozzle enclosure 4 is designed so that its inner bottom surface gradually tilts downward from the rear end to the front end, for example, with an inclination angle of about 3° relative to the horizontal plane. In this way, the droplets in the second cavity (leaked from the nozzle 3 and / or accidentally blown into the second cavity from the outside) will accumulate near the first through hole 11 on the inner bottom surface. The next time the nozzle 3 is extended, the accumulated liquid will be discharged from the first through hole 11, thus avoiding the volatilization of the residual cleaning agent dripped out after the nozzle cleans the vehicle-mounted laser radar.

[0031] According to a second aspect of the present application, a vehicle is provided, comprising an onboard laser radar and a cleaning assembly for the onboard laser radar as described above. Thus, while the vehicle is driving, the cleaning assembly can appropriately clean the laser radar's transmitting end based on vehicle speed, allowing the laser radar to better provide environmental data to the AI ​​system responsible for running the autonomous / intelligent driving program.

[0032] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0033] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning assembly for a vehicle-mounted laser radar, wherein the vehicle-mounted laser radar comprises an upper shell and a laser radar, the upper shell having a first cavity for accommodating the laser radar, characterized in that: The cleaning assembly includes a nozzle and a corresponding nozzle enclosure, wherein the nozzle is retractable, the nozzle enclosure is placed in the first cavity, located on both sides of the laser radar, and cooperates with the upper shell to form a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity are fluid-sealed relative to each other, the nozzle is accommodated in the second cavity, and the nozzle is configured to spray cleaning agent toward the emitting end of the laser radar when it is extended from the second cavity.

2. The cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second cavity is designed such that the inner bottom surface thereof is inclined, wherein the inclination direction is gradually downward from the rear end to the front end.

3. The cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front end of the upper shell is provided with a first through hole connected to the second cavity so that the nozzle can extend therefrom. The nozzle is also provided with an end cover and a sealing member. The end cover is provided at the front end of the nozzle and is configured to cooperate with the first through hole to close the second cavity. The sealing member is arranged on the edge of the end cover and seals the junction between the first through hole and the end cover.

4. The cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to claim 3, characterized in that: The end cover is designed such that, when it is in the closed position, the front end surface of the end cover and the front end surface of the upper shell together form a continuous and smooth outer contour.

5. The cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to claim 4, characterized in that: The front end surface of the end cover and the front end surface of the upper shell are designed to jointly form an aerodynamic surface.

6. The cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to claim 2, characterized in that: The nozzle enclosure further includes a rear cover plate with a second through hole at its rear end, and the cleaning assembly further includes a pipe connected to the nozzle through the second through hole, and the pipe is used to supply the cleaning agent to the nozzle.

7. The cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to claim 6, characterized in that: The invention further comprises a water pump capable of adjusting water pressure, wherein the water pump is connected to the pipeline and provides pressure for the cleaning agent to be supplied.

8. The cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to claim 7, characterized in that: A wheel speed sensor is also included, which is connected to the water pump and is used to measure the rotation speed of the wheels of the vehicle and adjust the output pressure of the water pump based on the measured rotation speed.

9. The cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar according to claim 1, characterized in that: The nozzle extends / retracts based on the pressure of the cleaning agent inside it.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises a vehicle-mounted laser radar and a cleaning component of the vehicle-mounted laser radar as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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