Sensor cleaning device and vehicle

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model relates to the technical field of optical sensor cleaning devices, in particular to a sensor cleaning device and a vehicle, the sensor cleaning device comprises a fixing mechanism, an optical sensor, a liquid spraying mechanism and an air outlet mechanism, and the optical sensor is arranged on the fixing mechanism; the liquid spraying mechanism comprises a liquid pump and a liquid branch pipe, the liquid branch pipe is arranged on the fixing mechanism, one end of the liquid branch pipe is communicated with the liquid pump, the other end of the liquid branch pipe is provided with a liquid spraying opening, the liquid spraying opening corresponds to the optical sensor, and the liquid spraying opening is used for spraying liquid flow to the optical sensor so as to clean the optical sensor; the air outlet mechanism comprises an air pump and an air branch pipe, the air branch pipe is arranged on the fixing mechanism, one end of the air branch pipe is communicated with the air pump, the other end of the air branch pipe is provided with an air outlet, the air outlet corresponds to the optical sensor, and the air outlet is used for spraying airflow to the optical sensor. The embodiment of the utility model is beneficial to cleaning the surface of the optical sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of optical sensor cleaning device technology, and in particular to a sensor cleaning device and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing prevalence of autonomous driving technology, more and more vehicles are equipped with cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, positioning sensors, and onboard computing devices to achieve intelligent driving functions such as assisted driving and autonomous driving. Simultaneously, vehicles can also interact with remote service centers in real time via wireless communication such as 4G / 5G. When a vehicle is in assisted driving or autonomous driving mode, it uses its own sensors to perceive information such as the road, obstacles, and its location around the vehicle; therefore, onboard sensors are the foundation of autonomous driving.

[0003] However, in real-world applications, vehicle sensors are used in various weather conditions and are affected by rain, dust, dirt, etc., which reduces their sensing capabilities, especially optical sensors such as cameras and lidar. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a sensor cleaning device and vehicle that overcomes or at least partially solves the above problems.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a sensor cleaning device is provided, including a fixing mechanism, an optical sensor, a liquid spraying mechanism, and an air outlet mechanism. The optical sensor is disposed on the fixing mechanism. The liquid spraying mechanism includes a liquid pump and a liquid branch pipe. The liquid branch pipe is disposed on the fixing mechanism, one end of which is connected to the liquid pump, and the other end of which is provided with a liquid spraying port. The liquid spraying port corresponds to the optical sensor and is used to spray liquid onto the optical sensor to clean it. The air outlet mechanism includes an air pump and an air branch pipe. The air branch pipe is disposed on the fixing mechanism, one end of which is connected to the air pump, and the other end of which is provided with an air outlet. The air outlet corresponds to the optical sensor and is used to spray airflow onto the optical sensor.

[0006] In some embodiments, there are multiple liquid branch tubes, and the spray nozzles of the multiple liquid branch tubes are evenly distributed in a ring around the optical sensor.

[0007] In some embodiments, there are multiple air bronchus tubes, and the air outlets of the multiple air bronchus tubes are evenly distributed in a ring around the optical sensor. The multiple air outlets and the multiple liquid spraying ports are alternately distributed around the optical sensor.

[0008] In some embodiments, the spraying mechanism further includes a liquid box and a liquid main pipe. The liquid box is disposed on the fixing mechanism and has a liquid-containing cavity. One end of the liquid main pipe is connected to the liquid pump, and the other end of the liquid main pipe is connected to the liquid-containing cavity. One end of the liquid branch pipe is connected to the liquid-containing cavity.

[0009] In some embodiments, the air outlet mechanism further includes an air box and an air main pipe. The air box is disposed on the fixing mechanism and has an air-containing cavity. One end of the air main pipe is connected to the air pump, and the other end of the air main pipe is connected to the air-containing cavity. One end of the air branch pipe is connected to the air-containing cavity.

