US 11,680,830 B2
Rotating sensor assembly
Venkatesh Krishnan, Canton, MI (US); Michael Robertson, Jr., Garden City, MI (US); Rashaun Phinisee, Ypsilanti, MI (US); Raghuraman Surineedi, Dearborn, MI (US); and Segundo Baldovino, Novi, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Jan. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/156,732.
Prior Publication US 2022/0236084 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. G01D 11/24 (2006.01); B60H 1/00 (2006.01); B60R 11/00 (2006.01); G01S 17/86 (2020.01)
CPC G01D 11/245 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00271 (2013.01); B60R 11/00 (2013.01); G01S 17/86 (2020.01); B60H 2001/003 (2013.01); B60R 2011/004 (2013.01); B60R 2011/0085 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor assembly comprising:
a base;
a sensor body mounted to the base and rotatable around an axis relative to the base;
a sensor window fixed relative to the sensor body;
a sensing apparatus inside the sensor body and having a field of view through the sensor window;
a vapor chamber fixed relative to the sensor body, spaced radially outward from the sensor body relative to the axis, and having a curved shape extending circumferentially around the axis, wherein the vapor chamber is a chamber enclosing a working fluid and is configured to transfer heat via evaporation and condensation of the working fluid within the vapor chamber; and
a heat pipe extending from the sensor body to the vapor chamber.