Roof Module for Forming a Vehicle Roof Comprising a Cooler

Abstract

A roof module for forming a motor vehicle roof, the roof module having a panel component whose outer surface at least partially forms a roof skin of the vehicle roof, the roof module having at least one environment sensor configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals for detecting the vehicle environment. The environment sensor is disposed below the roof skin formed by the panel component, the roof module having a cooler configured to discharge exhaust heat emitted by the environment sensor and/or heat introduced from outside from the environment sensor.

Claims

1. A roof module for forming a vehicle roof on a motor vehicle, the roof module comprising; a panel component whose outer surface at least partially forms the roof skin of the vehicle roof, the roof module comprising at least one environment sensor configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals for detecting the vehicle environment, wherein the environment sensor is disposed below the roof skin formed by the panel component, the roof module comprising a cooler configured to discharge exhaust heat emitted by the environment sensor and/or heat introduced from outside from the environment sensor.

2. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor is disposed in a dry section of the roof module, the dry section being protected from humidity, the cooler being configured to discharge the exhaust heat emitted by the environment sensor from the dry section.

3. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the cooler comprises at least one heat conducting element, the heat conducting element being configured to discharge the exhaust heat emitted by the environment sensor.

4. The roof module according to claim 3, wherein the environment sensor has at least one cooling surface, the cooling surface of the environment sensor coming to rest on the heat conducting element.

5. The roof module according to claim 3, wherein the heat conducting element is configured in the manner of a heat pipe or in the manner of a metal plate part.

6. The roof module according to claim 5, wherein the metal plate part serving as the heat conducting element is configured in the manner of a support plate.

7. The roof module according to claim 3, wherein the heat conducting element comes into contact with a cooling surface on the underside and/or with a cooling surface on at least one side surface of the environment sensor.

8. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the cooler is disposed in a wet section separate from the dry section, the exhaust heat emitted by the environment sensor being discharged from the dry section into the wet section by the heat conducting element.

9. The roof module according to claim 8, wherein the dry section of the roof module is sealed from the wet section by seals.

10. The roof module according to claim 8, wherein the wall of the wet section has at least one opening, the opening serving to introduce fresh air into the wet section, and the opening serving to discharge exhaust air from the wet section.

11. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the cooler comprises at least one cooling fan.

12. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the cooler comprises a cooling element.

13. The roof module according to claim 12, wherein the cooling element has at least one cooling fin.

14. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the cooler of the roof module is configured to be connected to the cooling circuit of the vehicle via intersections.

15. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the roof module comprises at least one temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature in the roof module.

16. The roof module according to claim 15, wherein the roof module comprises at least one temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature in the area of the environment sensor.

17. The roof module according to claim 15, wherein the cooling capacity of the cooler is configured to be controlled in an open or closed loop as a function of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

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

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

Description

[0027] An embodiment of the invention is schematically illustrated in the drawing and will be discussed as an example below.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section of a roof module according to the invention.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a roof module 01 in a cross section, only the parts of roof module 01 that are needed for understanding the invention being illustrated in FIG. 1. Roof module 01 comprises a panel component 02 for forming the roof skin 03 of a vehicle. An environment sensor 04 which can send and/or receive electromagnetic signals 15 for detecting the vehicle environment on the side facing the front of the vehicle is provided below roof skin 03 formed by panel component 02.

[0030] Environment sensor 04 is disposed in a dry section 05 which is protected from humidity and which is sealed from the outside in a liquid-tight manner. In this way, environment sensor 04 is reliably protected against the penetration of humidity. A wet section 06 which is sealed from dry section 05 is disposed behind dry section 05 in roof module 01. A cooler 07 for discharging exhaust heat from roof module 01 is located in wet section 06. A heat conducting element 08, which can be configured in the manner of a heat pipe or a metal plate part, such as a support plate, extends between cooler 07 and environment sensor 04. Environment sensor 04 is mounted in such a manner that a cooling surface 09 is disposed on the inner side of heat conducting element 08, which faces dry section 05. In this manner, the exhaust heat emitted by environment sensor 04 can be transferred to heat conducting element 08 very effectively.

[0031] The heat flow in heat conducting element 08 transfers the exhaust heat to cooler 07 in wet section 06. Cooler 07 comprises a cooling element 10 having a plurality of cooling fins 11. Cooling element 10 is fixed in such a manner that its foot surface, which points downward, is disposed on the inner side of heat conducting element 08, which faces wet section 06, so that the exhaust heat conducted in heat conducting element 08 is transferred to cooling element 10 with low resistance. This heats cooling fins 11 of cooling element 10. A cooling fan 12 can transport fresh air into wet section 06 through openings 13 so that fresh air flows past cooling fins 11. The fresh air is heated by absorbing the exhaust heat generated by environment sensor 04. The heated fresh air subsequently flows out of wet section 06 through openings 14 with the result that the heat is thereby entirely transported out of roof module 01.

[0032] A temperature sensor not illustrated in FIG. 1 can be used to measure the temperature of the heated fresh air flowing out through openings 14. The power of cooling fan 12 can be increased or lowered as a function of the measured temperature of the heated cooling air.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0033] 01 roof module [0034] 02 panel component [0035] 03 roof skin [0036] 04 environment sensor [0037] 05 dry section [0038] 06 wet section [0039] 07 cooler [0040] 08 heat conducting element [0041] 09 cooling surface [0042] 10 cooling element [0043] 11 cooling fin [0044] 12 cooling fan [0045] 13 opening [0046] 14 opening [0047] 15 electromagnetic signals