Lidar sensor cleaning system

Abstract

Title: Cleaning system for a lidar sensor Cleaning system (10) for a lidar sensor (200) having a field of view (204), comprising: - a cleaning arm (12) for cleaning the field of view (204), - a housing (14), * the cleaning arm (12) being movable relative to the housing (14), * the housing (14) at least partly surrounding the field of view (204) to form a marginal area (16), * the cleaning system (10) has a first spacing unit and a second spacing unit, * the first spacing unit and the second spacing unit (20) spacing the cleaning arm (12) away from the field of view (204) and / or the marginal area (16) when the cleaning arm (12) is outside the field of view (204). Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Lidar sensor cleaning system FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for cleaning a lidar sensor having a field of vision and equipping a vehicle. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Currently, a large number of different solutions are known for cleaning lidar sensor surfaces in the automotive field. However, the increasing number of cleaning processes and the higher quality requirements are continuously increasing the demand for innovative and robust cleaning processes.

[0003] Furthermore, the permanent reduction of weight in the automotive sector to reduce consumption and the increasingly developed competition which weighs on costs, increases the demand for more efficient components in the automotive sector.

[0004] DISCLOSURE AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of known solutions and to this end relates to a system for cleaning a lidar sensor having a field of vision,

[0006] comprising:

[0007] - a cleaning arm for cleaning the field of vision,

[0008] - a case,

[0009] * the cleaning arm being movable relative to the housing,

[0010] * the housing at least partially surrounding the field of vision to form an area marginal,

[0011] * the cleaning system has a first spacer unit and a second unit spacing,

[0012] * the first spreader unit and the second spreader unit spreading the arm of cleaning the field of vision and / or marginal area when the cleaning arm is outside the field of vision.

[0013] The cleaning system of a lidar sensor according to the invention with a field of vision has, compared to the state of the art, the advantage of considerably reducing the load exerted on the wiping lip of the cleaning arm while reducing the resistance between the movement of the cleaning arm and the housing thanks to the spacer unit.

[0014] Snagging or similar effects of the cleaning arm in the marginal area are also reduced. Manufacturing and assembly costs are also reduced by the first and second spacing units of the cleaning system.

[0015] In other words, by means of the first and second spacer units, the cleaning arm is lifted from the field of view or the marginal area so that the cleaning arm does not continue to move along the housing when it is outside the field of view; this reduces the stresses or loads on the cleaning arm or the wiping lip. For example, the cleaning system comprises a housing against which the lidar sensor is applied or which partially surrounds the sensor. The housing may be applied against the field of view of the lidar sensor. The cleaning arm only cleans the field of view of the lidar sensor and not the housing because this is not necessary to obtain measurement values.To reduce the wear of the cleaning arm to as low a level as possible, the cleaning system has a first spacer unit and a second spacer unit installed on the housing and the cleaning arm respectively. The first spacer unit and the second spacer unit ensure that when the cleaning arm moves across the field of view and approaches the marginal area, it is spaced away from the surface of the field of view so that the cleaning element of the cleaning arm does not come into contact with the housing.

[0016] Preferably, the first spacer unit has a first ramp element and the second spacer unit has a second ramp element.

[0017] This solution has the advantage that the first and second ramp units are made in one piece with the cleaning arm or the housing to thus allow the wiping lip of the wiping arm to be moved away from the field of vision.

[0018] Preferably, the first spacer unit has a third ramp element and the second spacer unit has a roller, which has the advantage that the roller reduces the friction between the cleaning arm and the housing because the rolling effect reduces the friction to thereby save in particular drive energy or allow a smaller motor to be used for the cleaning system.

[0019] According to another advantageous feature, the cleaning arm is installed so that it can be moved away by a return point around an axis substantially parallel to the field of vision, the cleaning arm forming an angle with respect to the field of vision and the first moving unit and / or the second moving unit making it possible to increase the angle up to a predefined value when the cleaning arm is in the marginal zone.

[0020] This solution has the advantage that a pre-tensioning force of the cleaning arm applied to the field of vision is provided by a spring and that at the same time the cleaning arm can be moved away from the housing when it is in the marginal area because The first and second spreading units enable the cleaning arm to be deflected about the axis via the deflection point, in particular by acting against the preload acting on the cleaning arm. This provides a particularly advantageous cleaning system since only corresponding ramp elements or a roller are required on the first or second spreading unit.

