Abstract
A vehicle roof having a support on the vehicle body shell, a roof module disposed on the support and having a roof skin, and a sensor system having at least one sensor module having at least one environment sensor for detecting a vehicle environment, the environment sensor being disposed in a lateral edge area of the roof module associated with a lateral roof edge and being covered by the roof skin, the roof skin having a sensor see-through area for the environment sensor, the sensor see-through area being oriented in the transverse roof direction and being situated higher than the associated roof edge or an adjacent area of the associated roof edge and/or being located above the associated roof edge.
Claims
1. A vehicle roof comprising: a support on the vehicle body shell, a roof module disposed on the support and having a roof skin, and a sensor system having at least one sensor module comprising at least one environment sensor for detecting a vehicle environment, the environment sensor being disposed in a lateral edge area of the roof module associated with a lateral roof edge and being covered by the roof skin, the roof skin having a sensor see-through area for the environment sensor, the sensor see-through area being oriented in the transverse roof direction and being situated higher than the associated roof edge or an adjacent area of the associated roof edge and/or being located above the associated roof edge.
2. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof skin comprises a dome below which the environment sensor is disposed and on which the sensor see-through area is formed.
3. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof see-through area forms a plane which intersects the vertical longitudinal center roof plane and/or the roof edge.
4. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof skin has a lateral end face which has the sensor see-through area.
5. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof skin has a bulge which covers the roof edge associated with the environment sensor in the transverse roof direction.
6. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof skin comprises a front or rear cover, which is preferably disposed forward or to the rear of a roof opening or a roof see-through area or another opaque or transparent roof skin segment and which has a lateral end wall on either side of the vertical longitudinal center roof plane, each end wall comprising the sensor see-through area.
7. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof skin forms a lateral beam-like housing portion which extends in the longitudinal roof direction and below which the environment sensor is disposed and which has an external side wall which comprises the sensor see-through area.
8. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor is disposed on a sensor support in such a manner that its cone of vision is tilted toward the ground and relative to a support portion of the roof module.
9. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof edge associated with the edge area having the environment sensor has a depression in the area of the sensor see-through area.
10. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof edges are each formed by a roof side rail comprised by the support on the vehicle body shell.
11. A motor vehicle comprising a vehicle roof according to claim 1.
Description
[0030] Illustrative examples of a vehicle roof according to the invention are schematically illustrated in the drawing and will be discussed in more detail in the following description.
[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a vehicle roof according to the invention;
[0032] FIG. 2 is a perspective schematic view of the vehicle roof of FIG. 1;
[0033] FIG. 3 is a side view of the vehicle roof of FIG. 1;
[0034] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention;
[0035] FIG. 5 is a side view of the vehicle roof of FIG. 4;
[0036] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention;
[0037] FIG. 7 is a cross section of the vehicle roof of FIG. 6 in the area of a roof side rail along line VII-VII in FIG. 6;
[0038] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention;
[0039] FIG. 9 is a cross section of the vehicle roof of FIG. 8 in the area of a sensor module along line IX-IX in FIG. 8;
[0040] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention;
[0041] FIG. 11 is a cross section of the vehicle roof of FIG. 10 in the area of a sensor module along line XI-XI in FIG. 10;
[0042] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention;
[0043] FIG. 13 is a cross section of the vehicle roof of FIG. 12 in the area of a sensor module along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12;
[0044] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention along line XV-XV in FIG. 14;
[0045] FIG. 15 is a cross section of the vehicle roof of FIG. 14 in the area of a sensor module;
[0046] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an eighth embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention comprising a roof opening with a lid element in a closed position; and
[0047] FIG. 17 shows the vehicle roof of FIG. 16 with the lid element in an open position.
[0048] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a vehicle roof 10, which is part of a motor vehicle 12, which is a passenger car. Vehicle roof 10 comprises a roof side rail 14 on either side of a longitudinal center roof plane, roof side rails 14 being part of a vehicle body, which is a body shell. Between roof side rails 14, vehicle roof 10 comprises a roof module 16, which is tightly attached to roof side rails 14.
[0049] Roof module 16 comprises a roof skin 18,which forms a transparent roof portion 20 in a central area, roof portion 20 allowing light to enter a vehicle interior. Roof skin 18 is attached to a circumferential roof frame (not shown), which is a support structure of roof module 16 and forms an intersection between roof module 16 and the vehicle body.
