Integrated cooling solution for spinning sensors
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorsSimon Ellgas, Justin Matthew Andrade
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This technology relates to a system for cooling sensor components. The cooling system may include a sensor which has a sensor housing, a motor, a main vent, and a side vent. Internal sensor components may be positioned within the sensor housing. The motor may be configured to rotate the sensor housing around an axis. The rotation of the sensor housing may pull air into an interior portion of the sensor housing through the main vent, and the air pulled into the interior portion of the sensor housing may be exhausted out of the interior portion of the sensor housing through the side vent.
Claims20
A system for cooling sensor components, the system comprising:
- a sensor including:
- a sensor housing;
- a main vent defined on the sensor housing;
- a side vent defined on the sensor housing;
- and
- one or more guide blades mounted in an interior portion of the sensor housing and near the main vent, wherein the one or more guide blades lie in one or more respective planes that each extend radially outward from an axis;
- and
- a motor configured to rotate the sensor housing and the one or more guide blades around the axis,
- wherein the rotation of the sensor housing pulls air into the interior portion of the sensor housing through the main vent,
- wherein the rotation of the one or more guide blades moves the air away from the main vent to other portions of the interior of the sensor housing, and
- wherein the air pulled into the interior portion of the sensor housing is exhausted out of the sensor housing through the side vent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.