[0021] According to another characteristic, the third ramp element has a first slope and a second slope, the first slope and the second slope being different from each other so that the contact surface of the third ramp element comes into contact with the roller.

[0022] This feature has the advantage that if the roller is inclined relative to the ramp element, on the path of the roller towards the ramp element for a constant angle of the ramp element, there will be stresses higher than the average of a part of the roller. Thus, thanks to the first and second slope, the third ramp element can be adapted to have on the path of the roller on the third ramp element, in particular, the contact surface of the latter, a practically total support of the roller to thus reduce the stresses of the roller accordingly.

[0023] According to another characteristic, the roller has three support points, the first inclination and the second inclination being designed so that the three support points come onto the contact surface.

[0024] According to another characteristic, the bearing force of the roller is distributed as regularly as possible over the bearing surface of the roller, which reduces wear accordingly. For example, a first bearing point of the roller corresponds to a first edge of the roller; a second bearing point of the roller is thus the middle of the bearing surface of the roller and the third bearing point of the roller corresponds to the second edge of the bearing surface of the roller. Furthermore, the first and second slopes can be adapted so that the bearing surface of the roller is practically total on the contact surface of the third ramp element.

[0025] According to another characteristic, the roller has an elastic ring or bandage to come against the third ramp element, which has the advantage that when the roller comes into contact with the third ramp element, there will be an elastic deformation of the roller or its elastic ring or bandage, further reducing the friction between the elastic ring or the roller and the ramp element.

[0026] According to another advantageous characteristic, the cleaning arm has a recess for receiving the roller, which has the advantage that when manufacturing the cleaning arm, the recess can be made by the plastic injection process or a similar process, in a single piece to thereby reduce the manufacturing cost of the cleaning arm.

[0027] According to another advantageous characteristic, the cleaning arm has a holding element which receives the roller, this holding element and the cleaning arm forming a connection by force, by material or by shape, which has the advantage that the holding element can be clipped by a clip connection into the cleaning arm, which simplifies the manufacturing process of the cleaning arm.

[0028] The invention also relates to a vehicle equipped with a lidar sensor and a cleaning system as presented above. Brief description of the drawings

[0029] The present invention will be described hereinafter in more detail with the aid of examples of lidar sensor cleaning systems shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

[0030] [Fig-1] isometric view of a first embodiment of a cleaning system,

[0031] [Fig.2] detail view,

[0032] [Fig.3a] isometric view of a first embodiment of a cleaning system,

[0033] [Fig.3b] isometric view of a first embodiment of a cleaning system,

[0034] [Fig.4a] isometric view of a first embodiment of a system of cleaning,

[0035] [Fig.4b] isometric view of a first embodiment of a system of cleaning,

[0036] [Fig.4c] isometric view of a first embodiment of a system of cleaning, which has a configuration similar to that of figures 4a and 4b,

[0037] [Fig.5a] isometric view of a first embodiment of a cleaning system,

[0038] [Fig.5b] isometric view of a first embodiment of a cleaning system,

[0039] [Fig.6] diagram showing the operation of the cleaning system of one embodiment,

[0040] [Fig.7a] view of a cleaning system with a first spacer unit,

[0041] [Fig.7b] Perspective view of a cleaning system with a first unit spacing,

[0042] [Fig.8a] isometric view of a cleaning system with a first spacer unit,

[0043] [Fig.8b] isometric view of a cleaning system with a first spacer unit,

[0044] [Fig.9] diagram of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0045] DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0046] By convention, all component elements or units in all figures bear the same references.

[0047] [Fig.l] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system 10. The cleaning system 10 for a lidar sensor 200 having a field of view 204 has a cleaning arm 12 for cleaning the field of view 24. The cleaning system 10 has a housing 14 and the cleaning arm 12 is movable relative to the housing 14. The housing 14 makes it possible to at least partially surround the field of view 24 to develop a marginal area 16. The cleaning system 10 further has a first spacing unit 18 and a second spacing unit 20; the first spacing unit 18 and the second spacing unit 20 make it possible to spacing the cleaning arm 18 relative to the field of view 24 and / or the marginal area 16 when the cleaning arm 12 is outside the field of view 204.

[0048] [Fig. 2] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system 10. The cleaning system 10 preferably equips a lidar sensor 200. The lidar sensor 200 has a field of view 204. To clean the field of view 204, the cleaning arm 12 is moved between a first position 13 and a second position 15. At its first position 13 and at its second position 15, the cleaning arm 12 is moved away from the marginal area 16.