[0050] Roof module 16 is a roof sensor module (RSM), which is equipped with devices enabling the motor vehicle in question to drive autonomously. To this end, roof module 16 has a sensor system, which comprises a sensor module 22 in each of the four corner areas of roof module 16, each sensor module 22 being provided with at least one environment sensor 24, by means of which the vehicle surroundings can be detected so as to allow motor vehicle 12 to drive autonomously. Additionally, the sensor system centrally (in relation to the roof length) comprises two additional sensor modules 26 in the area of each roof side rail 14, each sensor module 26 having at least one environment sensor 28, by means of which lateral areas of the vehicle surroundings can be detected. Sensor modules 22 and 26 are disposed on the roof frame and covered by roof skin 18, which forms a cover element. A current traffic situation can be determined by evaluating the measuring signals of environment sensors 24 and 28 by means of a controller of motor vehicle 12, allowing motor vehicle 12 to autonomously adapt to the current traffic situation and behave accordingly.
[0051] Environment sensors 24 and 26 can be configured in various ways and can comprise a lidar sensor, a radar sensor, a camera, and/or any other suitable sensor, for example.
[0052] As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 in particular, roof skin 18 forms respective side walls 30 at its lateral edges, side walls 30 being transparent to the wavelengths used by environment sensors 28 and thus forming sensor see-through areas. Each side wall 30 forms a step from adjacent roof side rail 14, side wall 30 forming the end face of the step. In particular, side walls 30, which form the sensor see-through areas, are each transparent to wavelengths between 200 nm and 2000 nm. A transparency to radar radiation may be required as well.
[0053] The sensor see-through areas provided by side walls 30 are situated higher than roof side rails 16 and form crescent-shaped end faces of roof skin 18. In the areas covering the vehicle interior, roof skin 18 thus forms a roof line which has a greater curvature radius than roof side rails 16 at the upper edges of side walls 30.
[0054] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a vehicle roof 40, which has a roof side rail 14 on either side of a vertical longitudinal center roof plane like the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3. A roof module 42 is disposed between roof side rails 14, roof module 42 comprising a spoiler-like front cover portion 44, which is part of a roof skin 18. Cover portion 44, which extends across the width of roof module 42, has side walls 46, which are adjacent to respective roof side rails 14 and which may fluidly transition into the topside of cover portion 44 without forming an edge. On both sides, cover portion 44 covers respective sensor modules 26, by means of which respective lateral vehicle surroundings can be detected and which each comprise an environment sensor 28, which is configured according to the environment sensors of the vehicle roof of FIGS. 1 to 3. The end walls or side walls 46 of cover portion 44 are each transparent to the wavelengths used by environment sensors 28, thus forming sensor see-through areas.
[0055] FIGS. 6 and 7 show a vehicle roof 60, which is essentially configured according to the vehicle roof of FIGS. 1 to 3 but differs from it in that it comprises a roof module 62, which has a roof skin 18, which forms a dome 64 in the middle on both sides with respect to the length of vehicle roof 16; each dome 64 can be considered an elevation of roof skin 18 and has an external side wall 66, which is adjacent to a respective roof side rail 14 and forms a sensor see-through area for a lateral environment sensor 28 of a sensor module 26. Environment sensor 28 is located in dome 64. The sensor see-through area formed by side wall 66 is situated higher than associated roof side rail 14, which allows environment sensor 26 to detect the lateral ground area of the vehicle surroundings close to the vehicle largely unhindered.
[0056] Otherwise, vehicle roof 60 corresponds to the vehicle roof of FIGS. 1 to 3.
[0057] FIGS. 8 and 9 show a vehicle roof 80, which largely corresponds to that of FIGS. 6 and 7 but differs from it in that it comprises a roof module 82, which forms a dome 84 for each of lateral central environment sensors 28 of sensor modules 26 on roof skin 18, each dome 84 having a side wall 86, which serves as a sensor see-through area for respective environment sensor 28 of respective sensor module 26 and which is inclined both relative to associated roof side rail 14 and relative to the vertical longitudinal center roof plane; i.e., side walls 86 each intersect associated roof side rail 14 and the longitudinal center roof plane when projected onto the ground. This allows environment sensors 26 to detect and assess a rear lateral area of the vehicle surroundings across roof side rails 14.
[0058] Otherwise, vehicle roof 80 corresponds to that of FIGS. 6 and 7.
