System for cleaning on-vehicle optical sensor and method for the same
The on-vehicle optical sensor cleaning system includes a washer pump that feeds a cleaning liquid, an air pump, a nozzle member, and a controller. The air pump includes a discharge valve and discharges air through the discharge valve. The discharge valve opens when air is compressed in the air pump. The nozzle member includes an ejection port that ejects a gas-liquid mixture toward a sensing surface of an on-vehicle optical sensor to remove foreign matter from the sensing surface. The cleaning liquid from the washer pump and the air from the air pump are mixed in the gas-liquid mixture. The controller controls the washer pump and the air pump. The controller is configured so that the gas-liquid mixture is ejected by storing the cleaning liquid in the nozzle member to cover the ejection port and then feeding the air to the nozzle member.
1. A method for cleaning an on-vehicle optical sensor comprising:
storing a cleaning liquid in a nozzle member to cover an ejection port of the nozzle member,
feeding air to the nozzle member in a state in which the stored cleaning liquid covers the ejection port; and
ejecting a gas-liquid mixture in which the stored cleaning liquid and air are mixed toward a sensing surface of the on-vehicle optical sensor to remove foreign matter from the sensing surface.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising moving the nozzle member frontward by feeding air to the nozzle member.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising ejecting newly compressed air after ejecting the gas-liquid mixture.