AU2004200555B2 - Backing Sensor Module With A Detachable Ornamental Front Cover - Google Patents

Description

S&F Ref: 666638

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Tung Thih Enterprise Co., Ltd No. 42, Nei Tso St.

Luchu-Taoyuan 338 Taiwan Shin-Chung Chen Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Backing Sensor Module With A Detachable Ornamental Front Cover The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845c O BACKING SENSOR MODULE WITH A DETACHABLE SORNAMENTAL FRONT COVER Technical Field 00 The present invention relates backing sensors module and, more particularly, to such a backing sensor module, which has the casing and the ornamental front cover separately made and detachably fastened together.

Description of Related Art In recent years, due to fully use of land, to back a car becomes more and more difficult. For safety backing, a car may be equipped with a backing sensor module. A conventional backing sensor module generally comprises a casing, an ornamental front cover directly molded on the casing, a back sonar and a circuit board mounted inside the casing to have the front face of the back sonar exposed to the front opening of the casing, and silicon glue fully filled inside the casing to seal the circuit board and the back sonar.

When assembled, the casing is spray-coated with a color paint subject to individual's demand.

Because the casing and the ornamental front cover are formed integral with each other, they are painted together. In order to fit different model of cars, differently colored backing sensor modules must be prepared. Due to this limitation, every supplier must Skeep a big number of backing sensor modules of different colors in stock to fit different demands, thereby increasing the inventory cost.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome or ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

1915826-1 :hxa Summary of the Invention The present invention at least in one embodiment provides a backing sensor 0 module, which has the casing and the front cover separately prepared and then detachably fastened together such that different designs of front cover can be selectively used with the casing to fit different designs of front cover can be selectively used with the casing to fit different types of cars, thereby facilitating inventory control and saving inventory cost.

SThe present invention in a first aspect provides a backing sensor module Scomprising a casing, a back sonar, a shock-absorbing gasket, and an ornamental front cover. The casing comprises an inside chamber, a front opening in communication with io the inside chamber, a back cover covered on the rear side of the inside chamber opposite to the front opening, and at least one coupling member disposed at the outer periphery thereof. The back sonar is peripherally covered with a shock-absorbing bushing and mounted with the shock-absorbing bushing inside the inside chamber, having a front face facing the front opening of the casing, an electric wire electrically connected to a circuit board mounted inside the casing. The ornamental front cover is covered on the casing around the front opening, having a center opening corresponding to the front opening of the casing, a flange extended around the center opening, at least one coupling member respectively fastened to the at least one coupling member of the casing, and front face, which can be coated with a paint subject to the color of the rear bumper of the car in which the backing sensor module is to be installed. The annular shock-absorbing gasket is sandwiched in between the flange of the ornamental front cover and the back sonar.

According to the aforesaid arrangement, the casing and the ornamental front cover are 1915826-1:hxa separately prepared and then detachably fastened together. Therefore, different designs of ornamental front covers can be selectively used with the casing to fit different models of cars.

The coupling members of the casing and the coupling members of the ornamental front cover are male coupling members and female coupling members, for example, the coupling members of the casing are wedge blocks, and the coupling members of the casing are locating lugs each having a locating hole adapted to receive the wedge blocks of the casing respectively. Preferably, the casing is made having guide grooves, and the back cover is made having guide blocks respectively engaged into the guide grooves of the casing.

The aforesaid shock-absorbing bushing can be made of any of a variety of suitable shock-absorbing materials, preferably, rubber. The aforesaid shock-absorbing gasket can be made having any of a variety of shapes, preferably formed of a rubber O-ring.

Further, a shock-absorbing gasket may be fastened to the ornamental front cover. The shock-absorbing gasket has an annular front flange fitted into the gap in between the flange of the ornamental front cover and the back sonar.

Because the ornamental front cover and the casing are detachably fastened together, the casing and the ornamental front cover can be colored with different colors subject different requirements, thereby facilitating inventory control and saving inventory cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a backing sensor module according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the backing sensor module according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a shock-absorbing packing member according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an applied view of the present invention, showing the backing sensor module installed in the rear bumper of a car.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a backing sensor module 6 is shown comprising a hollow casing 1 covered with a back cover 12. The casing 1 has a front opening 11, a rear opening (not shown), an inside chamber 10 in communication between the front opening 11 and the rear opening, two wedge blocks 13 symmetrically protruded from the outer periphery at two sides adjacent to the front opening 11, and a plurality of guide grooves 14 axially extended in the outer periphery. The back cover 12 is fastened to the casing 1 to close the rear opening, having a plurality of forwardly extended peripheral guide blocks 122 respectively fitted into the guide grooves 14.

