CN116215183A

CN116215183A - Roof module for forming a roof with a cooling device

Info

Publication number: CN116215183A
Application number: CN202211539890.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: M·许尔森; M·埃尔曼; J·莱霍茨基; F·威尔
Original assignee: Webasto SE
Current assignee: Webasto SE
Priority date: 2021-12-03
Filing date: 2022-12-02
Publication date: 2023-06-06
Also published as: DE102021131926A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a roof module for forming a roof (100) on a motor vehicle, comprising: a surface member (12) that forms a roof skin (14) of the roof (100) at least in regions; at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16); and a cooling device (24) having at least one cooling channel (25), in which at least one heat-conducting element (26) is arranged in heat-conducting connection with the at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16), by means of which at least one waste heat emitted by the at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16) can be conducted away. The cooling device (24) comprises at least one spraying device (42) which is provided for wetting the at least one heat-conducting element (26) with a cooling liquid.

Description

Roof module for forming a roof with a cooling device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a roof module for forming a roof on a motor vehicle.

Background

Roof modules of this type are widely used in vehicle construction, since they can be prefabricated as individual functional modules and can be delivered to an assembly line during assembly of the vehicle. The roof module forms a roof skin of the vehicle roof at least in regions, which prevents the penetration of moisture or air currents into the interior of the vehicle. The roof skin is composed of one or more surface elements, which may be made of a stable material, such as a painted sheet or a painted or tinted plastic. The roof module may be part of a rigid roof or part of an openable roof assembly.

Furthermore, developments in vehicle manufacturing are increasingly directed to autonomous or semi-autonomous driving motor vehicles. In order to be able to control the motor vehicle autonomously or semi-autonomously, a large number of environment sensors (for example lidar sensors, radar sensors, (poly) cameras, etc. together with other (electrical) components) or sensor modules are used, which are integrated, for example, into the roof module, detect the environment surrounding the motor vehicle, and determine the corresponding traffic situation, for example, from the detected environment data. Roof modules equipped with a large number of environmental sensors are also referred to as Roof Sensor Modules (RSM). Furthermore, such roof modules have further electrical and/or electronic components, such as antennas, for safer navigation and/or communication. For this purpose, known environment sensors transmit or receive corresponding electromagnetic signals, for example laser beams or radar beams, wherein a data model of the vehicle environment can be generated by corresponding signal evaluation and can be used for vehicle control.

For as good and reliable operation, safety and usability as possible of autonomous or semi-autonomous driving modes, uninterrupted or continuous usability of environmental sensors or electrical and/or electronic components is required. A problem that exists is that the electrical and/or electronic components become heated during their operation. If the generated heat cannot be discharged or can be discharged only insufficiently, heat accumulation occurs around these components, which may cause overheating of the relevant components. Thereby, the relevant component may be at least temporarily disabled. In this case, this heat accumulation is caused not only by the waste heat of the components themselves due to operation, but also, alternatively or additionally, by the hot ambient climate with high ambient temperatures. In particular, due to the exposed orientation of the environmental sensor or component on the upper side of the roof skin, the hot ambient climate or intense solar radiation can lead to particularly intense heating of the relevant component. In the event of insufficient heat dissipation and/or irregular heat dissipation, in combination with the self-heat generated by the component, the heat introduced into the roof module accumulates inside the roof in the associated installation space of the component and thereby causes the component to overheat, which results in at least temporary failure of the component. Therefore, in order to avoid such a problem due to heat accumulation, it is desirable to prevent heat accumulation that may occur by employing an effective cooling device.

However, the problem with existing solutions for dissipating heat from environmental sensors, antennas and other electronic components is that the cooling device emits intense noise, which in particular negatively affects the driving comfort of the vehicle driver. In particular in cooling devices which operate by means of forced air flow, the fans used, in particular at high volume flows and high rotational speeds, emit intense noise in order to provide heat dissipation. In the case of a combination of high solar radiation and roof heating at the moment of vehicle start (after a long parking), the cooling device requires maximum cooling power, but this does not reflect a permanent load situation. Furthermore, in order to provide sufficient cooling power, it is also currently necessary to design the cooling channels, heat exchangers, fans and/or other components of the known cooling device to be relatively large in size, so that such a cooling device requires a larger portion of the available installation space than the remaining roof module.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a roof module which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art which have been disclosed. In particular, the object of the invention is to achieve a compact, space-optimized integration of the cooling device into the roof module while the heat dissipation capacity remains comparable or even greater.

