Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Michael Robertson, Jr

Venkatesh Krishnan

Rashaun Phinisee

Segundo Baldovino

Tyler D Hamilton

Raghuraman Surineedi

Ashwin Arunmozhi

Sunil Reddy Patil

Kunal Chaudhari

Anthony Michael Regalbuto

Vahan Kazandjian

Raghu Raman Surineedi

Mark Edward Nichols

Alexander Petniunas

Kunal Singh

James Pizzimenti

Cindy Anne Peters

Matthew Dennis Smith Boswell

Navvab Khajehosseini

Subba Reddy Boggu

David Michael Herman

Nicholas Alexander Scheufler

Lars Niklas Pettersson

Andre Sykula

Colm Peter Boran

Lorne Forsythe

Tony Misovski

Ashley Lucas

William Ethan-Alexander McClure

Fabio Ferreira

John A Shinska

Mohan Kamath

Taneshia Turner

Shibu Koyadan Chathoth

Daniel Klevorn

Camila Silva

James Robert Hurd, Iii

Moura Renato Da Rosa Borges

Inderpal Singh

Henrico Quinelato

Nicholas Sharpe

Paulo Henrique Ungaretti

A sensor assembly includes a housing shaped to be mounted to a vehicle. The sensor assembly includes a first nozzle positioned on the housing and below the sensor and is positioned to dispense a fluid in an upward direction to a surface of the sensor. The sensor assembly includes a second nozzle positioned below the sensor, in which the second nozzle is positioned to dispense airflow to the surface of the sensor. The sensor assembly further includes a ram air structure positioned to receive airflow during forward travel of the vehicle and to dispense airflow to the surface of the sensor.

Sensor assembly

A sensor assembly includes a housing including an outlet, a sensor including a sensor window, and a flap rotatably coupled to the housing at the outlet. The sensor window is fixed to the housing. The outlet is aimed across the sensor window. The flap is rotatable between an open position angled away from the outlet and a closed position extending across the outlet.

Sensor assembly with cleaning

A vehicle assembly includes a vehicle exterior panel, a nozzle, and a wind panel fixed to the nozzle. The nozzle and the wind panel are movable together along an axis between a retracted axial position concealed behind the vehicle exterior panel and an extended axial position extending outward from the vehicle exterior panel. The nozzle and the wind panel are rotatable together about the axis when in the extended axial position. The wind panel is arranged to rotate the nozzle about the axis responsive to airflow directed at the wind panel.

Vehicle assembly for cleaning sensor

A sensor assembly includes a housing defining a chamber. A sensor unit is supported by the housing and extends vertically upward along an axis from the housing. The sensor unit includes a base and a sensor housing mounted to the base and rotatable relative to the base about the axis. The sensor unit includes a sensor. The sensor housing extends circumferentially around the sensor and defines a sensor chamber therebetween. A blower box is supported by the housing in the chamber. The blower box defines a blower chamber in fluid communication with the sensor chamber. A blower is disposed in the blower box.

An assembly includes a sensor housing defining an inlet. The assembly includes a sensor assembly rotatably supported by the sensor housing. The sensor assembly includes a sensor and a cover surrounding the sensor. The sensor assembly has a cavity between the sensor and the cover. The inlet is in fluid communication with the cavity.

Cleaning and cooling of vehicle sensor assembly

A sensor assembly includes a housing and a sensor unit attached to the housing. The sensor unit includes a cylindrical shell defining a vertical axis and rotatable around the axis relative to the housing. The cylindrical shell extends upward along the axis from a lower edge. The sensor unit includes a first frustoconical panel fixed to the cylindrical shell, centered on the axis, and extending downward and radially outward from the lower edge. The housing includes a second frustoconical panel centered on the axis, defining a gap with the first frustoconical panel, and defining an airflow outlet from the housing radially inside the second frustoconical panel relative to the axis. The sensor unit defines an airflow inlet radially inside the lower edge relative to the axis and positioned to receive airflow from the airflow outlet. At least one of the frustoconical panels includes a ridge extending into the gap.

