Recessed Vehicle Sensor Mounting for Lower Aerodynamic Drag
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor installation structures on vehicles compromise aerodynamic performance due to protruding sensors, which increase aerodynamic resistance and expose sensors to environmental hazards.
Innovation Solution
A sensor installation structure with a recessed installation surface and sloped connecting surfaces that house the surroundings information sensor inwardly, reducing protrusion and enhancing airflow rectification, while maintaining effective detection and design aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the surroundings information sensor is mounted on the general surface of the exterior panel, then the sensor can detect surroundings information effectively, but the aerodynamic resistance increases due to protrusion
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor installation structure is nested within a recess formed in the exterior panel. The sensor housing is positioned inside the recessed portion, with the detection surface exposed through an opening in the panel surface. This nesting approach allows the sensor to maintain its detection function while being housed within the panel structure, thereby reducing aerodynamic resistance caused by protrusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional surface mounting to a three-dimensional recessed mounting. By creating a recessed portion that extends inward from the general surface, the sensor can be positioned in a different spatial dimension, allowing it to be protected and aerodynamically integrated while maintaining detection capability through the opening.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the sensor is recessed inward from the general surface, then aerodynamic resistance is reduced, but the sensor may be exposed to rain, dust, and obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor housing is nested within the recessed portion of the exterior panel, providing physical protection from environmental hazards. The recessed structure acts as a protective enclosure, shielding the sensor from rain, dust, and obstacles while maintaining the aerodynamic benefits of the recessed configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The exterior panel itself serves as an intermediary protective barrier between the sensor and environmental hazards. The panel material and structure filter and protect the sensor from direct exposure to rain, dust, and obstacles, while still allowing the detection surface to function through the opening.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a recess is formed in the exterior panel to house the sensor, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor housing and exterior panel are merged into a single integrated structure. The recessed portion is formed directly as part of the panel manufacturing process, eliminating the need for separate mounting brackets or additional structural components. This merging reduces overall structural complexity while maintaining the aerodynamic benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The exterior panel serves multiple functions: it provides the vehicle body structure, creates the aerodynamic recessed shape, houses the sensor, and provides environmental protection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing structural complexity despite the recessed design.
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
This configuration improves aerodynamic performance by reducing aerodynamic resistance and protecting sensors from rain, dust, and obstacles, while maintaining detection accuracy and vehicle designability.
Implementation Method 1
by forming the connecting surface to be sloped, an air flow along the exterior panel provided at the side part of the vehicle is rectified, so that an increase in aerodynamic resistance caused due to the recess in the exterior panel can be effectively suppressed
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor installation structure includes: an exterior panel provided at a side part of a vehicle; an installation surface arranged at a location recessed inward in the vehicle width direction from a general surface of the exterior panel; a connecting surface connecting between a peripheral edge of the installation surface and the general surface; and a surroundings information sensor that detects surroundings information of the vehicle and that is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the installation surface. The connecting surface, in elevating from the peripheral edge of the installation surface toward the general surface, slopes so as to extend outward in the surface direction when viewed from the installation surface.