Vehicle system

Abstract

Vehicle system, comprising: a first vehicle-side sensor having a first cleaning target surface provided at a first portion of a design part forming an appearance of a vehicle, the first portion of the design part comprising a rear bumper of the vehicle, and the first vehicle-side sensor being arranged to face an outside of the vehicle, the first vehicle-side sensor being contained in a housing portion, and a second vehicle-side sensor provided at a second portion of the design part above the first portion and having a second cleaning target surface arranged to face an outside of the vehicle, wherein the first vehicle-side sensor is provided in a recess in the rear bumper of the vehicle, so that the first cleaning target surface is arranged further on an inner side of the vehicle than an immediately upper portion of the rear bumper above the first cleaning target surface, wherein the immediately upper portion is formed by a projection provided on the rear bumper, wherein the projection comprises a flat plate aligned in a substantially perpendicular direction with the first cleaning target surface and at least one side plate extending downwardly along at least one side surface of the first cleaning target surface, wherein the at least one side plate has a width that is uniform along the at least one side surface of the cleaning target surface, and wherein the housing portion containing the first vehicle-side sensor is coupled to a vehicle frame and is physically spaced from the rear bumper of the vehicle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-047868 filed with the Japan Patent Office on March 15, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle system. BACKGROUND

[0003] A headlight cleaner for a vehicle is disclosed, for example, in JP 2016 - 187 990 A. EP 2 871 831 A1 relates to a vehicle with a vehicle-side sensor having a cleaning target surface and facing an outer side of the vehicle, wherein the cleaning target surface is arranged further on an inner side of the vehicle than a portion of the vehicle provided immediately above. Similar arrangements are known from US 2015 / 0 353 024 A1, DE 101 49 337A1, DE 10 2010 041 475 A1, DE 198 50 639 A1, JP 2015 - 105 070 A, WO 2017 / 002 877 A1, WO 2017 / 002 878 A1, DE 10 2017 111 616 A1 and US 2017 / 0 115 480 A1. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In recent years, attempts have been made to develop vehicles that can operate automatically. When implementing automated operation, it is necessary to maintain the good sensitivity of a LiDAR, for example. Therefore, a sensor cleaner is required to clean the LiDAR.

[0005] The present invention is based on the object of providing a vehicle system capable of preventing dirt from adhering to a cleaning target surface of a vehicle-mounted sensor.

[0006] This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments are the subject of the subclaims.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle system capable of preventing dirt from adhering to the first cleaning target surface of the first vehicle-side sensor.

[0008] Further, in the vehicle system of the present disclosure, the immediately upper portion may be formed by a projection provided on the design part or on the first vehicle-side sensor.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily prevent dirt from adhering to the first cleaning target surface of the first vehicle-side sensor.

[0010] Further, in the vehicle system of the present disclosure, the protrusion may be provided detachably with respect to the design part or the first vehicle-side sensor.

[0011] The degree of dirt adhesion to the first cleaning target surface varies depending on the mounting position of the on-board sensor on the vehicle. For example, an on-board sensor mounted on the underside of the vehicle is susceptible to contamination from the splashing or rolling up of muddy water during driving. According to the configuration described above, the design characteristic of the vehicle may not be significantly affected because the protrusion can be provided as needed according to the mounting position of the on-board sensor.

[0012] In addition, the vehicle system of the present disclosure further includes: a first cleaner (or cleaning device) having a nozzle that sprays a cleaning medium onto the first cleaning target surface, and the immediately upper portion may be formed of a protrusion provided on the design part or the first vehicle-side sensor.

[0013] According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent dirt from adhering to the first vehicle-side sensor by the protrusion provided on the first cleaner that cleans the first vehicle-side sensor, while it is possible to clean the first vehicle-side sensor by the first cleaner when dirt adheres.

[0014] Further, in the vehicle system of the present disclosure, the protrusion may be formed to extend along an upper edge of the first cleaning target surface and to have a width in a left and right direction that is larger than a width in a left and right direction of the first cleaning target surface.

[0015] According to this configuration, it is possible to easily prevent dirt from adhering to the first cleaning target surface.

[0016] Furthermore, in the vehicle system of the present disclosure, the protrusion may be formed to extend along both side surfaces of the first cleaning target surface.

[0017] According to this configuration, it is possible to easily prevent dirt from adhering to the first cleaning target surface.

