Trailer Sensor Housing with Contoured Wings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for mounting sensors on trailers for driver assist systems are cumbersome, requiring precise alignment and environmental protection without specialized expertise, and often involve modifications to the trailer.
Innovation Solution
A molded or stamped housing with contoured side wings and a raised edge for temporary or permanent attachment to trailer posts, ensuring proper sensor orientation and protection from environmental conditions, using internal fasteners and external features for alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mounting methods such as screws or bolts are used to attach sensors to the trailer frame, then the sensor can be securely fixed, but the trailer requires drilling or modifications and precise alignment is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
A housing is introduced as an intermediary component between the sensor and the trailer frame. The housing contains the sensor and provides external features for attachment to the trailer, eliminating the need to directly modify the trailer frame. This mediator approach allows secure mounting while simplifying installation and achieving precise alignment through the housing's integrated alignment features.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system is segmented into separate functional components: the housing that protects and orients the sensor, the external features that attach to the trailer, and the sensor itself. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the housing for protection and alignment, the external features for easy attachment, and the sensor for precise measurement.
2Ease of operation
If the sensor is exposed without protection, then the installation is simple, but the sensor is vulnerable to gravel impingement, mud, ice, and other environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
A housing enclosure is provided that protects the sensor from environmental harmful factors such as gravel, mud, and ice. The housing acts as a protective shell that maintains sensor functionality while shielding it from contaminants. The housing includes features like sealed openings and protective structures that prevent environmental damage without complicating the installation process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the sensor mounting is designed for temporary installation as in renting or borrowing a trailer, then the installation can be easily removed, but the mounting security and durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system incorporates dynamic characteristics by providing multiple attachment options - external features that can be temporarily attached using straps or clips for rental scenarios, and fastener holes that allow for more permanent attachment when needed. This dynamic design enables the same housing to adapt to different installation requirements, providing both temporary ease of removal and permanent mounting security as needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A shield housing mounts a yaw sensor onto a trailer structural element. A shield body defines a sensor cavity within a closed bottom, an open face, and a perimeter wall with a side opening. A mounting post extends from the closed bottom into the sensor cavity and is adapted to affix the sensor at a predetermined orientation in the shield body. A pair of side wings extend laterally from the perimeter wall. Each side wing has a respective groove adapted to retain a respective strap loop tensioned over the groove and the structural element. In one preferred embodiment, the perimeter wall may have a base edge, and the side wings may each have a base surface opposite the grooves. The base edge and the base surfaces may have a contoured profile configured to orient the housing in a predetermined direction on the structural element.