Vehicle cleaning system

Abstract

To provide a cleaner system for a vehicle that is able to prevent deterioration and endless cleaning caused by overheat of a motor pump and a solenoid valve.SOLUTION: A cleaner system for a vehicle includes: a cleaner unit that discharges a cleaning liquid toward a cleaning target mounted on the vehicle; a motor pump 112 that supplies the cleaning liquid to the cleaner unit; a normally closed type of electromagnetic valve 22, 23, 24 provided between the cleaner unit and the motor pump and configured to switch between permission and non-permission of movement of the cleaning liquid from the motor pump to the cleaner unit; and a cleaner control unit 116 configured to control the motor pump and the electromagnetic valves. The cleaner control unit sets an operation stopping time t2 for stopping an operation of at least one of the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve and, based on a predetermined condition, stops the operation of at least one of the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve during the operation stopping time t2 after the cleaning liquid is discharged to the cleaning target.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle cleaner system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, cameras have been mounted on vehicles. The camera outputs the acquired information to a vehicle ECU that controls the host vehicle. A vehicle cleaner capable of cleaning such a camera with a cleaning liquid is known from Patent Document 1 and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Vehicles are increasingly equipped with multiple cameras and sensors. It is conceivable to clean these multiple cameras and sensors with the above-described vehicle cleaner. In this case, it is conceivable to integrate them as a vehicle cleaner system including a plurality of vehicle cleaners and mount them on the vehicle.

[0005] By the way, a vehicle cleaner system has a motor pump that supplies a cleaning liquid to the cleaner and a solenoid valve provided between the cleaner and the motor pump, but there is room for improvement in measures to prevent overheating of these components.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a vehicle cleaner system capable of preventing deterioration and infinite cleaning due to overheating of a motor pump and a solenoid valve.

[0007] In addition, there is room for improvement in the control mode for efficiently cleaning a plurality of cleaning targets by the vehicle cleaner system.

[0008] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a vehicle cleaner system capable of efficiently cleaning a plurality of objects to be cleaned in a short time, and also provides a vehicle cleaner system capable of cleaning a plurality of objects to be cleaned in a suitable order.

[0009] In addition, the vehicle cleaner system has a motor pump for supplying cleaning liquid to the cleaner and a solenoid valve provided between the cleaner and the motor pump, but there is room for improvement in preventing failures and miniaturizing the solenoid valve.

[0010] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a vehicle cleaner system capable of preventing failures and miniaturizing the solenoid valve.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] To achieve the above object, a vehicle cleaner system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a cleaner unit that discharges cleaning liquid toward an object to be cleaned mounted on the vehicle, a motor pump that supplies cleaning liquid to the cleaner unit, a normally-closed solenoid valve provided between the cleaner unit and the motor pump, which switches between permitting and not permitting the movement of the cleaning liquid from the motor pump to the cleaner unit, a cleaner control unit that controls the motor pump and the solenoid valve, and is provided with The cleaner control unit sets an operation stop time for stopping the operation of at least one of the motor pump and the solenoid valve, after discharging the cleaning liquid to the object to be cleaned, based on a predetermined condition, stops the operation of at least one of the motor pump and the solenoid valve during the operation stop time.

[0012] According to the vehicle cleaner system according to the present disclosure, after operating the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve to discharge the cleaning liquid to the object to be cleaned, by providing an operation stop time for stopping the discharge of the cleaning liquid by the cleaner, the heat dissipation of at least one of the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve can be improved, and deterioration due to overheating of the motor pump or the electromagnetic valve can be prevented. Further, it is possible to prevent the cleaning from continuing infinitely by determining that the remaining cleaning liquid on the object to be cleaned is dirt.

[0013] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, The cleaner control unit may set the operation stop time to be longer than the continuous supply time of the cleaning liquid by the motor pump or the continuous permission time of the movement of the cleaning liquid by the electromagnetic valve.

[0014] According to this configuration, by making the operation stop time longer than the continuous operation time of the motor pump or the electromagnetic valve, overheating of the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve can be more reliably prevented.

[0015] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, The predetermined condition may include that at least one of the number of operations of the motor pump and the number of operations of the electromagnetic valve has reached a certain number of times or more.

[0016] According to this configuration, by providing an operation stop time when at least one of the number of operations of the motor pump and the number of operations of the electromagnetic valve has reached a certain number of times or more, overheating of the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve can be preferably prevented.

[0017] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, The predetermined condition may include that one operation of at least one of the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve has been completed.

[0018] According to this configuration, by providing an operation stop time each time the motor pump or the electromagnetic valve operates, overheating of the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve can be more reliably prevented.

[0019] In the vehicle cleaning system of the present disclosure, a plurality of the cleaner units are provided, and the electromagnetic valves are respectively provided between the motor pump and each of the cleaner units, and the cleaner control unit may operate each of the electromagnetic valves in sequence in conjunction with the operation of the motor pump so that the operation timings of the respective electromagnetic valves do not overlap.

[0020] By operating each electromagnetic valve in sequence, for example, when the operation stop time of the electromagnetic valve is longer than the operation stop time of the motor pump, it is possible to prevent waste of waiting for the start of operation of the motor pump until the start of operation of the electromagnetic valve. Also, if the cleaning liquid is simultaneously supplied to each of the cleaner units, the water pressure of the cleaning liquid may decrease, leading to a decrease in cleaning performance. According to this configuration, the cleaning liquid is not simultaneously supplied to the plurality of cleaner units, and the cleaning performance can be maintained.

[0021] To achieve the above object, a vehicle cleaning system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of cleaner units that discharge a cleaning liquid toward a cleaning target mounted on a vehicle, a motor pump that supplies the cleaning liquid to the plurality of cleaner units, a plurality of normally closed electromagnetic valves respectively provided between each of the plurality of cleaner units and the motor pump, for switching permission and non - permission of the movement of the cleaning liquid from the motor pump to each of the plurality of cleaner units, a cleaner control unit that controls the motor pump and the plurality of electromagnetic valves, and the cleaner control unit sets a priority order of the operation order of each electromagnetic valve corresponding to each of the plurality of cleaner units according to the attributes of the plurality of cleaner units, sets a cleaning prohibition time for stopping the cleaning of each of the plurality of cleaner units, During the cleaning prohibition time associated with the first cleaner unit among the plurality of cleaner units, if an instruction signal permitting cleaning of two or more cleaner units including the first cleaner unit is received, the operation of the solenoid valve corresponding to at least one cleaner unit with the highest priority among the two or more cleaner units excluding the first cleaner unit is permitted.

[0022] In order to prevent overheating of the solenoid valve and deterioration of the functions to be cleaned, a cleaning prohibition time for stopping the cleaning of each cleaner unit may be set. However, if the cleaning of all cleaner units is stopped during the cleaning prohibition time of each cleaner unit, the time until the cleaning of all cleaner units is completed increases. Therefore, according to the vehicle cleaner system according to the present disclosure, even during the cleaning prohibition time of one cleaner unit among the plurality of cleaner units, by permitting the operation of the solenoid valve with the next highest priority, a plurality of cleaning targets can be efficiently cleaned in a short time.

[0023] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, the cleaner control unit sets an operation stop time for stopping the operation of the motor pump, and after the operation stop time has elapsed, the operation of the solenoid valve corresponding to at least one cleaner unit with the highest priority may be permitted.

[0024] According to this configuration, by permitting the operation of the solenoid valve corresponding to another cleaner unit after the operation stop time for heat dissipation standby of the motor pump has elapsed, it is possible to prevent overheating of the motor pump and efficiently clean a plurality of cleaning targets.

[0025] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, the cleaner control unit may permit the operation of the solenoid valve so that the operation timings of the respective solenoid valves do not overlap.

[0026] If the cleaning liquid is supplied to a plurality of cleaner units simultaneously, the water pressure of the cleaning liquid may decrease, leading to a decline in cleaning performance. Therefore, it is preferable to prevent the operation timings of the plurality of solenoid valves from overlapping.

[0027] To achieve the above object, a vehicle cleaner system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of cleaner units that discharge a cleaning liquid toward a cleaning target mounted on a vehicle; a motor pump that supplies the cleaning liquid to the plurality of cleaner units; a plurality of solenoid valves respectively provided between each of the plurality of cleaner units and the motor pump, for switching between permitting and not permitting the movement of the cleaning liquid from the motor pump to each of the plurality of cleaner units; a cleaner control unit that controls the motor pump and the plurality of solenoid valves; and the cleaner control unit controls the operation of the plurality of solenoid valves based on either a first priority order set by a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle to determine the operation order of the plurality of cleaner units, or a second priority order set by the cleaner control unit to determine the operation order of the plurality of cleaner units.

[0028] According to the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, the cleaning priority order of the plurality of cleaner units can be changed according to the system mounted on the vehicle, the vehicle situation, etc. Thereby, a plurality of cleaning targets can be cleaned in a suitable operation order.

[0029] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, the cleaner control unit when the first priority order exists, gives priority to the first priority order over the second priority order, and when the first priority order does not exist or when the cleaning of the plurality of cleaner units is specified by the vehicle control unit to be of the same priority, the second priority order may be selected.

