Sensor system and cleaner

Abstract

This sensor system comprises a sensor (6f) and a cleaner (103) that is capable of cleaning a to-be-cleaned surface (132) of the sensor (6f). The cleaner (103) has a nozzle (121) that is equipped with a jet orifice (123) through which a cleaning medium is sprayed onto the to-be-cleaned surface (132). When the sensor (6f) is operating, the nozzle (121) is capable of turning about the rotation axis (122) extending along a given direction that is other than the plane-orthogonal direction (V) of the to-be-cleaned surface (132).

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present disclosure relates to a sensor system. 【0002】 The present disclosure also relates to a cleaner. 【Background Art】 【0003】 A headlamp cleaner for vehicles is known from Patent Document 1 and the like. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0004】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-187990 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0005】 By the way, in recent years, the development of vehicles capable of autonomous driving has been attempted. In realizing autonomous driving, for example, it is required to maintain good sensitivity of various sensors such as LiDAR. Therefore, a sensor cleaner for cleaning the sensor to remove foreign substances attached to the sensor is required. 【0006】 Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a sensor system including a cleaner capable of effectively cleaning a sensor even with a small amount of cleaning medium. 【0007】 Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a cleaner capable of effectively cleaning a sensor by a movable nozzle. 【Means for Solving the Problems】 【0008】 In order to achieve at least one of the above objects, a sensor system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a sensor, a cleaner capable of cleaning a cleaning target surface of the sensor, The cleaner has a nozzle equipped with a spray port for spraying a cleaning medium onto the surface to be cleaned. The nozzle is rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in a predetermined direction, not perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned, when the cleaner is in operation. 【0009】 To achieve at least one of the above objectives, the cleaner relating to one aspect of this disclosure A cleaner having a movable nozzle equipped with multiple nozzles for spraying a cleaning medium onto the surface of a sensor to be cleaned, The movable nozzle has an internal structure that allows switching the opening and closing of the plurality of spray ports in accordance with the movement of at least a part of the movable nozzle. [Effects of the Invention] 【0010】 According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a sensor system equipped with a cleaner that can effectively clean the sensor even with a small amount of cleaning medium. 【0011】 Furthermore, according to this disclosure, a cleaner capable of effectively cleaning sensors with a movable nozzle can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0012】 [Figure 1] This is a top view of a vehicle equipped with a sensor system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the vehicle system into which the sensor system is incorporated. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram of the cleaner unit according to the first embodiment of the sensor system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a front view showing the sensor (front LiDAR) and the nozzle of the cleaner (front SC) according to the first embodiment of the sensor system. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a side view of the sensor and cleaner nozzle. [Figure 6A]It is a diagram showing the change in the position of the injection port when the cleaner nozzle rotates. [Figure 6B] It is a diagram showing the change in the position of the injection port when the cleaner nozzle rotates. [Figure 6C] It is a diagram showing the change in the position of the injection port when the cleaner nozzle rotates. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing specific examples of the sensor and the cleaner nozzle shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. [Figure 8] It is a block diagram of a cleaner system according to a second embodiment included in the sensor system of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of a nozzle according to a second embodiment, which is included in the cleaner of the cleaner system of FIG. 3. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal structure of the nozzle shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11A] It is a diagram for explaining the opening and closing of the injection port of the nozzle shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11B] It is a diagram for explaining the opening and closing of the injection port of the nozzle shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11C] It is a diagram for explaining the opening and closing of the injection port of the nozzle shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11D] It is a diagram for explaining the opening and closing of the injection port of the nozzle shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11E] It is a diagram for explaining the opening and closing of the injection port of the nozzle shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11F] It is a diagram for explaining the opening and closing of the injection port of the nozzle shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a nozzle according to a first modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a nozzle according to a second modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the internal structure of a nozzle according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15A] It is a diagram for explaining the injection of the cleaning medium in the nozzle shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 15B] It is a diagram for explaining the injection of the cleaning medium in the nozzle shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 15C] This figure illustrates the spraying of the cleaning medium from the nozzle shown in Figure 14. [Figure 15D] This figure illustrates the spraying of the cleaning medium from the nozzle shown in Figure 14. [Figure 15E] This figure illustrates the spraying of the cleaning medium from the nozzle shown in Figure 14. [Figure 15F] This figure illustrates the spraying of the cleaning medium from the nozzle shown in Figure 14. [Figure 16] This diagram illustrates the internal structure of the nozzle according to the fourth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0013】 The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity, the description of components having the same reference numeral as those already described in the description of the embodiments will be omitted. Furthermore, the dimensions of the components shown in these drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of the components for the sake of clarity. 【0014】 Furthermore, in describing the embodiments of this disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "this embodiment"), for the sake of convenience, the terms "left-right direction," "front-rear direction," and "up-down direction" will be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 1 shown in Figure 1. Here, the "up-down direction" includes the "upward direction" and the "downward direction." The "front-rear direction" includes the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction." The "left-right direction" includes the "left direction" and the "right direction." 【0015】 Figure 1 is a top view of a vehicle 1 equipped with the sensor system 100 according to this embodiment. The vehicle 1 is an automobile capable of driving in an automatic driving mode in which the vehicle's driving control is performed automatically. