A DETECTOR ON A VEHICLE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an adjustable bracket for mounting a detector on a vehicle. The bracket comprises a foot member and a sensor fixture which is articulated relative the foot member and adapted to be adjusted and locked in different positions. The invention also relates to a method for adjusting the bracket.

BACKGROUND ART

Motor vehicles, such as cars and trucks, are nowadays often provided with a plurality of sensors for detecting different vehicle parameters, for detecting vehicle position relative lane markings, distance to nearby vehicles, and/or for registering objects that may cause a hazardous situation. These sensors may for example include radar, lidar or camera detectors.

In some detector applications, the positioning of the detector is crucial for correct functionality. This is for example the case with windscreen mounted cameras, where in some cases a mounting angle accuracy of plus minus 0.4 degrees is required.

Vehicles, for example commercial vehicles are manufactured in various designs depending on the range of application in which the vehicle is to be used. This means that cab design and differences in ground clearance may affect the detector installation. An adjustable detector bracket makes it possible to adapt to different vehicle configurations.

Known bracket solutions for this purpose usually comprise a foot member and a sensor fixture cradle which is articulated and adapted to be adjusted and locked in different positions relative the foot member. For articulation the foot member is provided with parallel flanges, each one with a pivot bearing for the sensor fixture cradle. For locking the sensor fixture cradle relative the foot member, one end of the cradle is connected via an adjusting metal screw and a helical metal spring to the foot member. This bracket is adjusted by means of a screw driver tool by turning the adjusting screw against the action of the helical spring. In order to provide fine tuning ability, the screw threads need to be fine. Thus, the screw must be rotated a great many turns before the camera can be moved from one end of the adjusting range to the other, which is time consuming. The general configuration with foot member flanges with pivot bearings and with adjustment mechanism including a screw and spring increases cost, size and weight of the bracket. A high static spring force on an adjustment bracket including plastic parts can cause problems due to material ageing.

One object of the invention is to create an adjustable sensor bracket that solves or minimises the above problems. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The above problems have been solved by an arrangement as claimed in the appended claims.

In the subsequent text, the term "sensor bracket" is intended to describe any type of holder/fixture for a sensor or detector that needs to be accurately calibrated in its mounting position.

According to a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to an adjustable bracket for mounting a detector on a vehicle. The bracket comprises a foot member and a sensor fixture which is articulated relative the foot member and adapted to be adjusted and locked in different positions. The foot member is provided with arc shaped guide rails providing controlled pivoting movement of the fixture between fixed positions relative to the foot member. These features enable integration of the adjusting mechanism into the bracket structure.

Preferably, the guide rails and matching contact surfaces of the fixture are adapted to control the pivoting movement in the manner of a pendulum. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor fixture is adapted to be adjusted and locked in different positions relative the foot member by means of a latch mechanism. This feature makes it possible to make quick coarse adjustments. Advantageously, the latch mechanism is adjustably attached to the fixture. This feature makes it possible to make quick fine adjustments. According to a further preferred embodiment, the latch mechanism comprises a latch bolt which is pivotally connected to the fixture.

Preferably, the guide rails are provided with teeth for engagement with a first end of the latch bolt. Also, the latch bolt can be provided with a pivot shaft which is hinged in the fixture.

Advantageously, the latch bolt pivot shaft hinge point is located at a point relatively close to said first end of the latch bolt.

According to another embodiment of the invention the latch bolt is provided with a locking pin adapted to engage with one of a series of complementary apertures in the fixture.

Preferably, the latch bolt locking pin is provided with a pivot shaft which is located at a point relatively close to a second end of the latch bolt. The part of the fixture carrying the latch bolt pivot shaft may form an elastic tongue.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the elastic tongue is adapted for adjustment, to enable the latch bolt to be pressed out of engagement with the teeth of the foot member.

A method according to the invention for adjusting a bracket for mounting a detector on a vehicle, wherein the bracket comprises a foot member and a sensor fixture which is articulated relative the foot member and adapted to be adjusted and locked in different positions, wherein the foot member is provided with arc shaped guide rails providing controlled pivoting movement of the fixture between fixed positions relative to the foot member, and wherein a latch mechanism is adapted to secure the fixture in position relative the foot member, comprises the steps of releasing the latch mechanism between the foot member and the sensor fixture to make a coarse adjustment from a first to a second position, activating the latch mechanism to engage the foot member in the new position, releasing the latch mechanism from engagement with the sensor fixture to make a fine adjustment from a first to a second position, and activating the latch mechanism to engage the sensor fixture in the new position. Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the following description and in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the following text, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. These schematic drawings are used for illustration only and do not in any way limit the scope of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a schematically indicated perspective exploded view of a sensor camera bracket according to the invention; and

Figure 2 shows the bracket of Figure 1 assembled and with parts of it shown enlarged.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to an adjustable sensor bracket for mounting a sensor on a vehicle, for example a commercial truck. One example of sensor installations applicable for this type of adjustable brackets is a windshield camera used in systems for lane detection, adaptive cruise control and/or for automatic emergency braking.