[0010] In some embodiments, the sensor cleaning device further includes a lifting mechanism, which includes a base and a drive assembly. The base is slidably disposed on the fixing mechanism and surrounds the optical sensor. The liquid branch pipe and the air branch pipe are disposed on the base. The drive assembly is disposed on the fixing mechanism and connected to the base to drive the base to slide, thereby driving the liquid branch pipe and the air branch pipe to move relative to the optical sensor to adjust the relative positions of the liquid nozzle and the air outlet with respect to the optical sensor.

[0011] In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a motor, a driving gear, a driven gear, and a worm gear. The motor is fixed to the fixing mechanism, the driving gear is disposed on the output shaft of the motor, the driven gear is disposed on the fixing mechanism and meshes with the driving gear, and the worm gear is slidably disposed on the fixing mechanism. One end of the worm gear meshes with the driven gear, and the other end of the worm gear is fixed to the base. When the drive assembly is in operation, the motor drives the driving gear to rotate, which in turn drives the driven gear to rotate, which in turn drives the worm gear to slide, which in turn drives the base to slide.

[0012] In some embodiments, the sensor cleaning device further includes a control board electrically connected to the optical sensor, the liquid pump, the air pump, and the drive assembly.

[0013] In some embodiments, the fixing mechanism includes a base, a sleeve, and a plurality of encapsulation plates. The sleeve is fixed to the base and has a mounting groove. The optical sensor is fixed to the mounting groove. The liquid branch pipe and the gas branch pipe are disposed in the sleeve. The plurality of encapsulation plates are disposed around the base.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, including the sensor cleaning device described above.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model embodiment are as follows: Unlike the prior art, this utility model embodiment provides a sensor cleaning device, including a fixing mechanism, an optical sensor, a liquid spraying mechanism, and an air outlet mechanism. The optical sensor is disposed on the fixing mechanism. The liquid spraying mechanism includes a liquid pump and a liquid branch pipe. The liquid branch pipe is disposed on the fixing mechanism, one end of which is connected to the liquid pump, and the other end of which is provided with a liquid spray nozzle. The liquid spray nozzle corresponds to the optical sensor and is used to spray liquid onto the optical sensor to clean it. The air outlet mechanism includes an air pump and an air branch pipe. The air branch pipe is disposed on the fixing mechanism, one end of which is connected to the air pump, and the other end of which is provided with an air outlet. The air outlet corresponds to the optical sensor and is used to spray airflow onto the optical sensor. In this application, the liquid drawn by the liquid pump can be sprayed from the spray nozzle onto the surface of the optical sensor, which is beneficial for cleaning impurities (rainwater, dust and dirt) on the surface of the optical sensor. The gas drawn by the air pump can be sprayed from the air outlet onto the surface of the optical sensor, which is beneficial for drying the liquid on the surface of the optical sensor. This is beneficial for cleaning the surface of the optical sensor and improving the sensing capability of the optical sensor. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments of this utility model will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the sensor cleaning device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the sensor cleaning device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sleeve, optical sensor, liquid spraying mechanism, air outlet mechanism and base provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base, sleeve, optical sensor, liquid box, gas box and control board provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the sleeve structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the packaging board provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the base, plate, sleeve, and lifting mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the sleeve and lifting mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 10 This is a logic block diagram of the intelligent driving controller, rain sensor, and sensor cleaning device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 11 This is a logic diagram for determining the cleaning mode and protection mode provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 12 This is a logic diagram of the cleaning mode provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 13 This is a logic diagram of the protection mode provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0030] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows:

[0031] 100. Sensor cleaning device;

[0032] 1. Fixing mechanism; 11. Base; 12. Plate base; 13. Sleeve; 131. Mounting groove; 14. First encapsulation plate; 15. Second encapsulation plate; 16. Third encapsulation plate; 17. Fourth encapsulation plate; 18. Fifth encapsulation plate; 19. Sixth encapsulation plate; 1a. Receiving cavity;

[0033] 2. Optical sensors;

[0034] 3. Spraying mechanism; 31. Liquid branch pipe; 311. Spray nozzle; 32. Liquid box; 33. Liquid main pipe;

[0035] 4. Air outlet mechanism; 41. Air branch pipe; 411. Air outlet; 42. Air box; 43. Air main pipe;

[0036] 5. Lifting mechanism; 51. Base; 51a. Slide groove; 51b. Limit pin; 51c. First hole; 51d. Second hole; 52. Lifting bracket; 53. Drive assembly; 531. Motor; 532. Drive gear; 533. Driven gear; 534. Driven gear seat; 535. Bearing; 536. Worm gear; 537. Worm gear retaining sleeve;

[0037] 6. Control panel. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.

