A sensing system is configured to detect dirt adhering to an outer cover of a vehicle lighting device mounted on a vehicle. The sensing system is provided with: a LiDAR unit disposed in a space formed by the housing and outer cover of the vehicle lighting device, and configured to acquire point cloud data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle; a lighting device cleaner configured to remove dirt adhering to the outer cover; and a lighting device cleaner controller configured to acquire reflected light intensity information relating to the intensities of a plurality of reflected light reflected by a road surface after being emitted from the LiDAR unit, determine, on the basis of the acquired reflected light intensity information, whether or not dirt is adhering to the outer cover, and drive the lighting device cleaner in accordance with a determination that dirt is adhering to the outer cover.

A sensing system is configured to detect dirt adhering to an outer cover of a vehicle lighting device mounted on a vehicle. The sensing system is provided with: a LiDAR unit disposed in a space formed by the housing and outer cover of the vehicle lighting device, and configured to acquire point cloud data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle; a lighting device cleaner configured to remove dirt adhering to the outer cover; and a lighting device cleaner controller configured to acquire reflected light intensity information relating to the intensities of a plurality of reflected light reflected by a road surface after being emitted from the LiDAR unit, determine, on the basis of the acquired reflected light intensity information, whether or not dirt is adhering to the outer cover, and drive the lighting device cleaner in accordance with a determination that dirt is adhering to the outer cover.

One general aspect includes a system having one or more heat pads installed at a vehicle, the one or more heat pads configured to provide infrared energy transmissions to a vehicle component to defrost, defog, or both defrost and defog a surface of the vehicle component. The system may also carry out the following steps: (a) determining that ice or fog or both ice and fog has accumulated on the surface of the vehicle component; and (b) based on the determination made in step (a), activating the one or more heat pads to defrost, defog, or both defrost and defog a surface of the vehicle component.

A vehicle cleaner (1) includes: a cylinder (2) provided in an opening (101) formed in a part of a vehicle body panel (100) of a vehicle; a piston (3) supported to be movable forward and backward with respect to the cylinder (2); a nozzle holder (10) provided near the front end of the piston (3); a nozzle (4) which is supported by the nozzle holder (10) and which, with the piston (3) protruding from the opening (101), sprays a cleaning liquid onto a vehicle item to be cleaned; and a nozzle cover (20) which is provided on the front end of the nozzle holder (10) and which, with the piston (3) having been pulled back into the cylinder (2), closes the opening (101). The nozzle cover (20) has a cover part (21) for closing the opening (101), and an engagement part (30) that protrudes from the cover part (21) toward the piston (3) and is engaged with the nozzle holder (10). One surface of the engagement part (30) is provided with a recessed part (31) for lance engagement, and another surface thereof is provided with contact ribs (34, 34). One surface of the nozzle holder (10) is provided with a protruding part (13a) that engages with the recessed part (31), and another surface thereof is provided with a first contacted rib (16a) with which the contact ribs (34, 34) come into contact.

The invention concerns a module (10) for cleaning a device (3) for protection of an optical element having a surface of revolution around an axis of revolution, the cleaning module (10) including a wiper blade (11) configured to extend in a first general direction (D1) and including a wiper rubber (111) configured to extend in a second general direction (D2). According to the invention: the wiper rubber (111) is configured to wipe the surface of revolution during relative movement of rotation between the wiper blade (11) and the protection device (3), and the cleaning module (10) further includes a cleaning liquid feed pipe (13) fixed to the wiper blade (11) and including at least one opening (131) for spraying cleaning liquid disposed in such a manner as to define a spraying direction forming an angle less than 15° with the second direction (D2). The invention also concerns a corresponding driving assistance system.

The invention concerns a module (10) for cleaning a device (3) for protection of an optical element having a surface of revolution around an axis of revolution, the cleaning module (10) including a wiper blade (11) configured to extend in a first general direction (D1) and including a wiper rubber (111) configured to extend in a second general direction (D2). According to the invention: the wiper rubber (111) is configured to wipe the surface of revolution during relative movement of rotation between the wiper blade (11) and the protection device (3), and the cleaning module (10) further includes a cleaning liquid feed pipe (13) fixed to the wiper blade (11) and including at least one opening (131) for spraying cleaning liquid disposed in such a manner as to define a spraying direction forming an angle less than 15° with the second direction (D2). The invention also concerns a corresponding driving assistance system.

Of moving directions of a piston, the direction in which high-pressure air is delivered is a delivery direction, and the direction in the opposite direction from the delivery direction is a force accumulation direction. The piston is moved in the force accumulation direction by the moving mechanism, and moved in the delivery direction by the biasing force of the biasing spring in response to the release of the moving force exerted by the moving mechanism. The cylinder is provided with: a piston supporting portion that supports the piston; and a connection protrusion that has a delivery path for delivering the high-pressure air to the nozzle. The inner surface of an end of the piston supporting portion in the delivery direction is formed as a closed surface. The delivery path is located further toward the force accumulation direction than the closed surface is.

A vehicle cleaner system includes: a cleaner unit configured to be mounted on a vehicle and to discharge a cleaning liquid to an external sensor that acquires information outside the vehicle so as to clean the external sensor; and a cleaner control unit configured to control the cleaner unit. The cleaner control unit is configured to acquire vehicle speed information related to a traveling speed of the vehicle, and control the cleaner unit such that at least one of a discharge amount of the cleaning liquid, a discharge amount of the cleaning liquid per unit time, the number of times of discharge of the cleaning liquid, the number of times of discharge of the cleaning liquid per unit time, and a discharge time of the cleaning liquid varies according to the vehicle speed information.

A vehicle cleaner nozzle injects a cleaning medium on an object to be cleaned which is mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle cleaner nozzle includes a housing, a nozzle chip accommodated in an interior of the housing, and a holder configured to support the housing in a state where the housing accommodates the nozzle chip. A feedback flow path for swinging and injecting the cleaning medium is formed by accommodating the nozzle chip in the housing.

A vehicle cleaner nozzle injects a cleaning medium on an object to be cleaned which is mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle cleaner nozzle includes a housing, a nozzle chip accommodated in an interior of the housing, and a holder configured to support the housing in a state where the housing accommodates the nozzle chip. A feedback flow path for swinging and injecting the cleaning medium is formed by accommodating the nozzle chip in the housing.