Angled Edge Window Cap for Laser Scanner Ice Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Laser scanners in motor vehicles are prone to ice/snow accumulation under cold weather conditions, which can distort transmission beams and disrupt detection ranges or completely cancel them out, due to their exposure to environmental influences.
Innovation Solution
A housing design for the scanning optoelectronic measuring device featuring a window cap with an angled edge wall forming a circumferential contour, where the window cap is fastened internally to protect the connection point from environmental influences, and includes a window heater with heating loops for maintaining transparency and preventing ice/snow accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the window cap is fastened at the front area (end face with window), then the connection point is easily accessible, but it is highly exposed to environmental influences causing ice/snow accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The connection point is relocated from the front area (end face) to the rear area of the window cap, changing the spatial dimension where the connection occurs. This dimensional shift moves the connection point away from the direct path of falling ice and snow, reducing accumulation while maintaining accessibility through the rear access opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The window cap structure itself acts as an intermediary protective element. By designing the connection point to be located in the rear area and using the window cap's geometric structure (with edge wall forming a circumferential contour), the harmful environmental factors are blocked from directly reaching the connection point, while still allowing functional access.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the window cap is fastened internally in the section overlapping the window edge, then protection against environmental influences is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The window cap is divided into functionally distinct segments: the window portion, the edge wall forming a circumferential contour, and the connection portion located in the rear area. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the connection point is positioned in a protected rear section while maintaining structural integrity and simplifying the fastening process to the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection point is pre-positioned in the rear area of the window cap during manufacturing, so that when the window cap is assembled to the housing, the connection is already made in a protected location. This preliminary positioning avoids the need for complex post-assembly operations while ensuring protection from environmental factors.
3Measurement precision
If the window is transparent for electromagnetic measuring beams, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the window is more susceptible to ice/snow distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The window cap design with the connection point positioned in the rear area and the edge wall forming a circumferential contour creates a protective geometry that prevents ice and snow from accumulating on the window surface and connection points. This preliminary geometric configuration counteracts the harmful effect of ice/snow accumulation before it can occur, maintaining the window's transparency for electromagnetic beams.
Solution Approach 2:
The geometric parameters of the window cap are optimized - specifically the angle of the edge wall and the positioning of the connection point in the rear area - to change the physical conditions on the window surface. These parameter changes create a configuration where ice and snow cannot adhere, maintaining the window's optical properties for accurate measurement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances the operability of laser scanners in cold weather by preventing ice/snow accumulation, maintaining beam transparency, and ensuring reliable detection ranges while offering improved protection against environmental factors and easy assembly.
Implementation Method 1
the window cap (8) is a window heater with heating loops (22) for heating the transparent window (5)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a window cap (8) for the housing (1) of a scanning optoelectronic measuring device, more particularly a laser scanner, for a motor vehicle. The invention moreover relates to a housing (1) with such a window cap (8). In order to improve the operability of an optoelectronic measuring device under cold weather conditions, provision according to the invention is made for a window cap with a window (5) transparent to electromagnetic measurement rays of the measuring device and an edge wall (10) which is embodied at an angle to the window (5) and which embodies an encircling contour. According to the invention, the window cap (8) is pushed onto the outside of an encircling window edge (11) of the housing (1) and it is fastened in a portion of the edge wall (10) overlapping with the window edge (11).