Roof for a Motor Vehicle, Motor Vehicle Having a Roof, Assembly Kit for a Roof and Method for Mounting a Roof

Abstract

A roof for a motor vehicle, in particular for a passenger car, having a roof skin, a support structure, over which the roof skin engages, and at least one sensor module having at least one environment sensor for detecting the vehicle environment. The sensor module is mounted on the support structure and a tolerance-compensating element, which defines a relative position between the support structure and the sensor module, is disposed between the support structure and the sensor module.

Claims

1. A roof for a motor vehicle comprising: a roof skin, a support structure, over which the roof skin engages, and at least one sensor module having at least one environment sensor for detecting the vehicle environment, wherein the sensor module is mounted on the support structure and a tolerance-compensating element, which defines a relative position between the support structure and the sensor module, is disposed between the support structure and the sensor module.

2. The roof according to claim 1, wherein the tolerance-compensating element is a tolerance-compensating plate on which the sensor module rests.

3. The roof according to claim 1, wherein the tolerance-compensating element has a wedge-shaped, trapezoidal or rectangular cross section.

4. The roof according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is a roof frame or part of a roof frame or is connected to a roof frame, which, when mounted on a vehicle, preferably forms an intersection with a vehicle shell structure.

5. The roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof skin engages over the sensor module.

6. The roof according to claim 1, wherein the roof skin is provided with a sensor see-through portion via which the environment sensor detects the vehicle environment.

7. The roof according to claim 1, wherein it is a roof module which is connectable to a vehicle shell structure as a unit.

8. A motor vehicle, comprising a roof according to claim 1.

9. An assembly kit for a roof of a motor vehicle, comprising: a support structure, at least one sensor module which has at least one environment sensor and which is mountable on the support structure, and a plurality of tolerance-compensating elements, which have different dimensions and are each disposed between the sensor module and the support structure when the sensor module is being fixed on the support structure.

10. The assembly kit according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the tolerance-compensating elements has a wedge shape, trapezoidal or rectangular cross section.

11. The assembly kit according to claim 10, wherein several of the tolerance-compensating elements have a wedge shaped and/or trapezoidal cross section, different wedge angles being formed on these tolerance-compensating elements and/or these tolerance-compensating elements having different trapezoidal angles and/or different trapezoidal heights.

12. A method for producing a roof of a motor vehicles, comprising the following steps: providing a support structure; providing at least one sensor module having at least one environment sensor; measuring the support structure and/or measuring the sensor module for determining the dimensions of the support structure and/or the sensor module; selecting a tolerance-compensating element from a plurality of tolerance-compensating elements having different dimensions in accordance with the dimensions of the support structure and/or the sensor module; and fixing the sensor module on the support structure, the selected tolerance-compensating element being disposed between the support structure and the sensor module.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a roof frame, which is preferably provided with a roof skin, is provided as the support structure.

Description

[0033] An embodiment of the subject matter of the invention is illustrated schematically simplified in the drawing and is described in more detail hereinafter.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a vehicle roof having a roof module;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the vehicle roof according to FIG. 1 along line II-II in FIG. 1; and

[0036] FIGS. 3a to d each show a sensor module on a support structure of the roof module having different tolerance-compensating elements.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a motor vehicle 10 which is formed as a passenger car and has a vehicle roof 12 which covers a vehicle interior. Vehicle roof 12 comprises a roof module 14 which is disposed between roof side rails 16 which are disposed on either side of a vertical longitudinal center roof plane and which form the lateral edges of vehicle roof 12. Roof side rails 14 are components of a vehicle body representing a vehicle shell structure.

[0038] As can be gathered from a combined view of FIGS. 1 and 2, roof module 14 comprises a roof skin 18 and a frame-like support structure which is a roof substructure and forms an intersection of roof module 14 with roof side rails 16.