This task is solved by a roof module as taught by the preferred embodiments.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are matters of alternative embodiments.

The roof module according to the invention for forming a roof on a motor vehicle comprises a surface element which forms a roof skin of the roof at least in regions. The roof module comprises at least one electrical and/or electronic component and a cooling device. The roof module comprises a cooling device having at least one cooling channel in which at least one heat-conducting element is arranged in heat-conducting connection with the at least one electrical and/or electronic component. Waste heat emitted by the at least one electrical and/or electronic component and/or external heat introduced into the roof module from the outside (for example, due to high external temperatures and/or solar radiation) can be removed by the at least one heat-conducting element. The roof module according to the invention is characterized in that the cooling device comprises at least one spraying device which is provided for wetting or spraying or wetting the at least one heat-conducting element with a cooling liquid.

The invention therefore provides that in order to cool the at least one electrical and/or electronic component (which is arranged in the roof module) in the thermal management, a cooling device is provided which, according to the invention, in addition to at least one heat-conducting element (for example a heat-conducting element and/or a heat exchanger and/or a heat-conducting element with cooling ribs), has at least one injection nozzle for actively injecting the at least one component with a cooling liquid. The waste heat discharged by the component (and additionally the ambient heat that may be introduced into the roof module) may be dissipated by a cooling air flow that is preferably provided actively (i.e. by a cooling fan) and/or passively (i.e. by a cooling system connected to the vehicle itself) in the cooling device. The heat dissipation or heat removal can preferably take place directly to the surroundings or indirectly via at least one further heat-conducting element (e.g. cooling element, heat exchanger, heat pump, etc.) to a further radiator (e.g. an air conditioning system of the vehicle interior). It is to be understood that the term heat conducting element may also here comprise cooling bodies and/or cooling bodies with cooling ribs.

That is, according to the invention, a spray or atomizing nozzle mounted upstream of the cooling channel is provided for introducing the cooling liquid and wetting the at least one heat conducting element. The cooling liquid applied to the heat-conducting element by the spray nozzle makes it possible to apply the physical effect of the evaporative cooling (evaporation enthalpy) to more effectively conduct waste heat away from the heat-conducting element. The cooling liquid sprayed onto the heat-conducting element passes through the surface of the heat-conducting element which heats up with respect to the surroundings, so that its polymerized state changes from a liquid state into a gaseous state and in this case further extracts heat from the surroundings, whereby an effective cooling is achieved where the cooling liquid evaporates. Thereby, the cooling power is increased relative to the prior art. This effect is also not comparable to the supply of just moist cooling air, since this moist cooling air, although having a higher heat storage capacity due to its moisture content, is already in the gaseous state of aggregation of the moisture carried by the air. Therefore, in systems using humid air, additional cooling power cannot be ensured by utilizing the released evaporation enthalpy.

As a result, heat accumulation inside the roof module, which is caused by waste heat emitted by at least one electrical and/or electronic component and/or by heat introduced from the outside, for example by solar radiation, can be effectively avoided by the cooling means provided in or on the roof module. Waste heat or other heat emitted by the component can be removed by the cooling device and thus unacceptably high operating temperatures of the component concerned are avoided. Thereby, a non-disturbing operation of the electrical and/or electronic component can be ensured. That is, according to the present invention, efficient, preferably condition-optimized thermal management is provided for the roof module. Furthermore, the cooling device according to the invention enables a very compact design, dimensioning and arrangement of the cooling components and furthermore enables a cost-effective component selection. Other advantages of the invention are realized by: as a result of the wetting of the at least one electrical and/or electronic component, the cooling air flow or heat exchange can be utilized more efficiently and effectively and its flow volume is preferably reduced as a result of the improved cooling power. Likewise, the invention can particularly preferably be implemented with standard components, so that a cost-effective selection of components is possible. It is particularly advantageous that, according to the invention, low-noise operation can be ensured in a conventional stable vehicle steady operation mode (i.e. not directly after starting a hot vehicle) due to improved cooling power caused by wetting. Furthermore, by means of an improved cooling power, a relatively significantly lower noise can be ensured even at maximum cooling power.

