JP6994719B2 - Cradle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device capable of holding a portable device such as a smartphone.

Conventionally, various in-vehicle devices having a function of holding a mobile device such as a mobile phone and being attached to a dashboard of a vehicle or the like have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). If the mobile phone can be set in a position that is easy for the driver to see by using such an in-vehicle device, it is very convenient because it becomes easy to confirm an incoming call and use a hands-free phone.

On the other hand, as mobile phones, smartphones defined as multifunctional mobile phones are becoming mainstream in recent years. As applications for smartphones, applications specialized for in-vehicle use such as navigation are also provided. If the smartphone can be set in a position that is easy for the driver to see, it can be a very effective tool for driving support.

The relatively large-scale electric circuit inside the smartphone and the glass plate that protects the display screen are fragile and fragile when dropped. In addition, the display screen of a smartphone, which cannot be said to be larger than the in-vehicle navigation device, which is a dedicated machine, is not optimal for displaying a detailed map. For this reason, there is a demand for in-vehicle devices for setting mobile devices such as smartphones at positions that are easy for the driver to see.

However, the conventional in-vehicle device having the holding function of the portable device has the following problems. According to the in-vehicle device of Patent Document 1, while the portable device can be reliably held, the portable device that can be held is predetermined and not versatile, and various mobile devices cannot be held.
In the in-vehicle device of Patent Document 2, the member that sandwiches the mobile device in the horizontal direction is movable, and the sandwiching width can be changed, so that the versatility is improved.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-186632 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-314089

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is an invention for providing an in-vehicle device capable of holding portable devices of various sizes with high certainty.

The present invention is an in-vehicle device that can be attached to a vehicle and can hold a portable device in a posture facing the occupant side.
A support portion including a support surface that abuts from below on the mobile device to be held,
It is provided with a pair of guide portions that come into contact with the held portable device from the outer peripheral side.
The pair of guide portions can change the distance between the guide portions.
Each of the guide portions forming the pair of guide portions is in an in-vehicle device whose height from the support surface can be changed.

The in-vehicle device of the present invention includes the support portion that abuts on the held portable device from below, and a pair of guide portions that abut on the portable device from the outer peripheral side. According to this in-vehicle device, the pair of guide portions are sandwiched from both sides in the width direction (horizontal direction) and the support portion is supported from below, or the support portion and each guide portion are in the height direction. The portable device can be held in the holding posture. In either holding posture, the mobile device can be supported by at least three points by the support portion and the pair of guide portions, so that the mobile terminal can be held more reliably than in the case of two-point support.

In this in-vehicle device, the pair of guide portions can change the distance from the other guide portion, and each guide portion can change the height from the support surface. Therefore, according to the in-vehicle device of the present invention, the horizontal dimension when being held belongs to the change range of the distance between the pair of guide portions, or the height dimension when being held is said. It is possible to hold portable devices of various sizes that belong to the range of change in height of each guide surface from the support surface.

As described above, the in-vehicle device of the present invention is a highly versatile in-vehicle device capable of holding portable devices of various sizes with high certainty.

The mobile device in the present invention includes a mobile phone having a main call function, a multifunctional mobile phone called a smartphone, a music player, a portable game machine, a small tablet PC, an electronic book reader, and a mobile phone. There are information terminals (PDAs) and the like.
In the present invention, the posture facing the occupant side does not necessarily have to be the posture facing the occupant, but the posture facing the occupant is particularly preferable. Also, the "occupant side" may be broadly understood. For example, the rear side of the vehicle may be regarded as the occupant side. However, in particular, the "occupant side" should be the occupant's own side. For example, it is sufficient that a part of the mobile device is facing, but in particular, the display screen of the mobile device can be visually recognized from the occupant side as the posture facing the occupant side when the mobile device is held. Or, it is particularly good to have a posture in which the operation buttons of the mobile device can be operated from the occupant side.
The support surface in the present invention is a broad concept including a support surface that looks like a point support visually. In a strict sense, the area of a point is zero, so when an object comes into contact, there can be no perfect point contact. The support surface in the present invention includes a contact surface that looks like such a point contact.

In one preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted device of the present invention, an overlapping range is set between the range of change in the distance between the guide portions and the range of change in the height from the support surface to the guide portion.
In this case, if the mobile device has dimensions in the short side direction that belong to the overlapping range, it can be placed vertically or horizontally.

As an example of the setting pattern of the change range of the interval of the pair of guide portions and the change range of the height of each guide portion from the support surface, for example, there are the following patterns.
For example, if both the change range of the interval and the change range of the height are set to 8 to 13 cm, the front surface has a vertically long rectangular shape, and the mobile device having a width of 8 to 13 cm can be placed vertically or horizontally. Can be retained. In the case of vertical installation, the distance between the pair of guide portions may be matched to the width of the portable device. On the other hand, in the case of horizontal installation, the height of each guide portion may be matched with the horizontal width of the portable device.
For example, if the change range of the interval is set to 5 to 10 cm and the change range of the height is set to be shifted to 10 to 15 cm, the front surface has a vertically long rectangular shape and the width thereof is 5. A mobile device of up to 15 cm can be held vertically or horizontally. In the case of a mobile device having a width of 5 to 10 cm, the pair of guide portions can be placed vertically so as to match the width thereof, and in the case of a mobile device having a width of 10 to 15 cm, each guide portion can be placed vertically. Can be placed horizontally after matching the height of the.
Further, for example, by setting the change range of the interval to 7 to 12 cm and setting the change range of the height to 9 to 14 cm, a part of one range may be overlapped with the other range. .. In this case, a portable device having a vertically long rectangular shape on the front surface and a width of 7 to 14 cm can be held at least vertically and horizontally. For mobile devices with a width of 9 to 12 cm, it can be placed vertically or horizontally, while for mobile devices with a width of 7 to 9 cm, the distance between the pair of guides can be matched to the width. Can be placed vertically. Further, for a mobile device having a width of 12 to 14 cm, the height of each guide portion can be matched with the width and placed horizontally.

The guide portion provided in the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is urged toward a direction in which the distance between the guide portions is narrowed and the height from the support surface is lowered.
In this case, the guide portion can be pressed against the outer periphery of the mobile device regardless of whether the mobile device is placed vertically or horizontally. In the case of vertical installation, the portable device can be held so as to be sandwiched by the pair of guide portions. In the case of horizontal installation, the portable device can be held so as to be sandwiched between the guide portion and the support portion.

Each guide portion in the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is attached to a pair of arms pivotally supported so as to be rotatable and displaced toward both outer sides of a housing forming the main body of the vehicle-mounted device. ..
If the guide portion is attached to the tip of the arm, the mechanism for changing the distance between the pair of guide portions and the height of each guide portion from the support surface are changed only by the shaft support structure of the arm. Mechanism and can be realized. Since the shaft support of the arm can be realized by a mechanically simple structure like the shaft support structure of a general rotating door, the above two mechanisms can be realized by a relatively simple structure.

The pair of arms may be, for example, a combination of arms having a guide portion on the front end side and being connected to each other on the rear end side beyond the center of rotation. When the connecting portion of the pair of arms is displaced along the vertical direction, the guide portion on the tip end side of each arm is rotationally displaced. At this time, if the distance from the center of rotation to the connecting point is fixed, the arm cannot rotate. It is also possible to provide a long hole on the rear end side of each arm and to form a connecting portion by arranging a pin or the like through a through hole formed by intersecting the long holes of each arm. When this pin is pulled upward in the vertical direction, each arm is rotationally displaced so that the distance between the guide portions is narrowed. When the pin is pushed downward, each arm is rotationally displaced so that the distance between the guide portions is widened. It is also good to hang the pin with a coil spring or the like. In this case, each arm can be urged so that the distance between the guide portions is narrowed.
On the other hand, it is also possible to configure the pair of arms so that each arm can be rotated and displaced completely independently. With such a configuration, a structure for connecting the pair of arms to each other becomes unnecessary, and a space for accommodating the connecting structure is also unnecessary. If the pair of arms are not connected to each other and are arranged with a gap, it is possible to arrange the electronic components in the gap. In particular, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the guide portion is provided on each of the pair of arms provided so as to be rotatable and displaced toward both outer sides of the housing. In particular, the housing has a hollow structure capable of accommodating electronic components, and has a pair of mounting portions for supporting each rotating arm, and the mounting portions are arranged outside the electronic components. It is good to adopt.

At least one of the pair of guide portions in the vehicle-mounted device of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is attached to an arm rotatably supported by a housing forming the main body of the vehicle-mounted device. ,and,
The distance from the other guide portion and the height from the support surface are changed according to the rotation of the arm.

The housing constituting the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention exhibits a split structure of the front side member and the back side member, and is mutually fixed by a plurality of fixing screws penetrating in the split direction.
The arm is arranged so as to rotate around any one of the plurality of fixing screws.

If the arm is pivotally supported by utilizing the fixing screw of the housing, the structural strength of the support structure can be improved. The strength around the fixing screw is originally required to secure the strength of the housing. By utilizing the strength around the fixing screw, it is possible to secure the strength of the shaft support structure of the arm without incurring a large cost.

