Optical Sensor Cover Swapping Mechanism for Vehicle Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driver assistance systems in vehicles face reduced performance and safety risks due to temporary unavailability or degradation of environmental data from optical sensors, primarily caused by environmental influences like contamination and icing, which affect the optical transmission quality of external components.
Innovation Solution
A protection system for optical sensors, comprising a translucent cover that can be swapped out or cleaned, with a storage device and transport mechanism to maintain high-quality imaging over the vehicle's life cycle, including a cleaning device with an immersion bath and heating elements to ensure continuous operation and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single cover is used for the optical sensor, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases due to contamination and optical impairment over the vehicle's life cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The cover system is segmented into multiple interchangeable covers stored in a storage device, allowing the optical sensor to switch between clean covers when one becomes contaminated, thereby maintaining reliability without requiring a single complex protective structure
Solution Approach 2:
Contaminated covers are discarded from the optical path and recovered for cleaning or replacement, while fresh covers are introduced into the system. This cyclic process maintains optical quality without compromising system reliability
2Measurement precision
If the cover is made transparent for optimal light transmission, then the measurement precision is improved, but the cover becomes more susceptible to visible contamination and optical impairment
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent cover is segmented into replaceable units, allowing the system to maintain optimal light transmission by switching to clean covers when contamination occurs, thus preserving measurement precision while managing the susceptibility to contamination
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple clean covers are prepared in advance in the storage device, ready to be swapped into position before contamination significantly degrades optical performance, maintaining measurement precision proactively
3Productivity
If the optical sensor is exposed to the environment for continuous operation, then the productivity is improved, but the cover becomes contaminated faster requiring frequent cleaning or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The cover system is divided into multiple interchangeable units that can be swapped quickly, minimizing the time the optical sensor is non-operational while maintaining continuous productivity through rapid cover replacement
Solution Approach 2:
Clean covers are prepared in advance in the storage device, allowing immediate replacement of contaminated covers without delay, thus maintaining continuous operation and productivity of the driver assistance system
4Manufacturing precision
If a lens is made as a non-interchangeable part for low manufacturing tolerances, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of repair decreases when contamination or damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into a permanent precision lens and interchangeable covers, allowing the high-precision lens to remain fixed while only the removable covers need replacement or cleaning, thus maintaining manufacturing precision while improving ease of repair
Solution Approach 2:
The vulnerable cover component is extracted as a separate interchangeable element from the permanent lens assembly, allowing the precision lens to remain undisturbed while the removable cover handles environmental exposure and can be easily replaced or cleaned
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 high availability and quality of environmental data by maintaining optical sensor performance through the use of interchangeable, clean covers and efficient cleaning processes, reducing downtime and enhancing safety by preventing contamination-related failures.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element arranged in the immersion bath to heat the immersion bath and to melt ice and snow on the cover
Implementation Method 2
a pump to spray a cleaning fluid on the cover in the cover position
Implementation Method 3
The cover is in any case transparent for the light components to be received and/or emitted by the optical sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Protection system for an optical sensor in a motor vehicle and for detecting an environment of the motor vehicle is provided, wherein the protection system comprises at least one cover for the optical sensor, which can be brought into a cover position in which the optical sensor is protected from environmental influences by the at least one cover. The protection system comprises a storage device for a plurality of covers, from which at least one cover can be moved into the cover position.