Sensor Housing Cap Ridges for Drainage and Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in effectively managing water drainage and heat dissipation for sensors during precipitation, which can impact sensor performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A sensor-housing cap design with a cylindrical shape, featuring parallel ridges, a gutter, and a ramp, which directs water rearward and enhances heat dissipation through convection and thermal conductivity, preventing water from entering the sensor's field of view and facilitating efficient heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sensor housing is used without drainage features, then the sensor is protected from direct exposure to elements, but water accumulates on the housing surface and can enter the sensor's field of view during precipitation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drainage function from the basic housing structure by adding a separate cap component with integrated drainage features (ridges and channels). This cap is mounted on the sensor housing to provide water shedding capability without modifying the core sensor enclosure, effectively separating the protective function from the drainage function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dimensional features to the housing surface by adding ridges that extend circumferentially around the housing. These ridges create a three-dimensional surface topology that actively directs water flow away from the sensor field of view, transforming a flat protective surface into an active water management system.
2Temperature
If the sensor housing has a simple smooth surface, then manufacturing is easy and cost-effective, but heat dissipation from the sensor is insufficient during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved and rounded surface features on the cap, including circumferential ridges with smooth transitions and rounded edges. These curved surfaces facilitate natural water flow patterns while enhancing convective heat transfer from the sensor through increased surface area and optimized fluid dynamics, avoiding sharp angles that would complicate manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different surface qualities to different regions of the cap. The top surface features ridges for water drainage, while the sides and bottom provide heat dissipation surfaces. This localized differentiation allows each region to optimize its specific function (water shedding or heat transfer) without unnecessarily complicating the entire housing structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If drainage channels are added to the sensor housing, then water can be effectively directed away from the sensor, but the housing structure becomes more complex and harder to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the drainage function into separate modular components: a cap with ridges for water collection and direction, and integrated channels for water discharge. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and manufactured independently, then assembled together, reducing overall manufacturing complexity compared to integrating all drainage features into a single complex housing piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a mounting structure for the sensor, creates water shedding surfaces through ridges, directs water flow through integrated channels, and contributes to heat dissipation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall assembly and manufacturing process while maintaining effective drainage capability.
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 design effectively sheds water during heavy precipitation and enhances heat dissipation, ensuring unobstructed sensor operation and improved reliability in adverse weather conditions.
Implementation Method 1
enhances heat dissipation through convection and thermal conductivity
Implementation Method 2
enhances heat dissipation through convection and thermal conductivity
Implementation Method 3
enhances heat dissipation through convection and thermal conductivity
Implementation Method 4
enhances heat dissipation through convection and thermal conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor apparatus includes a cylindrical sensor window defining an axis oriented vertically, and a sensor-housing top mounted on the sensor window. The sensor-housing top includes a top surface and a wall. The axis intersects the top surface. The wall extends upward from the top surface and is elongated circumferentially partially around the top surface. The top surface includes a plurality of parallel ridges elongated from the wall.