Roof module for a motor vehicle, comprising sensor module with housing

Abstract

Roof module for a motor vehicle, in particular for a passenger car, comprising a support structure (20), a roof skin (18) arranged on the support structure (20), and at least one sensor module (24) with at least one environmental sensor (26) for detecting the vehicle's surroundings and with at least one housing (28) for accommodating the environmental sensor (26), which is arranged on the support structure (20). The housing (28) of the sensor module (24) has a construction that collapses or deforms when subjected to defined external forces, so that deformation forces acting from the sensor module (24) on the support structure (20) or another roof module component are reduced. The support structure (20) is formed by a roof frame that represents the interface between the roof module and roof spars, the environmental sensor (26) and its housing (28) being covered by the roof skin (18).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a roof module for a motor vehicle, in particular for a passenger car.

[0002] A roof module is known from DE 10 2018 115 498 A1 and is particularly a component of a passenger car roof. The roof module, which is a separate component, is mounted on roof side members to form a vehicle roof. These side members are part of a vehicle body that forms a vehicle shell. The roof module also includes a sensor module with an environmental sensor for detecting the vehicle's surroundings and a housing for accommodating the environmental sensor. The roof module is a component of an autonomously or semi-autonomously driving motor vehicle.

[0003] From the document US 10,302,744 B1 a motor vehicle is known which has a roof skin onto which a sensor module with a housing is placed.

[0004] In previous motor vehicles or roof modules of the type described above, the sensor module is designed as an attachment that is raised above the roof skin. This makes the sensor module the highest point of the vehicle in question. However, this also results in an appearance that generally does not meet customer requirements.

[0005] In addition, known sensor modules, which can include LiDAR sensors, radar sensors, optical sensors such as cameras, or the like as environmental sensors, have a housing that is made of dimensionally stable metal and is very heavy. This requires additional measures on the roof in question to meet existing safety requirements. For example, it is necessary to integrate additional struts and / or additional sheets to ensure sufficient crash safety and to pass the specified roof impact tests. In an accident situation, it must be prevented that the sensor module is pushed from above into the interior of the vehicle in question, thus endangering vehicle occupants. However, the additional struts and / or additional sheets make the roof as a whole heavy and expensive.

[0006] The invention is based on the object of creating a roof module of the type mentioned in the introduction which meets high requirements with regard to occupant safety.

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention by the roof module having the features of patent claim 1.

[0008] The invention therefore proposes a roof module that, in addition to the conventional elements of a support structure and roof skin, also comprises a sensor module with an environmental sensor and a housing arranged on the support structure. The housing is designed to collapse or deform upon exposure to defined external forces, thereby reducing the deformation forces exerted by the sensor module on the support structure or another roof module component. This design allows the housing to structurally yield in an accident situation, thereby absorbing kinetic energy. This ensures that the kinetic energy is at least not completely transferred to the support structure.In addition, the sensor module can prevent the support structure and / or another roof module component and / or the sensor module itself from being pushed toward the vehicle interior, which would endanger vehicle occupants. In particular, the sensor module housing yields in a defined manner due to its structure, material, and / or design.

[0009] Preferably, the construction of the housing comprises a material weakening area so that the housing breaks and / or is deformed in a defined manner when external forces act on it.

[0010] The environmental sensor of the roof according to the invention can be designed in a variety of ways and, in particular, can comprise a LiDAR sensor, a radar sensor, an optical sensor such as a camera, an antenna system, and / or the like. In principle, the environmental sensor can comprise any sensors that utilize electromagnetic radiation and / or acoustic waves and are suitable for detecting the vehicle's surroundings and / or for communicating with the vehicle's surroundings.

[0011] The roof module according to the invention represents an integrated unit that can be mounted on a vehicle body shell and contains components, via the sensor module, that enable autonomous or semi-autonomous driving of the vehicle in question. The invention thus provides a so-called sensor roof module or roof sensor module (RSM).

[0012] The support structure of the roof module according to the invention is formed by a roof frame, which represents the interface of the roof module to roof beams, which are part of a vehicle body shell or a vehicle body and, for example, laterally delimit the roof module in the assembled state.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the roof module according to the invention, the material weakening area is formed by a predetermined breaking point or a predetermined bending area. When external forces act on the sensor module, the housing breaks or bends in a defined manner. This breaking or bending can at least partially dissipate the kinetic energy.

[0014] The material weakening area is realized, for example, by an area tapered in terms of material thickness, which forms the weakening area and breaks or bends when a defined force is applied.

[0015] It is also conceivable to implement the material weakening zone by using suitable materials for the sensor module's housing. For example, the housing could be made at least partially of plastic, which is provided with at least one predetermined breaking point or a predetermined bending zone. It is also conceivable for the housing to be, at least in part, a thin-walled metal housing, with a sheet metal section of the metal housing forming the defined material weakening zone in the form of a material taper or the like, which is deformed and / or fractured upon exposure to correspondingly defined forces.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, it is conceivable for the material weakening area to be formed by connecting means between two sections of the housing. For example, the connecting means comprise an adhesive bond between the two sections, a rivet connecting the two sections, a screw connection connecting the two sections, a locking connection between the two sections, a weld seam, or a solder seam between the two sections. The connecting means are designed such that they release upon application of a defined force, separating the two connected sections.