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a sensor system 100 for cleaning objects to be cleaned (e.g., onboard sensors, various lamps, windshields, etc.) located outside the passenger compartment. 【0016】 Figure 2 is a block diagram of the vehicle system 2 into which the sensor system 100 is incorporated. First, the vehicle system 2 of vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figure 2. As shown in Figure 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. Furthermore, 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. In addition, the sensor system 100, which has a cleaner control unit 113 and a sensor control unit 114, is communicably connected to the vehicle control unit 3 of the vehicle system 2. 【0017】 The vehicle control unit 3 is composed of an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicle control unit 3 consists 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 is temporarily stored. The processor is configured to load a program specified from the various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM onto the RAM and to execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM. The vehicle control unit 3 is configured to control the movement of vehicle 1. 【0018】 The internal sensor 5 is a sensor capable of acquiring information about the vehicle itself. The internal sensor 5 is, for example, at least one of an acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, a wheel speed sensor, and a gyro sensor. The internal sensor 5 is configured to acquire information about the vehicle itself, including the driving state of the vehicle 1, and to output this information to the vehicle control unit 3. The internal sensor 5 may also include a seating sensor to detect whether the driver is sitting in the driver's seat, a face orientation sensor to detect the direction of the driver's face, and a human presence sensor to detect whether there is a person inside the vehicle. 【0019】 The external sensor 6 is a sensor capable of acquiring information from outside the vehicle. The external sensor is, for example, at least one of a camera, radar, or LiDAR. The external sensor 6 is configured to acquire information from outside the vehicle, including the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 (other vehicles, pedestrians, road shape, traffic signs, obstacles, etc.), and to output this information to the vehicle control unit 3 and the sensor control unit 114. Alternatively, the external sensor 6 may include a weather sensor to detect weather conditions or an illuminance sensor to detect the illuminance of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. For example, the camera is a camera that includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary MOS). The camera is a camera that detects visible light or an infrared camera that detects infrared light. The radar is a millimeter-wave radar, microwave radar or laser radar, etc. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging. LiDAR is a sensor that generally emits invisible light in front of it and acquires information such as the distance to an object, the object's orientation, the object's shape, and the object's material based on the emitted and reflected light. 【0020】 Lamp 7 is at least one of the following: a headlamp or position lamp located at the front of vehicle 1, a rear combination lamp located at the rear of vehicle 1, a turn signal lamp located at the front or side of the vehicle, or various lamps that inform pedestrians or drivers of other vehicles of the status of the vehicle. 【0021】 The HMI8 consists of an input unit that receives input operations from the driver and an output unit that outputs driving information and other data to the driver. The input unit includes a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and a driving mode selector switch for switching the driving mode of vehicle 1. The output unit is a display that shows various driving information. 【0022】 The GPS 9 is configured to acquire the current location information of vehicle 1 and output the acquired current location information to the vehicle control unit 3. The wireless communication unit 10 is configured to receive driving information of other vehicles in the vicinity of vehicle 1 and to transmit driving information of vehicle 1 to other vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle communication). The wireless communication unit 10 is also configured to receive infrastructure information from infrastructure equipment such as traffic lights and marker lights and to transmit driving information of vehicle 1 to the infrastructure equipment (vehicle-to-infrastructure 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. 【0023】 When vehicle 1 is driving in autonomous driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 automatically generates at least one of the steering control signal, accelerator control signal, and brake control signal based on driving state information, surrounding environment information, current location information, 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. In this way, in autonomous driving mode, the driving of vehicle 1 is automatically controlled by the vehicle system 2. 【0024】 On the other hand, when vehicle 1 is running in manual driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 generates steering control signals, accelerator control signals, and brake control signals according to the driver's manual operations on the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and steering wheel. Thus, in manual driving mode, the steering control signals, accelerator control signals, and brake control signals are generated by the driver's manual operations, and the driving of vehicle 1 is controlled by the driver. 【0025】 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 fully automatic driving mode, an advanced driver assistance mode, and a driver assistance mode. In the fully automatic driving mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving controls, including steering, braking, and acceleration, and the driver is not in a position to drive vehicle 1. In the advanced driver assistance mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving controls, including steering, braking, and acceleration, and the driver is in a position to drive vehicle 1 but does not drive it. In the driver assistance mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs some of the driving controls, including steering, braking, and acceleration, and the driver drives vehicle 1 with the assistance of the vehicle system 2. On the other hand, in the manual driving mode, the vehicle system 2 does not automatically perform driving controls, and the driver drives vehicle 1 without the assistance of the vehicle system 2. 【0026】 Furthermore, the driving mode of vehicle 1 may be switched by operating a driving mode selector switch. In this case, the vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of vehicle 1 among four driving modes (fully automated driving mode, advanced driving assistance mode, driving assistance mode, and manual driving mode) in response to the driver's operation of the driving mode selector switch. Alternatively, the driving mode of vehicle 1 may be automatically switched based on information about sections where the automated vehicle can drive, sections where the automated vehicle is prohibited from driving, or information about external weather conditions. In this case, the vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of vehicle 1 based on this information. In addition, the driving mode of vehicle 1 may be automatically switched using a seat sensor, a face orientation sensor, etc. In this case, the vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of vehicle 1 based on the output signals from the seat sensor and the face orientation sensor. 【0027】 Returning to Figure 1, the sensor system 100 of vehicle 1 includes, as external sensors 6, a front LiDAR 6f, a rear LiDAR 6b, a left LiDAR 6l, and a right LiDAR 6r. 