Roof assembly, roof module and motor vehicle comprising a set of weatherstrips

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024253579-A1
Application number	US-202118565756-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 14, 2021
Priority date	Jun 14, 2021
Publication date	Aug 1, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A roof module for forming a vehicle roof of a motor vehicle, the roof module having a panel component whose outer surface at least partially forms the roof skin of the vehicle roof, and an opening in which at least one environmental sensor is disposed, the environmental sensor being configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals for detecting the vehicle environment. The at least one environmental sensor is configured to be displaced between a retracted position and a deployed position, and a set of weatherstrips surrounding the opening and has at least one drain is configured to collect liquid entering through the opening at the at least one drain.

First claim

1 . A roof module for forming a vehicle roof of a motor vehicle, the roof module comprising:
a panel component whose outer surface at least partially forms a roof skin of the vehicle roof, and an opening in which at least one environmental sensor is disposed, the environmental sensor being configured to send and/or receive electromagnetic signals for detecting the vehicle environment, wherein the at least one environmental sensor is configured to be displaced between a retracted position and a deployed position, and that a set of weatherstrips surrounding the opening and comprising at least one drain is configured to collect liquid entering through the opening at the at least one drain.

2 . The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the set of weatherstrips comprises at least one funnel-shaped portion ending in the drain for collecting the entering liquid.

3 . The roof module according to claim 2 , wherein the set of weatherstrips comprises two drains which are disposed on the right and on the left of the at least one environmental sensor when viewed in the direction of an optical axis of the at least one environmental sensor, and that the set of weatherstrips comprises a funnel-shaped portion both on the right and on the left of the at least one environmental sensor when viewed in the direction of the optical axis of the at least one environmental sensor for collecting the liquid circumferentially entering through the opening, each funnel-shaped portion ending in one of the two drains.

4 . The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the set of weatherstrips comprises a first weatherstrip portion which is disposed along the circumference of the opening and at least configured to seal the opening when the at least one environmental sensor is in the retracted position by being in contact with a first mating weatherstrip portion of the at least one environmental sensor and to seal the opening when the at least one environmental sensor is in the deployed position by being in contact with a second mating weatherstrip portion of the at least one environmental sensor.

5 . The roof module according to claim 4 , wherein the first weatherstrip portion comprises a tubular weatherstrip disposed in an edge area of the opening and realized in one piece.

6 . The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one environmental sensor comprises a sensor housing, and the set of weatherstrips comprises a second weatherstrip portion which extends in a flexibly movable manner between the first weatherstrip portion and the housing and on which the at least one drain is disposed.

7 . The roof module according to claim 6 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion is essentially sack-shaped and surrounds the opening.

8 . The roof module according to claim 6 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion is made of a flexible, mat-shaped material of rubber or a liquid-tight textile.

9 . The roof module according to claim 6 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion has the shape of a waterskin.

10 . The roof module according to claim 2 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion partially forms the at least one funnel-shaped portion ending in the drain for collecting the entering liquid.

11 . The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion is connected to an edge portion of the first weatherstrip portion in a liquid-tight manner along a first edge area.

12 . The roof module according to claim 11 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion is connected to the first edge portion of the first weatherstrip portion in a liquid-tight manner along the first edge area via a plug connection, a welded connection or a glued connection.

13 . The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion is connected to the housing of the at least one environmental sensor in a liquid-tight manner along a second edge area of the second weatherstrip portion.

14 . The roof module according to claim 13 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion is connected to the housing along the second edge area in a liquid-tight manner via a plug connection, a welded connection or a glued connection.

15 . The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the second weatherstrip portion defines a wet area of the roof module, the wet area surrounding the opening, and forms a barrier separating the wet area from a dry area of the roof module in which the at least one environmental sensor is disposed.

16 . The roof module according to claim 4 , wherein the second mating weatherstrip portion comprises at least one profile portion disposed on the at least one environmental sensor.

17 . The roof module according to claim 16 , at least part of the at least one profile portion is shaped in such a manner that a constant sealing contact exists between the first weatherstrip portion and the second mating weatherstrip portion while the at least one environmental sensor is being displaced from the retracted position into the deployed position.

18 . The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one environmental sensor can be turned between the retracted position and the deployed position about an axis of rotation.

19 . The roof module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one environmental sensor is a lidar sensor and/or a radar sensor and/or a camera sensor and/or a multi-camera sensor.

20 . A motor vehicle comprising a roof module according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Webasto SE
• Webasto Shanghai Ltd

Inventors

• Wüllrich Heinrich
• Haimerl Alexander
• Lei Eric
• Hu Jerry
• Wang Xinying

Classifications

• B60R2011/004

  outside the vehicle · CPC title

• B60J10/86

  arranged on the opening panel · CPC title

• B60J10/25

  characterised by water drainage means · CPC title

• B60J10/40

  characterised by contact between two or more cooperating sealing arrangements · CPC title

• B60J10/84

  arranged on the vehicle body · CPC title