Cleaning device, scraper device, optical sensor device and cleaning method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning device for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device of a motor vehicle. The optical sensor device may preferably be for optical distance measurement, more preferably a LiDAR sensor device. The cleaning device comprises a wiper blade. The cleaning device comprises at least a first scraper for scraping obstacles from the wiper blade. The cleaning device is configured to wipe the sensor window with the wiper blade. The cleaning device is further configured to move at least one of the wiper blade and the scraper relative to and along each other to scrape obstacles from the wiper blade.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device in a motor vehicle, preferably an optical sensor device for optical distance measurement, more preferably a lidar sensor device. [Background technology]

[0002] Automobiles, both for manual operation and for substantially autonomous driving, are typically equipped with various optical sensor devices, such as those used for optical distance measurement. For example, by estimating the distance between the vehicle and objects around the vehicle, a map of the vehicle's surrounding environment can be generated. Among optical sensor technologies, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) is particularly well known, also known as LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) or 3D laser scanning.

[0003] An optical sensor device, such as an optical distance measuring device, particularly a LiDAR sensor device, includes one or more light sources for emitting one or more light beams into its surroundings, preferably one or more laser light sources for emitting one or more laser beams. The optical sensor device also includes one or more optical detectors for detecting reflections of the emitted one or more laser beams. The optical sensor device also includes a processing unit, which may generate a map of the environment based on data related to the detected light reflections and the transmitted data. Furthermore, the optical sensor device typically includes a sensor window constituting the outer surface of the optical sensor device. The sensor window may have a light-transmitting protective layer to protect the underlying sensor components, such as one or more light sources and / or optical detectors. Light is detected after passing through the sensor window. To obtain an unobstructed view of the surrounding environment, the optical sensor device is typically positioned outside the vehicle, with the sensor window facing toward the environment around the vehicle, i.e., facing away from the vehicle, preferably facing forward.

[0004] Because of this external placement on the vehicle, the sensor device, and in particular the sensor window, is prone to collecting obstructions such as (rain) droplets, particulates, insects, etc., which can interfere with, polarize, or otherwise interfere with the optical signal passing through the sensor window, resulting in erroneous sensor data. Summary of the Invention

[0005] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide means and / or methods for mitigating at least one of the drawbacks of conventional sensor devices in automobiles, in particular for at least mitigating at least one of the drawbacks mentioned above. In particular, it is desirable to improve the sensor data of optical sensor devices in automobiles. More specifically, it is desirable to minimize the accumulation of optical obstructions, such as (rain) droplets, particles, insects, etc., on the sensor window of the optical sensor device.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device, preferably an optical sensor device for optical distance measurement, more preferably a LiDAR sensor device, in a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of wiping at least a portion of the sensor window with a wiper blade and rubbing the wiper blade along a side of the wiper blade, preferably in a direction toward a leading end of the wiper blade.

[0007] Wiping the wiper blade over the sensor window can remove water droplets and other obstacles from the sensor window that obstruct the view of the optical sensor device, leading to, for example, improved and more accurate sensor data. Scraping along the side of the wiper, preferably toward the tip of the wiper blade, can remove obstacles that have been removed from the sensor window and carried by the wiper blade, preventing them from unintentionally adhering to the wiper blade when it next wipes over the sensor window. In this case, the scraper can improve the efficiency of wiper blade usage.

[0008] In one embodiment, the method may further include wiping the tip of the wiper blade against the wiping surface to wipe and remove liquid and / or other impurities adhering to the wiper blade onto the wiping surface before wiping at least a portion of the sensor window again with the wiper blade. As a result, liquid and / or other impurities that may be present near the tip of the wiper blade, particularly on or near the bottom surface of the wiper blade, can be wiped off from the wiper blade and onto the wiping surface. Preferably, during the step of rubbing the tip of the wiper blade against the wiping surface, the wiper blade may be positioned at a first position, particularly a first angular position, relative to the wiping surface. This first position may substantially correspond to a second position, particularly a second angular position, relative to the sensor window while the wiper blade is wiping the sensor window. As a result, liquid and / or other impurities present at or near the tip of the wiper blade can be encouraged to accumulate, particularly spread, on the wiping surface. Preferably, the accumulated liquid may be allowed to run down the wiping surface and / or may be at least partially removed, for example, by drainage slits arranged to allow water to flow through the slits by capillary action.