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 left LiDAR 6l is configured to acquire information to the left of vehicle 1. The right LiDAR 6r is configured to acquire information to the right of vehicle 1. 【0028】 In the example shown in Figure 1, the front LiDAR 6f is located at the front of the vehicle 1, the rear LiDAR 6b is located at the rear of the vehicle 1, the left LiDAR 6l is located on the left side of the vehicle 1, and the right LiDAR 6r is located on the right side of the vehicle 1. However, this disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, the front LiDAR, rear LiDAR, left LiDAR, and right LiDAR may be arranged together on the ceiling of the vehicle 1. 【0029】 Furthermore, the sensor system 100 includes a left headlamp 7l located on the left side of the front of the vehicle 1, and a right headlamp 7r located on the right side, as lamps 7. In addition, the sensor system 100 includes a front window 1f and a rear window 1b as windshields. 【0030】 Furthermore, the sensor system 100 includes a cleaner unit 110 (detailed in Figure 3) that removes foreign matter such as water droplets, mud, and dust adhering to the object to be cleaned, or prevents foreign matter from adhering to the object to be cleaned. For example, in this embodiment, the cleaner unit 110 has a front window washer (hereinafter referred to as front WW) 101 capable of cleaning the front window 1f, and a rear window washer (hereinafter referred to as rear WW) 102 capable of cleaning the rear window 1b. The cleaner unit 110 also has a front sensor cleaner (hereinafter referred to as front SC) 103 capable of cleaning the front LiDAR 6f, and a rear sensor cleaner (hereinafter referred to as rear SC) 104 capable of cleaning the rear LiDAR 6b. Furthermore, the cleaner unit 110 includes a right sensor cleaner (hereinafter referred to as right SC) 105 capable of cleaning the right LiDAR 6r, and a left sensor cleaner (hereinafter referred to as left SC) 106 capable of cleaning the left LiDAR 6l. In addition, the cleaner unit 110 includes a right headlamp cleaner (hereinafter referred to as right HC) 107 capable of cleaning the right headlamp 7r, and a left headlamp cleaner (hereinafter referred to as left HC) 108 capable of cleaning the left headlamp 7l. Each of the cleaners 101 to 108 has one or more nozzles, and sprays a cleaning medium such as high-pressure air or cleaning liquid from multiple nozzle openings provided on the nozzle toward the target object. 【0031】 (First Embodiment) Figure 3 is a block diagram of the cleaner unit 110 according to the first embodiment, which is included in the sensor system 100. In addition to the cleaners 101 to 108, the cleaner unit 110 includes a tank 111, a pump 112, and a cleaner control unit 113. 【0032】 Front WW101, rear WW102, front SC103, rear SC104, right SC105, left SC106, right HC107, left HC108 are connected to tank 111 via pump 112. Pump 112 sucks up the cleaning medium stored in tank 111 and transfers it to front WW101, rear WW102, front SC103, rear SC104, right SC105, left SC106, right HC107, left HC108. 【0033】 Each of the cleaners 101 to 108 is equipped with an actuator (not shown) that opens a nozzle on each cleaner to spray the cleaning medium onto the object to be cleaned. The actuators on each of the cleaners 101 to 108 are electrically connected to the cleaner control unit 113. The pump 112 is also electrically connected to the cleaner control unit 113. The operation of the cleaners 101 to 108, the pump 112, etc., is controlled by the cleaner control unit 113. 【0034】 The cleaner control unit 113 is electrically connected to the sensor control unit 114 and the vehicle control unit 3. Information acquired by the cleaner control unit 113, information acquired by the sensor control unit 114, and information acquired by the vehicle control unit 3 are transmitted and received between each control unit. 【0035】 A sensor system 100 with this configuration operates, for example, as follows: The sensor control unit 114 determines whether the front cover, for example, located on the front side of the external sensor 6, is dirty, based on image information of the vehicle's surroundings acquired by the external sensor 6. The cleaner control unit 113 receives information about the dirt on the front cover of the external sensor 6, which is the object to be cleaned, from the sensor control unit 114, and based on this dirt information, activates the cleaners 101 to 108 to clean the front cover of the external sensor 6. 【0036】 Next, with reference to Figures 4 to 7, the cleaners 101 to 108 of the cleaner unit 110 will be described in detail. In the example below, we will describe the front SC103, which cleans the front LiDAR 6f, from among the cleaners 101 to 108. The front WW101, which cleans the front window 1f; the rear WW102, which cleans the rear window 1b; the rear SC104, which cleans the rear LiDAR 6b; the right SC105, which cleans the right LiDAR 6r; the left SC106, which cleans the left LiDAR 6l; the right HC107, which cleans the right headlamp 7r; and the left HC108, which cleans the left headlamp 7l, have the same configuration as the front SC103, so we will omit their description. 【0037】 Figure 4 is a front view showing the front LiDAR 6f and the front SC103 for cleaning the front LiDAR 6f. Figure 5 is a side view of Figure 4. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the front SC103 according to the first embodiment has a nozzle 121 capable of spraying a cleaning medium onto the front cover 131 provided on the front side of the housing 130 of the front LiDAR 6f. The nozzle 121 is positioned to face the cleaning target surface 132, which is part of the front area of ​​the front cover 131 of the front LiDAR 6f. This allows the nozzle 121 to spray a cleaning medium onto the cleaning target surface 132. The nozzle 121 is positioned in the center in the left-right direction of the cleaning target surface 132. 【0038】 The surface to be cleaned 132 is the glass surface of the front LiDAR 6f, which is the light-emitting part (laser emission part) and the light-receiving part of the reflected light, and functions as a sensing surface. The surface to be cleaned 132 is located, for example, approximately in the center of the front cover 131. In the example shown in Figure 4, the surface to be cleaned 132 is formed in a rectangular shape, but is not limited to this example. 【0039】 The nozzle 121 is positioned above the front LiDAR 6f. The nozzle 121 has a rotation axis 122 and is configured to be rotatable around the rotation axis 122. In the example nozzle 121 shown in Figure 4, etc., it is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the rotation axis 122 is provided along the length direction of the cylinder. The rotational movement of the nozzle 121 is controlled by the cleaner control unit 113. The nozzle 121 is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise around the rotation axis 122. The nozzle 121 may be configured to move in the front-rear direction along the rotation axis 122, for example, or it may be configured to be fixed in the position shown in Figures 4 and 5. 【0040】 The rotation axis 122 of the nozzle 121 is configured to extend along a direction other than the direction V perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 132. Specifically, the rotation axis 122 is configured to extend along a direction inclined with respect to the surface to be cleaned 132 (for example, the direction indicated by arrow H1). The inclined direction of the rotation axis 122 is, for example, the direction in which the inclination angle θ1 formed between the upper edge 133 of the housing 130 of the front LiDAR 6f and the rotation axis 122 becomes acute. 