[0030] According to this configuration, by preferentially selecting the first priority set by the vehicle control unit that controls the entire vehicle over the second priority, it is possible to perform cleaning in an operation order according to the situation of the entire vehicle.

[0031] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, the second priority includes a plurality of priorities with different operation orders according to the situation of the vehicle, the cleaner control unit may select one of the plurality of priorities according to the information associated with the situation received from the vehicle control unit.

[0032] According to this configuration, by selecting a suitable priority from among a plurality of second priorities according to the vehicle situation, efficient cleaning becomes possible.

[0033] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, when the cleaner control unit operates each solenoid valve based on the first priority or the second priority, the cleaner control unit may permit the operation of the solenoid valve so that the operation timings of the respective solenoid valves do not overlap.

[0034] When the cleaning liquid is simultaneously supplied to a plurality of cleaner units, the water pressure of the cleaning liquid decreases, which may lead to a decrease in cleaning performance. Therefore, it is preferable that the operation timings of the plurality of solenoid valves do not overlap.

[0035] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle cleaner system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a cleaner unit that discharges a cleaning liquid toward a cleaning target mounted on the vehicle, a motor pump that supplies the cleaning liquid to the cleaner unit, a normally closed solenoid valve provided between the cleaner unit and the motor pump, which switches between permitting and not permitting the movement of the cleaning liquid from the motor pump to the cleaner unit, a cleaner control unit that controls the motor pump and the solenoid valve, comprises the cleaner control unit starts the operation of the motor pump after a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the opening operation of the solenoid valve.

[0036] If the motor pump is operated before the solenoid valve is opened, the internal pressure in the pipe between the motor pump and the solenoid valve will increase, which may lead to damage or leakage of the solenoid valve. Also, the solenoid valve has to be made large for pressure resistance. On the other hand, according to the vehicle cleaner system according to the present disclosure, by starting the operation of the motor pump after opening the solenoid valve, it is possible to suppress the increase in internal pressure. Therefore, even when the solenoid valve is miniaturized, damage to the solenoid valve can be prevented.

[0037] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, the certain period of time may be the time from the start of the opening operation of the solenoid valve to the completion of the opening operation.

[0038] According to this configuration, by starting the operation of the motor pump after the opening operation of the solenoid valve is completed, it is possible to promote the miniaturization of the solenoid valve and more reliably prevent damage to the solenoid valve.

[0039] To achieve the above object, a vehicle cleaner system according to one aspect of the present disclosure a cleaner unit that discharges cleaning liquid toward a cleaning target mounted on a vehicle; a motor pump that supplies cleaning liquid to the cleaner unit; a normally closed solenoid valve provided between the cleaner unit and the motor pump, which switches between permitting and not permitting the movement of the cleaning liquid from the motor pump to the cleaner unit; a cleaner control unit that controls the motor pump and the solenoid valve; comprises the cleaner control unit After starting the opening operation of the electromagnetic valve and starting the operation of the motor pump, the closing operation of the electromagnetic valve is started after a certain period of time has elapsed since the operation of the motor pump was stopped.

[0040] When the electromagnetic valve is closed before stopping the operation of the motor pump while the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve are in an operating state, the internal pressure of the pipe between the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve increases, which may lead to damage or leakage of the electromagnetic valve. Also, the electromagnetic valve has to be made large for pressure resistance. On the other hand, according to the vehicle cleaner system according to the present disclosure, by closing the electromagnetic valve after stopping the operation of the motor pump, an increase in internal pressure can be suppressed, so even when the electromagnetic valve is miniaturized, damage to the electromagnetic valve can be prevented.

[0041] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, The cleaner unit has a nozzle that injects the cleaning liquid toward the object to be cleaned by the discharge pressure of the motor pump, and the injection of the cleaning liquid stops when the discharge pressure disappears. The certain period of time may be the time until the residual pressure due to inertia on the nozzle normalizes after the operation of the motor pump stops.

[0042] If the electromagnetic valve is closed simultaneously with or immediately after the operation of the motor pump stops, the internal pressure of the pipe between the motor pump and the electromagnetic valve increases due to the residual pressure caused by the inertial force, which may lead to damage or leakage of the electromagnetic valve, and the electromagnetic valve has to be made large. Therefore, it is preferable to close the electromagnetic valve after the residual pressure normalizes after the motor pump stops.

[0043] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, The cleaner unit includes a cylinder, a piston that is supported so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the cylinder, and a nozzle provided at the tip of the piston that injects the cleaning liquid toward the object to be cleaned in a state where the piston protrudes from the cylinder. When the motor pump operates, the piston protrudes from the cylinder, and when the operation of the motor pump stops, the piston is housed in the cylinder. The fixed time may be the time from when the operation of the motor pump stops until the piston is completely housed in the cylinder.

[0044] In the case of a pop-up type nozzle, when the internal pressure increases due to the operation of the motor pump, the piston provided with the nozzle at the tip protrudes from the cylinder, and when the operation of the motor pump stops, the internal pressure decreases and the piston is housed in the cylinder. However, if the solenoid valve is closed before the piston is completely housed in the cylinder, the internal pressure may not drop completely, and there is a possibility that the piston may not be fully housed in the cylinder. Therefore, by starting the closing operation of the solenoid valve after the piston provided with the nozzle at the tip is housed in the cylinder, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the housing of the piston in the cylinder due to the stop of the operation of the motor pump.

[0045] In the vehicle cleaner system of the present disclosure, a plurality of the cleaner units are provided, and the solenoid valves are respectively provided between the motor pump and each of the cleaner units. The cleaner control unit may operate each of the solenoid valves in order in conjunction with the operation of the motor pump so that the operation timings of the respective solenoid valves do not overlap.

[0046] If the cleaning liquid is supplied to each cleaner unit simultaneously, the water pressure of the cleaning liquid may decrease, leading to a decrease in cleaning performance. According to this configuration, the cleaning liquid is not supplied to the plurality of cleaner units simultaneously, and the cleaning performance can be maintained.

Advantages of the Invention

[0047] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle cleaner system capable of preventing deterioration and infinite cleaning due to overheating of a motor pump and a solenoid valve is provided.

[0048] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle cleaner system capable of efficiently cleaning a plurality of cleaning targets in a short time is provided.

[0049] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle cleaner system capable of cleaning a plurality of cleaning targets in a suitable order is provided.

[0050] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle cleaner system capable of preventing failure and miniaturizing a solenoid valve is provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0051]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0052] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the present embodiment, for the members having the same reference numerals as the members already described, the description thereof will be omitted for the sake of convenience of explanation. Also, the dimensions of each member shown in the drawings may be different from the actual dimensions of each member for the sake of convenience of explanation.

[0053] Also, in the description of the present embodiment, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the "left - right direction", "front - rear direction", and "up - down direction" will be appropriately referred to. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1. Here, the "up - down direction" is a direction including the "upward direction" and the "downward direction". The "front - rear direction" is a direction including the "front direction" and the "rear direction". The "left - right direction" is a direction including the "left direction" and the "right direction".

[0054] FIG. 1 is a top view of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle cleaner system 100 (hereinafter referred to as the cleaner system 100) according to the present embodiment. The vehicle 1 is equipped with the cleaner system 100. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 1 is an automobile capable of traveling in an autonomous driving mode.

[0055] First, the vehicle system 2 of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the vehicle system 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle system 2 includes a vehicle control unit 3, an internal sensor 5, an external sensor 6, a lamp 7, an HMI 8 (Human Machine Interface), a GPS 9 (Global Positioning System), a wireless communication unit 10, and a map information storage unit 11. Further, the vehicle system 2 includes a steering actuator 12, a steering device 13, a brake actuator 14, a brake device 15, an accelerator actuator 16, and an accelerator device 17.

[0056] The vehicle control unit 3 is composed of an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicle control unit 3 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various vehicle control programs are stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which various vehicle control data are temporarily stored. The processor is configured to expand a program designated from various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM onto the RAM and execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM. The vehicle control unit 3 is configured to control the running of the vehicle 1.

[0057] The internal sensor 5 is a sensor capable of acquiring information of the host vehicle. The internal sensor 5 is at least one of, for example, an acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, a wheel speed sensor, and a gyro sensor. The internal sensor 5 is configured to acquire information of the host vehicle including the running state of the vehicle 1 and output the information to the vehicle control unit 3. The internal sensor 5 may include a seating sensor for detecting whether the driver is sitting in the driver's seat, a face direction sensor for detecting the direction of the driver's face, a human presence sensor for detecting whether there is a person in the vehicle, and the like.

[0058] The external sensor 6 is a sensor capable of acquiring information outside the host vehicle. The external sensor is at least one of, for example, a camera, a radar, a LiDAR, etc. The external sensor 6 is configured to acquire information outside the host vehicle including the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 (other vehicles, pedestrians, road shape, traffic signs, obstacles, etc.) and output the information to the vehicle control unit 3. Alternatively, the external sensor 6 may be provided with a weather sensor for detecting the weather condition, an illuminance sensor for detecting the illuminance of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1, and the like. The camera is, for example, a camera including an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor). The camera is a camera for detecting visible light or an infrared camera for detecting infrared rays. The radar is a millimeter-wave radar, a microwave radar, a laser radar, or the like. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging. LiDAR is generally a sensor that emits non-visible light in front of it and acquires information such as the distance to an object, the shape of the object, and the material of the object based on the emitted light and the returned light.