[0018] In addition, the vehicle system of the present disclosure further includes: a second vehicle-side sensor provided at the upper portion of the first vehicle-side sensor of the design part and having a second cleaning target surface to be arranged to face the outside of the vehicle; and a second cleaner having a nozzle that sprays a cleaning medium onto the second cleaning target surface.

[0019] Even if the cleaning medium sprayed from the second cleaner flows toward the first vehicle-side sensor provided below the second vehicle-side sensor, it is possible to prevent the first vehicle-side sensor from being contaminated by the cleaning medium sprayed from the second cleaner because the first vehicle-side sensor is disposed further toward (or toward) the inside of the vehicle than the immediately upper portion.

[0020] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle system capable of preventing dirt from adhering to the first cleaning target surface of the first vehicle-side sensor.

[0021] The foregoing summary is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, other aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent from the drawings and the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a rear view of a vehicle having a vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a side view of a rear portion of the Fig. 1 shown vehicle. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 is a view showing an example of a projection provided on a design part. Fig. 5 is a view showing a modification of the Fig. 4 represents the projection shown. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating a protrusion provided in a vehicle-side sensor. Fig. 7 is a view showing an example in which no projection is provided. Fig. 8 is a view illustrating a projection provided in a cleaner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not to be considered limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein.

[0023] An example of a vehicle system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this example, for convenience of explanation, the terms “left and right direction,” “front and rear direction,” and “up and down direction” (or “upper and lower direction”) refer to the relative directions applicable to a vehicle V traveling in Fig. 1 is shown.

[0024] Fig. 1 is a rear view of the vehicle V on which a vehicle system 1 of the present embodiment is mounted. Further, Fig. 2 a side view in which the Fig. 1, the rear portion of the vehicle V is viewed from the right. The vehicle V is a vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic operation mode in which the driving control of the vehicle is performed automatically. The vehicle system 1 is a system required for the vehicle V to perform the automatic operation mode.

[0025] As in the Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle system 1 includes on-board sensors 2 (2A, 2B) provided in a design part that forms the appearance of the vehicle V. The on-board sensor 2 is a sensor capable of acquiring external information of the own vehicle and is composed of at least one of, for example, a LiDAR, a camera, and a radar. The on-board sensor in this example is a LiDAR (an example of a first on-board sensor), and the on-board sensor is a camera (an example of a second on-board sensor).

[0026] The camera 2B is arranged above the LiDAR 2A. In this example, the LiDAR 2A is provided, for example, in a rear bumper 110, which is a design part of the vehicle V. Further, the camera 2B is provided, for example, in a vehicle body panel 120 of a rear door, which is a design part of the vehicle V. The LiDAR 2A has a light receiving / emitting surface 20A (an example of a first cleaning target surface). In addition, the camera 2B has a lens 20B (an example of a second cleaning target surface). The LiDAR 2A and the camera 2B are provided in a state where the light receiving / emitting surface 20A and the lens 20B are exposed toward the rear of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle.

[0027] The LiDAR 2A detects external information, including the environment surrounding the vehicle V (e.g., other vehicles, pedestrians, road shapes, traffic signs, and obstacles). The term "LiDAR" is an abbreviation for "Light Detection and Ranging" or "Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging." In general, a LiDAR is a sensor that emits invisible light in front of a light-incident / light-emitting surface and detects information such as the distance to an object, the object's shape, the object's material, and the object's color based on the outgoing and returning light.

[0028] Camera 2B is a camera that captures an image near the rear of vehicle V and is operational, for example, when the vehicle V's gear is shifted into reverse. Camera 2B includes image capture elements such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) and a complementary MOS (CMOS). Camera 2B is a visible light camera or an infrared camera that captures infrared rays.

[0029] Furthermore, when a radar is used as a vehicle-mounted sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a microwave radar, or a laser radar can be used.

[0030] Furthermore, the LiDAR 2A and the camera 2B are not limited to those provided in the rear portion of the vehicle V and may be provided, for example, in the front portion or in the side portion of the vehicle V.