[0009] In a further embodiment, the method may further comprise scraping the wiper blade once more along the side of the wiper, particularly in a direction toward the tip of the wiper blade, preferably with a further scraper. The scraping may be performed before again wiping at least a portion of the sensor window with the wiper blade, preferably after the wiping of the tip of the wiper blade. In order to facilitate a relatively clean wiper blade before again wiping the sensor window, the scraping may at least partially scrape any remaining impurities, such as liquid and / or dirt, from the wiper blade.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cleaning device for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device, preferably an optical sensor device for optical distance measurement, more preferably a LiDAR sensor device, of a motor vehicle. Preferably, the cleaning device may be configured to at least partially perform the above-described method. The cleaning device includes a wiper blade and at least a first scraper for scraping obstacles from the wiper blade. The cleaning device is configured to wipe the sensor window with the wiper blade. The cleaning device is further configured to move at least one of the wiper blade and the first scraper relative to and along each other so that the first scraper scrapes obstacles from the wiper blade.

[0011] Configuring the cleaning device to be capable of scraping off optical obstructions such as dirt and / or liquids adhering to the wiper blade facilitates a relatively clean state when the wiper blade wipes over the sensor window again, promoting relatively efficient and / or effective cleaning of the sensor window and / or improving sensor usage and / or accuracy and / or sensor data.

[0012] Advantageously, the first scraper may be fixed relative to a predetermined position on the sensor window, and the cleaning device may be configured to move the wiper blade relative to the first scraper so as to scrape the wiper blade along the scraper. Consequently, the cleaning device may include, for example, one or more drives for both wiping the wiper blade on the sensor window with the wiper blade and moving the wiper blade along the first scraper. For example, in the case of a fixed scraper, the cleaning device may not require a drive for driving the scraper, and as a result, may have a relatively simple design.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cleaning device may include a wiping surface. Preferably, the wiping surface is located downstream of the first scraper. The cleaning device may be configured to allow the tip of the wiper blade to be rubbed against the wiping surface. The wiping surface facilitates rubbing the wiper blade against the wiping surface, thereby rubbing liquid and / or dirt from the wiper blade onto the wiping surface. Advantageously, the wiping surface is arranged substantially parallel to the outer surface of the sensor window, more preferably substantially in line with the outer surface of the sensor window. This allows, for example, that when the wiper blade is substantially held in a predetermined state or position, particularly a predetermined rotational state or position, and moves substantially linearly first along the sensor window, then over the first scraper, and then along the wiping surface, the position of the wiper blade relative to the sensor window and the position of the wiper blade relative to the wiping surface may be substantially the same. For example, any liquid or dirt that may land on the sensor window at such a location may already be on the wiping surface before the wiper blade sweeps over the sensor window again.

[0014] In an embodiment, the wiping surface may be formed by a second scraper, which preferably comprises a second scraping edge located at the proximal end of the wiping surface, and may rub a portion of the wiper blade at least twice before sweeping the wiping surface. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the cleaning device may include a third scraper, which can facilitate at least partial removal of dirt remaining on the wiper blade after the wiper blade has been rubbed against the surface to be wiped.

