Roof assembly comprising a cleaning feature and motor vehicle comprising a cleaning feature

Abstract

A roof assembly for forming a vehicle roof of a motor vehicle. The roof assembly may have a panel component at least partially forming a roof skin of the vehicle roof, the roof skin serving as an outer sealing surface, at least one environment sensor configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals through a see-through area to detect a vehicle environment, and at least one cleaning feature. The cleaning feature may have a window wiper assembly having two wiper elements which have a common pivot axis, the one wiper element being configured to clean a windshield or a rear window and the other wiper element being configured to clean the see-through area.

Claims

1. A roof assembly for forming a vehicle roof of a motor vehicle, the roof assembly comprising: a panel component at least partially forming a roof skin of the vehicle roof, the roof skin serving as an outer sealing surface, at least one environment sensor configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals through a see-through area to detect a vehicle environment, and at least one cleaning feature, wherein the cleaning feature comprises a window wiper assembly having two wiper elements which have a common pivot axis, the one wiper element being configured to clean a windshield or a rear window and the other wiper element being configured to clean the see-through area.

2. A motor vehicle comprising: a windshield and/or a rear window; a roof assembly having a panel component at least partially forming a roof skin of the vehicle roof, the roof skin serving as an outer sealing surface, and at least one environment sensor configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals through a see-through area to detect a vehicle environment; and at least one cleaning feature having a window wiper assembly, wherein the window wiper assembly comprises two wiper elements and is configured to clean the windshield or the rear window with the one wiper element and to clean the see-through area with the other wiper element, the two wiper elements having a common pivot axis disposed in a roof area of the motor vehicle.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the motor vehicle has a vehicle body frame comprising a front and/or a rear transverse rail, which is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal vehicle direction x, and the pivot axis is disposed in the area of the front or rear transverse rail at the roof.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the one wiper element comprises at least one wiper blade configured to be in flat contact with the windshield or the rear window to clean it when pivoting about the pivot axis.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the other wiper element comprises at least one wiper blade configured to be in flat contact with the see-through area to clean it when pivoting about the pivot axis.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the see-through area is formed in the windshield and/or in the rear window.

7. The roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein the window wiper assembly comprises a coupling configured to selectively couple the two wiper elements with each other in such a manner that they can pivot about the pivot axis in an interdependent manner or to decouple the two wiper elements in such a manner that they can pivot about the pivot axis in an independent manner or to decouple the two wiper elements in such a manner that only one of the two wiper elements can pivot about the pivot axis.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the window wiper assembly comprises a coupling configured to selectively couple the two wiper elements with each other in such a manner that they can pivot about the pivot axis in an interdependent manner or to decouple the two wiper elements in such a manner that they can pivot about the pivot axis in an independent manner or to decouple the two wiper elements in such a manner that only one of the two wiper elements can pivot about the pivot axis.

9. The roof assembly according to claim 7, wherein the roof assembly comprises a controller configured to control the coupling in such a manner that, selectively, the one wiper element cleans the windshield or the rear window and/or the other wiper element cleans the see-through area.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a controller configured to control the coupling in such a manner that, selectively, the one wiper element cleans the windshield or the rear window and/or the other wiper element cleans the see-through area.

11. The roof assembly according to claim 7, wherein the roof assembly comprises a controller configured to control the one wiper element and/or the other wiper element and/or the coupling.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a controller configured to control the one wiper element and/or the other wiper element and/or the coupling.

13. The roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein the see-through area is provided on or formed integrally with the panel component

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the see-through area is provided on or formed integrally with the panel component.

15. The roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning feature comprises at least one spray nozzle configured to spray the windshield or the rear window and/or the see-through area with a cleaning fluid to increase a cleaning effect of the window wiper assembly of the one and/or the other wiper element.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning feature comprises at least one spray nozzle configured to spray the windshield or the rear window and/or the see-through area with a cleaning fluid to increase a cleaning effect of the window wiper assembly of the one and/or the other wiper element.

17. The roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spray nozzle is disposed on the one and/or the other wiper element and/or the at least one spray nozzle is integrated in the one and/or the other wiper element.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the at least one spray nozzle is disposed on the one and/or the other wiper element and/or the at least one spray nozzle is integrated in the one and/or the other wiper element

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the roof assembly comprises a roof module installed on a roof frame structure of the motor vehicle as a structural unit.

