Rotating Sensor Spray Structure for Wide-Area Contamination Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Environmental sensors on vehicles, particularly lidar sensors, are prone to contamination from foreign substances like dust and rain, which affects their performance and require effective cleaning systems.
Innovation Solution
A spray structure with rotatable plates and nozzles, controlled by a controller, is used to distribute compressed air or washer fluid effectively over the sensor surface, including multiple spray modes to address contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a fixed spray structure is used to clean the sensor, then the structure is simple, but the cleaning coverage and effectiveness are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spray structure employs a rotatable plate with nozzles that can rotate around the sensor, transforming a static cleaning system into a dynamic one. This rotation enables the nozzles to reach different areas of the sensor surface, significantly improving cleaning coverage and efficiency without requiring multiple fixed nozzle assemblies
Solution Approach 2:
The spray structure is divided into multiple components: a rotatable plate, multiple nozzles arranged on the plate, and a fluid supply source. This segmentation allows the system to achieve complex cleaning patterns through coordinated rotation and spraying, improving cleaning effectiveness while maintaining manageable structural complexity
2Area of stationary object
If multiple nozzles are used to cover large sensing areas, then the cleaning coverage is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a large number of fixed nozzles to cover the entire sensor area, the invention uses a smaller number of nozzles mounted on a rotatable plate. The rotation of the plate allows the nozzles to sequentially cover different areas of the sensor, achieving comprehensive cleaning coverage with fewer nozzles
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable plate with nozzles serves multiple functions: it positions nozzles at different locations around the sensor, adjusts spray angles, and enables repeated cleaning passes. This multi-functionality allows a relatively simple nozzle assembly to achieve comprehensive cleaning coverage that would otherwise require many more nozzles
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 spray structure enhances cleaning efficiency by rotating plates and nozzles, ensuring thorough cleaning of large sensing areas and managing fluid distribution for optimal contamination removal.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of first nozzles formed on the first plate and disposed toward the environmental sensor; and a fluid supply source configured to supply a fluid to the plurality of first nozzles so that the fluid is sprayed therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
A spray structure for cleaning a sensor includes a first plate rotatably mounted on an environmental sensor, a plurality of first nozzles formed on the first plate and disposed toward the environmental sensor, and a fluid supply source configured to supply a fluid to the plurality of first nozzles so that the fluid is sprayed therethrough.