JP6318993B2 - Driving assistance device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support device.

  As a driving support device that detects and displays an obstacle in a blind spot area of a driver, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which an indicator is provided on the vehicle interior side of a front pillar. Here, the said indicator is comprised so that a driver | operator may be alerted by making the light emitting element in an indicator light-emit according to the distance with an obstruction. In addition to this, a device that projects information on an obstacle on a windshield by a head-up display device is known.

JP 2001-246996 A

  However, in the display device of Patent Document 1, the design in the vehicle compartment may be impaired by the indicator. Further, in the configuration in which obstacle information is projected onto the windshield by the head-up display device, it is necessary to secure a space for mounting the head-up display device, so there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of space saving.

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device that can maintain a good design in a vehicle cabin while saving space.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving support device according to the present invention , wherein a distance from a lower end portion of a pillar garnish assembled to a vehicle interior side to a vehicle interior side with respect to a front pillar extending in the vehicle vertical direction on a vehicle side portion An instrument panel with a mounting hole at the position where
The pillar garnish is provided on the vehicle interior side, is provided so as to contact both the pillar garnish and the instrument panel, and the lower end portion is inserted into the mounting hole so that the lower end portion is opposed to the pillar garnish. A transparent display board that is assembled to the instrument panel so as to be separated from the vehicle interior side, and has a light guide groove for guiding light;
A light source that is provided inside the instrument panel and that emits light from the outside of the display panel to the light guide groove when an obstacle outside the passenger compartment is detected,
Have
The light source irradiates light to the light guide groove when an obstacle is detected in a blind spot outside the passenger compartment generated by the pillar garnish .

  In the driving support apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, a transparent display board is provided on the vehicle interior side of the vehicle interior material. Thus, by using a transparent display board, a passenger | crew can visually recognize the interior material for vehicles, and it can suppress that the external appearance of a vehicle interior is impaired.

In addition, a light guide groove for guiding light is formed on the display board, and a light source for irradiating light to the light guide groove is provided outside the display board. Thereby, a display board and a light source can be arrange | positioned separately, and a display board can be reduced in size. That is, space saving can be achieved.
Furthermore, the driver can recognize that there is an obstacle in the blind spot area ahead of the line of sight. Further, unlike the conventional configuration in which the information on the obstacle is displayed on the display in the instrument panel, it is not necessary for the driver to move the line of sight from the pillar garnish that is the vehicle interior material.
Further, if the driver looks at the front pillar, the presence or absence of an obstacle in the field of view outside the passenger compartment of the front pillar can be indirectly confirmed. Further, the display board can be assembled even after the front pillar is assembled to the vehicle.
Furthermore, since the display board is inserted at a position spaced from the lower end of the pillar garnish, it is easy to assemble. Moreover, a display board can be attached, without changing the appearance of the fitting part of an instrument panel and a pillar garnish.

  The driving assistance apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the driving assistance device according to the first aspect, wherein the light guide groove is formed in a shape imitating the obstacle as viewed from the driver.

  In the driving support device according to the second aspect of the present invention, when light is irradiated from the light source to the light guide groove, the display board emits light in the shape of an obstacle. Thereby, the driver can be alerted more reliably than when the light is simply turned on (flashing). In addition, the obstacle here is a concept including a wide range of obstacles to a running vehicle, such as an approaching vehicle, a pedestrian, and a side groove.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the driving support device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the light guide groove is provided at an end of the display plate, and light from a light source is introduced. And a branched portion branched at the same angle from the introduction portion to the introduction portion.

  In the driving support device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the light introduced from the light source to the introducing portion is branched at the branching portion, whereby the display board can be efficiently emitted into a predetermined shape. Moreover, since the branch part is branched at the same angle with respect to the introduction part, the light introduced into the introduction part can be equally divided, and unevenness in brightness and darkness can be suppressed.

As described above, the driving support device according to the first aspect has an excellent effect that the design of the vehicle interior can be favorably maintained while saving space. Moreover, it has the outstanding effect that a display board can be retrofitted. Furthermore, it has the outstanding effect that the assembly | attachment property of a display board can be improved.

  According to the driving support apparatus of the second aspect, there is an excellent effect that the obstacle can be recognized intuitively.

  According to the driving support apparatus of the third aspect, there is an excellent effect that the display board can efficiently emit light in a predetermined shape and unevenness in brightness and darkness can be suppressed.

