Roof module for forming a vehicle roof having a rotatable environment sensor

Abstract

A roof module for forming a motor vehicle roof, the roof module having a panel component which may at least partially form a roof skin of the vehicle roof, which functions as an outer sealing surface of the roof module and which as at least one curved area. The roof module having at least one environment sensor which sends and/or receives electromagnetic signals for detecting a vehicle environment. The environment sensor is disposed in a circular opening of the curved area of the panel component and is displaceable, essentially without tilt, between a resting position and at least one operating position by means of a rotational movement around a rotation axis.

Claims

1. 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, which functions as an outer sealing surface of the roof module and which has at least one curved area, and the roof module having at least one environment sensor which sends and/or receives electromagnetic signals for detecting a vehicle environment, wherein the environment sensor is disposed in a circular opening of the curved area of the panel component and is displaceable, essentially without tilt, between a resting position and at least one operating position by means of a rotational movement around a rotation axis.

2. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein in the operating position, the environment sensor is configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals for detecting the vehicle environment around its optical axis, and that in the resting position at least one lid piece of a sensor module, in which the environment sensor is comprised, is disposed in the opening such that it closes the opening in an essentially flush manner.

3. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein in the at least one operating position, a see-through portion of the environment sensor protrudes over at least an edge of the circular opening

4. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the circular opening has an at least essentially oval.

5. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the lid piece has at least an essentially oval, by means of which the opening is closable so as to fit essentially perfectly in the closed position.

6. The roof module according to claim 5, wherein the lid piece has a curved shape whose curved part extends in an essentially flush manner to the curved area of the panel component.

7. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor comprises an essentially cylindrical housing portion which is rotatably disposed in the opening.

8. The roof module according to claim 7, wherein the rotation axis is concentrically positioned to a central axis of the cylindrical housing portion.

9. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the rotational movement is essentially carried out without leverage force.

10. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor is connected to at least one drive, the drive being configured to displace the environment sensor around the rotation axis between the resting position and at least the operating position.

11. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein a weatherstrip is disposed circumferentially around the opening by means of which a seal is provided between the environment sensor and the roof skin, irrespective of the position of the environment sensor.

12. The roof module according to claim 7, wherein the weatherstrip is disposed on an edge of the opening and abuts against the cylindrical housing portion by at least one sealing lip.

13. The roof module according to claims 7, wherein the essentially cylindrical housing portion is configured to perform a relative movement relative to the weatherstrip during a rotation in the opening by means of which the essentially cylindrical housing portion receives a mechanical cleaning.

14. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor is formed in the manner of a lidar sensor and/or in the manner of a radar sensor and/or in the manner of a camera sensor and/or in the manner of a multi-camera sensor.

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

16. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the circular opening has an at least essentially elliptical shape.

17. The roof module according to claim 16, wherein the lid piece has at least an essentially elliptical shape, by means of which the opening is closable so as to fit essentially perfectly in the closed position.

18. The roof module according to claim 10, wherein the environment sensor is connected to at least one drive via a gear.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle roof having roof module according to the invention;

[0039] FIG. 2 is a first embodiment of the roof module according to the invention having at least one displaceable environment sensor;

[0040] FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of the roof module according to the invention having at least one displaceable environment sensor;

[0041] FIG. 4 is an embodiment of an environment sensor having a lid piece;

[0042] FIG. 5 is an embodiment of an environment sensor without a lid piece;

[0043] FIG. 6 is an embodiment of an environment sensor in a first operating position;

[0044] FIG. 7 is an embodiment of an environment sensor in a second operating position; and

[0045] FIG. 8 is an embodiment of an environment sensor in a resting position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In FIG. 1, a vehicle roof 100 of a vehicle which comprises a roof module 10 according to the invention is illustrated. Roof module 10 comprises a panel component 12 for forming roof skin 14 of vehicle roof 100 of the vehicle (not fully shown). In a front face central roof area of vehicle roof 100 or roof module 10, viewed in a longitudinal direction x of the vehicle, an environment sensor 16 (in this case a lidar sensor) is disposed which can detect an environment of the vehicle around an optical axis in the form of electromagnetic signals. Other types of sensors, for example, (multidirectional) cameras can also be used. In the present case, environment sensor 16 is disposed directly behind a front transverse rail 102 which defines a roof header of the vehicle. Preferably as a modular unit, roof module 10 is accommodated in a roof frame 104 of the vehicle or fitted on at least two transverse rails 102 and at least two longitudinal rails 106, which forms roof frame 104.

