JP2018203074A - vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable foreign objects adhering to a detection surface of a sensor to be removed by a relatively simple structure.SOLUTION: A vehicle includes: an exterior panel forming an exterior surface of a vehicle body; and a sensor which is disposed so that at least a part of a detection surface is exposed from the exterior panel. The exterior panel is provided with a discharge port which discharges travel wind occurring during travelling of the vehicle toward the detection surface of the sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that a vehicle mounted with a sensor (such as a camera) outside the vehicle can be cleaned by injecting air to the sensor using a pipe and a nozzle connected to an in-vehicle air conditioner. The structure to be described is described. Thereby, the foreign material adhering to the detection surface (surface) of the sensor can be removed.

JP 2012-132988 A

  In Patent Document 1, there is room for improvement in the structure because the vehicle body structure becomes complicated by arranging pipes and nozzles connecting the air conditioner and the sensor.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to remove foreign matter adhering to a detection surface of a sensor with a relatively simple configuration.

  One aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle, and the vehicle includes an exterior panel that forms an outer surface of a vehicle body, and a sensor that is disposed so that at least a part of a detection surface is exposed from the exterior panel. And the said exterior panel is provided with the discharge port which discharges | emits the driving | running | working wind which generate | occur | produces at the time of vehicle travel toward the said detection surface of the said sensor.

  According to the present invention, foreign matter adhering to the detection surface of the sensor can be removed with a relatively simple configuration.

It is a figure for demonstrating the example of a structure of a vehicle. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of a structure of a vehicle. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of a part of vehicle body structure. It is a figure for demonstrating the example of a part of vehicle body structure.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Each drawing is a schematic diagram showing the structure or configuration of the embodiment, and the dimensions of each member shown in the drawings do not necessarily reflect actual ones.

(First embodiment)
1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an arrangement position of each element described below and a connection relationship between the elements, using a top view and a side view of the vehicle 1. FIG. 2 shows a system configuration of the vehicle 1.

  In the following description, there are cases where expressions such as front / rear, up / down, left / right (side), etc. are used, but these are expressions that indicate relative directions shown with reference to the vehicle body of the vehicle 1. Used. For example, “front” indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and “up” indicates the height direction of the vehicle body.

  The vehicle 1 includes an operation unit 11, a detection unit 12, a travel control unit 13, a drive mechanism 14, a braking mechanism 15, and a steering mechanism 16. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 1 is a four-wheeled vehicle, but the number of wheels is not limited to four.

  The operation unit 11 includes an acceleration operation element 111, a braking operation element 112, and a steering operation element 113. Typically, the acceleration operation element 111 is an accelerator pedal, the braking operation element 112 is a brake pedal, and the steering operation element 113 is a steering wheel. However, other types such as a lever type and a button type may be used for these operators 111 to 113.

  The detection unit 12 includes a camera 121, a radar 122, and a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)) 123, all of which function as sensors for detecting surrounding information of the vehicle 1. The camera 121 is an imaging device using, for example, a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. The radar 122 is a distance measuring device such as a millimeter wave radar. The lidar 123 is a distance measuring device such as a laser radar. As illustrated in FIG. 1, these are arranged at positions where the peripheral information of the vehicle 1 can be detected, for example, at the front side, the rear side, the upper side, and the side side of the vehicle body.

  The surrounding information of the vehicle 1 is information indicating under what circumstances the vehicle 1 is traveling. For example, the surrounding information of the vehicle 1 includes the traveling environment of the vehicle 1 (the lane extension direction, the travelable area, the color indicated by the traffic light, etc.) and the objects around the vehicle 1 (other vehicles, pedestrians, obstacles, etc.) It indicates presence / absence, information of the object (attribute, position, direction and speed of movement, etc.), etc.

  The traveling control unit 13 controls the mechanisms 14 to 16 based on signals from the operation unit 11 and / or the detection unit 12, for example. The traveling control unit 13 includes a plurality of ECUs (electronic control units) 131 to 134. Each ECU includes a CPU, a memory, and a communication interface, and performs predetermined processing in the CPU based on information or electrical signals received via the communication interface, and stores the processing result in the memory or the communication interface. To other elements.

