Vehicle Sensor Housing With Integrated Cleaning for Debris Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for sensoring functions in vehicles, particularly commercial vehicles, poses challenges in maintaining sensor cleanliness and functionality due to environmental exposure, which leads to debris accumulation and damage, and existing cleaning solutions have become unmanageable and inadequate for protecting sensors.
Innovation Solution
A scalable sensor housing with integrated cleaning capabilities, featuring a sensor adapter for various sensor types and a placeholder for a washer-body, allowing for efficient cleaning and protection of sensors through a plug-and-play system with omniphobic materials and adjustable configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are exposed to the environment for monitoring purposes, then monitoring capability is improved, but sensor cleanliness and functionality deteriorate due to debris accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
A housing structure is introduced as an intermediary between the sensor and the environment. The housing contains the sensor while providing controlled access to the monitoring area, thereby protecting the sensor from direct environmental exposure and debris accumulation while maintaining its monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: the housing structure, the sensor compartment, and the cleaning device. This segmentation allows the sensor to be isolated and protected within the housing while enabling independent cleaning operations through the integrated cleaning device.
2Reliability
If cleaning devices are added to protect sensors, then sensor cleanliness is improved, but device complexity and periphery become unmanageable
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device is merged with the housing structure, integrating the cleaning function directly into the existing housing rather than adding separate external cleaning systems. This integration reduces overall device complexity and creates a more compact, manageable system.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it protects the sensor, provides mounting for the cleaning device, and integrates the cleaning mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple sensors are housed together to increase monitoring area, then monitoring coverage is improved, but cleaning access becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing acts as an intermediary structure that accommodates multiple sensors while providing a unified access point for cleaning. The integrated cleaning device is positioned to clean multiple sensors through the housing structure, maintaining ease of operation despite increased sensor density.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor housing for being assembled to a vehicle and a connector integrated with the housing, wherein the sensor housing is further adapted to house at least one sensor to be connected to the connector means and for monitoring environmental conditions of the vehicle, wherein a sensor adapter resides in the housing to hold the at least one sensor, wherein the adapter has one or more assembly-fittings to hold each of the at least one sensors in a monitoring position, and wherein a placeholder is integrated with the housing to hold a washer-body of a cleaning-device in position as to afford cleaning of the at least one sensor.