The housing constituting the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a hollow structure capable of accommodating an electronic circuit, and has a pair of mounting portions for supporting each arm.
The pair of mounting portions are provided so as to project from both outer sides of the housing.
When the pair of mounting portions are provided so as to project from both outer sides of the housing, space erosion of the mounting portions with respect to the inner peripheral side of the housing can be suppressed, and the hollow front shape is rectangular. Can be approached to. The hollow shape whose front shape is close to a rectangular shape is suitable for accommodating, for example, an electronic substrate on which an electronic circuit is formed. As the electronic circuit, various power supply circuits such as an audio output circuit including a speaker, a communication circuit such as an FM transmitter, WIFI, and Bluetooth, and a charging circuit corresponding to QI (Qi), which is a wireless power supply standard, can be considered.

One of the pair of guide portions provided in the vehicle-mounted device of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is attached to the arm, and the other guide portion can be linearly displaced with a change in height from the support surface. It is attached to the housing side in such a state.
By combining a guide portion that is rotationally displaced and a guide portion that is linearly displaced with at least a change in height, the distance between the pair of guide portions can be changed, and the distance between the pair of guide portions can be changed. The height from the support surface can be changed.

In the arm provided in the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the height of the attached guide portion from the support surface is the lowest, and the distance between the guide portion and the other guide portion is the narrowest. It is urged toward the rotation position.
In this case, the guide portion is pressed against the outer periphery of the mobile device by the urging force acting on the arm. If the guide portion is pressed against the outer periphery of the mobile device, the mobile device can be held more reliably.

The displacement range in which the guide portion in the vehicle-mounted device of the preferred aspect of the present invention can be rotationally displaced does not include the position directly below the rotation center of the arm, and the guide portion of the arm located at the rotational position is the above-mentioned. The position is shifted to the displacement range side from the position directly below the center of rotation.

In this case, when the arm is located at the rotation position, the acting direction of the force that pushes up the guide portion from the lower side directly upward acts offset without penetrating the rotation center. Therefore, a part of the pushing force is converted into a force for rotating the arm, which can cause the arm to rotate. By utilizing the force for rotating the arm in this way, for example, the holding posture of the portable device sandwiched between the support portion and each guide portion in the height direction can be realized with one touch by the following procedure. In this procedure, first, the mobile device is pressed against each of the guide portions from below to cause rotation of the arm, whereby the guide portion is pushed upward. When the gap in the height direction is sufficiently secured, push the mobile device to the back side as it is.

On the other hand, when the rotation center and the guide portion are arranged along the height direction, the action direction of the force pushing up the guide portion from the lower side penetrates the rotation center, and the rotation No force is generated that acts offset to the center of motion. The pushing force is not converted into a force for rotating the arm, and it is impossible to rotate the arm by this pushing force. In such a case, it is difficult to rotate the arm even if the guide portion is pressed from the lower side of the mobile device as described above. It is troublesome because it is necessary to push up the arm by using a hand or the like to secure a gap in the height direction between the guide portion and the support portion, and then hold the portable device.

The housing constituting the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a structure for accommodating at least a part of an arm located at the rotation position.
At least a part of the arm housed in the housing is exposed to the outside of the housing when it is rotationally displaced from the rotation position.

In the vehicle-mounted device of one preferred aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the arm located at the rotation position is substantially flush with the outer peripheral surface of the housing.
By accommodating the arm when the portable device is not held, the in-vehicle device can be made to look compact. At that time, if a part of the outer peripheral surface of the arm is flush with the outer peripheral surface of the housing, the aesthetic appearance is improved.

A preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted device of the present invention has a mounting surface facing the back surface of the mobile device to be held.
The contact surface of each of the guide portions with respect to the held mobile device is inclined so as to be located on the inner peripheral side of the mobile device as it moves away from the above-mentioned mounting surface in the thickness direction of the mobile device.
In this case, when the guide portion is pressed against the outer periphery of the mobile device, a part of the pressing force is converted into a pressing force toward the mounting surface side via the contact surface inclined as described above. Such a pressing force acts to press the holding portable device against the mounting surface.

Further, the guide portion may be configured so that the contact surface extends to a position exceeding the thickness of the mobile device. In this case, the contact surface in a range exceeding the thickness is located on the inner peripheral side of the mobile device, and the possibility of the mobile device falling off to the front side can be suppressed. It is also possible to prepare several types of the guide portions according to the thickness of the portable device to be held. If the guide portion is replaced with a guide portion having an appropriate amount of protrusion in the thickness direction, the aesthetic appearance when holding the portable device can be improved.

In the vehicle-mounted device of one preferred aspect of the present invention, the inclination angle of the contact surface is 5 degrees or more and 10 degrees or less.
If the tilt angle is 5 degrees or less, the effect of holding the mobile device as described above may not be sufficient. On the other hand, if the inclination angle exceeds 10 degrees, the contact area with the corner portion of the mobile device becomes small, and when the guide portion is pressed against the portable device, the contact load per unit area may become excessive. For example, when a cover made of silicon or the like is attached to a mobile device, the cover may be temporarily dented.

The guide portion provided in the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a rotatably supported rotating roller, and abuts on the portable device via the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roller.
When the arm is rotated while pressing the portable device against the guide portion, the arm rotates while the guide portion moves along the outer circumference of the portable device. If the guide portion is provided with the rotary roller as described above, the guide portion is easily displaced along the outer circumference of the portable device, and the rotation operation of the arm as described above becomes smooth.

A preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted device of the present invention has a mounting surface facing the back surface of the mobile device to be held.
The support surface is inclined so as to be located on the upper side as the distance from the above-mentioned mounting surface increases.
In this case, a part of the load of the portable device acting on the support surface is converted into a pressing force toward the above-mentioned mounting surface side through the inclined support surface. Such a pressing force works effectively to hold the held portable device with high certainty.

The support portion provided in the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of receiving portions that are arranged at predetermined intervals and each of which is provided with the support surface.
The predetermined spacing is set so that the connector connected to the held mobile device can be accommodated in the gap between the pair of receiving portions.
In this case, the connector is easily accessible to the held mobile device.

A preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted device of the present invention has a housing that forms the main body of the vehicle-mounted device and forms a mounting surface facing the back surface of the mobile device to be held.
The height of the support surface with respect to the lower end of the housing is set so that the connector does not protrude toward the outer peripheral side of the housing.
In this case, it is possible to prevent the connector connected to the mobile device from interfering with the dashboard of the vehicle or the like. If the interference of the connector can be suppressed, troubles such as disconnection of the connector can be avoided in advance.

In an in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the range in which the distance between the pair of guide portions can be changed and the range in which the height of each guide portion from the support surface can be changed is at least 5.5 cm. It overlaps in the range of 7.0 cm or less.
It is said that the size of a mobile device is often determined based on the size of a palm, a shirt pocket, or the like. By setting the distance between the pair of guide portions and the height of each guide portion as described above, it is possible to hold almost 100% of all mobile devices, and sufficient versatility can be ensured.

In the vehicle-mounted device of one preferred aspect of the present invention, the operation mode can be selected according to the operating state of the portable device to be held.
The vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has the same functions as those of the portable device that can be held, and also includes switching means for switching whether or not to operate the functions.
For example, when the in-vehicle device of the present invention has a function similar to the function realized by the application executed by the mobile device, the in-vehicle device may be provided with a switching means for switching whether or not to operate the function. good. By doing so, it is possible to eliminate the duplication that the same function is executed on the in-vehicle device when the application is executed on the mobile device, and the in-vehicle device is not executed on the mobile device when the application is not executed on the mobile device. The function can be realized on the device side.
In particular, the changeover means may be composed of a physical changeover switch. By doing so, the overlapping functions of the in-vehicle device can be easily and quickly stopped. In-vehicle devices are often emphasized to be able to operate quickly.

A preferred embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present invention is an in-vehicle device capable of holding a portable device having a positioning function at a current position.
While it has a function of positioning the current position, it is possible to selectively set either an operation mode in which the positioning of the current position is executed or an operation mode in which the positioning of the current position is not executed.
If a mobile device equipped with a positioning function is held, it is possible to capture the current position from the mobile device or to realize the function of the in-vehicle device using the current position on the mobile device side. In such a case, if the operation mode for stopping the positioning function on the in-vehicle device side is selected, the power consumption can be suppressed and the energy saving effect can be improved.

A preferred embodiment of the vehicle-mounted device of the present invention is capable of supplying electric power to a held portable device.
If the held mobile device can be charged, it is possible to prevent the user from running out of charge of the mobile device after getting off the vehicle. As a power feeding method, in addition to a method using a connector, there is a method using wireless power feeding such as QI.

