JP6802112B2 - vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle.

Patent Document 1 states that for a vehicle in which a sensor (camera, etc.) is mounted outside the vehicle, the sensor can be washed by injecting air into the sensor using pipes and nozzles connected to an air conditioner for the inside of the vehicle. The structure to be used is described. As a result, foreign matter adhering to the detection surface (surface) of the sensor can be removed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-132988

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

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

One aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an exterior panel forming an outer surface of the vehicle body and sensors arranged such that at least a portion of the detection surface is exposed from the exterior panel. The exterior panel is provided with an exhaust port for discharging the traveling wind generated when the vehicle is traveling toward the detection surface of the sensor, an introduction port for taking in the traveling wind, and the introduction port and the exhaust port. A ventilation path extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body is provided so as to communicate with each other, the discharge port is provided at a position higher than the introduction port, and the ventilation path is U-shaped or V-shaped in side view. It is characterized by including a restriction mechanism that restricts the passage of foreign matter by exhibiting .

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

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that each figure is a schematic view showing the structure or configuration of the embodiment, and the dimensions of the illustrated members do not necessarily reflect the 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 the arrangement position of each element and the connection relationship between the elements described below by using a top view and a side view of the vehicle 1. FIG. 2 shows the system configuration of the vehicle 1.

In the following description, expressions such as front / rear, up / down, left / right (side) may be used, but these are expressions indicating relative directions shown with reference to the vehicle body of the vehicle 1. Used. For example, "front" indicates the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and "upper" 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 operator 111, a braking operator 112, and a steering operator 113. Typically, the acceleration manipulator 111 is an accelerator pedal, the braking manipulator 112 is a brake pedal, and the steering manipulator 113 is a steering wheel. However, for these controls 111 to 113, other types such as a lever type and a button type may be used.

The detection unit 12 includes a camera 121, a radar 122, and a lidar (Light Detection and Ranger (LiDAR)) 123, all of which function as sensors for detecting peripheral 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. Further, the rider 123 is a distance measuring device such as a laser radar. As illustrated in FIG. 1, these are arranged at positions where peripheral information of the vehicle 1 can be detected, for example, on the front side, the rear side, the upper side, and the side side of the vehicle body, respectively.

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

The travel control unit 13 controls each mechanism 14 to 16 based on, for example, signals from the operation unit 11 and / or the detection unit 12. The travel 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, performs predetermined processing in the CPU based on information or an electric signal received via the communication interface, stores the processing result in the memory, or provides a communication interface. Output to other elements via.

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

Further, the ECU 134 is a detection ECU, for example, receives peripheral information of the vehicle 1 detected by the detection unit 12, performs a predetermined process, and outputs the process result to the ECUs 131 to 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 automatically drive based on the detection result (peripheral information of the vehicle 1) by the detection unit 12.

In the present specification, automatic driving means that a part or all of driving operations (acceleration, braking and steering) are 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 driving control unit 13 side (so-called fully automatic driving) and a mode in which only a part of the driving operation is performed on the driving control unit 13 side (so-called driving support). ), Is included. Examples of driving support include a vehicle speed control (auto cruise control) function, an inter-vehicle distance control (adaptive cruise control) function, a lane departure prevention support (lane keep assist) function, and a collision avoidance support function.

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 ECU 131 to 134. That is, the functions of the ECUs 131 to 134 can be realized by either hardware or software. Further, a part or all of the ECUs 131 to 134 may be composed of a single ECU.

FIG. 3 (A) shows an enlarged view (side view) of the rear left side of the vehicle 1, and FIG. 3 (B) shows a cross-sectional structure at the 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 on the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, the exterior panel 3 includes not only the so-called body panel but also other panel members connected or fixed to the body panel. In the present embodiment, the exterior panel 3 includes a rear bumper 31, a rear fender 32, 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, but as another embodiment, at least a part of the detection surface may be exposed. The rear bumper 31 is provided with a discharge port 311 so that the running wind W that can be generated when the vehicle 1 is running 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 shown 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 foreign matter adheres to the detection surface of the sensor, the detection accuracy is lowered, and it becomes difficult to start / continue automatic operation, for example. In the present specification, the foreign substance refers to a foreign object or an unexpected object that may reduce the detection accuracy, and typical examples thereof include dust, sand, mud, water droplets, and snow and ice.

According to the present embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling, the traveling wind W is blown onto the detection surface of the radar 122, whereby the foreign matter adhering to the detection surface is removed (or the foreign matter on the detection surface). Adhesion is prevented.) As a result, the detection accuracy of the radar 122 is restored (or maintained), and for example, the automatic driving 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 and the detection surface of the radar 122 intersect with each other. By blowing the traveling wind W diagonally 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 discharge direction of the traveling wind W 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 achieved, for example, by bending the edge of the rear bumper 31 forming the discharge port 311 inside 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 arranging the discharge port 311 and the radar 122 adjacent to each other, it is possible to appropriately blow the traveling wind W onto the detection surface of the radar 122 at a relatively large flow velocity. In this case, the discharge port 311 may be located outside the radar 122 in the vehicle width direction. As a result, it is possible to appropriately guide the traveling wind W that may be generated in the rear bumper 31 to the discharge port 311 and blow it onto 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 arranged so that the radar 122 is exposed is provided with an 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 is possible to blow the traveling wind W that may be generated when the vehicle is traveling to the detection surface of the radar 122, and it is possible to remove the foreign matter adhering to the detection surface of the radar 122 with a relatively simple configuration. ..

