Mounting structure of external sensor and vehicle equipped with the mounting structure

Abstract

To reduce a thermal load applied to an external sensor by suppressing an increase of the atmospheric temperature of the external sensor in a mounting structure of an external sensor arranged on a vehicle roof and a vehicle equipped with the mounting structure.SOLUTION: A mounting structure 17 of an external sensor arranged on a roof 2 of a vehicle 1 includes: an external sensor 14; a roof rail 19 on which the external sensor is mounted; and a cover 20 covered on the external sensor. A first vent hole 53 allowing communication between the inside and outside of the cover is disposed in a front part of the cover. A second vent hole 55 allowing communication between the inside and outside of the cover is disposed in a rear part of the cover. A ventilation path 57 allowing communication between the first vent hole and the second vent hole is disposed inside the cover.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an attachment structure of an external sensor mounted on a vehicle and a vehicle having the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that takes into account people in vulnerable positions among traffic participants. In order to achieve this, research and development focused on improving traffic safety and convenience through research and development on preventive safety technologies has been carried out. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sensor (external sensor) attached to the roof of a vehicle via a bracket.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the external sensor described in Patent Document 1 is arranged on the roof of the vehicle, it is easily affected by direct sunlight, and the ambient temperature of the external sensor easily rises. Therefore, the external sensor is easily subjected to a heat load.

[0005] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to suppress the heat load applied to an external sensor by suppressing an increase in the ambient temperature of the external sensor in an attachment structure of an external sensor arranged on the roof of a vehicle and a vehicle having the same. And it contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an aspect of the present invention is a mounting structure (17) for an external sensor disposed on a roof (2) of a vehicle (1), the mounting structure including an external sensor (14), a mounting portion (19) on which the external sensor is placed, and a cover (20) covering the external sensor. A first vent (53) communicating the interior and exterior of the cover is provided at the front of the cover, and a second vent (55) communicating the interior and exterior of the cover is provided at the rear of the cover. A ventilation passage (57) communicating the first vent and the second vent is provided inside the cover.

[0007] According to this aspect, the interior of the cover communicates with the exterior through the first vent and the second vent. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle is running, the running wind caused by the running of the vehicle passes through the ventilation passage, cooling the external sensor disposed inside the cover and its peripheral part. Therefore, in the mounting structure of the external sensor disposed on the roof of the vehicle, the rise in the ambient temperature of the external sensor is suppressed, and thus the heat load applied to the external sensor is suppressed.

[0008] In the above aspect, the mounting portion is a roof rail having a main surface facing upward, the roof rail has a first inclined portion (41) inclined downward toward the front, and the first inclined portion may be continuous from below the second vent to below the first vent.

[0009] According to this aspect, water that has entered the interior of the cover from the outside through the first vent or the second vent due to rainfall or the like is discharged to the front side of the roof rail along the first inclined portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water from accumulating around the external sensor.

[0010] In the above aspect, the roof rail may further have a pair of second inclined portions (42) inclined downward from the first inclined portion toward the left and right outer sides.

[0011] According to this aspect, water that has entered the interior of the cover from the outside through the first ventilation port or the second ventilation port due to rainfall or the like is discharged to the left and right outer sides of the roof rail along each second inclined portion. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the accumulation of water around the external sensor.

[0012] In the above aspect, the vehicle may further include a pair of side rails (4) that incline downward forward from the left and right outer sides of the roof rail to the bonnet (9) of the vehicle, and the left and right outer ends of each second inclined portion may be connected to the corresponding side rail.

[0013] According to this aspect, the water discharged to the left and right outer sides of the roof rail through each second inclined portion is discharged onto the bonnet through the side rail. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the backflow of the water discharged to the left and right outer sides of the roof rail through each second inclined portion back to each second inclined portion.

[0014] In the above aspect, each side rail may define a groove portion (59) that is continuous from the left and right outer sides of the roof rail to the bonnet, and the left and right outer ends of each second inclined portion may be connected to the groove portion.

[0015] According to this aspect, the water discharged to the left and right outer sides of the roof rail through each second inclined portion is discharged in an appropriate direction along the groove portion.

[0016] In the above aspect, the front end portion of the first inclined portion may be connected to the upper end portion of the front glass (8) of the vehicle.