In the vehicle-mounted device of one preferred aspect of the present invention, the pair of guide portions are sandwiched from both sides in the width direction (horizontal direction), and the support portion supports the support portion from below in a first holding posture, and the support portion and each of the support portions. The portable device can be held in at least one of the second holding postures held by the guide portion in the height direction, and the portable device can be held.
It is possible to detect which of the first and second holding postures the mobile device is held.
For example, in the case of a mobile terminal that can be held by both the first holding posture and the second holding posture, the difference in the holding posture is the difference between vertical placement and horizontal placement. For example, if the directionality of the GPS antenna of a mobile device having a GPS function is set in the vertical direction and the in-vehicle device is also provided with the GPS function, the GPS function of the in-vehicle device is stopped when the in-vehicle device is installed vertically. It is possible to control by using the GPS function of the mobile device and using the GPS function of the in-vehicle device when it is placed horizontally.

An in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has an operation unit operated by a user, and at least one of the operation units is in a position where the portable device can be operated even when the portable device is held. Have been placed.
The operable position means a position that is not concealed by the held mobile device and can be accessed by a user's finger or the like. If the operation unit is arranged as described above, the in-vehicle device can be operated even while the mobile device is held.

In an in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the operation units is arranged at the support portion or the tip end portion of the guide portion so that the portable device can be operated even if it is held. There is.
The tip surface of the support portion or the guide portion is not concealed by the holding portable device. The operation unit arranged on the tip surface can be operated regardless of the presence / absence of a mobile device, the holding posture, and the like.

The operation unit in the in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a first operation unit arranged at an operable position even when the mobile device is held, and a case where the mobile device is held. There is a second operation unit that may become inoperable,
The degree of operation frequency assumed while driving the vehicle is different between the first operation unit and the second operation unit, and the operation frequency expected of the second operation unit is lower. ..
The inoperable position means a position that is hidden by the held mobile device and cannot be accessed by the user's finger or the like. If the second operation unit is arranged in the inoperable position, while the first operation unit having a high frequency of operation is arranged in a position where the mobile device can be operated even if the portable device is held, the held portable device. However, it is possible to suppress the possibility of interfering with the operation of in-vehicle devices.

For example, it is provided with an operation unit that may not be able to be operated depending on the posture of the mobile device to be held vertically or horizontally, and an operation unit that can be operated regardless of the posture of the mobile device to be held, and cannot be operated. The possible operation unit may be an operation unit that reduces the need for operation when the mobile device is held, or an operation unit for which operation should be prohibited.
For example, when the mobile device is installed vertically (for example, the longitudinal direction of the mobile device is approximately vertical), it is placed in a position hidden by the mobile device, and the mobile device is installed horizontally (for example, the longitudinal direction of the mobile device is horizontal). The operation unit arranged at a position not hidden by the mobile device in the case of (generally horizontal direction) may be an operation unit that needs to be operated when the installation state of the mobile device is horizontal. For example, in a mobile device in which the longitudinal direction of the mobile device is the longitudinal direction of the display screen provided on the mobile device, the screen is divided into left and right when the mobile device is installed horizontally, or the screen is not divided and displayed. It is advisable to provide a changeover switch for full-screen display as this operation unit.

An in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has an operation unit operated by a user, and at least one of the operation units can be operated via a held portable device.
Configurations that can be operated via a mobile device include configurations that are electrically realized and configurations that are mechanically realized. As a configuration that is electrically realized, for example, a mobile device and an in-vehicle device are connected in a state where they can communicate wirelessly or by wire, and an operation unit corresponding to the operation unit of the in-vehicle device is realized on the mobile device side. There is a configuration. If the mobile device transmits to the in-vehicle device that the operation unit on the display screen has been operated, the in-vehicle device can be operated according to the operation on the mobile device side. As a configuration realized mechanically, for example, an operation unit that comes into contact with the back surface of the held mobile device and can be pushed in by the back surface is provided, and the operation unit is pushed in by pushing the mobile device from the front side. There is such a configuration.

The support portion provided in the vehicle-mounted device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a pair of support arms rotatably supported by a housing forming the main body of the vehicle-mounted device, and is located on the tip end side of the pair of support arms. The support surface is provided for each.
In this case, the height of the held portable device can be adjusted according to the rotation position of the support arm. Further, since the height of the support surface can be changed according to the rotation of the support arm, the adjustment range of the height of each guide portion from the support surface can be expanded.

The perspective view which shows the front side of the radar cradle (including a bracket) in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which shows the radar cradle which holds a smartphone in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the radar cradle from an angle in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which shows the bracket in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view of the bracket in which the column of a joint post is skeletonized in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view of the bracket in which the hollow cup is skeletonized in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view of the bracket which removed the joint part in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the cradle main body from the front side in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the cradle main body from the back side in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the housing from the front side in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the inside of the cover in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the inside of the case in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the pair of rotation arms from the front side in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the pair of rotation arms from an angle in Example 1. FIG. The side view of the rotating arm which removed the rubber tube in Example 1. FIG. The side view of the rotating arm which attached the rubber tube in Example 1. FIG. The explanatory view which shows the combination of the torsion coil spring and the rotation arm in Example 1. FIG. The explanatory view which shows the combination of the cover and the rotating arm in Example 1. FIG. The explanatory view which shows the combination of the cover and the torsion coil spring in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the accommodation structure of the electronic substrate in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the surface of the bottom side of the case of the main board in Example 1. FIG. The perspective view which looks at the side surface of the cover of the sub-board in Example 1. FIG. The block diagram which shows the electric structure of the radar cradle in Example 1. FIG. An explanatory diagram of a size of a portable device that can be held in the first embodiment. An explanatory diagram of a procedure for vertically placing a smartphone in the first embodiment. An explanatory diagram of a procedure for placing a smartphone horizontally in the first embodiment. The explanatory view of the rotation operation of the rotation arm when the smartphone is placed horizontally in Example 1. FIG. The front view which shows the 1st radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 2nd radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 3rd radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 4th radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 5th radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 6th radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 7th radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 8th radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 9th radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the tenth radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the eleventh radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the twelfth radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the thirteenth radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 14th radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the fifteenth radar cradle in Example 2. FIG. The front view which shows the 16th radar cradle in Example 2. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the following examples.
(Example 1)
This example is an example relating to an in-vehicle device (hereinafter referred to as a radar cradle) 1 capable of holding a smartphone (multifunctional mobile phone) 100 which is a portable device and having a function as a radar detector. This content will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 27.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the radar cradle 1 of this example can be fixed to a vehicle dashboard or the like via a bracket 2 attached to the rear side. For example, according to the radar cradle 1 fixed to the dashboard, a mobile device such as a smartphone 100 can be held while facing the driver side. The radar cradle 1 of this example can be attached to a sun visor, a rear-view mirror, or the like depending on the selection of the bracket.

The radar cradle 1 includes a pair of rotating arms (arms) 13 that can rotate toward both outer sides of the cradle main body 1A. The smartphone 100 can be placed vertically as shown in FIG. 2 by holding the rotating arm 13 so as to be sandwiched from both sides by the guide rollers (guide portions) 130 provided therein. Further, if the holder (support portion) 15 that supports the weight of the smartphone 100 and the guide roller 130 are sandwiched in the vertical direction (vertical direction), the smartphone 100 can be placed horizontally. Hereinafter, the configuration of the radar cradle 1 of this example will be described.

First, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the bracket 2 for mounting the radar cradle 1 is a joint portion 21 fixed to the back surface of the cradle body 1A and a suction base 22 to be suction-fixed to the surface of the dashboard of the vehicle. And a joint post 23 that is attached so as to stand upright from the suction base 22 and rotatably supports the joint portion 21. The joint portion 21 and the joint post 23 are connected via a ball joint mechanism 24.

The joint portion 21 has a mounting plate 210 for the cradle main body 1A, and also has a mounting stay 212 extending from the mounting plate 210. On the tip end side of the mounting stay 212, a spherical ball portion 216 (FIG. 5) having a diameter larger than that of the shaft portion 214 is provided via a shaft portion 214 having a circular cross section. The spherical ball portion 216 functions as a joint ball constituting the ball joint mechanism 24.

The suction base 22 is provided near the center of the hollow cup 220, the hollow cup 220 having a substantially dome shape like a bowl lying down, the rubber plate 222 having a substantially circular shape slightly larger than the lower surface shape of the hollow cup 220, and the hollow cup 220. It is configured to include a lever 224 and a columnar convex portion 228 (FIG. 5) erected eccentrically from the center of the hollow cup 220.

The hollow cup 220 has a flat portion 220s formed on the upper surface thereof, and a through hole is formed in the center of the flat portion 220s. A shaft 229 (FIG. 6) fixed to the central portion of the rubber plate 222 is arranged through the through hole so as to be able to advance and retreat. A lever 224 is attached to the other end of the shaft 229.
The lever 224 is a member having a substantially L-shape. A pin hole 224h for holding a pin 229p penetrating the shaft 229 in the orthogonal direction is drilled on the tip end side of the horizontal portion of the letter L in FIG. The vertical portion of L is formed longer than the horizontal portion, and an operation unit 224s operated by the user with a thumb or the like is provided on the tip end side thereof.