【0041】 The nozzle 121 has an injection port 123 for spraying a cleaning medium. The injection port 123 is located at the tip of the nozzle 121. The cleaning medium sprayed from the injection port 123 travels substantially in a straight line toward the surface to be cleaned 132. The cleaning medium is sprayed toward the vicinity of the upper edge 134 of the surface to be cleaned 132, that is, toward the upper region of the surface to be cleaned 132. The angle of incidence θ2 of the cleaning medium relative to the surface to be cleaned 132 when the cleaning medium is sprayed toward the surface to be cleaned 132 is configured to be, for example, 90° or less. 【0042】 Figures 6A to 6C show the change in the position of the nozzle 123 of the nozzle 121 when the nozzle 121 rotates around the rotation axis 122. Note that the nozzle 121 shown in Figures 6A to 6C is viewed from the side of the surface to be cleaned 132, showing the front and bottom views of the nozzle 121. Figure 6A shows the position of the nozzle 123 when the nozzle 121 is not rotated (initial state). Figure 6B shows the position of the nozzle 123 when the nozzle 121 is rotated clockwise from the initial state. Figure 6C shows the position of the nozzle 123 when the nozzle 121 is rotated counterclockwise from the initial state. 【0043】 As shown in Figure 6A, when the nozzle 121 is not rotating, the nozzle opening 123 is positioned to coincide with the rotation axis 122. In this state, the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle opening 123 is sprayed approximately to the center in the left-right direction of the upper region of the surface to be cleaned 132. As shown in Figure 6B, when the nozzle 121 rotates clockwise when viewed from below, the nozzle opening 123 moves to the right in proportion to the amount of rotation. Therefore, the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle opening 123 is sprayed to the right side of the upper region of the surface to be cleaned 132. Then, as shown in Figure 6C, when the nozzle 121 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from below, the nozzle opening 123 moves to the left in proportion to the amount of rotation. Therefore, the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle opening 123 is sprayed to the left side of the upper region of the surface to be cleaned 132. In this manner, the rotation angle of the nozzle 121 is set so that the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle 123 is sprayed over the entire area from the right to the left of the upper region of the surface to be cleaned 132. 【0044】 Figure 7 shows a specific configuration example of the front SC103 used to clean the front LiDAR 6f shown in Figures 4 and 5. As shown in Figure 7, the nozzle 121 of the front SC103 is positioned at a distance D1 above the upper edge 133 of the housing 130 of the front LiDAR 6f. The distance D1 is, for example, 15 mm. At this time, the nozzle opening 123 of the nozzle 121 is positioned at a distance D2 in front of the surface to be cleaned 132. The distance D2 is, for example, 13 mm. The nozzle 121 is also set so that the inclination angle θ1 of the rotation axis 122 with respect to the direction V perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned is, for example, 20°. Furthermore, the nozzle 121 is set so that the incidence angle θ2 of the cleaning medium with respect to the surface to be cleaned 132 when the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle opening 123 hits the surface to be cleaned 132 is, for example, 20°. Furthermore, the direction in which the cleaning medium is ejected from the nozzle 123 of the nozzle 121 is assumed to be at an ejection angle θ3 = 90° with respect to the rotation axis 122. In addition, as the nozzle 121 rotates, the cleaning medium ejected from the nozzle 123 can be sprayed over the entire area of ​​the surface to be cleaned 132, from the right to the left side, as indicated by arrows R and L. 【0045】 Furthermore, the rotation axis 122 of the nozzle 121 only needs to be configured to extend along a direction other than the direction V perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 132, and is not limited to the example described above. Specifically, the nozzle 121 is not limited to a configuration in which its rotation axis 122 extends along a direction inclined with respect to the surface to be cleaned 132 (direction of arrow H1 in Figure 5). For example, the nozzle 121 may be configured so that its rotation axis 122 extends in a direction parallel to the surface to be cleaned 132 (direction indicated by arrow H2 in Figure 5), as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5. In this case, the inclination angle formed by the upper edge 133 of the housing 130 of the front LiDAR 6f and the rotation axis 122 is approximately a right angle. 【0046】 As described above, the sensor system 100 of this embodiment comprises a front LiDAR 6f (an example of a sensor) and a front SC103 (an example of a cleaner) capable of cleaning the cleaning target surface 132 of the front LiDAR 6f. The front SC103 has a nozzle 121 equipped with a spray port 123 for spraying a cleaning medium onto the cleaning target surface 132. The nozzle 121 is rotatable around a rotation axis 122 that extends along a predetermined direction other than the direction V perpendicular to the surface of the cleaning target surface 132 when the front LiDAR 6f is operating. With this configuration, since the cleaning medium is sprayed onto the cleaning target surface 132 of the front LiDAR 6f while the nozzle 121 of the front SC103 rotates, the entire area of ​​the cleaning target surface 132 can be efficiently cleaned with a small amount of cleaning medium. Furthermore, since the rotation axis 122 of the nozzle 121 extends along a predetermined direction that is not perpendicular to the surface V of the surface to be cleaned 132, the cleaning medium can be sprayed from the nozzle 121 at a right angle or acute angle to the surface 132 of the front LiDAR 6f to be cleaned. For this reason, compared to, for example, spraying the cleaning medium in a direction parallel to the surface to be cleaned 132, the Coanda effect of the cleaning medium on the surface to be cleaned 132 can be enhanced, and the cleaning medium adheres more easily to the surface to be cleaned 132. This enables more efficient cleaning of the surface to be cleaned 132. 【0047】 In this embodiment, the predetermined direction other than the direction V perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned 132, which is the extension direction of the rotation axis 122, is a direction parallel to the surface to be cleaned 132, or a direction inclined with respect to the surface to be cleaned 132. With this configuration, the spray direction of the cleaning medium from the nozzle 121 toward the surface to be cleaned 132 is perpendicular or acute to the surface to be cleaned 132, thus enabling more effective cleaning. 【0048】 In this embodiment, the angle of incidence θ2 of the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle 123 of the nozzle 121 to the surface to be cleaned 132 is 90° or less. In order to efficiently clean the surface to be cleaned 132, it is preferable to keep the angle of incidence θ2 of the cleaning medium at 90° or less. 【0049】 In this embodiment, the nozzle 121 of the front SC103 is positioned above the front LiDAR 6f. The cleaning medium is then sprayed near the upper edge 134 of the surface to be cleaned 132. As a result, the cleaning medium sprayed near the upper edge 134 of the surface to be cleaned moves downward due to gravity, allowing the entire surface to be cleaned with a small amount of cleaning medium. 【0050】 Furthermore, the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle 121 may include water or detergent. The cleaning medium sprayed onto the front and rear windows 1f, 1b, headlights 7l, 7r, and LiDARs 6f, 6b, 6l, 6r may be different or the same. 