Centrifugal Disc Housing for Clear Sensor Viewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid droplets and dirt particles on detection devices such as camera lenses or radar sensors cause disturbances in captured images, particularly in wet and dirty environments, leading to issues like artifacts, blurriness, and lens flare, and traditional windshield wipers are inefficient and prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
A housing arrangement with a centrifugal disc mounted for rotation within a housing, driven by a direct drive system, which uses centrifugal forces to eject water droplets and dirt particles radially outward, eliminating the need for windshield wipers and ensuring unobstructed visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If windshield wipers are used to clean the detection device, then liquid droplets and dirt particles can be removed, but the mechanical components are prone to failure and continuous visibility is not guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical windshield wiper system with a centrifugal cleaning system that uses rotational centrifugal force to remove contaminants. The centrifugal disc with radially extending cleaning elements rotates to fling water droplets and dirt particles outward, eliminating the need for delicate mechanical wiper components that are prone to failure in wet and dirty environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The centrifugal cleaning system operates autonomously using the rotation of the disc itself to generate the cleaning action. The cleaning elements are positioned such that rotation creates centrifugal force that automatically ejects contaminants without requiring additional mechanical actuators or complex control systems, making the system self-sufficient and highly reliable.
2Ease of operation
If a central drive axis is used to rotate the centrifugal disc, then the disc can be driven, but the central viewing area is obscured by the drive axis and bearing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the drive mechanism from the central axis dimension to the peripheral dimension. The tubular coupling element is positioned at the periphery of the centrifugal disc, allowing the drive device to rotate the disc without any central components. This peripheral drive arrangement completely clears the central viewing area, maximizing the unobstructed field of view for the detection device.
3Use of energy by moving object
If intermittent windshield wiper operation is used, then energy consumption is reduced, but continuous visibility through the windshield is not guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The centrifugal cleaning system provides continuous cleaning action as long as the disc rotates, unlike intermittent wiper operation. The constant rotation ensures that contaminants are continuously removed from the detection device surface, maintaining uninterrupted visibility. The system can operate at lower speeds for energy efficiency while still providing continuous contaminant removal, or increase speed when heavier cleaning is needed.
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 system effectively removes liquid and dirt particles without mechanical interference, maintaining clear visibility and extending the lifespan of the detection device by avoiding mechanical wear.
Implementation Method 1
water droplets and/or dirt particles adhering to the centrifugal disc are flung radially outward by centrifugal forces
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a housing arrangement (6) for a detecting and/or emitting device (2), comprising: a housing (7) for the device (2), a centrifugal disc (8) which is mounted in the housing (7) so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (D), a drive device (27) for driving the centrifugal disc (8), and a tubular coupling element (30) which is mounted in the housing (7) so as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation (D) for coupling the drive device (27) with the centrifugal disc (8), wherein the coupling element (30) is fixedly connected to the centrifugal disc (8) at an edge region (28) thereof, and wherein the drive device (27) is designed to directly drive the coupling element (30).