US-12619134-B2 - Fastening device for an environmental sensor, and sensor installation system for a vehicle

US12619134B2US 12619134 B2US12619134 B2US 12619134B2US-12619134-B2

Abstract

A fastening apparatus for a surround sensor of a vehicle includes a sensor holding device having a receptacle region in which at least regions of the surround sensor are arrangeable when the surround sensor is fastened to the sensor holding device and a holding spring device which is configured to hold the surround sensor via a spring force for fastening the surround sensor in the receptacle region. A bearing element is disposed at a first end of the holding spring device and the holding spring device is rotatably mounted on the sensor holding device by the bearing element. The holding spring device is releasably fixable to the sensor holding device at a second end of the holding spring device which is opposite to the first end of the holding spring device.

Inventors

Benjamin Schuster
Maximilian Mayr

Assignees

BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220727
Priority Date: 20210825

Claims (8)

1 . A sensor installation system for a vehicle, comprising: a fastening apparatus for a surround sensor of the vehicle, comprising: a sensor holding device that includes a receptacle region, wherein at least regions of the surround sensor are arrangeable within the receptacle region when the surround sensor is fastened to the sensor holding device, and a holding spring device configured to fasten and hold the surround sensor within the receptacle region via a spring force, wherein the holding spring device comprises a bearing element disposed at a first end of the holding spring device, wherein the bearing element rotatably mounts the holding spring device on the sensor holding device, and wherein the holding spring device is releasably fixable to the sensor holding device at a second end of the holding spring device opposite the first end; and a surround sensor disposed in the receptacle region and fastened to the sensor holding device, wherein the sensor holding device and the surround sensor have corresponding alignment elements that ensure the fastening of the surround sensor to the sensor holding device via a poka-yoke principle.
2 . The sensor installation system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor holding device has a pivot element and wherein at least regions of the pivot element are surrounded by the bearing element.
3 . The sensor installation system of claim 1 , wherein the holding spring device has a first latching element and the sensor holding device has a second latching element which form a latching connection for releasably fixing the holding spring device to the sensor holding device.
4 . The sensor installation system of claim 3 , wherein the first latching element and the second latching element are configured such that they only form the latching connection when the spring force exceeds a predetermined minimum force.
5 . The sensor installation system of claim 3 , wherein the sensor holding device and/or the holding spring device has an auxiliary element and wherein the latching connection is releasable by the auxiliary element.
6 . The sensor installation system of claim 1 , wherein the holding spring device is rotatably mounted in a minimum rotary range of between 70° and 200°.
7 . The sensor installation system of claim 1 , wherein together with the holding spring device of the fastening apparatus, the corresponding alignment elements restrict a movement of the surround sensor relative to the sensor holding device in three mutually perpendicular spatial directions.
8 . The sensor installation system of claim 1 , wherein the surround sensor is a camera.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY The present invention relates to a fastening apparatus for a surround sensor of a vehicle. Moreover, the present invention relates to a sensor installation system for a vehicle. The steady rise of driver assistance systems in the vehicle requires a comprehensive surround sensor system. For example, these include, inter alia, cameras and radar, lidar, and ultrasound sensors. To ensure a correct functionality of the driver assistance systems, the surround of the vehicle has to be registered as exactly as possible. In this context, it is particularly important that the corresponding surround sensors are installed and aligned as intended. The assembly of surround sensors requires a simple manner of installation, as little error prone as possible, within the scope of a mass production. Document DE 10 2013 200 966 A1 relates to a module apparatus for a camera system having a housing device which has an inner opening and which is designed to allow an installation position of the module apparatus within a motor vehicle to be adjusted. The module apparatus comprises a sensor holding device which has an upper region and a base region and which is coupled to the housing device by way of at least one support element and which is designed to accommodate an image sensor. Moreover, such a module apparatus comprises a lens device which is coupled by the sensor holding device to the upper region by way of at least one connection element and which is designed to create an optical image on the image sensor, and having a holding spring device which is coupled to the base region of the sensor holding device and which is designed to press the image sensor with the heat-conducting intermediate layer against the sensor holding device by means of spring force, and in the process form a heat conduction path via the heat-conducting intermediate layer. It is an object of the present invention to create a fastening apparatus and a sensor installation system for a surround sensor of a vehicle, which ensures a fast, low-tolerance, and correct assembly of the surround sensor and which allows the assembled surround sensor to be released quickly and easily from the fastening apparatus during maintenance work. A fastening apparatus according to the invention for a surround sensor of a vehicle comprises a sensor holding device having a receptacle region, in which at least regions of the surround sensor are arrangeable when the surround sensor is fastened to the sensor holding device as intended. Moreover, the fastening apparatus comprises a holding spring device which is configured to hold the surround sensor by way of a spring force, for the purpose of fastening the surround sensor in the receptacle region as intended. In this case, at a first end the holding spring device comprises a bearing element by means of which the holding spring device is rotatably mounted on the sensor holding device. Finally, at a second end opposite to the first end the holding spring device is releasably fixable to the sensor holding device, for the purpose of fastening as intended. In other words, at least regions of the surround sensor of the vehicle can be arranged within the receptacle region of the sensor holding device. Here, at least regions of the surround sensor being arranged is understood to mean an arrangement of the surround sensor in the receptacle region of the sensor holding device, in the case of which at least regions of the surround sensor are encompassed, which is to say at least regions of the surround sensor are surrounded by the receptacle region. Should the surround sensor be fastened to the sensor holding device as intended, or have at least regions thereof arranged in the receptacle region, the holding spring device can be used to hold the surround sensor in the receptacle region by means of the spring force. The bearing element of the holding spring device located at the first end of the holding spring device is rotatably mounted on the sensor holding device. Thus the surround sensor can be assembled particularly easily since the spring force for holding the surround sensor in the receptacle region can be applied by one hand on account of the rotary movement. At the second end the holding spring device can be releasably fixed to the sensor holding device for fastening as intended. An intermediate region of the holding spring device which is located between the first end and the second end of the holding spring device opposite to the first end exerts a spring force on a surround sensor arranged as intended in the receptacle region and holds the surround sensor in the sensor holding device or in the receptacle region of the sensor holding device. As a result, it is moreover possible to easily exert a significant spring force within the scope of assembly on account of the arising lever. The lever or the lever force arises by virtue of the holding spring device being rotatably mounted at the first end and a force bein