【0051】 (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 13. Figure 8 is a block diagram of the cleaner system 210 according to the second embodiment, which is included in the sensor system 100. In addition to the cleaners 201 to 208, the cleaner system 210 includes a tank 111, a pump 112, a cleaner control unit 113, and air pumps 115 to 118. 【0052】 Front WW201, rear WW202, right HC207, and left HC208 are connected to tank 111 via pump 112. Pump 112 draws in cleaning fluid (an example of a cleaning medium) stored in tank 111 and transfers it to front WW201, rear WW202, front SC203, rear SC204, right SC205, left SC206, right HC207, and left HC208. 【0053】 Air pumps 115-118 are connected to the front SC203, rear SC204, right SC205, and left SC206, respectively. Each air pump 115-118 generates high-pressure air (an example of a cleaning medium) and sends the generated high-pressure air to the front SC203, rear SC204, right SC205, and left SC206. 【0054】 Each cleaner 201-208 may be equipped with an actuator (not shown) that opens a nozzle on each cleaner 201-208 to spray the cleaning medium onto the object to be cleaned. The actuators on each cleaner 201-208 are electrically connected to the cleaner control unit 113. Pumps 112 and air pumps 115-118 are also electrically connected to the cleaner control unit 113. The operation of the cleaners 201-208, pumps 112, air pumps 115-118, etc., is controlled by the cleaner control unit 113. 【0055】 The cleaner control unit 113 is electrically connected to the vehicle control unit 3 and the sensor control unit 114 (see Figure 2). Information acquired by the cleaner control unit 113, information acquired by the sensor control unit 114, and information acquired by the vehicle control unit 3 are transmitted and received between each control unit. 【0056】 Next, an example of operation of cleaners 201 to 208 in the cleaner system 210 with the above configuration according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 16. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the configuration and operation of nozzle 141 according to the second embodiment of cleaners 201 to 208. In the example shown in Figure 9, nozzle 141 mounted on the front SC203, which cleans the front LiDAR 6fA located at the front of the vehicle 1, will be described. Note that nozzles mounted on cleaners other than the front SC203 have the same configuration and operation as nozzle 141, so their description will be omitted. 【0057】 As shown in Figure 9, the nozzle 141 of the front SC203 is located in the upper central part of the front LiDAR 6fA. The front LiDAR 6fA has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the windshield portion 136f, which is the surface to be cleaned, is located in the center of the front. The nozzle 141 has, for example, a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and is provided with a plurality of nozzles 143 for injecting high-pressure air on its outer side. The nozzle 141 is a movable nozzle that is rotatable around a rotation axis X (an axis extending in the front-back direction of the paper in Figure 9). The nozzle 141 can rotate around the rotation axis X in only one direction, either clockwise (right) or counterclockwise (left). In this example, the nozzle 141 is provided with two nozzles: a first nozzle 143a and a second nozzle 143b. The nozzle 141 is configured to rotate around the rotation axis X, thereby enabling the high-pressure air ejected from each nozzle 143a, 143b to be sprayed across the windshield portion 136f from the left end to the right end. 【0058】 Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the nozzle 141. As shown in Figure 10, the nozzle 141 has a cylindrical conduit 150 and a rotating nozzle portion 160 provided at the front end of the conduit 150. 【0059】 The conduit 150 is a passage through which high-pressure air supplied from the air pump 115 passes, and it extends along the rotation axis X. The conduit 150 is a fixed, i.e., non-rotatable component in the structure of the nozzle 141. The high-pressure air that has passed through the conduit 150 is supplied to the rotating nozzle section 160. 【0060】 The rotating nozzle section 160 is rotatably mounted around the conduit 150, which extends along the rotation axis X. The rotating nozzle section 160 is rectangular in shape and has a storage section 161 for storing high-pressure air, and a first nozzle 143a and a second nozzle 143b for spraying high-pressure air toward the windshield section 136f. The rotating nozzle section 160 is electrically connected to the cleaner control section 113, and its rotation is controlled by the cleaner control section 113. 【0061】 The storage section 161 is connected to the pipeline 150 and stores high-pressure air supplied from the pipeline 150 inside it. A first injection port 143a and a second injection port 143b are provided on the outer circumference of the storage section 161. The first injection port 143a and the second injection port 143b are each provided to be continuous with the storage section 161. The first injection port 143a and the second injection port 143b are provided, for example, at opposing positions on the outer circumference of the storage section 161. That is, the first injection port 143a is provided on the opposite side of the rotation axis X from the second injection port 143b. 【0062】 A first solenoid valve 162a is provided at the boundary between the first injection port 143a and the storage section 161. A second solenoid valve 162b is provided at the boundary between the second injection port 143b and the storage section 161. The first solenoid valve 162a is a valve for opening and closing the boundary between the first injection port 143a and the storage section 161, that is, a valve that can switch the opening and closing of the first injection port 143a. The second solenoid valve 162b is a valve for opening and closing the boundary between the second injection port 143b and the storage section 161, that is, a valve that can switch the opening and closing of the second injection port 143b. The first solenoid valve 162a and the second solenoid valve 162b are electrically connected to the cleaner control unit 113, and the opening and closing of the valves are controlled by the cleaner control unit 113. The cleaner control unit 113 switches the opening and closing of each solenoid valve 162a, 162b in accordance with the change in the position of each spray nozzle 143a, 143b relative to the windshield 136f, based on the rotation of the rotating nozzle unit 160. 【0063】 Figures 11A to 11F illustrate the opening and closing of each nozzle 143a and 143b when the nozzle 141 rotates. The nozzle 141 shown in Figures 11A to 11F is shown in cross-section along line AA in Figure 10. The rotating nozzle portion 160 of the nozzle 141 rotates, for example, clockwise, transitioning from the state in Figure 11A to the state in Figure 11B, and then from the state in Figure 11B to the state in Figure 11C. The rotating nozzle portion 160 further transitions to the state in Figure 11D, then to the state in Figure 11E, and then from the state in Figure 11E to the state in Figure 11F. In the example in Figures 11A to 11F, the windshield portion 136f, which is the surface to be cleaned, is located below the rotating nozzle portion 160. 【0064】 As described above, the first nozzle 143a and the second nozzle 143b are located opposite each other on the outer circumference of the storage section 161, separated by the pipeline 150. When the rotating nozzle section 160 moves from the state shown in Figure 11A to the state shown in Figure 11C, the cleaner control unit 113 opens the first solenoid valve 162a and closes the second solenoid valve 162b, controlling the system so that high-pressure air is injected only from the first nozzle 143a. On the other hand, when the rotating nozzle section 160 moves from the state shown in Figure 11D to the state shown in Figure 11F, the cleaner control unit 113 opens the second solenoid valve 162b and closes the first solenoid valve 162a, controlling the system so that high-pressure air is injected only from the second nozzle 143b. In other words, the cleaner control unit 113 controls the nozzle 141 so that, in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle unit 160, the solenoid valve of the nozzle closer to the windshield unit 136f among the first nozzle 143a and the second nozzle 143b is opened, and the high-pressure air supplied to the storage unit 161 of the rotating nozzle unit 160 is ejected from the nozzle closer to the windshield unit 136f. 