[0039] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0040] With the increasing prevalence of autonomous driving technology, more and more vehicles are equipped with cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, positioning sensors, and onboard computing devices to achieve intelligent driving functions such as assisted driving and autonomous driving. Simultaneously, vehicles can also interact with remote service centers in real time via wireless communication such as 4G / 5G. When a vehicle is in assisted driving or autonomous driving mode, it uses its own sensors to perceive information such as the road, obstacles, and its location around the vehicle; therefore, onboard sensors are the foundation of autonomous driving.

[0041] However, in real-world applications, vehicle sensors are used in various weather conditions and are affected by rain, dust, dirt, etc., which reduces their sensing capabilities, especially optical sensors such as cameras and lidar.

[0042] The sensor cleaning device of this utility model can spray liquid onto the surface of the optical sensor through the spray nozzle, which is beneficial for cleaning impurities (rainwater, dust and dirt) on the surface of the optical sensor. It can also spray airflow onto the surface of the optical sensor through the air outlet, which is beneficial for drying the liquid on the surface of the optical sensor. This is beneficial for cleaning the surface of the optical sensor and improving the sensing ability of the optical sensor.

[0043] To facilitate the reader's understanding of the inventive concept of this utility model, the specific structure of the sensor cleaning device is described below:

[0044] Please see Figure 1-3The sensor cleaning device 100 includes a fixing mechanism 1, an optical sensor 2, a liquid spraying mechanism 3, and an air outlet mechanism 4. The optical sensor 2 is mounted on the fixing mechanism 1. The liquid spraying mechanism 3 includes a liquid pump (not shown) and a liquid branch pipe 31. The liquid branch pipe 31 is mounted on the fixing mechanism 1. One end of the liquid branch pipe 31 is connected to the liquid pump, and the other end of the liquid branch pipe 31 is provided with a liquid spraying port 311. The liquid spraying port 311 corresponds to the optical sensor 2 and is used to spray liquid onto the optical sensor 2 to clean it. The air outlet mechanism 4 includes an air pump (not shown) and an air branch pipe 41. The air branch pipe 41 is mounted on the fixing mechanism 1. One end of the air branch pipe 41 is connected to the air pump, and the other end of the air branch pipe 41 is provided with an air outlet 411. The air outlet 411 corresponds to the optical sensor 2 and is used to spray airflow onto the optical sensor 2. In this application, the liquid drawn by the liquid pump can be sprayed onto the surface of the optical sensor 2 from the spray nozzle 311, which is beneficial for cleaning impurities (rainwater, snow, dust, and dirt) from the surface of the optical sensor 2. The gas drawn by the air pump can be sprayed onto the surface of the optical sensor 2 from the air outlet 411, which is beneficial for drying the liquid on the surface of the optical sensor 2. This is beneficial for cleaning the surface of the optical sensor 2 and improving its sensing capability. In addition, the gas sprayed onto the surface of the optical sensor 2 from the air outlet 411 can form a protective layer, which can protect the surface of the optical sensor 2 and reduce the possibility of impurities adhering to the surface of the optical sensor 2.

[0045] During rainy weather, the air outlet 411 can spray a high-speed airflow onto the surface of the optical system (e.g., camera lens) of the optical sensor 2, forming a transversely flowing air gap on the surface of the optical sensor 2. When raindrops fall on the optical sensor 2, they will be blown away by this air gap, thus preventing them from falling onto the optical sensor 2. Water droplets that fall on the optical sensor 2 will also be blown away by the airflow, reducing the impact on the imaging of the optical sensor 2.

