JP7435805B2 - Vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper is known in which a kick sensor is mounted to a rear bumper of a vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The kick sensor disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects when the toe of a vehicle user passes below the kick sensor. When the kick sensor detects your foot, the vehicle's tailgate opens automatically. In this way, the automatic opening of the tailgate eliminates the need for the user of the vehicle to use his/her hands, thereby improving the convenience of the vehicle.

The vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a rear bumper cover and an undercover. The undercover is provided below the floor panel of the vehicle in the vertical direction of the vehicle and on the front side of the vehicle with respect to the rear bumper cover. The kick sensor is disposed inside a closed cross-sectional space surrounded by a connecting body of the rear bumper cover and the undercover. In the vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure of Patent Document 1, such an arrangement suppresses foreign objects from entering the kick sensor arrangement region.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-127804

However, in the vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, an extra undercover is disposed to protect the kick sensor. This complicates the sensor mounting structure of the vehicle bumper, increasing the cost and weight of the vehicle.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper that can protect a detection part of a sensor with a simple structure.

A sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper according to the present disclosure is a sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper provided with a sensor that detects an object. A sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper includes a support bracket that is fixed to the back surface of a bumper cover and supports the sensor. The support bracket has a holding part that holds the detection part of the sensor formed on an opposing surface that faces the back surface of the bumper cover. The detection part of the sensor is disposed between the support bracket and the bumper cover while being held by the holding part.

According to this vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure, the support bracket, the detection section, and the bumper cover are arranged in this order from above. As a result, the support bracket receives scattered objects that fly toward the support bracket as the vehicle travels. As a result, the detection section of the sensor can be protected by the support bracket. Therefore, the detection section of the sensor can be protected with a simple structure.

The holding portion may include a housing recess that is recessed in the opposing surface in a direction away from the bumper cover and that accommodates the sensing portion of the sensor, and a holding claw that holds the sensing portion within the housing recess.

According to this configuration, it is easy to hold the detection part of the sensor while ensuring a space between the bumper cover and the detection part of the sensor.

The vehicle bumper may be a rear bumper at the rear of the vehicle. The sensor may be a kick sensor that detects an object passing under the lower wall of the bumper cover. The support bracket may be formed of a plate-shaped member that is provided to face the back surface of the lower wall portion and covers the back surface of the lower wall portion from above. The detection portion of the sensor may extend across the vehicle width direction between the support bracket and the lower wall portion.

According to this configuration, the detection section of the kick sensor can be protected by the support bracket.

The lower wall portion of the bumper cover may be formed to slope downward from the rear toward the front. The detection part of the sensor may be held on the support bracket with a space between it and the lower wall part.

According to this configuration, the lower wall portion of the bumper cover is arranged to be inclined downward from the rear toward the front. As a result, when the bumper cover is exposed to water, water flows from the rear to the front. Moreover, since there is a space between the detection part and the lower wall part of the bumper cover, even if the bumper cover is exposed to water, water can be drained while suppressing water exposure to the detection part. As a result, it is easy to maintain the performance of the detection unit.

The support bracket may have a groove recessed upward in the opposing surface and extending in the front-rear direction.

According to this configuration, since water is discharged along the groove, it is easy to prevent water from accumulating between the bumper cover and the detection section.

The ceiling part of the groove part may be arranged below the upper end of the detection part of the sensor.

According to this configuration, since the top of the detection section is located above the top of the groove, it is possible to prevent the detection section from being submerged in water when water flows into the groove.

The ECU of the sensor may be provided on a surface opposite to the facing surface of the support bracket. The support bracket may include a vertical wall portion erected upward in front of the ECU. The vertical wall portion may be formed in a size that hides the ECU when viewed from the front.

According to this configuration, the ECU can be placed close to the detection section while protecting the ECU.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper that can protect a detection portion of a sensor with a simple structure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of kick sensors according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a rear bumper portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a bracket and kick sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following specification, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is indicated as Q in the drawings, and the front direction is indicated as F. Further, the width direction of the vehicle is marked as P in the drawing, and the right side when viewed from the rear of the vehicle is marked as R. Further, the vertical direction of the vehicle is indicated as G in the drawing, and the upward direction is indicated as U.