【0065】 In the examples shown in Figures 9 to 11F, a rectangular rotating nozzle section 160 has been described, but it is not limited to this. The shape of the rotating nozzle section may be, for example, a cylindrical shape with a circular shape when viewed from the front. Also, the number of spray ports provided in the rotating nozzle section 160 is not limited to two. 【0066】 Figure 12 shows the configuration of nozzle 141A according to the first modified example of the second embodiment. In the first modified example shown in Figure 12, the shape of the rotating nozzle section 160A of nozzle 141A is circular in front view. In this example, three injection ports 143a to 143c are provided on the rotating nozzle section 160A. The three injection ports 143a to 143c are arranged radially and at equal intervals on the outer circumference of the storage section 161 with the pipeline 150 as the center. In addition, solenoid valves 162a to 162c are provided at the boundary between each injection port 143a to 143c and the storage section 161. 【0067】 According to the configuration of nozzle 141A shown in Figure 12, the cleaner control unit 113 controls the high-pressure air supplied to the storage unit 161 of the rotating nozzle unit 160A to be ejected from the nozzle closest to the windshield unit 136f by opening the solenoid valve of the nozzle closest to the windshield unit 136f among the three nozzles 143a to 143c and closing the solenoid valves of the other nozzles, in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle unit 160A. 【0068】 Figure 13 shows the configuration of nozzle 141B according to a second modification of the second embodiment. In the second modification shown in Figure 13, the shape of the rotating nozzle section 160B of nozzle 141B is circular in a front view. In this example, four injection ports 143a to 143d are provided on the rotating nozzle section 160B. The four injection ports 143a to 143d are arranged radially and at equal intervals on the outer circumference of the storage section 161 with the pipeline 150 as the center. In addition, solenoid valves 162a to 162d are provided at the boundary between each injection port 143a to 143d and the storage section 161. 【0069】 According to the configuration of nozzle 141B shown in Figure 13, the cleaner control unit 113 controls the high-pressure air supplied to the storage unit 161 of the rotating nozzle unit 160B to be ejected from the nozzle closest to the windshield 136f by opening the solenoid valve of the nozzle closest to the windshield 136f among the four nozzles 143a to 143d and closing the solenoid valves of the other nozzles, in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle unit 160B. 【0070】 In addition, there may be cases where the distance to the windshield portion 136f is equal for multiple nozzles. In such cases, for example, the system may be controlled to inject high-pressure air from the nozzle on the front or rear side in the direction of rotation. Furthermore, the time for injecting high-pressure air from each nozzle is sufficient to be at least long enough to inject high-pressure air across the windshield portion 136f from the left end to the right end. 【0071】 Furthermore, although the above example of operation described the case where the rotating nozzle section 160 rotates clockwise, it is not limited to this. The direction of rotation of the rotating nozzle section 160 may differ depending on the position where the nozzles of the cleaners 101 to 108 are attached. For example, the nozzle of the right HC107 that cleans the right headlamp 7r and the nozzle of the right SC105 that cleans the right LiDAR 6r may rotate counterclockwise (left). The nozzle of the left HC108 that cleans the left headlamp 7l and the nozzle of the left SC106 that cleans the left LiDAR 6l may rotate clockwise (right). This allows the high-pressure air sprayed from the nozzles to be efficiently directed onto the cleaning surface of each sensor in accordance with the surrounding airflow caused by the movement of the vehicle 1. 【0072】 As described above, the front SC203 (an example of a cleaner) of this embodiment has a nozzle 141 equipped with multiple nozzles 143 (first nozzle 143a, second nozzle 143b) that spray high-pressure air onto the windshield portion 136f, which is the surface to be cleaned of the front LiDAR 6fA (an example of a sensor). The nozzle 141 has an internal structure that allows switching the opening and closing of the multiple nozzles 143 in accordance with the movement of at least a part of the nozzle 141. With this configuration, the front SC203 can be effectively cleaned by switching the opening and closing of the multiple nozzles 143 provided on the nozzle 141 in accordance with the movement of the nozzle 141. 【0073】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the internal structure includes a fixedly positioned cylindrical conduit 150 and a rotating nozzle section 160 that is rotatably mounted around the conduit 150. The high-pressure air supplied from the conduit 150 to the rotating nozzle section 160 is ejected from a predetermined nozzle 143 among a plurality of nozzles 143 provided on the rotating nozzle section 160, in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle section 160. This configuration allows for the opening and closing of the plurality of nozzles 143 provided on the rotating nozzle section 160 with a simple configuration of rotating the rotating nozzle section 160 around the conduit 150. 【0074】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotating nozzle section 160 is rotatable in only one direction. With this configuration, the rotation mechanism of the rotating nozzle section 160 can be realized with a simpler structure compared to, for example, a swivel-type nozzle in which the nozzle section reciprocates and rotates in the left-right direction. 【0075】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the internal structure further includes solenoid valves 162a and 162b that can switch the opening and closing of multiple injection ports 143 (143a, 143b) in accordance with the change in the position of each injection port 143 (143a, 143b) relative to the windshield portion 136f based on the rotation of the rotating nozzle portion 160. With this configuration, the opening and closing of each injection port 143a and 143b provided on the rotating nozzle portion 160 can be easily achieved by switching the opening and closing of each solenoid valve 162a and 162b. 【0076】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first injection port 143a and the second injection port 143b are located on opposite sides of the pipeline 150. The solenoid valves 162a and 162b switch the opening and closing of each solenoid valve 162a and 162b so as to open the first injection port 143a and close the second injection port 143b when the first injection port 143a is closer to the windshield portion 136f than the second injection port 143b. With this configuration, by switching the opening and closing of the two injection ports 143a and 143b provided in the rotating nozzle portion 160 at the optimal position, it becomes possible to continuously inject high-pressure air without any downtime. 