LOCKING MECHANISM OF A VEHICLE SENSOR UNIT

Abstract

A locking mechanism (500) for a sensor unit (100) of a vehicle is disclosed. The sensor unit comprises a mounting plate (200) and a cover plate (300). The locking mechanism comprises at least one first locking element (220) provided on the mounting plate and at least one second locking element (320) provided on the cover plate. The first locking element is defined by a first receiving section (222) and a second receiving section (224). The first receiving section extends longitudinally along the mounting plate, and the second receiving section extends transversely relative to the mounting plate. The second locking element is provided on the cover plate and is configured to receive the first receiving section and the second receiving section to lock the cover plate to the mounting plate.The locking mechanism provides a robust attachment of the cover plate to the mounting plate to withstand impacts and accidents.

Description

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of automobiles. In particular, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a locking mechanism of a sensor unit of a vehicle. The increasing technological advancements in vehicle safety are primarily ensured by monitoring and observing various physical objects in the vehicle's surroundings and in its path of travel. Numerous types of sensors, such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors, proximity sensors, antennas, and imaging devices like cameras, are mounted on the vehicle's roof and windshield to provide an unobstructed view of the road ahead. These sensors assist in the vehicle's operation. When these sensors are mounted within the vehicle's passenger compartment, they must be securely fastened to prevent them from becoming dislodged in the event of an accident or severe impact. In an accident, it is dangerous if the sensors or their mounting plates detach from the windshield or headliner and fly around the passenger compartment at high speed, as this can potentially injure the vehicle's occupants. Such displacement of the sensors or their mounting plates inside the vehicle during an accident can lead to injuries and damage of an uncertain extent to both the occupants and the driver. There is already prior art that discloses the mechanisms / arrangements for attaching various sensors to the windshield or roof lining of a vehicle. For example, patent publication No. DE102024000332A1 ['332] discloses the attachment / fastening of sensors to a base / mounting plate. However, such arrangements may still not be robust enough and may not provide an additional barrier or protective layer to prevent movement of the sensors at high speed in the event of a vehicle accident. Therefore, '332, with its various aspects, features, and mechanisms, may still not solve one or more of the problems mentioned here. The present disclosure aims to overcome one or more of the aforementioned limitations or other such limitations related to the prior art. The information disclosed in this section of the background disclosure of the present disclosure serves only to provide a better understanding of the general background of the invention and is not to be construed as confirmation or in any way as an indication that this information constitutes prior art already known to persons skilled in the art. One or more disadvantages of conventional systems are overcome, and the mechanism claimed in the present disclosure provides additional advantages. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered part of the claimed / present disclosure. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a locking mechanism for a vehicle sensor unit is disclosed. The sensor unit comprises a mounting plate and a cover plate. The locking mechanism comprises at least one first locking element and at least one second locking element. The at least one first locking element is provided on the mounting plate. The mounting plate accommodates a plurality of sensors. Each of the at least one first locking element is defined by a first receiving section and a second receiving section. The first receiving section extends longitudinally along the mounting plate, and the second receiving section extends transversely relative to the mounting plate.The at least one second locking element is provided on the cover plate and configured to be received in the first receiving section and the second receiving section in order to lock the cover plate to the mounting plate. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, both the cover plate and the at least one second locking element have coaxially aligned holes to accommodate a key with which the cover plate can be unlocked from the mounting plate. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second locking element has at least one support leg. The at least one support leg extends transversely relative to the cover plate and is defined by an opening for receiving the key. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the key is defined as a longitudinal structure with a circular, square, elliptical or polygonal cross-sectional area. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one second locking element comprises a first leg that extends transversely relative to the cover plate and is configured to be attached to the first receiving section. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one second locking element comprises a second leg that extends transversely relative to the cover plate and is configured to be attached to the second receiving section. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second leg is defined by a groove. The groove is aligned coaxially with the holes to receive the key. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer surface of the first locking element is defined by a toothed profile. The toothed profile comprises several projections spaced at equal intervals from one another. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one support leg is a triangular cross-sectional structure and an edge of the support leg is configured such that it can be positioned between two adjacent projections of the toothed profile. The foregoing summary serves only for illustration. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become clear with reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. Fig. