Vehicle and cleaning method of detection sensor mounted on vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11110899-B2
Application number	US-201916514369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2019
Priority date	Aug 24, 2018
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle including a detection sensor used to detect a surrounding condition of the vehicle; a vehicle controller configured to perform drive control of the vehicle by using a signal output from the detection sensor; a fuel cell configured to generate electric power while generating water; an accumulating portion configured to accumulate the generated water discharged from the fuel cell therein as liquid water; and a cleaning portion connected with the accumulating portion, provided with a nozzle that is open to the detection sensor, and configured to eject the liquid water accumulated in the accumulating portion through the nozzle and thereby clean the detection sensor under control of the vehicle controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a detection sensor used to detect a surrounding condition of the vehicle;
a vehicle controller configured to perform drive control of the vehicle by using a signal output from the detection sensor;
a fuel cell configured to generate electric power while generating water;
an accumulating portion configured to accumulate the generated water discharged from the fuel cell therein as liquid water;
a cleaning portion connected with the accumulating portion, provided with a nozzle that is open to the detection sensor, and configured to eject the liquid water accumulated in the accumulating portion through the nozzle and thereby clean the detection sensor under control of the vehicle controller;
a compressor configured to feed a compressed gas that is supplied to the fuel cell and that is used for power generation;
a gas piping connected with the fuel cell and arranged such that the compressed gas flows in; and
a pressure piping connected with the gas piping, wherein
the cleaning portion causes the liquid water to be ejected from the nozzle by a pressure of the compressed gas that is transmitted from the gas piping through the pressure piping.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle controller detects adhesion of a foreign substance to the detection sensor by using the signal output from the detection sensor and causes the liquid water to be ejected from the nozzle toward the detection sensor when adhesion of the foreign substance is detected.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle controller repeatedly performs cleaning of the detection sensor by using the liquid water at predetermined cycles during power generation of the fuel cell and causes the liquid water that is not yet decreased to ordinary temperature to be discharged from the accumulating portion.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the accumulating portion includes a heat retaining portion configured to keep the liquid water warm.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning portion causes the compressed gas supplied through the pressure piping to be ejected from the nozzle, after ejection of the liquid water from the nozzle.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a branch piping branched off from the pressure piping, wherein
the cleaning portion includes a gas nozzle that is connected with the branch piping and that is configured to eject the compressed gas flowing from the pressure piping into the branch piping, toward the detection sensor.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cleaning portion further includes a window nozzle configured to eject the liquid water toward a window glass of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukazawa Kazuhiro
• Onagi Tsutomu

Classifications

• B60Y2400/202

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• B60S1/56 Primary

  specially adapted for cleaning other parts or devices than front windows or windscreens {(rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior including cleaning devices B60R1/0602)} · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M8/04156

  with product water removal · CPC title