Heating mechanism for a cover element of a sensor assembly, sensor assembly, roof module and motor vehicle

Abstract

A heating mechanism for a cover element of a sensor assembly, the heating mechanism may have a plurality of electrically connected conductor paths applied to a backing film and/or a heating film applied to the backing film. The heating mechanism may have at least one electrical push-through contacting element, which has a film contact portion and a connection contact portion, and a counter-contact element, the film contact portion being electro-conductively connected to at least one of the plurality of conductor paths and/or the heating film, the connection contact portion being inserted through the backing film and protruding relative to the backing film, and the counter-contact element being attached to the connection contact portion so that the film contact portion is counter-secured relative to the counter-contact element with at least the backing film interposed, and the connection contact portion being configured to be connected to a terminal of an electrical source.

Claims

1. A heating mechanism for a cover element of a sensor assembly, the heating mechanism comprising: a plurality of electrically connected conductor paths applied to a backing film and/or a heating film applied to the backing film, wherein the heating mechanism comprises at least one electrical push-through contacting element, which has a film contact portion and a connection contact portion, and a counter-contact element, the film contact portion being electro-conductively connected to at least one of the plurality of conductor paths and/or the heating film, the connection contact portion insertable through the backing film and protruding relative to the backing film, and the counter-contact element attachable to the connection contact portion in such a manner that the film contact portion is counter-secured relative to the counter-contact element with at least the backing film interposed, and the connection contact portion being configured to be connected to a terminal of an electrical power source.

2. The heating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the film contact portion is indirectly electro-conductively connected to the plurality of conductor paths and/or the heating film with an electrical contacting surface interposed.

3. The heating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the push-through contacting element has the shape of a hollow rivet, the film contact portion forms a rivet head, and the connection contact portion forms a tubular rivet shank, an inner wall of the tubular connection contact portion configured to accommodate a terminal of an electrical power source.

4. The heating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the film contact portion is greater than an outer diameter of the connection contact portion.

5. The heating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the counter-contact element is screwed and/or hooked and/or snap-locked and/or clamped to the connection contact portion.

6. The heating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the counter-contact element is sleeve-shaped and/or tubular.

7. The heating mechanism according to claim 6, wherein at least part of the connection contact portion comprises an external thread and at least part of the counter-contact element comprises an internal thread corresponding to the external thread, and the counter-contact element is screwed onto the connection contact portion in such a manner than an annular sleeve edge of the counter-contact element is in contact with the backing film or with a cover layer applied to the backing film.

8. The heating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the connection contact portion comprises at least one catch groove and/or one catch web on the outside, and the counter-contact element comprises a catch web corresponding to the catch groove and/or a catch groove and/or a catch shoulder corresponding to the catch web on the inside, via which the counter-contact element is counter-secured to the connection contact portion.

9. The heating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the connection contact portion comprises at least one catch groove and/or a guide groove and/or a catch web and/or a guide web on the inside, which is/are configured to be brought into engagement with a terminal of an electrical power source.

10. A sensor assembly of a motor vehicle, the sensor assembly comprising: a sensor element configured to emit and/or detect electromagnetic radiation in at least one measuring direction to obtain a measuring signal, a cover element disposed in front of the sensor element in the at least one measuring direction and transparent to the electromagnet radiation, and a heating mechanism according to claim 1, which is disposed on the cover element or integrated in the cover element.

11. The sensor assembly according to claim 10, wherein the cover element is made of plastic, or glass, and/or the backing film comprises a polycarbonate material.

12. The sensor assembly according to claim 10, wherein the cover element is an outer skin element of a vehicle roof.

13. The sensor assembly according to claim 10, wherein the cover element is an outer skin element of a vehicle front or a vehicle rear.

14. 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, and at least one sensor assembly according to claim 10.

