Radar sensor bracket

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor support, such as a radar sensor, intended to be installed on a vehicle, particularly on an exterior wall or structural element of said vehicle. The support comprises: a retaining piece arranged to be fixed, particularly removably, to said exterior wall; and a support plate, distinct from the retaining piece, adapted to receive said sensor. The support plate is arranged to cooperate with said retaining piece via a ball joint. Figure 2 (for the abstract)

Description

Title of the invention: Radar sensor support technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support for a radar sensor intended to be installed on a vehicle. Technological background

[0002] In the automotive field, advanced detection and perception technologies are crucial for the development of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as well as autonomous vehicles.

[0003] Among these technologies, radar sensors play an essential role by providing accurate information on the immediate environment of the vehicle, which makes it possible to detect obstacles, assess the distance and speed of moving objects, and contribute to the overall safety of the vehicle.

[0004] As is known, these sensors are fixed to structural or trim elements not visible from outside the vehicle, as illustrated in [Fig. 1]. The position and orientation of these radar sensors influence the quality of detection.

[0005] Radar sensors are undergoing constant technical development. Such developments must first be tested under varied and realistic conditions. These developments must first be validated on prototype vehicles. However, such vehicles are not equipped with sensor mounts.

[0006] There is therefore a need to have a sensor support to equip prototype vehicles in order to test radar sensors under various conditions. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention achieves this objective and relates to a support for a sensor, such as a radar sensor, intended to be installed on a vehicle, in particular on an exterior wall or a structural element of said vehicle, said support comprising: - A retaining piece designed to be fixed, in particular in a removable manner, to said outer wall; - A support plate, in particular separate from the retaining piece, suitable for receiving said sensor, the support plate being arranged to cooperate with said retaining piece according to a ball joint connection.

[0008] The ball joint allows the support plate to rotate about at least two axes of rotation perpendicular to each other. Preferably, the ball joint allows the support plate to rotate about three axes of rotation.

[0009] The presence of such a ball joint provides a wide range of tilt and angular orientation possibilities for the radar sensor relative to the vehicle. This ball joint interface between the base fixed to the vehicle and the support plate allows for a support capable of adopting different angular positions, thus enabling the simulation of various angular positions of the sensor on the vehicle. The support according to the invention therefore allows sensor tests to be carried out under varied and realistic conditions. Ball joint

[0010] Preferably, the support plate comprises a hollow tubular element of generally cylindrical shape, called the "female tubular element", one end of which is at least partially spherical or frustoconical in internal shape, and the retaining piece comprises a tubular element of generally cylindrical shape, called the "male tubular element", one end of which is at least partially spherical or frustoconical in external shape, said end of the female tubular element being adapted to cooperate with the end of the male tubular element so as to form said ball joint.

[0011] Preferably, the female tubular element is arranged to engage with the male tubular element.

[0012] Preferably, the inner face of the end of the female tubular element is spherical.

[0013] Preferably, the external face of the end of the male tubular element is spherical.

[0014] Preferably, the male tubular element is hollow. This allows axial passage of certain sensor connectors.

[0015] Preferably, the male tubular element is at least partially made of a rigid material.

[0016] By “rigid” material, we mean a material that deforms little or not at all when a mechanical stress of tension or bending is applied to it.

[0017] Preferably, the female tubular element is at least partly made of a deformable material. This facilitates the mounting of the female tubular element onto the male tubular element as well as the securing of said female tubular element.

[0018] By "deformable material" is meant a material that can be deformed by the application of pressure.

[0019] The female tubular element may include at least one through-hole formed in a lateral wall thereof. This increases the flexibility of said female tubular element. Retaining piece

[0020] The retaining piece may have various shapes and / or dimensions. For example, the retaining piece may have a contour, in front view, of substantially polygonal shape, in particular parallelepiped such as rectangular or square.

[0021] Preferably, the retaining piece is arranged to be removably fixed to the vehicle wall, in particular by screwing or clipping.

[0022] Preferably, the retaining piece comprises a bottom wall integral with the male tubular element.

[0023] Preferably, the male tubular element extends along a transverse axis of the retaining piece towards the inside of the latter.

[0024] Advantageously, the retaining piece is made of a rigid material.

[0025] Preferably, the bottom wall and the element are formed as a single piece.

[0026] Alternatively, the bottom element can be attached to the bottom wall. Support plate

[0027] The support plate may include a frame, in particular attached to the female tubular element.

[0028] The frame may have various shapes and / or dimensions. For example, the frame may have a contour, in front view, of substantially polygonal shape, in particular parallelepiped such as rectangular or square.

[0029] Preferably, the female tubular element is centered with respect to said frame.

[0030] The frame may include a peripheral part surrounding a central part, said central part having on its front face a plurality of protruding reliefs.

[0031] By "front face" is meant the face of the frame facing outwards after the support is fixed to the vehicle, that is to say the face of the frame opposite the face facing the vehicle.