In this embodiment, the focus is on the radar 122 arranged on the rear bumper 31, but the content of the present embodiment is that of other sensors (camera 121, radar 122 and rider 123) arranged on other parts of the exterior panel 3. The same applies to any case). As described above, the exterior panel 3 may be any member that forms the outer surface of the vehicle body, and in addition to the rear bumper 31, the rear fender 32, and the trunk lid 33, the front bumper, the front fender, the hood panel, and the roof panel (not shown) are shown. , Door panels, etc. are also included. For example, the content of the present embodiment can be applied to the rider 123 arranged so as to be exposed from the front bumper on the front side side of the vehicle 1. In this case, the front bumper may be provided with an outlet for blowing a running wind, for example, in an oblique direction with respect to the detection surface of the rider 123. That is, the content of the present embodiment can be applied to general / various vehicle body structures regardless of the type of sensor and its arrangement position.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 (A) shows an enlarged view (side view) of the rear left side of the vehicle 1 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 (B) shows a cross-sectional structure at the cutting line d2-d2. The present embodiment is different from the above-described first embodiment in that the rear bumper 31 is further provided with an introduction port 312 and a ventilation passage 313. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to collect the traveling wind W more appropriately and guide the traveling wind W to the discharge port 311 without causing airflow stagnation, so that foreign matter on the detection surface of the radar 122 is further removed. It can be easily removed.

The introduction port 312 is an opening for taking in the traveling wind W, and is provided on the front side of the discharge port 311 and on the side side of the vehicle body in the present embodiment. 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 traveling wind W can easily pass through the ventilation path 313. The running wind W can be appropriately discharged from the discharge port 311. Further, by providing the introduction port 312 on the side 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 running wind W can be taken in without spoiling the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle body, and the design can be improved.

The discharge port 311 and the introduction port 312 may be 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. As a result, the flow velocity of the traveling wind W discharged from the discharge port 311 can be increased, and foreign matter on the detection surface of the radar 122 can be more easily removed. In another embodiment, the number of inlets 312 may be two or more, in which case the size of the openings of the outlets 311 may be smaller than the total size of the two or more inlets 312. ..

Further, in the present embodiment, the discharge port 311 is provided at a position higher than the introduction port 312. As a result, even if a foreign substance is mixed in the traveling wind W taken into the introduction port 312, the foreign substance is less likely to reach the discharge port 311 due to the influence of gravity. Therefore, when the traveling wind W is discharged from the discharge port 311, foreign matter can be prevented from being discharged at the same time.

Further, in the present embodiment, a limiting mechanism 314 for restricting the passage of foreign matter is provided in the middle of the ventilation path 313. In the present embodiment, the limiting mechanism 314 is configured by forming a part of the ventilation path 313 into a U-shape (or V-shape). As a result, even if foreign matter is mixed in the traveling wind W taken into the introduction port 312, the foreign matter is accumulated in the U-shaped portion and becomes more difficult to reach the discharge port 311. Therefore, when the traveling wind W is discharged from the discharge port 311, foreign matter can be prevented from being discharged at the same time.

As an example of the limiting mechanism 314, in the present embodiment, an embodiment in which the ventilation passage 313 is formed in a U shape is illustrated, but in another embodiment, the same effect can be obtained when the ventilation passage 313 is formed in a maze shape. can get. Ancillary / alternative, a path for foreign matter discharge may be provided so as to diverge downward from the vent 313. Alternatively, as the limiting mechanism 314, a filter that prevents the passage of foreign matter and allows the passage of the traveling wind W may be used. In this case, the filter can be placed at the outlet 311 or the inlet 312. Therefore, various structures can be adopted to restrict the passage of foreign matter taken in together with the traveling wind W, and at least one of the discharge port 311, the introduction port 312 and the ventilation path 313 restricts the passage of foreign matter. It may be configured to do so.

As yet another embodiment, an on-off valve may be arranged in the middle of the air passage 313 incidentally / alternately. 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, whereby the flow velocity of the traveling wind W to be discharged can be increased. The state (open / closed) of the on-off valve may be controlled by either an electric type or a non-electric type.

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

(Other)
Although some preferred embodiments have been illustrated above, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and some of them may be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, it is possible to combine the contents of each embodiment with other elements according to the purpose, use, etc., or it is possible to combine the contents of one embodiment with a part of the contents of another embodiment. is there. Further, it goes without saying that the individual terms described in the present specification are used only for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the strict meaning of the terms. The equivalent may also be included.