[0017] According to this aspect, the water discharged to the front of the cover through the first inclined portion is discharged to the front of the front glass along the front glass. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the backflow of the water discharged to the front of the cover through the first inclined portion back to the first inclined portion.

[0018] In the above aspect, the ventilation passage may extend along the front-rear direction from the first ventilation port to the second ventilation port.

[0019] According to this aspect, the running wind smoothly passes through the ventilation passage along the front-rear direction. Therefore, the cooling effect on the external sensor and its peripheral part can be enhanced.

[0020] In the above aspect, the external sensor may be a LiDAR.

[0021] According to this aspect, in the mounting structure of the LiDAR disposed on the roof of the vehicle, the rise in the ambient temperature of the LiDAR is suppressed.

[0022] In order to solve the above problems, an aspect of the present invention is a vehicle (1) having a mounting structure (17) of an external sensor, including a vehicle speed sensor (13) for detecting a vehicle speed, and a control device (16) connected to the external sensor and the vehicle speed sensor. The control device determines whether the vehicle is stopped based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor, and when it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, the operation of the external sensor may be stopped.

[0023] According to this aspect, in a situation where the vehicle is stopped and the running wind is not generated, the heat generation of the external sensor can be suppressed. Therefore, the rise in the ambient temperature of the external sensor is more effectively suppressed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0024] According to the above configuration, in the mounting structure of the external sensor disposed on the roof of the vehicle and the vehicle having the same, the rise in the ambient temperature of the external sensor can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of a vehicle 1 provided with an attachment structure for an external sensor (hereinafter referred to as "sensor attachment structure 17") according to the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, the description will be made based on the state where the vehicle 1 is on a horizontal plane.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is, for example, a four-wheel automobile. The vehicle 1 has an upper structure 2 (roof) that constitutes the upper part of the vehicle 1 and a front structure 3 that constitutes the front part of the vehicle 1. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper structure 2 includes a pair of left and right side rails 4 (see FIG. 4) extending in the vehicle front-rear direction (hereinafter simply referred to as "front-rear direction"), a roof member 5 (see FIG. 5) extending in the left-right direction and bridging the left and right side rails 4, a roof panel 6 disposed rearward and upward of the roof member 5, and side garnishes 7 covering each side rail 4.

[0028] In this embodiment, each side rail 4 is formed in an arch shape with the central portion in the front-rear direction curved upward. That is, the front portion of each side rail 4 is inclined downward toward the front. The roof panel 6 is formed of, for example, glass. The roof panel 6 is disposed at the central portion in the front-rear direction. The front end portion of the roof panel 6 may be disposed above the rear end portion of the roof member 5. A windshield 8 is disposed between the front portions of the pair of left and right side rails 4. The windshield 8 is inclined downward toward the front.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, the front structure 3 has, for example, a bonnet 9, a pair of front fenders 10 disposed on the left and right outer sides of the bonnet 9, a lamp body 11 and a front bumper 12 disposed in front of the bonnet 9. The bonnet 9 is disposed in front of the windshield 8. The front portions of the respective side rails 4 are disposed behind and on the left and right outer sides of the bonnet 9.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 has a plurality of sensors for detecting the situation of the vehicle 1 and the situation around the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 has a vehicle speed sensor 13 for detecting the vehicle speed, an external sensor 14 for detecting the situation around the vehicle 1, a position sensor 15 for detecting the position and orientation of the vehicle 1, and a control device 16 connected to the vehicle speed sensor 13, the external sensor 14, and the position sensor 15.

[0031] The control device 16 includes an arithmetic processing unit (a processor such as a CPU or an MPU) and a storage device (a memory such as a ROM or a RAM). The control device 16 may be configured as one piece of hardware, or may be configured as a unit composed of a plurality of pieces of hardware.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the sensor mounting structure 17 is a structure for disposing the external sensor 14 on the upper structure 2 (roof) of the vehicle 1. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the present embodiment, the sensor mounting structure 17 includes the external sensor 14, the position sensor 15, a base 18 for fixing the external sensor 14 and the position sensor 15, a roof rail 19 (an example of a mounting portion) on which the external sensor 14 and the position sensor 15 are placed via the base 18, and a cover 20 covering the external sensor 14 and the position sensor 15. In other embodiments, the external sensor 14 and the position sensor 15 may be directly placed on the roof rail 19.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the external sensor 14 is a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). The LiDAR irradiates light such as infrared rays around the vehicle 1 and captures the reflected light, thereby detecting the relative position of the target existing around the vehicle 1 with respect to the vehicle 1. The LiDAR has, for example, a light emitting module (not shown), a light receiving module (not shown), a casing 21 housing the light emitting module and the light receiving module, and a harness 22 connected to the light emitting module and the light receiving module.