[0059] The lamp 7 is at least one of a headlamp and a position lamp provided at the front of the vehicle 1, a rear combination lamp provided at the rear of the vehicle 1, a turn signal lamp provided at the front or side of the vehicle, and various lamps for notifying pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles of the situation of the host vehicle.

[0060] The HMI 8 is composed of an input unit for receiving an input operation from the driver and an output unit for outputting driving information and the like to the driver. The input unit includes a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a driving mode changeover switch for switching the driving mode of the vehicle 1, and the like. The output unit is a display for displaying various driving information.

[0061] The GPS 9 is configured to acquire the current position information of the vehicle 1 and output the acquired current position information to the vehicle control unit 3. The wireless communication unit 10 is configured to receive the driving information of other vehicles around the vehicle 1 from the other vehicles and transmit the driving information of the vehicle 1 to the other vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle communication). Further, the wireless communication unit 10 is configured to receive the infrastructure information from infrastructure facilities such as traffic lights and sign lights and transmit the driving information of the vehicle 1 to the infrastructure facilities (road-to-vehicle communication). The map information storage unit 11 is an external storage device such as a hard disk drive in which map information is stored, and is configured to output the map information to the vehicle control unit 3.

[0062] When the vehicle 1 travels in the automatic driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 automatically generates at least one of a steering control signal, an accelerator control signal, and a brake control signal based on the driving state information, the surrounding environment information, the current position information, the map information, etc. The steering actuator 12 is configured to receive the steering control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the steering device 13 based on the received steering control signal. The brake actuator 14 is configured to receive the brake control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the brake device 15 based on the received brake control signal. The accelerator actuator 16 is configured to receive the accelerator control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the accelerator device 17 based on the received accelerator control signal. Thus, in the automatic driving mode, the driving of the vehicle 1 is automatically controlled by the vehicle system 2.

[0063] On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 travels in the manual driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 generates a steering control signal, an accelerator control signal, and a brake control signal according to the driver's manual operations on the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, and the steering wheel. Thus, in the manual driving mode, since the steering control signal, the accelerator control signal, and the brake control signal are generated by the driver's manual operations, the driving of the vehicle 1 is controlled by the driver.

[0064] Next, the driving modes of vehicle 1 will be described. The driving modes consist of an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode. The automatic driving mode consists of a full automatic driving mode, a highly automated driving support mode, and a driving support mode. In the full automatic driving mode, vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving controls such as steering control, brake control, and accelerator control, and the driver is not in a state where they can drive vehicle 1. In the highly automated driving support mode, vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving controls such as steering control, brake control, and accelerator control, and although the driver is in a state where they can drive vehicle 1, they do not drive vehicle 1. In the driving support mode, vehicle system 2 automatically performs some of the driving controls such as steering control, brake control, and accelerator control, and the driver drives vehicle 1 under the driving support of vehicle system 2. On the other hand, in the manual driving mode, vehicle system 2 does not automatically perform driving control, and the driver drives vehicle 1 without the driving support of vehicle system 2.

[0065] Also, the driving mode of vehicle 1 may be switched by operating a driving mode switch. In this case, vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of vehicle 1 among the four driving modes (full automatic driving mode, highly automated driving support mode, driving support mode, manual driving mode) according to the driver's operation on the driving mode switch. Further, the driving mode of vehicle 1 may be automatically switched based on information about a drivable section where an autonomous vehicle can travel or a non-drivable section where the travel of an autonomous vehicle is prohibited, or information about the external weather condition. In this case, vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of vehicle 1 based on this information. Additionally, the driving mode of vehicle 1 may be automatically switched by using a seating sensor, a face orientation sensor, etc. In this case, vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of vehicle 1 based on the output signals from the seating sensor and the face orientation sensor.

[0066] Returning to FIG. 1, vehicle 1 has, as external sensors 6, a front LiDAR 6f, a rear LiDAR 6b, a right LiDAR 6r, a left LiDAR 6l, a front camera 6c, and a rear camera 6d. The front LiDAR 6f is configured to acquire information in front of vehicle 1. The rear LiDAR 6b is configured to acquire information behind vehicle 1. The right LiDAR 6r is configured to acquire information on the right side of vehicle 1. The left LiDAR 6l is configured to acquire information on the left side of vehicle 1. The front camera 6c is configured to acquire information in front of vehicle 1. The rear camera 6d is configured to acquire information behind vehicle 1.

[0067] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the front LiDAR 6f is provided at the front part of vehicle 1, the rear LiDAR 6b is provided at the rear part of vehicle 1, the right LiDAR 6r is provided at the right part of vehicle 1, and the left LiDAR 6l is provided at the left part of vehicle 1. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, the front LiDAR, rear LiDAR, right LiDAR, and left LiDAR may be collectively arranged on the ceiling of vehicle 1.

[0068] Vehicle 1 has, as lamps 7, a right headlamp 7r and a left headlamp 7l. The right headlamp 7r is provided at the right part of the front part of vehicle 1, and the left headlamp 7l is provided at the left part of the front part of vehicle 1. The right headlamp 7r is provided further to the right than the left headlamp 7l.

[0069] Vehicle 1 has a front window 1f and a rear window 1b.

[0070] Vehicle 1 has a cleaner system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cleaner system 100 is a system that removes foreign matters such as water droplets, mud, and dust adhering to an object to be cleaned using a cleaning medium. In the present embodiment, the cleaner system 100 includes a front window washer (hereinafter referred to as front WW) 101, a rear window washer (hereinafter referred to as rear WW) 102, a front LiDAR cleaner (hereinafter referred to as front LC) 103, a rear LiDAR cleaner (hereinafter referred to as rear LC) 104, a right LiDAR cleaner (hereinafter referred to as right LC) 105, a left LiDAR cleaner (hereinafter referred to as left LC) 106, a right headlamp cleaner (hereinafter referred to as right HC) 107, a left headlamp cleaner (hereinafter referred to as left HC) 108, a front camera cleaner (hereinafter referred to as front CC) 109a, and a rear camera cleaner 109b (hereinafter referred to as rear CC). Each cleaner (cleaner unit) 101 to 109b has one or more nozzles, and discharges a cleaning medium such as cleaning liquid or air from the nozzles toward the object to be cleaned.

[0071] The front WW 101 can clean the front window 1f. The rear WW 102 can clean the rear window 1b. The front LC 103 can clean the front LiDAR 6f. The rear LC 104 can clean the rear LiDAR 6b. The right LC 105 can clean the right LiDAR 6r. The left LC 106 can clean the left LiDAR 6l. The right HC 107 can clean the right headlamp 7r. The left HC 108 can clean the left headlamp 7l. The front CC 109a can clean the front camera 6c. The rear CC 109b can clean the rear camera 6d. In the following description, the front CC 109a and the rear CC 109b may be collectively referred to as CC 109.

[0072] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the cleaner system 100. The cleaner system 100 includes, in addition to the cleaners 101 to 109b, a front tank 111, a front pump 112, a rear tank 113, a rear pump 114, and a cleaner control unit 116.

[0073] The front WW101, front LC103, right LC105, left LC106, right HC107, left HC108, and front CC109a are connected to the front tank 111 via the front pump 112. The front pump 112 sends the cleaning liquid stored in the front tank 111 to the front WW101, front LC103, right LC105, left LC106, right HC107, left HC108, and front CC109a.

[0074] The rear WW102, rear LC104, and rear CC109b are connected to the rear tank 113 via the rear pump 114. The rear pump 114 sends the cleaning liquid stored in the rear tank 113 to the rear WW102, rear LC104, and rear CC109b.

[0075] Each of the cleaners 101 to 109b is provided with an actuator that opens the nozzle to discharge the cleaning liquid onto the object to be cleaned. The actuators provided in each of the cleaners 101 to 109b are electrically connected to the cleaner control unit 116. Also, the cleaner control unit 116 is electrically connected to the front pump 112, rear pump 114, and vehicle control unit 3.

[0076] In the cleaner system 100 according to the present embodiment, the cleaner control unit 116 is configured to output a signal for operating the sensor cleaners 103 to 106, 109 to the sensor cleaners 103 to 106, 109 based on a signal output from the vehicle control unit.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 3, in the cleaner system 100 according to the present embodiment, a first solenoid valve 21 is provided in the pipeline connecting the front pump 112 and the front WW101, a second solenoid valve 22 is provided in the pipeline connecting the first solenoid valve 21 and the front LC103, a third solenoid valve 23 is provided in the pipeline connecting the second solenoid valve 22 and the right LC105, a fourth solenoid valve 24 is provided in the pipeline connecting the third solenoid valve 23 and the left LC106, a fifth solenoid valve 25 is provided in the pipeline connecting the fourth solenoid valve 24 and the right HC107, a sixth solenoid valve 26 is provided in the pipeline connecting the fifth solenoid valve 25 and the left HC108, and a seventh solenoid valve 27 is provided in the pipeline connecting the sixth solenoid valve 26 and the front CC109a. An eighth solenoid valve 28 is provided in a pipeline connecting the rear pump 114 and the rear CC 109b, a ninth solenoid valve 29 is provided in a pipeline connecting the eighth solenoid valve 28 and the rear LC 104, and a tenth solenoid valve 30 is provided in a pipeline connecting the ninth solenoid valve 29 and the rear WW 102.

