JP2020016736A - Lidar cover - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow for giving a whitish color to a lidar cover without using white ink.SOLUTION: A lidar cover 1 provided herein is configured to cover a lidar unit mounted on a vehicle from outside and transmit measurement light of the lidar unit, the lidar cover having a diffuse-reflective surface configured to diffusively reflect visible light and comprising a diffuse-reflective material 3 configured to transmit the measurement light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a rider cover.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, mounting of a rider unit for detecting an obstacle or the like around a vehicle on a vehicle has been advanced due to an increase in safety awareness or the like. The rider unit emits measurement light such as infrared light and receives the reflected light, thereby acquiring data indicating the distance to an object such as an obstacle and the shape of the object. When such a rider unit is mounted on a vehicle, a rider cover may be installed in front of the rider unit for protection of the rider unit, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP-A-2004-198617

  Generally, the rider cover is arranged at a position visible from the outside of the vehicle. For this reason, it may be required to match the color of the rider cover with the color of the vehicle or the like. In such a case, it is conceivable to provide a desired color to the rider cover by installing a layer made of colored ink that can transmit measurement light such as infrared light emitted by the rider unit on the rider cover.

  However, in recent years, the painting technology of vehicles is advanced, and it is difficult to approach a vehicle color only with a single ink layer. For this reason, it is conceivable that a plurality of ink layers are stacked on the rider cover. However, the transmittance of the measurement light is lower in the ink layer than in the layer transparent to the measurement light. At present, the transmittance of the measurement light of the white ink layer is particularly poor. When the white ink layer is provided on the rider cover, the transmittance of the measurement light is greatly reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a rider cover with a white-like color without using white ink.

  The present invention employs the following configuration as means for solving the above-mentioned problems.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lidar cover which covers a rider unit mounted on a vehicle from the outside and is capable of transmitting measurement light of the rider unit, the surface of the lid cover being a diffuse reflection surface for diffusely reflecting visible light, and A configuration in which a visible light diffuse reflection layer capable of transmitting light is provided is employed.

  According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, a configuration is provided in which a colored layer is provided outside the visible light diffusing reflection layer and is capable of transmitting the measurement light.

  According to a third aspect, in the second aspect, a configuration is provided in which a transparent protective layer that covers the colored layer from the outside is provided.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, a configuration is provided in which a support layer is provided on the back side of the visible light diffuse reflection layer and supports the visible light diffuse reflection layer. I do.

  In a fifth aspect based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, the visible light diffusion / reflection layer has a plurality of surfaces through which the measurement light passes, and only one of the plurality of surfaces is diffused. A configuration that is a reflection surface is employed.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the diffuse reflection surface is disposed only in a part of the entire region of the rider cover when viewed from the outside of the vehicle. adopt.

  According to the present invention, the surface is a diffuse reflection surface that diffusely reflects visible light, and includes a visible light diffuse reflection layer that can transmit measurement light. The diffuse reflection surface of the visible light diffuse reflection layer diffusely reflects external light incident from the outside. For this reason, those who visually recognize the rider cover from the outside see the diffuse reflection surface as white. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to impart a white color to the rider cover without using white ink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic block diagram including the rider cover in one Embodiment of this invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a rider cover according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a mimetic diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of a rider cover in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view showing a modification of a rider cover in one embodiment of the present invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing typically the modification of the rider cover in one embodiment of the present invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing typically the modification of the rider cover in one embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a rider cover according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1st Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram including a rider cover 1 of the present embodiment, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view. The rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is a cover member arranged so as to cover the rider unit U mounted on the vehicle from the outside of the vehicle. For example, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is disposed in front of the rider unit U when the rider unit U emits measurement light to the front of the vehicle, and is arranged in the case where the rider unit U emits measurement light to the right side of the vehicle. Is arranged on the right side of the rider unit U, and is arranged on the left side of the rider unit U when the rider unit U emits the measurement light to the left side of the vehicle, and the rider unit U emits the measurement light behind the vehicle. When ejecting, it is arranged behind the rider unit U. That is, the installation posture of the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is not particularly limited.

  The rider unit U covered by the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is a device that emits infrared laser light or the like as measurement light and acquires the distance to the object and the shape of the object based on the reflected light of the measurement light. . Such a rider unit U includes, for example, an emission unit having a light source that generates measurement light, an irradiation lens that guides measurement light, a light-receiving lens that guides incident reflected light, and a light-receiving lens that converts reflected light into an electric signal. A light receiving unit having elements and the like, and an arithmetic unit that performs signal processing on an electric signal output from the light receiving unit are provided. The configuration of the rider unit U is not particularly limited.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is arranged with the back side facing the rider unit U side. Such a rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is supported by other components (not shown). Note that the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment does not necessarily have to be substantially rectangular. For example, when the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is disposed so as to be fitted into an opening formed in another resin exterior component, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment has a shape corresponding to the opening shape. You. For example, when the opening is circular, the shape of the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is circular, and when the opening is triangular, the shape of the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is triangular. . Furthermore, the front and back surfaces of the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment do not necessarily have to be flat. For example, when the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is installed integrally with a member having another curved surface, the front and back surfaces are curved so that the surface of the other member is flush with the surface. Is also good. Further, for example, the entire shape of the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment can be the shape of the resin exterior component. In such a case, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment can be used as a resin exterior component.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view schematically showing the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment includes a support base material 2 (support layer), a diffuse reflection material 3 (visible light diffuse reflection layer), an ink layer 4 (colored layer), and a transparent protective layer. And a layer 5.