[0046] In some embodiments, the number of air outlets 411 and liquid spray outlets 311 can be set according to actual needs.

[0047] In some embodiments, optical sensor 2 includes a camera. In some embodiments, optical sensor 2 includes a lidar.

[0048] The above-mentioned liquid spraying mechanism 3 further includes a liquid box 32 and a liquid manifold 33. The liquid box 32 is disposed on the fixing mechanism 1 and has a liquid-containing chamber. One end of the liquid manifold 33 is connected to a liquid pump, and the other end of the liquid manifold 33 is connected to the liquid-containing chamber. One end of the liquid branch pipe 31 is connected to the liquid-containing chamber. The liquid drawn by the liquid pump can flow into the liquid-containing chamber through the liquid manifold 33. The liquid-containing chamber can temporarily store the liquid, and the liquid in the liquid-containing chamber can be sprayed onto the surface of the optical sensor 2 through the liquid branch pipe 31.

[0049] In some embodiments, there are multiple liquid branch pipes 31, and the spray nozzles 311 of the multiple liquid branch pipes 31 are evenly distributed in a ring around the optical sensor 2. The multiple liquid branch pipes 31 can spray liquid flow onto the optical sensor 2 from multiple angles, which is beneficial for further cleaning impurities on the surface of the optical sensor 2. One end of each of the multiple liquid branch pipes 31 is connected to a liquid-containing cavity, and the liquid in the liquid-containing cavity can flow into the multiple liquid branch pipes 31 evenly, which helps to improve the uniformity of the liquid flow sprayed by the multiple liquid branch pipes 31.

[0050] The gas outlet mechanism 4 further includes a gas box 42 and a main gas pipe 43. The gas box 42 is mounted on the fixing mechanism 1 and has a gas-containing chamber. One end of the main gas pipe 43 is connected to an air pump, and the other end of the main gas pipe 43 is connected to the gas-containing chamber. One end of the gas branch pipe 41 is also connected to the gas-containing chamber. Gas drawn by the air pump can flow into the gas-containing chamber through the main gas pipe 43. The gas-containing chamber can temporarily store gas, and the gas in the gas-containing chamber can be sprayed onto the surface of the optical sensor 2 through the gas branch pipe 41.

[0051] In some embodiments, multiple air vents 41 are used, with their outlets 411 evenly distributed in a ring around the optical sensor 2. These multiple air vents 41 can spray airflow onto the optical sensor 2 from multiple angles, which helps to further dry the liquid on the surface of the optical sensor 2 and forms a uniform gas protective layer on its surface, further reducing the possibility of impurities adhering to the surface of the optical sensor 2. One end of each of the multiple air vents 41 is connected to a gas chamber, allowing gas in the gas chamber to flow evenly into the multiple air vents 41, improving the uniformity of the airflow sprayed from the multiple air vents 41. Multiple outlets 411 and multiple liquid spray nozzles 311 are alternately distributed around the optical sensor 2, allowing multiple parts of the optical sensor 2 to be uniformly cleaned and dried, improving the uniformity of the cleaning effect on multiple parts of the optical sensor 2 and reducing the detection error of the optical sensor 2.

[0052] In some embodiments, the liquid branch pipe 31, the liquid main pipe 33, the gas branch pipe 41, and the gas main pipe 43 may be flexible hoses.

[0053] For fixed mechanism 1 mentioned above, please refer to the following: Figure 4 and Figure 5The fixing mechanism 1 includes a base 11, a sleeve 13, and multiple encapsulation plates. The sleeve 13 is fixed to the base 11 and has a mounting groove 131. The optical sensor 2 is fixed to the mounting groove 131, which can position and limit the optical sensor 2, thus improving the ease of installation and stability of the optical sensor 2. A liquid branch pipe 31 and a gas branch pipe 41 are disposed on the sleeve 13, and multiple encapsulation plates are disposed around the base 11. In some embodiments, the sleeve 13 is fastened to the base 11 with screws, which improves the ease of installation and removal of the sleeve 13. In some embodiments, the optical sensor 2 is fixed to the mounting groove 131 with screws, which improves the ease of installation and removal of the optical sensor 2. In some embodiments, multiple encapsulation plates are fixed to the base 11 with screws, which improves the ease of installation and removal of the multiple encapsulation plates. In some embodiments, a liquid box 32 and a gas box 42 are fixed to the base 11.