[0078] All of the first solenoid valve 21 to the tenth solenoid valve 30 have the same configuration. The first solenoid valve 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a front view of the first solenoid valve 21. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional arrow view taken along line V-V of FIG. 4 in the closed state.

[0079] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first solenoid valve 21 includes a first pipeline 40, a second pipeline 42, an intersection 44, and a solenoid 50. The first pipeline 40 is a pipeline connected to the front pump 112. The second pipeline 42 is a pipeline connected to the front WW 101. The intersection (confluence) 44 is a portion where the first pipeline 40 and the second pipeline 42 intersect. The cleaning liquid discharged from the front pump 112 and flowing into the first pipeline 40 flows into the second pipeline 42 through the intersection 44.

[0080] The solenoid 50 has a coil 51 (stator), a mover 52, a yoke 53, and a spring 54. The spring 54 is provided between the yoke 53 and the mover 52. The mover 52 is linearly displaceable along the axis A.

[0081] In the normal state where no current is applied to the coil 51, the first solenoid valve 21 is in the closed state shown in FIG. 5. In this closed state, the spring 54 urges the mover 52 downward, so that the intersection 44 between the first pipeline 40 and the second pipeline 42 is blocked by the mover 52. Therefore, the cleaning liquid does not flow from the first pipeline 40 to the second pipeline 42. That is, the first solenoid valve 21 is a normally closed type solenoid valve. On the one hand, when current is applied to the coil 51, a force (a force directed upward in FIG. 5) that attempts to approach the coil 51 is generated in the mover 52. The mover 52 moves upward in FIG. 5 while compressing the spring 54 against the elastic force of the spring 54. As a result, the intersection 44 is opened, and the cleaning liquid flows from the first pipeline 40 to the second pipeline 42. In this way, the first solenoid valve 21 can be switched between a closed state that does not allow the cleaning liquid discharged from the pre-pump 112 and flowing into the first solenoid valve 21 to be sent to the pre-WW101, and an open state that allows the cleaning liquid discharged from the pre-pump 112 and flowing into the first solenoid valve 21 to be sent to the pre-WW101. That is, the first solenoid valve 21 can switch between allowing and not allowing the movement of the cleaning liquid from the pre-pump 112 to the pre-WW101.

[0082] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the second solenoid valve 22 to the fourth solenoid valve 24 are connected between the pre-pump 112 and a plurality of cleaners (for example, the pre-LC103, the right LC105, and the left LC106) in the cleaner system 100A according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the cleaner control unit 116 in the cleaner system 100A shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a timing chart schematically showing the operating timing of the pre-pump 112, the operating timing of the second solenoid valve 22 and the pre-LC103, the operating timing of the third solenoid valve 23 and the right LC105, and the operating timing of the fourth solenoid valve 24 and the left LC106.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaner system 100A according to the first embodiment includes, for example, a pre-tank 111 that stores the cleaning liquid, and a pre-pump 112 that sends the cleaning liquid stored in the pre-tank 111 to the pre-LC103, the right LC105, the left LC106, etc. For the sake of simplicity of explanation, the cleaners (the pre-WW101, the right HC107, etc.) shown in FIG. 3 other than the pre-LC103, the right LC105, and the left LC106 are not shown.

[0084] Downstream of the front pump 112, a branch portion 71 including the second solenoid valve 22 having the above-described structure, a branch portion 72 including the third solenoid valve 23 having the above-described structure, and a branch portion 73 including the fourth solenoid valve 24 having the above-described structure are provided. An occlusion portion 74 for preventing the discharge of the cleaning liquid to the outside is provided on the outlet side (downstream side) of the first pipeline 40 of the fourth solenoid valve 24.

[0085] The front pump 112, the front LC 103, the right LC 105, the left LC 106, the second solenoid valve 22, the third solenoid valve 23, and the fourth solenoid valve 24 are controlled in their operations by the cleaner control unit 116. The cleaner control unit 116 can switch between permitting and not permitting the discharge of the cleaning liquid to the front LC 103 by switching between the open state and the closed state of the second solenoid valve 22. The cleaner control unit 116 can switch between permitting and not permitting the discharge of the cleaning liquid to the right LC 105 by switching between the open state and the closed state of the third solenoid valve 23. The cleaner control unit 116 can switch between permitting and not permitting the discharge of the cleaning liquid to the left LC 106 by switching between the open state and the closed state of the fourth solenoid valve 24.

[0086] Next, an example of the process executed by the cleaner control unit 116 in the cleaner system 100A shown in FIG. 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. As shown in FIG. 7, first, the cleaner control unit 116 receives a cleaning signal for cleaning the cleaning target mounted on the vehicle 1 from the vehicle control unit 3 (step S1). In the present embodiment, the cleaner control unit 116 receives, for example, a cleaning signal for cleaning the front LiDAR 6f which is the cleaning target of the front LC 103, the right LiDAR 6r which is the cleaning target of the right LC 105, and the left LiDAR 6l which is the cleaning target of the left LC 106 from the vehicle control unit 3.

[0087] Next, as shown in FIG. 8, based on the cleaning signal received from the vehicle control unit 3, the cleaner control unit 116 starts the operation of the front pump 112 (step S2). That is, the cleaner control unit 116 starts discharging the cleaning liquid from the front pump 112. Also, almost simultaneously with starting the operation of the front pump 112, the cleaner control unit 116 starts the operation of the front LC103, the right LC105, and the left LC106, which are cleaners for cleaning the front LiDAR 6f, the right LiDAR 6r, and the left LiDAR 6l, respectively. Also, almost simultaneously with starting the operation of the front pump 112, the cleaner control unit 116 starts the operation of the second solenoid valve 22, the third solenoid valve 23, and the fourth solenoid valve 24 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the front LC103, the right LC105, and the left LC106, respectively.

[0088] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether or not the continuous operation possible time t1 has elapsed (step S3). The continuous operation possible time t1 is the time during which the front pump 112 and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 can operate continuously (see FIG. 8). That is, the continuous operation possible time t1 corresponds to the continuous supply time of the cleaning liquid by the front pump 112 and the continuous permission time of the movement of the cleaning liquid by the second solenoid valve 22 to the fourth solenoid valve 24. The continuous operation possible time t1 can be arbitrarily set as long as the front pump 112 and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 do not overheat. In this example, the continuous operation possible time of the front LC103, the right LC105, the left LC106, and the second solenoid valve 22 to the fourth solenoid valve 24 corresponding to these cleaners 103, 105, 106 is set to be substantially the same as the continuous operation possible time of the front pump 112. Note that the continuous operation possible time of the front pump 112 and the continuous operation possible time of each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 may be different.

[0089] In step S3, if it is determined that the continuous operation possible time t1 has elapsed (Yes in step S3), the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operation of the front pump 112, the front LC103, the right LC105, the left LC106, and the second solenoid valve 22 to the fourth solenoid valve 24 (step S4).

[0090] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether the number of operations of the pre-pump 112 or the like based on one cleaning signal received from the vehicle control unit 3 is equal to or greater than a threshold value (a certain number of times) (step S5). The threshold value of the number of operations is, for example, from 1 to 10 times. In this example, if the threshold value is set to 3 times. In step S5, if it is determined that the number of operations of the pre-pump 112 or the like is less than 3 times (No in step S5), the process returns to step S2, and the cleaner control unit 116 resumes the operations of the pre-pump 112, each of the LC 103, 105, 106, and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24.

[0091] On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of operations of the pre-pump 112 or the like is 3 times or more (Yes in step S5), the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether the operation stop time t2 has elapsed (step S6). The operation stop time t2 is the time from when the operations of the pre-pump 112, each of the LC 103, 105, 106, and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 are stopped until the operations of the pre-pump 112, each of the LC 103, 105, 106, and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 are resumed (see FIG. 8). The operation stop time t2 is preferably set to be longer than the continuous operation possible time t1 of the pre-pump 112 or the like, that is, the continuous supply time of the cleaning liquid by the pre-pump 112 and the continuous permission time of the movement of the cleaning liquid by the second solenoid valve 22 to the fourth solenoid valve 24.

[0092] In step S6, if it is determined that the operation stop time t2 has elapsed (Yes in step S6), the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether a cleaning stop signal has been received from the vehicle control unit 3 (step S7).

[0093] In step S7, if it is determined that the cleaning stop signal has not been received (No in step S7), the process returns to step S2, and the cleaner control unit 116 resumes the operations of the pre-pump 112, each of the LC 103, 105, 106, and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24. On the other hand, when it is determined that a cleaning stop signal has been received (Yes in step S7), the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operation of the pre-pump 112, each of the LC 103, 105, 106, and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24, and ends the process (step S8).