If the lever 224 is operated so as to tilt the operation unit 224s, the shaft 229 is shafted by the principle of leverage with the operation unit 224s as the point of action, the corner portion 224c forming the corner of L as the fulcrum, and the pin hole 224h as the power point. It can be pulled up in the direction. When the operating portion 224s is tilted down and the corner portion 224c and the pin hole 224h are positioned along the axial direction of the shaft 229, a mechanically stable state is formed, and the shaft 229 is pulled up in the axial direction as described above. It will be maintained in a stable state. While the central portion of the rubber plate 222 is pulled upward in response to the pulling up of the shaft 229, the outer peripheral portion of the rubber plate 222 is driven by the shaft 229 because the outer peripheral portion of the hollow cup 220 is pressed from the back surface. do not have.

For example, if the lever 224 is operated so as to be tilted while the rubber plate 222 is pressed against the surface of the dashboard of the vehicle, the central portion of the rubber plate 222 can be pulled up in response to the pulling up of the shaft 229. Then, a negative pressure can be formed between the rubber plate 222 and the surface of the dashboard, whereby the bracket 2 can be adsorbed and fixed to the dashboard. In this example, the corner portion 224c is formed so as to slightly project outward in the horizontal direction in FIGS. 4 to 6 so that the lift of the shaft 229 corresponding to the tilting operation of the lever 224 can be secured for a long time. There is. Further, the overhanging shape of the corner portion 224c is formed in a substantially semicircular shape so that the contact load on the flat portion 220s is not excessive.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the joint post 23 includes a support column 231 having a substantially octagonal columnar shape, a bolt 233 penetrating the support column 231 in a direction orthogonal to each other, and an operation knob 234 for tightening the bolt 233. ing.
The bottom surface of the column 231 is perforated with a through hole for accommodating the convex portion 228 of the hollow cup 220. The tip portion of the support column 231 is split at the tip, and a pair of post pieces 236 facing in the penetrating direction of the bolt 233 is formed. Each post piece 236 has a mortar-shaped recess 236d on the inner surface facing the other post piece 236. The pair of post pieces 236 form a spherical space for accommodating the spherical ball portion 216 of the joint portion 21 by the combination of the respective recesses 236d (FIG. 7).

The head portion (non-screw side) of the bolt 233 is fixed to the side wall of the column 231 in a non-rotated state (see FIGS. 5 and 7). The operation knob 234 has a substantially columnar seat portion 234z and a pair of finger hook portions 234y arranged so as to project from the seat portion 234z on both sides in the radial direction so as to facilitate rotation operation. There is. A screw hole (not shown) for screwing a bolt 233 is drilled in the seat portion 234z along the axial direction. When the operation knob 234 attached to the bracket 2 is tightened, the outer surface of the support column 231 can be pressed by the tip surface of the seat portion 234z. By pressing the outer surface of the column in this way, the column 233 can be slightly elastically deformed so as to be crushed in the axial direction of the bolt 233. When the support column 231 is elastically deformed in this way, the distance between the pair of post pieces 236 is narrowed, the spherical ball portion 216 accommodated in the gap can be tightened, and the inner peripheral shape of the bottomed hole is slightly deformed. The columnar convex portion 228 can be tightened. As a result, the rotational position of the joint portion 21 with respect to the joint post 23 can be fixed, and the rotational position of the joint post 23 around the convex portion 228 (FIG. 5) can be fixed.

Next, the configuration of the cradle main body 1A will be described. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cradle main body 1A of this example has an oval-shaped outer shape with a narrowed end, except for the guide roller 130 and the holder 15 projecting to the front side. The cradle body 1A has a structure for accommodating a rotating arm 13 that supports the guide roller 130, and the cradle body 1A in a state where it does not hold a smartphone or the like has an oval shape whose front shape is upside down. It has an oval shape upside down like this).

On the front side of the cradle main body 1A, guide rollers 130 and holders 15 are erected at four locations on the outer circumference. The inverted egg-shaped inner peripheral portion 110 corresponding to the inner region of the guide roller 130 and the holder 15 is raised higher than the outer peripheral portion 111 provided with the guide roller 130 and the like, and the dimension in the thickness direction is large. A thin urethane cushion pad 110S is attached near the lower half of the inner peripheral portion 110. In the cradle main body 1A, the surface of the inner peripheral portion 110 is a mounting surface for a smartphone 100 or the like.

The pair of left and right holders 15 erected on the lower side of the outer peripheral portion 111 are provided at positions higher than the lower end (lower end in the vertical direction) of the cradle main body 1A at predetermined intervals. The support surface 15s corresponding to the upper surface of the holder 15 is formed by a rubber pad 152 attached to the holder 15. The surface of the pad 152, which is the support surface 15s of the smartphone 100 (FIG. 2), is formed with knurls to prevent the smartphone from falling off. The thickness of the pad 152 gradually increases from the middle of the holder 15 in the vertical direction, and is the thickest on the tip end side of the holder 15. In the support surface 15s of the holder 15 formed by such a pad 152, an inclined surface located upward as it approaches the tip is formed. According to such an inclined surface, the load in the gravity direction of the held smartphone 100 can be converted into a force in the direction of pressing against the cradle body 1A side.

In this example, the distance between the pair of holders 15 (dimension W in FIG. 24) is 3.8 cm, which is wider than the width of various connector connected to the connection port of the smartphone 100. It has been set. Further, the height of the support surface 15s (holder 15) (dimension T in the figure) with respect to the lower end of the cradle body 1A is set to 3.1 cm in consideration of the heights of various connector and the like. be.

At the upper part of the inner peripheral portion 110, four operation switches (operation portions) 171 to 174 are arranged along the shape of the outer edge of the inverted egg shape. The four operation switches 171 to 174 are push switches having the same shape and having an arc shape. The four operation switches 171 to 174 are arranged with a slight gap along the arc direction of the shape, and form an arc close to a semicircle as a whole. At the lowermost part of the outer peripheral portion 111, an indicator panel 170 accommodating an indicator lamp for notifying or alarming an operating status by LED light is arranged, and further, two operation switches 175 and 176 are arranged along the lower side thereof. Are arranged in parallel. The specifications of the individual operation switches, the indicator panel 170, and the like will be described after the internal specifications of the radar cradle 1 have been described.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a connection cable for supplying electric power or the like to the pedestal portion 120 for mounting the mounting plate 210 (FIG. 4) of the bracket 2 and the smartphone 100 (FIG. 2) is connected to the back surface of the cradle main body 1A. A USB connector 313, a speaker hole 122, and the like are provided.
A slide switch (switching means) 312 including a function as a power switch, a DC connector 314 for connecting a power cable, an SD card slot 311 (see FIG. 21), and the like are provided on the outer peripheral side surface of the cradle main body 1A.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the housing 10 forming the cradle main body 1A is a hollow case having a divided structure in which a cover 11 on the front side facing the driver side and a case 12 on the back side are combined. An electronic component such as an electronic board, which will be described later, is housed inside the housing 10 in which the cover 11 and the case 12 are combined. In the cradle main body 1A of this example, the mounting structure and the accommodating structure of the rotating arm 13 are realized by using the cover 11 and the case 12. An accommodating portion 101 recessed for accommodating the rotating arm 13 is provided on the outer peripheral side surfaces of the cradle main body 1A on both sides of the upper portion, and a screw serving as a rotation axis of the rotating arm 13 is provided on the upper portion of the accommodating portion 101. The columns 116 are arranged through in the thickness direction. Further, the outer peripheral portion 111 of the cradle main body 1A is provided with a notch 102 for projecting the guide roller 130, whereby the rotating arm 13 can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 101.

The bottom surface of the cover 11 (FIG. 11) is provided with holes for arranging various operation switches, and a structure for assembling the indicator panel 170 made of a translucent resin material (not shown). Is provided. An access hole or the like for the USB connector 313 (FIG. 9) is formed on the bottom surface of the case 12 (FIG. 12). An access hole or notch for a slide switch 312, a DC connector 314, an SD card slot 311 and the like is provided on the outer peripheral side surface of the case 12.

In the cover 11 and the case 12, accommodating portions 117 and 127 constituting the accommodating portion 101 of the cradle main body 1A are provided on both sides of the upper portion. When the cover 11 or the case 12 is viewed from the front, the accommodating portions 117 and 127 on both sides are shaped like the Chinese character eight. These accommodating portions 117 and 127 are formed by partially missing the outer peripheral side wall of the cover 11 or the case 12 and providing side walls 115 and 125 on the inner peripheral side. At the upper part of the accommodating portion 115 on the cover 11 side, a screw column 116 having screw holes drilled along the axial direction is erected. The pedestal 126 of the screw column 116 is formed in the accommodating portion 126 on the case 12 side, and a through hole for passing the screw is formed in the center thereof. For fixing the cover-11 and the case 12, fixing screws that are arranged through the through holes and screwed into the screw columns 116 are used. Further, a notch 118 forming a notch 102 of the cradle main body 1A is formed on the bottom surface of the cover 11 which corresponds to the lower part of the accommodating portion 117 of the cover 11.

