Cleaning means for an environment recognition device

Abstract

The invention relates to a cleaning means (10) for an environment recognition device (100) of a vehicle, with a housing (16) which forms a viewing area (14) for a sensor (102) in the region of a viewing window (12), with a wiper blade (20) which is movable along the viewing window (12) for cleaning the viewing area (14), wherein the wiper blade (20) is coupled to a drive mechanism (35) which comprises an electric motor (28) and is designed to move the wiper blade (20) to and fro between two reversing positions (24, 26).

Description

[0001] Cleaning device for an environment detection device

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The invention relates to a cleaning device for an environment recognition device of a vehicle, which is characterized by the possibility of continued operation of the environment recognition device with detection of the vehicle environment in the event of a failure of the drive of the cleaning device.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] From DE 10 2020 122 332 A1, a cleaning device for an environment detection device of a vehicle is known, having the features of the preamble of claim 1. The known cleaning device is characterized by an electric motor drive, which, by means of a drive mechanism, can move a wiper blade back and forth along a field of vision of a viewing window between two reversing positions in order to clean the field of vision in the event of soiling or rain, thereby ensuring the proper functioning of the environment detection device. The electric motor drive is designed as a brushed or brushless electric motor, the drive shaft of which is coupled to the drive mechanism.Should the electric motor fail during operation of the cleaning device, there is a risk that the wiper blade will stop at any point in the field of view between the two reversing positions, thereby impairing the field of view for a sensor of the environment detection device, which means that the error-free function of the environment detection device is no longer guaranteed. Advantages of the invention.

[0006] The cleaning device according to the invention for an environment recognition device of a vehicle with the features of claim 1 has the advantage that, in the event of failure of the electric motor, it moves the wiper blade located in the area of ​​the field of vision to a defined position in order to ensure continued operation of the environment recognition device at least until the viewing window in the area of ​​the field of vision is so dirty or covered by precipitation that the function of a sensor of the environment recognition device is no longer ensured.

[0007] The invention is based on the idea of ​​using an additional drive that is separate from the electric motor and coupled to the drive mechanism to move the wiper blade to a defined position in the event of a failure of the electric motor. This requires, among other things, that the additional drive overcomes the inhibiting force generated by the electric motor in the event of its failure in order to be able to move the wiper blade.

[0008] Against the background of the above explanations, it is therefore provided in a cleaning device according to the invention for an environment recognition device with the features of claim 1 that the electric motor is at least indirectly designed to generate a linear movement of the drive mechanism, and that the wiper blade is at least indirectly connected to an additional drive which is designed to move the wiper blade in the event of a failure of the linear motor in the direction of a reversing position, preferably into the region of a parking position of the wiper blade arranged outside the field of vision.

[0009] Advantageous further developments of the cleaning device according to the invention for an environment recognition device of a vehicle are listed in the subclaims.

[0010] The linear movement of the drive mechanism can be generated particularly easily, with minimal design effort, and in a small installation space if the electric motor is designed as a linear motor that is directly connected to the drive mechanism. Because the electric motor is designed as a linear motor, it exhibits only a relatively low degree of self-locking in the event of a failure, so the additional drive can relatively easily overcome the self-locking generated by the linear motor.

[0011] Alternatively, without using a linear motor, the linear movement at the drive mechanism can also be generated by coupling a rotating output element of the electric motor (output shaft) to the drive mechanism via a gear, wherein the gear converts the rotary movement of the output element of the electric motor into a linear movement that acts on the drive mechanism.

[0012] In a specific design of the additional drive, the additional drive is designed as a mechanical unit designed to generate a restoring force on the wiper blade that acts in the direction of a reversing position. This has the advantage that even in the event of a power failure, which may not only affect the electric motor or the linear motor, the mechanical unit can move the wiper blade to the intended position outside the field of vision without its own electric motor drive.

[0013] In a preferred design development of the mechanical assembly, it comprises at least one spring element, preferably in the form of a compression spring. The mechanical assembly is coupled to the drive mechanism for the wiper blade in such a way that, when the wiper blade is moved by the linear motor, the spring element generates the restoring force in the direction of the reversing position through its deformation. In other words, this means that the spring force required to move the wiper blade by the mechanical assembly is generated when the wiper blade is moved by the linear motor.

