JP2016223948A - Vehicle radome and vehicle radar device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle radome and a vehicle radar device that make effective heating possible.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a radome 3 protecting a front surface side 2a of a rader 2, where electric waves come and go. The radome 3 has a cover 4, a lid part 5, and a planar heating element 9. The cover 4 is located to cover the front surface side 2a, and has a concave part 4a recessed in a direction in which the rader 2 emits electric waves. The concave part 4a has a bottom part 6, where electric waves coming and going with reference to the rader 2 transmit, and a side wall part 7 connected to the bottom part 6. The lid part 5 covers the concave part 4a to form a closed space S in the concave part 4a. The planar heating element 9 is located along the side wall part 7 in the space S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle radome and a vehicle radar device.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that when snow adheres to a vehicular radome in a vehicular radar apparatus, the inner surface of the vehicular radome is melted to melt the snow and operate the vehicular radar apparatus normally.

JP-A-11-142514

  However, in Patent Document 1, since air having heat sent from the air conditioner is sent to the vehicle radome through the pipe, the heat of the sent air is taken away by the pipe and the vehicle radome cannot be efficiently heated. .

  An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular radome and a vehicular radar device that can be efficiently heated.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

The vehicle radome of the present invention is
In the vehicle radome that protects the front side of the vehicle radar where radio waves come and go,
A cover that is located so as to cover the front side and has a recess that is recessed in the irradiation direction in which radio waves are emitted from the vehicle radar;
A lid that closes the recess so as to form a closed space together with the inner surface of the recess;
A sheet heating element located in the space,
The concave portion has a bottom portion through which radio waves coming and going based on the vehicle radar are transmitted, and a side wall portion connected to the bottom portion,
The planar heating element is located along the side wall.

  In the present invention, the planar heating element is located in a closed space formed by the recess and the lid. The recess has a bottom through which radio waves transmitted and received by the side wall and the vehicle radar are transmitted. Therefore, when snow or the like that inhibits radio waves adheres to the outer surface of the bottom, the snow or the like that adheres to the bottom can be melted by warming the space closed by the planar heating element. When melting this snow or the like, the inside of the closed space is heated, so that the inside of the space can be efficiently heated. Furthermore, since the planar heating element is positioned along the side wall, it is possible to warm the space in a state where it is difficult to prevent the transmission and reception of radio waves transmitted and received by the vehicle radar.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the partition member having the lid part, the bottom part, and the side wall part that partitions the space is assembled by assembling a plurality of members including the first member having the side wall on which the planar heating element is located in the side wall part. Composed.

  According to this, the planar heating element can be easily attached in the space by assembling the other member with the planar heating element mounted on the first member.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the first member is a member in which the side wall and the bottom where the planar heating element is located are integrally formed. According to this, since heat is transmitted from the planar heating element to the bottom through the side wall, the heat is easily transmitted to the snow or the like adhering to the bottom, and the snow or the like can be melted effectively. In another embodiment of the present invention, the first member is a member in which a side wall on which the planar heating element is located and a lid portion are integrally formed. By carrying out like this, a cover part and a side wall can be united.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, when the bottom portion is attached so as to constitute the outer surface of the vehicle, at least the planar heating element is located on the side wall portion located on the lower side in the vertical direction.

  According to this, the air heated by the planar heating element becomes an ascending current in the space, and the air in the space can be stirred to efficiently warm the entire space.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the cover is attached to the vehicle such that the side wall portion is embedded in the vehicle and the bottom portion is located on the front side of the vehicle.

  According to this, even if snow or the like adheres to the bottom due to bad weather such as snow, melting the attached snow etc., for example, reduces the function of the vehicle radar to avoid collision with obstacles in front of the vehicle It is possible to operate normally without making it.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the planar heating element has an adhesive layer on the side facing the side wall, and is fixed to the side wall by the adhesive layer.

  According to this, it becomes easy to fix the planar heating element to the side wall portion.

The vehicle radar device of the present invention is
In a vehicle radar device including a vehicle radar that transmits and receives radio waves on the front side, and a vehicle radome that protects the vehicle radar,
The vehicle radome is
A cover that is located so as to cover the front side and has a recess that is recessed in the irradiation direction in which radio waves are emitted from the vehicle radar;
A lid that closes the recess so as to form a closed space together with the inner surface of the recess;
A sheet heating element located in the space,
The concave portion has a bottom portion through which radio waves coming and going based on the vehicle radar are transmitted, and a side wall portion connected to the bottom portion,
The planar heating element is located along the side wall.

  The present invention is an invention configured as a vehicle radar device (the above-described invention is an invention configured as a vehicle radome). Similar to the above-described invention of the vehicle radome, it is possible to melt snow or the like adhering to the bottom without obstructing the traffic of radio waves transmitted and received by the vehicle radar.