[0031] Furthermore, the vehicle system 1 may include a LiDAR cleaner 10A that cleans the LiDAR 2A (an example of a first cleaner) and a camera cleaner 10B that cleans the camera 2B (an example of a second cleaner). The LiDAR cleaner 10A includes a nozzle 11A capable of spraying a cleaning medium toward the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A. The LiDAR cleaner 10A includes a drive unit 12A, and a power supply terminal of the drive unit 12A is connected to a power supply line of the vehicle V. The camera cleaner 10B includes a nozzle 11B capable of spraying a cleaning medium toward the lens 20B of the camera 2B. The camera cleaner 10B includes a drive unit 12B, and a power supply terminal of the drive unit 12B is connected to a power supply line of the vehicle V. The LiDAR cleaner 10A and the camera cleaner 10B have the same configuration.

[0032] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle system 1. As in Fig. 3, the LiDAR 2A of the vehicle system 1 is provided in a recess 111 in a rear bumper 110. The LiDAR 2A is provided in a vehicle body (frame) 100 of the vehicle V via an aiming mechanism 30. The aiming mechanism 30 is a mechanism capable of adjusting the mounting angle of the LiDAR 2A with respect to the vehicle V and includes two screws 31a and 31b for angle adjustment and a target plate 32 provided in these two screws 31a and 31b. Furthermore, in the Fig. In the example shown in Figure 3, the illustration of the LiDAR cleaner 10A cleaning the LiDAR 2A has been omitted.

[0033] In the LiDAR 2A, a housing portion 21 of the LiDAR 2A is fixed to the target plate 32. The LiDAR 2A fixed to the target plate 32 is arranged such that a part of the LiDAR 2A is inserted into an insertion hole 111a formed in the recess 111, and a part of the inserted LiDAR 2A is arranged within the recess 111. At the distal end portion of the LiDAR 2A arranged in the recess 111, a light receiving / emitting surface 20A is provided, which is arranged to face the outside of the vehicle (in this example, the rear outside of the vehicle V).

[0034] The LiDAR 2A is provided with a protrusion 4 that prevents dirt from adhering to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A. The protrusion 4 is provided on the rear bumper 110, which is located on the upper side of the LiDAR 2A. The protrusion 4 is provided so as to extend toward the rear of the vehicle V. The protrusion 4 is provided at the entrance of the recess 111 formed in the rear bumper 110 (in the rear direction of the vehicle V). Further, the protrusion 4 is provided at a position above the LiDAR 2A, at the entrance of the recess 111. In this example, the protrusion 4 provided in the rear bumper 110 is a member of the immediately upper portion of the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A. The protrusion 4 is detachably attached to the rear bumper 110.

[0035] The light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A is arranged further inside (or further toward the inside) of the vehicle than a rear end 4a of the protrusion 4 of the immediately upper portion (front direction with respect to the vehicle V).

[0036] Fig. 4 is a view illustrating an example of the protrusion 4 provided in the rear bumper 110, in which the LiDAR 2A and the protrusion 4 are observed from the rear of the vehicle V.

[0037] As in Fig. 4, the protrusion 4 is provided to extend at least along the upper edge of the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A. A width W1 of the protrusion 4 in the left and right direction is formed to be larger than a width W2 in the left and right direction of the light receiving / emitting surface 20A. The protrusion 4 is formed, for example, from a flat plate-shaped member. As shown in Fig. 3, the rear end 4a of the projection 4 protrudes further in the rear direction than the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A.

[0038] According to the vehicle system 1 having the above-described configuration, the protrusion 4 provided in the rear bumper 110 is a member provided directly above the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A, and the protrusion 4 thereof is provided to be located further to the outside (or further toward the outside) of the vehicle than the light receiving / emitting surface 20A (rear direction with respect to the vehicle V). Therefore, by the protrusion 4, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as water droplets, mud, and dust from flowing toward the light receiving / emitting surface 20A and to suppress the adhesion of dirt to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A.

[0039] Specifically, when a cleaning liquid (an example of a cleaning medium) is sprayed from the camera cleaner 10B to clean the camera 2B provided above the LiDAR 2A, the cleaning liquid including the dirt removed by the camera 2B and the dirt adhering to the vehicle body part flows downward. Therefore, the LiDAR 2A may be contaminated by the cleaning liquid. However, according to the vehicle system 1 having the above-described configuration, since the protrusion 4 provided in the rear bumper 110 can prevent the cleaning liquid sprayed from the camera cleaner 10B from flowing downward, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dirt to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A even when the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the camera cleaner 10B.

