JP2002071789A - Obstruction detecting device for motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To mount an ultrasonic sensor and a harness to a bumper without laboring even at a narrow space inside the bumper. SOLUTION: The ultrasonic sensor 1 and the harness 3 connected to the ultrasonic sensor 1 are mounted to the bumper 4 through the use of a retainer 2. The ultrasonic sensor 1 is bent in such a way as to be approximately in parallel with the direction of extension of the bumper 4, and the harness 3 is fixed to the bumper 4 by the retainer 3 so as to be extended approximately in parallel with the direction of extension of the bumper 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an obstacle detecting device for a vehicle which detects an obstacle using ultrasonic waves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ultrasonic sensor of a vehicle obstacle detecting device is mounted on a bumper. Normally, the case of the ultrasonic sensor and the retainer (holding member) are integrated and fixed to the bumper with one touch, or fixed to the bumper using a spacer and a nut. For the harness, which is a signal line from the ultrasonic sensor to the outside,
It is separately fixed inside the bumper using a holding member.

[0003]

However, since the space inside the bumper is limited, there arises a problem that it is difficult to mount the ultrasonic sensor and the holding member and to manage the harness.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to fix an ultrasonic sensor and a harness in a bumper without difficulty even in a narrow space inside the bumper.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, an ultrasonic sensor and a harness connected to the ultrasonic sensor are fixed to a bumper using a single holding member. Therefore, only one holding member is sufficient, and the mounting space can be saved. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the ultrasonic sensor is bent so as to be substantially parallel to the extending direction of the bumper, and the holding member is so arranged that the harness extends substantially parallel to the extending direction of the bumper. As a result, the portion of the ultrasonic sensor and the harness fixed to the bumper extends substantially parallel to the bumper, thereby saving mounting space.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a state in which the ultrasonic sensor 1 is attached to a bumper 4. In FIG. 1, the ultrasonic sensor 1 has one end (a part for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves) penetrating a hole provided in the bumper 4 and is disposed outside the bumper 4. Further, the ultrasonic sensor 1 is substantially L inside the bumper 4 so as to be substantially
The other end is connected to the harness 3 via the connector 5. The harness 3 extends substantially parallel to the direction in which the bumper 4 extends, and is held by a retainer 2 described later. Note that FIG. 1 shows a cross section of the bumper 4 and harness holding portions 22a and 22b, which will be described later, in order to clearly show the state of attachment of the ultrasonic sensor 1 to the bumper 4 and the state of holding the harness 3 to the retainer 2.

FIG. 2 is a plan view, FIG. 3 is a front view, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the retainer 2. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the assembly of the retainer 2 and the ultrasonic sensor 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a notch 21a is formed in the retainer 2. When the retainer 2 and the ultrasonic sensor 1 are assembled in a direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. The retainer 2 is fitted. Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the retainer 2 is formed with C-shaped harness holding portions 22a and 22b. Harness holding part 22
The inner diameters of a and 22b are substantially the same as the diameter of the harness 3,
Hold the harness 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, elastic legs 23 a and 23 are provided on the back of the retainer 2.
b, 23c are formed, and the legs 23a, 23b,
23c is slightly elastically deformed and abuts on the front bumper 4 to perform positioning, and is fixed to the bumper 4. The legs 23a and 23b are formed of resin, and the legs 23c are formed of metal pieces.

Next, a method of fixing the ultrasonic sensor 1 and the harness 3 to the bumper 4 will be described. First, the ultrasonic sensor 1 is fitted through a hole provided in the bumper 4, and then the harness 3 is connected to the ultrasonic sensor 1 via the connector 5.
At this time, the harness 3 is not fixed to the bumper. Thereafter, the retainer 2 is fitted to the ultrasonic sensor 1 at the notch 21a, and the legs 23a, 23b,
The ultrasonic sensor 1 and the retainer 2 are fixed to the bumper 4 by bringing the 3c into contact with the bumper 4. Finally, the harness holding section 2
By holding the harness 3 at 2a, 22b, the harness 3 is also fixed to the bumper 4.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the ultrasonic sensor 1 and the harness 3 are held by the retainer 2 and fixed to the bumper 4, a small mounting space in the bumper is required. However, there is an effect that the ultrasonic sensor 1 and the harness 3 can be easily fixed in the bumper 4. The ultrasonic sensor 1 is bent in an L shape so as to be substantially parallel to the direction in which the bumper 4 extends, and the retainer 2 is arranged so that the harness 3 extends substantially in parallel to the direction in which the bumper 4 extends. The ultrasonic sensor 1 and the bumper 4 of the harness 3 are fixed to the bumper 4 by the
Is extended substantially in parallel with the bumper 4, so that the mounting space can be saved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state where an ultrasonic sensor 1 is attached to a bumper 4. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the retainer 2. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the retainer 2. FIG.

4 is a side view of the retainer 2. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the assembly of the retainer 2 and the ultrasonic sensor 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic sensor 2 Retainer 3 Harness 4 Bumper

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) B60R 21/00 628 G01S 15/93 G01S 15/93 7/52 B (72) Inventor Yasuhiro Kawashima Kariya, Aichi Prefecture 1-1-1 Showa-cho, Denso Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tomoyuki Funayama 1-Toyota-cho, Toyota-shi, Aichi Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Ken-ichi Ohgami 1-Toyota-cho, Toyota-shi, Toyota, Aichi F-term (reference) in Automobile Co., Ltd. 5J083 AA02 AB13 AC31 AD01 AE10 AF09 CA32

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An obstacle detecting device for a vehicle, wherein an ultrasonic sensor and a harness connected to the ultrasonic sensor are fixed to a bumper using one holding member. 2. The holding member, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is bent so as to be substantially parallel to an extending direction of the bumper, and the harness extends so as to be substantially parallel to an extending direction of the bumper. 2. The obstacle detecting device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle detecting device is fixed to the bumper.