The roof module according to the invention can form a structural unit in which a device for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving assistance by a vehicle assistance system is integrated and which can be mounted as a unit on a vehicle white body by a vehicle manufacturer. Furthermore, the roof module according to the invention can be designed as a purely stationary roof or also as a roof with a roof opening system.

Furthermore, the roof module can be designed for use in passenger or commercial vehicles. The roof module is preferably provided as a structural unit in the form of a roof sensor module (Roof Sensor Modul (RSM)) in which an environment sensor is provided for insertion as a unit that can be supplied into the roof frame of the vehicle body.

It should be understood that if the expression "at least one" is used, the roof module of the invention may include one or more of the relevant components. In principle, the invention also includes any combination of the number of different components.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one injection device can be arranged upstream in the region of the cooling air inlet of the at least one cooling channel and/or inside the cooling channel. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the injection device may also be arranged downstream, in particular further inside the cooling channel from the cooling air inlet, and preferably oriented such that it can inject in its main injection direction at least in the direction of the cooling body or can inject onto the cooling body. The term "upstream" relates to the main flow direction of the cooling air inside the at least one cooling channel from the cooling air inlet towards the cooling air outlet or cooling air outlet duct leading from the roof module. The injection means (or injection nozzle) is preferably arranged at least partially in the cooling channel at or near the cooling air inlet, so that the injection means can inject cooling liquid into the cooling channel in this arrangement. This arrangement has the advantage that the injected cooling liquid can be efficiently transported by the cooling air all the way to the interior (i.e. downstream) of the cooling channel. The droplets of the cooling liquid, which are preferably distributed in a highly dispersed manner, can be carried along by the cooling air flow and thereby condense as comprehensively as possible on all heat-dissipating components of the cooling device. At each condensation, the droplets can evaporate with the extraction of ambient heat, thus achieving an increased cooling power.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one injection device can alternatively or additionally also be arranged upstream (as seen in the main flow direction of the cooling air flow in the cooling channel) in the region in front of (physically close to) the at least one heat-conducting element in the cooling channel. The above arrangement is particularly advantageous if the relevant heat-conducting element is, for example, of large-area construction and/or the relevant heat-conducting element requires a high heat dissipation capacity (in watts) for cooling the at least one component. By arranging the spraying device in the vicinity of the relevant heat-conducting element, the relevant heat-conducting element can then be sprayed with the cooling liquid as planar as possible. Furthermore, a part of the cooling liquid is prevented from condensing elsewhere in the cooling channel and thus cannot participate in a direct heat dissipation improvement directly on the heat conducting element. Although the cooling liquid is also evaporated elsewhere in the cooling device, no heat is extracted locally from the relevant heat-conducting element for evaporation during this evaporation.

In a preferred embodiment, the cooling device comprises at least one cooling fan arranged to generate a cooling air flow inside the at least one cooling channel. Alternatively or additionally, provision is made for the cooling device to be connected in an external cooling circuit of the vehicle, which is provided for generating a cooling air flow also in the at least one cooling channel. Particularly preferably, a cooling fan is arranged in the at least one cooling channel and is provided for generating a forced air flow in the cooling channel. For this purpose, the cooling air duct or the cooling device preferably has a cooling air inlet, which can be configured, for example, as an inlet opening arranged laterally (as viewed in the direction of travel of the vehicle). The cooling air flow generated by the cooling fan is directed from the cooling air inlet towards the cooling air outlet. The cooling air outlet is preferably arranged as an outlet opening on the roof module, preferably laterally (as viewed in the direction of travel of the vehicle). Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible for the cooling device to be connected, for example, to an air conditioning system of a vehicle which comprises a roof module, preferably as a structural unit. The air flow in the cooling device is preferably generated by a compressor of the air conditioning system. It is conceivable that the cooling device is integrated directly into the system circuit of the air conditioning system or branches off from the system circuit as a bypass. A combination arrangement is also conceivable. The cooling air may also be supplied to the air conditioning system after flowing through the cooling device and dehumidified and cooled again by the air conditioning system.

In a preferred embodiment, the spraying device comprises at least one spraying nozzle and/or an atomizing nozzle. The spraying device is preferably provided for spraying the cooling liquid with high dispersion (droplet diameter of 0.1 to 10 μm) and/or in a directed and/or bundled manner. The injection device may preferably comprise a plurality of injection nozzles which may be arranged spaced apart from one another in the cooling device or in the at least one cooling channel. In this way, for example, a plurality of components or a plurality of heat-conducting elements can be sprayed or wetted with a cooling liquid by means of at least one spray nozzle, respectively.