[0049] [Fig. 3a] shows a cleaning system 10 according to one embodiment. The cleaning system 10 has a cleaning arm 12. The cleaning system 10 comprises a housing 14. As shown in [Fig. 3a], the first spacer unit 18 is installed on the housing 14. The second spacer unit 20 is installed on the cleaning arm 12. The first spacer unit 18 has a third ramp element 26. The second spacer unit 20 has a roller 28.

[0050] According to [Fig.3a], the roller 28 comes onto the third ramp element 26 to move the cleaning arm 12 away from the marginal zone 26 or the field of vision 204.

[0051] [Fig. 3b] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system 10. The cleaning system 10 thus preferably has a cleaning arm 12 and a housing 14. The housing 14 carries the first spacer unit 18. The cleaning arm 12 has the second spacer unit 20. The first spacer unit has a first ramp element 22. The cleaning arm 12 or the second spacer unit 20 has a second ramp element 24. The first ramp element 22 and the second ramp element 24 are designed to space the cleaning arm 12 away from the edge area 16 or from the field of vision 204.

[0052] [Fig.4a] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system 10. The cleaning system 10 has a cleaning arm 12 and a housing 14. The first spacer unit 18 fitted to the housing 14 has a third ramp element 26. The cleaning arm cleaning 12 thus comprises the second spacer unit 20 with a roller 28. In [Fig.4a] the cleaning system 10 or the cleaning arm 12 are shown in a relative position 25 which corresponds to the first contact of the roller 28 with the third ramp element 26.

[0053] [Fig.4b] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system. The cleaning system 10 has a configuration similar to that of [Fig.4a]. The cleaning system 10 is shown in a second relative position 27 in which the cleaning arm 12 begins to be moved away from the field of vision 204 or the marginal area 16.

[0054] [Fig.4c] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system 10 which has a configuration similar to that of Figures 4a and 4b. The cleaning system 10 is spaced in a third relative position 31, with respect to the cleaning arm 12, completely outside the field of vision 204 and / or a marginal zone 16. Thus, the cleaning arm 12 is in the first position 13 and / or the second position 15.

[0055] [Fig.5a] shows an embodiment of the cleaning system 10 comprising a cleaning arm with a first spacer unit 20 equipped with a roller 28. Furthermore, the cleaning system 10 has a housing 14 provided with the first spacer unit 18 which has a third ramp element 26. According to [Fig.5a], a gap 29 may exist between the roller 28 and the third ramp element 26 if the offset between the roller fulcrum and the contact surface of the ramp element is too large.

[0056] [Fig. 5b] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system 10 which comprises a housing 26 with the first spreading unit 18 provided with the third ramp element 26. Furthermore, the cleaning system 10 has a cleaning arm 12 which can be spread apart via a deflection point 30 about an axis 32 which is substantially parallel to the field of view 204. Furthermore, the cleaning arm 12 makes an angle 34 with respect to the field of view 204. The first spreading unit 18 and / or the second spreading unit 20 are preferably designed to allow the angle 34 to be increased to a predefined value if the cleaning arm 12 is in the marginal area 16. Furthermore, the third ramp element 26 has a contact surface 36. This contact surface 36 has, in particular, a first slope and / or a second slope. inclination so that the bearing surface of the roller 28 is applied practically completely against the contact surface 36.Furthermore, the roller 3 has three support points 30, 40, 42 and the first and second inclinations are such that the three support points 38, 40, 42 come against the contact surface 36. According to [Fig.5b], the first support point 38 is at the lower edge of the roller, the second support point 40 is . a midpoint of the roller 28 and the third support point 42 corresponds to the second roller edge.

[0057] [Fig.6] shows a diagram 300 representing the operation of the system cleaning arm 10 according to one embodiment. The diagram 300 is plotted in a first axis 302 which represents the lifting height between the wiper blade of the cleaning arm 12 and the field of vision 204 or the marginal area 16. The diagram 300 has a second axis 304 which corresponds to the stroke of the cleaning arm 12. The diagram 300 has a first plot 39 representing the distance to the first fulcrum 38. The diagram 300 has a second plot 41 which represents the plot of the second fulcrum 40. Finally, the diagram 300 has a third plot 43 which corresponds to the second fulcrum 42.