As shown in FIG. 1, a sensor mounting structure 1 for a vehicle bumper is a sensor mounting structure 1 for a vehicle bumper of a vehicle C having an electric tailgate 2. A vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure 1 includes a rear bumper cover (an example of a bumper cover) 4 provided at the rear of a vehicle, a kick sensor (an example of a sensor) 6, and a support bracket 8.

The tailgate 2 is supported by the body of the vehicle C by a hinge and a damper, and functions as a door of the luggage compartment. The tailgate 2 can be opened and closed by an actuator (not shown). For example, when the tip of a user's foot of the vehicle C passes below a kick sensor 6, which will be described later, the actuator operates the tailgate 2 in a direction to open the tailgate 2. The actuator is controlled by a control device (not shown).

The rear bumper cover 4 is arranged below the tailgate 2 at the rear of the vehicle C. The rear bumper cover 4 is a cover that covers a bumper that functions as a cushioning material that absorbs impact from the rear of the vehicle C. In this embodiment, the rear bumper cover 4 has a lower wall portion 4a facing the ground Y, and a rear wall portion 4b facing rearward of the vehicle C. The lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4 is arranged to face the ground Y, and is arranged to be inclined downward from the rear to the front of the vehicle C. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear wall portion 4b is connected to the lower wall portion 4a via four connection brackets 4c, and extends to the vicinity of the tailgate 2. However, the rear bumper cover 4 only needs to have at least the lower wall portion 4a, and the rear wall portion 4b may have any shape. Further, the rear bumper cover 4 may have the lower wall portion 4a and the rear wall portion 4b integrated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the kick sensor 6 includes a linear first electrode 6a (an example of a sensing portion) and a linear second electrode 6b (an example of a sensing portion). The first electrode 6a and the second electrode 6b are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction and extend in the vehicle width direction P. The first electrode 6a and the second electrode 6b (hereinafter referred to as electrodes 6a and 6b in the specification) are electrically connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 6d. As shown in FIG. 2, the ECU 6d may be provided on a plane 8i (see FIG. 4) opposite to the opposing surface 8e of the support bracket 8. As will be described later, the opposing surface 8e of the support bracket 8 is a surface that faces the lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4. By providing the ECU 6d in this manner, the distance between each electrode 6a, 6b and the ECU 6d can be shortened, and the kick sensor 6 can be arranged compactly.

In this embodiment, each electrode 6a, 6b of the kick sensor 6 is formed of a linear harness made by bundling a plurality of power lines, and generates an electric field between the first electrode 6a and the second electrode 6b, and changes the electric field. Detects an object passing under the rear bumper cover 4. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, when the toes (not shown) of the user of the vehicle C pass further below the lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4 extending below the kick sensor 6, The electric field between the first electrode 6a and the second electrode 6b changes. The kick sensor 6 detects that the tip of the foot has passed under the rear bumper cover 4 by detecting this change in the electric field. The kick sensor 6 may be a capacitive sensor that detects a change in capacitance between the electrodes 6a and 6b when the tip of the foot passes.

As shown in FIG. 1, the support bracket 8 is fixed to the back surface (the top surface in FIG. 1) of the lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4, and supports the kick sensor 6. The support bracket 8 is provided to face the back surface of the lower wall portion 4a, and is formed of a plate-shaped member that covers the back surface of the lower wall portion 4a from above. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support bracket 8 includes a plurality of fixing parts 8a, two holding parts 8b, a plurality of groove parts 8d, and a vertical wall part 8j. In this embodiment, the support bracket 8 is made by pressing a metal plate member into a substantially L-shape or U-shape, and then press-working the fixing part 8a, the holding part 8b, the groove part 8d, and the vertical wall part 8j. formed by However, the shape of the support bracket 8 may be formed to match the shape of the rear bumper cover 4. Further, there may be a plurality of fixing portions 8a and groove portions 8d, and the number is not limited to the number described in this embodiment.