[0014] In a further preferred development of the last proposal, it is provided that the mechanical assembly has a piston with a piston rod arranged so as to be movable relative to the piston, that the piston rod is connected to the spring element arranged in the piston, that the piston rod is connected at least indirectly to the drive mechanism for the wiper blade by an end section protruding from the piston, and that an end section of the piston facing away from the piston rod is arranged so as to be pivotable about a fixedly arranged fastening point of the mechanical assembly.In such a mechanical assembly as described last, it is furthermore preferably provided that the wiper blade is arranged to be movable along a rectilinear movement path, and that a longitudinal axis of the piston and the piston rod, starting from a vertical alignment between the movement path of the wiper blade and the longitudinal axis of the piston and the piston rod, applies the restoring force to the wiper blade in the direction of one or the other reversing position as a function of an angle between the movement path and the longitudinal axis.

[0015] The drive mechanism preferably has a carrier element for the wiper blade, wherein the carrier element is arranged to be movable between the two reversing positions by means of at least one linear guide which is arranged in the region of the field of vision parallel to the viewing window, and wherein the carrier element is connected to an actuating element of the linear motor by means of a connecting element, in particular by means of a connecting rod.

[0016] Preferably, the adjusting element is arranged to be movable along an adjustment axis running parallel to at least one linear guide.

[0017] The linear motor preferably has multiple electrical coils to achieve defined positions of the wiper blade. This not only enables the wiper blade to move back and forth within the field of vision, but also allows the wiper blade to be controlled at defined positions within the field of vision, for example, to specifically remove dirt from the windshield that has been detected by the environment detection device within the field of vision.

[0018] Furthermore, for the operation of such a linear motor, it is advantageous if the coils are designed to be individually energized to generate a soft start and / or soft stop. This ensures mechanical protection of the components of the drive mechanism and the wiper blade. A preferred application of a cleaning device according to the invention described so far is its use in an environment detection device designed as a lidar device.

[0019] Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the drawings.

[0020] Short description of the drawing

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a cleaning device as part of a

[0022] Environment detection device in the form of a lidar device.

[0023] Embodiments of the invention

[0024] Figure 1 shows a highly simplified view of an environment detection device 100 for a vehicle. The environment detection device 100 serves to detect potentially dangerous driving situations while the vehicle is moving, for example, to enable autonomous driving of the vehicle. The environment detection device 100 is preferably designed as a lidar device and, for this purpose, has a lidar sensor 102, the signals from which are forwarded to a control device (not shown).

[0025] The environment detection device 100 further comprises a cleaning device 10 having a viewing window 12 with a field of view 14 through which the lidar sensor 102 can detect the surroundings. The cleaning device 10 further comprises a housing 16, only partially shown in Fig. 1, in which the lidar sensor 102 is preferably also arranged. The viewing window 12 serves to protect the lidar sensor 102 from dirt, precipitation, or the like in order to ensure the function of the lidar sensor 102. In order to enable detection of the vehicle's surroundings by means of the lidar sensor 102 in the event of dirt, rain, or moisture, the cleaning device 10 further comprises a wiper blade 20, known per se from the field of cleaning vehicle windows, having a wiper blade longitudinal axis 22 that extends perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in Fig. 1. The wiper blade 20 is on the side of the field of view 14 facing away from the lidar sensor 102 orthe viewing window 12, ie outside the housing 16, and is movable back and forth between two reversing positions 24, 26 in order to clean the viewing window 12 in the area of ​​the field of view 14.

[0026] In addition, it is mentioned that, in particular for the removal of dirt, the cleaning device 10 also has at least one spray device or the like (not shown) for applying a cleaning liquid.

[0027] An electric motor 28, designed in the form of a linear motor 30, is used to move the wiper blade 20 at least between the two reversing positions 24, 26. The electric motor 28 or the linear motor 30 can be controlled or energized by a control device (not shown) of the cleaning device 10. In particular, the linear motor 30 has a plurality of electrical coils 32, which can be energized separately by the control device and which act on an electromagnet 34 in the form of a permanent electromagnet enclosed by the coils 32. The electromagnet 34 acts as an actuating element for the wiper blade 20. By individually controlling the coils 32, for example, a soft start or soft stop of the electric motor 28 can be achieved, as well as the realization of any intermediate positions of the permanent electromagnet with respect to the longitudinal direction of the electromagnet 34 and thus of the wiper blade 20 along the viewing window 12.