[0059] FIGS. 10 and 11 show a vehicle roof 100, which largely corresponds to that of FIGS. 6 and 7 but differs from it in that it comprises a roof module 102, which has a roof skin 18, which forms a dome 104 in the area of each of lateral environment sensors 28 of sensor modules 26, each dome 104 covering associated roof side rail 14. Additionally, environment sensor 28 is disposed on a sensor support 106 in such a manner that it is tilted or inclined relative to a support portion 108 formed by the roof frame, which allows a cone of vision of respective environment sensor 28 to also detect ground areas of the vehicle surroundings close to the vehicle. Dome 104 forms a side wall 110, which forms a sensor see-through area and is therefore transparent to the wavelengths used by respective environment sensor 28.
[0060] Otherwise, vehicle roof 100 corresponds to that of FIGS. 6 and 7.
[0061] FIGS. 12 and 13 show a vehicle roof 120, which largely corresponds to that of FIGS. 6 and 7 but differs from it in that it comprises a roof module 122, which is laterally bordered by roof side rails 14 and forms a roof skin 18, forms a beam-like housing 126 on either side starting from a front header 124, housing 126 having a side wall 128, which is transparent to wavelengths used by environment sensors 28 of sensor modules 16. Side walls 128, which are situated higher than and adjacent to roof side rails 14, form sensor see-through areas for environment sensors 28.
[0062] Otherwise, roof module 122 corresponds to that of FIGS. 6 and 7, which is why reference is made to the description thereof.
[0063] FIGS. 14 and 15 show a vehicle roof 140, which largely corresponds to that of FIGS. 12 and 13 but differs from it in that it comprises a roof module 142, which has lateral environment sensors 28, which are disposed on a sensor support 106, environment sensors 28 being tilted relative to a support portion 108, which is formed by the roof frame, with the result that a cone of vision of environment sensors 28 is pivoted in the direction of ground areas close to the vehicle. A side wall 142 of beam-like housing 126 is inclined corresponding to the inclination of sensor support 106.
[0064] Otherwise, roof module 122 corresponds to that of FIGS. 12 and 13.
[0065] FIGS. 16 and 17 show a vehicle roof 160, which largely corresponds to the vehicle roof of FIGS. 12 and 13 but differs from it in that it comprises a roof module 162, which has a roof opening 144, which can be opened or at least partially opened at will by means of a lid element 166. Laterally next to roof opening 164, roof module 162 comprises beam-like housings 126, which are part of roof skin 18 and in each of which a lateral sensor module 26 with an environment sensor 28 is disposed, environment sensor 28 serving to detect a lateral area of the vehicle surroundings. Corresponding to the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13, housings 126 each form a side wall 128, which serves as a sensor see-through area and is therefore transparent to the wavelengths used by environment sensors 28.
[0066] Otherwise, vehicle roof 160 largely corresponds to that of FIGS. 12 and 13.
[0067] Environment sensors 24 and 28 of the embodiments described above can each be provided with cleaning systems, thermal systems, and/or the like, which ensure an undisturbed operation thereof.
REFERENCE SIGNS
[0068] 10 vehicle roof
[0069] 12 motor vehicle
[0070] 14 roof side rail
[0071] 16 roof module
[0072] 18 roof skin
[0073] 20 transparent roof portion
[0074] 22 sensor module
[0075] 24 environment sensor
[0076] 26 sensor module
[0077] 28 environment sensor
[0078] 30 side wall
[0079] 40 vehicle roof
[0080] 42 roof module
[0081] 44 cover portion
[0082] 46 side wall
[0083] 60 vehicle roof
[0084] 62 roof module
[0085] 64 dome
[0086] 66 side wall
[0087] 80 vehicle roof
[0088] 82 roof module
[0089] 84 dome
[0090] 86 side wall
[0091] 100 vehicle roof
[0092] 102 roof module
[0093] 104 dome
[0094] 106 sensor support
[0095] 108 support portion
[0096] 110 side wall
[0097] 120 vehicle roof
[0098] 122 roof module
[0099] 124 front header
[0100] 126 housing
[0101] 128 side wall
[0102] 140 vehicle roof
[0103] 142 roof module
[0104] 144 side wall
[0105] 160 vehicle roof
[0106] 162 roof module
[0107] 164 roof opening
[0108] 166 lid element