It is the perspective view which looked at the front part of the vehicle to which the driving assistance device concerning a 1st embodiment was applied from the vehicle interior side. It is the perspective view seen from the vehicle interior side which shows typically the driving support device concerning a 1st embodiment. (A) is a principal part enlarged view which shows the state which the light irradiated to the display board from the light source branches, (B) expands and shows the cut surface cut | disconnected by the BB line of FIG. 3 (A). It is an expanded sectional view. It is an expanded sectional view which expands and shows the cut surface cut | disconnected by 4-4 lines of FIG. It is a principal part expansion perspective view which expands and shows the state by which the display board which concerns on 1st Embodiment is inserted in an attachment hole. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a front portion of a vehicle to which a driving support device according to a first embodiment is applied. It is the perspective view which looked at the front part of the vehicle to which the driving assistance device concerning a 2nd embodiment was applied from the vehicle interior side.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the driving support apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In each drawing, an arrow FR appropriately shown indicates the vehicle front side, an arrow LH indicates the left side in the vehicle width direction, and an arrow UP indicates the vehicle upper side. Further, in the following description, when using the front / rear, up / down, and left / right directions, the front / rear direction of the vehicle, the up / down direction of the vehicle up / down direction, and the left / right direction in the traveling direction are indicated.

(General configuration of vehicle)
As shown in FIG. 6, a driver seat 16 and a passenger seat 18 are provided in the cabin 14 of the vehicle 12 to which the driving support apparatus according to the present embodiment is applied. Here, in the present embodiment, the driver's seat 16 is disposed on the right side of the vehicle 12, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention may be applied to a vehicle in which the driver's seat 16 is disposed on the left side of the vehicle. A windshield glass 20 and an instrument panel 22 are arranged in front of the driver's seat 16, and side window glasses 24 are arranged outside the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18 in the vehicle width direction.

  A front pillar 26 (and a door frame (not shown)) extends between the windshield glass 20 and the left and right side window glasses 24 in the vehicle vertical direction on the side of the vehicle. These left and right front pillars 26 correspond to vehicle interior materials that obstruct the view of the seated occupant of the driver's seat 16, that is, the driver D. Therefore, a blind spot area T is generated outside the passenger compartment by the front pillar 26.

  A pair of left and right door mirrors 29 are provided on both sides in the width direction of the front portion of the vehicle 12, and a radar device 27 is mounted on the door mirror 29. The left and right radar devices 27 are for detecting an obstacle W in the blind spot area T outside the passenger compartment caused by the front pillar 26. The radar device 27 on the right side of the vehicle is a front pillar on the right side of the vehicle from the driver D. It is comprised so that the obstacle W of the other side of 26 can be detected. The radar device 27 on the left side of the vehicle is configured so that the driver D can detect an obstacle W on the other side of the front pillar 26 on the left side of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the method of detecting the obstacle W in the blind spot area T using the radar device 27 is adopted. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the obstacle W may be detected by another method. For example, a method of detecting the obstacle W using a CCD camera or the like may be employed. Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the driving support device 10 is disposed on the front pillar 26 and the instrument panel 22.

(Configuration of driving support device)
The driving assistance device 10 is configured such that the driver D can recognize that there is an obstacle in the blind spot area T ahead of the driver D's line of sight. Hereinafter, the driving support device 10 will be specifically described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the driving support device 10 includes a display board 28 and an LED lamp 30 as a light source. In FIG. 2, the size of the LED lamp 30 provided inside the instrument panel 22 is exaggerated for convenience of explanation.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the display plate 28 is formed of a transparent and substantially rectangular plate-shaped resin member, and a light guide plate is used in the present embodiment. The display board 28 is provided on the vehicle interior side of the front pillar 26 so as to be in contact with both the pillar garnish 31 and the instrument panel 22 as vehicle interior materials assembled to the front pillar 26. As shown in FIG. 2, a light guide groove 32 that guides light is formed in the display board 28. In the present embodiment, the display plate 28 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the display plate 28 may be formed in other shapes. For example, it may be formed in a substantially polygonal shape or a substantially elliptical shape when viewed from the front side. In the present embodiment, the light guide groove 32 is formed on the surface (front surface) of the display board 28 on the vehicle interior side. The light guide groove 32 may be formed.