[0054] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figure 6 The device comprises multiple encapsulation plates, including a first encapsulation plate 14, a second encapsulation plate 15, a third encapsulation plate 16, a fourth encapsulation plate 17, a fifth encapsulation plate 18, and a sixth encapsulation plate 19. The first and second encapsulation plates 14 and 15 are positioned opposite each other, the third and fourth encapsulation plates 16 and 17 are positioned opposite each other, and the fifth and sixth encapsulation plates 18 and 19 are positioned opposite each other. The first, second, third, and fourth encapsulation plates 16, 17, 18, and 19 together enclose a receiving cavity 1a. The base 11, the sleeve 13, a portion of the liquid spraying mechanism 3, and a portion of the gas venting mechanism 4 are housed in the receiving cavity 1a, which helps to improve the protective effect of the sensor cleaning device 100. In some embodiments, the liquid main pipe 33 and the gas main pipe 43 pass through the fourth encapsulation plate 17.

[0055] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figure 7 The fixing mechanism 1 also includes a plate base 12, which is welded to the base 11 and housed in the receiving cavity 1a.

[0056] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figure 8The sensor cleaning device 100 also includes a lifting mechanism 5, which includes a base 51 and a drive assembly 53. The base 51 is slidably mounted on the fixing mechanism 1 and surrounds the optical sensor 2. A liquid branch pipe 31 and a gas branch pipe 41 are mounted on the base 51. The base 51 can slide with the liquid branch pipe 31 and the gas branch pipe 41, thereby adjusting the relative positions of the liquid spray nozzle 311 and the gas outlet 411 with the optical sensor 2. The base 51 can slide between a first position and a second position. When the base 51 slides to the first position, the liquid spray nozzle 311 can spray liquid onto the surface of the optical sensor 2, and the gas outlet 411 can spray air onto the surface of the optical sensor 2. When the base 51 slides to the second position, the gas outlet 411 can spray air onto the top surface of the optical sensor 2, thereby forming a gas protective layer on the surface of the optical sensor 2, which helps to reduce the possibility of impurities adhering to the surface of the optical sensor 2. The drive assembly 53 is mounted on the fixing mechanism 1 and is connected to the base 51 to drive the base 51 to slide, thereby driving the liquid branch pipe 31 and the gas branch pipe 41 to move relative to the optical sensor 2, so as to adjust the relative position of the liquid spray port 311 and the gas outlet 411 with the optical sensor 2.

[0057] In some embodiments, the base 51 is slidably embedded within the sleeve 13, which helps improve the stability of the base 51's sliding motion. The base 51 is provided with a sliding groove 51a, and the lifting mechanism 5 also includes a limiting pin 51b. One end of the limiting pin 51b is fixed to the sleeve 13, and the other end of the limiting pin 51b is located in the sliding groove 51a. The base 51 can slide relative to the limiting pin 51b through the sliding groove 51a. In some embodiments, the base 51 is provided with a first hole 51c and a second hole 51d. The liquid branch pipe 31 passes through the first hole 51c, and the gas branch pipe 41 passes through the second hole 51d. In some embodiments, the shape of the base 51 can be adjusted according to the installation position, such as circular, rectangular, etc.

[0058] In some embodiments, please refer to the following: Figure 9 The lifting mechanism 5 also includes a lifting bracket 52, which is welded to the base 51.