[0015] In at least a preferred embodiment, the wiper blade may be made of a material that is relatively flexible and / or resilient relative to the material of the window. Additionally or alternatively, the wiper blade may be made of a material that is relatively flexible and / or resilient relative to the material of the first scraper, the material of the wiping surface, the material of the second scraper, and / or the material of further scrapers. For example, the wiper blade may be made of rubber or a rubber-like material. The sensor window may be formed of a substantially smooth and / or homogeneous optically transmissive material, for example, to avoid local refractive index variations. The sensor window may be, for example, substantially flat or alternatively curved in a desired shape, for example, with a desired radius of curvature to optimize the viewing angle of the optical sensor device. The shape of the wiper blade, particularly the shape of the tip of the wiper blade, may correspond to the shape of the sensor window for optimal cleaning of the sensor window.

[0016] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a scraper device for the cleaning device described above, the scraper device comprising at least a first scraper defining a first scraping edge for scraping obstacles off a wiper blade of the cleaning device, the scraper device further comprising a wiping surface spaced apart from the first scraping edge, preferably spaced apart from the first scraper.

[0017] In a further aspect of the present disclosure, an optical sensor device, in particular a LiDAR sensor device, is provided.

[0018] Advantageous embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the accompanying claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying figures. [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a scraper portion of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 1A-1C are partial cutaway cross-sectional views schematically illustrating different states of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] 1A-1C are partial cutaway cross-sectional views schematically illustrating different states of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2C] 1A-1C are partial cutaway cross-sectional views schematically illustrating different states of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2D] 1A-1C are partial cutaway cross-sectional views schematically illustrating different states of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2E] 1A-1C are partial cutaway cross-sectional views schematically illustrating different states of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2F] 1A-1C are partial cutaway cross-sectional views schematically illustrating different states of an embodiment of a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The figures merely illustrate preferred embodiments according to the present disclosure, and in the figures, the same or similar reference characters or numerals refer to equal or corresponding parts.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a scraper device 7 for use in a cleaning device 8 configured to clean a sensor window 91 of an optical sensor device 90. FIGS. 2A-2F are partial cutaway cross-sectional views schematically illustrating six different states of the cleaning device 8. The cleaning device 8 is for cleaning a sensor window 91 of an optical sensor device 90 of an automobile or other vehicle, in particular for cleaning an outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91. The optical sensor device 90 may preferably be for optical distance measurement, and more preferably may be a LiDAR sensor device.

[0022] The cleaning device 8 preferably comprises a wiper blade 40 that is resilient and / or made of rubber or a rubber-like material. The cleaning device 8 is configured to wipe the wiper blade 40, preferably with at least its tip 41, over the sensor window 91, and the cleaning device 8 and / or the wiper blade 40 may be configured to wipe, for example, in a wiping direction D1 parallel to the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91, to push away water, cleaning fluid, or other fluids such as rain 6, and / or other obstacles 6 that impede light transmission, from at least a portion of the sensor window 91.

[0023] The cleaning device 8 further comprises a first scraper 1 for scraping obstacles 6 from the wiper blade 40. The cleaning device 8 is further configured to move at least one of the wiper blade 40 and the first scraper 1 relative to and along each other to scrape obstacles 6 from the wiper blade 40. The first scraper 1 may be part of a scraper device or cleaning device for at least partially cleaning the wiper blade 40. In particular, the first scraper 1 may be part of a scraper device 7, which may be formed as an assembly of several parts 1, 2, 3, for example mounted on a frame 70. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the scraper device 7 may alternatively be formed integrally, for example by means of integral injection molding.

[0024] As in the illustrated embodiment, at least the first scraper 1, and preferably the entire scraper device 7, may be fixed relative to a predetermined position of the sensor window 91. In such an embodiment, the cleaning device 8 may then be configured to move the wiper blade 40 along the first scraper 1 so that the scraper scrapes on the wiper blade 40. Preferably, the wiper blade 40 may then be moved relative to one or more further cleaning elements 2 and 3, such as the wiping surface 22 and / or further scrapers 3, that are optionally provided on the scraper device 7, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0025] Additionally or alternatively, in a further embodiment, the cleaning device 8 is configured to wipe, e.g., with the wiper blade 40, on the sensor window 91 from a first position, e.g., an upper position, to a second position, e.g., a lower position, e.g., to wipe at least a first portion of the sensor window 91 located between the first and second positions; The cleaning device 8 is configured to move the wiper blade 40 from the second position back toward substantially the first position without wiping the first portion of the sensor window 91. As in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91 may extend upward, preferably substantially vertically, and the wiper blade 40 may wipe at least a portion of the outer surface 92, preferably by performing a wiping action in a downward direction D1. The wiper blade 40 wiping over the sensor window 91 may push the obstacle 6 downward, which may be useful because it does not have to work against gravity, for example.