In a preferred embodiment, the cooling liquid has water and/or a water-alcohol mixture and/or a cleaning liquid. In principle, other liquids suitable for exploiting their enthalpy of evaporation and preferably harmless to the environment are also conceivable. Preferably, the roof module comprises, for example, a cleaning device comprising a tank with a cleaning fluid and at least one cleaning nozzle which is designed to clean at least one region of the roof skin and/or the face component. In a particularly preferred manner, the roof module comprises, for example, a cleaning device having at least one cleaning nozzle which is connected to a tank of the vehicle with a cleaning fluid and is designed to clean at least one region of the roof skin and/or the surface element. In principle, the tank can be arranged at any desired location within the vehicle. That is, the tank need not be arranged in the roof module, but can preferably be arranged in other regions of the vehicle, for example in the head region and/or the tail region and/or the underbody region of the vehicle. The reservoir is preferably connected in a liquid-conducting manner with the at least one cleaning nozzle and/or the cleaning device via one or more liquid lines. The liquid line may for example comprise a hose, a tube or the like. Furthermore, one or more valves may be provided in the fluid path from the reservoir to the at least one cleaning nozzle. The spraying device is designed to extract a coolant from the reservoir of the cleaning fluid and to wet the at least one heat-conducting element with the coolant. Moreover, depending on availability, alternative mixtures of liquids or liquid containers for use may also be considered. For example, cleaning liquids which are otherwise used to clean components of the roof module, for example the see-through region of the environmental sensor, can also be used as cooling liquids. Thus, no additional storage tank is required, and thus, the installation space is saved. In principle, the spraying device is provided for extracting the cooling liquid from a plurality of different containers. For example, a tank or container with water as cooling liquid and furthermore a container with cleaning liquid can be provided. If, for example, the water container is empty, the spraying device may extract the cooling liquid from the cleaning container. Thereby, due to redundancy, a function of minimizing interruption of the injection device is ensured. The spraying device may preferably be provided for optionally extracting the cooling liquid from different containers.

In terms of effective temperature management in the roof module, it is advantageous if the roof module comprises at least one temperature sensor which is configured for measuring at least one temporal temperature profile of the at least one electrical and/or electronic component. That is, the temperature in the region of the respective component in the roof module can be measured using the at least one temperature sensor. The temperature of the at least one component is thereby measured as directly as possible on the at least one component. By continuously comparing the measured temperature with the corresponding nominal temperature, the component can be monitored with respect to the permissible temperature of the component. If a temperature increase (actual setpoint deviation) exceeding a predetermined limit value is detected or recorded, the control device advantageously provided can transmit a control command to the at least one injection device as a function of this information, by means of which the injection device is prompted to inject a coolant onto the heat-conducting element associated with the component in order to thereby provide an increased cooling power. In this way, the temperature rise required can be limited as quickly as possible. It is particularly advantageous if the control device receives sensor data (information) of the at least one temperature sensor and determines the required cooling power from the sensor data (preferably in real time). In this way, an adjustment of the cooling power to the respective cooling conditions can be achieved.

In other words, the roof module preferably comprises a control device, which is configured to determine a respective required heat dissipation power from the respective measured temperature and to actuate the at least one injection device to wet the at least one heat-conducting element with the coolant on the basis of the respective determined heat dissipation power. In particular, the control device is preferably provided for adjusting the amount of cooling fluid to be injected by the injection device as a function of the respectively determined heat dissipation power and/or for causing the injection device to inject cooling fluid in pulses, pulses or continuously as a function of the respectively determined heat dissipation power. In this way, a control of the injection device, which is adapted to the cooling power required in each case, can be achieved, by means of which control the cooling liquid can be saved as a result of the adjustment of the amount of cooling liquid to be injected and/or the injection type. Thus, frequent replenishment of the associated reservoir is not necessary. In other words, a control device is preferably provided which controls the injection device in terms of its activation and/or the amount of fluid to be injected and thus enables a situation-optimized thermal management. Thus, according to the invention, the injection device is activated and switched on, for example, in the case of a high required heat dissipation (for example, when starting the vehicle after parking in the sun) or in the case of a very hot ambient environment, in order to cool the system rapidly. In contrast, in a conventional stable vehicle operating mode (for example after the heat accumulated as a result of parking has been removed from the roof module and thus a stable operating temperature has been achieved), the cooling device can be operated such that the at least one heat-conducting element is no longer wetted with cooling liquid. According to the invention, the cooling device is switched on only when a higher cooling power is again required.