15. A motor vehicle comprising: a vehicle body, a sensor assembly the sensor assembly comprising: a sensor element configured to emit and/or detect electromagnetic radiation in at least one measuring direction to obtain a measuring signal, a cover element disposed in front of the sensor element in the at least one measuring direction and transparent to the electromagnet radiation, and a heating mechanism having a plurality of electrically connected conductor paths applied to a backing film and/or a heating film applied to the backing film, wherein the heating mechanism comprises at least one electrical push-through contacting element, which has a film contact portion and a connection contact portion, and a counter-contact element, the film contact portion being electro-conductively connected to at least one of the plurality of conductor paths and/or the heating film, the connection contact portion insertable through the backing film and protruding relative to the backing film, and the counter-contact element attachable to the connection contact portion in such a manner that the film contact portion is counter-secured relative to the counter-contact element with at least the backing film interposed, and the connection contact portion being configured to be connected to a terminal of an electrical power source, wherein the heating element is disposed on the cover element or integrated in the cover element, wherein sensory assembly the cover element is an outer skin element of a vehicle roof, or a 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, and at least one sensor assembly, wherein the sensory assembly is disposed on the vehicle body as a structural unit, and an electrical power source, which comprises at least one electrical terminal electro-conductively connected to the connection contact portion of the heating mechanism, the terminal preferably being a plug connector, which engages the connection contact portion to electrically connect the heating mechanism to the power source.

16. The heating mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the electrical contacting surface is a bus bar contacting surface.

17. The sensor assembly according to claim 11, wherein the plastic is a polycarbonate plastic.

18. The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein the electrical power source is a vehicle battery.

19. The motor vehicle of claim 15, wherein the plug connector has a spring-loaded head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Embodiments of the invention are schematically illustrated in the drawings and are discussed as examples below.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle comprising a roof module and an exemplary embodiment of the sensor assembly according to the invention including a heating mechanism;

[0044] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a sensor assembly;

[0045] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a cover element comprising a heating mechanism according to the invention;

[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a cover element comprising a heating mechanism according to the invention;

[0047] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a cover element comprising a heating mechanism according to the invention;

[0048] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a cover element comprising a heating mechanism according to the invention;

[0049] FIG. 7 is a side view and a sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a push-through contacting element;

[0050] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of a push-through contacting element shown in FIG. 4; and

[0051] FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of another embodiment of a push-through contacting element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 100. A roof module 10 is disposed on a vehicle body 102, in particular on a body roof frame 104 of the vehicle body 102. The roof module 10 comprises a panel component 11 which at least partially forms a roof skin of a vehicle roof 12, the roof skin serving as an outer sealing surface of the roof module 10. The panel component 12 is, for example, an injection-molded part made of a plastic material or glass, in the present case a polycarbonate material.

[0053] The roof module 10 further comprises at least one sensor assembly 16. The sensor assembly 16 comprises a cover element 18, which preferably forms part of a sensor housing in which a sensor element 20 is disposed. In the case at hand, the cover element 18 covers an opening 19 of the panel component 11 and closes this opening 19 preferably in a moisture-proof manner against the vehicle environment (see FIG. 2). In this case, the cover element 18 forms a see-through area, in particular a window, through which the sensor element 20 looks. In the case at hand, the sensor element 20 is a lidar sensor which emits laser light in a measuring direction x and receives reflected laser light from the vehicle environment back through the see-through area. The laser light preferably passes through the cover element 18 in the form of electromagnetic signals. The lidar sensor is configured to send and/or receive the electromagnetic signals and to evaluate them, for example by means of an evaluation device 21, in such a manner that a detected vehicle environment can be reconstructed from them.

[0054] The cover element 18 comprises at least one plastic layer 22, for example made of a polycarbonate material. In the case at hand, a backing film 26 of a heating mechanism 28 is disposed on an inner side 24 of the plastic layer 22 facing the sensor element 20. In other embodiments, the backing film 26 can also be integrated into the at least one plastic layer 22.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6 by way of example, a protective coating 30 is applied to, for example sprayed on or painted on or vapor-deposited or sputtered on, the side of the backing film 26 facing the sensor element 20. In the case at hand, the protective coating 30 is a top layer. Alternatively or in addition to the protective coating 30, an additional housing 31, for example made of a two-component injection-molded plastic, can also be provided. This housing is also shown by way of example in FIGS. 3 to 6, but is of a purely optional nature. The protective coating 30 can be another plastic layer, for example, and preferably contribute to increasing the mechanical stability of the backing film 26. The plastic layer can also preferably be formed integrally with the housing 31. The backing film 26 is preferably made of a polycarbonate material. In the case at hand, the backing film 26 comprises a heating layer 33, which forms part of the heating mechanism 28 for heating the cover element 18. Alternatively, the heating mechanism 28 can also comprise a plurality of conductor paths 32, as exemplified by FIG. 5 or 6.

