Roof module for forming a vehicle roof comprising a support module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11813992-B2
Application number	US-202017633054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2020
Priority date	Aug 19, 2019
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A roof module for forming a vehicle roof on a motor vehicle, the roof module having a panel component whose outer surface at least partially forms the roof skin of the vehicle roof, the roof module having at least one environment sensor configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals for detecting the vehicle surroundings. The environment sensor can be disposed below the roof skin formed by the panel component, the roof module having at least one support module, and at least two environment sensors being jointly mounted on the support module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roof module for forming a vehicle roof on a motor vehicle, the roof module comprising:
a panel component whose outer surface at least partially forms the roof skin of the vehicle roof,
the roof module comprising at least one environment sensor configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals for detecting the vehicle surroundings,
wherein the environment sensor is disposed below the roof skin formed by the panel component, the roof module comprising at least one support module,
at least one environment sensor being mounted on the support module,
wherein the roof module forms a structural unit which comprises integrated features enabling autonomous driving or semi-autonomous driving and which can be placed on top of a vehicle body shell,
wherein the roof module comprises a frame element and at least two environment sensors being mounted on the support module,
wherein the support module is attached to the frame element, and
wherein the support module comprises a base plate provided with fastening mounts for the environment sensors.

2. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the support module has at least one fastening element configured to fasten the support module to the roof module, the fastening element having an adjuster configured to adjust the relative position of the support module on the roof module.

3. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of a heater and/or cooler is attached to the support module.

4. The roof module according to claim 3 , wherein the heater and/or cooler comprises a cooling fan and/or at least one cooling body.

5. The roof module according to claim 3 , wherein the heater and/or cooler comprises a liquid heating body or a liquid cooling body.

6. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein an antenna module is additionally mounted on the support module.

7. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the support module comprises multiple fastening mounts configured for pre-installing the environment sensors and/or the heater and/or cooler and/or the antenna module and/or the signaling element thereon in a defined position relative to each other.

8. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the support module with the pre-installed environment sensors is configured to be attached to the frame element forming the roof skin of a vehicle or to a support plate.

9. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the support module is disposed in a dry section of the roof module, the dry section being protected from humidity.

10. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the roof module comprises a heat conducting element, the heat conducting element being configured to discharge heat from the support module.

11. The roof module according to claim 10 , wherein the heat conducting element is configured in the manner of a metal sheet part.

12. The roof module according to claim 11 , wherein the metal plate part serving as the heat conducting element is configured in the manner of a support sheet.

13. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the support module comprises a stray light shade between the two environment sensors.

14. The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the environment sensor is configured in the manner of a lidar sensor and/or in the manner of a radar sensor and/or in the manner of a camera sensor and/or in the manner of a multi-camera sensor.

Assignees

• Webasto SE

Inventors

• Huelsen Michael
• Langlais Cédric
• Mailhamer Michael
• Lehotsky Juraj

Classifications

• B60R11/04 Primary

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B62D25/06 Primary

  Fixed roofs (non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08) · CPC title

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• B60R2011/004

  outside the vehicle · CPC title