The actuation of the at least one injection device and/or the control of the amount of coolant and/or the type of coolant injection allows for a multistage or regulated operation as appropriate. This makes it possible to achieve an effective heat dissipation for different (vehicle) operating modes, each adapted to the situation. The cooling fan, the cooling body and/or other components of the cooling device can thus be compactly configured and designed. Furthermore, according to the invention, the cooling fan can be operated in particular such that it is generally quieter (even in the case of higher required cooling power) because the maximum possible cooling power of the cooling device is increased by the evaporation of the cooling liquid. Thereby, vehicle comfort is improved for the passengers. Furthermore, the higher maximum cooling power achieved by the use of the evaporation enthalpy according to the invention makes it possible for the vehicle concerned to be used more quickly after starting, since, for example, the heat accumulated in the roof module can be dissipated more quickly.

According to the invention, it is in principle advantageous to structurally (e.g. by means of a seal) ensure that the at least one electrical and/or electronic component is not in contact with the cooling liquid, so that the at least one electrical and/or electronic component is not damaged by a short circuit or the like. Preferably, the roof module comprises at least one divided wet area for this purpose. A cooling device can be arranged in the wet area, since, as described above, the exchange of medium through the wet area makes it possible to remove waste heat particularly effectively. In order to protect the at least one electrical and/or electronic component from moisture, it is preferred that the component is arranged in a dry area of the roof module that is protected from moisture. Waste heat discharged by the component may then be conducted from the dry zone into a wet zone in which the heat conducting element is at least partially arranged, thereby excluding heat accumulation in the dry zone. In which way the waste heat is conducted away from the dry zone in the roof module is in principle arbitrary. According to a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the cooling device comprises the at least one heat-conducting element which is arranged at least partially in the cooling channel and by means of which waste heat discharged by the component can be conducted away from the dry zone.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one electrical and/or electronic component has at least one cooling surface and is in heat-conducting contact with or in heat-conducting contact with the at least one heat-conducting element and/or in heat-conducting connection with the cooling surface. This abutting cooling surface enables waste heat emitted by the at least one electrical and/or electronic component to be transferred, preferably unhindered, to the at least one heat-conducting element. The cooling surface preferably bears against the heat-conducting element or against the heat-conducting element in order to achieve a heat transfer with a low conduction resistance. It is particularly advantageous to apply a thermally conductive paste between the cooling surface and the thermally conductive element.

What type of heat conducting element is used for conducting heat is in principle arbitrary. It is particularly preferred that the at least one heat conducting element comprises a cooling body and/or a heat pipe and/or a heat exchanger and/or a heat pump. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one heat conducting element may comprise a metallic and/or plastic and/or comparable (or similar) heat conducting connection. The heat conducting element can be realized particularly effectively if it is constructed in the form of a heat pipe or in the form of a sheet-metal part. A heat pipe is a hollow body filled with a cooling liquid, which is made of copper, for example. The effective heat dissipation through the heat pipe is mostly achieved due to continuous polymerization state changes (evaporation in the hot region of the heat pipe and condensation in the cold region), thereby causing fluid circulation within the heat pipe. The cooling medium circuit may be open or closed. If a sheet-metal part is provided as the heat-conducting element, the sheet-metal part is preferably constructed in the form of a carrier sheet. The carrier sheet may be, for example, a component of a vehicle body in white or a vehicle frame. The carrier sheet may also be part of a roof module frame or a roof module carrier element, which is part of a roof module. Waste heat can be conducted out into other vehicle regions via the carrier sheet. In order to increase the heat dissipation power, the heat conducting element may further comprise one or more cooling bodies and/or heat exchangers. If the cooling air flow flows onto the surface of the heat conducting element (or heat dissipating element), heat can be transferred from it to and taken away by the cooling air flow accordingly. Thereby, the formation of accumulated heat can be avoided. The heat carried away by the cooling air flow can be conducted away, for example, directly from the roof module into the surroundings. Alternatively, the heat carried away by the cooling air flow may also be supplied to the air conditioning circuit of the vehicle.