[0026] For example, before the wiper blade 40 returns to the first position, the wiper blade 40 may be moved in a direction D4 substantially transverse to and away from the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91. Alternatively or additionally, the wiper blade 40 may be moved away from an imaginary plane P92 in which the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91 extends, for example, by rotating the wiper 4 including the wiper blade 40 in a rotational direction R4 about a rotational axis A4 of the wiper 4. A unidirectional wiping action, e.g., wiping from the first position toward the second position and substantially refraining from wiping when moving from the second position toward the first position, has been found to provide optimal cleaning results compared to a bidirectional wiping action. Avoiding wiping when the wiper blade 40 returns from the second position toward substantially the first position also prevents a liquid film from adhering to the sensor window 91 during the return movement. The wiper blade 40 may contact the sensor window 91 during the wiping action from the first position to the second position, and may be spaced apart from the sensor window 91 while the wiper blade 40 moves from the second position substantially toward the first position.

[0027] In some embodiments, the wiper 4 and / or wiper blade 40 may be held in a substantially predetermined state or position, particularly a predetermined rotational state or position, and may initially move substantially linearly, particularly in wiping direction D1, along the sensor window 91 as shown in FIG. 2A , and then move onto the first scraper 1 as shown in FIG. 2B . Preferably, the first scraper 1 may protrude beyond an imaginary plane P92 in which the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91 extends, as shown in FIG. 2B . It should be understood that protruding can be considered to mean protruding on the side of the imaginary plane P92 opposite to the side on which the sensor window 91 is located. That is, in FIG. 2B , the sensor window 91 is located to the right of the imaginary plane P92, and the first scraper 1 protrudes to the left of the imaginary plane P92, which may correspond to the front of a vehicle or the like equipped with the cleaning device 8.

[0028] The first scraper 1 may define a first scraping edge 10. The cleaning device 8 may be configured such that the first scraping edge 10 contacts the side surface 44 of the wiper blade 40 at a position spaced apart from the leading edge 41 of the wiper blade 40, as shown in FIG. 2B . When the wiper blade 40 further moves in a direction D2 that substantially coincides with the direction D1 in which the wiper blade 40 moved while wiping the sensor window 91, the first scraper 1, and in particular its first scraping edge 10, may scrape off obstacles 6, 61, such as insects, along the side surface 44 of the wiper blade toward the leading edge 41 of the wiper blade 40, and then guide the obstacles 6, 61, such as insects, into, for example, a first discharge channel 51 for removal.

[0029] Preferably, the first scraper 1 may have a relatively sharp edge 10, the angle of which is less than 120°, preferably about 90° as in the illustrated embodiment, or less than 90°.

[0030] Advantageously, the cleaning device 8 may further comprise a wiping surface 22. The cleaning device 8 may be configured to be able to rub the wiper blade tip 41 against the wiping surface 22, as can be seen, for example, in FIG. 2D . Rubbing against the wiping surface 22, particularly by the rubbing action of the wiper blade 40 before wiping again over at least a portion of the sensor window 91, can wipe liquid and / or other obstructions from the wiper blade 40 and place them on the wiping surface 22. As a result, liquid 62 and / or other obstructions that may be present on or near the wiper blade tip 41, particularly the bottom surface 42 of the wiper blade 40, can be brushed off the wiper blade 40 and onto the wiping surface 22.