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a first locking element of a locking mechanism of the sensor unit from Fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a second locking element of a locking mechanism of the sensor unit from Fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Fig.Figure 5 illustrates a front sectional view of the locking mechanism from Fig. 4 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The figures show embodiments of the disclosure solely for illustrative purposes. A person skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the device shown herein can be used without deviating from the principles of the disclosure described herein. Although the embodiments of the disclosure are subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the figures and are described below. It is understood, however, that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific form disclosed, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the disclosure. The drawings show only those specific details relevant to understanding the embodiments of this disclosure, so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that would be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art using this description. Furthermore, the mechanism of this disclosure can be used in any frame structures or locking units that are locked, or in body frames of any type of vehicle, including commercial vehicles, passenger cars, and the like. However, for the sake of simplicity, neither the vehicle nor the complete vehicle frame of the vehicle is shown in the drawings of the disclosure. The terms “includes… a,” “comprehensive,” or any other variants thereof used in the disclosure are intended to cover inclusions, such that an arrangement comprising a list of components may include not only those components but also other components not expressly listed or belonging to such a mechanism. In other words, one or more elements in a mechanism preceded by “includes… a” do not, without further limitations, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the arrangement or device. Embodiments of the present disclosure reveal a locking mechanism for a sensor unit. The sensor unit of the present disclosure locks a cover plate to a mounting plate to prevent sensors from being displaced or ejected from the sensor unit housed on the mounting plate into the passenger compartment of a vehicle if the vehicle experiences an impact or a collision involving severe vibration. Locking elements are arranged on the cover plate and the mounting plate, which are locked and unlocked together by external manual action. In the following paragraphs, the present disclosure is described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 to 5. In the figures, identical elements or elements with similar functions are identified by the same reference numerals. By general reference to the drawings, a locking mechanism of a sensor unit of a vehicle according to the findings of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated and is generally identified in the corresponding figures by reference numeral 500. In the figures, the sensor unit with the locking mechanism is shown and identified by reference numeral 100. Other features and / or elements of the locking mechanism (500) of the vehicle are shown in the corresponding figures with the respective reference numerals [see list of reference numerals] and are used below according to the respective features.It is understood that the findings of the present disclosure are not limited to a specific vehicle. The following detailed description is merely exemplary and is not intended to restrict application and use. It is also understood that the language and terminology used herein serve descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. Unless otherwise stated or limited, the terms "received," "attached," "connected," "supported," and "coupled," as well as variations thereof, are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect attachments, connections, supports, and couplings. Furthermore, "connected" and "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.It is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific devices, methods, applications, conditions, or parameters described and / or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein serves to describe certain embodiments by way of example and is not intended to limit the claimed invention. Various embodiments are described below. For the purpose of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments. However, it is also apparent to a person skilled in the art that the embodiments can be realized without the specific details. Furthermore, known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the described embodiment. The locking mechanism (500) is explained in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. It should be noted that in the present disclosure various expressions such as “at least”, “a multitude of” and “one or more” may be used as prefixes before mentioning a feature of the locking mechanism (500). Such use of terms is found in the present disclosure to indicate, but is not limited to, the extent of the quantity or number of occurrences of the feature(s) for optimal function and configuration of the locking mechanism. With reference to Fig. 1, various components of a sensor unit (100) are shown, configured to be interlocked. The sensor unit (100) of the present disclosure can refer to two different components that securely accommodate multiple sensors and can be attached to or coupled with a section of a vehicle (not explicitly shown). Such sections can preferably be the windshield or the roof lining of the vehicle. The sensor unit (100) can have the function of storing / attaching / fastening multiple sensors to a mounting plate (200). In one embodiment, the mounting plate (200) can have various openings and slots for accommodating multiple sensors (not explicitly shown), such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors, antennas, and image acquisition devices such as cameras.In a preferred embodiment, the sensors and cameras can be coupled to the mounting plate (200) via one of the mechanical fastening techniques and thermal connection techniques. After the sensors have been attached / received / fastened to the mounting plate (200), the mounting plate (200) can be adapted so that a cover element can be locked to it to prevent deposits and the interaction of foreign particles with the sensors. The cover element in the present disclosure can be referred to as a cover plate (300). As already mentioned, the mounting plate (200) can be configured to receive the cover plate (300) and lock / fasten it to itself. For the same purpose, the present disclosure discloses a first locking element (220) provided on the mounting plate (200). The cover plate (300) can be provided with a second locking element (320). The second locking element (320) can be configured to be received in the aforementioned first locking element (220) in order to lock the cover plate (300) to the mounting plate (200). Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the first locking element (220) of the mounting plate (200). The first locking element (220) of the present disclosure can be understood as an element that, in a preferred embodiment, is an integral part of the mounting plate (200). The first locking element (220) can have an outer surface defined by a toothed profile (220s). The toothed profile (220s) can have the technical advantage of retaining elements of the second locking element (320). This can be attributed to the presence of several projections of the toothed profile (220s) that can extend transversely relative to the mounting plate (200). The several projections of the toothed profile (220s) can be spaced at equal intervals from one another, which provides a transverse guide path between each of the projections. The first locking element (220) can comprise a first receiving section (222) and a second receiving section (224). The first receiving section (222) and the second receiving section (224) can differ in their orientation and in the portion that can engage with elements of the second locking element (320). The first receiving section (222) can extend longitudinally (Ln) along the mounting plate (200). The second receiving section (224), on the other hand, can extend transversely (Tr) relative to the mounting plate (200). Both receiving sections (222, 224) of the mounting plate (200) can be configured to receive elements of the second locking element (320) that can engage with or form contact surfaces with a portion of the receiving sections (222, 224) in order to be locked within the first locking element (220). Various locking elements of the second locking element (320) are shown in Fig. 3. The second locking element (320) can comprise at least one support leg (321a, 321b). The support leg (321a, 321b) can extend transversely (Tr) relative to the cover plate (300). The support leg (321a, 321b) preferably has a triangular cross-sectional area. This can mean that the support leg (321a, 321b) can have three edges. The triangular cross-sectional area of ​​the support leg (321a, 321b) can offer a technical advantage due to the positioning of one edge (321ai) of the support leg (321a, 321b) between the two aforementioned adjacent projections of the toothed profile (220s). This can establish a line contact or surface contact that supports the unidirectional insertion of the second locking element (320) into the first locking element (220). It should be noted that the locking adjustability of the cover plate (300) over the mounting plate (200) may be facilitated by the presence of the second locking element (320), which can be locked to the first locking element (220) of the mounting plate (200). The unlocking adjustability of the cover plate (300) from the mounting plate (200) may be facilitated by the use of an external key (400). The cover plate (300) and the second locking element (320) may each have coaxially aligned holes (300a, 320a) [best seen in Fig. 5] to receive the key (400) and unlock the cover plate (300) from the mounting plate (200). One of the holes (300a) may be formed on the cover plate (300) itself, while another hole (320a) may be referred to as an opening (320a).The opening (320a) can be formed on the at least one support leg (321a, 321b) to accommodate the key (400). The key (400) [best illustrated in Fig. 5] can be understood as a longitudinal structure with a circular, square, elliptical, or polygonal cross-sectional area. The key (400) can be used by an operator / user to unlock the cover plate (300) from the mounting plate (200). Fig. 4 illustrates a phase in which the cover plate (300) can be fully locked to the mounting plate (200). In this state, the second locking element (320) of the cover plate (300) can be fully received into and secured within the first locking element (220) of the mounting plate (200). The cover plate (300) and the mounting plate (200) of this disclosure can be configured such that they can be moved closer together for locking and unlocking. Locking the cover plate (300) to the mounting plate (200) is achieved by attaching the aforementioned locking elements of the second locking element (320) to the first locking element (220). The following paragraphs explain in detail various aspects of the engagement between the locking elements / legs of the second locking element (320) and the first locking element (220) with reference to Fig. 5. The support legs (321a, 321b) can be advantageous in that they provide directional guidance for the cover plate (300) to effectively insert the second locking element (320) into the first locking element (220) of the mounting plate (200). The at least one support leg (321a, 321b) can be configured to slide and establish line contact or surface contact with the toothed profile (220s) of the first locking element (220) from both sides of the first locking element (220) via the aforementioned edge (321ai). The aforementioned receiving sections (222, 224) of the first locking element (220) can be defined as projecting structures. The receiving sections (222, 224) can facilitate the attachment of corresponding locking elements / features of the second locking element (320). The second locking element (320) can comprise a first leg (322) and a second leg (324). The first leg (322) and the second leg (324) can each extend transversely (Tr) relative to the cover plate (300) of the sensor unit (100). The first leg (322) can be configured to attach to the first receiving section (222) of the first locking element (220). The second leg (324), on the other hand, can be configured to attach to the second receiving section (224) of the first locking element (220). In a functional embodiment, as previously mentioned, unlocking the cover plate (300) from the mounting plate (200) can be facilitated by using the key (400). The key (400) can be inserted from the outside. The key (400) can pass through the aforementioned holes (300a, 320a) to extend into a groove (324a) of the second leg (324) and be received therein. The groove (324a) can be aligned coaxially with the holes (300a, 320a) to receive the key (400), and a further force exerted on the key (400) by the operator can elastically deflect the second leg (324) and release it from the second receiving section (224). This allows the operator to further and conveniently release the cover plate (300) from the mounting plate (200). The present disclosure provides a robust and rigid fastening / locking mechanism for the cover plate (300) to the mounting plate (200). This arrangement ensures that the mounting plate remains attached to the cover plate by positive locking, even in the event of an accident, and cannot detach. The locking mechanism (500) disclosed in the present disclosure prevents the mounting plate (200), the cover plate (300), and the sensors attached to the mounting plate from being thrown into the passenger compartment of the vehicle in the event of a jolt, an accident, or strong turbulence. This ensures the safety of the passengers in the vehicle. The locking mechanism (500) can be used in existing sensor units as an additional protective mechanism to ensure that the sensors are attached to the mounting plate (200) in their respective positions.The locking mechanism (500) can be easily used to lock and unlock the cover plate (300) and the mounting plate (200), providing a convenient and robust attachment of the sensors to the windshield of the vehicle. It is understood that a person skilled in the art can develop a system with a similar configuration without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Such modifications and variations can be made without deviating from the scope of the present invention. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 100 Sensor unit 200 Mounting plate 220 First locking element 220s Toothed profile 222 First receiving section 224 Second receiving section 300 Cover plate 300a, 320a Holes 320a Opening 321a First support leg 321b Second support leg 321ai Edge 322 First leg 324 Second leg 324a Groove 400 Key 500 Locking mechanism Ln Longitudinal direction Tr Transverse direction QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature DE 102024000332A1