The model front view which shows an example of the vehicle provided with the radar apparatus for vehicles of an example of this invention. The schematic perspective view which shows typically the radar apparatus for vehicles of FIG. The schematic cross section which shows typically the cross section which cut | disconnected the radar apparatus for vehicles along arrow (III) in FIG. The model perspective view which shows the state which removed the cover part from the vehicle radome shown in FIG. 2 (model perspective view seen from the back side). The schematic cross section corresponding to FIG. 3 which shows the assembly | attachment state of the member which divides the space in FIG. The schematic cross section which shows the modification 1 of FIG. The schematic cross section which shows the modification 2 of FIG. The schematic cross section which shows the modification 3 of FIG.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a vehicle C including a vehicle radar device 1 that is an example of the present invention. The vehicular radar device 1 is positioned such that, for example, a part is exposed at the center of the front grille C1 located on the front side of the vehicle C and the other part is hidden behind the front grille C1. The vehicle radar device 1 detects, for example, a traveling vehicle in front of the vehicle C, an obstacle in front of the vehicle C, and the like by transmitting a millimeter wave in front of the vehicle C and receiving a reflected wave with respect to the transmitted millimeter wave.

  FIG. 2 shows the vehicle radar device 1 taken out from the vehicle C of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vehicular radar apparatus 1 cut along the arrow (III) in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vehicle radar device 1 includes a vehicle radar (hereinafter, radar 2) and a vehicle radome (hereinafter, radome 3). In FIG. 2, the radar 2 hidden behind the radome 3 is illustrated by a broken line.

  2 and 3, the radar 2 is schematically shown in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Although not shown, the radar 2 has a transmission unit and a reception unit (not shown). A millimeter wave is transmitted from the transmission unit toward an object around the vehicle C, and a reflected wave obtained by reflecting the transmitted millimeter wave on the object is received by the reception unit, thereby measuring a distance from the object. The vehicle C is controlled by a control unit (not shown) based on the measured distance, and for example, control for avoiding a collision with a traveling vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle C is executed. In the rectangular parallelepiped radar 2, the front side of FIG. 2 and the left side of FIG. 3 are the front surface 2 a of the radar 2. Waves travel on the front 2a side. The millimeter wave detection range R is, for example, a range defined by the virtual line L in FIG. 3 and the front surface 2 a of the radar 2.

  The radar 2 is protected by a radome 3, and the radome 3 includes a cover 4 (FIG. 4) formed in a container shape having an opening, and a lid portion 5 (FIG. 3) that closes (covers) the container-shaped opening. The cover 4 is positioned so as to cover the front surface 2a side of the radar 2, and has a recess 4a that is recessed in the irradiation direction of the millimeter wave transmitted from the front surface 2a.

  FIG. 4 shows the cover 4 (concave portion 4a) viewed from the front surface 2a side of the radar 2. The recess 4 a is formed in a container shape having a bottom 6, a side wall 7, and an opening 8. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the bottom portion 6 is formed in a square plate shape, is positioned to face the front surface 2 a of the radar 2, and protects the front surface 2 a side of the radar 2. The bottom 6 is made of a radio wave-transmitting material (for example, polycarbonate, AES resin, etc.) that can transmit millimeter waves, and millimeter waves (transmitted waves and reflected waves) with the radar 2 as a base point pass through the bottom 6. The outer surface of the bottom 6 (the surface shown in FIG. 2) is decorated with, for example, an emblem. As shown in FIG. 4, the side wall 7 has a plurality of (four) side walls 7 a (upper, lower, left and right side walls 7 a) corresponding to the rectangular bottom 6, and is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole. The One end of the cylindrical shape is connected to the bottom portion 6, while the other end side is opened to form a rectangular opening portion 8. In a state where the concave portion 4a (cover 4) is attached to the vehicle C, the side wall portion 7 is embedded inside the vehicle C, and the bottom portion 6 is located on the front side of the vehicle. ) Is the bottom 6. The side wall 7 and the opening 8 are made of the same material as the bottom 6.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the lid 5 is formed in, for example, a rectangular plate shape. The lid 5 closes the recess 4 a so as to form a closed space S together with a part of the side wall 7 and the inner surface of the bottom 6, and is positioned facing the front surface 2 a side of the radar 2. The lid 5 is made of a material having radio wave permeability that allows millimeter waves to pass through the lid 5 similarly to the bottom 6, and millimeter waves (transmitted waves and reflected waves) based on the radar 2 are transmitted through the lid 5. To do. The lid 5 may be arranged in any shape and anywhere as long as the space S can be partitioned inside the recess 4a.