【0077】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple nozzles 143 may consist of at least three nozzles 143a to 143c arranged radially around the pipeline 150. In this case, the cleaner control unit 113 switches the opening and closing of each solenoid valve 162a to 162c to open the nozzle closest to the windshield 136f among the at least three nozzles 143a to 143c and close the other nozzles in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle unit 160. With this configuration, even if the rotating nozzle unit 160 is provided with three or more nozzles, continuous injection of high-pressure air without any downtime is possible by switching the opening and closing of the nozzles at the optimal position. 【0078】 (Third embodiment) Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a nozzle 223 according to the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 14, the nozzle 223 has a cylindrical conduit 250 and a rotating nozzle portion 260 provided at the front end of the conduit 250. 【0079】 The conduit 250 is provided to extend along the axis of rotation X and has a rear conduit 250a and a front conduit 250b which has a larger diameter than the rear conduit 250a. The conduit 250 is a fixedly positioned component in the structure of the nozzle 223. A medium passage 251 through which high-pressure air passes is provided in the center of both the rear conduit 250a and the front conduit 250b. The front conduit 250b further has a discharge passage 252 extending radially outward from the center, which is continuous with the medium passage 251. 【0080】 The rotating nozzle section 260 is rotatably mounted around the front conduit 250b with respect to a medium passage 251 that extends along the rotation axis X. The outer circumference of the rotating nozzle section 260 is provided with a first nozzle 243a and a second nozzle 243b for injecting high-pressure air. The first nozzle 243a and the second nozzle 243b are positioned opposite each other across the front conduit 250b. That is, the first nozzle 243a and the second nozzle 243b are positioned opposite each other on the outer circumference of the rotating nozzle section 260, across the front conduit 250b. 【0081】 The first nozzle 243a and the second nozzle 243b are configured to inject high-pressure air when they come into communication with the discharge passage 252 of the front conduit 250b as the rotating nozzle section 260 rotates. The rotating nozzle section 260 is electrically connected to the cleaner control section 113, and its rotation is controlled by the cleaner control section 113. 【0082】 Figures 15A to 15F illustrate the injection of high-pressure air from each nozzle 243a and 243b when the nozzle 223 is rotating. The nozzle 223 shown in Figures 15A to 15F is shown in cross-section along line BB in Figure 14. The rotating nozzle portion 260 of the nozzle 223 rotates clockwise around the rotation axis X, and sequentially changes its state in the direction of the arrow from the state in Figure 15A, transitioning from the state in Figure 15B to the state in Figure 15C, further transitioning from the state in Figure 15D to the state in Figure 15E, and finally to the state in Figure 15F. Below the rotating nozzle portion 260 is the windshield portion 136f, which is the surface to be cleaned. 【0083】 As shown in Figures 15A to 15F, a discharge passage 252 is provided in the lower region of the front conduit 250b, extending radially outward from the center. The outer circumference of the front conduit 250b, where the discharge passage 252 is provided, is an opening 253 without a peripheral wall, and is configured to communicate with the first injection port 243a and the second injection port 243b formed in the rotating nozzle section 260. As the rotating nozzle section 260 rotates around the front conduit 250b, when the position of the first injection port 243a or the second injection port 243b of the rotating nozzle section 260 coincides with the position of the opening 253 of the front conduit 250b and the two are in communication, high-pressure air is injected from the injection port that is in communication. 【0084】 For example, when the rotating nozzle section 260 is in the state shown in Figure 15A and Figure 15B, the first injection port 243a of the rotating nozzle section 260 is in communication with the opening 253 of the front conduit 250b. In this case, the high-pressure air that has passed through the medium passage 251 and the discharge passage 252 is injected from the first injection port 243a toward the windshield section 136f. Specifically, when the rotating nozzle section 260 is in the state shown in Figure 15A, the high-pressure air is injected almost directly downwards. When the rotating nozzle section 260 is in the state shown in Figure 15B, the high-pressure air is injected slightly downwards and to the left. 【0085】 Furthermore, when the rotating nozzle section 260 is in the state shown in Figure 15C, neither the first nozzle 243a nor the second nozzle 243b is in communication with the opening 253 of the front conduit 250b. Therefore, high-pressure air is not injected from either nozzle. 【0086】 Furthermore, when the rotating nozzle section 260 changes from the state shown in Figure 15D to the state shown in Figure 15F, the second injection port 243b becomes in communication with the opening 253. As a result, high-pressure air is injected from the second injection port 243b towards the windshield section 136f. Specifically, when the rotating nozzle section 260 is in the state shown in Figure 15D, the high-pressure air is injected downwards to the right. When the rotating nozzle section 260 is in the state shown in Figure 15E, the high-pressure air is injected almost straight down. When the rotating nozzle section 260 is in the state shown in Figure 15F, the high-pressure air is injected slightly downwards to the left. 【0087】 As described above, according to the nozzle 223 of the SC203 in the third embodiment, an opening 253 is formed in a part of the circumferential direction of the front conduit 250b of the conduit 250, and in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle part 260, high-pressure air is injected toward the windshield part 136f from the nozzle 243a, 243b that is in communication with the opening 253. With this configuration, the opening and closing of each nozzle 243a, 243b can be switched with a small number of parts, consisting only of the conduit 250 and the rotating nozzle part 260, so the overall size of the nozzle 223 can be made compact. 【0088】 (Fourth embodiment) Figure 16 shows the internal structure of the nozzle 323 according to the third embodiment. In the second and third embodiments described above, nozzles 141 and 223 that rotate around a rotation axis X have been described, but the invention is not limited to these. For example, as shown in Figure 16, the nozzle 323 may be configured to slide in the left-right direction along the upper edge T1 of the front LiDAR 6fA. 【0089】 The nozzle 323 according to the fourth embodiment includes an elongated housing 350 positioned above the front LiDAR 6fA along the upper edge T2 of the windshield portion 136f, and a middle nozzle 360 ​​(an example of a media supply unit) housed inside the housing 350. 【0090】 On one side of the housing 350 facing the windshield portion 136f in the longitudinal direction, multiple (seven in this example) nozzles 343 are formed in parallel. Each nozzle 343 is formed to face the windshield portion 136f, and by injecting high-pressure air from all nozzles 343, high-pressure air can be injected across the windshield portion 136f from the left end to the right end. 【0091】 The intermediate nozzle 360 ​​is configured to move parallel to the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the housing 350 within the housing 350. The intermediate nozzle 360 ​​has an outlet 361 for releasing high-pressure air. The outlet 361 is formed at the bottom of the intermediate nozzle 360. The intermediate nozzle 360 ​​is positioned so that its outlet 361 faces one side of the housing 350 where the injection ports 343 are formed. The outlet 361 is configured to communicate with each of the injection ports 343 of the housing 350 when the intermediate nozzle 360 ​​moves parallel to the housing 350. The outlet 361 is open when communicating with the injection ports 343 and closed when positioned between the injection ports 343. 