  Here, the light guide groove 32 simulates an obstacle continuously with the introduction part 32A into which the light from the LED lamp 30 is introduced, the branch part 32B branched from the upper end part of the introduction part 32A, and the branch part 32B. And an indicator portion 32C formed in the shape. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3B, the light guide groove 32 includes a vertical wall 34A and a bottom wall 34B that are substantially parallel to each other.

  Here, although the indicator part 32C of this embodiment is made into the shape which imitated the pedestrian seeing from the driver | operator D, it is not restricted to this, It is good also as another shape. For example, a shape imitating a child jumping out on a road may be used. Moreover, it is good also as a shape imitating the character which calls attention, such as an exclamation mark (exclamation mark), not only the shape imitating an obstruction. In this case, it is not included in the invention according to claim 2, but is included in the invention according to claim 1.

  The introduction portion 32A is formed at the lower end portion 28A of the display panel 28, and extends in a straight line substantially parallel to the optical axis of the light emitted from the LED lamp 30, as shown in FIG. ing. Further, a branch portion 32B having a branched optical path is provided at the upper end portion of the introduction portion 32A. The branch part 32B is formed continuously with the introduction part 32A, and is formed so as to branch at substantially the same width at the same angle with respect to the introduction part 32A. That is, one optical path branched by the branching section 32B is inclined at an angle θ clockwise with respect to the introducing section 32A and extends obliquely upward in the drawing, and the other branched optical path is directed to the introducing section 32A. Thus, it tilts counterclockwise by an angle θ and extends obliquely upward to the left in the figure.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each optical path branched by the branching section 32B is connected to an indicator section 32C, and the indicator section 32C is formed in a shape imitating a pedestrian. By forming the light guide groove 32 as described above, the light irradiated from the LED lamp 30 to the light guide groove 32 is branched by the branch portion 32B, and the vertical wall of the light guide groove 32 in the indicator portion 32C. By reflecting between 34A, the indicator part 32C whole is light-emitted.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a mounting hole 36 is formed in the instrument panel 22 at a position spaced from the lower end of the pillar garnish 31 toward the passenger compartment. The attachment hole 36 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is elongated in plan view, and is formed slightly wider than the width of the display panel 28. The lower end portion 28A of the display board 28 is inserted into the mounting hole 36.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of claw portions 42 extend downward from both ends in the width direction at the lower end portion 28 </ b> A of the display panel 28. The claw portion 42 is formed so as to be able to bend and deform in a cantilever-supported state, and a tip portion (lower end portion) of the claw portion 42 is an engaging claw 42A that protrudes to the surface side. When the lower end portion 28A of the display board 28 is inserted from the mounting hole 36, the engagement claw 42A is engaged with the back surface of the instrument panel 22, and the display board 28 is assembled.

  In addition, an insertion portion 44 extends downward from the lower end portion 28 </ b> A of the display plate 28 between the pair of claw portions 42. The insertion portion 44 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a corner on the tip side dropped in a front view as viewed from the front surface side, and on the surface of the insertion portion 44 is a light guide continuous with the introduction portion 32A. A groove 32 is formed.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, a lamp base 46 to which the LED lamp 30 is attached is provided inside the instrument panel 22, and the guide portion 40 extends upward from the lamp base 46. Has been. The guide portion 40 is provided around the LED lamp 30, and the LED lamp 30 and the display plate 28 are positioned by inserting the insertion portion 44 of the display plate 28 into the guide portion 40 to a predetermined position. Can do. That is, when the LED lamp 30 is turned on in a state where the insertion portion 44 is inserted into the guide portion 40, the light guide groove 32 of the display plate 28 is irradiated with light.

  Further, the upper end portion of the display board 28 is curved toward the pillar garnish 31 (back side) and is supported by the pillar garnish 31, and other parts are assembled so as not to contact the pillar garnish 31.

  Here, the LED lamp 30 is electrically connected to a controller (not shown), and is turned on and off based on a signal from the controller. The controller is also electrically connected to the radar device 27 (see FIG. 6). When the obstacle W is detected in the blind spot area T outside the vehicle compartment by the radar device 27, a signal is sent from the controller to the LED lamp 30. Is transmitted and the LED lamp 30 is turned on. Thereby, light is irradiated from the LED lamp 30 to the light guide groove 32 of the display plate 28, and the indicator portion 32C emits light.

(Action and effect)
Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described.