As shown in FIGS. 13 to 17, the rotating arm 13 includes a base member 13b having a broad bean-like frontal shape. Of the broad bean shapes of the base member 13b, the convex curved outer edge shape that becomes the outer side at the time of assembly substantially matches the front outer edge shape of the housing 10 inverted egg shape. Such substantially matching of the outer edge shapes is very effective in improving the aesthetic appearance when the rotating arm 13 is housed on the cradle main body 1A side.

Through holes are formed at both ends of the broad bean-shaped base member 13b. The through hole 133 located on the rotation center side is a hole for arranging the screw column 116 of the housing 10 through. A rotation shaft 131 of the guide roller 130 is arranged through the other through hole (see FIG. 15). One end of the rotating shaft 131 is pivotally supported by the base member 13b, and the other end protrudes toward the outside of the base member 13b. A tapered rubber rotary roller 132 having a large diameter toward the tip is extrapolated to the protruding portion of the rotary shaft 131 having a large diameter retaining 131a formed at the tip (FIG. 15). And FIG. 16).

The rotation range (displacement range that can be rotationally displaced) of the rotation arm 13 is set to a range of 100 degrees outward from the rotation position (accommodation position shown in FIG. 8) housed in the housing 10. .. As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, a wire rod made of spring steel is wound in a coil shape between the rotating arm 13 and the housing 10, and both ends of the winding start and winding end are extended in the tangential direction. A torsion coil spring 14 is interposed. The cylindrical coil portion 140 of the torsion coil spring 14 is extrapolated and held by a screw strut 116 forming the rotation axis of the rotation arm 13. One end 142 of the torsion coil spring 14 is fixed to the rotation arm 13 side at a position corresponding to the outer peripheral side of the rotation center. The other end portion 141 is fixed to the housing 10 side. The rotating arm 13 is urged toward the accommodation position shown in FIG. 8 by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 14. In the cradle main body 1A of this example, the urging force when rotated 100 degrees from this accommodation position is about 8 kgf, and the urging force when rotated 50 degrees is about 4 kgf.

In the cradle main body 1A of this example, the fluctuation range of the horizontal distance between the pair of guide rollers 130 (the distance between the guide rollers 130, the dimension H in FIG. 24) according to the rotation operation of the rotation arm 13 is large. It is set to 5.0 cm to 7.5 cm. Further, the vertical distance between the guide roller 130 and the support surface 15s of the holder 15 whose vertical position changes with the rotation of the rotation arm 13 (height from the support surface 15s to the guide roller 130, FIG. 24). The fluctuation range of the inside dimension V) is 5.5 cm to 8.0 cm. The minimum dimension of the fluctuation range in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction is the dimension when the left and right rotating arms 13 are both in the accommodation position of FIG. The maximum horizontal dimension is a dimension obtained when both the left and right rotating arms 13 rotate in the horizontal direction. The maximum dimension in the vertical direction is a dimension obtained when the left and right rotation arms 13 rotate to the full limit of the rotation range over 100 degrees.

As shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, two electronic substrates 31 and 32 having the same shape are housed inside the housing 10 in a stacked manner. In FIG. 20, the electronic board 31 on the back side is hidden by the electric board 32 on the front side. The main board 31 of FIG. 21 incorporated in the back side of the cradle body 1A (the back side of the case 12) has a microcomputer (not shown), an RD module 316, a GPS module 315, a surface mount type speaker 318, an audio IC, and an SD card slot. 311, 3-position slide switch 312, USB connector 313, DC connector 314, etc. are mounted. The sub-board 32 of FIG. 22 incorporated in the front side (the side facing the cover 11) of the cradle main body 1A includes a wireless module 324 (FIG. 23), tact switches 321 constituting various operation switches 171 to 176, and various types. A chip LED 323 or the like that constitutes an indicator lamp is mounted. The chip LED 323 is appropriately arranged at a position corresponding to the inside of the indicator panel 170 (FIG. 8), and constitutes a function as various indicator lamps. In FIG. 22, the wireless module 324 mounted on the back side of the electronic board is not visible.

The GPS module 315 is a receiver that receives GPS signals coming from GPS satellites and outputs the current time, current position (position information by latitude and longitude), current speed, altitude, and the like.
The RD module 316 is a receiver that receives radar waves in the microwavelength band emitted from a speed measuring device such as a mobile radar (hereinafter, simply referred to as a radar). The RD module 316 includes an antenna board that receives microwaves and a high-frequency circuit that forms a receiving circuit. The antenna board is a printed circuit board in which two sets of copper foil patterns forming a square patch antenna radiation element (not shown) are formed. In particular, in the antenna substrate of this example, each patch antenna radiating element is arranged at an angle of about 27 degrees with respect to the vertical direction of the cradle main body 1A. By arranging the patch antenna radiating element at an angle in this way, it is possible to achieve both the reception sensitivity of vertically polarized microwaves and the reception sensitivity of horizontally polarized microwaves. The RD module 316 can output the reception level of the radar wave including the reception level zero indicating non-reception.
The radio module 324 (FIG. 23) is a receiver that receives radio from an emergency vehicle or the like. The radio module 324 of this example is a module capable of receiving two types of radios, a control radio and a car location radio. An antenna wire (not shown) is connected to the wireless module 324 via an external terminal provided on the sub-board 32. This antenna wire is routed in a gap inside the housing 10. The radio module 324 can output the reception level of the radio wave (including the reception level zero indicating non-reception) for each of the two types of radio.

In the cradle main body 1A of this example, the GPS module 315 and the RD module 316 are mounted on the main board 31 incorporated on the back side, while the wireless module 324 is mounted on the sub board 32 incorporated on the front side. The radio wave received by the wireless module 324 has a shorter wavelength (higher frequency) than the microwave received by the GPS module 315 and the microwave received by the RD module 316, and is easily diffracted and wraps around. In consideration of such characteristics of the received radio wave, in the cradle main body 1A of this example, the GPS module 315 and the RD module 316 are arranged on the rear side corresponding to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the wireless module 324 is located on the passenger compartment side (front side). Have been placed.

If an attempt is made to arrange the wireless module 324, which generally occupies a large area, on the main board 31, the board becomes large and the difficulty of compact design of the device becomes high. On the other hand, if the wireless module 324 is mounted on the sub-board 32 in consideration of the difference in the characteristics of the received radio waves as described above and the main board 31 and the board configuration in which two sheets are stacked are adopted, the compact design of the cradle main body 1A can be achieved. It will be easier.
In the main board 31, when incorporated in the housing 10, a microcomputer or the like (not shown) is located on the back side of the pedestal portion 120 to which the bracket 2 is attached, while the RD module 316 and the GPS module 315 are arranged above the pedestal portion 120. ing. The USB connector 313 and the speaker 318 are appropriately arranged at positions that can be accessed even when the bracket 2 is attached to the cradle main body 1A.

As shown in FIG. 23, the radar cradle 1 of this example is electrically configured around the control unit 30. A GPS module 315, an RD module 316, a wireless module 324, a speaker 318, a memory card reader 33, and the like are electrically connected to the control unit 30. The memory card reader 33 reads data from the memory card 331 inserted in the SD card slot 311 (FIG. 21) and transfers the data to the control unit 30. Further, the radar cradle 1 is provided with a database 300 accessible from the control unit 30. The database 300 is formed by utilizing the storage area of EEPROM, which is a non-volatile memory incorporated in the microcomputer.

The control unit 30 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, and a microcomputer in which I / O and the like are integrated into one chip.
The ROM stores a software program or the like to be executed by the CPU.
In the storage area of the non-volatile memory such as EEPROM, in addition to the storage area of the database 300 described above, a setting information storage area for storing setting information related to various settings, and a user for storing the position information of My Area set by the user. An information storage area is provided.

The database 300 at the time of product shipment stores GPS contents and voice output information. GPS contents include radar type orbis, in-tunnel orbis, loop coil, LH system, new LH system, tunnel exit target, control area, inspection area, intersection monitoring point, ban monitoring area, N system, signal ignore suppression system, police. There is location information such as police stations, accident-prone areas, and areas with the highest priority for parking. As the voice output information, voice data such as "1 km to the right, a highway radar", "This area, a ban monitoring area", etc. are stored.

The stored data in the database 300 can be updated by using the memory card 331. If a memory card 331 in which update data such as GPS contents and voice output information is stored is inserted into the SD card slot 311, the update data is read out under the control of the control unit 30, and the data in the database 300 can be updated. .. It is also possible to update the database 300 by connecting a PC in which the update data is stored to a hard disk or the like via USB.

The radar cradle 1 realizes various functions by causing the CPU to execute a software program read from the ROM. The functions of the radar cradle 1 of this example include an alarm function for issuing various alarms, a setting function, a registration function, and the like. The alarm function includes a GPS alarm function, an RD alarm function, a wireless alarm function, and the like. In the control unit 30, means corresponding to each function are formed.