[0034] The casing 21 of the external sensor 14 has a casing main body portion 21A formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a plurality of protruding pieces 21B protruding from the left and right sides of the casing main body portion 21A. In the present embodiment, two protruding pieces 21B are provided. Each protruding piece 21B is formed in a plate shape. A through hole (not shown) penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in each protruding piece 21B.

[0035] The position sensor 15 has, for example, a GNSS antenna (Global Navigation Satellite System, not shown) and a casing 23 housing the GNSS antenna. The GNSS antenna receives signals output from GNSS artificial satellites and detects the current position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the vehicle 1. For example, the position sensor 15 may have a GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna that receives radio waves from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites as the GNSS antenna.

[0036] The casing 23 of the position sensor 15 has a casing main body portion 23A formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and a plurality of protruding pieces 23B protruding from both the left and right sides of the casing main body portion 23A. In the present embodiment, two protruding pieces 23B are provided. Each protruding piece 23B is formed in a plate shape. A through hole (not shown) penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in each protruding piece 23B.

[0037] The base 18 is formed in a plate shape. The base 18 may be fastened to the roof rail 19 by a plurality of bolts 24. Thereby, the external sensor 14 and the position sensor 15 are arranged on the upper structure 2 (roof) of the vehicle 1 via the base 18. The base 18 has a base front portion 26 constituting the front portion of the base 18, a base rear portion 28 constituting the rear portion of the base 18 and arranged above the base front portion 26, and a stepped portion 30 connecting the base front portion 26 and the base rear portion 28.

[0038] The external sensor 14 is fixed to the base front portion 26. The base front portion 26 is located below the external sensor 14. The base front portion 26 is inclined downward toward the front. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of bosses 32 extending upward are provided on the upper surface of the base front portion 26.

[0039] A fastening hole (not shown) is formed in each boss 32. A female screw (not shown) may be formed in each fastening hole. The central axis of the fastening hole of each boss 32 is aligned with the central axis of a corresponding through hole (not shown) provided in the protruding piece 21B of the casing 21 of the external sensor 14.

[0040] The external sensor 14 may be fastened to the base 18 by a bolt 35 (see FIG. 4) that penetrates a through hole (not shown) of the protruding piece 21B of the casing 21 of the external sensor 14 and is screwed into the female screw of the boss 32.

[0041] A position sensor 15 is fixed to the rear base portion 28. The rear base portion 28 extends in the horizontal direction. A plurality of fastening holes (not shown) penetrating in the vertical direction are formed in the rear base portion 28. Female threads (not shown) may be formed in the fastening holes of the rear base portion 28. The fastening holes of the rear base portion 28 are aligned with the central axes of corresponding through holes (not shown) provided in the protruding pieces 23B of the casing 23 of the position sensor 15.

[0042] The position sensor 15 may be fastened to the base 18, for example, by a bolt 36 (see FIG. 4) that passes through a through hole (not shown) in the protruding piece 23B of the casing 23 of the position sensor 15 and is screwed into the female thread of the rear base portion 28.

[0043] The rear base portion 28 has an insertion hole 37 penetrating in the vertical direction and a grommet 38 inserted into the insertion hole 37. The harness 22 of the external sensor 14 passes through the insertion hole 37 of the base 18 via the grommet 38. The harness 22 of the external sensor 14 is connected to the control device 16.

[0044] The stepped portion 30 extends in the vertical direction. The upper end portion of the stepped portion 30 is coupled to the front end portion of the rear base portion 28. The lower end portion of the stepped portion 30 is coupled to the rear end portion of the front base portion 26.