[0004]

Claims

Locking mechanism (500) for a sensor unit (100) of a vehicle, wherein the sensor unit (100) comprises a mounting plate (200) and a cover plate (300), wherein the locking mechanism (500) comprises: at least one first locking element (220) located on the mounting plate (200) which accommodates a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the at least one first locking element (220) is provided with a first receiving section (222) and a second receiving section (224), wherein the first receiving section (222) extends longitudinally (Ln) along the mounting plate (200) and the second receiving section (224) extends transversely (Tr) relative to the mounting plate (200);and at least one second locking element (320) provided on the cover plate (300), each of the at least one second locking element (320) being configured to be received in the first receiving section (222) and the second receiving section (224) to lock the cover plate (300) to the mounting plate (200). Locking mechanism (500) according to claim 1, wherein both the cover plate (300) and the at least one second locking element (320) have coaxially aligned holes (300a, 320a) for receiving a key (400) to unlock the cover plate (300) from the mounting plate (200). Locking mechanism (500) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second locking element (320) comprises at least one support leg (321a, 321b) extending transversely (Tr) relative to the cover plate (300), wherein the at least one support leg (321a, 321b) is defined with an opening (320a) for receiving the key (400). Locking mechanism (500) according to claim 3, wherein the key (400) is defined as a longitudinal structure with a circular, square, elliptical or polygonal cross-sectional area. Locking mechanism (500) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second locking element (320) comprises a first leg (322) extending transversely (Tr) relative to the cover plate (300) and configured to be attached to the first receiving section (222). Locking mechanism (500) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second locking element (320) comprises a second leg (324) which extends transversely (Tr) relative to the cover plate (300) and is configured to be attached to the second receiving section (224). Locking mechanism (500) according to claim 2, wherein the second leg (324) is defined by a groove (324a), wherein the groove (324a) is aligned coaxially to the holes (300a, 320a) to accommodate the key (400). Locking mechanism (500) according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the first locking element (220) is defined by a toothed profile (220s), wherein the toothed profile (220s) comprises several projections spaced at equal intervals from one another. Locking mechanism (500) according to claim 8, wherein the at least one support leg (321a, 321b) is a triangular cross-sectional structure and an edge (321ai) of the support leg (321a, 321b) is configured to be positioned between two adjacent projections of the toothed profile (220s). Sensor unit (100) of a vehicle, comprising a locking mechanism (500) according to claim 1.

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