The fixing portion 8a is provided to fix the support bracket 8 above the lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4. In this embodiment, four fixing parts 8a are provided on the front side of the support bracket 8, and four fixing parts 8a are provided on the rear side. The front fixing portion 8a is formed by the opposing surface 8e of the support bracket 8 protruding downward in a rectangular shape. The rear fixing portion 8a is formed by a wall surface 8f of the support bracket 8 projecting forward in a rectangular shape. A hole through which a stud bolt (not shown) fixed to the rear bumper cover 4 is inserted is provided in the center of the fixed portion 8a. The support bracket 8 is fixed to the rear bumper cover 4 by inserting the support bracket 8 into a stud bolt (not shown) and tightening the bolt (not shown). The cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along IV-IV of the support bracket 8 and kick sensor 6 in the fixed portion 8a of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, when the support bracket 8 is fixed to the rear bumper cover 4, the front fixing part 8a protrudes downward. A space X is provided between the surface 8e and the back surface of the lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support bracket 8 is formed with a holding portion 8b that holds each electrode 6a, 6b on a facing surface 8e that faces the back surface of the lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4. As shown in FIGS. The holding part 8b is arranged so that each electrode 6a, 6b is arranged between the support bracket 8 and the lower wall part 4a of the rear bumper cover 4, with each electrode 6a, 6b being held by the support bracket 8. Hold 6a and 6b. The holding portion 8b includes an accommodation recess 8c that accommodates each electrode 6a, 6b of the kick sensor 6, and a holding claw 8h that holds each electrode 6a, 6b. In this embodiment, a total of 14 holding claws 8h are provided, seven for holding the first electrode 6a and seven for holding the second electrode 6b. The holding claws 8h are formed by protruding plate-shaped holding claws 8h at two locations in the front and back from the opposing surface 8e of the support bracket 8 toward the bottom of each electrode 6a, 6b. The holding portion 8b holds each electrode 6a, 6b from below using the holding claw 8h.

The two accommodation recesses 8c are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction Q, extend in the vehicle width direction P, and accommodate the electrodes 6a and 6b. As shown in FIG. 4, the accommodation recess 8c is formed by recessing the opposing surface 8e of the support bracket 8 in a semicircular shape in a direction away from the back surface of the rear bumper cover 4. By housing the linear electrodes 6a and 6b in this recessed space, the first electrode 6a and the second electrode 6b are arranged in front and back, and the support bracket 8 and the lower wall portion 4a The electrodes 6a and 6b are covered by the support bracket 8, and each electrode 6a, 6b is covered by the support bracket 8.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the groove 8d is recessed in a trapezoidal shape so that the plane 8i on the opposite side of the opposing surface 8e of the support bracket 8 faces upward and the wall surface 8f faces forward. It is formed. The groove portion 8d extends in the longitudinal direction Q of the vehicle. In this embodiment, two groove portions 8d are provided between the two central fixing portions 8a, and another groove portion 8d is provided on the left side thereof. However, the number of groove portions 8d may be one or more.

The cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 5 is a VV cross-sectional view of the support bracket 8 and the kick sensor 6 in the groove portion 8d of FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the ceiling portion 8g of the groove portion 8d is arranged below the upper end 6c of the first electrode 6a of the kick sensor 6.

The vertical wall portion 8j is erected upward in front F of the ECU 6d. The vertical wall portion 8j is formed in a size that hides the front surface of the ECU 6d when viewed from the front. By forming the vertical wall portion 8j in front F of the ECU 6d in this manner, the ECU 6d can be protected from flying objects.