The GPS warning function is a function for warning the approach to an alarm target such as Orbis (automatic speed violation control device). In the GPS alarm function, arithmetic processing for obtaining the distance between the position of the alarm target and the current position is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals (for example, 1 second). When this distance reaches a predetermined approach distance and an event called an alarm point approach occurs, a GPS alarm indicating that fact is executed.
The RD warning function is a function for warning the approach to the radar type control device according to the incident of the radar wave (microwave). When an event of radar wave reception by the RD module 316 (hereinafter referred to as RD reception) occurs, an RD alarm indicating that fact is executed.
The radio warning function is a function for warning the approach of an emergency vehicle or the like in response to the reception of radio waves emitted by the emergency vehicle or the like. When an event of reception of radio waves emitted by an emergency vehicle (hereinafter referred to as radio reception) occurs, a radio warning is executed to alert the driver so as not to interfere with the driving of the emergency vehicle or the like.
The setting function is a function for making various settings related to the operation of the radar cradle 1. The setting items and the setting method will be described later.
The registration function is a function for registering predetermined location information. As the predetermined position information, in addition to the position information registered according to the user operation, there is the position information registered by the control unit 30.

Next, the configuration (operation switch, display, etc.) of the user interface of the radar cradle 1 of this example will be described, and then the operation of the radar cradle 1 will be described.
The power switch of the radar cradle 1 is a 3-position slide switch 312 (FIG. 9) that can be operated in the vertical direction. The top off position corresponds to power off, and the bottom two positions correspond to power on. Of the power-on positions, the lower all-on position corresponds to the operation mode in which all functions including the GPS function operate, and the upper position corresponds to the operation mode in which the GPS function does not operate.

The operation switches 171 to 174 (FIG. 8) arranged on the front side of the cradle main body 1A and above the inner peripheral portion 110 are select buttons, set buttons, and volume adjustment buttons for UP / DOWN. The two operation switches 175 and 176 arranged at the lowermost part of the outer peripheral portion 111 are a my area button and a test & mute button. An on / off lamp, an RD alarm lamp, a GPS lamp, and a radio alarm lamp, which are indicator lamps, are arranged on the indicator panel 170 arranged above the operation switches 175 and 176.

The my area button 175 is an operation button for registering an area that the user wants to memorize by himself / herself.
The test & mute button 176 is an operation button for confirming the alarm sound and operating the mute function. If the operation is performed while the alarm is not generated, a test tone with a predetermined volume is generated. The desired volume can be set by appropriately operating the volume adjustment button based on the volume of the test tone.
The select button 171 is an operation button for selecting a setting item. The setting item can be selected according to the number of operations of the select button 171. After selecting the setting item, the setting content can be switched by operating the set button 172.

In the radar cradle 1 of this example, the My Area button 175, the test & mute button 176, and the indicator panel 170 are arranged at positions that are not hidden even when the smartphone 100 (FIG. 2) is held. ing. On the other hand, the select button 171, the set button 172, and the volume adjustment buttons 173 and 174, which are operation buttons for setting and are infrequently operated during use, are arranged at positions that may be hidden by the smartphone 100.

When the slide switch 312, which forms a power switch, is switched to the all-on position when using the radar cradle 1, the on / off lamp lights red (lights orange when the AAC / ASS function is on) and the control unit 30 (FIG. 23). ) Controls to start the operation of all functions (all-on mode). When the slide switch 312 is operated to a position where only the GPS function is inoperable, the on / off lamp lights up in green and the control unit 30 starts the operation of the functions other than the GPS module.

The control unit 30 under the operating state of the all-on mode captures the output signals from the GPS module 315, the RD module 316, and the wireless module 324 at regular intervals such as 1 second. Each time the control unit 30 captures the current position of the GPS module 315, the control unit 30 repeatedly executes an arithmetic process for obtaining an approach distance, which is the distance between the current position and the position of the alarm target.

When the above-mentioned approach distance reaches a predetermined approach distance, the control unit 30 determines that an event called an alarm point approach has occurred. When a radar wave above a predetermined reception level is received, it is determined that an event called RD reception has occurred. When radio reception above a predetermined reception level is received, it is determined that an event called radio reception has occurred. When all three of these events have not occurred, the radar cradle 1 is in a standby state.

When the control unit 30 determines that any of the events has occurred, the control unit 30 executes the corresponding alarm operation. When two or more events are determined to occur at the same time, the priority of the alarm is in the order of the RD alarm function, the radio alarm function, and the GPS alarm function from the highest order.
The control unit 30 that has determined the occurrence of an event for the alarm point approach controls the speaker 318 so that a voice indicating that the alarm point is approaching is output together with the type of the alarm point that is approaching. In particular, the GPS lamp blinks in blue when approaching the Orbis point or My Area where the Orbis is installed.
The control unit 30 that has determined the occurrence of the RD reception event controls the speaker 318 so that the alarm sound set by the RD alarm sound setting can be output, and blinks the RD alarm lamp. Such an operation is continued until the radar wave is no longer received, and as the radar wave reception level becomes higher, the blinking speed of the RD alarm lamp becomes faster, and an electronic sound "beep beep ..." is used as an alarm sound. If set, the tempo will be faster.
The control unit 30 that has determined the occurrence of a radio reception event executes voice output such as "It is a crackdown radio." And turns on the radio alarm lamp. Furthermore, when a radio reception event occurs in response to the reception of the car location radio, voice output such as "Car location distant reception" or "Car location proximity reception" is executed according to the degree of proximity of the sender, and then the car location is performed. When the radio reception is interrupted, the voice output "Out of car location area." Is executed.

In the radar cradle 1 of this example, the following settings can be executed by appropriately operating the select button 171 and the set button 172.
(RD alarm sound setting)
As an alarm sound at the time of an RD alarm, an electronic sound "beep beep ..." or a voice "attention to speed" is selectively set. By operating the select button 171 once, the RD alarm sound setting function can be selected, and the setting contents at that time such as "Voice, on." Are pronounced. If you leave it as it is, you can keep the voice on state, and if you operate the set button 172, you can switch the voice off and you can check the switching according to the pronunciation "It is off."

(Notification setting)
Setting whether to notify when approaching GPS content. Target GPS contents include N systems, ban monitoring areas, police stations, accident-prone areas, and the like. For example, if the select button 171 is operated five times, the N system notification function can be selected, and the setting contents at that time such as "N system is on." Are pronounced. If left as it is, the notification state can be maintained, and by operating the set button 172, the notification function of the N system can be switched off, and the switching can be confirmed according to the pronunciation of "off." The notification target can be switched according to the number of operations of the select button 171. The parking monitoring area notification function is operated 6 times, the police station notification function is 7 times, and the accident-prone area notification function is 8 times.

(Intelligent cancel function setting)
An intelligent cancel function that automatically registers GPS position information when an erroneous alarm occurs due to an automatic door, etc. as an erroneous alarm area, and cancels the RD alarm even if microwaves are received when passing through that location from the next time onward. Set whether to operate. By operating the select button 171 twice, the intelligent cancel (I cancel) function can be selected, and the setting contents at that time such as "I cancel, on." Are pronounced. If left as it is, the intelligent cancel function can be kept on, and by operating the set button 172, the intelligent cancel function can be switched off and the switching can be confirmed according to the pronunciation of "off."

(AAC / ASS function setting)
Set whether to operate the AAC function that cuts the RD alarm when the speed is less than 30 km / h and the ASS function that switches the reception sensitivity of the RD module according to the speed per hour. By operating the select button 171 three times, the AAC / ASS function can be selected, and the settings at that time such as "AAC is on." Are pronounced. If left as it is, the AAC / ASS function can be kept on, and if the set button 172 is operated, the AAC / ASS function can be switched off and the switching can be confirmed according to the pronunciation "Off.".

(Wireless reception function setting)
Setting whether to receive wireless 2 band (control radio, car location radio). If you operate the select button 171 four times, you can select the wireless reception function, and the settings at that time, such as "Wireless, on.", Are pronounced. If left as it is, the wireless reception function can be kept on, and by operating the set button 172, the wireless reception function can be switched off and the switching can be confirmed according to the pronunciation "Off.".

Next, a procedure for holding the smartphone in the radar cradle 1 of this example will be described.
In the radar cradle 1 of this example, as shown in FIG. 24, the fluctuation range of the horizontal distance H of the pair of guide rollers 130 according to the rotational movement of the rotating arm 13 is set to 5.0 cm to 7.5 cm. There is. Further, the fluctuation range of the vertical distance V between the guide roller 130 whose vertical position changes with the rotation of the rotating arm 13 and the support surface 15s of the holder 15 is 5.5 cm to 8.0 cm. There is. According to this radar cradle 1, a smartphone or the like having a width (short side dimension) of 5.5 cm to 7.5 cm in which the fluctuation range of the horizontal spacing H and the fluctuation range of the vertical spacing V overlap in a range. It is possible to hold the portable device in both vertical and horizontal directions.