【0092】 Thus, the nozzle 323 of the SC203 in the fourth embodiment has a long housing 350 and a middle nozzle 360 ​​housed inside the housing 350 and supplying high-pressure air into the housing 350. Multiple injection ports 343 are formed in parallel on one longitudinal surface of the housing 350, and as the middle nozzle 360 ​​moves parallel along the longitudinal direction within the housing 350, high-pressure air is injected toward the windshield portion 136f from the injection port 343 that communicates with the discharge port 361 of the middle nozzle 360 ​​among the multiple parallel injection ports 343. With this configuration, when the discharge port 361 of the middle nozzle 360 ​​and each injection port 343 are not communicating, the pressure of the high-pressure air inside the middle nozzle 360 ​​increases, so that even when using a small pump, the injection speed of the high-pressure air injected from each injection port 343 can be increased. 【0093】 In the second to fourth embodiments described above, the front WW201, rear WW202, right HC207, and left HC208 are described as spraying cleaning fluid, while the front SC203, rear SC204, right SC205, and left SC206 are described as spraying high-pressure air. However, the invention is not limited to this example. In each cleaner 201 to 208, whether to use cleaning fluid or high-pressure air as the cleaning medium can be appropriately changed depending on the type of object to be cleaned and the desired level of cleanliness. 【0094】 While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of this disclosure should not be interpreted restrictively by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications to the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of this disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope of its equivalents. 【0095】 In the embodiments described above, an example was given in which the sensor system 100 is mounted on a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. However, the sensor system 100 may also be mounted on a vehicle that is not capable of autonomous driving. 【0096】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the vehicle control unit 3, the cleaner control unit 113, and the sensor control unit 114 are provided as separate components, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the vehicle control unit 3 and the sensor control unit 114 may be configured as an integrated unit, or the vehicle control unit 3 and the cleaner control unit 113 may be configured as an integrated unit, or the vehicle control unit 3, the cleaner control unit 113, and the sensor control unit 114 may be configured as an integrated unit. 【0097】 Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes a cleaner for cleaning on-board sensors mounted on a vehicle 1, the invention is not limited to this. The cleaner of this disclosure may be used, for example, as a cleaner for cleaning surveillance cameras, LiDARs, etc., installed in infrastructure such as roads and railways. Even when the nozzle with the above configuration is used in such an infrastructure sensor system, it is possible to clean the sensors efficiently and at low cost. 【0098】 This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-154362 filed on 22 September 2021 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-171531 filed on 20 October 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

[Claim 1] Sensors and, The system includes a cleaner capable of cleaning the surface of the sensor to be cleaned, The cleaner has a nozzle equipped with a spray port for spraying a cleaning medium onto the surface to be cleaned. The nozzle is rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in a predetermined direction other than perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned when the cleaner is in operation. The nozzle is positioned above the sensor, The cleaning medium is sprayed near the upper edge of the surface to be cleaned, and is part of a sensor system. [Claim 2] The sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined direction is a direction parallel to the surface to be cleaned, or a direction inclined with respect to the surface to be cleaned. [Claim 3] The sensor system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the angle of incidence of the cleaning medium sprayed from the nozzle with respect to the surface to be cleaned is 90° or less. [Claim 4] A cleaner having a movable nozzle equipped with multiple nozzles for spraying a cleaning medium onto the surface of a sensor to be cleaned, The movable nozzle has an internal structure that allows switching the opening and closing of the plurality of spray ports in accordance with the movement of at least a part of the movable nozzle. The internal structure includes a fixedly arranged cylindrical conduit and a rotating nozzle section that is rotatably mounted around the conduit. A cleaner in which, in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle, the cleaning medium supplied from the pipeline to the rotating nozzle is sprayed from a predetermined nozzle among a plurality of nozzles provided on the rotating nozzle. [Claim 5] The cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the rotating nozzle portion is rotatable in only one direction. [Claim 6] The cleaner according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the internal structure further includes a solenoid valve capable of switching the opening and closing of the plurality of spray nozzles in accordance with the change in the position of each spray nozzle relative to the surface to be cleaned, based on the rotation of the rotating nozzle portion. [Claim 7] The plurality of injection nozzles consist of a first injection nozzle and a second injection nozzle located on the opposite side of the pipeline from the first injection nozzle, The cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the solenoid valve opens the first nozzle and closes the second nozzle when the first nozzle approaches the surface to be cleaned closer than the second nozzle. [Claim 8] The plurality of nozzles consist of at least three nozzles arranged radially around the pipeline, The cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the solenoid valve opens the nozzle closest to the surface to be cleaned among the at least three nozzles and closes the other nozzles in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle. [Claim 9] The aforementioned conduit has an opening formed in a part of its circumferential direction. The cleaner according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, in accordance with the rotation of the rotating nozzle, the cleaning medium is sprayed toward the surface to be cleaned from one of the plurality of spray ports that communicates with the opening. [Claim 10] A cleaner having a movable nozzle equipped with a plurality of nozzles for spraying a cleaning medium onto the surface of a sensor to be cleaned, The movable nozzle comprises a long, rectangular housing and a medium supply unit housed inside the housing for supplying the cleaning medium into the housing. The plurality of nozzles are formed in parallel on one longitudinal surface of the housing, A cleaner in which the medium supply unit moves parallel to the longitudinal direction within the housing, causing the cleaning medium to be sprayed toward the surface to be cleaned from the nozzles among the plurality of nozzles that communicate with the medium supply unit. [Claim 11] The cleaner according to any one of claims 4, 5, or 10, wherein the sensor is an on-board sensor mounted on a vehicle.

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