It is particularly advantageous if the cooling body has one or more cooling ribs in order to increase the surface of the cooling body available for cooling. Such cooling ribs are relatively compact and have large cooling surfaces for heat transfer. In the case of the invention, an increased surface is particularly preferred, since the cooling liquid sprayed onto the at least one heat-conducting element can be distributed over the entire surface of such a cooling body, so that a large surface (which is proportional to the evaporation cooling generated) is also provided for the subsequent evaporation of the cooling liquid.

What type of electrical and/or electronic components are used in the roof module is in principle arbitrary. It is particularly preferred that the at least one electrical and/or electronic component comprises an antenna and/or an environmental sensor and/or a controller (which has in particular one or more processors and/or one or more (intermediate) memories and/or one or more main boards etc.) and/or a light emitting element (e.g. a light guiding element, at least one light emitting diode, a light guiding fiber, a lamp or the like). Such an environment sensor can preferably be configured as a lidar sensor and/or a radar sensor and/or a camera sensor and/or a multi-camera sensor and/or an ultrasound sensor. In principle, other types of electrical and/or electronic components can also be used in the roof module according to the invention. The at least one electrical and/or electronic component is understood to be any component that generates waste heat during operation, which waste heat is to be conducted away to ensure component function and/or to prevent overheating.

The invention also relates to a motor vehicle having a roof frame structure and a roof module according to the invention in any configuration. The roof module can be assembled as a structural unit to the roof frame structure. All embodiments and examples relate to a vehicle comprising such a roof module.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are schematically shown in the drawings and are exemplarily described below. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a roof having a roof module of the present invention;

fig. 2 shows a partial view of a sensor module according to the invention in a schematic cross section;

FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the cooling device of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates two exemplary embodiments of cooling fans; and

fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the cooling device of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In fig. 1, a roof 100 is shown, which roof comprises a roof module 10. The roof module 10 comprises a face member 12 for forming a roof skin 14 of a roof 100 of a vehicle (not shown in its entirety). At least one electrical and/or electronic and/or electromagnetic component 16 is arranged underneath the roof skin 4 formed by the face component 12. The at least one component 16 is here an environment sensor 17 which can emit and/or receive electromagnetic signals 18 for detecting the environment of the vehicle on the side directed toward the front side of the vehicle (see fig. 2). Alternatively, the environmental sensor 17 may also be, for example, a (multi) camera or other sensor known per se. Moreover, the member 16 may also be an antenna or other electrical and/or electronic component. The roof module 10 is preferably placed as a structural unit into the roof frame 102 of the vehicle or on the cross members 104 and the side members 106 forming the roof frame 102. According to the invention, the roof module 10 comprises a cooling device 24.

Fig. 2 shows a partial view of the roof module 10 in schematic cross section. Only the parts of the roof module 10 that are necessary for an understanding of the invention are shown in the partial view of fig. 2. That is, the roof module 10 is shown in simplified form.

The environmental sensor 17 is arranged in a dry zone 20 which is protected from moisture and which is sealed off from moisture or moisture, for example by a seal. The dry zone 20 preferably includes a thermally conductive outer cover. In this way, the environmental sensor 17 or the member 16 is reliably protected from moisture or intrusion of moisture.

Referring to fig. 2, a wet area 22 is arranged in the roof module 10 behind or beside the dry area 20, which wet area is liquid-tightly separated from the dry area 20. A cooling device 24 for leading off waste heat from the electrical and/or electronic components 16 or the environmental sensor 17 is located in the wet zone 22. A heat conducting element 26, comprising a heat pipe, extends between the cooling device 24 and the environmental sensor 17. The environment sensor 17 is fastened with a cooling surface 28 to the inner side of the heat-conducting element 26 which is directed toward the dry zone 20. In this way, waste heat emitted by the environmental sensor 17 can be effectively transferred to the heat-conducting element 26.