  In the present embodiment, the ECU 131 is an acceleration ECU, and controls the drive mechanism 14 based on the operation amount of the acceleration operator 111 by the driver, for example. The drive mechanism 14 includes, for example, an internal combustion engine and a transmission. The ECU 132 is a braking ECU, and controls the braking mechanism 15 based on the amount of operation of the braking operator 112 by the driver, for example. The brake mechanism 15 is, for example, a disc brake provided on each wheel. The ECU 123 is a steering ECU, and controls the steering mechanism 16 based on the amount of operation of the steering operator 113 by the driver, for example. The steering mechanism 16 includes, for example, power steering.

  Moreover, ECU134 is ECU for detection, for example, receives the surrounding information of the vehicle 1 detected by the detection part 12, performs a predetermined process, and outputs the process result to ECU131-133. The ECUs 131 to 133 can also control the mechanisms 14 to 16 based on the processing result from the ECU 134. With such a configuration, the vehicle 1 can perform automatic driving based on a detection result (peripheral information of the vehicle 1) by the detection unit 12.

  In this specification, the automatic driving means that part or all of the driving operation (acceleration, braking, and steering) is performed not on the driver side but on the traveling control unit 13 side. That is, the concept of automatic driving includes a mode in which all driving operations are performed on the travel control unit 13 side (so-called fully automatic driving) and a mode in which only part of the driving operations are performed on the driving control unit 13 side (so-called driving support). ). Examples of driving assistance include a vehicle speed control (auto cruise control) function, an inter-vehicle distance control (adaptive cruise control) function, a lane departure prevention assistance (lane keep assistance) function, a collision avoidance assistance function, and the like.

  The travel control unit 13 is not limited to this configuration. For example, a semiconductor device such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) may be used for each of the ECUs 131 to 134. That is, the functions of the ECUs 131 to 134 can be realized by either hardware or software. Further, part or all of the ECUs 131 to 134 may be configured by a single ECU.

  FIG. 3A shows an enlarged view (side view) of the rear left side of the vehicle 1, and FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional structure taken along a cutting line d1-d1. The vehicle 1 further includes an exterior panel 3.

  The exterior panel 3 is a panel member that forms the outer surface (that is, the exterior) of the vehicle body, and is exposed outside the vehicle. Therefore, the exterior panel 3 includes other panel members connected to or fixed to the so-called body panel. In the present embodiment, the exterior panel 3 includes a rear bumper 31, a rear fender 32, and a trunk lid 33, and may further include a front bumper, a front fender, a hood panel, a roof panel, a door panel, and the like (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the radar 122 which is one of the sensors constituting the detection unit 12 is arranged so as to be exposed from the rear bumper 31 on the rear left side of the vehicle 1. In the present embodiment, the radar 122 is arranged so that its detection surface is exposed. However, as another embodiment, it is sufficient that at least a part of the detection surface is exposed. The rear bumper 31 is provided with a discharge port 311 so that a traveling wind W that can be generated when the vehicle 1 travels can be discharged toward the detection surface (surface) of the radar 122. When the vehicle 1 travels forward, the traveling wind W that can be generated in the rear bumper 31 flows in the direction indicated by the arrow, that is, toward the discharge port 311, and is discharged from the discharge port 311.

  The same applies to other sensors including the camera 121 and the lidar 123, but foreign matter may adhere to the detection surface of the radar 122. In general, if a foreign substance adheres to the detection surface of a sensor, the detection accuracy decreases, and for example, it becomes difficult to start / continue automatic operation. In the present specification, the foreign object refers to an external object or an unexpected object that may lower the detection accuracy, and typical examples include dust, sand, mud, water droplets, snow and ice.