[0017] Furthermore, the housing can have structural elements on which the material weakening region is formed. For example, the housing has ribbing that is interrupted or tapered in the material weakening region.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the roof module according to the invention, which meets high optical requirements, the roof skin covers the environment sensor or the sensor module. The sensor module is thus harmoniously integrated into the roof module. It is only necessary that the roof skin also have a sensor see-through area in the form of a window cutout or the like, so that the environment sensor can detect the surroundings of the vehicle through this cutout. The sensor see-through area can be formed integrally with adjacent areas of the roof skin or can be an insert in the roof skin. In both cases, the sensor see-through area must be transparent to the wavelengths used by the environment sensor. If the environment sensor is a LiDAR sensor, it preferably operates in a wavelength range of approximately 905 nm or approximately 1550 nm.A camera used as an environment sensor can operate in the visible light wavelength range or in the infrared range. The sensor's viewing area is then transparent, particularly for these wavelengths, and preferably for a wavelength range between 200 nm and 2000 nm. Transparency of the sensor's viewing area to radar beams is also advantageously implemented.

[0019] A vehicle equipped with the roof module according to the invention and designed as an autonomous vehicle drives independently in an autonomous driving mode, at least without significant driver intervention. In a semi-autonomous driving mode of a motor vehicle designed in another way, the roof module according to the invention forms, for example, part of a driver assistance system.

[0020] In principle, the roof module according to the invention forms an integrated component in which components required for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving of the vehicle in question are accommodated. The roof module, which can have a plurality of functional elements, forms a compact structural unit that can be connected by a vehicle manufacturer to a vehicle body or a vehicle body shell to form the vehicle roof. The roof module comprises roof spars between which the roof module is accommodated and / or on which the roof module is mounted, or other body shell elements for supporting the roof module. It is also conceivable for the roof module to be at least partially a component of a vehicle body shell.

[0021] The roof module according to the invention can be provided with a continuous, solid roof skin or with a roof opening system comprising a cover element by means of which a roof opening in the roof skin can be selectively opened or closed. The roof skin can also form a roof see-through area, representing a transparent, solid roof section.

[0022] The roof skin covers the sensor module.

[0023] In particular, the roof module according to the invention is a component of a passenger car. However, it can also be used in a commercial vehicle, for example, as a delivery van, an autonomous minibus, such as a so-called people mover, or even a truck tractor.

[0024] The invention also relates to a vehicle roof designed for a motor vehicle or forming part of such a vehicle. This vehicle roof comprises a roof skin, a support structure, and at least one sensor module, corresponding to the roof module described above, and can have the same features individually or in any combination, for which reason reference is made to the above explanations regarding the roof module. The vehicle roof can be an integrated component of a vehicle body, meaning that it cannot be mounted or removed separately as a unit.

[0025] The vehicle roof may also comprise a roof module of the type described above, the features of which are implemented individually or in any combination.

[0026] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a roof module of the type described above. The motor vehicle can, in principle, be any road, rail, or water-borne vehicle, but is preferably a passenger car or a commercial vehicle.

[0027] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the invention can be found in the description, the drawings and the patent claims.

[0028] Exemplary embodiments of a vehicle roof module according to the invention are shown schematically in simplified form in the drawing and are explained in more detail in the following description. It shows: Fig. 1 a plan view of a vehicle roof with a roof module according to the invention; Fig. 2 a section through the vehicle roof after Fig. 1 along line II-II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a sensor module of the vehicle roof according to Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 the sensor module Fig. 3 in an accident situation.

[0029] In Fig. 1 shows a motor vehicle 10 configured as a passenger car and having a vehicle roof 12 spanning a vehicle interior. The vehicle roof 12 comprises a roof module 14 arranged between roof side members 16, which are arranged on both sides relative to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof and form the lateral edges of the vehicle roof 12. The roof side members 14 are part of a vehicle body representing a vehicle shell.

[0030] How Fig. 2, the roof module 14 comprises a roof skin 18 and a frame-like support structure 20, which represents a roof substructure and forms an interface between the roof module 14 and the roof side members 16.

[0031] In the roof skin 18, a transparent roof section 22 is formed in a central area through which light can enter a vehicle interior.

[0032] The roof module 14 is designed as a sensor roof module or roof sensor module (RSM) equipped with devices that enable autonomous driving of the respective motor vehicle. For this purpose, the roof module 14 has a sensor system comprising a sensor module 24 in each of the four corner areas of the roof module 14. The sensor module 24 is equipped with environmental sensors 26, which can be used to detect the vehicle's surroundings to implement autonomous driving. The environmental sensors 26 are arranged in a respective housing 28 of the respective sensor module 24, which is arranged on the support structure 20.