  First, the driver D of the vehicle 12 to which the driving support device 10 is applied drives the vehicle 12 while confirming safety based on visual information visually recognized through the windshield glass 20 and the left and right side window glasses 24.

  Here, for example, consider a case where a pedestrian crosses a pedestrian crossing while the vehicle 12 is stopped waiting for a signal. In this case, even if the front pillar 26 blocks the line of sight of the driver D and the driver D cannot visually recognize the pedestrian, the radar device 27 detects the pedestrian as an obstacle, so that it is not illustrated. A signal is transmitted from the controller, the LED lamp 30 is turned on, and the indicator part 32C of the display board 28 provided in the front pillar 26 emits light. Accordingly, since it is possible to recognize that there is an obstacle (pedestrian) in the blind spot area T, it is possible to make a determination to wait for the pedestrian to pass without starting the vehicle 12 even if the signal changes. Further, unlike the conventional configuration in which the information on the obstacle is displayed on the display in the instrument panel, the driver does not have to move the line of sight from the vehicle interior material, and the driver D confirms the obstacle. Cheap.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the display board 28 is formed of a transparent resin member, as shown in FIG. 1, even when the display board 28 is arranged on the vehicle interior side of the pillar garnish 31, An occupant can visually recognize the pillar garnish 31 and can suppress the appearance of the pillar garnish 31 from being damaged. In particular, when the surface of the pillar garnish 31 is made of cloth, flocking, leather, or the like, if an opaque display board is arranged on the vehicle interior side of the pillar garnish 31, there may be a sense of incongruity due to the difference in texture. On the other hand, if the transparent display board 28 is arrange | positioned like this embodiment, the surface of the pillar garnish 31 is not obstruct | occluded and it can suppress that discomfort arises. That is, the designability in the vehicle compartment can be maintained satisfactorily.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the light guide groove 32 of the display board 28 is configured to emit light by irradiating light from the LED lamp 30. They can be formed separately and placed separately. Thereby, the display board 28 can be reduced in size compared with the conventional structure which has arrange | positioned the lamp | ramp inside the display member. That is, space saving can be achieved.

  In the present embodiment, the indicator portion 32C of the light guide groove 32 has a shape imitating a pedestrian (obstacle). As a result, the driver D can recognize the obstacle as compared with the case where the light is simply turned on (flashing), and the driver D can be surely alerted.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, the light introduced from the introduction part 32A is branched at the same angle by the branch part 32B. Thereby, the light which reached | attained the branch part 32B can be equally divided, and the uneven brightness of the indicator part 32C can be suppressed. In addition, the light can be efficiently emitted into a predetermined shape by branching the light.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower end portion 28 </ b> A of the display plate 28 is inserted into the mounting hole 36 of the instrument panel 22 and assembled. Thereby, the display board 28 can be retrofitted. That is, even after the front pillar 26 is assembled to the vehicle 12, the display board 28 can be assembled.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the display plate 28 can be easily assembled by providing a gap between the lower end portion of the pillar garnish 31 and the display plate 28, and the mating portion between the instrument panel 22 and the pillar garnish 31 can be assembled. The display board 28 can be attached without changing the appearance. That is, the assembling property of the display board 28 can be improved. Furthermore, since only the upper end portion of the display board 28 is in contact with the pillar garnish 31, it is possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise between the pillar garnish 31 and the display board 28 due to vibration during operation or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the lower end 28A of the display board 28 is inserted into the instrument panel 22. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the assembly position of the display board 28 may be changed. For example, the display plate 28 may be assembled to an intermediate portion of the front pillar 26 in the vehicle vertical direction. In this case, the position of the LED lamp 30 serving as the light source may be changed. For example, the LED lamp 30 may be provided inside the pillar garnish 31.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the indicator part 32C of the display board 28 was light-emitted by making the LED lamp 30 light, but it is not restricted to this, You may make the LED lamp 30 blink. Further, a method of switching between lighting and blinking according to the distance between the obstacle and the vehicle 12 may be adopted. For example, you may comprise so that alerting may be performed by narrowing the blinking interval of the LED lamp 30 as the distance between the obstacle and the vehicle 12 approaches.