[0094] As described above, the cleaner system 100A according to the first embodiment includes the front LC 103, the right LC 105, the left LC 106 (an example of a cleaner unit), a pre-pump 112 (an example of a motor pump) that supplies cleaning liquid to these cleaners 103, 105, 106, normally-closed second to fourth solenoid valves 22 to 24 that respectively switch the permission and non-permission of the movement of the cleaning liquid from the pre-pump 112 to each of the cleaners 103, 105, 106, and a cleaner control unit 116 that controls the pre-pump 112, each of the cleaners 103, 105, 106, and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24. The cleaner control unit 116 sets an operation stop time t2 for stopping the operation of the pre-pump 112, each of the cleaners 103, 105, 106, and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24. After discharging the cleaning liquid to each of the LiDARs 6f, 6r, 6l corresponding to each of the cleaners 103, 105, 106, based on a predetermined condition, the operation of the pre-pump 112, each of the cleaners 103, 105, 106, and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 is stopped during the operation stop time t2. In this way, by providing the operation stop time t2 for stopping the discharge of the cleaning liquid after operating the pre-pump 112 and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 to discharge the cleaning liquid to each of the LiDARs 6f, 6r, 6l, the heat dissipation performance of the pre-pump 112 and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 can be improved, and deterioration of the pre-pump 112 and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 due to overheating can be prevented. Further, by providing the operation stop time t2, the cleaner control unit 116 can determine that the cleaning liquid remaining on each of the LiDARs 6f, 6r, 6l which is the cleaning target is dirt, and prevent the discharge of the cleaning liquid to the cleaning target from continuing infinitely.

[0095] The cleaner control unit 116 according to the present embodiment preferably makes the operation stop time t2 longer than the continuous operation time t1. Thereby, overheating of the pre-pump 112 and each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 can be more reliably prevented.

[0096] When the number of operating times of the pre-pump 112 and each solenoid valve 22-24 reaches a certain number of times or more, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the pre-pump 112 and each solenoid valve 22-24 for the operation stop time t2. Thereby, the pre-pump 112 and each solenoid valve 22-24 can be continuously operated to such an extent that they do not overheat. Note that the threshold value of the number of operating times is set to 1 time, and the operation stop time t2 may be provided each time one operation of the pre-pump 112 and each solenoid valve 22-24 is completed. Thereby, overheating of the pre-pump 112 and each solenoid valve 22-24 can be more reliably prevented.

[0097] (Modification of the First Embodiment) Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a timing chart according to the modification of the first embodiment.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 9, in this modification, the cleaner control unit 116 may operate the solenoid valves 22-24 in order in conjunction with the operation of the pre-pump 112 so that the operation timings of the solenoid valves 22-24 do not overlap.

[0099] Specifically, the cleaner control unit 116 operates the second solenoid valve 22 (and the pre-LC103) for the continuous operation possible time t1 in synchronization with the first operation of the pre-pump 112. At this time, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the third solenoid valve 23 (and the right LC105) and the fourth solenoid valve 24 (the left LC106). When the continuous operation possible time t1 of the pre-pump 112 and the second solenoid valve 22 has elapsed, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the pre-pump 112 and each solenoid valve 22-24 for the operation stop time t2.

[0100] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 operates the third solenoid valve 23 (and the right LC 105) for a continuous operation possible time t1 in synchronization with the second operation of the pre-pump 112. At this time, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the second solenoid valve 22 (and the pre-LC 103) and the fourth solenoid valve 24 (and the left LC 106). When the continuous operation possible time t1 of the pre-pump 112 and the third solenoid valve 23 elapses, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the pre-pump 112 and the solenoid valves 22 to 24 during the operation stop time t2.

[0101] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 operates the fourth solenoid valve 24 (and the left LC 106) for a continuous operation possible time t1 in synchronization with the third operation of the pre-pump 112. At this time, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the second solenoid valve 22 (and the pre-LC 103) and the third solenoid valve 23 (and the right LC 105). When the continuous operation possible time t1 of the pre-pump 112 and the fourth solenoid valve 24 elapses, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the pre-pump 112 and the solenoid valves 22 to 24 during the operation stop time t2.

[0102] By the way, for example, when the time for stopping the operations of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 is longer than the time for stopping the operation of the pre-pump 112, in the configuration of the first embodiment, it is necessary to also stop the operation of the pre-pump 112 in accordance with the operation stop times of the solenoid valves 22 to 24. In such a case, as described in this modification example, by operating the solenoid valves 22 to 24 in order so that the operation timings of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 do not overlap, it is possible to prevent waste of the operation standby time of the pre-pump 112 depending on the operation stop times of the solenoid valves 22 to 24.

[0103] When the cleaning liquid is simultaneously supplied from the pre-pump 112 to a plurality of cleaner units (in this example, the pre-LC 103, the right LC 105, and the left LC 106), the water pressure of the cleaning liquid decreases, which may lead to a decrease in cleaning performance. According to this modification example, since the cleaning liquid is not simultaneously supplied to a plurality of cleaners, the cleaning performance of the cleaner system can be maintained.

[0104] (Second Embodiment) Next, the cleaner system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed by the cleaner control unit 116 in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a timing chart schematically showing the operation timings of the cleaners 103, 105, and 106 in the second embodiment. In FIG. 11, the front LC 103 is denoted as "C103", the right LC 105 is denoted as "C105", and the left LC 106 is denoted as "C106".

[0105] In the second embodiment, the vehicle control unit 3 and the cleaner control unit 116 are connected by LIN (Local Interconnect Network) communication via a signal line. LIN communication is a type of in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) communication protocol. In LIN communication, a time-triggered method is adopted, and a control signal is transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3 to the cleaner control unit 116 at a predetermined cycle as shown in FIG. 11.

[0106] First, as shown in FIG. 10, the cleaner control unit 116 sets a cleaning prohibition time for stopping the cleaning of each cleaner unit (step S11). The cleaning prohibition time is provided to maintain the functions of the external sensors 6 (cameras and LiDARs) cleaned by each cleaner unit. If the cleaning of the external sensor 6 by the cleaner unit continues for a long time, it may inhibit the sensing function and the like of the external sensor 6. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a cleaning prohibition time so that the cleaning does not continue for a long time. In this example, the cleaner control unit 116 sets a cleaning prohibition time for the front LC 103 for cleaning the front LiDAR 6f, the right LC 105 for cleaning the right LiDAR 6r, and the left LC 106 for cleaning the left LiDAR 6l, respectively. The cleaning prohibition time may be the same or different among the front LC 103, the right LC 105, and the left LC 106. For example, in this example, as shown as the hatched portion in FIG. 11, the front LC 103 is set to have the longest cleaning prohibition time, and the right LC 105 is set to have the shortest cleaning prohibition time.

[0107] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 sets the priority of the cleaning target (step S12). The cleaning priority of the cleaning target is stored in the cleaner control unit 116 as a priority table, for example. In this example, the cleaner control unit 116 sets the cleaning priorities of the front LiDAR 6f, the right LiDAR 6r, and the left LiDAR 6l. The cleaning priorities are, for example, in the order of the front LiDAR 6f, the right LiDAR 6r, and the left LiDAR 6l.

[0108] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 receives a control signal SG1 from the vehicle control unit 3 (step S13). The control signal SG1 includes a cleaning signal for cleaning the cleaning target mounted on the vehicle. In this example, the cleaner control unit 116 receives, as the control signal SG1, cleaning signals for cleaning the front LiDAR 6f, the right LiDAR 6r, and the left LiDAR 6l from the vehicle control unit 3, respectively.

[0109] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines the first cleaning target based on the priority set in step S12 and the control signal SG1 received in step S13 (step S14). In this example, the cleaner control unit 116 determines the front LiDAR 6f, which has the highest priority in the priority table, among the front LiDAR 6f, the right LiDAR 6r, and the left LiDAR 6l included in the control signal SG1, as the first cleaning target.

[0110] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether the operations of the front pump 112 and the solenoid valves 22 to 24 are prohibited (step S15). If it is determined in step S15 that the operations of the front pump 112 and the solenoid valves 22 to 24 are prohibited (Yes in step S15), the cleaner control unit 116 waits until the prohibition of the operations of the front pump 112 and the solenoid valves 22 to 24 is released.

[0111] On the other hand, when the operations of the front pump 112 and the electromagnetic valves 22 to 24 are not prohibited (No in step S15), the cleaner control unit 116 starts cleaning the first cleaning target (step S16). In this example, as shown in FIG. 11, the cleaner control unit 116 starts the operation of the front LC103 in order to clean the front LiDAR6f determined as the first cleaning target in step S14. Note that the cleaner control unit 116 starts discharging the cleaning liquid from the front pump 112 and opens the second electromagnetic valve 22 in conjunction with the operation of the front LC103.

[0112] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether or not the first cleaning target has become clean (step S17). In this example, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether or not the front LiDAR6f cleaned by the front LC103 has become clean. Whether or not the front LiDAR6f has become clean may be detected by, for example, a dirt sensor (not shown) attached to the front LiDAR6f, or may be detected based on the state of an image acquired by the front LiDAR6f.

[0113] If it is determined in step S17 that the first cleaning target has become clean (Yes in step S17), the cleaner control unit 116 stops cleaning the first cleaning target (step S18). Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines the next cleaning target based on the priority table (step S19).