[0033] The roof skin 18 overlaps the sensor modules 24 and, in the area of ​​the sensor modules 24, has a side wall 30 each, which forms a sensor viewing area for the respective environmental sensors 26. By evaluating the measurement signals of the environmental sensors 26 by means of a control device of the motor vehicle 10, a respective traffic situation can be determined, so that the motor vehicle 10 can adapt autonomously or automatically to the respective traffic situation and behave accordingly.

[0034] The environmental sensors 26 can be designed in a variety of ways and can include, for example, a LiDAR sensor, a radar sensor, a camera and / or another suitable sensor.

[0035] The side walls 30 of the roof skin 18 are transparent to the wavelengths used by the environmental sensors 26. In particular, the side walls 30 or regions of the side walls are each transparent to wavelengths between 200 nm and 2000 nm and / or to radar radiation.

[0036] The housings 28 of the sensor modules 24 of the roof module 14 each have defined material weakening areas, which are realized by respective predetermined breaking points 32. The predetermined breaking points 32 are formed, for example, in the form of groove-like material tapers in a sheet metal or plastic from which the housings 28 are made. This ensures that, in an accident situation, kinetic energy acting on the respective housing 28 is dissipated by the breaking of the housing 28 in the area of ​​the predetermined breaking points 32 and is not transferred from the housing 28 to the support structure 20, since then there would be a risk that the respective sensor module 24 would partially press the support structure 20 towards the vehicle interior, thereby endangering vehicle occupants. The behavior of the sensor modules 24 in the described accident situation is based on the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 shown. Fig. 3 shows a sensor module 24 in the normal state, i.e. in the operational state. Fig. 4, the sensor housing 28 is destroyed by forces acting along the arrows Z, by breaking in a defined manner at the predetermined breaking points 32.

[0037] The housings 28 of the sensor modules 24 can also have material weakening areas, which are implemented by a predetermined bending area formed on the housing 28 instead of the predetermined breaking points 32, or by connecting means such as an adhesive bond, a rivet, a screw connection, a latch, a weld seam, a solder seam, and / or the like. The connecting means are released upon the application of appropriate forces. List of reference symbols 10 motor vehicle 12 Vehicle roof 14 roof module 16 roof side rail 18 Roof skin 20 Support structure 22 transparent roof section 24 sensor module 26 Environment sensor 28 housings 30 side wall 32 predetermined breaking point

Claims

[1] Roof module for a motor vehicle, in particular for a passenger car, comprising a support structure (20), a roof skin (18) arranged on the support structure (20), and at least one sensor module (24) with at least one environmental sensor (26) for detecting a vehicle's surroundings and with at least one housing (28) for receiving the environmental sensor (26), which is arranged on the support structure (20), wherein the housing (28) of the sensor module (24) has a construction which collapses or deforms upon the action of defined external forces, so that deformation forces acting from the sensor module (24) on the support structure (20) or another roof module component are reduced, wherein the support structure (20) is formed by a roof frame which represents the interface of the roof module to roof spars, wherein the environmental sensor (26) and its housing (28) are covered by the roof skin (18). [2] Roof module according to claim 1, characterized bythat the construction of the housing (28) has a defined material weakening area, so that the housing (28) breaks and / or is deformed in a defined manner when external forces act. [3] Roof module according to claim 2, characterized by that the material weakening area comprises a predetermined breaking point (32) or a predetermined bending area. [4] Roof module according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the material weakening region comprises a taper of a housing wall of the housing (28). [5] Roof module according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized by that the material weakening area comprises connecting means between two sections of the housing (28). [6] Roof module according to claim 5, characterized by that the connecting means comprise an adhesive bond, a rivet, a screw connection, a locking connection, a weld seam, a soldered seam and / or the like. [7] Roof module according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized bythat the housing (28) has structural elements on which the material weakening area is formed. [8] Roof module according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the housing (28) is at least partially made of plastic. [9] Roof module according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that the housing (28) is at least partially a thin-walled metal housing. [10] Vehicle roof for a motor vehicle, in particular for a passenger car, comprising a support structure (20), a roof skin (18) arranged on the support structure (20), and at least one sensor module (24) with at least one environmental sensor (26) for detecting a vehicle's surroundings and with at least one housing (28) for receiving the environmental sensor (26), which is arranged on the support structure (20), wherein the housing (28) of the sensor module (24) has a construction which collapses or deforms upon the action of defined external forces, so that deformation forces acting from the sensor module (24) on the support structure (20) or another roof module component are reduced, wherein the support structure (20) is formed by a roof frame which represents the interface of the roof module to roof spars, wherein the environmental sensor (26) and its housing (28) are covered by the roof skin (18). [11] Motor vehicle comprising a roof module according to one of claims 1 to 9 or a vehicle roof according to claim 10.

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