Patent Application
20240139759
The subject disclosure relates to the art of cleaning systems and, more particularly, to a nozzle for cleaning vehicle sensor surfaces.
Vehicles include a wide array of sensors that detect various environmental elements. Sensors may be used to detect a rapidly approaching vehicle to indicate a need for braking, an oncoming vehicle as a signal to reduce light output, and/or the lack of an oncoming vehicle as a signal to increase light output. Vehicles also include a wide array of cameras that may help with parking, driving in reverse and the like. As vehicles grow in sophistication, and the development of autonomous vehicles advances, the need for more sensors on the vehicle evolves.
During use, sensors may get dirty. Road debris, bugs, dust, rain, and the like may cover a sensor lens. When covered, the senor does not operate at peak performance. Many vehicles include sensor cleaning systems that may direct a fluid, such as a washing liquid and/or air onto the sensor lens to remove dirt. The sensor cleaning systems work best when the vehicle is not traveling. Aero disturbances, in the form of air currents, flowing over the vehicle may impact cleaning quality by moving the fluid away from the sensor lens. Reducing the cleaning quality may reduce an overall efficacy of the sensor. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide system that may effectively clean sensor surfaces when a vehicle is traveling.
A sensor cleaning nozzle, in accordance with a non-limiting example, includes a nozzle housing including a first end and a second end defining a head portion, and a nozzle system arranged within the nozzle housing. The nozzle system includes a fluid feed member including a fluid feed inlet arranged at the first end and a fluid feed outlet arranged in the head portion. A cleaning nozzle is arranged in the head portion. The cleaning nozzle includes a nozzle inlet is fluidically connected to the fluid feed outlet, a nozzle outlet is exposed at the head portion, and a nozzle bore extends between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The nozzle bore converges from the nozzle inlet toward the nozzle outlet along a first nozzle axis and diverges from the nozzle inlet toward the nozzle outlet along a second nozzle axis.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein the second nozzle axis is substantially perpendicular to the first nozzle axis.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein the nozzle outlet includes a generally rectangular shape having a first dimension that extends along the first nozzle axis and a second dimension that extends along the second nozzle axis, the second dimension being at least three times greater than the first dimension.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein the fluid feed member extends along a third axis, the nozzle outlet extending at a non-zero angle relative to the third axis.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein the nozzle outlet is coaxial with the third axis.
A vehicle in accordance with a non-limiting example, includes a body, a sensor having a sensor surface mounted to the body and a sensor cleaning nozzle mounted to the body and directed at the sensor surface. The sensor cleaning nozzle includes a nozzle housing including a first end and a second end defining a head portion and a nozzle system including a fluid feed member arranged in the nozzle housing. The nozzle system includes a fluid feed inlet arranged at the first end and a fluid feed outlet arranged in the head portion, and a cleaning nozzle arranged in the head portion. The cleaning nozzle including a nozzle inlet fluidically connected to the fluid feed outlet, a nozzle outlet exposed at the head portion and a nozzle bore extending between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet. The nozzle bore converges from the nozzle inlet toward the nozzle outlet along a first nozzle axis and diverges from the nozzle inlet toward the nozzle outlet along a second nozzle axis.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein the second nozzle axis is substantially perpendicular to the first nozzle axis.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein the nozzle outlet includes a generally rectangular shape having a first dimension that extends along the first nozzle axis and a second dimension that extends along the second nozzle axis, the second dimension being at least three times greater than the first dimension.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein the fluid feed member extends along a third axis, the nozzle outlet extending at a non-zero angle relative to the third axis.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein the nozzle outlet is coaxial with the third axis.
A method of cleaning a sensor surface on a vehicle traveling at road speeds includes passing a fluid through a fluid feed member to a nozzle inlet of a sensor cleaning nozzle, converging the fluid along a first nozzle axis through a nozzle bore, and diverging the fluid along a second nozzle axis through the nozzle bore, and passing the fluid from a nozzle outlet having a generally rectangular shape toward the sensor surface.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein passing the fluid from the nozzle outlet includes imparting a blade-shaped profile to the fluid.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein imparting the blade-shaped profile includes creating a fluid profile having a profile width that is at least three times wider than a profile thickness.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein passing the fluid through the fluid feed member includes directing a compressible fluid into the sensor cleaning nozzle.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein converging the compressible fluid along the first nozzle axis through the nozzle bore, and diverging the compressible fluid along the second nozzle axis through the nozzle bore generates a high velocity shaped exit stream.
In addition to one or more of the features described herein passing the fluid from the nozzle outlet includes imparting a cleaning affect to at least 70% of the sensor surface as the vehicle travels at road speed.
The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages of the disclosure are readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Other features, advantages and details appear, by way of example only, in the following detailed description, the detailed description referring to the drawings in which:
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
A vehicle, in accordance with a non-limiting example, is indicated generally at 10 in
In a non-limiting example, a sensor cleaning nozzle 34 is mounted to body 12. Referring to
In a non-limiting example, shown in
The particular geometry cleaning of nozzle 50 creates and delivers a high velocity stream of the cleaning fluid toward sensor surface. In a monitoring example, the stream of cleaning fluid has a thin and wide dispersion pattern for the purpose of creating maximum effective surface shear (skin friction coefficient) over a large dispersion pattern (% target area), with minimum required mass flow. This results in maximum surface clearing/cleaning performance with minimized angular targeting sensitivity to environmental wind and vehicle velocity aero disturbances, accomplished with minimum system input energy.
Internal geometry of cleaning nozzle 50 converts cylindrical supply line cleaning fluid delivery into precisely shaped outlet flow. Progressive cross sectional area scheduling is used to produce a minimized vertical (perpendicular to mounting surface) cleaning fluid flow thickness via converging wall surfaces, while delivering required radial angles via diverging wall angles. Cleaning fluid stream vertical delivery angle relative to target surface plane, in combination with distance and geometric area size to be cleaned/cleared, is matched to internal nozzle dimensions.
A sensor cleaning nozzle 70 in accordance with another non-limiting example, is shown in
Reference will now follow to
At this point it should be understood that while described in terms of sensor cleaning nozzle 34, method 86 can also be carried out by sensor cleaning nozzle 70. Further, while described as employing a compressible fluid, sensor cleaning nozzle may, in the alternative employ a non-compressible fluid and/or operate in combination with another nozzle the delivers non-compressible fluid into a sensor surface. In such a case, the sensor cleaning nozzle disclosed in accordance with the non-limiting examples described herein will not only remove dirt from the sensor surface but also create a drying affect that removes the non-compressible fluid.
The terms “a” and “an” do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. The term “or” means “and/or” unless clearly indicated otherwise by context. Reference throughout the specification to “an aspect”, means that a particular element (e.g., feature, structure, step, or characteristic) described in connection with the aspect is included in at least one aspect described herein, and may or may not be present in other aspects. In addition, it is to be understood that the described elements may be combined in any suitable manner in the various aspects.
When an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Unless specified to the contrary herein, all test standards are the most recent standard in effect as of the filing date of this application, or, if priority is claimed, the filing date of the earliest priority application in which the test standard appears.
Unless defined otherwise, technical, and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.
While the above disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from its scope. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but will include all embodiments falling within the scope thereof.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/420,800 filed Oct. 31, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63420800 | Oct 2022 | US |