  According to this embodiment, when the vehicle travels, the traveling wind W is blown against the detection surface of the radar 122, thereby removing the foreign matter adhering to the detection surface (or the foreign matter on the detection surface). Adhesion is prevented.) Thereby, the detection accuracy of the radar 122 is restored (or maintained), and for example, the automatic operation of the vehicle 1 can be appropriately started / continued.

  The discharge port 311 may be provided so that the discharge direction of the traveling wind W intersects the detection surface of the radar 122. By blowing the traveling wind W in an oblique direction with respect to the detection surface of the radar 122, foreign matter on the detection surface can be easily removed. For example, when the angle formed by the direction in which the traveling wind W is discharged and the detection surface of the radar 122 is θ, the discharge port 311 has at least 0 ° <θ <90 °, preferably 0 ° <θ ≦ 45 °. Preferably, it is provided so as to satisfy 0 ° <θ ≦ 30 °. This can be realized, for example, by bending the edge portion of the rear bumper 31 that forms the discharge port 311 to the inside of the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, the discharge port 311 is provided so as to be adjacent to the radar 122 in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). By making the discharge port 311 and the radar 122 adjacent to each other, the traveling wind W can be appropriately blown to the detection surface of the radar 122 at a relatively large flow velocity. In this case, the discharge port 311 may be positioned outside the radar 122 in the vehicle width direction. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately guide the traveling wind W that can be generated in the rear bumper 31 to the discharge port 311 and to blow it against the detection surface of the radar 122. As another embodiment, the discharge port 311 may be provided so as to be adjacent to the radar 122 in the vertical direction.

  According to the present embodiment, the rear bumper 31 disposed so that the radar 122 is exposed is provided with the discharge port 311 for discharging the traveling wind W toward the detection surface (exposed surface) of the radar 122. According to such a structure, it becomes possible to blow the traveling wind W that may be generated when the vehicle is traveling on the detection surface of the radar 122, and it is possible to remove the foreign matter attached to the detection surface of the radar 122 with a relatively simple configuration. .

  In the present embodiment, attention is paid to the radar 122 arranged on the rear bumper 31, but the contents of the present embodiment are other sensors (camera 121, radar 122, and lidar 123 arranged in other parts of the exterior panel 3. The same applies to any case. As described above, the exterior panel 3 may be a member that forms the outer surface of the vehicle body. In addition to the rear bumper 31, the rear fender 32, and the trunk lid 33, a front bumper, a front fender, a hood panel, and a roof panel (not shown) are provided. Including door panels. For example, the contents of the present embodiment can also be applied to the rider 123 that is disposed so as to be exposed from the front bumper on the front side of the vehicle 1. In this case, the front bumper may be provided with a discharge port that blows the traveling wind against the detection surface of the lidar 123 in an oblique direction, for example. In other words, the contents of this embodiment can be applied to general / various vehicle body structures regardless of the type of sensor and the position of the sensor.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4A shows an enlarged view (side view) on the left rear side of the vehicle 1 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional structure taken along a cutting line d2-d2. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that the rear bumper 31 is further provided with an introduction port 312 and an air passage 313. According to the present embodiment, the traveling wind W can be collected more appropriately and the traveling wind W can be guided to the discharge port 311 without causing airflow stagnation. It can be easily removed.

  The introduction port 312 is an opening for taking in the traveling wind W. In the present embodiment, the introduction port 312 is provided on the front side of the discharge port 311 and on the side of the vehicle body. The ventilation path 313 is provided so as to communicate the discharge port 311 and the introduction port 312. Since the vehicle 1 often travels forward, the introduction port 312 is provided in front of the discharge port 311, so that the traveling wind W can be easily taken into the introduction port 312 and the ventilation path 313 of the traveling wind W can be easily passed. The traveling wind W can be appropriately discharged from the discharge port 311. Further, by providing the introduction port 312 on the side of the vehicle body, the traveling wind W can be easily taken in.

  In the present embodiment, the introduction port 312 is provided in the wheel house 4 of the rear wheel. As a result, the traveling wind W can be captured without impairing the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle body, and the design can be improved.

