Roof module comprising a cleaning feature

Abstract

A roof module for forming a vehicle roof on a motor vehicle, the roof module having a panel component, which at least partially forms a roof skin of the vehicle roof, the roof skin serving as an outer sealing surface of the roof module, at least one electrical and/or electronic and/or electromagnetic component, in particular an environment sensor and/or a light feature, configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals through a see-through area, and at least one cleaning feature having at least one cleaning nozzle configured to spray a cleaning fluid by means of which the see-through area is cleanable. The at least one component is in heat-transferring connection with the cleaning feature in such a manner that waste heat of the at least one component can be transferred to the cleaning fluid and/or the at least one cleaning nozzle.

Claims

1. A roof module for forming a vehicle roof on a motor vehicle, the roof module comprising: a panel component, which at least partially forms a roof skin of the vehicle roof, the roof skin serving as an outer sealing surface of the roof module, at least one electrical and/or electronic and/or electromagnetic component, and/or a light feature, configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals through a see-through area, and at least one cleaning feature having at least one cleaning nozzle configured to spray a cleaning fluid by which the see-through area is cleanable, wherein the at least one component is in heat-transferring connection with the cleaning feature in such a manner that waste heat of the at least one component can be transferred to the cleaning fluid and/or the at least one cleaning nozzle.

2. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the roof module comprises a thermal management feature configured to control the temperature of the at least one component and having a heat exchanger which is in heat-conducting connection with the at least one component and which is configured to transfer the introduced waste heat of the at least one component to the cleaning fluid.

3. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning feature comprises at least one cleaning fluid channel configured to supply the cleaning fluid to the at least one cleaning nozzle and coupled with the heat exchanger in a heat-transferring manner.

4. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the thermal management feature comprises a flow channel in which the heat exchanger is disposed or formed and which is configured to discharge the waste heat of the at least one component.

5. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the heat exchanger is in direct heat-conducting connection with a component housing of the at least one component or is in heat-conducting connection with the at least one component via a heat transfer element and/or a heat pipe and is configured to control the temperature of the at least one component by transferring the waste heat of the at least one component to the cleaning fluid.

6. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one component is coupled with the at least one cleaning nozzle in a heat-conducting manner via a heat pipe and/or a heat transfer element, so that the waste heat of the at least one component is transferrable to the at least one cleaning nozzle via the heat pipe and/or the heat transfer element to heat the at least one cleaning nozzle.

7. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the thermal management feature comprises an evaluation and control feature configured to continuously detect a temperature state of the at least one component and to determine therefrom the amount of waste heat to be discharged from the at least one component, control the temperature of the at least one component by discharging heat to the cleaning fluid up to a predetermined amount of waste heat and to control the temperature of the at least one component by switching on an active temperature control by the thermal management feature starting from the predetermined amount of waste heat.

8. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical, electronic and/or electromagnetic component comprises an antenna and/or a measuring sensor and/or a communication feature and/or an evaluation and/or control feature and/or the light feature and/or the environment sensor, including at least one of a lidar sensor, radar sensor, camera sensor, multi-camera sensor, and ultrasonic senor.

9. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the roof module is disposed on a vehicle body as a structural unit.

10. A motor vehicle comprising a roof module according to claim 1.

11. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical and/or electronic and/or electromagnetic component is an environment sensor.

12. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the thermal management feature is configured to cool the at least one component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Embodiments of the invention are schematically illustrated in the drawings and will be discussed as examples below.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle having a roof module according to the invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a first exemplary embodiment of the roof module according to the invention;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a second exemplary embodiment of the roof module according to the invention;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a third exemplary embodiment of the roof module according to the invention; and

[0034] FIG. 5 is a fourth exemplary embodiment of the roof module according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1000 (not shown in full) having a vehicle roof 100. According to the invention, vehicle roof 100 is a roof module 10, in particular a roof sensor module. Roof module 10 is inserted into a roof frame 104 of motor vehicle 1000 or placed on top of the at least two transverse rails 102 (only one visible) and the at least two longitudinal rails 106, which form roof frame 104, as a structural unit. The roof module 10 in the shown exemplary embodiment has a panoramic roof 108.

[0036] Roof module 10 comprises a panel component 12 for forming a roof skin 14 of vehicle roof 100. In a front area of vehicle roof 100 or roof module 10 (with respect to a longitudinal vehicle direction x), an electrical and/or electronic and/or electromagnetic component 16 is disposed symmetrically with respect to longitudinal vehicle axis x. In the case at hand, the at least one component 16 is an environment sensor 18, which is disposed in a component housing 19. In the case at hand, environment sensor 18 is a lidar sensor as an example. However, other sensor types, such as (multi-directional) cameras, which are used in (semi-)autonomous driving, can be employed, as well.

[0037] Component housing 19 forms a dry area, in which environment sensor 18 is disposed in a moisture-proof manner.

[0038] In the case at hand, environment sensor 18 is disposed directly behind a front transverse rail 102, which defines a roof header of the vehicle. According to FIG. 1, environment sensor 18 is disposed on a frame structure of roof module 10 (or mounted thereon) in such a manner in an opening (not shown) of roof skin 14 of roof module 10 that it can be adjusted between a retracted position and a deployed position, i.e., it is retractable and deployable. In alternative embodiments, see FIGS. 2 to 5, for example, environment sensor 18 or the at least one component 16 is comprised on or in roof module 10 in a fixed manner. In this case, the at least one component 16 is preferably covered by panel component 12 or roof skin 14. Depending on the placement or the adjustability of the at least one component 16, component housing 19 and/or panel component 12 comprises a see-through area 20. See-through area 20 is preferably made of an in particular shatter-proof plastic or glass or another (partially) transparent material. Environment sensor 18 is aligned with an optical axis 22 (see FIG. 2) parallel to longitudinal vehicle direction x as an example.

