Sensor Mounting With Sliding Wiper and Spray Lens Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicle sensors mounted outside the vehicle compartment are prone to contamination and damage from environmental factors, leading to malfunction due to stains, water, dust, and physical impacts, which can result in inaccurate environment information and impaired sensor operation.
Innovation Solution
A sensor mounting apparatus with a housing, guiding component, and dual cleaning members: a sliding cleaning member with a wiper blade and a rotating spray head, utilizing motors and lead screws for effective cleaning of the light-transmitting surface, ensuring complete and residue-free cleaning of the sensor lens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensor is mounted outside the vehicle compartment to perceive environmental information, then the sensor can collect surrounding environment data, but the sensor is prone to contamination and damage from environmental factors such as stains, water, dust, and physical impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning assembly performs preliminary cleaning actions on the light-transmitting surface before contamination can affect sensor operation. The wiper blade and spray head are positioned to proactively remove stains, water, and dust from the lens surface, preventing these environmental factors from causing sensor malfunction or inaccurate data collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-transmitting surface acts as an intermediary between the external environment and the sensor. The cleaning assembly targets this intermediary surface to maintain its transparency and cleanliness, thereby protecting the sensor from environmental contamination without requiring direct exposure protection for the sensor itself.
2Reliability
If a cleaning assembly with wiper blade and spray head is added to clean the light-transmitting surface, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper blade assembly and spray head assembly are merged into a single integrated cleaning assembly that works in coordination. The wiper blade and spray head are positioned adjacent to each other on the light-transmitting surface, allowing them to function together as a unified cleaning system rather than separate independent mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning assembly serves multiple functions: the spray head delivers cleaning fluid to the light-transmitting surface, while the wiper blade simultaneously or sequentially removes contaminants. This multi-functional design achieves comprehensive cleaning effectiveness while avoiding the need for multiple separate cleaning mechanisms.
3Area of stationary object
If the wiper blade and spray head are positioned to cover the light-transmitting surface, then the cleaning coverage is improved, but the housing space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning components are positioned to target specific local areas of the light-transmitting surface that are most critical for sensor operation. The wiper blade and spray head are arranged to focus cleaning action on the lens surface where contamination would most directly impact sensor performance, rather than uniformly cleaning the entire housing surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray head and wiper blade are arranged in a nested or compact configuration where one component is positioned within or adjacent to the other. This nested arrangement maximizes cleaning coverage of the light-transmitting surface while minimizing the overall space required for the cleaning assembly within the housing.
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 apparatus maintains the light-transmitting surface in a clean condition, preventing contamination and ensuring reliable sensor operation by effectively removing debris and stubborn stains, thus maintaining accurate data collection and transmission.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member... configured to press the cleaning portion against the outer surface of the light-transmitting surface
Implementation Method 2
a lead screw in transmission connection with the motor, the screw nut mounted to the screw rod, the screw nut fixedly connected with the first cleaning member
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor (100) mounting apparatus is provided, including a housing (10), a guiding component (20) provided on the housing (10), a first cleaning member (30) slidably arranged on the guiding component (20), and a first driving element (40). The housing (10) has an accommodating cavity (11), the first driving element (40) is configured to drive the first cleaning member (30) to slide along the guiding component (20), and the first cleaning member (30) includes a second driving element (31) and a cleaning element (32) in transmission connection with the second driving element (31). The second driving element (31) is configured to drive the cleaning element (32) to swing back and forth around a direction perpendicular to a light-transmitting surface (12).