  The discharge port 311 and the introduction port 312 are preferably provided so that the size of the opening of the discharge port 311 is smaller than the size of the opening of the introduction port 312. Thereby, the flow velocity of the traveling wind W discharged from the discharge port 311 can be increased, and foreign matters on the detection surface of the radar 122 can be more easily removed. In another embodiment, the number of introduction ports 312 may be two or more, and in that case, the size of the opening of the discharge port 311 may be smaller than the total size of the two or more introduction ports 312. .

  In the present embodiment, the discharge port 311 is provided at a position higher than the introduction port 312. As a result, even if foreign matter is mixed into the traveling wind W taken into the inlet 312, the foreign matter is less likely to reach the outlet 311 due to the influence of gravity. Therefore, when the traveling wind W is discharged from the discharge port 311, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from being discharged together therewith.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a restriction mechanism 314 that restricts the passage of foreign substances is provided in the middle of the air passage 313. In the present embodiment, the restriction mechanism 314 is configured by making a part of the air passage 313 U-shaped (or V-shaped). As a result, even if foreign matter is mixed into the traveling wind W taken into the inlet 312, the foreign matter is accumulated in the U-shaped portion and is less likely to reach the discharge port 311. Therefore, when the traveling wind W is discharged from the discharge port 311, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from being discharged together therewith.

  As an example of the restriction mechanism 314, in the present embodiment, the aspect in which the ventilation path 313 is formed in a U-shape is illustrated. However, as another embodiment, the same effect can be obtained when the ventilation path 313 is formed in a maze shape. can get. In addition / alternatively, a foreign matter discharge path may be provided so as to branch downward from the ventilation path 313. Alternatively, as the restriction mechanism 314, a filter that prevents passage of foreign matter and allows passage of the traveling wind W may be used. In this case, the filter can be disposed at the discharge port 311 or the introduction port 312. Therefore, various structures can be adopted to restrict the passage of the foreign matter taken together with the traveling wind W, and at least one of the discharge port 311, the introduction port 312 and the air passage 313 restricts the passage of the foreign matter. What is necessary is just to be comprised so that it may do.

  As still another embodiment, an on-off valve may be provided in the middle of the air passage 313 as an incidental / alternative. The on-off valve is configured to open when a predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 exceeds a reference value, thereby increasing the flow velocity of the traveling wind W to be discharged. Note that the state (open / close) of the on-off valve may be controlled by either an electric type or a non-electric type.

  The above contents can be applied to general / various vehicle body structures, regardless of the type of sensor and its position, as in the first embodiment.

(Other)
As mentioned above, although some suitable aspects were illustrated, this invention is not limited to these examples, The one part may be changed in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. For example, other elements can be combined with the contents of each embodiment according to the purpose, application, etc., or a part of the contents of another embodiment can be combined with the contents of a certain embodiment. is there. In addition, it is needless to say that each term described in this specification is merely used for the purpose of describing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the strict meaning of the term. The equivalent can also be included.

(Summary of embodiment)
A first aspect relates to a vehicle (for example, 1), and the vehicle has an exterior panel (for example, 3, 31) that forms an outer surface of a vehicle body, and at least a part of a detection surface is exposed from the exterior panel. The vehicle is provided with a sensor (for example, 12, 121 to 123) arranged, and the exterior panel discharges the traveling wind (for example, W) generated when the vehicle travels toward the detection surface of the sensor. An outlet (eg 311) is provided.
According to the first aspect, the traveling wind can be blown against the detection surface of the sensor, and the foreign matter attached to the detection surface of the sensor can be removed with a relatively simple configuration.

In the second aspect, the discharge port discharges the traveling wind flowing inside the exterior panel toward the detection surface of the sensor.
According to the 2nd aspect, it becomes possible to guide the driving | running | working wind which flows inside the exterior panel to a discharge port effectively, and driving | running | working wind can be appropriately sprayed on the detection surface of a sensor.