[0028] The movement of the electromagnet 34 as an actuator is transmitted to the wiper blade 20 by means of a drive mechanism 35 of the electric motor 28. The drive mechanism 35 has a support element 36, which in the exemplary embodiment is block-shaped and which is located on the side of the viewing window 12 facing away from the wiper blade 20. The support element 36 is connected to the wiper blade 20 via an intermediate element 38, which in the exemplary embodiment is approximately V- or U-shaped, in order to enable coupling of the support element 36 to the wiper blade 20. The support element 36 has, for example, two longitudinal bores 40, 42 running parallel to the plane of the viewing window 12, which serve to guide the support element 36 along a movement path 44 running parallel to the viewing window 12. For this purpose, the longitudinal bores 40, 42 are interspersed with rod-shaped guide elements 46, 47 as linear guides, which in turn are fixedly mounted on or in the housing 16.are attached.

[0029] The support element 36 is coupled to the linear motor 30 via a connecting rod 48, which is articulated both in the area of ​​the support element 36 and in the area of ​​the electromagnet 34. When the electromagnet 34 moves back and forth in the direction of the double arrow 50 or the longitudinal axis of the electromagnet 34, the connecting rod 48 transmits the movement of the electromagnet 34 to the support element 36, which is then moved back and forth along the movement path 44 between the two reversing positions 24, 26, just like the wiper blade 20 connected to the support element 36.

[0030] The drive mechanism 35 of the cleaning device 10 is further coupled to an additional drive 52. The additional drive 52 is designed in the form of a mechanical unit 54, which serves to generate a restoring force F acting on the carrier element 36 and thus also on the wiper blade 20 in the direction of one of the two reversing positions 24, 26. In the event of a failure of the electric motor 28 or the linear motor 30, the restoring force F serves to move the wiper blade 20 in the direction of the respective reversing position 24, 26, at least to the position of the respective reversing position 24, 26, preferably to the region of a parking position PS, which is located outside the field of view 16 of the lidar sensor 102.

[0031] The mechanical assembly 54 has a piston 56 which, on the side facing away from the support element 36, is pivotally mounted at a stationary attachment point 58 about an axis 60 running perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in Fig. 1. Arranged within the piston 56 is a spring element 62 in the form of a compression spring 64 which is connected to a piston rod 66. The piston rod 66 protrudes from the piston 56 on one side and is pivotally connected to the support element 36 by an end region 68. The piston rod 66 and the piston 56 have a common longitudinal axis 70 which is arranged at an angle α with respect to a plane 72 running parallel to the viewing window 12 and to the movement path 44. In addition, it is mentioned that the arrangement of the lidar sensor 102 in the housing 16 of the cleaning device 10 is such that its detection range is not impaired by the components of the drive mechanism 35 and the additional drive 52.

[0032] The function of the cleaning device 10 is explained below as follows: To clean the viewing window 12, the wiper blade 20 is moved back and forth between the two reversing positions 24, 26 by the linear motor 30 by energizing the coils 32. By coupling the drive 52 to the carrier element 36, the piston rod 66 or the piston 56 pivots about the axis 60 at the same time. The dimensioning of the mechanical assembly 54 or the compression spring 64 is such that in a position in which the angle a is 90°, the compression spring 64 is preloaded with a spring tension. This has the result that for an angle a of more or less than 90°, a restoring force F is generated by the compression spring 64 in the direction of one of the two reversing positions 24, 26. The spring preload orThe restoring force F of the compression spring 64 is dimensioned such that, in the event of a failure of the linear motor 30, a movement of the wiper blade 20 is enabled at least up to the area of ​​the respective reversing position 24, 26, preferably up to the area of ​​the aforementioned parking position PS. This requires that the restoring force F be greater than the self-locking force generated by the electric motor 28.

[0033] The cleaning device 10 described so far can be modified or altered in many different ways without deviating from the inventive concept.