[0047] According to the invention, environment sensor 16 is disposed in an essentially elliptical opening 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) in a curved area 22 of panel component 12. According to the invention, environment sensor 16 is configured to be displaced without tilt between a resting position (see FIG. 2) and at least one operating position (see FIG. 3) by means of a rotational movement around a rotation axis 24.

[0048] In the operating position, environment sensor 16 is configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals to detect the vehicle environment around its optical axis 18 in this manner. By contrast, in the resting position, environment sensor 16 is disposed such in opening 20 that it closes opening 20 in an essentially flush manner (see FIGS. 2 and 8). For closing the opening, environment sensor 16 has a lid piece 26 whose shape essentially correspondents to the shape of opening 20 in order to close said opening 20 as precisely as possible. To this end, lid piece 26 has an essentially elliptical and curved shape whose curved part extends in an essentially flush manner to curved area 22 of panel component 12 (see FIGS. 4 and 8). In the at least one operating position, a see-through portion 28 of environment sensor 16 protrudes over at least one edge 30 of circular opening 20 (see FIG. 3), so that environment sensor 16 can detect the vehicle environment in this position. Edge 30 circulates opening 20. See-through portion 28 is made of a material transparent for environment sensor 16, for example, glass or a synthetic material (for example, polycarbonate).

[0049] In the present case, lid piece 26 is disposed on an essentially cylindrical housing portion 32, which essentially has the shape of a cylindrical wedge in the embodiments shown (see FIG. 4). This shape of housing portion 32 is yielded if a fictitious cylinder is cut almost directly at its circular base area 34 at an angle to the base area. Housing portion 32 thus has a cylindrical part comprising a prespecified radius which is essentially the same as a radius of a fictitious circular projection (which essentially corresponds to base area 34) of essentially elliptical opening 20. A central axis 36 of housing portion 32 which essentially has the shape of a part of a cylinder is the same as rotation axis 24 (see FIG. 4).

[0050] As can be seen from FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, environment sensor 16 including housing portion 32, which essentially has the shape of a part of a cylinder, can be rotated in opening 20 in this case. To this end, roof module 10 has a rotating device 38, for example, in the form of a rotary plate, which can be rotatably mounted on a bearing pin (not shown), for example. Environment sensor 16 and, if applicable, further electrical components can be disposed on rotating device 38 and, for example, be non-rotatably attached on rotating device 38 by means of a web-like holder 40. The rotational movement around rotation axis 24 is introduced by a drive 42 which can be an electric motor, for example. Drive 42 can be disposed directly on rotating device 38 or also be connected indirectly to rotating device 38 via a gear (not shown), for example. According to the invention, it is particularly simple to run a cable routing 44 based on the purely rotational movement of environment sensor 16 because said cable routing 44 can be run, for example, through the center of rotation of rotation axis 24, for example, through a recess in rotating device 38, as can be seen from FIG. 3.

[0051] Furthermore, a weatherstrip 46, which is a tubular seal in the present case, is disposed circumferentially around opening 20, providing a seal between environment sensor 16 and roof skin 14, preferably irrespective of the position of environment sensor 16. At least in the resting position, weatherstrip 46 can ensure a complete seal, whereas in the at least one operating position, a secondary weatherstrip 48 is provided by means of which a wet area within opening 20 can be separated from a dry area within roof module 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 7).

[0052] See-through portion 28 can preferably also be cleaned by a cleaning device 50 (if necessary, with a wiping function). Cleaning device 50 can either be disposed on the inside of roof module 10, i.e., below panel component 12, for example, on a frame structure 52 of roof module 10. Alternatively or additionally, cleaning device 50 can also be disposed outside of roof module 10, for example, rigidly, on panel component 12 (see FIG. 3). Cleaning device 50 is configured to clean see-through portion 28 using a cleaning fluid which can be sprayed on see-through portion 28 from at least one cleaning nozzle of cleaning device 50 in the shape of a spraying cone. In FIG. 3, cleaning device 50 is disposed on panel component 12. In contrast, secondary weatherstrip 48, which is exemplarily disposed between panel component 12 and frame structure 52, protects the interior of roof module 10 from moisture entering and thus forms a dry area. In this case, environment sensor 16 and cable routing 44 are disposed together in a wet area of roof module 10 and are thus protected in a moisture-proof manner from moisture entering by means of a housing which comprises housing portion 32. The housing then forms an additional dry area.