A Roof Module Having an Environment Sensor for Autonomous or Partially Autonomous Vehicle Operation

Abstract

A roof module for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, is proposed, the roof module having a roof cladding, which forms an outer visible surface of the roof module, and at least one sensor module having an environment sensor for sensing a vehicle environment during an autonomous or partially autonomous operation of the motor vehicle. A viewing area can be formed in the roof cladding for the environment sensor and the viewing area can be provided with a cleaning element.

Claims

1. A roof module of a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, the roof module comprising: a roof cladding, which forms an outer visible surface of the roof module, and at least one sensor module having an environment sensor for sensing a vehicle environment during an autonomous or partially autonomous operation of the motor vehicle, wherein a viewing area is formed in the roof cladding for the environment sensor and in that the viewing area is provided with a cleaning element.

2. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning element comprises a fluid nozzle which upon actuation produces a fluid cone, which strikes the viewing area from the outside.

3. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the viewing area is formed at a step or a reclining surface of the roof cladding and in that the fluid nozzle is disposed on the roof cladding in front of the step or the reclining surface.

4. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the fluid nozzle is extractable for actuation and is preferably disposed on a nozzle bar, which is extracted by a pressure exerted by the fluid or drive means against a return force.

5. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the fluid nozzle produces a fluid cone whose cone axis is directed toward the vehicle front and/or whose cone axis is at least partially oriented transversally to the longitudinal roof direction.

6. The roof module according to claim 2, further comprising a deflection unit for the fluid delivered by the fluid nozzle.

7. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the deflection unit comprises a guide surface formed on the roof cladding.

8. The roof module according to claim 6, wherein the deflection unit comprises an extraction element, which extracts the fluid nozzle upon actuation.

9. The roof module according to claim 1, further comprising a roof opening, which is either closed or opened by means of lid element of a roof opening system.

10. The roof module according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning element comprises a fluid nozzle which upon actuation produces a fluid cone, which strikes the viewing area from the outside, wherein a wind deflector of the roof opening system comprises or forms a fluid collector element and/or a drain element.

11. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the roof cladding comprises a front roof visor, which forms a front windshield cowl of the vehicle in question and is disposed on the cleaning element, and/or comprises a rear roof visor, on which the cleaning element is disposed, and/or comprises a lateral roof visor, on which the cleaning element is disposed.

12. A vehicle comprising a roof module according to claim 1.

Description

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective overall view of a vehicle roof having a roof module according to the invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 is a top view of a front area of the vehicle roof;

[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a front left section of the vehicle roof;

[0028] FIG. 4 is a top view of the section according to FIG. 3; and

[0029] FIG. 5 is a front view of a central front section of the vehicle roof.

[0030] In the drawing, a vehicle roof 10 of a motor vehicle realized as a passenger car is shown, vehicle roof 10 comprising a roof module 12, which is placed on top of a vehicle shell construction 14, which comprises a longitudinal roof beam 16, among other things, on each of its two sides with respect to a vertical longitudinal vehicle center plane.

[0031] Roof module 12 is a roof sensor module (RSM) which is equipped with devices enabling autonomously driving the motor vehicle in question.

[0032] As can be seen in the drawing, roof module 12 comprises a roof opening 18, which can be either opened or closed by means of a lid element 20 movable in the longitudinal vehicle direction. For this purpose, lid element 20 is stored on both of its two sides on a guide rail 21 which is a component of a roof frame 22 which is a support structure of roof module 12. To the rear of roof opening 18, roof module 12 comprises a roof cladding section 24 forming a solid-roof element.

[0033] To the front of roof opening 18, roof module 12 comprises a roof cladding section 26, which is a roof visor and forms a front windshield cowl of the motor vehicle in question, the front windshield cowl extending in the transverse roof direction and being a transverse leg of a frame of a windshield 28.

[0034] Below roof cladding section 26, several sensor modules 30A, 30B, 32A and 32B are disposed, each comprising an environment sensor 34A, 34B, 36A and 36B, respectively. Environment sensors 34A and 34B are each realized as LiDAR sensors which work with a wavelength of 905 nm or 1,550 nm. Both environment sensors 36A and 36B each form a camera, which can be realized as a mono/multi/multifocal and/or stereo camera. The cameras of environment sensors 36A and 36B function in the visible and near-infrared range.

