Rotary wiper system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279324-B2
Application number	US-201816229506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

The disclosure provides for a wiper system for cleaning a surface of a sensor housing, such as a sensor housing positioned on top of a vehicle. The wiper system includes a plurality of windows spaced around a sensor housing, and a plurality of wipers positioned around the sensor housing, each of the wipers includes a wiper blade configured to clean a corresponding window of the plurality of windows. The wiper system further includes a drive system including a movable part coupled to a motor. The motor is configured to drive the drive system to simultaneously rotate the plurality of wipers around the sensor housing such that the plurality of wipers remove debris from the plurality of windows.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of windows spaced apart and around a circumference of a sensor housing;
a wiper ring;
a plurality of wipers fixedly attached to the wiper ring, each given one of the plurality of wipers including a wiper blade;
a drive system coupled to the wiper ring; and
a first motor coupled to the drive system, the first motor configured to drive the drive system to rotate the wiper ring around the circumference of the sensor housing in two different directions such that each given one of the plurality of wipers repeatedly moves back and forth between a pair of opposing edges of a corresponding window of the plurality of windows in order to remove debris from the plurality of windows.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first motor is configured to drive the drive system such that each given one of the plurality of wipers moves from a first edge of the pair of opposing edges of the corresponding window of the given one of the plurality of wipers to a second edge of the pair of opposing edges of the corresponding window of the given one of the plurality of wipers in a first direction, and from the second edge of the pair of opposing edges of the corresponding window of the given one of the plurality of wipers to the first edge of the pair of opposing edges of the corresponding window of the given one of the plurality of wipers in a second direction opposite of the first direction.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive system includes a friction wheel in contact with the wiper ring such that, when the friction wheel rotates in a first direction, a friction force between the friction wheel and the wiper ring causes the wiper ring to rotate in a second direction opposite of the first direction.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive system includes a gear having a first set of grooves configured to engage with a second set of grooves on the wiper ring such that rotation of the gear in a first direction causes the wiper ring to rotate in a second direction opposite of the first direction.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second motor configured to rotate each given one of the plurality of wipers about a respective longitudinal axis of the given one of the plurality of wipers in order to change an orientation of the wiper blade of the given one of the plurality of wipers relative to the corresponding window of the given one of the plurality of wipers when changing between moving in a first direction towards a first edge of the pair of opposing edges and moving in a second direction opposite of the first direction towards a second one of the pair of opposing edges.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each given one of the plurality of wipers is configured to rotate about a respective longitudinal axis of the given one of the plurality of wipers such that the wiper blade of the given one of the plurality of wipers is not in contact with a surface of the corresponding window for the given one of the plurality of wipers in order to change an orientation of the wiper blade of the given one of the plurality of wipers relative to the corresponding window of the given one of the plurality of wipers when changing between moving in a first direction towards a first edge of the pair of opposing edges and moving in a second direction opposite of the first direction towards a second one of the pair of opposing edges.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each given one of the plurality of wipers is further configured to rotate about the respective longitudinal axis of the given one of the plurality of wipers when the given one of the plurality of wipers reaches one of the opposing edges of the corresponding window for the given one of the plurality of wipers.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each given one of the plurality of wipers is configured to rotate about a respective longitudinal axis of the given one of the plurality of wipers such that the wiper blade of the given one of the plurality of wipers contacts a surface of the corresponding window for the given one of the plurality of wipers at a non-perpendicular angle towards a movement direction of the given one of the plurality of wipers in order to change an orientation of the wiper blade of the given one of the plurality of wipers relative to the corresponding window of the given one of the plurality of wipers when changing between moving in a first direction towards a first edge of the pair of opposing edges and moving in a second direction opposite of the first direction towards a second one of the pair of opposing edges.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the given one of the plurality of wipers is configured to rotate about the respective longitudinal axis of the given one of the plurality of wipers when the given one of the plurality of wipers reaches one of the opposing edges of the corresponding window for the given one of the plurality of wipers.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more sensors positioned inside the sensor housing, the one or more sensors configured to transmit signals through at least one of the plurality of windows spaced apart and around the circumference of the sensor housing.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first motor is configured to drive the drive system to rotate the wiper ring at a first threshold speed, wherein, when driven at the first threshold speed, the plurality of wipers are not visible to the one or more sensors for at least one of a predetermined number of consecutive signal transmissions.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more sensors for detecting an amount of debris encountered by the sensor housing.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first motor is configured to drive the drive system to rotate the wiper ring at a second threshold speed, and wherein, when driven at the second threshold speed, at least one of a predetermined number of consecutive signal transmissions are made through the plurality of windows with a threshold amount of debris.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle, wherein the sensor housing is mounted on a roof of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle having one or more processors configured to control movements of the first motor.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive sensor signals from one or more sensors for detecting an amount of debris encountered by the sensor housing, and control operation of the first motor based on the sensor signals.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive sensor signals from one or more sensors positioned inside the sensor housing, and control operation of the first motor based on a quality of the sensor signals.

18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of springs, each of the plurality of springs pivotally connecting a wiper arm of the given one of the plurality of wipers to the wiper ring; and
a plurality of rollers, each given one of the plurality of rollers being attached to a corresponding wiper blade of one of the plurality of wipers, the given one of the plurality of rollers being configured to counteract a force between the corresponding wiper blade of the one of the plurality of wipers and one of the plurality of windows.

19. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of rollers, pairs of the plurality of rollers being positioned at two sides of one end of a corresponding wiper blade of one of the

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Gilbertson Seth
• Rivera Felix Jose Alvarez
• Best Roger

Classifications

• B08B1/34

  rotating about an axis parallel to the surface · CPC title

• B08B1/16

  Rigid blades, e.g. scrapers; Flexible blades, e.g. wipers · CPC title

• B60S1/38 Primary

  Wiper blades {(provided with liquid spreading means B60S1/524; provided with gas spreading means B60S1/546)} · CPC title

• B60S1/28 Primary

  characterised by a plurality of wipers (B60S1/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60S2001/3824

  the blade or squeegee pivoting about an axis parallel to blade longitudinal axis · CPC title