[0045] In this embodiment, the roof rail 19 has a main surface facing upward. The roof rail 19 is disposed between the left and right side rails 4. Further, the roof rail 19 is disposed between the roof panel 6 and the front glass 8. That is, the portion from the roof rail 19 to the bonnet 9 of each side rail 4 is inclined downward toward the front. The roof rail 19 may be disposed, for example, on the roof member 5. The upper surface of the roof rail 19 is disposed below the upper surface of the roof panel 6.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, the roof rail 19 has a first inclined portion 41 that inclines downward toward the front, and a pair of second inclined portions 42 that incline downward from the first inclined portion 41 toward the left and right outer sides. The first inclined portion 41 is continuous from the rear end to the front end of the roof rail 19. Of the pair of second inclined portions 42, one second inclined portion 42 inclines downward from the central portion in the left-right direction of the roof rail 19 toward the left. Of the pair of second inclined portions 42, the other second inclined portion 42 inclines downward from the central portion in the left-right direction of the roof rail 19 toward the right.

[0047] The front end portion of the first inclined portion 41, that is, the front end portion of the roof rail 19, is connected to the upper end portion of the front glass 8. The left and right outer end portions of each second inclined portion 42, that is, the left and right end portions of the roof rail 19, are connected to the corresponding side rails 4.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a recess 43 that is recessed downward is formed on the upper surface of the roof rail 19. The recess 43 is provided at the front portion of the roof rail 19. The recess 43 is provided across the first inclined portion 41 and the second inclined portion 42. An external sensor 14 is disposed above the recess 43 via a base front portion 26.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the cover 20 is formed in a plate shape. The cover 20 is disposed on the base 18 and the roof rail 19. A bulging portion 45 that bulges upward is provided at the central portion in the left-right direction of the cover 20. The upper surfaces of both left and right side portions of the cover 20 are disposed on the same plane as the upper surface of the roof panel 6 and the upper surface of the front glass 8.

[0050] The bulging portion 45 of the cover 20 includes a front wall 46 disposed in front of the external sensor 14, a rear wall 47 disposed behind the external sensor 14, a pair of side walls 48 connecting the left and right ends of the front wall 46 and the corresponding left and right ends of the rear wall 47, and an upper wall 49 connecting the upper ends of the front wall 46, the rear wall 47, and each side wall 48. The external sensor 14 and the position sensor 15 are disposed inside the bulging portion 45 of the cover 20, that is, in a space 51 defined by the front wall 46, the rear wall 47, each side wall 48, and the upper wall 49.

[0051] The front wall 46 slopes downward toward the front. The front wall 46 is provided with an opening 52 and a first ventilation port 53 that communicates the inside and outside of the cover 20. The opening 52 overlaps the front surface of the external sensor 14 when viewed from the front. A panel material 54 is provided in the opening 52. The panel material 54 may be formed of, for example, a transparent or translucent resin material.

[0052] The first ventilation port 53 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape. The horizontal width of the first ventilation port 53 is substantially equal to the horizontal width of the opening 52. The first ventilation port 53 is formed above the opening 52.

[0053] The rear wall 47 slopes downward toward the rear. The rear wall 47 is provided with a second ventilation port 55 that communicates the inside and outside of the cover 20. The second ventilation port 55 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape. The second ventilation port 55 is provided at the upper part of the rear wall 47. The second ventilation port 55 preferably overlaps at least a part of the first ventilation port 53 when viewed in the front-rear direction.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5, a ventilation passage 57 that communicates the first ventilation port 53 and the second ventilation port 55 is provided inside the bulging portion 45 of the cover 20. The ventilation passage 57 extends along the front-rear direction from the first ventilation port 53 to the second ventilation port 55. The ventilation passage 57 forms a part of the space 51 inside the bulging portion 45 of the cover 20. In the present embodiment, the ventilation passage 57 is a space between the upper wall 49 of the bulging portion 45 of the cover 20 and the external sensor 14 within the space 51 inside the bulging portion 45 of the cover 20. That is, the ventilation passage 57 is disposed above the external sensor 14.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, on the left and right side rails 4, a groove portion 59 that continues from the left and right outer sides of the roof rail 19 to the bonnet 9 is defined. The groove portion 59 is defined by the side rail 4, the side garnish 7, the roof rail 19, and the windshield 8. For example, the left and right outer ends of the second inclined portion 42 of the roof rail 19 and the left and right ends of the windshield 8 face the upper edges of the corresponding left and right side garnishes 7 with a gap above the side rail 4. In this embodiment, this gap forms the groove portion 59. That is, the left and right outer ends of the second inclined portion 42 of the roof rail 19 are connected to the groove portion 59.

