An assembly includes an inlet tube. The assembly includes a first outlet tube. The assembly includes a solenoid assembly having a plunger movable between an open position in which fluid is permitted to flow from the inlet tube to the outlet tube and a closed position in which fluid is inhibited from flowing from the inlet tube to the outlet tube. The solenoid assembly has a spring urging the plunger to the closed position. The solenoid assembly has a strain gage fixed to the spring. A strain detected by the strain gage indicates whether the plunger is at the closed position.

A sensor cleaning system cleans a sensor surface of an external sensor mounted on a vehicle. Specifically, the sensor cleaning system estimates a water droplet amount of a water droplet adhering to the sensor surface of the external sensor. The sensor cleaning system determines whether a cleaning start condition is satisfied based on the water droplet amount. The sensor cleaning system executes a cleaning process of cleaning the sensor surface when the cleaning start condition based on the water droplet amount is satisfied.

An assembly includes an inlet tube and an outlet tube. The assembly includes a solenoid assembly having a plunger movable between an open position in which fluid is permitted to flow from the inlet tube to the outlet tube and a closed position in which fluid is inhibited from flowing from the inlet tube to the outlet tube. The solenoid assembly has a spring urging the plunger to the closed position. The assembly includes a first pressure sensor positioned to be compressed when the plunger is moved toward the open position. Pressure detected by the first pressure sensor indicates whether the plunger is at the open position. The assembly includes a second pressure sensor positioned to be compressed when the plunger is moved toward the closed position. Pressure detected by the second pressure sensor indicates whether the plunger is at the closed position.

An object of the present invention is to provide a valve apparatus capable of keeping a holding state of a valve body. The valve apparatus 14 is adapted to supply cleaning fluid by switching between a first flow channel 54 and a second flow channel 55, the valve apparatus 14 being provided with: a first fluid pipe 44 having a first flow channel 54; a second fluid pipe 45 coaxially aligned with the first fluid pipe 44, the second fluid pipe 45 having a second flow channel 55; a housing 86 provided with a first valve chamber 37 and a second valve chamber 38; a partition wall 49 disposed between the first flow channel 44 and the second flow channel 55 in the housing 86; and a rib 46 provided to the housing 86 to support the partition wall 49, wherein the partition wall 49 has: a film-like valve body 50 which is elastically deformed by pressure of the first valve chamber 37 and the second valve chamber 38 so as to open one of the first flow channel 44 and the second flow channel 55 and close the other of the first flow channel 54 and the second flow channel 55; and a frame 51 attached along an outer circumference of the valve body 50 and supported by the rib 56, wherein the frame 51 is higher in stiffness than the valve body 50.

A sensor system includes a sensor including a sensor window; a nozzle aimed at the sensor window; a supply line to supply fluid to the nozzle; a primary reservoir to supply fluid to the supply line; a first valve actuatable to inject fluid from a first reservoir into the supply line; a second valve actuatable to inject fluid from a second reservoir into the supply line; a third valve actuatable to inject fluid from a third reservoir into the supply line; and a computer communicatively coupled to the sensor and the valves. The computer is programmed to actuate the first valve in response to determining a first condition based on data from the sensor, actuate the second valve in response to determining a second condition based on data from the sensor, and actuate the third valve in response to determining a third condition based on data from the sensor.

A manifold assembly for a camera wash system of an autonomous vehicle is disclosed. The manifold assembly includes a fluid inlet; a plurality of fluid injectors, each fluid injector configured to switch between an open state in which fluid passes through the fluid injector and aclosed state in which fluid does not pass through the fluid injector; a block member configured to hold the fluid injectors in a fixed position; and a rail member including a fluid passage in fluidcommunication between the fluid inlet and each fluid injector for providing a cleaning fluid to each of the fluid injectors.

A sensor assembly includes a base mounted to a vehicle defining a forward direction, a housing mounted to the base and rotatable relative to the base around an axis in a direction of rotation, a sensing apparatus inside the housing and rotatable with the housing, a sensor window fixed to and rotatable with the housing, and a nozzle fixed relative to the base. The sensor window is flat. The sensing apparatus has a field of view through the sensor window. The nozzle is positioned to be aimed at the sensor window when the sensor window is at a first rotational position that is more than 0° and less than 90° from the forward direction relative to the axis in the direction of rotation.

A camera cleaning system for an autonomous vehicle may include a platform that can accommodate multiple cameras, wiper systems, as well as a fluid delivery system. The wiper system may include a wiper, rail, and a hydraulic motion component for each camera. The platform surface that contacts the wiper system's wipers and cleaning fluid may be angled and may include a window or lens for each camera. The autonomous vehicle may include a controller that may decide when a camera cleaning protocol should be executed. Alternatively, or additionally, a camera cleaning protocol may be executed periodically, as indicated by a controller.

An automated fluid dispensing system, apparatus and method may be configured to automatically clean one or more vision-based surfaces. The system may include a hardware controller, a plurality of sensors, manifold ports, a plurality of pressure supply lines, first, second, and third fluid sources, a compressed air source, first, second, and third valves, a nozzle array, or a combination thereof. The controller may be in communication with a plurality of sensors and be configured to receive and adapt to one or more environmental and vision conditions of the one or more vision-based surfaces. The system may include an automatic response system to provide adaptive operations in response to the information herein such as internal and external parameters and operate under one or multiple pulse-width modulation (PWM) dispensing sequences in response to a determined condition (e.g., contamination state or level) associated with one or more vision-based surfaces.

An onboard system for winterizing vessels includes an antifreeze storage system. The onboard system includes a control system capable of determining one or more of the one or more system components to be winterized, an antifreeze storage system, and one or more pumps capable of pumping antifreeze from the antifreeze storage system. The antifreeze flows through the determined one or more system components to be winterized.