[0040] The degree of adhesion of dirt to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A changes according to the position of the LiDAR 2A provided in the vehicle V. For example, in the case of a LiDAR mounted on the lower portion of the vehicle V, dirt tends to adhere to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A due to the splashing of muddy water during driving. When the LiDAR is mounted on the upper portion of the vehicle V, less muddy water is splashed than in the lower portion. Therefore, by detachably providing the protrusion 4, it is possible to mount the protrusion 4 as needed according to the mounting position of the LiDAR 2A, so that the design characteristic of the vehicle V is not greatly affected.

[0041] Furthermore, since the protrusion 4 is formed larger than the width in the left and right directions of the light receiving / emitting surface 20A, it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dirt to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A.

[0042] Furthermore, since the protrusion 4 is provided directly above the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A, even when the cleaning medium is sprayed from the camera cleaner 10B to clean the camera 2B arranged at the upper portion of the LiDAR 2A and flows downward, it is possible to prevent the cleaning medium from adhering to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A by the protrusion 4.

[0043] Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a protrusion provided in the rear bumper 110 according to a first modification.

[0044] As in Fig. 5, a protrusion 4A of the first modification is formed to have protruding portions 4c and 4d extending from both end portions of the protruding portion 4b extending along the upper edge of the light-receiving / emitting surface 20A and further extending along both side surfaces of the light-receiving / emitting surface 20A. The rear end 4a of the protruding portions 4b to 4d protrudes rearward further than the light-receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A. According to this configuration, since the protrusion 4A is also formed along both side surfaces of the light-receiving / emitting surface 20A, it is possible to further suppress the adhesion of dirt to the light-receiving / emitting surface 20A.

[0045] Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the configuration of a vehicle system 1A according to a second modification.

[0046] As in Fig. 6, in the vehicle system 1A of the second modification, the protrusion 41 is provided in the housing portion 21 of the LiDAR 2A. The protrusion 41 is provided so as to extend rearward of the vehicle V at the rear end portion of the upper edge of the housing portion 21. In this example, the protrusion 41 provided in the housing portion 21 is a member of the immediately upper portion of the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A. The protrusion 41 is detachably provided on the rear bumper 110. The shape of the protrusion 41 may be the same as the shape of the protrusion shown in Fig. 4 or Fig. 5 is shown.

[0047] The light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A is arranged further inside the vehicle than a rear end 4a of the protrusion 41 of the immediately upper portion (front direction with respect to the vehicle V).

[0048] Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same components of the Fig. 3, the description of which is omitted.

[0049] According to such a configuration, the protrusion 41 provided in the LiDAR 2A is a member disposed directly above the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A, and the protrusion 41 is provided to be located on the outside of the vehicle (rear direction with respect to the vehicle V). Therefore, in the case of a protrusion 4 provided in the rear bumper 110, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dirt to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A.

[0050] Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the configuration of a vehicle system 1B according to a third modification.

[0051] As in Fig. 7, in the vehicle system 1B according to the third modification, the rear bumper 110 disposed on the upper side of the LiDAR 2A is a member of the immediately upper portion of the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A. The light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A is disposed further inside the vehicle than a rear end 110a of the rear bumper 110 of the immediately upper portion (front direction with respect to the vehicle V).

[0052] Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same components of the Fig. 3, the description of which is omitted.

[0053] According to such a configuration, the rear bumper 110 disposed directly above the LiDAR 2A can suppress the adhesion of dirt to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A in the same manner as the protrusion 4 described above.

[0054] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle system 1C according to a fourth modification.

[0055] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 8, in the vehicle system 1A of the fourth modification, the LiDAR cleaner 10A is provided in the upper portion of the LiDAR 2A. The LiDAR cleaner 10A includes a nozzle 11A that sprays a cleaning medium, a tank 12a and a pump 12b that supplies the cleaning medium, a hose 13 that connects the nozzle 11A and the pump 12b, and a support member 15 that supports the nozzle 11A.

[0056] The nozzle 11A is provided in the support member 15 and arranged diagonally in front of and above the LiDAR 2A. The support member 15 is provided in the target plate 32 of the targeting mechanism 30. When the LiDAR cleaner 10A is in operation, that is, in a state where the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A is cleaned, the nozzle 11A is arranged at a position protruding further toward the outside of the vehicle than the light receiving / emitting surface 20A (rear direction with respect to the vehicle V). Further, the direction of the nozzle 11A is set so that the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle 11A is incident at an acute angle θ (e.g., θ = 5° to 30°) with respect to the light receiving / emitting surface 20A. The hose 13 is provided in the support part 15 by a retaining part 14, such as a band or a clamp.A lower wall 111b of the recess 111 of the rear bumper 110 is provided with an outlet opening 111c which releases the cleaning medium after cleaning the light receiving / emitting surface 20A.