Further, in the present embodiment, the vertical wall 34A of the light guide groove 32 is formed in a planar shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the light guide groove 32A may be formed in an uneven shape so that light is irregularly reflected. Further, a reflective film or the like may be provided on the vertical wall 34A.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, the driving assistance device 60 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, about the structure similar to 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle 62 to which the driving support device 60 of the present embodiment is applied includes a plurality of display boards in addition to the display board 28, and the plurality of display boards are seated by the driver. It is provided at a position that enters the field of view. Each display board will be described below. First, a display board 64 is provided in front of the driver's seat in the instrument panel 22, and an LED lamp (not shown) as a light source for irradiating the display board 64 with light inside the instrument panel 22. Is arranged.

  Here, the display plate 64 is formed with a light guide groove 64A simulating the shape of a vehicle. When the driver does not notice that the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle ahead is shortened when driving freely, the radar device mounted on the vehicle 62 detects the vehicle ahead as an obstacle and passes through a controller (not shown). Light is irradiated from the LED lamp to the light guide groove 64A.

  Next, a display board 68 is provided on the vehicle interior side above the front side door 66, and the front side door 66 is not shown as a light source for irradiating the display board 68 with light. An LED lamp is arranged.

  Here, the display board 68 is formed with a light guide groove 68A that imitates a sitting child. When the vehicle 62 is turned to the right or the like and approaches a child sitting in the blind area outside the front side door 66, the radar device detects the child as an obstacle and guides it from the LED lamp via a controller (not shown). The light groove 68A is configured to be irradiated with light. In this case, light from the LED lamp may be refracted and irradiated to the light guide groove 68A. The same applies to the display panel 70 described later.

  A display board 70 is provided below the display board 68, and an LED lamp (not shown) as a light source for irradiating the display board 70 with light is disposed inside the front side door 66.

  Here, the display plate 70 is formed with a light guide groove 70A simulating a side groove. When the vehicle 62 goes straight or meandering, when the vehicle approaches the side groove in the blind area outside and below the front side door 66, the radar device detects the side groove as an obstacle and passes through a controller (not shown). Light is irradiated from the LED lamp to the light guide groove 70A.

  As described above, when the driver is not aware of the obstacle when driving casually, or when an obstacle in the blind spot area is detected, each display board emits light and alerts the user. Contact can be avoided. In addition, each display field is separate from the LED lamp as the light source, so that the size can be reduced and the space can be saved. Other operations are the same as in the first embodiment.

  In addition, although the some display board was provided in the circumference | surroundings of a driver's seat, it may not be restricted to this but a display board may be provided in another place and you may call attention. For example, a display plate similar to that of the first embodiment may be provided on the pillar garnish of the rear pillar so as to alert the driver when the vehicle is moving backward (backward).

  The driving support apparatus according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, these embodiments may be used in combination as appropriate, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it can be implemented in any manner. For example, a warning sound may be sounded according to the light emission of the display board.

10 Driving Support Device 12 Vehicle 22 Instrument Panel (Vehicle Interior Material)
26 Front pillar 28 Display panel 30 LED lamp (light source)
31 Pillar garnish (vehicle interior material)
32 light guide groove 32A introduction part 32B branch part 36 mounting hole 60 driving support device 62 vehicle 64 display board 64A light guide groove 68 display board 68A light guide groove 70 display board 70A light guide groove D driver W obstacle T blind spot area

Claims (3)

An instrument panel in which mounting holes are formed at positions spaced from the lower end of the pillar garnish assembled on the vehicle interior side to the vehicle interior side relative to the front pillar extending in the vehicle vertical direction on the vehicle side portion; ,
The pillar garnish is provided on the vehicle interior side, is provided so as to contact both the pillar garnish and the instrument panel, and the lower end portion is inserted into the mounting hole so that the lower end portion is opposed to the pillar garnish. A transparent display board that is assembled to the instrument panel so as to be separated from the vehicle interior side, and has a light guide groove for guiding light;
A light source that is provided inside the instrument panel and that emits light from the outside of the display panel to the light guide groove when an obstacle outside the passenger compartment is detected,
Have
The light source is a driving support device that irradiates light to the light guide groove when an obstacle is detected in a blind spot outside the passenger compartment generated by the pillar garnish .   The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide groove is formed in a shape imitating the obstacle as viewed from a driver.   The light guide groove is provided at an end portion of the display plate, and a linear introduction portion into which light from a light source is introduced, and a branch portion that branches from the introduction portion to the introduction portion at the same angle. The driving support device according to claim 1, comprising:

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