Apparatus with a sensor assembly and a stray light baffle

Abstract

An apparatus includes a sensor assembly and a stray light baffle. The apparatus is mountable inside of a vehicle on a pane, in particular a windshield. The sensor assembly includes a first sensor and a second sensor. The stray light baffle is arranged substantially in front of the first sensor, in the capture direction of the sensors, at the sensor assembly. The stray light baffle has a first side wall that is made of a plastics material, and a second side wall that is a frame with a fabric covering. The second side wall is arranged in front of the second sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a sensor assembly and a stray light baffle, wherein the apparatus is mountable inside of a vehicle on a pane, wherein the sensor assembly includes a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the stray light baffle is arranged substantially in front of the first sensor in a capture direction of the sensors at the sensor assembly, wherein the stray light baffle has a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein the first side wall is made of a plastics material and the second side wall is a frame with a fabric covering, wherein the second side wall is arranged in front of the second sensor, and wherein only the fabric covering of the second side wall is arranged in front of and intersecting a sensing axis of the second sensor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is an optical sensor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second sensor is a radar sensor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the radar sensor and the optical sensor are arranged next to one another in a horizontal direction.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a fabric of the fabric covering is a velvet.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pane is a windshield of the vehicle.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the optical sensor is a camera.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is a radar sensor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fabric covering causes no more than a negligibly small attenuation of radar waves to be sensed by the radar sensor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, configured so that a sensing axis of the first sensor and the sensing axis of the second sensor are both oriented facing forward through the pane when the apparatus is mounted inside of the vehicle on the pane.

11. An apparatus comprising a sensor assembly and a stray light baffle, wherein the apparatus is mountable inside of a vehicle on a pane, wherein the sensor assembly includes a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the stray light baffle is arranged substantially in front of the first sensor in a capture direction of the sensors at the sensor assembly, wherein the stray light baffle has a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein the first side wall is made of a plastics material and the second side wall is a frame with a fabric covering, wherein the second side wall is arranged in front of the second sensor, and wherein a sensing axis of the second sensor extends from the second sensor forwardly through only the fabric covering and not the frame of the second side wall, thence through a space between the first and second side walls, and thence through a front aperture of the stray light baffle bounded between the first and second side walls.

12. An apparatus comprising a sensor assembly and a stray light baffle, wherein the apparatus is mountable inside of a vehicle on a pane, wherein the sensor assembly includes a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the stray light baffle is arranged substantially in front of the first sensor in a capture direction of the sensors at the sensor assembly, wherein the stray light baffle has a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein the first side wall is made of a plastics material and the second side wall is a frame with a fabric covering, wherein the second side wall is arranged in front of the second sensor, and wherein the frame forms only a periphery of the second side wall, the fabric covering spans the frame to cover a central area bounded by the frame around the periphery of the second side wall, and the central area of the second side wall consists of only the fabric covering.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the second side wall is arranged intersecting a sensing axis of the second sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous configurations follow from the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:

(2) FIG. 1 a top view of an embodiment of the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 a side view of an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of the invention. This depiction shows an apparatus 1 with a sensor assembly 2. The sensor assembly 2 has a camera 2.1 as a first sensor and a radar sensor 2.2 as a second sensor. These two sensors 2.1, 2.2 are arranged next to one another in the horizontal direction. Further, a stray light baffle 3 is arranged in front of the camera 2.1 in the capture direction (E). The stray light baffle 3 has an opening 3.4 for the camera 2.1. The stray light baffle further comprises a first side wall 3.1 and a second side wall 3.2 and an upper side 3.3 and a lower side (not shown here). The first side wall 3.1 can be produced from a plastics material.

(5) FIG. 2 shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention. In this case, the sensor assembly 2 is shown with a radar sensor 2.2. The camera 2.1 is not visible in this view. The second side wall 3.2 of the stray light baffle 3 is also shown, wherein, in this embodiment, the second side wall 3.2 is a frame 4 with a fabric covering 5. As is shown, the stray light baffle 3 is shaped such that it is mountable on a windshield 6 of a vehicle (not shown here).

(6) As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 understood in connection with the above description, both sensors 2.1 and 2.2 have their respective sensing axes or capture directions E facing forward through the windshield 6. The sensing axis or capture direction E of the first sensor (camera sensor) 2.1 extends from the first sensor forwardly through the opening 3.4, thence through a space between the two side walls 3.1 and 3.2 of the stray light baffle 3, and thence through a front aperture of the stray light baffle 3 bounded between the two side walls. The sensing axis or capture direction (not illustrated) of the second sensor (radar sensor) 2.2 extends from the second sensor forwardly through only the fabric covering 5 and not the frame 4 of the second side wall 3.2, thence through the space between the two side walls, and thence through the front aperture of the stray light baffle 3. The frame 4 forms only a periphery of the second side wall 3.2, the fabric covering 5 spans the frame 4 to cover a central area bounded by the frame 4 around the periphery of the second side wall 3.2, and the central area of the second side wall 3.2 consists of only the fabric covering 5.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(7) 1 apparatus 2 sensor assembly 2.1 first sensor 2.2 second sensor 3 stray light baffle 3.1 first side wall 3.2 second side wall 3.3 upper side 3.4 opening 4 frame 5 fabric covering 6 windshield E capture direction