[0057] The protrusion 42 of the fourth modification is provided on the support part 15 of the LiDAR cleaner 10A. The protrusion 42 is provided so as to extend rearward of the vehicle V at the rear end portion of the support part 15. In this example, the protrusion 42 provided in the support part 15 is a member of the immediately upper portion of the light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A. The protrusion 42 is detachably provided on the support part 15. The shape of the protrusion 42 may be the same as the shape of the protrusion shown in Fig. 4 or Fig. 5 is shown.

[0058] The light receiving / emitting surface 20A of the LiDAR 2A is arranged further inside the vehicle than the rear end 42a of the protrusion 42 of the immediately upper portion (front direction with respect to the vehicle V).

[0059] Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same components of the Fig. 3, the description of which is omitted.

[0060] According to such a configuration, when dirt adheres to the LiDAR 2A, it can be cleaned by the LiDAR cleaner 10A, while the protrusion 42 provided in the LiDAR cleaner 10A that cleans the LiDAR 2A prevents dirt from adhering to the LiDAR 2A.

[0061] Furthermore, although not shown, the camera 2B of the vehicle system 1 may have the same configuration as the LiDAR 2A described above. That is, the camera 2B is provided in a recess formed in the vehicle body part 120 of the rear door, and, in the same manner as the LiDAR 2A, may have a configuration in which the lens 20B of the camera 2B is arranged further toward the inside of the vehicle than the immediately upper portion.

[0062] From the foregoing, it should be understood that various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for illustrative purposes, and that various changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with a true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

[1] Vehicle system, comprising: a first vehicle-side sensor having a first cleaning target surface provided at a first portion of a design part forming an appearance of a vehicle, the first portion of the design part comprising a rear bumper of the vehicle, and the first vehicle-side sensor being arranged to face an outside of the vehicle, the first vehicle-side sensor being contained in a housing portion, and a second vehicle-side sensor provided at a second portion of the design part above the first portion and having a second cleaning target surface arranged to face an outside of the vehicle, wherein the first vehicle-side sensor is provided in a recess in the rear bumper of the vehicle, so that the first cleaning target surface is arranged further on an inner side of the vehicle than an immediately upper portion of the rear bumper above the first cleaning target surface, wherein the immediately upper portion is formed by a projection provided on the rear bumper, wherein the projection comprises a flat plate aligned in a substantially perpendicular direction with the first cleaning target surface and at least one side plate extending downwardly along at least one side surface of the first cleaning target surface, wherein the at least one side plate has a width that is uniform along the at least one side surface of the cleaning target surface, and wherein the housing portion containing the first vehicle-side sensor is coupled to a vehicle frame and is physically spaced from the rear bumper of the vehicle. [2] The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the projection is provided on the design part or the first vehicle-side sensor. [3] The vehicle system according to claim 2, wherein the projection is provided detachably with respect to the design part or the first vehicle-side sensor. [4] The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising: a first cleaner having a nozzle that sprays a cleaning medium onto the first cleaning target surface, wherein the projection is provided on the first cleaner. [5] The vehicle system according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion extends along an upper edge of the first cleaning target surface and has a width in a left and right direction that is greater than a width in a left and right direction of the first cleaning target surface. [6] The vehicle system according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion extends along an upper edge of the first cleaning target surface and has a width in a left and right direction that is greater than a width in a left and right direction of the first cleaning target surface. [7] The vehicle system according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion extends along an upper edge of the first cleaning target surface and has a width in a left and right direction that is greater than a width in a left and right direction of the first cleaning target surface. [8] The vehicle system according to claim 5, wherein the projection is further configured to extend along both side surfaces of the first cleaning target surface. [9] The vehicle system according to claim 6, wherein the projection is further configured to extend along both side surfaces of the first cleaning target surface. [10] The vehicle system according to claim 7, wherein the projection is further configured to extend along both side surfaces of the first cleaning target surface. [11] The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising: a second cleaner with a nozzle that sprays a cleaning medium onto the second cleaning target surface.

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