An example of the procedure for placing the smartphone vertically will be described. For example, a vertically oriented smartphone is tilted to the left or right, and the smartphone is inserted from the left side into the space between the pair of guide rollers 130. Then, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 25, the left side of the smartphone is pressed against the guide roller 130 to rotate outward, and the distance H between the pair of guide rollers 130 is expanded. After the guide roller 130 is rotationally displaced until the gap H becomes wider than the width of the smartphone, the right side of the smartphone is pushed toward the cradle body 1A side. By performing such a mounting operation, it is possible to realize a vertically placed holding state in which the smartphone is sandwiched from both sides by the pair of guide rollers 130 and the lower side of the smartphone is supported by the support surface 15s (see FIG. 2). ..

An example of the procedure for holding the smartphone sideways will be described. For example, the laid-down smartphone is tilted up and down, and the smartphone is inserted from above into the space between the guide roller 130 and the holder 15. Then, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 26, the upper side of the smartphone is pressed against the left and right guide rollers 130 to rotate and displace upward, and the distance V between the guide roller 130 and the support surface 15s is expanded. After the left and right guide rollers 130 are rotationally displaced until this distance V becomes wider than the width of the smartphone, the lower side of the smartphone is pushed toward the cradle body 1A. By performing such a mounting operation, it is possible to realize a horizontal holding state in which the smartphone is sandwiched from above and below by the pair of guide rollers 130 and the pair of holders 15.

Here, in the radar cradle 1 of this example, the guide roller 130 is rotatably supported by the rotating arm 13. Such a shaft support structure works particularly effectively when the smartphone is held by the above procedure. This content will be described.
When the smartphone is pressed against the guide roller 130 to rotate the rotating arm 13 as described above, the vertical (horizontal) displacement accompanies the desired horizontal (horizontal) displacement to the guide roller 130. Occur. When the smartphone is pressed against the guide roller 130 and displaced in the horizontal direction (vertical direction), the guide roller 130 needs to be displaced in the vertical direction (horizontal direction) along the outer periphery thereof while being in contact with the smartphone. According to the guide roller 130 that can rotate with respect to the rotating arm 13, the sliding resistance when the guide roller 130 is displaced along the outer circumference of the smartphone can be brought close to zero. If the guide roller 130 does not rotate, the sliding resistance when the guide roller 130 is displaced along the outer circumference of the smartphone becomes large, which becomes the resistance of the rotating operation of the rotating arm 13. In particular, in the case of the rubber guide roller 130 of this example, the coefficient of friction at the contact point becomes high, so that such a problem becomes remarkable.

Further, in the radar cradle 1 of this example, as shown in FIG. 27, the rotating arm 13 at the accommodation position faces diagonally downward and guides the vertical VL passing through the rotation center (screw column 116 in this example). The roller 130 (center position) is located on the outside. According to such an arrangement structure, the force F that pushes up the guide roller 130 in the direction of the arrow when it is placed horizontally as described above can be converted into a rotational moment M centered on the screw column 116. According to this rotational moment M, the rotational arm 13 can be rotationally displaced outward. On the other hand, when the guide roller 130 and the screw column 116 (the center of rotation of the rotating arm 13) at the accommodation position are arranged along the vertical VL, the rotational moment is caused by the pushing force F in the vertical direction. It does not occur and the rotating arm 13 cannot be rotated.

The distance W (see FIG. 24) between the pair of holders 15 in the radar cradle 1 of this example is set to be larger than the width of a general smartphone connector. Further, the height T of the support surface 15s with respect to the lower end of the cradle main body 1A is set to be larger than the protruding dimension of a general smartphone connector. For example, in the case of a smartphone provided with a connection port in the center of the lower side surface when vertically placed, the connector at the other end of the connection cord connected to the USB connector 313 can be accommodated in the gap between the pair of holders 15. Further, since the lower end of the connector protruding downward from the smartphone is located higher than the lower end of the cradle main body 1A, it does not interfere with the dashboard of the vehicle or the like. By avoiding interference such as the connector hitting the vehicle side, it is possible to avoid deformation of the connector, damage on the vehicle side, disconnection of the electric wire cord pulled out from the connector, and the like. It is also good to secure a sufficient height T in consideration of the access dimension of the connector so that the connector can be connected to the smartphone placed vertically.

In the radar cradle 1 of this example, a structure that can be used for smartphones of various sizes is realized by a very simple structure. In particular, the holding structure using the rotating arm 13 of this example is configured by utilizing the space on the outer peripheral side of the housing 10, and does not occupy any space on the inner peripheral side. When occupying the space on the inner peripheral side of the housing 10, it is necessary to arrange an electric board or the like on top of this holding structure, or it is necessary to place an electronic board while avoiding the holding structure. It is easy to invite the expansion of the area and the expansion of the occupied area on the front side. If the holding structure of this example that utilizes the space on the outer peripheral side of the housing 10 as described above is adopted, the space on the inner peripheral side of the housing 10 can be used exclusively for accommodating electronic components such as an electronic board. It is possible to suppress the expansion of dimensions in the thickness direction and the expansion of the occupied area on the front side, enabling a compact design. Further, if the inner peripheral side of the housing 10 can be used for the arrangement area of the electronic circuit, for example, the display screen of the liquid crystal display or the like can be arranged in the inner peripheral portion 110.
Further, in the radar cradle 1 of this example, the outer edge shape of the rotating arm 13 when the housing 10 is in the accommodation position is substantially the same as the outer edge shape when the housing 10 is viewed from the front. The rotating arm 13 at the accommodating position is integrated with the housing 10 and is accommodating, and in particular, the aesthetic appearance in a state where the smartphone is not held is remarkably high.

The radar cradle 1 of this example is provided with a switching means for selecting an operation mode in which the GPS function is not operated. When holding a smartphone equipped with a GPS function, it is possible to perform an operation in cooperation with the holding smartphone, such as selecting this operation mode. It is also good to acquire the current position and the like measured from the smartphone side and execute the GPS alarm. Alternatively, if a smartphone having a GPS function is held, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the GPS content held by the radar cradle 1 is transferred to the smartphone and the smartphone is made to execute the GPS alarm.

In the radar cradle 1 of this example, the inclination angle of the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller 130 is set to about 8 degrees. This inclination angle is preferably set to about 5 to 10 degrees. If the tilt angle is less than this range, the smartphone will easily fall out toward you. If the tilt angle exceeds this range, a dent may occur in the silicon cover or the like that may be used as a cover for a smartphone.

In this radar cradle 1, a screw support 116 that is provided inside the cradle body 1A and does not project toward the mounting surface (the surface of the inner peripheral portion 110) of the smartphone 100 or the like is used as the rotation axis of the rotation arm 13. ing. If a structure is adopted in which the rotation shaft of the rotation arm 13 does not protrude toward the mounting surface side, the rotation mechanism of the rotation arm 13 when the smartphone 100 or the like is placed in the inner region of the guide roller 130 and the holder 15. The rotating shafts and the like constituting the above do not interfere with the smartphone 100 and the like.

As described above, the radar cradle 1 of this example is a convenient and highly versatile in-vehicle device capable of holding smartphones of various sizes. If it is a general palm-sized smartphone or the like, it can be placed vertically or horizontally, which can improve the usability of the smartphone when it is mounted on a vehicle.

Instead of the configuration of this example, an operation switch that is frequently operated while holding the smartphone 100 or the like may be arranged on the tip surface of the holder 15 or the guide roller 130. With these tip surfaces, the smartphone 100 will not be hidden when it is held. Further, it is also good to arrange an indicator lamp on these tip surfaces.
The guide roller 130 may be configured so that it can be changed according to the portable device to be held. For example, for a mobile device having a large thickness direction, such as a slide-type mobile phone, a long guide roller 130 in the axial direction can be attached, while when holding a thin smartphone, the smartphone can be replaced with a short guide roller 130. It is possible to reduce the protrusion on the front side such as. If the protrusion on the front side of the smartphone is reduced, the aesthetic appearance can be improved and the visibility of the display screen can be improved.

In this example, the radar cradle 1 having a function as a radar detector is illustrated, but the function realized by the electronic circuit housed in the cradle main body 1A may be another function. For example, various functions such as music player function, video player function, various communication functions, navigation function, vehicle speed, various vehicle data display functions such as cooling water temperature, drive recorder function, air purification function, driver monitoring function such as arousal degree, etc. Can be incorporated inside the cradle body 1A. The function accommodated inside may be only a circuit that supplies electric power to a mobile device such as a smartphone.

In this example, the support portion is composed of a pair of holders 15, but instead of this example, the lower side of the smartphone may be supported by one holder having a certain width, and three or more holders may be used. The holder may support the smartphone. In this example, the two holders 15 constituting the support portion are provided with the same specifications, but some specifications such as width may be different.
Further, a new rotating arm different from the rotating arm 13 may be provided, and a holder may be attached to the tip thereof. According to the combination of the rotating arm 13 of the guide roller 130 and the rotating arm of the holder, the fluctuation range of the vertical distance V (see FIG. 24) can be expanded in particular. If it is not necessary to expand the fluctuation range of the vertical interval, a fluctuation range similar to this example can be realized by a more compact design.

