US 11,892,564 B2
Sensor apparatus with cleaning
Rashaun Phinisee, Ypsilanti, MI (US); Raghuraman Surineedi, Dearborn, MI (US); Venkatesh Krishnan, Canton, MI (US); Segundo Baldovino, Novi, MI (US); Taneshia Turner, Dearborn, MI (US); and Michael Robertson, Jr., Garden City, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/038,133.
Prior Publication US 2022/0099802 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 1/54 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); B60S 1/54 (2006.01); G01P 3/481 (2006.01); B60S 1/56 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); B60S 1/08 (2006.01); B60S 1/52 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4813 (2013.01) [B60S 1/0848 (2013.01); B60S 1/52 (2013.01); B60S 1/54 (2013.01); B60S 1/56 (2013.01); G01P 3/481 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor apparatus comprising:
a cylindrical sensor window defining an axis along a center of the cylindrical sensor window; and
an air nozzle positioned at one end of the sensor window and shaped to direct airflow across the sensor window in a direction parallel to the axis;
wherein the air nozzle extends around the sensor window in a circumferential direction relative to the axis;
the air nozzle is formed of an inner edge and an outer edge each extending around the sensor window in the circumferential direction relative to the axis, the outer edge facing an ambient environment;
the inner edge is circular with a radius at least as great as an outer radius of the sensor window;
the outer edge includes a first portion and a second portion;
the first portion of the outer edge has a semicircular shape with a radius smaller than the outer radius of the sensor window; and
the second portion of the outer edge extends around the sensor window from the first portion to the first portion at a constant radial distance from the inner edge.