[0059] In some embodiments, the drive assembly 53 includes a motor 531, a drive gear 532, a driven gear 533, and a worm gear 536. The motor 531 is fixed to the fixing mechanism 1. The drive gear 532 is disposed on the output shaft of the motor 531. The driven gear 533 is disposed on the fixing mechanism 1 and meshes with the drive gear 532. The worm gear 536 is slidably disposed on the fixing mechanism 1. One end of the worm gear 536 meshes with the driven gear 533, and the other end of the worm gear 536 is fixed to the base 51. When the drive assembly 53 operates, the motor 531 drives the drive gear 532 to rotate, which in turn drives the driven gear 533 to rotate, which in turn drives the worm gear 536 to slide, which in turn drives the base 51 to slide. In some embodiments, the other end of the worm gear 536 is fixed to the lifting bracket 52 by screws. The worm gear 536 can drive the lifting bracket 52 to slide, which in turn drives the base 51 to slide. In some embodiments, the motor 531 is embedded in the base 11, which helps to improve the stability of the motor 531; the motor 531 is fixed to the base 11 with screws, which helps to improve the convenience of installing and removing the motor 531.

[0060] In some embodiments, the drive assembly 53 further includes a flat key, a driven gear seat 534, a bearing 535, a worm gear retaining sleeve 537, and a limiting flat key. The driving gear 532 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 531 via the flat key. The driven gear seat 534 is fixed to the plate base 12 by screws. The driven gear 533 is fixed to the driven gear seat 534 via the bearing 535. The worm gear retaining sleeve 537 is fixed to the sleeve 13 by screws. The other end of the worm 536 passes through the worm gear retaining sleeve 537 and is fixed to the lifting bracket 52. The worm 536 is connected to the worm gear retaining sleeve 537 via the limiting flat key. The worm 536 can slide relative to the worm gear retaining sleeve 537, and the worm gear retaining sleeve 537 can restrict the rotation of the worm 536.

[0061] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4The sensor cleaning device 100 also includes a control board 6, which is electrically connected to the optical sensor 2, the liquid pump, the air pump, and the motor 531. The control board 6 can receive electrical signals from the intelligent driving controller and the optical sensor 2. The control board 6 can control the on / off state and power of the liquid pump, thereby regulating whether the spray nozzle 311 sprays liquid and the flow rate of the sprayed liquid. The control board 6 can control the on / off state and power of the air pump, thereby regulating whether the air outlet 411 sprays air and the flow rate of the sprayed air. The control board 6 can control the on / off state and rotation direction of the motor 531, thereby controlling the sliding of the base 51 and the relative position of the spray nozzle 311 and the air outlet 411 with respect to the optical sensor 2. In some embodiments, the control board 6 is disposed on the upper surface of the liquid box 32 and the air box 42, and the control board 6 is fixed to the base 11 by screws. In some embodiments, the sensor cleaning device 100 also includes a power cord, which is connected to the optical sensor 2, the liquid pump, the air pump, the motor 531, and the control board 6, and the power cord passes through the fourth encapsulation plate 17.

[0062] In some embodiments, the control board 6 can be an automotive-grade microcontroller. The control board 6 can communicate with the intelligent driving controller via the vehicle bus (CAN / vehicle Ethernet) and receive control commands from the intelligent driving controller. After the control commands are parsed by the control board 6, the behavior of the liquid injection mechanism 3, the air outlet mechanism 4, and the lifting mechanism 5 is controlled; and the status query results are fed back to the intelligent driving controller. For example, the control board 6 can issue control commands to the liquid injection mechanism 3 to turn the liquid injection mechanism 3 on or off and control the liquid flow rate of the liquid injection mechanism 3; the control board 6 can issue control commands to the air outlet mechanism 4 to turn the air outlet mechanism 4 on or off and control the air outlet speed; the control board 6 can issue control commands to the lifting mechanism 5 to raise or lower the base 51. "Raise" and "lower" here refer to the relative position between the base 51 and the optical sensor 2. When the base 51 is raised, the base 51 can be higher than the top of the optical sensor 2.

