Optical System Compressed Air Flow Duct Contamination Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical systems for environment detection devices, such as lidar systems, face challenges in maintaining the cleanliness of their first light-transmissive surfaces from contamination objects, which can lead to temporary soiling and disruption of light pulse transmission and reception, especially in vehicle environments where continuous and reliable data is crucial for driver assistance and autonomous driving.
Innovation Solution
An optical system with a flow channel that uses a compressed air stream to continuously protect the first light-transmissive surface from contamination, integrated into the optical system's design with inner and outer casings, allowing the air stream to flow through a gap between them and exit into the environment, ensuring the surface remains clean and functional.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical cleaning device (windshield wiper) is used to clean the first light-transmissive surface, then the surface can be periodically cleaned, but the cleaning is not continuous and may interrupt light pulse transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a compressed air stream flowing through a flow channel to continuously clean the first light-transmissive surface. This pneumatic cleaning mechanism replaces mechanical wipers, providing continuous protection without interrupting light pulse transmission, while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
2Productivity
If the optical system is exposed to the environment for light pulse transmission, then detection function is enabled, but contamination objects can soil the first light-transmissive surface
Solution Approach 1:
A compressed air stream is directed through a flow channel across the first light-transmissive surface, creating a protective air barrier that prevents contamination objects from contacting the surface while allowing light pulses to pass through uninterrupted, thus maintaining continuous detection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressed air stream acts as an intermediary substance between the optical system and the environment, forming a protective layer that blocks contamination objects from reaching the light-transmissive surface while permitting light transmission for continuous detection.
3Reliability
If the first light-transmissive surface is soiled, then light pulse transmission is disrupted, but mechanical cleaning may cause interruptions in detection
Solution Approach 1:
The compressed air stream provides continuous cleaning action throughout operation, eliminating the need for periodic mechanical cleaning interruptions. The air flow continuously removes contaminants from the light-transmissive surface, ensuring uninterrupted light pulse transmission and continuous detection without time loss.
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 ensures the first light-transmissive surface is kept clean and free from soiling objects permanently, allowing for continuous and reliable detection of information about objects, including three-dimensional data, without interrupting the light pulses' transmission and reception, which is critical for vehicle-based environment detection systems.
Implementation Method 1
A compressed air stream entering via a first open end of the flow channel can flow through the flow channel. Furthermore, the flow channel is designed in such a way that the compressed air stream can exit via a second open end of the flow channel and enter the environment
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an optical system (10) for an environmental-sensing device for acquiring information about at least one object on the basis of light pulses (100) that are emitted and received after being reflected by the at least one object. The optical system has an optical element (30) with a first translucent face (35) which is adjacent to a first region (40) of the surroundings of the optical system (10) and via which the light pulses (100) can exit the optical system (10) and/or enter the optical system (10). The optical system (10) comprises a protection device which has a flow duct (70) and has the purpose of protecting the first translucent face (35) against at least one contaminating object located in the surroundings. A current of compressed air (75) can flow through the flow duct (70). The flow duct (70) is designed in such a way that the current of compressed air (75) can flow through the first region (40) of the surroundings directly after it exits the flow duct (70).