[0034] Thus, instead of a linear motor 30, a conventional electric motor 28 with a rotating output shaft can also be used. In this case, the rotation of the output shaft can be converted into a linear motion via a gear, with the gear output in turn being coupled to the connecting rod 48 of the drive mechanism 35. Reference numeral

[0035] 10 Cleaning device

[0036] 12 Viewing window

[0037] 14 Field of view

[0038] 16 housings

[0039] 20 wiper blades

[0040] 22 Wiper blade longitudinal axis

[0041] 24 Reverse position

[0042] 26 Reverse position

[0043] 28 electric motor

[0044] 30 linear motor

[0045] 32 coil

[0046] 34 Electromagnet

[0047] 35 Drive mechanism

[0048] 36 support element

[0049] 38 Intermediate element

[0050] 40 Longitudinal bore

[0051] 42 Longitudinal bore

[0052] 44 Movement path

[0053] 46 Guide element

[0054] 47 Guide element

[0055] 48 Connecting rod

[0056] 50 double arrow

[0057] 52 Drive 4 Assembly 6 Piston 8 Mounting point 0 Axis 2 Spring element 4 Compression spring 6 Piston rod 8 End area

[0058] 70 Longitudinal axis

[0059] 72 Level

[0060] 100 environment detection device

[0061] 102 Lidar sensor

[0062] F Restoring force

[0063] PS parking position a angle

Claims

Claims 1. A cleaning device (10) for an environment detection device (100) of a vehicle, comprising a housing (16) which forms a field of view (14) for a sensor (102) in the region of a viewing window (12), with a wiper blade (20) which is movable along the viewing window (12) for cleaning the field of view (14), wherein the wiper blade (20) is coupled to a drive mechanism (35) having an electric motor (28) which is designed to move the wiper blade (20) back and forth between two reversing positions (24, 26), characterized in that the electric motor (28) is at least indirectly designed to generate a linear movement of the drive mechanism (35), and in that the wiper blade (20) is at least indirectly connected to an additional drive (52) which is designed to move the wiper blade (20) in the direction of at least one reversing position (24, 26) in the event of a failure of the electric motor (28). 26),preferably to move into the area of ​​a parking position (PS) of the wiper blade (20) arranged outside the field of vision (14).

2. Cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric motor (28) is designed as a linear motor (30) which is directly connected to the drive mechanism (35).

3. Cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric motor (28) generates a rotary movement at an output element of the electric motor (28), which can be converted into a linear movement of the drive mechanism (35) via a gear.

4. Cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the additional drive (52) is designed as a mechanical structural unit (54) which is designed to generate a restoring force (F) acting on the wiper blade (20) in the direction of the at least one reversing position (24, 26).

5. Cleaning device according to claim 4, characterized in that the mechanical structural unit (54) has at least one spring element (62), preferably in the form of a compression spring (64), and that the mechanical structural unit (54) is coupled to the drive mechanism (35) in such a way that when the wiper blade (20) is moved by the linear motor (30), the spring element (62) generates the restoring force (F) by deformation.

6. Cleaning device according to claim 5, characterized in that the mechanical structural unit (54) has a piston (56) with a piston rod (66) arranged so as to be movable relative to the piston (56), that the piston rod (66) is connected to the spring element (62) arranged in the piston (56), that the piston rod (66) is connected at least indirectly to the drive mechanism (35) by means of an end region (68) projecting from the piston (56), and that an end region of the piston (56) facing away from the piston rod (66) is arranged so as to be pivotable about a fixedly arranged fastening point (58) of the structural unit (54).

7. Cleaning device according to claim 6, characterized in that the wiper blade (20) is arranged to be movable along a rectilinear movement path (44), and in that a longitudinal axis (70) of the piston (56) and the piston rod (66), starting from a vertical alignment between the movement path (44) and the longitudinal axis (70), as a function of an angle (α) between the movement path (44) and the longitudinal axis (70) the wiper blade (20) in the direction of one or the other reversing position (24, 26) is subjected to the restoring force (F).

8. Cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the drive mechanism (35) comprises a carrier element (36) for the wiper blade (20) has that the carrier element (36) is movable between the two reversing positions (24, 26) is arranged movably, and that the carrier element (36) is connected to an actuating element (34) of the linear motor (30) by means of a connecting element, in particular by means of a connecting rod (48).

9. Cleaning device according to claim 8, characterized in that the adjusting element (34) is movable along a direction (50) running parallel to the at least one linear guide (46, 47).

10. Cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the linear motor (30) has a plurality of electrical coils (32) for realizing defined positions of the wiper blade (20) at least along the field of view (14).

11. Cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that the coils (32) are designed to be individually energized to generate a soft start and / or soft stop.

12. Cleaning device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the environment recognition device (100) is designed as a lidar device.

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