[0031] Preferably, the wiping surface 22 is located downstream of the first scraper. In other words, the first scraping edge 10 may be located between the sensor window 91 and the wiping surface 22.

[0032] Additionally or alternatively, the wiping surface 22 may be arranged substantially parallel to the sensor window 91, in particular substantially parallel to the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91. Preferably, the wiping surface 22 is arranged substantially in line with the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91, as shown in Figures 2A-2F, and may be offset from the outer surface 92 by, for example, less than 5 mm, preferably less than 3 mm, and more preferably less than 1 mm.

[0033] The first scraper 1 may preferably protrude beyond the imaginary plane P22 in which the wiping surface 22 extends, in particular in a forward direction which may be considered as a direction D3 transverse to the wiping surface 22 and / or the imaginary plane P22 in which the wiping surface 22 extends.

[0034] Advantageously, the wiping surface 22 is spaced apart from the first scraping edge 10, preferably from the first scraper 1, for example, downward and / or in the direction D2 in which the wiper blade 40 moves. This may form an outlet 52, for example, a second outlet 52, for removing obstacles removed from the wiper blade 40. For example, water droplets 63 or other obstacles scraped off by the first scraping edge 10 may be channeled along the bottom surface 11 of the first scraper 1 through the second outlet 52. Meanwhile, other obstacles, such as relatively large and / or solid objects 61, may be removed via the first outlet 52, for example, as shown in FIG. 2C .

[0035] In some embodiments, the wiping surface 22 may be formed by a second scraper 2. The second scraper 2 may then preferably define a second scraping edge 20 located at the proximal end of the wiping surface 22, which in this embodiment is located on the upper surface of the wiping surface 22. Preferably, the second scraper 2 may have a relatively sharp edge 20 with an angle of less than 120°, preferably about 90° as in this embodiment, or less than 90°. As shown in FIG. 2C , the second scraping edge 20 may scrape the wiper blade 40 along a side 44 of the wiper blade 40, preferably in a direction toward the tip 41 of the wiper blade 40, before scraping the tip 41 against the wiping surface 22, where, for example, a liquid film and / or other impurities may accumulate. To allow the wiper blade 40 to spread such liquid over the wiping surface 22 and thereby deposit the liquid relatively well, the portion of the wiping surface 22 against which the wiper blade 44 actually rubs may have a length L22. The length L22 may be measured in a direction D2 in which the wiper blade 40 rubs over the wiping surface 22. In the present exemplary embodiment, the length L22, defined as the height of the wiping surface 22, may be at least 1 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, more preferably at least 3 mm, such as at least about 5 mm. Alternatively or additionally, the length L22 may be at least equal to or preferably greater than the thickness T41 of the tip 41 of the wiper blade 40 and / or the thickness T42 of the bottom surface 42 of the wiper blade 40, and may be at least two times, more preferably at least three times, the thickness T41 being at least equal to or preferably greater than the thickness T42 of the tip 41 of the wiper blade 40 and / or the thickness T42 of the bottom surface 42 of the wiper blade 40.

[0036] Obstacles, especially liquid obstructions, flow down along the wiping surface 22 and can be removed, especially drained, preferably by the respective drainage channels 53, especially the third drainage channel 53. Advantageously, the drainage channels 53 may be arranged adjacent to the downstream end of the wiping surface 22. Here, downstream means downstream in the direction D2 in which the wiper blade moves, and the downstream end is preferably the lower end of the wiping surface 22. Furthermore, the drainage channels 53 may form drainage slits 53 configured to allow water to pass through the drainage slits 53 by capillary action, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. In particular, the drainage slits may drain liquid from an inlet opening 531 of the drainage slit 53 located near the downstream end of the wiping surface 22 towards an outlet opening 532 of the drainage slit located opposite the inlet opening 531. Preferably, the walls defining the capillary drainage slits 53 have relatively smooth surfaces and may extend substantially parallel to each other. Additionally or alternatively, the defining walls may be offset relative to one another, preferably by a distance of less than 2 mm, for example between 0.1 mm and 1 mm, for example between 0.25 mm and 0.5 mm. Liquid may be drained preferably by capillary action provided by drainage slits 53, although in embodiments active suction means may alternatively or additionally be provided. Suction means may be provided in the third discharge channel 53 and, additionally or alternatively, in one or more of the discharge channels 51, 52.