[0032] The central part may be recessed relative to the peripheral part, thus defining a cavity open towards the front face of the frame. Preferably, said cavity having, in particular, a variable depth measured along a transverse axis of the retaining piece.

[0033] Preferably, the central part is integral with the female tubular element.

[0034] Preferably, said female tubular element opens towards the cavity and extends along the transverse axis of the frame outside of it. Means of attachment

[0035] Preferably, the support includes means for fixing the female tubular element onto the male tubular element, the fixing means including a clamp mounted on the female tubular element and arranged to assemble the two ends of the tubular elements.

[0036] Advantageously, the clamp is a screw clamp, in particular a tangent screw clamp.

[0037] The fastening means may further include a locking element for the female tubular element on the male tubular element, said locking element preferably comprising at least one centering screw arranged to bear against an external face of the female tubular element. The locking element, in particular the centering screws, allows for fine adjustment of the inclination angle of the female tubular element before final tightening of the fastening means, in particular the clamp with tangent screw.

[0038] The invention further relates to an assembly comprising a sensor, such as a radar sensor, and a sensor support according to the invention.

[0039] The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a support according to the invention or an assembly according to the invention.

[0040] The invention further relates to a method for installing a support according to the invention on a vehicle, in particular on an exterior wall or a structural element of said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: - Secure the mounting bracket to the vehicle, for example by screwing or clipping it in place. - Mount the support plate onto the retaining piece by inserting the female tubular element onto the male tubular element to form a ball joint; - Orient the support plate in a given direction, in particular at a given angle of inclination.

[0041] The method may further include a step of adjusting the angle of inclination using the locking element.

[0042] The method may include fixing the support plate onto the retaining piece using the fixing means. Brief description of the figures

[0043] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will clearly explain what the invention consists of and how it can be implemented. In the accompanying figures:

[0044] [Fig.1] [Fig.1] illustrates examples of sensor locations on a vehicle;

[0045] [Fig.2] The [Fig.2] represents a cross-section of the support of the [Fig.1];

[0046] [Fig.3a] [Fig.3a] represents the support plate in isolation;

[0047] [Fig.3b] is a cross-section of the support plate of [Fig.3a];

[0048] [Fig.4a] [Fig.4a] is a perspective view of the retaining piece;

[0049] [Fig.4b] [Fig.4b] is a rear view of the retaining piece of [Fig.4a];

[0050] [Fig.4c] [Fig.4c] is a cross-section of the retaining piece of [Fig.4a]; and

[0051] [Fig. 5] [Fig. 5] is an example of mounting the sensor bracket on a vehicle. Description of embodiment(s)

[0052] In the figures, and unless otherwise specified, identical elements shall bear the same reference symbols.

[0053] Figures 2a to 4c show an example of a sensor support 10 according to the invention. This support is intended to be fixed to a vehicle 1, for example to an external wall 5 of the vehicle 1,

[0054] As illustrated, the support 10 includes a retaining piece 20 intended to be fixed to the outer wall 5 of the vehicle 1. For this purpose, and as can be seen in particular in figures 4a to 4c, the retaining piece 20 includes a plurality of threads 25 for fixing it to the vehicle 1.

[0055] In the illustrated example, the retaining piece 20 has a square contour. Other contour shapes are possible.

[0056] The retaining piece 20 comprises a tubular element 30 of generally cylindrical shape, referred to hereafter as the "male tubular element". The male tubular element 30 has a free end 32 of at least partially spherical external shape.

[0057] As illustrated, the male tubular element 30 extends inwards towards the retaining piece 20 along a transverse axis XI of said piece 20. The male tubular element 30 extends from a bottom wall 24 of said piece 20 and is integral with it. In this example, the male tubular element 30 is formed as a single unit with the bottom wall 24 and is centered with respect to this wall.

[0058] In the illustrated example, the male tubular element 30 is hollow and has an end 34 opposite the free end 32 which opens towards the bottom wall 24. Also, the retaining piece has a through opening 26 useful for the passage of the connectors 74 of the sensor 70.

[0059] The support further comprises a support plate 40 on which the sensor 70 is fixed by means of screws 72. The support plate 40 comprises a frame 42 and a female tubular element 50 centered with respect to said frame 42.

[0060] As illustrated, the female tubular element 50 is hollow and has a generally cylindrical shape. In what follows, the element 50 is referred to as the "female tubular element".

[0061] The female tubular element 50 has an end 52 with an internal shape that is at least partially spherical in the illustrated example.

[0062] The female tubular element 50 is at least partly made of a deformable material. The female tubular element 50 further comprises a plurality of recesses traversants 55, here in number of four, provided in a lateral wall 56 of the latter.

[0063] As illustrated, the frame 42 comprises a peripheral portion 46 surrounding a central portion 44. The central portion 44 has on its front face 44a a plurality of raised features 48, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3b. The central portion 44 further comprises a receiving housing 49 for the sensor 70.