[0056] According to the invention, the heating mechanism 28 of the cover element 18 of the sensor assembly 16 thus comprises a plurality of electrically connected conductor paths 32, which are applied to, in particular vapor-deposited or printed on or ultrasonically applied to or embedded in, a backing film 26. The cover element 18 can also be referred to as a substrate. The heating mechanism 28 includes at least one electrical push-through contacting element 34, which has a film contact portion 36 and a connection contact portion 38, and a counter-contact element 40.

[0057] The film contact portion 36 is directly or indirectly electro-conductively connected to at least one of the plurality of conductor paths 32 or the heating layer 33. According to FIGS. 3 and 4, the film contact portion 36 is in electrically connected to the heating layer 33 with a bus bar contact surface 42 interposed so that current can be transferred to the bus bar contact surface 42 through the film contact portion and thereby to the heating layer 33. According to FIG. 5 or 6, the film contact portion 36 is electrically connected to the plurality of conductor paths 32 through the interposition of a bus bar contact surface 42, which interconnects the plurality of conductor paths, so that current transfer to the bus bar contact surface 42 and thereby to the plurality of conductor paths 32 is possible via the film contact portion. Preferably, the backing film 26 comprises two push-through contacting elements 34 according to the invention, which are preferably spaced apart from each other. The two push-through contacting elements 34 preferably form the two poles of the heating mechanism 28 so that a circuit-closing connection of the heating mechanism 28 to a power source is possible. It is understood that the inner side 24 and/or an outer side opposite to the inner side 24 can be colored.

[0058] According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the heating layer 33 and/or the backing layer 26 comprises a design in which the film contact portion 36 and/or the bus bar 42 is embedded therein. The backing film 26 and/or the protective layer 30 and/or the optional housing 31 preferably has/have an indentation in which at least the film contact portion 36 and/or the bus bar 42 can be embedded so that at least a head side of the film contact portion does not protrude over the inner side 24. In this way, a preferably flat surface is formed on the inner side 24. This is advantageous for the attachment of the cover element 18 since optical distortions can be minimized in this way, for example. It is understood that such a type of design is also possible for embedding the plurality of conductor paths 32, see FIG. 6.

[0059] The connection contact portion 38 is inserted through the backing film 26 and thus protrudes against the measuring direction x relative to the backing film 26 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). The counter-contact element 40 is attached to the connection contact portion 38 in such a manner that the film contact portion 36 is secured relative to the counter-contact element 40 with the interposition of the backing film 26 and the protective coating 30 disposed thereon (see FIGS. 3 and 5). The counter-contact element 40 is sleeve-shaped in the case at hand. According to FIGS. 7 and 8, the counter-contact element 40 has an internal thread 44 on the inside of the sleeve, which can be engaged with an external thread 46 provided on at least part of an outer wall surface of the connection contact portion 38 in order to effect the counter-securing.

[0060] The counter-contact element 40 preferably has a shoulder girdle or a contact shoulder facing in the direction of the backing film 26 so as to counter-secure the backing film 26 and the protective coating 30 relative to the film contact portion 36 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The shoulder girdle or the contact shoulder protrudes relative to a remaining outer periphery of the counter-contact element 40. The film contact portion 36 preferably comprises a contact shoulder which protrudes radially relative to an outer circumference of the connection contact portion (see FIGS. 3 to 6).

[0061] In the case at hand, the push-through contacting element 34 has the shape of a hollow rivet. The film contact portion 36 forms a rivet head. The connection contact portion 38 forms a tubular rivet shank (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0062] According to FIG. 9, the connection contact portion 38 comprises at least one catch web 48 on the outside. The counter-contact element 40 comprises a catch shoulder 50 corresponding to the catch web 48 on the inside, by means of which the counter-contact element 40 is counter-secured to the connection contact portion 38. In principle, an additional counter-contact element can also be provided, which can be screwed onto a portion of the connection contact portion 38 in order to counter-secure the other counter-contact element 40 and thus protect it from being lost, for example.

[0063] The connection contact portion 38 is configured to be connected to a terminal 52 of an electrical power source (not shown) (see schematic FIGS. 3 to 6). Preferably, an inner wall 54 of the tubular connection contact portion 38 is configured to accommodate the terminal 52 of the electrical power source. For this purpose, a terminal head 56, in particular a plug head, is preferably designed to complement a sleeve interior of the connection contact portion 38. For example, the terminal head 56 is designed as a compression spring head.