(Summary of Embodiment)
The first aspect relates to a vehicle (eg 1) such that the vehicle exposes an exterior panel (eg 3, 31) forming the outer surface of the vehicle body and at least a portion of the detection surface from the exterior panel. A vehicle equipped with an arranged sensor (for example, 12, 121 to 123), the exterior panel discharges a running wind (for example, W) generated when the vehicle is running toward the detection surface of the sensor. An exit (eg 311) is provided.
According to the first aspect, it is possible to blow the traveling wind onto the detection surface of the sensor, and it is possible to remove foreign matter adhering to the detection surface of the sensor 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 second aspect, the running wind flowing inside the exterior panel can be effectively guided to the discharge port, and the running wind can be appropriately blown to the detection surface of the sensor.

In the third aspect, the exterior panel is further provided with an introduction port (for example, 312) for taking in the running wind and a ventilation path (for example, 313) for communicating the introduction port and the discharge port.
According to the third aspect, when the vehicle is traveling, the traveling wind can be easily guided to the sensor side without causing the airflow 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 running wind can be easily taken into the introduction port, the running wind can easily pass through the ventilation path, and the running wind can be appropriately discharged from the discharge port.

In the fifth aspect, the introduction port is provided on the side 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 inlet is provided in a wheel house (eg, 4).
According to the sixth aspect, the running wind can be taken into the introduction port without spoiling 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 seventh aspect, when the traveling wind is discharged from the discharge port, foreign matter can be prevented from being discharged at the same time.

In an eighth aspect, at least one of the outlet, the inlet and the vent is configured to restrict the passage of foreign matter.
According to the eighth aspect, when the traveling wind is discharged from the discharge port, foreign matter can be prevented from being discharged at the same time.

In the ninth aspect, the sensor is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle body.
According to the ninth aspect, it is possible to remove the foreign matter adhering to the detection surface of the sensor on the rear side.

In a tenth aspect, the sensor is exposed from any of a rear bumper (eg 31), a rear fender (eg 32), a boot lid (eg 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 matter adhering to the detection surface of the sensor in general / various vehicle body structures.

In the eleventh aspect, the outlet is provided so as to be adjacent to the sensor.
According to the eleventh aspect, the flow velocity of the traveling wind blown to the detection surface of the sensor can be increased.

In the twelfth aspect, the discharge port is provided so that the discharge direction of the running wind intersects the detection surface of the sensor.
According to the twelfth aspect, the traveling wind is blown diagonally to the detection surface of the sensor to facilitate the removal of foreign matter adhering to the detection surface of the sensor.

In the thirteenth aspect, the sensor is either an imaging sensor or a distance measuring sensor (for example, 121 to 123).
According to the thirteenth aspect, it is possible to appropriately detect the peripheral information of the own vehicle by the sensor, and it is possible to improve the accuracy of the detection result.

1: Vehicle, 12: Detector, 3: Exterior panel, 311: Discharge port, W: Running wind.

Claims (11)

A vehicle including an exterior panel forming an outer surface of a vehicle body and a sensor arranged so that at least a part of a detection surface is exposed from the exterior panel.
The exterior panel
A discharge port that discharges the running wind generated when the vehicle is running toward the detection surface of the sensor, and
An inlet that takes in the running wind and
A ventilation path extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body so as to communicate the introduction port and the discharge port,
Is provided ,
The discharge port is provided at a position higher than the introduction port.
The vehicle is characterized in that the ventilation path includes a limiting mechanism that restricts the passage of foreign matter by exhibiting a U-shape or a V-shape in a side view . The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the discharge port discharges the traveling wind flowing inside the exterior panel toward the detection surface of the sensor. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the introduction port is provided in front of the discharge port. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the introduction port is provided on the side side of the vehicle body. The inlet of the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that provided in the wheel house. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the sensor is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle body. Any of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the sensor is arranged so as to be exposed from any of a rear bumper, a rear fender, a boot lid, a front bumper, a front fender, a hood panel, a roof panel, and a door panel. The vehicle described in item 1. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the outlet is provided so as to be adjacent to the sensor. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the discharge port is provided so that the discharge direction of the traveling wind intersects the detection surface of the sensor. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the sensor is either an imaging sensor or a distance measuring sensor. A vehicle with a rear bumper and sensors
The rear bumper
A rear portion that exposes at least a part of the detection surface of the sensor, and
The side part extending from the rear part to the wheel house,
Including
A discharge port is provided between the rear portion and the side portion of the rear bumper to discharge the traveling wind generated when the vehicle is traveling toward the detection surface of the sensor.
The discharge port extends from the rear portion to the rear of the vehicle body so that the side portion partially covers the rear portion, so that the traveling wind is discharged from one side toward the sensor.
A vehicle characterized by that.

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