[0064] The central portion 44 is recessed relative to the peripheral portion 44, which defines a cavity 43 open towards the front face 42a of the frame 42. As can be seen in particular in Figures 2 to 3b, the cavity has a variable depth p. This depth p is measured along a transverse axis of the support plate.

[0065] As illustrated, the female tubular element 50 has an end 54 opposite the free end 52 and opening towards the cavity 43. The end 54 is fixed to the frame 42. In the illustrated example, the female tubular element 50 extends along the transverse axis X2 of the frame opposite the cavity 43.

[0066] The support plate 40 cooperates with the retaining piece 20 to form the support 10 according to the invention. For this purpose, the female tubular element 50 is mounted freely rotatably at its free end 52 on the free end 32 of the male tubular element 30. This provides a ball joint at the junction of the two elements 30 and 50. Such a joint allows the support plate 40, and consequently the sensor 70, to be oriented at different angles and directions.

[0067] To allow the support plate 40 to be fixed to the retaining piece 20, the support 10 includes fastening means 60 provided for this purpose. The fastening means 60 include a clamping collar 62 mounted on the female tubular element 50 and arranged to join the two ends of the tubular elements.

[0068] In the illustrated example, the clamp 62 is a clamp with tangent screws.

[0069] The fastening means 60 comprise, in addition to a locking element 64 of the element The female tubular element 50 is mounted on the male tubular element. This element allows adjustment of the inclination angle of the female tubular element 50 relative to the male tubular element 30. In the illustrated example, the locking element 64 has a plurality of centering screws, each arranged to bear against an external face of the wall 56 of the female tubular element 50. This allows for fine adjustment of the inclination angle of the female tubular element 50 before final tightening of the tangent screw clamp 62.

[0070] We will in the following describe the installation of the support 10 on the vehicle 1.

[0071] First, the retaining piece 20 is fixed to the vehicle 1 at the desired location. The fixing can be achieved by screwing, clipping, or similar means. Next, the retaining plate 30, in particular equipped with the sensor 70, is mounted onto the piece The retaining element 20 is engaged by inserting the male tubular element 30 into the female tubular element 50. This creates a ball joint allowing the support plate to be oriented in various directions. The support plate 30 is then positioned as desired. The locking element 64 is used to allow fine adjustment of the inclination angle of the support plate 40 relative to the retaining element 20. Finally, the clamp is tightened against the female tubular element to secure it to the male tubular element and hold it in the desired position.

[0072] The invention is not limited to the example just described.

Claims

Demands

1. Support for a sensor (10), such as a radar sensor, intended to be installed on a vehicle (1), in particular on an outer wall (5) or a structural element of said vehicle, said support comprising: - A retaining piece (20) arranged to be fixed, in particular removably, on said outer wall (5); - A support plate (40), in particular separate from the retaining piece, suitable for receiving said sensor (70), the support plate (40) being arranged to cooperate with said retaining piece (20) by means of a ball joint.

2. Support according to claim 1, the support plate (40) comprising a hollow tubular element (50) of generally cylindrical shape, referred to as the "female tubular element", one end (52) of which is internally at least partially spherical or frustoconical, and the retaining piece (20) comprising a tubular element (30) of generally cylindrical shape, preferably hollow, referred to as the "male tubular element", one end (32) of which is externally at least partially spherical or frustoconical, said end of the female tubular element being adapted to cooperate with the end of the male tubular element so as to form said ball joint.

3. Support according to claim 2, the female tubular element (50) being at least partly made of a deformable material.

4. Support according to any one of claims 2 and 3, the female tubular element (50) having at least one through recess (55) formed in a lateral wall (56) of the latter.

5. Support according to any one of claims 2 to 4, the support plate (40) comprising a frame (42), in particular integral with the female tubular element (50), said female tubular element (50) preferably being centered with respect to said frame (42).

6. Support according to the preceding claim, the frame (42) comprising a peripheral part (46) surrounding a central part (44), said central part (44) comprising on its front face (44a) a plurality of protruding reliefs (48).

7. Support according to any one of claims 2 to 6, comprising means for fixing (60) the female tubular element (50)

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11. on the male tubular element (30), the fastening means (60) comprising a clamping collar (62), in particular a clamp with tangent screw. Support according to the preceding claim, the fastening means (60) further comprising a locking element (64) of the female tubular element (50) on the male tubular element (30), said locking element (64) preferably comprising at least one centering screw arranged to bear against an external face of the female tubular element. Assembly comprising a sensor (70), such as a radar sensor, and a support (10) for such a sensor according to any one of the preceding claims. A vehicle (1) comprising a support (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or an assembly according to claim 10. A method for installing a support according to any one of claims 1 to 8 with attachment to claim 2, on a vehicle (1), in particular on an outer wall (5) or a structural element of said vehicle, comprising the steps of: - Secure the retaining piece (20) to the vehicle (1), in particular by screwing or clipping, - Mount the support plate (40) onto the retaining piece by inserting the female tubular element (50) onto the male tubular element (30) so as to form a ball joint; - Orient the support plate (40) in a given direction, in particular in a given angle of inclination.

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