  The support base material 2 is a strength member that supports the diffuse reflection material 3, the ink layer 4, and the transparent protective layer 5. When the surface facing the outside of the vehicle with the rider cover 1 attached to the vehicle is the front of the rider cover 1 and the surface facing the inside of the vehicle is the back of the rider cover 1, the support base material 2 1 is arranged on the rearmost side. Such a support base material 2 is formed of a material that transmits the measurement light of the rider unit U, and is formed of, for example, a black PC (polycarbonate) material.

  The diffuse reflection material 3 is a layer member that is interposed between the support base material 2 and the ink layer 4 and that diffuses and reflects external light incident from the front side of the rider cover 1. The diffuse reflection material 3 is formed of a resin material (PC, acrylic, or the like) transparent to visible light and measurement light of the rider unit U, and has a surface facing the front side of the rider cover 1 (front side 3a). ) Is a diffuse reflection surface that diffusely reflects visible light. On the other hand, the surface of the diffuse reflector 3 facing the rear side of the rider cover 1 (back surface 3b) is a smooth surface in the present embodiment, and is a surface for diffusely reflecting visible light. Absent. That is, in the present embodiment, the diffuse reflector 3 has a front surface 3a that is a rough surface that diffusely reflects visible light, and a back surface 3b that is a smooth surface that does not diffusely reflect light. The diffuse reflection material 3 is formed, for example, by performing a blast process on the surface of a sheet-like member formed of the above resin material. In addition, a sheet member having a texture formed of the above resin material can be used as the diffuse reflection material 3.

  Such a diffuse reflection material 3 diffusely reflects external light that enters from the front side of the rider cover 1 and passes through the transparent protective layer 5 and the ink layer 4 on the front side surface 3a. As a result, the front side surface 3a of the diffuse reflection material 3 is visually recognized as white by the person who views from the outside without the ink layer 4. That is, in the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment, the same color as in the case where the rider cover 1 has the white ink layer can be obtained without having the white ink layer. Further, since the diffuse reflection material 3 is formed of a material transparent to the measurement light emitted from the rider unit U, it diffuses and reflects a part of the measurement light, but passes the measurement light. The transmittance of the diffuse reflection material 3 for the measurement light can be adjusted by the surface roughness of the front side surface 3a, and can be easily made higher than the transmittance of the white ink layer.

  The ink layer 4 is a colored layer (excluding white) fixed to the back surface of the transparent protective layer 5, and is formed by drying an ink material containing a dye or a pigment. The ink layer 4 is formed on the back surface of the transparent protective layer 5 by a printing method such as screen printing. An ink material for forming such an ink layer 4 is capable of transmitting measurement light. The ink layer 4 is formed to have a thickness such that a person who is visually recognizable from the outside can visually recognize the back side via the ink layer 4. As a result, a person visually recognizing from the outside recognizes the color of the rider cover 1 as a color in which the color of the ink layer 4 and the white color created by the diffuse reflection surface of the diffuse reflection material 3 are superimposed.

  The transparent protective layer 5 is a base material layer that allows visible light to pass therethrough and supports the ink layer 4 disposed on the back side so as to be visible from the front side. The transparent protective layer 5 has a smooth surface in order to enhance the visibility of the ink layer 4 and the diffuse reflection material 3 from the outside of the vehicle. Further, the transparent protective layer 5 allows measurement light as well as visible light to pass therethrough. That is, the transparent protective layer 5 is formed of a material that is transparent (including colored and transparent) to visible light and measurement light. The transparent protective layer 5 is formed of, for example, a transparent synthetic resin such as colorless PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate resin). Further, such a transparent protective layer 5 is formed of a material having a transmittance of visible light and measurement light much higher than that of the ink layer 4. Such a transparent protective layer 5 protects the ink layer 4 and the diffuse reflection material 3 from the outside air and moisture by covering the ink layer 4 and the diffusion reflection material 3 from the front side.

  Further, a clear layer for protecting the surface of the transparent protective layer 5 may be further formed on the front surface of the transparent protective layer 5. Such a clear layer is formed by, for example, a hard coat process for preventing damage or a clear coat process of a urethane-based paint. With such a clear layer, scratch resistance and weather resistance can be imparted to the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment.

  Note that a configuration in which a clear layer is not formed may be employed. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the ink layer 4 is disposed on the diffuse reflection material 3 and the ink layer 4 is covered with a clear layer without forming the transparent protective layer 5. Furthermore, a configuration in which the diffuse reflection material 3 is exposed without forming the clear layer, the transparent protective layer 5 and the ink layer 4 may be adopted to provide a white-like rider cover. Furthermore, when sufficient strength can be ensured, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the support base material 2 is not formed.

