Vehicle Roof Sensor Wiper Parking Path to Prevent Visor Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wiper systems for vehicle roof sensors, such as LiDAR sensors, face issues with wind noise, dirt accumulation, and wear and tear, which can interfere with the sensor's field of view and require a solution to maintain proper functioning and longevity.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle roof module with a wiper assembly that includes a wiper blade on a wiper arm, a guide defining wiping and parking paths, and a slide mechanism to move the wiper assembly along these paths, ensuring the wiper blade disengages from the visor before resting and engages only when in use, preventing grating and prolonging the wiper's lifespan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the wiper blade is pressed against the visor in a resting position, then the wiper is stable and does not protrude, but the wiper blade lip grates over the visor edge causing wear and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper assembly is designed to be movable between a parked position and a wiping position. The slide mechanism enables the wiper to dynamically transition between these states, allowing the blade to be pressed against the visor only during active wiping operations rather than remaining in constant contact during resting periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary positioning actions by moving the wiper assembly to a specific parked position where the blade is lifted off the visor before the vehicle is stationary. This preliminary action prevents the blade from grating over the visor edge when the vehicle is not in motion.
2Ease of operation
If the wiper protrudes from the sensor housing in resting position, then the wiper is easily accessible, but it accumulates dirt and dust and creates wind noise
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper assembly is nested within the sensor housing structure when in the parked position. The slide mechanism allows the wiper to be retracted into a recessed position, similar to a nested doll configuration, where it is protected from environmental contaminants and wind noise while remaining part of the integrated housing assembly.
3Reliability
If the wiper blade is lifted from the visor in resting position, then wear and tear is minimized, but the wiper may fracture or become prone to tampering
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper assembly transitions dynamically between a lifted parked position and a pressed wiping position. During resting periods, the blade is lifted to minimize wear, while during active wiping, it is pressed against the visor to maintain structural engagement and prevent fracturing or tampering.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a vehicle roof module for a sensor. The module includes a wiper assembly with a wiper blade carried on a wiper arm, and a sensor housing with a visor, and a sensor having a field of view aligned with the visor, The roof module further includes a guide defining a wiping path and a parking path and a slide configured for sliding the wiper assembly over the guide along the wiping path and the parking path. When sliding the wiper assembly over the wiping path slides the wiper arm along the sensor housing such that the wiper blade wipes the visor and when sliding the wiper assembly over the parking path slides the wiper arm along the sensor housing while the wiper blade is lifted from the visor.