In the vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure 1 arranged in this way, water, stones, etc. kicked up from the ground Y by the wheels W of the vehicle C scatter toward the rear bumper cover 4, as shown in FIG. Even in such a case, as shown in FIG. 2, each electrode 6a, 6b of the kick sensor 6 is covered with a plate-shaped support bracket 8, so that the support bracket 8 can be protected against flying objects such as scattered stones. to protect each electrode 6a, 6b from flying objects. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the support bracket 8 is fixed with a space X between it and the lower wall part 4a of the rear bumper cover 4 by the fixing part 8a. Thereby, even if water is splashed on the lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4, the water can be discharged along the slope of the rear bumper cover 4, and each electrode 6a, 6b can be prevented from being exposed to water. Further, since the support bracket 8 has the groove portion 8d, water is discharged along the groove portion 8d, and it is easy to prevent water from accumulating between the lower wall portion 4a of the rear bumper cover 4 and each electrode 6a, 6b. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, since the upper end 6c of the first electrode 6a is located above the ceiling 8g of the groove 8d, submergence of the first electrode 6a can be suppressed.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a sensor mounting structure 1 for a vehicle bumper that can protect each electrode 6a, 6b of the kick sensor 6 with a simple structure.

<Other embodiments>
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In particular, the plurality of modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

Although the above embodiment has been described using as an example the kick sensor 6 attached to the rear bumper cover 4 provided at the rear of the vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The sensor mounting structure of the present disclosure may be used for a kick sensor for opening a sliding door of vehicle C. In this case, each electrode 6a, 6b of the kick sensor 6 and the support bracket 8 may extend in the front-rear direction Q.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-152648 filed on September 11, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

1: Vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure 2: Tailgate 4: Rear bumper cover (bumper cover)
4a: Lower wall portion 4b: Rear wall portion 4c: Connection bracket 6: Kick sensor (sensor)
6a: First electrode (sensing part)
6b: Second electrode (sensing part)
6c: Upper end 6d: ECU
8: Support bracket 8a: Fixed portion 8b: Holding portion 8c: Accommodating recess 8d: Groove portion 8e: Opposing surface 8f: Wall surface 8g: Ceiling portion 8h: Holding claw 8i: Plane 8j: Vertical wall portion C: Vehicle P: Vehicle width direction Q: Direction X: Space Y: Ground

Claims (6)

A sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper provided with a sensor for detecting an object, the structure comprising:
a support bracket fixed to the back surface of the bumper cover to support the sensor;
The support bracket is a plate-shaped member that is provided opposite to the bumper cover and covers the back surface of the bumper cover from above,
The support bracket is
an opposing surface that faces the back surface of the bumper cover with a space therebetween;
a holding part formed on the opposing surface and holding the detection part of the sensor;
has
The holding portion includes an accommodation recess that is formed so that the opposing surface is recessed in a direction away from the back surface of the bumper cover, and that accommodates the detection portion of the sensor;
The detection part of the sensor is disposed in the accommodation recess between the support bracket and the back surface of the bumper cover while being held by the holding part, and is covered by the support bracket;
The support bracket, the detection part of the sensor, and the bumper cover are mounted in this order from the top of the vehicle ,
The holding part includes a holding claw that holds the detection part in the accommodation recess,
The holding claw protrudes from the opposing surface of the support bracket toward the bottom of the detection section, and holds the detection section from below.
Vehicle bumper sensor mounting structure. The vehicle bumper is a rear bumper at the rear of the vehicle,
The sensor is a kick sensor that detects an object passing under the lower wall of the bumper cover,
The detection part of the sensor extends in the vehicle width direction between the support bracket and the lower wall part,
The sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper according to claim 1 . The lower wall portion of the bumper cover is formed to be inclined downward from the rear toward the front,
The detection part of the sensor is held by the support bracket with a space between it and the lower wall part.
The sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper according to claim 2 . The support bracket has a groove that is recessed upward in the opposing surface and extends in the front-rear direction for discharging water scattered within the rear bumper.
The sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper according to claim 2 or 3 . a ceiling portion of the groove portion is arranged below an upper end of the detection portion of the sensor;
The sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper according to claim 4 . An ECU of the sensor is provided on a surface opposite to the facing surface of the support bracket,
The support bracket includes a vertical wall portion erected upward in front of the ECU,
The vertical wall portion is formed in a size that hides the ECU when viewed from the front.
The sensor mounting structure for a vehicle bumper according to any one of claims 2 to 5 .

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