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 cleating 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.
Claims20
A system for cleaning a sensor cover, the system comprising:
- a wiper comprising a wiper support and a wiper blade;
- the sensor cover configured to house one or more sensors therein;
- and
- a sensor motor configured to rotate the sensor cover in a selected sensor direction;
- wherein:
- the wiper is configured to rotate in a selected wiper direction when in contact with the sensor cover due to friction caused by rotation of the sensor cover;
- and
- during rotation the wiper blade is configured to clear the sensor cover of debris 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.
A system for clearing a sensor cover, the system comprising:
- a wiper comprising a wiper support and a wiper blade with a first edge attached to an external surface of the wiper support and a second edge extending outwards from the external surface of the wiper support in a radial direction, wherein the first and the second edge define an angle relative to the wiper support;
- and
- the sensor cover is configured to house one or more sensors therein;
- wherein the wiper blade is configured to be deformed from an initial distance to a reduced distance when in contact with the sensor cover;
- and
- wherein the wiper blade is configured to clear the sensor cover of debris such that during operation the wiper blade is both in contact with the sensor cover and outside of a field of operation of the one or more sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.