[0037] The wiping surface 22 can be formed by an element formed as a second scraper 2 that defines the second scraping edge 20 at the proximal end of the wiping surface 22, but this is not required. For example, the proximal end, particularly the upper end, of the wiping surface 22 may be curved and spaced apart, for example, by being integrated into another surface, particularly the upper surface, of the element 2 that defines the wiping surface 22. In practice, a gap and / or a drainage channel 51 may be arranged between the first scraper 1 and the element that defines the second scraping edge 20, but this is not required. For example, the wiping surface 22 may be formed by the first scraper 1, and the wiping surface 22 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2A may extend all the way to the bottom surface 11 of the first scraper 1 in such an embodiment.

[0038] Advantageously, the cleaning device 8 may comprise a further scraper 3, in particular a third scraper 3. Preferably, the further scraper 3 may protrude beyond the imaginary plane P22 in which the wiping surface 22 extends and / or beyond the imaginary plane P92 in which the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91 extends. The further scraper 3, in particular its scraping edge 30, may facilitate at least partial removal of dirt still remaining on the wiper blade 40 after the wiper blade 40 has been rubbed against the wiping surface 22 from the wiper blade 40.

[0039] Preferably, the scraping edge 30 may define an acute angle α30, preferably equal to or less than 75°, more preferably equal to or less than 60°, e.g., equal to or less than about 50°, e.g., equal to or less than about 45°. In particular, in embodiments in which the sensor window 91 or at least its outer surface 92 extends substantially upward, e.g., substantially vertically, and the further scraper 3 is positioned at a height lower than the lower edge of the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91, the lower surface 31 of the further scraper 3 slopes backward from the scraping edge 30 of the scraper 3 toward an imaginary plane P92 in which the outer surface 92 of the sensor window 91 extends, in particular. Such a relatively sharp angle, the so-called acute angle α30, can prevent water droplets and / or other obstacles removed from the wiper blade 40 from remaining on the scraping edge 30.

[0040] The drainage slit 53 can be formed between the element 2 defining the wiping surface 22 and a further element 3, preferably a further scraper 3 and / or a further element 3 defining its scraping edge 30.

[0041] In this case, it will be understood that during use, the wiper blade 40, particularly its tip 41, can wipe at least a portion of the outer surface 92 of the sensor pane 91, particularly in a substantially downward direction D1, as shown in FIG. 2A. The wiper blade 40, which may then be moved further downward D2, may abut a first scraper 1 that scrapes off at least a portion of the obstacles 61 that have accumulated on the wiper blade 40, as shown in FIG. 2B. The wiper blade 40, which has then been moved further downward D2, reaches an element 2 that defines the wiping surface 22, and in embodiments in which the element 2 comprises a further scraping edge 20, the scraping edge 20 may scrape off at least a further portion of the obstacles that have accumulated on the wiper blade 40, as shown in FIG. 2C. However, in other embodiments, the element 2 may be formed differently, for example, it may have a rounded upper edge that can function as part of the wiping surface 22. After reaching element 2, wiper blade 40, particularly its tip 41, may be rubbed against wiping surface 22 as shown in Fig. 2D, and may be wiped until it contacts third scraper 3 as shown in Fig. 2E. Third scraping edge 30 of third scraper 3 may then scrape off at least some of the obstacles still remaining on wiper blade 40 as shown in Fig. 2F.