The backing sensor module 6 further comprises a back sonar 2 mounted inside the inside chamber 10 of the casing 1. After insertion of the back sonar 2 into the inside chamber 10, silicon glue is filled in the casing 1 to seal the back sonar 2 and to protect the back sonar 2 against water and isolate the back sonar 2 from electricity. The back sonar 2 comprises an electric wire 22 and a shock-absorbing bushing 23. The shock-absorbing bushing 23 is a rubber bushing sleeved onto the periphery of the back sonar 2 for lessening shocks. The electric wire 22 is connected to a circuit board in the inside chamber 10 of the casing 1 (see FIG. The back sonar 2 has a front face 21 coated with a paint of same color as the rear bumper 5 of the car in which the backing sensor module 6 is installed (see FIG. 3).

The backing sensor module 6 further comprises a shock-absorbing gasket 3 and an ornamental front cover 4. The shock-absorbing gasket is a rubber O-ring. The ornamental front cover 4 has a center opening 41 defining a flange 411, and two mounting lugs 421 backwardly extended from the back wall 42 at two sides corresponding to the wedge blocks 13 of the casing 1. The center opening 41 has a diameter slightly greater than the front face 21 of the back sonar 2. The mounting lugs 421 each define a locating hole 422. By means of forcing the locating holes 422 of the mounting lugs 421 into engagement with the wedge blocks 13 of the casing 1, the ornamental front cover 4 is fastened to the casing 1 to hold down the back sonar 2 in the casing 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the shock-absorbing gasket 3 is sandwiched in between the flange 411 of the ornamental front cover 4 and the shock-absorbing bushing 23 of the back sonar 2. Because the shock-absorbing gasket 3 is jammed in between the flange 411 of the ornamental front cover 4 and the shock-absorbing bushing 23 of the back sonar 2, it is deformed to fill up the gap d between the flange 411 and the back sonar 2, protecting the back sonar 2 against outside moisture and dust.

By means of the aforesaid design, the casing 1 and the ornamental front cover 4 can be painted separately subject to demand.

Referring to FIG. 3, the shock-absorbing gasket 3 can be made having a circular cross section. Further, a shock-absorbing gasket 7 comprising an annular front flange 72 fitted into the gap d between the flange 411 and the back sonar 2, protecting the back sonar 2 against outside moisture and dust.

FIG. 4 shows the backing sensor module 6 is installed in the rear bumper 5. Further, the ornamental front cover 4 has a front face 40 coated with a paint of same color as the rear bumper 5 (see also FIG. 2).

Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims (9)

1. A backing sensor module comprising: a casing, said casing comprising an inside chamber, a front opening in communication with said inside chamber, a back cover covered on a rear side of said inside chamber opposite to said front opening, and at least one coupling member disposed at the outer periphery thereof; a back sonar peripherally covered with a shock-absorbing bushing and mounted with said shock-absorbing bushing inside said inside chamber, said back sonar having a front face; an ornamental front cover covered on said casing around said front opening, said ornamental front cover having a center opening corresponding to the front opening of said casing, a flange radially extended around the center opening of said ornamental front cover, and at least one coupling member axially extended from a rear side of said ornamental front cover and correspondingly fastened to the at least one coupling member of said casing; and an annular shock-absorbing gasket sandwiched in between said ornamental front cover and said back sonar.

2. The backing sensor module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one coupling device of said casing each is a wedge block, and the at least one coupling device of said ornamental front cover each is a locating hole adapted to correspondingly receive one wedge block of said casing.

3. The backing sensor module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said casing comprises at least one guide groove, and said back cover comprises at least one guide block correspondingly engaged into the at least one guide groove of said casing.

4. The backing sensor module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front face of said back sonar is coated with a paint.

5. The backing sensor module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shock-absorbing bushing is a rubber bushing.

6. The backing sensor module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shock-absorbing gasket is a rubber O-ring.

7. The backing sensor module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shock-absorbing gasket further comprising an annular front flange fitted into a gap in between the flange of said ornamental front cover and said back sonar.

8. The backing sensor module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ornamental front cover has a front face coated with a color paint. I

9. A backing sensor module substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 12 February, 2004 Tung Thih Enterprise Co., Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBTT]03548.doc:hxa