[0063] In this embodiment of the invention, the sensor cleaning device 100 sprays liquid onto the surface of the optical sensor 2 via the spray mechanism 3, which helps to clean impurities (rainwater, snow, dust, and dirt) from the surface of the optical sensor 2. The air outlet mechanism 4 sprays air onto the surface of the optical sensor 2, which helps to dry the liquid on the surface of the optical sensor 2, thus facilitating the cleaning of the surface of the optical sensor 2 and improving its sensing capability. The lifting mechanism 5 slides the air outlet 411 to the top of the optical sensor 2, whereby airflow is sprayed onto the top surface of the optical sensor 2, forming a gas protective layer on the surface of the optical sensor 2, which helps to reduce the possibility of impurities adhering to the surface of the optical sensor 2. In rainy, snowy, or dusty weather, the sensor cleaning device 100 can protect the outer surface of the optical system of the optical sensor 2, reducing the probability of raindrops and dirt adhering to the surface of the optical sensor 2. When raindrops or dirt adhere to the surface of the optical sensor 2, the sensor cleaning device 100 can actively clean the surface of the optical sensor 2, removing rainwater or dirt and restoring the normal imaging capability of the automotive optical sensor 2. This reduces the negative impact of dirt on the surface of the optical sensor 2 on the normal driving of the vehicle.

[0064] This utility model also provides a vehicle embodiment, the vehicle including a body and the aforementioned sensor cleaning device 100, the sensor cleaning device 100 being fixed to the body by screws, and the liquid pump and air pump being miniature motor 531 pumps, which are disposed on the body. In some embodiments, the vehicle also includes a windshield washer fluid reservoir disposed on the body, and the liquid pump can draw liquid from the windshield washer fluid reservoir.

[0065] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a logic block diagram of the intelligent driving controller, rain sensor, and sensor cleaning device 100. The vehicle also includes an intelligent driving controller and a rain sensor mounted on the vehicle body. The rain sensor, control board 6, and optical sensor 2 are electrically connected to the intelligent driving controller. The intelligent driving controller includes a vision perception module and a decision module. The intelligent driving controller can acquire image data from the optical sensor 2 and identify the content of the image data through the vision perception module, including identifying the current external weather conditions (rainfall) and the dirt level of the optical sensor 2. The intelligent driving controller can also acquire external environmental rainfall information from the vehicle's rain sensor. After acquiring the above information, the intelligent driving controller uses the decision module to determine whether to initiate cleaning or protection of the optical sensor 2.

[0066] Please refer to the following: Figure 11 , Figure 11 The decision-making logic for cleaning mode and protection mode is shown in the diagram. The decision-making module adopts the following principles:

[0067] (1) When no rainfall information is obtained from the rain sensor on the vehicle body, if the optical sensor 2 is dirty and the imaging quality is reduced, the decision module notifies the control board 6 to start the cleaning mode.

[0068] (2) When the rain sensor on the vehicle body detects rain information, if the optical sensor 2 is dirty and causes a decrease in imaging quality, the decision module will notify the control board 6 to start the cleaning mode.

[0069] (3) When the rain sensor on the vehicle body detects rain information, if the optical sensor 2 is dirty and the imaging quality does not drop below the threshold, the decision module notifies the control board 6 to activate the protection mode.

[0070] Please refer to the following: Figure 12 , Figure 12 The diagram illustrates the logic of the cleaning mode. In cleaning mode, the base 51 remains fixed. Under the control of the control board 6, the spray mechanism 3 and the air outlet mechanism 4 spray liquid and air onto the optical sensor 2 in a specific sequence. This can be repeated multiple times, but ultimately ends with a burst of air for a certain duration to blow away the cleaning liquid from the surface of the optical sensor 2. When in cleaning mode, the vehicle must exit the intelligent driving mode to prevent erroneous driving behavior caused by the optical sensor 2 failing to image properly during cleaning. Simultaneously, the control board 6 can limit the number of consecutive entries into cleaning mode to prevent repeated cleaning of stubborn dirt.

[0071] Please refer to the following: Figure 13 , Figure 13 The logic diagram for the protection mode is as follows: In the protection mode, the control board 6 obtains the protection mode parameters issued by the intelligent driving controller, and at the same time reads the preset parameters of the optical sensor 2. Based on these parameters, the control base 51 is slid to a specified height so that the air outlet 411 can spray airflow to the top surface of the optical sensor 2, thereby forming a gas protective layer on the surface of the optical sensor 2, which helps to reduce the possibility of impurities adhering to the surface of the optical sensor 2.