20. The roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein the roof assembly comprises a roof module configured to be attached to a vehicle body as a structural unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Embodiments of the invention are schematically illustrated in the drawings and will be discussed as examples below.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle roof having a roof assembly according to the invention;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a cleaning feature;

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a cleaning feature;

[0039] FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a front area of a motor vehicle; and

[0040] FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a front area of a motor vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle roof 100 of a motor vehicle 1000, which comprises a roof assembly 10 according to the invention. According to FIG. 1, roof assembly 10 comprises a roof module, which is attached to or placed on top of or inserted into a roof frame 104 of vehicle 1000 as a structural unit. Roof frame 104 comprises two transverse rails 102 (only one visible) and two longitudinal rails 106.

[0042] Roof assembly 10 comprises a panel component 12 for forming a roof skin 14 of vehicle roof 100. According to FIG. 1, an environment sensor 16 is disposed in a front area of vehicle roof 100 or roof assembly 10 with respect to a longitudinal vehicle direction x. Environment sensor 16 is disposed directly behind front transverse rail 102, which defines a roof header of vehicle 1000.

[0043] In the case shown in FIG. 1, environment sensor 16 is disposed under roof skin 14 and is covered by panel component 12 in this configuration. Panel component 12 forms a housing cover of environment sensor 16. Panel component 12 forms a see-through area 18 in an area in front of environment sensor 16 with respect to longitudinal vehicle direction x. For example, see-through area 18 can be made of a preferably shatter-proof plastic or another (semi-)transparent material and can be embedded in panel component 12 as a window or be formed integrally with it. In the case at hand, environment sensor 16 is a lidar sensor, which can send and/or receive electromagnetic signals for detecting the vehicle environment through see-through area 18. Other sensor types, such as (multidirectional) cameras, can be used. Environment sensor 16 is oriented along an optical axis 20, which runs parallel to longitudinal vehicle direction x in the case of FIG. 1.

[0044] According to the invention, at least one cleaning nozzle 22 is disposed in panel component 12. In the case of FIG. 1, there are two cleaning nozzles 22, which, when viewed along optical axis 20, are disposed in front of environment sensor 16 to the right and to the left of optical axis 20. According to the invention, roof assembly 10 or motor vehicle 1000 comprises at least one cleaning feature 21. Cleaning feature 21 itself comprises a window wiper assembly 22 having two wiper elements 24 and 25, which have a common pivot axis 26. Wiper element 24 is configured to clean a windshield 108 (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) or a rear window 110 (see FIG. 3). Wiper element 25 is configured to clean see-through area 18. Pivot axis 26 is disposed in the roof area of motor vehicle 1000 (see FIG. 4). So windshield 108 or rear window 110 (depending on where the cleaning feature is disposed on roof assembly 10) is cleaned with wiper element 24. Wiper element cleans see-through area 18.

[0045] In the case at hand, window wiper assembly 22 comprises a coupling 28, which is configured to selectively couple wiper elements 24 and 25 with each other in such a manner that they can pivot about pivot axis 26 in an interdependent manner or to decouple them in such a manner that they can pivot about pivot axis 26 independently or to decouple them in such a manner that only one of wiper elements 24 and 25 can pivot about pivot axis 26. The coupling is schematically illustrated in FIG. 4. Window wiper assembly 22 further comprises an in particular electric motor drive 30, which is configured to pivot wiper element 24 and/or wiper element 25 about pivot axis 26. Wiper element 24 preferably moves across a circle-segment-shaped surface portion of front window 108 or rear window 110 (indicated by a first wiper movement path 32) as it pivots. Wiper element 25 preferably moves across a circle-segment-shaped surface portion of see-through area 18 (indicated by a second wiper movement path 34) as it pivots.

[0046] According to FIG. 2, two window wiper assemblies 22 are disposed on the right and on the left in the roof area above or in the upper corner area of front window 108. According to FIG. 3, a window wiper assembly 22 is disposed in a middle area (with respect to vehicle width direction y) of rear window 110.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows that environment sensor 16 is installed below roof skin 14 and front window 108, e.g., on a body or frame part 112. Furthermore, motor vehicle 1000 comprises a schematically indicated hood 114. According to FIG. 4, front window 108 is elongated over front transverse rail 102, i.e., the header, rearward in the direction of a vehicle rear end with the result that environment sensor 16 looks through see-through area 18, which is integrated in front window 108 in the roof area of front window 108.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows that environment sensor 16 is mounted below panel component 12, which comprises the see-through area, e.g., on body or frame part 112. According to FIG. 5, front window 108 ends at front transverse rail 102. Panel component 12, which is a see-through area 18, is adjacent thereto with the result that environment sensor 16 looks through see-through area 18. The roof assembly according to this embodiment comprises at least two panel components 12, which form roof skin 14.