Waste heat is transferred to the cooling device 24 in the wet zone 22 by the heat flow in the heat conducting element 26. The cooling device 24 comprises a first cooling channel 25. A cooling body 30 having a plurality of cooling ribs 32 is arranged in the first cooling channel 25, which cooling body is comprised by the heat conducting element 26. The cooling body 30 is fastened with its bottom-side surface in a thermally conductive manner to the inner side of the heat-conducting element 26 which is directed toward the wet zone 22, so that the waste heat conducted in the heat-conducting element 26 is transferred to the cooling body 30 with a slight thermal resistance. Thereby, the cooling ribs 32 of the cooling body 30 become hot.

The cooling device 24 further comprises at least one cooling fan 34. The cooling fan 34 is preferably connected to the control device 35 by one or more cables or wirelessly so that the cooling fan 34 can receive one or more control signals from the control device 35. An embodiment of a cooling fan 34 is shown in fig. 4. In the case of fig. 3, two cooling fans 34 are connected in parallel or one after the other and are arranged in the first cooling channel 25. In the example shown in fig. 2, fresh air may be delivered into the wet zone 22 through the inlet opening 36 or at least one cooling air inlet 36. An air flow is generated by the cooling fan or fans 34 such that fresh air flows over the cooling ribs 32 and absorbs waste heat generated by the environmental sensor 16. The heated fresh air is then discharged from the wet zone 22 through the discharge opening 40, for example, via a second cooling channel 38 connected to the first cooling channel 25. It should be appreciated that the first and

second cooling passages

25, 38 may also be common and/or continuous (or through) and/or integral cooling passages. It should also be appreciated that the discharge opening 40 is only shown here by way of example. In principle, the second cooling channel and/or the outlet may also be arranged and/or mounted arbitrarily. Thereby, waste heat can be completely discharged from the roof module 10.

To increase the heat dissipation power or capacity, the cooling device 24 of the present invention includes a spraying device 42. The spraying device 42 comprises at least one spraying nozzle 44. The injection device 42 may also include one or more valves and/or one or more input lines for supplying fluid. The spray nozzle can preferably be connected to a reservoir 46 (see fig. 2), for example a coolant reservoir and/or a cleaning fluid reservoir, so that (cooling) fluid can be supplied from the reservoir 46 to the spray nozzle 44 in such a way that it wets the at least one heat-conducting element 26, for example the cooling body or cooling bodies 30, with cooling fluid. The cooling liquid condenses on the surface of the cooling body 30 (which is composed of a plurality of cooling ribs 32) and can evaporate there. Thus, the evaporation enthalpy can be used to increase the heat dissipation of the heat conducting element 26. It should be understood that the tank according to fig. 2 is only an exemplary illustration and can in principle be arranged anywhere in the vehicle. The reference numeral 46 can thus also in principle refer to an inlet line which is laid or guided by a tank of the vehicle. The exemplary arrangement of the reservoir 46 should in no way be construed restrictively.

One or more temperature sensors 48 may preferably be disposed in the immediate surroundings of the environment sensor 17. Thereby, the temperature of the environmental sensor 17 can be measured. The control device 35 is preferably connected in communication with the temperature sensor 48 via one or more cables or wirelessly, i.e. can receive at least one or more signals of the temperature sensor 48. The control device 35 is preferably designed to determine the respectively required heat dissipation capacity from the respectively measured temperature and to cause the at least one injection device 42 to wet the at least one heat-conducting element 26 with a coolant on the basis of the respectively determined heat dissipation capacity. The control device 35 is preferably connected in communication with the injection device 42 via one or more cables or wirelessly, i.e. at least one or more signals can be sent to and/or received from the injection device. Based on the temperature detected at the temperature sensor 48, the injection device 42 can be controlled accordingly by the control device 35, and the amount of cooling fluid to be injected can be adjusted in accordance with the respectively ascertained heat dissipation and/or the injection device 42 can be actuated to inject the cooling fluid in a pulsed, clocked or continuous manner in accordance with the respectively ascertained heat dissipation. The environmental sensor 17 can thereby be cooled effectively. The control device 35 may also be arranged, for example, on the spraying device or the spraying nozzle. The control device 35 may also be comprised, for example, by a spraying device or a spraying nozzle.

Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment, in which the component 16 is in heat-conducting connection (see arrows) with a further heat-conducting element 26 (here a heat pipe 50) via the heat-conducting element 2 (here a heat sink 30), so that heat can be removed from the component 16 in the direction of the cooling channel 25. The injection nozzle 44 extends at least partially into the cooling channel 25, so that it can inject a cooling fluid onto the cooling body 30. A heat flow 52 through the cooling channels 25 is obtained.