[0114] On the other hand, if it is determined that the first cleaning target is not clean (No in step S17), the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether or not the continuous operation allowable time of the front pump 112 and the second electromagnetic valve 22 (for example, the continuous operation allowable time t1 shown in FIG. 9) has elapsed (step S20). In this example, as shown in FIG. 11, it is assumed that it is determined that the front LiDAR6f is not clean (non-clean). In this case, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether or not the continuous operation allowable time of the front pump 112 and / or the second electromagnetic valve 22 has elapsed.

[0115] In step S20, if it is determined that the continuous operation allowable time has not elapsed (No in step S20), the cleaner control unit 116 continues to clean the first cleaning target. In this example, if it is determined that the continuous operation allowable time has not elapsed, the cleaner control unit 116 continues to clean the front LiDAR 6f by the front LC103. Note that the control signal SG2 and the control signal SG3 received from the vehicle control unit 3 during the continuous operation allowable time of the front pump 112 and / or the second solenoid valve 22 also continuously include information on the front LiDAR 6f, the right LiDAR 6r, and the left LiDAR 6l as cleaning targets (see FIG. 11).

[0116] On the other hand, if it is determined that the continuous operation allowable time has elapsed (Yes in step S20), the cleaner control unit 116 stops cleaning the first cleaning target and transmits a non-clean signal indicating that the cleaning target is not in a clean state to the vehicle control unit 3 (step S21). In this example, if it is determined that the continuous operation allowable time has elapsed, the cleaner control unit 116 stops cleaning the front LiDAR 6f as shown in FIG. 11, that is, stops the operations of the front pump 112, the front LC103, and the second solenoid valve 22, and transmits a non-clean signal SC1 indicating that the front LiDAR 6f is not in a clean state to the vehicle control unit 3.

[0117] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether or not the operation stop time of the front pump 112 has elapsed (step S22). When the continuous operation allowable time has elapsed, an operation stop time for stopping the operation of the front pump 112 for a certain period of time is provided to prevent overheating of the front pump 112. In step S22, if it is determined that the operation stop time of the front pump 112 has not elapsed (No in step S22), the cleaner control unit 116 continues to stop the operation of the front pump 112. Note that the operation stop time of the front pump 112 and the operation stop times of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 may be different. In this example, as shown in FIG. 11, the operation stop time of the second solenoid valve (the second SV) 22 is set to be longer than the operation stop time of the front pump 112.

[0118] On the other hand, when it is determined that the operation stop time of the front pump 112 has elapsed (Yes in step S22), the cleaner control unit 116 determines the next cleaning target, that is, the second cleaning target, based on the control signal SG6 received from the vehicle control unit 3 (step S19). In this example, in step S21, a non-clean signal SC1 indicating that the front LiDAR 6f is not in a clean state has been transmitted to the vehicle control unit 3. Therefore, the control signals SG4 to SG6 received from the vehicle control unit 3 after the transmission of the non-clean signal SC1 to the vehicle control unit 3 still include information on the right LiDAR 6r and the left LiDAR 6l for which cleaning has not been started, as well as the front LiDAR 6f that requires further cleaning. However, as shown in FIG. 11, at the time when the operation stop time of the front pump 112 has elapsed, the operation stop time of the second solenoid valve 22 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the front LC103 has not elapsed. Therefore, in this example, the cleaner control unit 116 does not determine the front LiDAR 6f with the highest priority as the second cleaning target, but determines the right LiDAR 6r with the next highest priority after the front LiDAR 6f as the second cleaning target.

[0119] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 starts cleaning the second cleaning target determined in step S19 (step S23). In this example, the cleaner control unit 116 starts cleaning the right LiDAR 6r determined as the second cleaning target in accordance with the control signal SG5. That is, the cleaner control unit 116 starts the operation of the right LC105 corresponding to the right LiDAR 6r. Note that the cleaner control unit 116 starts discharging the cleaning liquid from the front pump 112 and opens the third solenoid valve 23 in conjunction with the operation of the right LC105.

[0120] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether the cleaning target being cleaned has become clean (step S24). In this example, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether the right LiDAR 6r cleaned by the right LC105 has become clean. In step S24, when it is determined that the object to be cleaned during cleaning has become clean (Yes in step S24), the cleaner control unit 116 stops the cleaning of the object to be cleaned and transmits a cleaning signal indicating that the object to be cleaned has become clean to the vehicle control unit 3 (step S25). In this example, based on the determination that the right LiDAR 6r has become clean, as shown in FIG. 11, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the front pump 112, the right LC 105, and the third solenoid valve 23, and transmits a cleaning signal SC2 indicating that the right LiDAR 6r has become clean to the vehicle control unit 3.

[0121] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether the operation stop time of the front pump 112 has elapsed (step S26). In step S26, when it is determined that the operation stop time of the front pump 112 has elapsed (Yes in step S26), the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether there is a further object to be cleaned (step S27). If it is determined that there is no object to be cleaned (No in step S27), the cleaner control unit 116 ends the process.

[0122] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an object to be cleaned (Yes in step S27), the cleaner control unit 116 returns to step S19 and determines the next object to be cleaned, that is, the third object to be cleaned, based on the control signal received from the vehicle control unit 3. In this example, in step S25, a signal SC2 indicating that the right LiDAR 6r has become clean is transmitted to the vehicle control unit 3. Therefore, the control signals SG7 to SG10 received from the vehicle control unit 3 after the transmission of the cleaning signal SC2 to the vehicle control unit 3 include information on the front LiDAR 6f that requires further cleaning and the left LiDAR 6l for which cleaning has not yet started. However, as shown in FIG. 11, at the time when the operation stop time of the front pump 112 has elapsed, the cleaning prohibition time for prohibiting the cleaning of the front LiDAR 6f has not elapsed. Therefore, in this example, the cleaner control unit 116 does not determine the front LiDAR 6f with the highest priority as the third object to be cleaned, but determines the left LiDAR 6l as the third object to be cleaned.

[0123] After that, the cleaner control unit 116 performs the processes of steps S23 to S27 for the left LiDAR 6l, which is the third cleaning target determined in step S19. In this example, the cleaner control unit 116 starts cleaning the left LiDAR 6l according to the control signal SG8. When the left LiDAR 6l becomes clean, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operations of the front pump 112, the left LC 106, and the fourth solenoid valve 24, and transmits a cleaning signal SC3 indicating that the left LiDAR 6l has become clean to the vehicle control unit 3, as shown in FIG. 11.

[0124] As described above, in this example, the signal SC3 indicating that the left LiDAR 6l is clean is transmitted to the vehicle control unit 3. Therefore, the control signals SG11 to SG15 received from the vehicle control unit 3 after the transmission of the cleaning signal SC3 to the vehicle control unit 3 only include information on the front LiDAR 6f that requires further cleaning. However, as shown in FIG. 11, when the operation stop time of the front pump 112 has elapsed, the cleaning prohibition time for the front LiDAR 6f has not elapsed. Therefore, the cleaner control unit 116 determines the front LiDAR 6f as the fourth cleaning target and waits until the cleaning prohibition time for the front LiDAR 6f elapses. After the cleaning prohibition time for the front LiDAR 6f has elapsed, the cleaner control unit 116 resumes cleaning the front LiDAR 6f. When the cleaning of the front LiDAR 6f is completed, since there is no cleaning target to be cleaned in step S27, the cleaner control unit 116 ends the process.

[0125] As described above, the cleaner control unit 116 according to the second embodiment sets the priority order of the operation order of each of the electromagnetic valves 22 to 24 corresponding to each of the plurality of cleaner units according to the attributes of the plurality of cleaner units, and sets a cleaning prohibition time for stopping the cleaning of each of the plurality of cleaner units. Then, when the cleaner control unit 116 receives an instruction signal permitting cleaning of two or more cleaner units including the one cleaner unit (an example of the first cleaner unit) during the cleaning prohibition time associated with the one cleaner unit among the plurality of cleaner units, it permits the operation of the electromagnetic valve corresponding to the other cleaner unit with the highest priority among the two or more cleaner units excluding the one cleaner unit. In order to prevent overheating of each electromagnetic valve and deterioration of the functions of in-vehicle cameras and in-vehicle sensors to be cleaned, a cleaning prohibition time for stopping the cleaning of each cleaner unit may be set. However, if cleaning of all cleaner units is stopped during the cleaning prohibition time of each cleaner unit, the time required to complete cleaning of all cleaner units will increase. Therefore, according to the cleaner system according to the second embodiment, by permitting the operation of the electromagnetic valve corresponding to the cleaner unit with the next highest priority even during the cleaning prohibition time of one cleaner unit among the plurality of cleaner units, a plurality of cleaning targets can be efficiently cleaned in a short time.

[0126] The cleaner control unit 116 according to the present embodiment may set an operation stop time for stopping the operation of the pre-pump 112, and permit the operation of the electromagnetic valve corresponding to the cleaner unit with the highest priority after the operation stop time has elapsed. In this way, by permitting the operation of the electromagnetic valve corresponding to the cleaner unit with the highest priority after the operation stop time for heat dissipation standby of the pre-pump 112 has elapsed, it is possible to prevent overheating of the pre-pump 112 and efficiently clean a plurality of cleaning targets.