[0042] Thereafter, wiper blade 40 may be returned to the first position on outer surface 92 of sensor window 91, preferably without wiping over sensor window 91. Thus, wiper blade 40 may be moved, for example, in outward direction D4 and / or tilted to some degree R4 before being returned to the first position to again wipe over outer surface 92. For example, upon reaching or near the first position on outer surface 92 of sensor window 91, wiper blade 40 may be returned to an initial state, which may substantially correspond to the rotational state of wiper 4 and / or the rotational state of wiper blade 40 shown in FIG. 2A .

[0043] A unidirectional wiping action, e.g., wiping from a first position toward a second position and substantially refraining from wiping when moving from the second position toward the first position, has been found to provide optimal cleaning results compared to a bidirectional wiping action. The absence of wiping when the wiper blade 40 returns from the second position toward substantially the first position also prevents a liquid film from adhering to the sensor window 91 during the return movement. The wiper blade 40 may contact the sensor window 91 during the wiping action from the first position to the second position and may be spaced from the sensor window 91 when the wiper blade 40 moves from the second position toward substantially the first position.

[0044] However, in another embodiment, the wiper blade 40 may wipe the sensor window 91 during its forward movement. That is, in such an embodiment, the cleaning device 7 may be configured for a bidirectional wiping action, i.e., a back and forth wiping action, and the wiper blade 40 is at least partially cleaned by scraping off obstacles with at least the first scraper 1 before the wiper blade 40 wipes backward over the sensor window 91.

[0045] In some embodiments, during wiping of the wiper blade 40 over the sensor window 91 and / or during cleaning of the wiper blade 40, the wiper 4 and / or the wiper blade 40 can be held substantially in a predetermined position, particularly in a predetermined rotational position, and moved substantially linearly, particularly in the wiping direction D1 and / or substantially downward direction D2, first along the sensor window 91 and then over the first scraper 1, in particular by the scraper device 7 and / or the first scraper 1 and / or the wiping surface 22 and / or the further scraper 3. Preferably, the wiper 4 and / or the wiper blade 40 can then be moved along the wiping surface 22, while still being held substantially in the predetermined position. In particular, the wiper 4 and / or the wiper blade 40, which may be an elongated wiper blade 40 extending transversely to the plane of the drawing, can have substantially the same position relative to the outer surface of the sensor window 91 when wiping the sensor window 91 and when wiping over the wiping surface 22. For example, the wiper 4 and / or wiper blade 40 may move at an angle α4, α40 relative to the normal n92, n22, nD1, nD2 to the sensor window outer surface 92 and / or wiping surface 22 and / or the direction of movement of the wiper 4 and / or wiper blade 40, and the angles α4, α40 may be acute angles, preferably between 20° and 70°, more preferably between 30° and 60°, for example between 40° and 50°, for example about 45°.

[0046] It will be appreciated that thereafter, particularly before returning wiper blade 40 to the first position, wiper blade 40 may be tilted to another rotational position such that it does not contact sensor window 91 during its return movement to the first position. Alternatively, if a bidirectional wiping operation is performed instead of a unidirectional wiping operation, wiper blade 40 may be tilted or rotated to a rotational position that is substantially inverted relative to the rotational position in FIG. 2A before returning the wiper, facilitating wiper blade 40 wiping obstructions from sensor window 91 during its return movement. Furthermore, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, for example, in such an embodiment, a second scraper device may be provided, particularly at the opposite end of sensor window 91, e.g., above sensor window 91 in the case of sensor window outer surface 92 that extends upward, preferably substantially vertically.

[0047] For clarity and conciseness of description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, but it will be understood that the scope of the present disclosure may include embodiments having all or some combination of the described features. In particular, those skilled in the art will readily and clearly understand that features described as part of one aspect, e.g., features relating to cleaning device 8, are also considered to be disclosed in the descriptions of other aspects of the present disclosure, such as the description of scraper device 7 and / or the description of the method for cleaning sensor window 91.