If the retained smartphone has a GPS function, a GPS alarm program and a database of GPS contents may be installed on the smartphone. In this case, the GPS alarm can be executed by using the hardware resources of the smartphone. Further, while only the GPS alarm program is installed on the smartphone, the GPS content of the database 300 may be accessible from the smartphone side via the connection cord connected to the USB connector 313. Furthermore, it is also good to access the database 300 from the smartphone side by wireless communication such as Bluetooth. As a method of installing the GPS alarm program, the program may be downloaded from a server on the Internet to a smartphone via an Internet line and installed, or the program may be downloaded via a memory card or the like. Further, the program may be downloaded to the smartphone from the radar cradle 1 side via the connection cord or wireless communication.

It is also good to add a means to detect whether the smartphone to be held is placed vertically or horizontally. Smartphones and the like are generally set so that the sensitivity of the GPS receiver is good when the posture is vertical. Therefore, it is also possible to use the GPS function of the smartphone when the vertical installation is detected, stop the GPS function of the smartphone when the horizontal installation is performed, and use the GPS function of the radar cradle 1. As a means for detecting whether it is placed vertically or horizontally, for example, in the inner peripheral portion 110 of the cradle main body 1A, a plurality of light receiving elements are arranged in the vertical direction and arranged at a position higher than the height of the guide roller 130. It is good to judge whether or not the light receiving element receives light. When holding a smartphone or the like, if there is light reception by the light receiving element at a position higher than the guide roller 130, it can be determined to be horizontally placed, and if the light receiving is blocked, it can be determined to be vertically placed.

Instead of this example, one push button may be arranged on each of the left and right sides of the inner peripheral portion 110 of the cradle main body 1A. For example, if the push button is in contact with the back of a vertically placed smartphone, you can operate the push button on the right side by pressing the upper right side of the smartphone with your finger, etc., and operate the push button on the left side by pressing the upper left side. can. In this way, the radar cradle 1 can be operated via the smartphone. It is preferable to realize a virtual operation button that functions as an operation button of the radar cradle 1 on the display screen of the smartphone. In this case, the radar cradle 1 can be set or the like by tapping on the display screen of the smartphone.

(Example 2)
This example is an example in which the shape specifications are changed based on the radar cradle 1 of the first embodiment. This content will be described with reference to FIGS. 28 to 43.
FIG. 28 is an example of a radar cradle 1 in which a support portion of a rotating arm 13 is provided on a portion of a cradle main body 1A having a rectangular front shape and which is exposed to both shoulders protruding to the outside.
FIG. 29 is an example in which one of the rotating arms 13 is abolished and a guide roller 130 that advances and retreats in the vertical direction is provided based on the radar cradle 1 of FIG. 28. The guide roller 130 can advance and retreat linearly along the advancing / retreating groove 138, while being urged toward the position shown by the coil spring 139 accommodated along the advancing / retreating direction.
FIG. 30 is an example in which the rotating arm 13 is abolished and a pair of guide rollers 130 that advance and retreat in an oblique direction are provided. In the radar cradle 1, a pair of guide rollers 130 that advance and retreat linearly by the same mechanism as in FIG. 29 are diagonally arranged. Similar to FIG. 29, each guide roller 130 is urged toward the position shown by the coil spring 139.

31 to 43 are different designs of the radar cradle provided with the pair of rotating arms 13, similar to the radar cradle 1 of FIG. 28.
The design of FIG. 31 is a design in which the main body has an octagonal cross-section extruded shape, and the rotating shaft portion and the rear mounting portion of the rotating arm 13 are simply configured as independent parts. To make it easier to operate, the operation switches are arranged in two stages with a gap, and the LED display is also arranged in two stages using the space.
The design of FIG. 32 aims to make the outer shape look simple and slim by integrating the outer shape with smooth lines and taking a large surface. It is assumed that the operation switches are concentrated in the central part in consideration of operability, and the relays of the LEDs arranged around the central part blink.
The design of FIG. 33 is a design in which an image of a robot is expressed by an operation / display unit in order to meet a user's request for a “robot-like image”. In addition to the robotic design of the rotating arm 13 and the holder 15, the operation switch and LED display are likened to the cockpit of the popular anime Gundam (robot character) and the "steering support type" R2D2 (movie character). The lens shape of the part is designed.
The design of FIG. 34 is a design in which the image of a sphere is given to the upper part and the head of the robot is "friendly", and the whole is expressed with a mechanical and voluminous feeling. The display / operation unit is arranged so that it can be recognized as a "face", and the operation switch has the image of a smartphone icon.
In the design of FIG. 35, the display / operation unit is arranged in the area smoothly connected from the cylindrical shape of the head, and the rear mounting portion (pedestal portion) and the holder 15 are made into one volume, which gives a sense of unity and weight. It is a design expressed as a "lump".
The design of FIG. 36 is designed with reference to a PC mouse with an ultra-organic shape, aiming at a form in which curved surfaces can be seen from any front, back, left, or right, from the pursuit of a robot image that combines "living things" and mecha. The LED display is arranged in a ring around the "face" operation switch so that it looks like an "intelligent / life" operation.
The design in FIG. 37 is a design that pursues an organic form in the image of a cyborg-type robot that is a fusion of "living body" and mecha. Avoiding the smartphone connection cable, the operation switch is placed on the front and the display is placed on the back to improve operability.
The design in FIG. 38 is a design that pursues an organic form in the image of a cyborg-type robot that is a fusion of "living body" and mecha. The operation switch and display are arranged at the bottom for easy operation and recognition.
The design in FIG. 39 is a design that pursues the fusion of an organic image and a "robot" shape. The display and the operation switch are arranged in the space created by reducing the volume of the holder 15, and the operation and visibility are improved.
The design of FIG. 40 is a design that pursues the fusion of an organic image and a "robot" shape. The display and operation switch are arranged in the space created by reducing the volume of the holder 15, and the operation and visibility are improved.
The design of FIG. 41 is designed to fit a smartphone by eliminating unnecessary decorations such as "points" on the upper surface and operation switches in accordance with the removal of the "shoulder" portion.
The design of FIG. 42 is designed to match the smartphone by eliminating the "pointedness" on the upper surface, the swelling on the back surface, and the extra design such as the operation switch as much as possible in accordance with the removal of the "shoulder" portion.
The design of FIG. 43 is a design in which the rotating arm 13 is integrated in accordance with the removal of the “shoulder” portion, which is uncomfortable, and is close to the concept of “seamless” product appearance. Care is taken so that the operation / display unit is not hidden by the smartphone power supply unit.
The other configurations and effects are the same as in Example 1.

Although the specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail as in Examples 1 and 2, these specific examples merely disclose an example of the technique included in the claims. Needless to say, the scope of claims should not be construed in a limited manner by the composition and numerical values of specific examples. The scope of claims includes technologies in which the specific examples are variously modified or changed by utilizing publicly known technologies, knowledge of those skilled in the art, and the like.

1 Radar cradle (vehicle-mounted device)
1A Cradle body 10 Housing 101 Housing part 11 Cover 117 Storage part 116 Screw support 12 Case 127 Storage part 13 Rotating arm (arm)
130 Guide roller (guide part)
132 Rotating roller 14 Torsion coil spring 15 Holder (support part)
15s Support surface 171 to 176 Operation switch (operation unit)
2 Bracket 30 Control unit 300 Database 312 Slide switch (switching means)
315 GPS module 316 RD module 324 wireless module

Claims (2)

A cradle that is fixed to the vehicle and holds electronic devices.
A housing that houses electronic components and has a front surface as a surface that electronic devices come into contact with.
A support portion having a portion protruding to the front side of the housing and supporting an electronic device in contact with the front surface side, and a support portion.
A pair of guide portions having a portion above the support portion and protruding toward the front side of the housing.
Equipped with
The protruding portion of the support has an upper surface having a flat and horizontal portion as viewed from the front, which is in contact with the lower surface of the electronic device in contact with the front surface.
The pair of guide portions are in contact with both side surfaces of the electronic device in contact with the front surface side to sandwich the electronic device from both side surfaces, and at least one of the pair of guide portions is the electronic device. It can be displaced outward from the housing when viewed from the front according to the horizontal dimensions.
A bracket is provided so that the front surface can be fixed to the vehicle so as to be inclined from the lower side to the upper side toward the rear side.
Cradle. A cradle that is fixed to the vehicle and holds electronic devices.
A housing that houses electronic components and has a front surface as a surface that electronic devices come into contact with.
A support portion having a portion protruding to the front side of the housing and supporting an electronic device in contact with the front surface side, and a support portion.
A pair of guide portions having a portion above the support portion and protruding toward the front side of the housing.
Equipped with
The protruding portion of the support has an upper surface that is in contact with the lower surface of the electronic device in contact with the front surface and extends in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction when viewed from the front.
The pair of guide portions are in contact with both side surfaces of the electronic device in contact with the front surface side to sandwich the electronic device from both side surfaces, and at least one of the pair of guide portions is the electronic device. It can be displaced outward from the housing when viewed from the front according to the horizontal dimensions.
A bracket is provided so that the front surface can be fixed to the vehicle so as to be inclined from the lower side to the upper side toward the rear side.
Cradle.

Images