  A closed space S is formed in the cover 3 by the inner surface of the lid portion 5, the bottom portion 6, and some of the side wall portions 7. The closed space S is preferably sealed or sealed, but is not necessarily sealed or sealed. For example, the closed space S is closed to such an extent that air in the space S can stay in the space S. If it is. In FIG. 3, a space S is formed by the side wall part 7 excluding a part of the side wall 7 a such as the upper side wall 7 a shown in the drawing, the bottom part 6, and the lid part 5, and a triangular space S having a narrow upper space is formed.

  In the space S, a sheet-like planar heating element 9 is arranged. The sheet heating element 9 includes a sheet-like main body portion 9a in which resistance is stretched and an adhesive layer 9b formed on the back surface of the main body portion 9a. The main body 9a is connected to a power source (not shown), and warms the air in the space S with heat generated by current flowing through the resistance of the main body 9a when the power is turned on. In FIG. 3, for example, a wiring hole for supplying power to the planar heating element 9 is formed in the side wall portion 7 or the lid portion 5, and the wiring is connected to the planar heating element 9. (Not shown). In the case where a hole through which wiring is passed is formed in the side wall portion 7 or the lid portion 5, the airtightness in the space S may be improved by sealing the hole.

  The main body 9a is located on the upper surface of the side wall 7a along the side wall 7a. On the other hand, the adhesive layer 9b is located opposite to the side wall 7a, and the main body 9a is fixed to the side wall 7a by the adhesive layer 9b. FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to a state in which the bottom portion 6 is attached so as to constitute the outer surface (front surface) of the vehicle C as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. It is located on the side wall 7a located on the lower side. As the planar heating element 9, for example, a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heating element can be employed.

  The cover part 5, the bottom part 6, and the side wall part 7 which divide the space S are comprised by assembling a some member as shown in FIG. 5, for example. Specifically, the first member 10 having the side wall 7a where the planar heating element 9 is located and the second member 11 having the lid portion 5 are assembled. The first member 10 is configured as a member in which a lower side wall 7a where the planar heating element 9 is located and a bottom portion 6 are integrally formed. The second member 11 is configured as a member in which the lid 5 and the upper side wall 7a are integrally formed. The members to be assembled are not limited to two members, and may be three or more members.

  The vehicle radar device 1 configured as described above is attached to a front grille C1 of the vehicle C as shown in FIG. For example, when traveling by the vehicle C to which the vehicle radar device 1 is attached during bad weather such as snowing, the snow or the like accumulates on the bottom portion 6 exposed on the front side of the vehicle C. Then, the millimeter wave transmitted from the radar 2 and the reflected wave that reflects the millimeter wave and returns to the radar 2 are obstructed by snow or the like, and the object around the vehicle C cannot be detected, or the detection accuracy decreases. As a result, the function for avoiding the collision with the traveling vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle C cannot be exhibited, or the function or the like is deteriorated.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the planar heating element 9 is provided in the closed space S defined by the bottom portion 6 (a portion where snow or the like accumulates), the lid portion 5 and a part of the side wall portion 7 shown in FIG. The space S is heated by the heating element 9 to melt snow or the like accumulated on the bottom 6. Since the planar heating element 9 is provided in the closed space S, the space S can be efficiently heated. Since the planar heating element 9 is located on the side wall 7a, the space S can be warmed without obstructing the detection range R of the radar 2. Further, since the planar heating element 9 is positioned on the lower side wall 7a, the air warmed by the planar heating element 9 becomes an ascending current in the space S, and the air in the space S is agitated. It becomes possible to warm the whole efficiently.

  The space S to be warmed is triangular in cross section as shown in FIG. 3, and the upper space is formed narrow, so that the warmed air is less likely to stay above the space S, and the space S is efficiently It becomes possible to warm up.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the cover part 5, the bottom part 6, and one part side wall part 7 which divide | segment the space S are comprised by assembling | attaching the 1st and 2nd members 10 and 11 (partition member). Specifically, the first member 10 is a member having a lower side wall 7a where the planar heating element 9 is located. Therefore, it is possible to attach the planar heating element 9 in the space S by assembling the first member 10 and the second member 11 with the planar heating element 9 fixed to the first member 10. Installation work is simplified. Further, the first member 10 is a member in which the lower side wall 7a where the planar heating element 9 is located and the bottom part 6 are integrally formed. Therefore, the first member 10 passes through the lower side wall 7a from the planar heating element 9 to the bottom part. Heat is transmitted to 6. Therefore, heat is easily transmitted to the snow adhering to the bottom portion 6, and the snow can be melted effectively.

