Cleaning device for spinning surface
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorPeter Craig Lombrozo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The technology relates to a system for clearing a sensor cover. The system may comprise a wiper comprising a wiper support, a wiper blade, and a sensor cover. The wiper blade may be configured to clear the sensor cover of debris, and the sensor cover may be configured to house one or more sensors. A wiper motor may rotate the wiper and a sensor motor may rotate the sensor cover. The system wiper blade may comprise a first edge attached to the wiper support and a second edge which may be configured to be in contact with the sensor cover. The wiper blade may extend in a corkscrew shape around the wiper support. The wiper motor may be configured to rotate the wiper in a first direction and the sensor motor may be configured to rotate the sensor cover in a second direction opposite the first direction.
Claims23
A system for clearing a sensor cover, the system comprising:
- a wiper comprising a wiper support and a wiper blade;
- a wiper motor configured to rotate the wiper in a selected wiper direction;
- the sensor cover configured to house one or more sensors, the sensor cover including a cover window through which the one or more sensors transmit or receive signals;
- and
- a sensor motor for rotating the sensor cover in a selected sensor direction,
- wherein the wiper blade is configured to clear the sensor cover of debris, and
- wherein the wiper is configured to be rotated by the wiper motor during operation such that the wiper blade is both in contact with the sensor cover and outside of a field of operation of the one or more sensors to avoid blocking the signals being transmitted or received by the one or more sensors.
A system for clearing a sensor cover, the system comprising:
- a wiper comprising a wiper support and a wiper blade;
- a wiper motor configured to rotate the wiper in a first wiper direction;
- the sensor cover configured to house one or more sensors, the sensor cover including a cover window through which signals are transmitted or received by the one or more sensors;
- and
- a sensor motor configured to rotate the sensor cover in a second sensor direction,
- wherein the wiper blade is configured to clear the sensor cover of debris, and
- wherein the wiper is rotated by the wiper motor and placed in contact with the sensor cover without the wiper blocking the signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.