[0056] Note that in other embodiments, the groove portion 59 may be provided along the extending direction of the side rail 4 so as to be recessed downward from the upper surface of the side rail 4.

[0057] By disposing the external sensor 14 on the upper structure 2 (roof) of the vehicle 1, compared with the case where the external sensor 14 is disposed on the front structure 3 (for example, an exterior member such as the front bumper 12) of the vehicle 1, interference (being blocked) of the exterior member of the vehicle 1 in the detection range of the external sensor 14 is suppressed. Also, compared with the case where the external sensor 14 is disposed on the front structure 3 of the vehicle 1, since the external sensor 14 is disposed at a higher position, it is possible to suppress mud, snow, etc. that are lifted up from a preceding other vehicle from adhering to the external sensor 14. In addition, since an impact from the outside due to a minor collision or the like is less likely to be transmitted, damage to the external sensor 14 is suppressed.

[0058] The operation and effects of the sensor mounting structure 17 configured as described above will be described.

[0059] The control device 16 determines whether the vehicle 1 is stopped based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 13. The control device 16 may determine that the vehicle 1 is stopped, for example, when the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13 is 0. When the control device 16 determines that the vehicle 1 has been stopped for a certain period of time, it stops the operation of the external sensor 14.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, the inside of the bulging portion 45 of the cover 20 communicates with the outside through the first ventilation port 53 and the second ventilation port 55. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling forward, the traveling wind caused by the traveling of the vehicle 1 passes through the ventilation path 57 from the front to the rear (arrow A). The traveling wind passing through the ventilation path 57 cools the outside world sensor 14 (LiDAR) and its peripheral portion disposed in the space 51 inside the cover 20, more specifically, inside the bulging portion 45. Thereby, in the sensor mounting structure 17 disposed on the upper structure 2 (roof) of the vehicle 1, the rise in the ambient temperature of the outside world sensor 14 (LiDAR) is suppressed, so that the heat load applied to the outside world sensor 14 is suppressed. Since the ventilation path 57 extends along the front-rear direction from the first ventilation port 53 to the second ventilation port 55, the traveling wind smoothly passes through the ventilation path 57 along the front-rear direction. Therefore, the cooling effect on the outside world sensor 14 and its peripheral portion can be enhanced.

[0061] When the control device 16 determines that the vehicle 1 has stopped for a certain period of time, the control device 16 stops the operation of the outside world sensor 14. Thereby, in a situation where the vehicle 1 has stopped and no traveling wind is generated, the heat generation of the outside world sensor 14 can be suppressed. Therefore, the rise in the ambient temperature of the outside world sensor 14 is more effectively suppressed.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 8, due to rainfall or the like, water enters the inside of the cover 20 from the outside through the first ventilation port 53 or the second ventilation port 55 (arrow B). The water that has entered from the outside falls downward toward the roof rail 19 (arrow C). The first inclined portion 41 of the roof rail 19 is continuous from the rear end to the front end of the roof rail 19. That is, the first inclined portion 41 is continuous from below the second ventilation port 55 to below the first ventilation port 53. Therefore, the water on the roof rail 19 is discharged to the front side of the roof rail 19 along the first inclined portion 41 (arrow D). A part of the water discharged to the front side of the roof rail 19 along the first inclined portion 41 is discharged to the left and right outer sides of the roof rail 19 along the second inclined portion 42 (arrow E). The left and right end portions of the roof rail 19, more specifically, the left and right outer end portions of the second inclined portion 42 of the roof rail 19 are connected to the groove portions 59 of the corresponding left and right side rails 4. Therefore, the water discharged to the left and right outer sides along the second inclined portion 42 is discharged onto the front side of the roof rail 19, more specifically, onto the bonnet 9 (see FIG. 1) along the groove portion 59 of the side rail 4 (arrow F). Thus, it is possible to suppress the water that has entered the inside of the cover 20 from the outside through the first ventilation port 53 or the second ventilation port 55 from accumulating around the outside world sensor 14.