In the third aspect, the exterior panel is further provided with an inlet (for example, 312) for taking in the traveling wind and an air passage (for example, 313) that communicates the inlet and the outlet.
According to the third aspect, when the vehicle is traveling, the traveling wind can be easily guided to the sensor side without causing the stagnation of the traveling wind.

In the fourth aspect, the introduction port is provided in front of the discharge port.
According to the fourth aspect, the traveling wind can be easily taken into the introduction port, the traveling wind can easily pass through the air passage, and the traveling wind can be appropriately discharged from the discharge port.

In the fifth aspect, the introduction port is provided on a side of the vehicle body.
According to the fifth aspect, the traveling wind can be easily taken into the introduction port.

In the sixth aspect, the introduction port is provided in a wheel house (for example, 4).
According to the sixth aspect, the traveling wind can be taken into the introduction port without impairing the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle body, and the design can be improved.

In the seventh aspect, the discharge port is provided at a position higher than the introduction port.
According to the 7th aspect, when driving | running | working wind is discharged | emitted from a discharge port, it can prevent that a foreign material is discharged | emitted with it.

In the eighth aspect, at least one of the discharge port, the introduction port, and the ventilation path is configured to restrict passage of foreign matter.
According to the 8th aspect, when a driving | running | working wind is discharged | emitted from a discharge port, it can prevent that a foreign material is discharged | emitted with it.

In a ninth aspect, the sensor is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body.
According to the 9th aspect, the foreign material adhering to the detection surface of the sensor of the back side can be removed.

In a tenth aspect, the sensor is exposed from any one of a rear bumper (for example, 31), a rear fender (for example, 32), a trunk lid (for example, 33), a front bumper, a front fender, a hood panel, a roof panel, and a door panel. It is arranged.
According to the tenth aspect, it is possible to remove foreign substances adhering to the detection surface of the sensor in general / various vehicle body structures.

In an eleventh aspect, the discharge port is provided adjacent to the sensor.
According to the eleventh aspect, the flow velocity of the traveling wind blown against the detection surface of the sensor can be increased.

In the twelfth aspect, the discharge port is provided such that the discharge direction of the traveling wind intersects the detection surface of the sensor.
According to the twelfth aspect, the traveling air is blown in an oblique direction with respect to the detection surface of the sensor, thereby facilitating removal of the foreign matter attached to the detection surface of the sensor.

In a thirteenth aspect, the sensor is any one of an imaging sensor and a distance measuring sensor (for example, 121 to 123).
According to the thirteenth aspect, it is possible to appropriately detect the surrounding information of the host vehicle by the sensor, and the detection result can be highly accurate.

  1: vehicle, 12: detection unit, 3: exterior panel, 311: discharge port, W: traveling wind.

Claims (13)

A vehicle comprising an exterior panel that forms an outer surface of a vehicle body, and a sensor that is arranged such that at least a part of a detection surface is exposed from the exterior panel,
The exterior panel is provided with a discharge port for discharging a traveling wind generated when the vehicle travels toward the detection surface of the sensor. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the discharge port discharges traveling wind flowing inside the exterior panel toward the detection surface of the sensor. In the exterior panel,
An inlet for taking in the driving wind;
A ventilation path communicating the introduction port and the discharge port;
The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the introduction port is provided in front of the discharge port. The vehicle according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the introduction port is provided on a side of the vehicle body. The vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the introduction port is provided in a wheel house. The vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the discharge port is provided at a position higher than the introduction port. The vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein at least one of the discharge port, the introduction port, and the ventilation path is configured to restrict passage of foreign matter. . The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sensor is disposed on a rear side of the vehicle body. 10. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed so as to be exposed from any one of a rear bumper, a rear fender, a trunk lid, a front bumper, a front fender, a hood panel, a roof panel, and a door panel. The vehicle according to claim 1. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the discharge port is provided adjacent to the sensor. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the discharge port is provided such that a discharge direction of traveling wind intersects the detection surface of the sensor. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the sensor is any one of an imaging sensor and a distance measuring sensor.

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