LIDAR Sensor Mounting via Laser Transmission Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current motor vehicle LIDAR sensors are often arranged in a way that optical distortions occur, impairing the vehicle's appearance and requiring rigid attachment to avoid exceeding a 0.1% tolerance in optical distortion, making it challenging to position them behind outer skin components without affecting their functionality.
Innovation Solution
A surroundings sensing apparatus with a LIDAR unit and a holder made of non-laser-transmissive, laser-meltable material, fixedly connected to a laser-transparent outer skin component using laser beam transmission welding, ensuring a robust and leak-tight connection that maintains uniform optical conditions and prevents relative movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the LIDAR sensor is arranged behind an outer skin component, then the optical appearance of the motor vehicle is improved, but the positioning precision and rigidity required to maintain optical distortion below 0.1% tolerance become difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is divided into separate components: an outer skin component, a holder, and a LIDAR sensor. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the outer skin for aesthetic appearance and the holder for precise positioning and rigid attachment, thereby resolving the contradiction between appearance and positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
A holder is introduced as an intermediary component between the outer skin and the LIDAR sensor. This holder provides the rigid attachment structure needed for precise positioning while allowing the outer skin to maintain its aesthetic function. The holder acts as a mediator that transfers the sensor securely to the vehicle body through the transparent outer skin.
2Manufacturing precision
If the LIDAR sensor is rigidly attached directly to the outer skin component, then the optical distortion tolerance of 0.1% is maintained, but the structural integrity and leak-tight connection are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is made from a composite material structure that combines rigid positioning features with laser-meltable material properties. This allows the holder to provide both the structural integrity for strong attachment and the precise positioning needed to maintain optical distortion below 0.1% tolerance when connected to the outer skin.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the holder and outer skin utilizes phase transition of the plastic material through laser beam transmission welding. The laser heats and melts the plastic material in the holder, creating a strong, leak-tight bond that maintains both structural integrity and precise positioning for optical performance.
3Strength
If a laser beam transmission welding process is used to connect the holder to the outer skin, then a robust and leak-tight connection is achieved, but the outer skin component must be transmissive to the laser wavelength
Solution Approach 1:
The outer skin component has different optical properties in different areas: it is transmissive to laser wavelength in the connection area to allow laser beam transmission welding, while maintaining its aesthetic appearance and opacity in other areas. This local differentiation allows the material to serve multiple functions - providing both strong connection and visual appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer skin component's optical transmission properties are specifically optimized for the laser wavelength used in welding (typically infrared). The material parameters are selected to be transmissive at the laser wavelength while maintaining aesthetic appearance in the visible spectrum, enabling both strong welding connection and visual functionality.
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 solution allows for reliable and durable attachment of LIDAR sensors to motor vehicle outer skin components, minimizing optical distortions and ensuring consistent performance over the vehicle's lifespan by maintaining uniform optical conditions and preventing contamination.
Implementation Method 1
The holder and the outer skin component are connected to one another fixedly and in particular not detachably nondestructively at the end faces facing toward the other end face spaced apart from the sensing area
Implementation Method 2
The holder is in particular formed using or from a non-laser-transmissive, but laser-meltable material, in particular plastic material or includes such a material at least in the area of its end face
Implementation Method 3
an outer skin component, in particular fixedly connected to the holder—which is transmissive completely or at least in a sensing area (that is to say in an intersection area of the sensing area with the outer skin component) for the wavelength of the laser and/or for laser radiation of every wavelength
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for sensing surroundings of a motor vehicle includes a laser sensing device for sensing surroundings of the motor vehicle, a mount which is fixedly connected to the sensing device and is designed to attach the sensing device to a body of the motor vehicle, and an outer skin component. The mount and the outer skin component each have an end face which faces the other end face. A method is provided for producing a surroundings sensing apparatus by use of laser transmission welding.