[0127] Similar to the first embodiment, the cleaner control unit 116 according to the second embodiment preferably permits the operation of each of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 so that the timings of the operations of the solenoid valves 22 to 24 do not overlap. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a decrease in cleaning performance due to a decrease in the water pressure of the cleaning liquid caused by simultaneous cleaning.

[0128] (Third Embodiment) Next, the cleaner system according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 shows a priority table Tb1 stored in the cleaner control unit 116 in the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the cleaner control unit 116 in the third embodiment.

[0129] In the third embodiment, the cleaner control unit 116 stores a priority table Tb1 that determines the priority order of the operations of each cleaner unit (see FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 12, the priority table Tb1 includes, for example, the priority order of the operations of the cleaner units in a plurality of modes A to D. For example, mode A is the standard (default) priority order, and for example, the priority order is determined in the order of front WW101, rear WW102, front LC103, rear LC104, right LC105, left LC106, right HC107, left HC108, front CC109a, and rear CC109b.

[0130] In the priority table Tb1, as modes B to D, different priorities from mode A are defined according to the vehicle situation. For example, when the vehicle is moving forward, there is a high need to prioritize cleaning of parts on the front side of the vehicle rather than on the side or rear sides. Therefore, in mode B (forward), for example, the priorities are defined in the order of front WW101, front LC103, front CC109a, right LC105, left LC106, right HC107, left HC108, rear WW102, rear LC104, rear CC109b. On the other hand, when the vehicle is moving backward, there is a high need to prioritize cleaning of parts on the rear side of the vehicle rather than on the front or side sides. Therefore, in mode C (backward), for example, the priorities are defined in the order of rear WW102, rear LC104, rear CC109b, right LC105, left LC106, right HC107, left HC108, front WW101, front LC103, front CC109a. Also, in the case of rainy weather, especially when driving in the automatic driving mode, it is necessary to prioritize cleaning of the external sensor 6 (camera or LiDAR). Therefore, in the case of mode D (rainy day (automatic driving)) shown in FIG. 12, for example, the priorities are defined in the order of front CC109a, rear CC109b, front LC103, rear LC104, right LC105, left LC106, right HC107, left HC108, front WW101, rear WW102.

[0131] Next, the process executed by the cleaner control unit 116 in the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13. First, as shown in FIG. 13, the cleaner control unit 116 receives a control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 (step S31).

[0132] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether the control signal received from the vehicle control unit 3 includes information regarding the priority of operation of each cleaner unit (step S32). In step S32, when it is determined that the control signal received from the vehicle control unit 3 includes information regarding the priority order (Yes in step S32), the cleaner control unit 116 activates each cleaner unit based on the priority order (an example of the first priority order) specified by the vehicle control unit 3 (step S33). For example, when the priority order specified by the vehicle control unit 3 is the front WW101, the front LC103, the front CC109a, the rear WW102, the rear LC104, the rear CC109b, the right LC105, the left LC106, the right HC107, and the left HC108, the cleaner control unit 116 activates each cleaner unit in the specified priority order.

[0133] On the other hand, when it is determined that the control signal received from the vehicle control unit 3 does not include information regarding the priority order of cleaner unit activation (No in step S32), the cleaner control unit 116 determines whether the control signal received from the vehicle control unit 3 includes information regarding the situation of vehicle 1 (step S34). The situation of vehicle 1 may include the traveling direction and speed of vehicle 1, as well as the situation around vehicle 1 (such as weather and road conditions).

[0134] In step S34, when it is determined that the control signal does not include information regarding the situation of vehicle 1 (No in step S34), the cleaner control unit 116 activates each cleaner unit based on the priority order of mode A (standard) defined in the priority order table Tb1 (step S35). Specifically, the cleaner control unit 116 activates the cleaner units in the order of the front WW101, the rear WW102, the front LC103, the rear LC104, the right LC105, the left LC106, the right HC107, the left HC108, the front CC109a, and the rear CC109b based on mode A shown in FIG. 12.

[0135] On the other hand, when it is determined that the control signal includes information regarding the situation of Vehicle 1 (Yes in Step S34), the cleaner control unit 116 selects one of the plurality of modes B to D defined in the priority table Tb2 based on the information regarding the situation of Vehicle 1 included in the control signal (Step S36). For example, when the control signal includes information indicating that Vehicle 1 is moving forward, the cleaner control unit 116 selects Mode B (forward) from among the plurality of modes B to C defined in the priority table Tb1. Also, when the control signal includes information indicating that Vehicle 1 is moving backward, the cleaner control unit 116 selects Mode C (backward). Further, when the control signal includes information indicating that the periphery of Vehicle 1 is rainy, the cleaner control unit 116 selects Mode D (rainy).

[0136] Next, the cleaner control unit 116 operates each cleaner unit in order based on the priority in the mode selected in Step S36 (Step S37). For example, when Mode B (forward) is selected, the cleaner control unit 116 operates the cleaner units in the order of front WW101, front LC103, front CC109a, right LC105, left LC106, right HC107, left HC108, rear WW102, rear LC104, rear CC109b.

[0137] As described above, the cleaner control unit 116 according to the third embodiment controls the operation of each solenoid valve based on either the priority set by the vehicle control unit 3 (an example of the first priority) for determining the operation order of the plurality of cleaner units or the priority set by the cleaner control unit 116 (an example of the second priority) for determining the operation order of the plurality of cleaner units. According to such a configuration, the cleaning priority of the plurality of cleaner units can be changed according to the system mounted on Vehicle 1, the situation of Vehicle 1, etc. Thereby, a plurality of cleaning targets can be cleaned in a suitable operation order.

[0138] When there is a priority specified by the vehicle control unit 3, the cleaner control unit 116 according to the present embodiment is configured to prioritize the priority specified by the vehicle control unit 3 over the priority (for example, priority table Tb1) defined by the cleaner control unit 116. In addition, when no priority is specified by the vehicle control unit 3, the cleaner control unit 116 is configured to select a predetermined priority defined in the priority table Tb1. By preferentially selecting the priority set by the vehicle control unit 3 that controls the entire vehicle 1 over the priority set by the cleaner control unit 116, it becomes possible to perform cleaning in an operation order according to the situation of the entire vehicle 1. Note that even when there is a priority specified by the vehicle control unit 3, it is possible that the cleaning of a plurality of cleaner units is specified at the same priority level in that priority. Thus, when the cleaning of a plurality of cleaner units is specified at the same priority level by the vehicle control unit 3, the cleaner control unit 116 selects a predetermined priority defined in the priority table Tb1 and controls the operation of each solenoid valve.

[0139] The priority table Tb1 set by the cleaner control unit 116 includes a plurality of priorities (for example, modes A to D in FIG. 12) with different operation orders according to the situation of the vehicle 1. Then, the cleaner control unit 116 may select any one of the plurality of modes A to D according to the information associated with the situation of the vehicle 1 received from the vehicle control unit 3. According to this configuration, by selecting a suitable mode from among the plurality of modes according to the vehicle situation, more efficient cleaning becomes possible.

[0140] Similar to the first embodiment, the cleaner control unit 116 according to the third embodiment preferably permits the operation of each solenoid valve so that the operation timings of the solenoid valves do not overlap. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a decrease in cleaning performance caused by a decrease in the water pressure of the cleaning liquid due to simultaneous cleaning.

[0141] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, the cleaner system according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a timing chart schematically showing the operating timings of the solenoid valve, the motor pump, and the nozzle unit in the fourth embodiment.

[0142] The cleaner unit used in the fourth embodiment includes a so-called pop-up type nozzle unit. The pop-up type nozzle unit includes, for example, a cylinder formed in a cylindrical shape, a piston slidably supported inside the cylinder, and a nozzle provided at the tip of the piston. When the operation of the motor pump such as the front pump 112 starts, the internal pressure in the cylinder increases, and the piston provided with the nozzle at the tip protrudes from the cylinder. On the other hand, when the operation of the motor pump stops, the internal pressure in the cylinder decreases, and the piston is accommodated in the cylinder. In this way, by starting and stopping the operation of the motor pump, the piston provided with the nozzle can move forward and backward with respect to the cylinder.

[0143] In the present embodiment, when the cleaner control unit 116 receives a control signal for operating the cleaner unit from the vehicle control unit 3, as shown in FIG. 14, first, the cleaner control unit 116 starts the opening operation of the solenoid valve. Subsequently, after a certain time (for example, the certain time t3 in FIG. 14) has elapsed from the start time of the opening operation of the solenoid valve, the cleaner control unit 116 starts the operation of the motor pump. When the operation of the motor pump starts, the internal pressure in the cylinder of the nozzle unit increases, and the piston gradually protrudes from the cylinder. When the piston is in a state of being completely protruded from the cylinder, the cleaning liquid is discharged from the nozzle provided at the tip of the piston toward the object to be cleaned.

[0144] After that, the cleaner control unit 116 stops the operation of the motor pump after continuously discharging the cleaning liquid from the nozzle unit for a certain period of time. When the operation of the motor pump is stopped, the internal pressure in the cylinder of the nozzle unit decreases, and the piston is gradually accommodated in the cylinder. Due to the influence of the residual pressure and inertial force corresponding to the length of the hose from the motor pump to the nozzle unit, the accommodation of the piston into the cylinder starts after the operation of the motor pump stops and a certain period of time has elapsed. Next, after a certain period of time (for example, the certain period of time t4 in FIG. 14) has elapsed since the piston is completely accommodated in the cylinder, the cleaner control unit 116 starts the closing operation of the solenoid valve.

