Vehicle Sensor Housing with Damping Disc for Shock Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor devices for motor vehicles lack robustness, particularly in withstanding shocks and collisions, which can lead to damage and affect their functionality in complex driver assistance and automated driving systems.
Innovation Solution
A sensor device with a housing containing a sensor element and a disk element that allows relative movement via a flexible and deformable compensating element, preventing deformation and damage during collisions, while maintaining an unobstructed field of view and ensuring the sensor element is protected from contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the sensor element is rigidly mounted in the housing, then the structural stability is improved, but the robustness against shock and collision damage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the mounting structure movable rather than rigid. The sensor element is mounted on a mounting structure that can move relative to the housing, allowing the system to adapt dynamically to external forces during shock or collision events, thereby preventing damage while maintaining operational stability during normal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by providing a damping element between the mounting structure and the housing. This damping element is positioned in advance to absorb and attenuate shock and collision forces before they reach the sensor element, protecting it from damage while allowing rigid mounting for structural stability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the sensor element is enclosed in a housing, then protection from contamination is improved, but the field of view may be restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing a disc element as a mediator between the housing opening and the sensor element. The disc element is transparent or translucent, allowing optical signals to pass through while maintaining the enclosed protective environment. This intermediary structure enables both contamination protection and adequate field of view for the sensor element.
3Ease of manufacture
If the disc element is fixed to the housing, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the robustness against movement-induced damage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the disc element movable relative to the housing through a mounting structure. This allows the disc element to move independently during shock or collision events, preventing stress concentration and potential damage that would occur with a fixed rigid connection, while still maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by providing a damping element between the disc element and the housing. This damping element is positioned in advance to absorb and attenuate movement forces before they reach critical components, protecting against movement-induced damage while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
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 sensor device achieves enhanced robustness, preventing damage from collisions and contamination, ensuring reliable operation and accurate measurement data for vehicle control, even in harsh environments.
Implementation Method 1
the compensating element dampens its movement relative to the housing
Implementation Method 2
the compensating element is designed to be flexible and deformable to compensate for the relative movement between the housing and the disc element
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
To create an impact-tolerant environmental sensor system, the invention relates to a sensor device (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing (2) in which a sensor element (3) is received, and a translucent disc element (6) covering an opening (4) of the housing (2), through which measured values of an environment of the sensor device (1) can be determined by means of the sensor element (3), wherein the disc element (6) is arranged on the housing (2) by means of a compensating element (7) to enable a relative movement to the housing (2).