[0048] Furthermore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described herein. Clearly, many variations are possible. Such variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art and are considered to be within the scope of the present invention as formulated in the claims below.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning a sensor window of an optical sensor device of a motor vehicle, comprising: a wiper blade; and at least a first scraper for scraping obstacles from the wiper blade; The wiper blade is configured to wipe the sensor window, further configured to move the wiper blade relative to the first scraper, move the first scraper relative to the wiper blade, or move the wiper blade and the first scraper relative to each other to scrape obstacles from the wiper blade; further comprising a second scraper having a wiping surface; configured to allow the tip of the wiper blade to rub against the wiping surface; the wiping surface of the second scraper is configured to be spaced apart from the first scraping edge of the first scraper, and a passage is formed between the first scraper and the second scraper; Further, a further scraper is provided, The sensor window is disposed substantially along a vertical direction; the further scraper is located at a height lower than a lower edge of the sensor window; the further scraper having a further scraping edge and a first surface; the first surface extends from the further scraping edge toward an imaginary plane that is an imaginary plane formed by an imaginary extension of an outer surface of the sensor window, and is inclined rearward; the wiping surface is provided below the first scraper in the vertical direction, The additional scraper is provided vertically below the wiping surface. Cleaning equipment.

2. the first scraper is configured to be fixed relative to a predetermined position away from the sensor window; The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is configured to move the wiper blade relative to the first scraper so as to rub the wiper blade against the first scraper.

3. The cleaning device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first scraper protrudes beyond the imaginary plane.

4. 4. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the first scraping edge is configured to contact the side of the wiper blade at a position spaced from the tip of the wiper blade, and then perform a scraping action along the side toward the tip.

5. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the wiping surface is located downstream from the first scraper.

6. 6. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the wiping surface lies substantially parallel to the sensor window.

7. 7. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the wiping surface is spaced apart from the first scraper.

8. 8. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the second scraper has a second scraping edge located at a proximal end of the wiping surface, the proximal end being located on a side facing the first scraping edge.

9. 2. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the further scraping edge is formed at an acute angle.

10. 10. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein a drainage slit is provided adjacent to the downstream end of the wiping surface for draining liquid wiped from the wiper blade onto the wiping surface.

11. The cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the drainage slit is configured to allow water to pass through the drainage slit by capillary action.

12. 12. Cleaning device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the drainage slit is formed between the second scraper and the further scraper.

13. the wiper blade is configured to wipe on the sensor window from a first position toward a second position, and is configured to wipe at least a first portion of the sensor window located between the first position and the second position; 13. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the wiper blade is configured to move from the second position back toward substantially the first position without wiping the first portion of the sensor window.

14. 1. A scraper device for use with a wiper blade for cleaning a vertically arranged sensor window of an optical sensor device of a motor vehicle, comprising: a first scraper defining a first scraping edge for scraping obstacles from the wiper blade; a second scraper having a wiping surface; a further scraper provided vertically below the first scraper, the second scraper is positioned so that a tip of the wiper blade can be scraped against the wiping surface, and is spaced apart from the first scraping edge to form a passage; the wiping surface is provided below the first scraper in the vertical direction, The additional scraper is provided vertically below the wiping surface. Scraper device.

15. the wiping surface is formed by a second scraper disposed vertically below the first scraper and vertically above the further scraper; the second scraper has a second scraping edge located at a proximal end of the wiping surface; 15. The scraper device according to claim 14, wherein the proximal end is located on a side facing the first scraping edge.

16. 14. A method for cleaning the sensor window of the optical sensor device of the motor vehicle using a cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the steps of: wiping at least a portion of the sensor window with the wiper blade; rubbing the wiper blade along a side of the wiper blade; A method comprising: The method further comprises the step of wiping the tip of the wiper blade against the wiping surface to wipe liquid and / or other obstacles from the wiper blade and cause the liquid and / or other obstacles to fall onto the wiping surface before wiping the wiper blade again over at least a portion of the sensor window.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising rubbing the wiper blade again along the side of the wiper blade.

18. An optical sensor device comprising the cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or the scraper device according to claim 14 or 15.

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