List of reference numerals

10. Roof module

12. Face component

14. Roof skin

16. Electrical and/or electronic and/or electromagnetic component

17. Environment sensor

18. Electromagnetic signal

20. Dry zone

22. Wet zone

24. Cooling device

25. A first channel

26. Heat conducting element

28. Cooling surface

30. Cooling body

32. Cooling rib

34. Cooling fan

35. Control device

36. Inlet opening, cooling air inlet

38. Second cooling channel

40. Discharge opening

42. Spraying device

44. Spray nozzle

46. Storage tank

48. Temperature sensor

50. Heat pipe

52. Heat flow

100. Roof of vehicle

102. Roof frame

104. Cross beam

106. And (5) a longitudinal beam.

Claims

1. Roof module for forming a roof (100) on a motor vehicle, comprising: a surface member (12) that forms a roof skin (14) of the roof (100) at least in regions; at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16); and a cooling device (24) having at least one cooling channel (25) in which at least one heat-conducting element (26) is arranged in heat-conducting connection with the at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16), by means of which at least one waste heat discharged by the at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16) can be conducted away, characterized in that the cooling device (24) comprises at least one spraying device (42) which is provided for wetting the at least one heat-conducting element (26) with a cooling liquid.

2. Roof module according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one injection device (42) is arranged upstream in the region of the cooling air inlet (36) of the at least one cooling channel (25) and/or inside the cooling channel (25).

3. Roof module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one injection device (42) is arranged in the cooling channel (25) upstream in a region in front of the at least one heat-conducting element (26), which is in particular configured as a cooling body or as a cooling body with at least one cooling rib.

4. A roof module according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the cooling device (24) comprises at least one cooling fan (34) arranged to generate a cooling air flow inside the at least one cooling channel (25), and/or that the cooling device (24) is connected in an external cooling circuit of the motor vehicle (1000) arranged to generate a cooling air flow in the at least one cooling channel (25).

5. Roof module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the spraying device (42) comprises at least one spraying nozzle and/or atomizing nozzle and is provided for spraying the cooling liquid in a highly dispersed and/or directional and/or bundled manner.

6. Roof module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cooling liquid has water and/or a water-alcohol mixture and/or a cleaning liquid.

7. The roof module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the roof module (10) further comprises a cleaning device having at least one cleaning nozzle which is connected to a tank (46) with a cleaning fluid and which is configured for cleaning at least one region of the roof skin (14) and/or the face component (12); the spraying device (42) is designed to remove the coolant from the tank (46) and to wet the at least one heat-conducting element (26) with the coolant.

8. The roof module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the roof module (10) comprises at least one temperature sensor (44) configured for measuring at least one temperature of the at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16).

9. Roof module according to claim 8, characterized in that the roof module (10) comprises a control device (35) which is configured to determine a respective required heat dissipation power from the respective measured temperature and to cause the at least one injection device (42) to wet the at least one heat-conducting element (26) with a cooling liquid on the basis of the respectively determined heat dissipation powers.

10. Roof module according to claim 9, characterized in that the control device (35) is provided for adjusting the amount of cooling fluid to be injected by the injection device (42) as a function of the respectively determined heat dissipation power and/or for causing the injection device (42) to inject cooling fluid in pulses, beats or continuously as a function of the respectively determined heat dissipation power.

11. Roof module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16) has at least one cooling surface (28) and is in heat-transferring contact with the at least one heat-conducting element (26) by means of the cooling surface.

12. Roof module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one heat conducting element (26) comprises a cooling body (30) and/or a heat pipe (50) and/or a heat exchanger and/or a heat pump and/or a metallic and/or plastic and/or comparable heat conducting connection.

13. The roof module according to claim 12, characterized in that the cooling body (30) has a plurality of cooling ribs (32).

14. Roof module according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the at least one electrical and/or electronic component (16) comprises an antenna and/or an environment sensor (17) and/or a controller and/or a lighting element, wherein the environment sensor (17) is configured as a lidar sensor and/or a radar sensor and/or a camera sensor and/or a multiple camera sensor and/or an ultrasound sensor.

15. A motor vehicle having a roof frame structure (102) and a roof module (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, which is fitted as a structural unit to the roof frame structure (102).