[0145] As described above, the cleaner control unit 116 according to the fourth embodiment starts the operation of the motor pump after a certain period of time has elapsed since the opening operation of each solenoid valve was started. If the operation of the motor pump is started before the solenoid valve is opened, the internal pressure in the pipe between the motor pump and the solenoid valve will increase, which may lead to damage or water leakage of the solenoid valve. Also, in this case, each solenoid valve has to be enlarged in order to improve the pressure resistance. On the other hand, in this embodiment, by starting the operation of the motor pump after opening each solenoid valve, the increase in internal pressure can be suppressed. Therefore, even when each solenoid valve is miniaturized, damage to the solenoid valve can be prevented.

[0146] The cleaner control unit 116 according to the present embodiment starts the operation of the motor pump after the opening operation of the solenoid valve is completed. Thereby, the miniaturization of the solenoid valve can be further promoted, and damage to the solenoid valve can be more reliably prevented.

[0147] The cleaner control unit 116 according to this embodiment starts the opening operation of the solenoid valve and then starts the operation of the motor pump, and starts the closing operation of the solenoid valve after a certain period of time has elapsed since the operation of the motor pump was stopped. If the closing operation of the solenoid valve is started before the operation of the motor pump is stopped while the motor pump and the solenoid valve are in operation, the internal pressure in the pipe between the motor pump and the solenoid valve will increase, which may lead to damage or leakage of the solenoid valve. Also, in this case, the solenoid valve has to be enlarged to improve pressure resistance. On the other hand, in this embodiment, by starting the closing operation of the solenoid valve after the operation of the motor pump is stopped, the increase in internal pressure can be suppressed, so that even when the solenoid valve is downsized, damage to the solenoid valve can be prevented.

[0148] The cleaner control unit 116 according to this embodiment preferably starts the closing operation of the solenoid valve after the piston of the nozzle unit has been completely accommodated in the cylinder (that is, after the accommodation of the piston in the cylinder is completed). In the cleaner unit of this embodiment, a pop-up type nozzle unit is used. However, if the solenoid valve is closed before the piston is completely accommodated in the cylinder, the internal pressure in the cylinder may not drop completely and the piston may not be completely accommodated in the cylinder. Therefore, in this embodiment, by starting the closing operation of the solenoid valve after the accommodation of the piston in the cylinder is completed, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the accommodation of the piston in the cylinder after the operation of the motor pump is stopped.

[0149] In the above-described fourth embodiment, a cleaner unit including a pop-up type nozzle unit has been described as an example. However, the nozzle unit does not have to be of the pop-up type. That is, the nozzle unit may be configured to eject the cleaning liquid toward the object to be cleaned by the discharge pressure of the motor pump when the operation of the motor pump is started, and to stop the ejection of the cleaning liquid when the discharge pressure of the motor pump disappears, that is, when the motor pump stops. By the way, if the solenoid valve is closed simultaneously with the stop of the operation of the motor pump or immediately after the stop of the operation of the motor pump, due to the influence of the residual pressure caused by the inertial force, the internal pressure of the pipe between the motor pump and the solenoid valve increases, which may lead to damage or leakage of the solenoid valve, and moreover, the solenoid valve has to be made large. Therefore, it is preferable to close the solenoid valve after the residual pressure due to inertia has normalized after the operation of the motor pump has stopped.

[0150] <Various Modifications> As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. Needless to say, the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope. That is, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be freely modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, numerical values, form, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present disclosure can be achieved, and are not limited.

[0151] In this embodiment, the driving modes of the vehicle have been described as including a fully automatic driving mode, a highly automated driving mode, a driving assistance mode, and a manual driving mode. However, the driving modes of the vehicle should not be limited to these four modes. The driving modes of the vehicle may include at least one of these four modes. For example, the driving mode of the vehicle may be capable of executing only one of them.

[0152] Furthermore, the classification and display form of the driving modes of the vehicle may be appropriately changed in accordance with the laws or regulations regarding autonomous driving in each country. Similarly, the definitions of "fully autonomous driving mode", "highly automated driving mode", and "driving assistance mode" described in the description of this embodiment are merely examples, and these definitions may be appropriately changed in accordance with the laws or regulations regarding autonomous driving in each country.

[0153] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the cleaner system 100 is mounted on a vehicle capable of autonomous driving has been described. However, the cleaner system 100 may be mounted on a vehicle incapable of autonomous driving.

[0154] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the cleaners 101, 103, 105 to 109a are connected to the front tank 111 and the cleaners 102, 104, 109b are connected to the rear tank 113 has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The cleaners 101 to 109b may be connected to a single tank. The cleaners 101 to 109b may be connected to different tanks from each other. Alternatively, the cleaners 101 to 109b may be connected to a common tank for each type of cleaning target. For example, the cleaners 103 to 106 for cleaning the LiDAR may be connected to a common first tank, and the cleaners 107, 108 for cleaning the headlamp may be configured to be connected to a second tank different from the first tank. Alternatively, the cleaners 101 to 109b may be connected to a common tank for each arrangement position of the cleaning target. For example, the front WW101, the front LC103, and the front CC109a may be connected to a common front tank, the right LC105 and the right HC107 may be connected to a common right tank, the rear WW102, the rear LC104, and the rear CC109b may be connected to a common rear tank, and the left LC106 and the left HC108 may be connected to a common left tank.

[0155] In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an example was described in which a cleaner for cleaning the front pump, the front WW, the front LC, the right LC, the left LC, the right HC, the left HC, and the front CC constitutes one unit, and the rear pump, the rear CC, the rear LC, and the rear WW constitute another unit. The present disclosure is not limited to this. Also, the order in which each cleaning target is connected to the front pump or the rear pump is not limited to this example. Further, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an example was described in which one cleaner is connected downstream of one solenoid valve. The present disclosure is not limited to this. It may be configured such that a plurality of cleaners are connected downstream of one solenoid valve. A plurality of cleaners for cleaning objects to be cleaned that are often cleaned simultaneously may be connected downstream of one solenoid valve.

[0156] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-17922 filed on February 4, 2019, Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-17923 filed on February 4, 2019, Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-17924 filed on February 4, 2019, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-17925 filed on February 4, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A cleaner unit that discharges a cleaning liquid toward a target to be cleaned that is mounted on a vehicle; a motor pump for supplying cleaning liquid to the cleaner unit; a normally-closed solenoid valve provided between the cleaner unit and the motor pump for switching between permission and prohibition of movement of cleaning liquid from the motor pump to the cleaner unit; a cleaner control unit for controlling the motor pump and the solenoid valve; Equipped with The cleaner control unit is starting the operation of the motor pump after a certain time has elapsed since the start of the opening operation of the solenoid valve; the cleaner unit includes a cylinder, a piston supported in the cylinder so as to be movable forward and backward, and a nozzle provided at a tip of the piston for spraying a cleaning liquid toward the object to be cleaned while the piston is protruding from the cylinder; The piston is protruded from the cylinder when the motor pump is operated.

2. 2. The vehicle cleaner system according to claim 1, wherein the certain period of time is a period of time from the start of an opening operation of the solenoid valve to the completion of the opening operation.

3. A cleaner unit that discharges a cleaning liquid toward a target to be cleaned that is mounted on a vehicle; a motor pump for supplying cleaning liquid to the cleaner unit; a normally-closed solenoid valve provided between the cleaner unit and the motor pump for switching between permission and prohibition of movement of cleaning liquid from the motor pump to the cleaner unit; a cleaner control unit for controlling the motor pump and the solenoid valve; Equipped with The cleaner control unit is a closing operation of the solenoid valve is started after starting an opening operation of the solenoid valve and starting an operation of the motor pump, and after a certain time has elapsed since the operation of the motor pump was stopped; the cleaner unit includes a cylinder, a piston supported in the cylinder so as to be movable forward and backward, and a nozzle provided at a tip of the piston for spraying a cleaning liquid toward the object to be cleaned while the piston is protruding from the cylinder; the piston is protruded from the cylinder when the motor pump is operated and is accommodated in the cylinder when the motor pump is stopped, The vehicle cleaner system, wherein the certain period of time is a period of time from when the motor pump stops operating to when the piston is completely accommodated in the cylinder.

4. The nozzle injects the cleaning liquid toward the object to be cleaned by the discharge pressure of the motor pump, and when the discharge pressure is lost, the spraying of the cleaning liquid is stopped.

4. The vehicle cleaner system according to claim 3, wherein the certain period of time is a period of time from when the motor pump stops operating until when the piston is completely accommodated in the cylinder and residual pressure due to inertia in the nozzle returns to normal.

5. a plurality of the cleaner units are provided, and the solenoid valve is provided between the motor pump and each of the cleaner units, 5. The vehicle cleaner system according to claim 1, wherein the cleaner control unit sequentially operates each of the solenoid valves in conjunction with operation of the motor pump so that operation timings of the solenoid valves do not overlap.

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