Movable Radar Cover for Vehicle Front Grille
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle front portion structures face challenges in maintaining radar detection accuracy due to attenuation of electromagnetic waves by covers or exposure to debris, leading to adherence of deposits that deteriorate radar performance.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle front portion structure with a radiator grille, a radar, and a cover that is openable and closable, allowing the radar's emission and incidence surfaces to be exposed during autonomous driving to prevent wave attenuation and deposit adherence, and covered during non-use to protect from debris.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a radar is covered with a cover, then the radar is protected from flying stones and debris, but electromagnetic waves are attenuated by the cover and deposits adhere to the cover, deteriorating detection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to be movable between an open position (exposing the radar) and a closed position (covering the radar). This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt between protection mode and detection mode, resolving the contradiction between protecting the radar from debris and maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is opened in advance before the radar needs to detect, and closed in advance after detection is complete. This preliminary action ensures that the radar surfaces are exposed and clean before detection begins, preventing deposit adherence during the detection process while maintaining protection during non-detection periods.
2Measurement precision
If a radar is left exposed without a cover, then electromagnetic waves can be emitted and received without attenuation, but flying stones may damage the radar surfaces and deposits may adhere to the emission and incidence surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The movable cover provides dynamic protection, being closed when the radar is not in use to protect from debris and flying stones, and opened when detection is required to allow unattenuated electromagnetic wave transmission. This resolves the contradiction between maintaining surface integrity and ensuring detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is extracted from a fixed configuration and made movable, allowing it to be positioned away from the radar during detection and positioned over the radar during protection mode. This extraction of the cover from a static to dynamic configuration enables the system to achieve both protection and accurate detection at different times.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a cover is provided to protect the radar, then the radar is shielded from debris, but the cover itself attenuates electromagnetic waves and deposits on the cover reduce detection performance
Solution Approach 1:
The cover transitions between closed (protection) and open (detection) states dynamically. When closed, it protects from debris; when open, it allows unattenuated electromagnetic waves. This temporal separation of protection and detection functions resolves the contradiction between debris protection and detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover operates periodically, alternating between closed and open positions based on whether the radar needs protection or detection. This periodic action allows the system to cycle between the two conflicting states, achieving both protection and accurate detection at appropriate times without simultaneous compromise.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle front portion structure that includes: a radiator grille; a radar disposed at the radiator grille and a cover. The radar includes: an emission surface from which electromagnetic waves are emitted to the front of the vehicle, and an incidence surface at which reflected waves of the electromagnetic waves emitted to the front of the vehicle from the emission surface are incident. The cover is provided at the radiator grille to be openable and closable and the cover covers the emission surface and the incidence surface.