  Further, since the planar heating element 9 is fixed to the side wall 7a by the adhesive layer 9b, it is easy to fix it to the side wall 7a. And, when a PTC heating element is adopted as the planar heating element 9, temperature control in the space S becomes easy.

  In the above description, as shown in FIG. 5, as the first member 10, an example is shown in which the lower side wall 7 a where the planar heating element 9 is located and the bottom 6 are integrally formed. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower side wall 7a where the planar heating element 9 is located and the lid 5 may be formed integrally. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the first member 10 and the second member 11 may be assembled so that the planar heating element 9 is sandwiched between the first member 10 and the second member 11. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the cover 4 may be integrally formed, and the cover 4 and the lid 5 may be assembled with the lid 5 separate.

  In the above description, the example in which the planar heating element 9 is located on the lower side wall 7a is shown. However, in addition to the lower side, the planar heating element 9 may be provided on the upper and left and right side walls 7a shown in FIG. Good.

  In the above description, an example in which the space S having a triangular cross section is partitioned as shown in FIG. 3 has been described, but the space S having a rectangular cross section may be partitioned as shown in FIG.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific description, and the illustrated configurations and the like can be appropriately combined within a technically consistent range. In addition, certain elements and processes may be replaced with known forms.

  In the description of the above embodiment, the millimeter wave is illustrated as an example of the radio wave. However, the radio wave is not limited to the millimeter wave and may be any radio wave that is inhibited by snow or the like. Moreover, although snow was illustrated as an obstruction which adheres to the bottom part 6 and inhibits an electromagnetic wave, not only snow but ice, rain, etc. may be melt | dissolved with the heat which heats the inside of the space S, or it may evaporate.

  In the description of the above embodiment, an example in which the vehicle radar device 1 is attached to the center of the front grille C1 has been shown. However, the vehicular radar device 1 is not limited to the center of the front grill C1, but can be provided as appropriate, and may be provided at a location other than the front grill C1.

  In the description of the above embodiment, the concave portion 4a of the cover 4 is exemplified by the concave portion 4a having the bottom portion 6 and the opening portion 8 having a square shape, but the bottom portion 6 and the opening portion 8 may have a polygonal shape other than the rectangular shape. The shape may be a circle or an ellipse. Further, the shape may be changed between the bottom 6 and the opening 8.

1 Vehicle radar system 2 Radar (vehicle radar)
2a Front 3 Radome (Vehicle radome)
4 Cover 4a Recessed part 5 Lid part 6 Bottom part 7 Side wall part 7a Side wall 9 Planar heating element 10 First member 11 Second member S Space

Claims (8)

In the vehicle radome that protects the front side of the vehicle radar where radio waves come and go,
A cover that is located so as to cover the front side and has a recess that is recessed in an irradiation direction in which radio waves are emitted from the vehicle radar;
A lid that closes the recess so as to form a closed space together with the inner surface of the recess;
A planar heating element located in the space,
The concave portion has a bottom portion through which radio waves traveling based on the vehicle radar are transmitted, and a side wall portion connected to the bottom portion,
The vehicular radome is characterized in that the planar heating element is positioned along the side wall portion.   The partition member having the lid, the bottom, and the side wall for partitioning the space is configured by assembling a plurality of members including a first member having a side wall on which the planar heating element is located in the side wall. The radome for vehicles according to claim 1 to be performed.   The vehicular radome according to claim 2, wherein the first member is a member in which the side wall where the planar heating element is located and the bottom portion are integrally formed.   The vehicular radome according to claim 2, wherein the first member is a member in which the side wall on which the planar heating element is located and the lid portion are integrally formed.   5. The sheet heating element according to claim 1, wherein, when the bottom portion is attached so as to constitute an outer surface of the vehicle, the planar heating element is positioned at least on the side wall portion positioned on the lower side in the vertical direction. Vehicle radome.   The vehicle radome according to claim 5, wherein the cover is attached to the vehicle such that the side wall portion is embedded in the vehicle and the bottom portion is positioned on the front side of the vehicle.   The vehicular radome according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the planar heating element has an adhesive layer on a side facing the side wall portion, and is fixed to the side wall portion by the adhesive layer. In a vehicle radar device including a vehicle radar in which radio waves travel on the front side, and a vehicle radome that protects the vehicle radar,
The vehicle radome is
A cover that is located so as to cover the front side and has a recess that is recessed in an irradiation direction in which radio waves are emitted from the vehicle radar;
A lid that closes the recess so as to form a closed space together with the inner surface of the recess;
A planar heating element located in the space,
The concave portion has a bottom portion through which radio waves traveling based on the vehicle radar are transmitted, and a side wall portion connected to the bottom portion,
The vehicular radar device, wherein the planar heating element is positioned along the side wall portion.

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