Vehicle Sensor Mount With Indexed Angle Calibration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current sensor assemblies for automatic driving vehicles, such as cameras and radars, require precise angular accuracy for calibration, which is often compromised due to installation inaccuracies, leading to calibration failures.

Innovation Solution

A sensor assembly with a positioning bracket and a sensor body featuring rotatable shafts, a toothed structure, and a detent structure allows for adjustable angular positioning of the sensor body relative to the bracket, enabling precise calibration without additional adjustment tools and forming a stable three-point fixing mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional fixed installation methods are used for sensors, then the installation process is simple, but the angular accuracy cannot be adjusted and calibration fails due to installation tolerance errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveangular accuracyVSAvoidinstallation structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming the fixed installation structure into an adjustable one. The sensor body is equipped with a rotating mechanism that includes a toothed structure and detent structure, allowing the sensor to be rotated to different angular positions and fixed at the desired angle. This dynamic adjustment capability enables precise angular positioning while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary action by providing a pre-designed rotating mechanism with toothed and detent structures that enable angular adjustment before calibration is performed. The mechanism allows the sensor to be positioned at the exact required angle in advance, ensuring calibration success without requiring complex post-installation adjustments or specialized tools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If high installation accuracy is required for sensor calibration, then calibration success rate improves, but installation difficulty and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalibration success rateVSAvoidinstallation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The rotating mechanism with toothed and detent structures enables dynamic angular adjustment of the sensor body relative to the positioning bracket. This allows installers to quickly adjust the sensor to the precise required angle without requiring extremely tight installation tolerances or spending excessive time on manual alignment, thereby improving calibration success rate while controlling installation time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If additional adjustment tools are provided for angular positioning, then angular accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveangular positioning accuracyVSAvoidadjustment mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the self-service principle by designing an integrated adjusting mechanism that is part of the sensor assembly itself. The toothed structure and detent structure are built into the sensor body and positioning bracket, allowing the sensor to adjust its own angular position without requiring external adjustment tools. This self-contained mechanism maintains angular positioning accuracy while avoiding the added complexity and cost of separate adjustment tools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4095544B1Sensor assembly for vehicle and vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.12.11 NIO TECH ANHUI CO LTD
  • EP4095544B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4095544B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a sensor assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a sensor body; and a positioning bracket for positioning the sensor body. A first rotary shaft and a second rotary shaft are respectively provided on the opposing first and second sides of the sensor body, and the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft are respectively rotatably accommodated in a first rotary shaft receiving portion and a second rotary shaft receiving portion provided on the positioning bracket so as to achieve the rotation of the sensor body relative to the positioning bracket. A toothed structure is provided on a third side of the sensor body, other than the first side and the second side, and a detent structure is correspondingly provided on the positioning bracket, and when the sensor body rotates to a desired angle relative to the positioning bracket, fixing of the sensor body relative to the positioning bracket is enabled by means of the engagement between the toothed structure and the detent structure. The disclosure further relates to a vehicle comprising the sensor assembly.