In Figure 1 and 2, an adjustable sensor bracket according to the invention is shown comprising a foot member 10 and a sensor fixture 11 which carries the sensor camera 12 in a fixed position. A latch mechanism 13 enables the sensor fixture 11 to be adjusted and locked in a desired angle relative to the foot member 10.

Parallel sidewalls 14 on the sensor fixture 11 are provided with mounting apertures 15 and a hook arm member 16 designed to cooperate with corresponding means on the sensor camera 12 to hold it in a fixed position between the sidewalls 14. The sensor fixture sidewalls 14 are connected to a radiused base wall 7 with a window opening 18 for the sensor camera 12 lens 19. The radiused edges 17a of the base wall 17 protrude beyond the sidewalls 14. The radius of the base wall 17 is selected so that its centre is close to the sensor camera 12.

The foot member 10 is also provided with a window opening 20 for the sensor camera 12 lens 19. For adjustment, the foot member 10 is provided with two parallel tracks 21 designed to accommodate the edges 17a of the base wall 17 securely without play, allowing the sensor fixture 11 to slide in the tracks 21 between different angle positions in the manner of a pendulum.

The latch mechanism 13 comprises a latch bolt 22 which is pivotally connected to the fixture sidewall 14 via a bolt hole 23 in a tongue portion 24 of the sidewall 14. This tongue portion 24 of the sidewall is separated from the base wall 17, so that it can bend resiliently away from the plane of the surrounding sidewall 14 by force acting on the latch bolt 22 (see arrow 25 in Figure 2). The latch bolt 22 is oblong with a transverse pivot bolt 26 located adjacent a first end 27 of the bolt. A finger pressure plate 28 is positioned substantially in line with the pivot bolt 26, so that force can be applied by a finger to bend the tongue portion 24.

The first end 27 of the latch bolt 22 is designed to engage with a series of teeth 29 along the track 21 , when the tongue portion 24 is in its normal unloaded position. When the tongue portion is bent away from its normal position, the latch bolt is freed from engagement between the first end 27 and the teeth 29. Thus, the sensor fixture 11 can be moved between different angle positions by operating the latch bolt 22 as illustrated in Figure 2 by arrows 25, 30 and 3 . The functionality of the latch bolt 22 enable the sensor fixture 11 to be quickly moved from one end of the track 21 to the other. This provides for course adjustment with a resolution depending on the width of the teeth 29. At the opposite end of the latch bolt 22, the latch mechanism is provided with means for fine adjustment. A transverse locking pin 32 is arranged near the second end of the latch bolt, for example, at a distance several times the distance between the pivot bolt 26 and the first end 27 of the bolt. The latch bolt pin 32 is adapted to engage with one aperture of a series of apertures 34 provided in the nearby sidewall 4 of the sensor fixture 11. The series of apertures 34 are arranged along a radius centred at the bolt hole 23. An ear 35 at the second end 33 of the latch bolt 22 makes it possible apply pressure to the latch bolt end to bend it away from the nearby sidewall 14, to brake engagement between the latch bolt pin 32 and the aperture 34. Thus, the latch bolt can be moved with the pin 32 to an adjacent aperture 34. This movement from one aperture to another will pivot the latch bolt 22 slightly around the pivot bolt 26. From the engagement between the first bolt end 27 and the teeth 29, the pivoting movement (as illustrated in Figure 2 by arrows 36-38) will result in fine adjustment of the sensor fixture 11 in relation to the foot member 10, with a resolution equal to a fraction of the width of a tooth 29. The apertures 34 can be positioned closer than shown in the drawings, or positioned more apart, as suitable.

As an alternative to the apertures 34, the sidewall 14 can be provided with a set of protrusions or teeth for positioning the latch bolt end.

The above described latch mechanism can be mirrored for the opposite sidewall 14 of the sensor fixture 11 , in order to balance arresting forces with the same latch bolt positions selected on both sides of the sensor fixture 11.

The entire bracket with foot member 10, sensor fixture 11 and latch mechanism can be economically manufactured in its three different parts by moulding a flexible plastic material, for example Polypropylene, ABS or Polyamides. The latch mechanism is especially suited for plastic material as it is only loaded by force during adjustment, otherwise the mechanism is relaxed.

The invention is not limited to the examples of embodiments described above but can be modified within the scope of the following patent claims. For example, the invention can in principle be used in all types of vehicles provided with adjustable sensors.