[0058] [Fig.7a] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system. The cleaning system cleaning system 10 has a first spacer unit 18 provided with a roller 28. The cleaning system 10 has a second spacer unit 20. At the point of contact 43 between the elastic ring 44 of the roller element 28 and the second spacer unit 20, the elastic ring 44 makes it possible to at least partially absorb the rebound or minimize friction thanks to the elastic ring 44.

[0059] [Fig.7b] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system. The cleaning system cleaning 10 comprises a roller 28 with an elastic ring 44, for example, with a periphery surrounded by rubber.

[0060] [Fig.8a] shows an embodiment of a system 10. The cleaning system 10 comprises a cleaning arm 12. The cleaning arm 12 comprises a recess 46. A roller 28 is located in the recess 46.

[0061] [Fig.8b] shows an embodiment of a cleaning system. The cleaning system 10 comprises a cleaning arm 12. The cleaning arm 12 is provided with a holding element 48 by a connection, in particular by material, force and / or a form connection. The holding element 48 comprises a recess 46.

[0062] [Fig.9] shows a vehicle 100 equipped with a cleaning system 10 as described above. The vehicle 100 includes a lidar sensor 200.

[0063] NOMENCLATURE OF MAIN ELEMENTS

[0064] 10 Cleaning system

[0065] 12 Cleaning arms

[0066] 13 First position

[0067] 14 Housing

[0068] 15 Second position

[0069] 16 Marginal zone

[0070] 18 First spacer unit

[0071] 20 Second spacer unit

[0072]

[0073]

[0074]

[0075]

[0076]

[0077]

[0078]

[0079]

[0080]

[0081]

[0082]

[0083]

[0084]

[0085]

[0086]

[0087]

[0088]

[0089]

[0090]

[0091]

[0092] 22 First ramp element 24 Second ramp element 26 Third ramp element / marginal area 27 Second relative position 28 Rolling element 29 Interval 30 Support point 36 Contact surface 39 First line 40 Support point 41 Second line 42 Support point 43 Third line / contact point 44 Roller spring ring 46 Recess 48 Holding element 200 Lidar sensor 204 Field of view 300 Diagram 302 First axis 304 Second axis

Claims

Claims

1. Cleaning system (10) of a lidar sensor (200) having a field of view (204), comprising: - a cleaning arm (12) for cleaning the field of view (204), - a housing (14), * the cleaning arm (12) being movable relative to the housing (14), * the housing (14) at least partly surrounding the field of view (204) to form a marginal area (16), * the cleaning system (10) has a first spacing unit (18) and a second spacing unit (20), * the first spacing unit (18) and the second spacing unit (20) spacing the cleaning arm (12) away from the field of view (204) and / or the marginal area (16) when the cleaning arm (12) is outside the field of view (204).

2. The cleaning system (10) of claim 1, wherein the first spacer unit (18) has a first ramp member (22) and the second spacer unit (20) has a second ramp member (24).

3. A cleaning system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first spacer unit (18) has a third ramp element (26) and the second spacer unit (20) has a roller (28).

4. Cleaning system (10) according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning arm (12) is spaced by a deflection point (30) around an axis (32) which is substantially parallel to the field of vision (204), - the cleaning arm (12) forming an angle (34) with respect to the field of vision (204), - the first spacer unit (18) and / or the second spacer unit (20) allow the angle (34) to be increased to a predefined value when the cleaning arm (12) is in the marginal area (16).

5. Cleaning system (10) according to one of claims 3 to 4, wherein the third ramp element (26) has a first inclination and a second inclination, - the first inclination and the second inclination being different from each other so that the contact surface (36) of the third ramp element (26) is applied against the roller (28).

6. Cleaning system (10) according to claim 5, wherein the roller (28) has three support points (38, 40, 42), - the first inclination and the second inclination being such that the three support points (38, 40, 42) are applied against the contact surface.

7. Cleaning system (10) according to one of claims 3 to 6, in which the roller (28) comprises an elastic ring (44) for applying against the third ramp element (26).

8. A cleaning system (10) according to one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the cleaning arm (12) has a recess (46) for receiving the roller (28).

9. Cleaning system (10) according to one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the cleaning arm (12) has a holding element (48) receiving the roller (28), - the holding element (28) and the cleaning arm (12) providing a connection by force, by material and / or by shape.

10. Vehicle (100) comprising a cleaning system according to one of the preceding claims.

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