[0039] Roof module 14 is a roof sensor module (RSM) which is provided with devices that allow motor vehicle 10 to be driven autonomously. To this end, roof module 14 has a sensor technology which comprises a sensor module 22 in each of the four corner areas of the vehicle roof, sensor module 22 being equipped with environment sensors 24 by means of which the vehicle environment can be detected for realizing autonomous driving. Each environment sensor 24 is disposed on or in a housing 26 which is disposed on support structure 20 via a tolerance-compensating element 28 wedge-shaped in cross section. Tolerance-compensating element 28, which is formed in the manner of a tolerance-compensating plate, is a precisely prefabricated component, which ensures the accurate positioning of sensor module 22 relative to support structure 20 and thus relative to roof side rails 16.

[0040] Roof skin 18 engages over both support structure 20 and sensor modules 22. In the area of each sensor module 22, a side wall 30 is formed on roof skin 18, side wall 30 forming a sensor see-through portion for each environment sensor 24 of respective sensor module 22.

[0041] Environment sensors 24 of sensor modules 22 can have various designs and comprise a lidar sensor, a radar sensor, a camera and/or another suitable sensor, for example. Side walls 30 of roof skin 18 can each be formed as a roof skin insert and are transparent for the wavelengths used by environment sensors 24. In particular, side walls 30 are transparent for wavelengths between 200 nm and 2000 nm and also for radar beams.

[0042] Environment sensors 24 are connected to a control device (not further illustrated) of motor vehicle 10. By evaluating and analyzing the measuring signals of environment sensors 24 by means of the control device, a respective traffic situation can be determined such that motor vehicle 10 can autonomously or independently adjust to the respective traffic situation and act accordingly.

[0043] It is necessary for the production of roof module 14 that sensor modules 22 are positioned accurately relative to the shell structure of motor vehicle 10. The intersection with the shell structure is formed, as described above, by support structure 20 of roof module 14. However, the dimensions and geometries of support structure 20 and sensor modules 22 may not always correspond to the predetermined value. Thus, the geometry of support structure 20 is measured during the production of roof module 14 such that the dimensions and geometry of the same can be determined. Accordingly, the geometry of sensor module 22 or housing 26 of sensor module 22 can also be measured such that its dimensions and geometry are also known. In accordance with the determined dimensions and geometries, a specific tolerance-compensating element 28 is selected from a plurality of stocked compensating elements which differ with regard to their geometry (thickness, wedge angle, trapezoid etc.) and used as an intermediate element or spacer, via which respective sensor module 22 is mounted on or fixed to support structure 20. By means of tolerance-compensating element 28, sensor module 28 is fixed accurately in terms of position and/or angular position.

[0044] Thus, an assembly kit for the production of roof module 14 comprises at least support structure 20, four sensor modules 22 and a plurality of tolerance-compensating elements which have different geometries and which can be disposed between sensor module 22 and support structure 20 when respective sensor module 22 is being fixed on support structure 20.

[0045] FIGS. 3a to 3d show support structures 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d which differ with regard to their inclination relative to a roof side rail 16. To nonetheless provide sensor module 22, which is to be positioned on the respective support structure 20a, 20b 20c or 20d, with an accurate relative position relative to roof side rail 16, a corresponding wedge-like tolerance-compensating element 28a, 28b, 28c or 28d is inserted between sensor module 22 and support structure 20a, 20b, 20c or 20d. Tolerance-compensating element 28a differs from tolerance-compensating element 28c with regard to the wedge angle. Tolerance-compensating element 28b differs from tolerance-compensating elements 28a and 28c with regard to the tapering direction of the formed wedge. Tolerance-compensating element 28d has a trapezoidal cross section.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0046] 10 motor vehicle

[0047] 12 vehicle roof

[0048] 14 roof module

[0049] 16 roof side rail

[0050] 18 roof skin

[0051] 20 support structure

[0052] 22 sensor module

[0053] 24 environment sensor

[0054] 26 housing

[0055] 28 tolerance-compensating element

[0056] 30 side wall