[0072] It should be noted that while the preferred embodiments of this utility model are provided in the specification and accompanying drawings, this utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are not intended to impose additional limitations on the content of this utility model; their purpose is to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of this utility model. Furthermore, the above-described technical features can be combined with each other to form various embodiments not listed above, all of which are considered to be within the scope of this utility model specification. Moreover, those skilled in the art can make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sensor cleaning device, characterized by, The sensor cleaning device comprises a fixing mechanism, an optical sensor arranged on the fixing mechanism, a liquid spraying mechanism comprising a liquid pump and a liquid branch pipe, the liquid branch pipe being arranged on the fixing mechanism, one end of the liquid branch pipe being connected to the liquid pump, the other end of the liquid branch pipe being provided with a liquid spraying port corresponding to the optical sensor, the liquid spraying port being used for spraying liquid flow to the optical sensor for cleaning the optical sensor, an air outlet mechanism comprising an air pump and an air branch pipe, the air branch pipe being arranged on the fixing mechanism, one end of the air branch pipe being connected to the air pump, the other end of the air branch pipe being provided with an air outlet port corresponding to the optical sensor, the air outlet port being used for spraying air flow to the optical sensor.

2. The sensor cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the liquid branch pipes is multiple, and the liquid spraying ports of the multiple liquid branch pipes are evenly distributed in a ring shape around the optical sensor.

3. The sensor cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the number of the air branch pipes is multiple, and the air outlet ports of the multiple air branch pipes are evenly distributed in a ring shape around the optical sensor, and the multiple air outlet ports and the multiple liquid spraying ports are alternately distributed around the optical sensor.

4. The sensor cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid spraying mechanism further comprises a liquid box and a liquid main pipe, the liquid box being arranged on the fixing mechanism, the liquid box being provided with a liquid containing cavity, one end of the liquid main pipe being connected to the liquid pump, the other end of the liquid main pipe being connected to the liquid containing cavity, and one end of the liquid branch pipe being connected to the liquid containing cavity.

5. The sensor cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet mechanism further comprises an air box and an air main pipe, the air box being arranged on the fixing mechanism, the air box being provided with an air containing cavity, one end of the air main pipe being connected to the air pump, the other end of the air main pipe being connected to the air containing cavity, and one end of the air branch pipe being connected to the air containing cavity.

6. The sensor cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism comprising a base and a driving assembly, the base being slidingly arranged on the fixing mechanism, the base surrounding the optical sensor, the liquid branch pipe and the air branch pipe being arranged on the base, the driving assembly being arranged on the fixing mechanism, the driving assembly being connected to the base to drive the base to slide, thereby driving the liquid branch pipe and the air branch pipe to move relative to the optical sensor to adjust the relative positions of the liquid spraying port and the air outlet port relative to the optical sensor.

7. The sensor cleaning device according to claim 6, wherein the driving assembly comprises a motor, a driving gear, a driven gear and a worm, the motor being fixed on the fixing mechanism, the driving gear being arranged on the output shaft of the motor, the driven gear being arranged on the fixing mechanism, the driven gear being engaged with the driving gear, the worm being slidingly arranged on the fixing mechanism, one end of the worm being engaged with the driven gear, and the other end of the worm being fixed on the base. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ When the driving assembly is working, the motor drives the driving gear to rotate, and then drives the driven gear to rotate, and then drives the worm to slide, and then drives the base to slide.

8. The sensor cleaning device of claim 6, wherein, The sensor cleaning device further comprises a control board electrically connected to the optical sensor, the liquid pump, the gas pump and the driving assembly.

9. The sensor cleaning device of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The fixing mechanism comprises a base, a sleeve and a plurality of packaging plates, the sleeve is fixed to the base, the sleeve is provided with a mounting groove, the optical sensor is fixed to the mounting groove, the liquid branch pipe and the gas branch pipe are arranged in the sleeve, and the plurality of packaging plates are arranged on the periphery of the base.

10. A vehicle characterized by comprising: The sensor cleaning device of any one of claims 1-9.

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