[0063] Since the left and right outer end portions of each second inclined portion 42 are connected to the corresponding side rail 4, it is possible to suppress the water discharged to the left and right outer sides of the roof rail 19 through each second inclined portion 42 from flowing back to each second inclined portion 42. Further, due to the groove portion 59 of the side rail 4, the water discharged from the roof rail 19 is discharged in an appropriate direction (onto the bonnet 9) without being discharged from both the left and right sides of the vehicle 1.

[0064] The front end portion of the roof rail 19 is connected to the upper end portion of the windshield 8. Therefore, the water discharged to the front side of the roof rail 19 along the first inclined portion 41 is discharged onto the windshield 8 (arrow G). Therefore, it is possible to suppress the water discharged to the front of the cover 20 through the first inclined portion 41 from flowing back to the first inclined portion 41.

[0065] When the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill, the vehicle 1 tilts upward toward the front. At this time, the roof rail 19 may also tilt upward toward the front. In this case, the water that has entered the inside of the cover 20 from the outside is discharged along the upper surface of the roof rail 19 toward the rear, and more specifically, toward the recess 43 of the roof rail 19. The water discharged toward the recess 43 of the roof rail 19 is discharged laterally outward along the second inclined portion 42. In this way, even when the roof rail 19 may tilt upward toward the front, it is possible to suppress the water discharged laterally outward of the roof rail 19 through each second inclined portion 42 from flowing backward into each second inclined portion 42. Therefore, even when the roof rail 19 may tilt upward toward the front, it is possible to reliably suppress the water that has entered the inside of the cover 20 from the outside through the first vent 53 or the second vent 55 from accumulating around the external sensor 14.

[0066] With the above description of the specific embodiments completed, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be widely modified and implemented. For example, in the above embodiment, the first vent 53 is provided above the opening 52, but it may be provided on both the left and right sides of the opening 52. Also, although LiDAR is taken as an example of the external sensor 14, in other embodiments, a sensor other than LiDAR (for example, a millimeter-wave radar, a microwave radar, or an ultrasonic sensor) may be taken as an example of the external sensor 14.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0067] 1: Vehicle 2: Upper Structure (Roof) 4: Side Rail 8: Windshield 9: Bonnet 13: Vehicle Speed Sensor 16: Control Device 17: Sensor Mounting Structure (Mounting Structure of External Sensor) 19: Mounting Portion 20: Cover 41: First Inclined Portion 42: Second Inclined Portion 53: First Vent 55: Second vent 57: Vent passage

Claims

1. An attachment structure for an external sensor disposed on the roof of a vehicle, comprising: an external sensor; a mounting portion on which the external sensor is placed; a cover covering the external sensor, and having: a first vent provided at the front of the cover for communicating the interior and the exterior of the cover; a second vent provided at the rear of the cover for communicating the interior and the exterior of the cover; a ventilation passage provided inside the cover for communicating the first vent and the second vent.

2. The mounting portion is a roof rail having a main surface facing upward, the roof rail has a first inclined portion inclined downward toward the front, the first inclined portion is continuous from below the second vent to below the first vent. The attachment structure of the external sensor according to Claim 1.

3. The roof rail further has a pair of second inclined portions inclined downward from the first inclined portion toward the left and right outer sides. The attachment structure of the external sensor according to Claim 2.

4. The vehicle further has a pair of side rails inclined downward toward the front from the left and right outer sides of the roof rail to the bonnet of the vehicle, the left and right outer ends of each second inclined portion are connected to the corresponding side rail. The attachment structure of the external sensor according to Claim 3.

5. Each side rail defines a groove portion continuous from the left and right outer sides of the roof rail to the bonnet, the left and right outer ends of each second inclined portion are connected to the groove portion. The attachment structure of the external sensor according to Claim 4.

6. The front end portion of the first inclined portion is connected to the upper end portion of the front glass of the vehicle. The attachment structure of the external sensor according to Claim 2.

7. The ventilation passage extends along the front-rear direction from the first vent to the second vent. The attachment structure of the external sensor according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

8. The external sensor is a LiDAR. The attachment structure of the external sensor according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

9. A vehicle having the attachment structure of the external sensor according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, comprising: a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the vehicle speed; a control device connected to the external sensor and the vehicle speed sensor, and the control device: determines whether the vehicle is stopped based on the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor. A vehicle that stops the operation of the external sensor when it is determined that the vehicle is stopped.

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