US 11,988,782 B2
Cleaning device for a lidar sensor of a working device, including a vehicle
Jens Werneth, Stuttgart (DE); Johannes Richter, Ludwigsburg (DE); and Marco Naegele, Stuttgart (DE)
Assigned to ROBERT BOSCH GMBH, Stuttgart (DE)
Filed by Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
Filed on Jan. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/647,071.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 200 098.3 (DE), filed on Jan. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0221564 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/497 (2006.01); B60S 1/04 (2006.01); B60S 1/56 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); B08B 1/14 (2024.01); B60S 1/34 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/497 (2013.01) [B60S 1/0491 (2013.01); B60S 1/566 (2013.01); G01S 7/481 (2013.01); G01S 7/4813 (2013.01); B08B 1/143 (2024.01); B60S 1/3404 (2013.01); G01S 2007/4975 (2013.01); G01S 2007/4977 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cleaning device for a lidar sensor set-up, comprising:
a movable cleaning element;
wherein the cleaning device is configured, for a cleaning operation, to move the cleaning element on and/or along an outer side of a window of the lidar sensor set-up, the outer side of the window facing away from a lidar sensor device and facing a field of view of the lidar sensor set-up, and wherein the movable cleaning element has an optical element, the optical element being configured to reflect back primary light from a transmitting path of the lidar sensor set-up, which is incident upon the optical element, into a receiving path of the lidar sensor set-up,
wherein the lidar sensor includes a housing having a cover, a base, a back wall, and a housing element, in which a window is formed; an inner side or inner surface of the window facing an interior of the housing, and an outer side or outer surface of the window facing an exterior of the housing, wherein the primary light generated in an interior of the housing passes through a window set-up having a window, from inside to outside, and in a direction of a field of view, and wherein secondary light from the exterior of the housing travels inwards, through the viewing set-up having the window, into the interior of the housing,
wherein the outer side of the window is oriented towards or aligned with the exterior of the housing, against which the inner side of the window is oriented towards and aligned with the interior of the housing,
wherein the transmitting path and the receiving path of the lidar sensor set-up coincide optically, so that the transmitting path and the receiving path are coaxial, and
wherein the optical element is mounted on an inside face of a wiper arm which faces an outer side of the window, and wherein the optical element is below a wiper lip of the wiper arm, and includes one of the following:
an optically passive element;
a mirror or a plurality of mirrors;
a Lambertian element or a Lambertian scattering element in the form of a diffuse scatterer, or one or more mirrors;
an optically active element;
an optical waveguide.