[0039] Furthermore, roof module 10 comprises at least one cleaning feature 24 having at least one cleaning nozzle 25. Cleaning nozzle 25 is configured to eject a cleaning fluid in order to clean see-through area 20 with it. The cleaning fluid can be a liquid, such as water and/or soapy water, or an in particular pressurized gas. When the cleaning fluid leaves cleaning nozzles 25, a fluid cone 26 is produced, which strikes see-through area 20 and cleans it (see FIGS. 2 to 5). In the event that preferably multiple cleaning nozzles 25 are employed, fluid cones 26 can preferably overlap at least in part in an area of overlap (not shown) of see-through area 20 to thus increase the cleaning effect in this area of overlap.

[0040] According to the invention, the cleaning effect is further increased by the fact that the cleaning fluid is heated before leaving the at least one cleaning nozzle 25 and/or the at least one cleaning nozzle 25 itself is heated. In the case at hand, this is achieved by the fact that the at least one component 16 is in heat-transferring connection with cleaning feature 24 in such a manner that waste heat of the at least one component 16 is transferred to the cleaning fluid and/or the at least one cleaning nozzle 25. There is a plurality of options with regard to the heat transfer from the at least one component 16 to the cleaning fluid and/or cleaning nozzle 25, four different examples of which are shown in FIGS. 2 to 5.

[0041] For discharging heat from the at least one component 16, roof module 10 comprises a thermal management feature 28, which is configured to control the temperature of, in particular cool, the at least one component 16. Thermal management feature 28 comprises a heat exchanger 30, which is in heat-conducting connection with the at least one component 16 and which is configured to transfer the introduced waste heat of the at least one component 16 to the cleaning fluid. Heat exchanger 30 can be connected to the at least one component 16 in a heat-conducting manner directly or via a heat conduction element 31 (see FIG. 2) or a heat pipe 33 (not shown).

[0042] Thermal management feature 28 preferably comprises a flow channel 32, in which heat exchanger 30 is formed or disposed (see FIGS. 2 and 5). Preferably, a fan and/or other components of thermal management feature 28 can be disposed in flow channel 32.

[0043] The heat transfer within heat exchanger 30 to cleaning fluid preferably takes place since cleaning feature 24 comprises at least one cleaning fluid channel 34, which is configured to supply the cleaning fluid to the least one cleaning nozzle 25. Cleaning fluid channel 34 is preferably coupled to heat exchanger 30 in a heat-transferring manner or is part of heat exchanger 30. The cleaning fluid preferably flows through cleaning fluid channel 34 on its way to the at least one cleaning nozzle 25 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5). In the process, the cleaning fluid preferably passes through heat exchanger 30; cleaning fluid channel 34 can preferably be a channel formed at least partially in heat exchanger 30. Before entering heat exchanger 30, the cleaning fluid is preferably not yet heated or has been pre-heated in other embodiments. On its way through heat exchanger 30, the cleaning fluid absorbs at least part of the waste heat emitted to heat exchanger 30 with the result that the cleaning fluid is heated. The heated cleaning fluid leaves heat exchanger 30 on its way to the at least one cleaning nozzle 25 and is supplied to the latter in this heated state. Particularly preferably, the at least one cleaning fluid channel 34 is formed outside of heat exchanger 30 and is thermally insulated so as to prevent a heat loss of the cleaning fluid.

[0044] According to FIG. 3, heat exchanger 30 can also be disposed directly on component housing 19 or be integrally formed by the latter. In this case, no heat conduction element 31 is needed between component 16 and heat exchanger 30.

[0045] Alternatively or additionally to heating the cleaning fluid, the waste heat of the at least one component 16 can heat the at least one cleaning nozzle 25, in particular a nozzle body. To this end, cleaning nozzle 25 is preferably thermally coupled with the at least one component 16 via a heat pipe 33 so that the waste heat can be transferred from component 16 to cleaning nozzle 25 via heat pipe 33 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). According to FIG. 4, only cleaning nozzle 25 is heated by the waste heat of component 16. According to FIG. 5, both the cleaning fluid and cleaning nozzle 25 are heated. So, according to FIG. 5, cleaning fluid channel 34 is routed through heat exchanger 30 with the result that the cleaning fluid is heated. Moreover, the at least one component 16 is connected to cleaning nozzle 25 in a heat-conducting manner via heat pipe 33. So, according to FIG. 5, cleaning nozzle 25 can be preheated so that the heated cleaning fluid is not cooled by the nozzle body when leaving cleaning nozzle 25. In this way, the most efficient cleaning and/or deicing of see-through area 20 can be provided.

[0046] Particularly preferably, thermal management feature 28 comprises an evaluation and control feature 36 (see FIGS. 4 and 5), which is configured to preferably continuously detect a temperature state of the at least one component 16 and determine therefrom the amount of waste heat to be discharged from the at least one component 16, to control the temperature of the at least one component 16 by discharging heat to the cleaning fluid up to a predetermined amount of waste heat and to control the temperature of the at least one component 16 by switching on an in particular active cooling by thermal management feature 28 starting from the predetermined amount of waste heat.