Peripheral information detection device and self-driving vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065610-B2
Application number	US-201514969431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A peripheral information detection device includes a device body that is mounted with sensors each including a detection section that detects peripheral information, and a wiping mechanism that wipes off foreign objects that have adhered to locations of the device body facing the detection sections.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A peripheral information detection device comprising:
a device body that houses a sensor including a detection section that detects peripheral information; and
a wiping mechanism that wipes off a foreign object that has adhered to a location of the device body, the location facing the detection section, the wiping mechanism including:
a rotary shaft that is rotatable with respect to the device body;
a wiper that is attached to the rotary shaft, that abuts a surface of the location of the device body facing the detection section, and that moves around the device body along an outer peripheral face of the device body due to rotation of the rotary shaft, the wiper having a wiper arm and a wiper blade; and
a nozzle that applies cleaning fluid to the outer peripheral face of the device body, wherein

the rotary shaft extends vertically and extends through the device body so that an upper end portion of the rotary shaft is located vertically above the device body, the upper end portion of the rotary shaft being attached to the wiper arm,
an upper end portion of the wiper blade is attached to a leading end portion of the wiper arm,
the wiper blade extends downward along the outer peripheral face of the device body, and
the wiper blade is curved toward a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the wiper blade so that the upper end portion of the wiper blade is located ahead of a lower end portion of the wiper blade relative to the rotation direction of the wiper blade.

2. The peripheral information detection device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a receiving dish that receives the cleaning fluid that has been applied to the device body through the nozzle; and
a pump that supplies the cleaning fluid that has accumulated in the receiving dish to the nozzle.

3. A self-driving vehicle comprising:
the peripheral information detection device of claim 1 ; and
a switching section that switches between a first driving mode in which the vehicle is driven based on the peripheral information detected by the peripheral information detection device and a second driving mode in which a driver manually drives the vehicle by operating a steering wheel of the vehicle.

4. The peripheral information detection device of claim 1 , wherein
the rotary shaft extends through a central portion of the device body.

5. The self-driving vehicle of claim 3 , wherein
the peripheral information detection device includes a heater for heating the cleaning fluid and the device body, and
the heater is disposed at a position to simultaneously heat upstream and downstream of a flow-path of the cleaning fluid.

6. The self-driving vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the heater is positioned on a vehicle ceiling of the self-driving vehicle.

7. The self-driving vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the device body is formed in a circular tube shape with its axial direction extending vertically.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wakatsuki Kazutoshi

Classifications

• G01S2013/9323

  Alternative operation using light waves · CPC title

• G01S2013/93273

  on the top of the vehicles · CPC title

• G02B27/0006

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• B60S1/566

  including wiping devices (B60S1/563, B60S1/583 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01S2007/4977

  including means to prevent or remove the obstruction · CPC title