  When manufacturing such a rider cover 1 of the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 3A, a transparent protective layer 5 is formed. For example, the transparent protective layer 5 is formed by injection molding. Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, an ink layer 4 is formed on the back surface of the transparent protective layer 5. The diffuse reflection material 3 is formed in parallel with the formation of the ink layer 4 and the like. The diffuse reflection material 3 is formed, for example, by forming a sheet material having smooth front and back surfaces, and roughening the front side surface 3a by blast processing or the like. Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, the transparent protective layer 5 on which the ink layer 4 is formed and the diffuse reflection material 3 are combined, these are arranged inside a mold, and the support base material 2 is formed by insert molding. . Through such steps, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment is manufactured.

  In the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment as described above, the surface is a diffuse reflection surface that diffusely reflects visible light, and includes the diffuse reflection material 3 that can transmit measurement light. The diffuse reflection surface formed on the front side surface 3a of the diffuse reflection material 3 diffusely reflects external light incident from the outside. Therefore, a person who visually recognizes the rider cover 1 from the outside sees the diffuse reflection surface as white. Therefore, according to the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to impart a white-like color to the rider cover 1 without using white ink.

  In addition, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment includes an ink layer 4 that is disposed outside (front side) of the diffuse reflection material 3 and that can transmit measurement light. Therefore, it is possible to give the rider cover 1 a color in which the diffuse reflection material 3 and the ink layer 4 are combined.

  Further, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment includes a transparent protective layer 5 that covers the ink layer 4 from outside. In such a rider cover 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the ink layer 4 from contacting the outside air or moisture and prevent the ink layer 4 from deteriorating.

  Further, the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment includes a support base material 2 that is disposed on the back side of the diffuse reflector 3 and supports the diffuse reflector 3. For this reason, the diffuse reflection material 3 can be supported by the support base material 2, and the thickness of the diffusion reflection material 3 can be reduced.

  Further, in the rider cover 1 of the present embodiment, the diffuse reflector 3 has two surfaces, the front side surface 3a and the back side surface 3b, through which the measurement light is transmitted. Is a diffuse reflection surface. For this reason, it is possible to improve the transmittance of the diffuse reflection material 3 for the measurement light as compared with the case where both surfaces are the diffuse reflection surfaces.

  As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The shapes, combinations, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and can be variously changed based on design requirements and the like without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the rider cover 1 is provided with a first region R <b> 1 opposed to the emission portion of the rider unit U, a second region R <b> 2 opposed to the light receiving portion of the rider unit U, and a first region R <b> 2. It is divided into a region R1 and a third region R3 surrounding the second region R2.

  In such a rider cover 1, since the intensity of the emitted measurement light is higher than the intensity of the reflected light in the first region R1, the transmittance of the measurement light is set lower than in the second region R2. However, sufficient measurement light can be obtained. Therefore, in the first region R1, as shown in FIG. 5, both the front side surface 3a and the back side surface 3b of the diffuse reflection material 3 are diffuse reflection surfaces, so that the white region can be more easily recognized visually. In the second region R2, as shown in FIG. 2, by using only the front side surface 3a as a diffuse reflection surface, it is possible to more reliably receive the reflected light at the light receiving section of the rider unit U. Further, since it is not necessary to transmit the measurement light and the reflected light in the third region R3, a white ink layer 6 may be provided instead of the diffuse reflection material 3, as shown in FIG. As described above, when viewed from the outside of the vehicle, a configuration in which the diffuse reflection surface is disposed only in a part of the entire area of the rider cover 1 may be employed.

  In the case where the rider cover 1 is divided into a plurality of regions as described above, it is preferable that the upper region be more visually recognized as white than the lower region. Generally, the rider cover 1 is viewed from a person outside the vehicle as if looking down, so it is preferable that the white color in the upper region be strongly visible.

1 ... Rider cover 2 ... Support base material (support layer)
3. Diffuse reflective material (visible light diffuse reflective layer)
3a Front surface 3b Back surface 4 Ink layer (colored layer)
5 Transparent protective layer 6 White ink layer U Rider unit

Claims (6)

A rider cover that covers a rider unit mounted on a vehicle from the outside and transmits measurement light of the rider unit,
A rider cover, wherein the surface is a diffuse reflection surface that diffusely reflects visible light, and further includes a visible light diffuse reflection layer that can transmit the measurement light.   The rider cover according to claim 1, further comprising a colored layer disposed outside the visible light diffuse reflection layer and capable of transmitting the measurement light.   The rider cover according to claim 2, further comprising a transparent protective layer that covers the colored layer from outside.   The rider cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a support layer disposed on a back side of the visible light diffuse reflection layer and supporting the visible light diffuse reflection layer.   The visible light diffuse reflection layer has a plurality of surfaces through which the measurement light passes, and only one of the plurality of surfaces is a diffuse reflection surface. A rider cover according to one of the preceding claims.   The rider cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the diffuse reflection surface is arranged only in a part of the entire region of the rider cover when viewed from outside the vehicle.

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