A sensor apparatus includes a sensor including a sensor lens, an air nozzle fixed relative to the sensor lens and positioned to direct airflow out of the air nozzle across the sensor lens, and a fin positioned inside the air nozzle. The fin is rotatably coupled to the air nozzle and rotatable relative to the air nozzle around an axis of rotation. The fin is elongated radially from the axis of rotation. The fin is rotatable between a first position impeding airflow through the air nozzle and a second position permitting airflow through the air nozzle.

Sensor apparatus with cleaning

A sensor assembly includes a bracket fixed to a frame of a vehicle, two environmental sensors fixed to the bracket, and an insulating plate positioned between the environmental sensors and an inside of the vehicle. The sensor assembly may enhance the operation of the environmental sensors. Mounting both environmental sensors to the same bracket can permit more stringent position tolerances to be met by the environmental sensors compared to independently mounting the environmental sensors to the frame of the vehicle. Moreover, the bracket can provide a reference for locating the insulating plate. Additionally, the insulating plate can isolate the environmental sensors from heat generated by the vehicle, permitting the environmental sensors to more easily be kept within a temperature range for reliable operation. Finally, the same insulating plate can be used for both environmental sensors, in part due to the common position from the bracket.

Vehicle sensor assembly

A sensor assembly includes a housing, a sensor unit attached to the housing, and an elastomeric flap. The sensor unit includes a shell defining a vertical axis. The shell is rotatable around the axis relative to the housing. The shell includes a lower edge and extends upward along the axis from the lower edge. The housing includes an aperture centered on the axis. The aperture defines an airflow outlet from the housing radially inside the aperture relative to the axis. The sensor unit defines an airflow inlet radially inside the lower edge relative to the axis and positioned to receive airflow from the aperture. The aperture and the lower edge define a fixed gap extending around the axis. The flap is fixed to one of the housing or the sensor unit, and the flap extends across the fixed gap toward the other one of the housing or the sensor unit.

Rotatable sensor assembly with elastomeric flap

An assembly for mounting a sensor to a vehicle includes a base, a sensor bracket, and a tolerance compensator between the base and the sensor bracket. The tolerance compensator is threadedly coupled to the base and releasably engaged with the sensor bracket in an assembled position. The assembly includes a washer including a hub fixed relative to the base and a plurality of tabs arranged circumferentially around the hub and extending radially relative to the hub. One of the tabs is moveable into engagement with the tolerance compensator in the assembled position.

Sensor assembly and method of installing to a vehicle

A vehicle includes a vehicle body and an optical sensor supported by the vehicle body and defining a field-of-view. The vehicle includes a transparent shield in the field-of-view, the transparent shield having an outer surface. The vehicle includes a camera facing the outer surface of the transparent shield.

Upon determining an autonomous mode for a vehicle is activated, a motor is actuated to move a wiper across a windshield in a low mode based on determining to clean the windshield. A blower is actuated to direct air across a sensor. Then, after expiration of a first timer, a pump is actuated according to a pressure threshold to direct fluid through a fluid nozzle and across the windshield towards the sensor. The pressure threshold specifies a fluid pressure less than a maximum fluid pressure for the pump. The pump is stopped after expiration of a second timer.

An assembly includes a liftgate having a frame and a body panel supported by the frame, the body panel defining a plurality of openings, the openings providing access to the frame. The assembly includes a first cover covering the plurality of openings of the body panel. The assembly includes a second cover supported by the first cover and defining a chamber therebetween. The assembly includes a sensor assembly supported within the chamber between the first cover and the second cover.

Liftgate mounted sensor assembly

A sensor assembly includes a housing, a sensor unit attached to the housing, and a gutter fixed relative to the housing. The sensor unit includes a cylindrical shell defining a vertical axis. The cylindrical shell extends above a highest point of the housing. The cylindrical shell is rotatable around the axis relative to the housing. The cylindrical shell includes a lower edge and extending upward along the axis from the lower edge. The gutter is elongated along the lower edge and positioned directly below the lower edge relative to the axis. The gutter defines an airflow outlet from the housing radially inside the gutter relative to the axis. The sensor unit defines an airflow inlet radially inside the lower edge relative to the axis and positioned to receive airflow from the airflow outlet.

An assembly includes a housing. The assembly includes an optical sensor supported within the housing. The assembly includes an airbag supported within the housing and deployable from a stowed position internal of the housing to an inflated position external of the housing. The airbag in the inflated position adjacent the optical sensor.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

Michael Robertson, Jr