[0035] Roof cladding section 26 forms a viewing area 38A, 38B, 40A and 40B in the area of each sensor module 30A, 30B, 32A and 32B, respectively; viewing areas 38A, 38B, 40A and 40B being transparent to wavelengths between 300 nm and 2,000 nm and in particular radar radiation.

[0036] The visor formed by roof cladding section 26 has a step 42, which, as can be seen in FIG. 2, is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal vehicle center plane and extends toward the rear from the longitudinal vehicle center plane. Viewing areas 38A and 38B are disposed on an end surface of step 42 in a corresponding front corner area of roof module 12. Viewing areas 40A and 40B are formed symmetrically to each other on the upper side of roof cladding section 26 close to the longitudinal vehicle center plane.

[0037] In order to be able to keep viewing areas 38A and 38B clean, roof module 12 comprises a fluid nozzle 44A and 44B to the front of step 42, corresponding viewing areas 38A and 38B being able to be subjected to a pressurized cleaning fluid by means of fluid nozzles 44A and 44B, respectively. When in use, fluid nozzles 44A and 44B each produce a fluid or spray cone 46, which completely covers respective viewing area 38A and 38B while remaining below the edge of step 42. By forming fluid cone 46 and via step 42, the cleaning fluid is transported toward the vehicle side during operation of the corresponding vehicle, without running the risk of the cleaning fluid entering the vehicle interior when roof opening 18 is open (cf. arrow Y in FIGS. 1 and 2). Furthermore, an extractable wind deflector 58 disposed in the front edge area of roof opening 18 serves as a fluid collection element and/or drain element.

[0038] For both middle viewing areas 40A and 40B, roof module 12 comprises a cleaning element 48A and 48B, respectively, which are provided with a fluid nozzle 50A and 50B, respectively, formed on an end of a nozzle bar 52A and 52B, respectively. Nozzle bars 52A and 52B are extractable to the operation position shown in the drawing, namely by means of a pressure which is exerted by a cleaning fluid on nozzle bars 52A and 52B and acts on nozzle bars 52A and 52B in particular by a return force exerted by a return spring.

[0039] During operation, fluid nozzles 50A and 50B each produce a fluid or spray cone 54 which covers the respective viewing area 40A and 40B and has a cone axis angled frontward toward the vehicle front and transversally to the longitudinal vehicle direction. This minimizes the risk of the cleaning fluid forming fluid cone 54 from entering the vehicle interior via roof opening 18 during operation of the vehicle when lid element 20 is opened. Moreover, the cleaning fluid delivered by fluid nozzles 50A and 50B is drained laterally outward along the end surface of step 42 according to arrows X shown in FIG. 1.

[0040] Furthermore, roof module 12 comprises an illuminate pane 56A and 56B on each of its two sides between both viewing areas 38A and 40A and viewing areas 38B and 40B, respectively, in the embodiment at hand, illuminated panes 56A and 56B being allocated to ADS (autonomous drive signal) lights which indicate whether the self-driving mode of the vehicle in question is active.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0041] 10 vehicle roof [0042] 12 roof module [0043] 14 vehicle construction shell [0044] 16 longitudinal roof beam [0045] 18 roof opening [0046] 20 lid element [0047] 21 guide rail [0048] 22 roof frame [0049] 24 roof cladding section [0050] 26 roof cladding section [0051] 28 windshield [0052] 30A, 30B sensor module [0053] 32A, 32B sensor module [0054] 34A, 34B environment sensor [0055] 36A, 36B environment sensor [0056] 38A, 38B viewing area [0057] 40A, 40B viewing area [0058] 42 step [0059] 44A, 44B fluid nozzle [0060] 46 fluid cone [0061] 48A, 48B cleaning element [0062] 50A, 50B fluid nozzle [0063] 52A, 52B nozzle bar [0064] 54 fluid cone [0065] 56A, 56B illuminated pane [0066] 58 wind deflector