JPH0875453A - Alarm device for distance between vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an alarm device for distance between vehicles in which adjustment of optical axis can be easily and precisely performed. CONSTITUTION: A support part 2 for supporting a body part 1, which is fixed to a prescribed position of a vehicle, has a ball joint part 40 rotatable around the horizontal axis and the vertical axis so as to hold the body part 1 in a prescribed attitude, a horizontally axial adjusting means 41 finely adjustable around the horizontal axis, and a vertically axial adjusting means 42 finely adjustable around the vertical axis. Since the adjusting means 41, 42 are finely adjustable by feeding operation of screws, and the irregular part 54a of an adjusting bolt 54 and the irregular part 55a of a stopper 55 are mutually pressed by the elastic force of a coil spring 56, a prescribed axial force is worked simultaneously with the fine adjustment to lock them, so that adjustment of optical axis is facilitated, and the precision is also improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inter-vehicle distance warning device for irradiating an object to be measured with light and receiving the reflected light to calculate the distance to the object to be measured and to output a predetermined alarm.
In particular, the present invention relates to a device having improved workability and accuracy of adjusting the optical axis when mounted on a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An inter-vehicle distance warning device has a light irradiating means having a light source such as a laser diode, which irradiates a target object to be measured such as an automobile with laser light. Here, the light irradiating means irradiates the pulsed laser light in accordance with the pulse signal from the pulse driving unit for generating the pulse signal. The irradiated pulsed laser light is reflected by the object to be measured, and a part of the reflected laser light is received by a light receiving means such as a photodiode.

On the other hand, a time / voltage converting section including an integrating circuit is provided, and the laser light irradiation signal from the pulse driving section and the laser light receiving signal from the light receiving means are input respectively. Therefore, the time until the laser light is irradiated to the object to be measured and reflected and the reflected light is received is converted into a voltage by the time / voltage conversion unit,
Further, it is converted into a digital value by the A / D converter.

This digital value indicates the time Δt from the time when the laser beam is radiated to the object to be measured and is reflected and the reflected light is received, and the arithmetic processing unit such as a microprocessor detects the time until the object to be measured such as a preceding vehicle. The distance R is calculated by R = (C × Δt) / 2, where C is the speed of light. The distance from the host vehicle to the preceding vehicle is displayed, and an alarm is issued when the host vehicle may collide with an object to be measured.

Such an inter-vehicle distance warning device is conventionally incorporated in, for example, a front bumper or the like in front of a vehicle, and measures the distance of an obstacle such as another vehicle running in front of the host vehicle or a guardrail. Was. However, in this case, since the inter-vehicle distance warning device is installed outside the vehicle compartment, it is necessary to take measures against dirt on the lens, and a special structure for waterproofing and dustproofing must be adopted. Met.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, there is one that is mounted on the dashboard in the passenger compartment. By doing so, there is no need to adopt a special structure, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the device Installation is also easy.

[0007]

By the way, in the case of mounting the inter-vehicle distance warning device using the above laser light on a vehicle, in order to appropriately irradiate and receive the light from the device to the object to be measured, The direction of the optical axis of the emitted laser light is adjusted to match a predetermined front of the vehicle.

However, the inter-vehicle distance warning device is mounted on the dashboard by fastening it with a screw using a dedicated fixing support, and the dashboard is usually formed into a curved shape. It was very difficult to perform this optical axis adjustment on the dashboard, and the adjustment work required skill.

Further, when the screw is finally locked when the optical axis adjustment is completed, there is a problem that the position where the optical axis adjustment is performed is displaced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inter-vehicle distance warning device capable of easily and accurately adjusting the optical axis. To do.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a light irradiating means for irradiating an object to be measured with light and a light receiving means for receiving reflected light of the light from the object to be measured. And calculating the distance to the object to be measured by measuring the time from the light irradiating means irradiating light to the object to be measured until the reflected light is received by the light receiving means. In the inter-vehicle distance warning device that outputs a predetermined warning, a support portion that is attached to and supported by a main body portion provided with the light emitting means and the light receiving means and that is fixed to a predetermined portion of the vehicle is provided. Is a ball joint part that can be rotated about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis by a predetermined angle in order to hold the main body part in a predetermined posture, and is adjusted by rotating the main body part about a horizontal axis by a predetermined small angle. Horizontal axis adjustment means A distance warning device characterized by having a vertical axis adjusting means for adjusting to a predetermined minute angle rotating said body portion about a vertical axis.

The ball joint portion has a base having a fixing surface fixed to a predetermined position of the vehicle and a spherical concave surface, and a ball slidably engaged with the spherical concave surface at one end. And a base fixed to the other end of the support shaft, and the horizontal axis adjusting means rotates around the horizontal axis with an engaging portion provided at a predetermined position of the base. A horizontal axis adjusting plate that is movably connected, and a horizontal axis adjusting screw part that rotates the horizontal axis adjusting plate by a small angle around the engaging part with respect to the base by a screw feeding operation. The vertical axis rotation adjusting means is connected to an engaging portion provided at a predetermined position of the horizontal axis rotation adjusting plate so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis and is attached to the main body section. Panel and this vertical axis rotation adjustment panel by screw feeding operation. It is configured to have a vertical axis adjusting screw unit for small angle rotation around its engagement portion with respect to the horizontal axis adjustment plate.

Further, the horizontal axis adjusting screw portion and the vertical axis adjusting screw portion are adjustment bolts each having an uneven portion having a predetermined depth formed radially on the seat surface, and the uneven portion of the seat surface of the adjusting bolt. It is configured to have a stopper in which a concave and convex portion having a predetermined depth is formed in a radial shape to engage with, and an elastic member for urging an elastic force in a direction in which the seat surface of the bolt is brought into contact with the stopper. Good.

[0014]

According to the present invention thus constructed, when the inter-vehicle distance warning device is mounted on, for example, the dashboard of the vehicle, the fixing surface of the base of the ball joint is fixed at a predetermined position with a double-sided adhesive or the like. Let

Next, in order to adjust the optical axis, laser light is emitted by the present apparatus toward a predetermined reflector in front of the vehicle. Then, while holding the main body of the device, rotate the ball in the ball joint section forward and backward, leftward and rightward, that is, around the horizontal axis and the vertical axis, and search for a point at which the level of light received by reflected light is high, Make adjustments.

When the rough adjustment of the optical axis is completed, for example, the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the vertical axis is first performed by using the vertical axis around adjusting means. In this case, by turning the adjustment bolt of the vertical axis adjustment screw part by a specified angle, the vertical axis adjustment plate is rotated by a small angle around the engaging part with respect to the horizontal axis adjustment plate by the screw feeding operation. Then, fine adjustment is performed to a position where the light reception level of the reflected light from the reflector is maximized.

Here, since the uneven portion of the adjusting bolt and the uneven portion of the stopper are pressed against each other by the coil spring, in order to shift the engagement between these uneven portions by one,
It is necessary that the axial force obtained by converting the rotational torque into the axial force on the slope of the mountain of the uneven portion is larger than the elastic force of the coil spring.

Therefore, when the optical axis is adjusted while shifting the engagement between the concave and convex portions, the adjusting bolt is always subjected to the axial force due to the elastic force of the coil spring, and therefore the axis larger than the elastic force is applied. The adjustment position does not shift unless a rotational torque that generates force is applied. As a result, not only the fine adjustment of the optical axis but also a predetermined axial force is applied and locked at the same time.

When the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the vertical axis is almost completed in this way, then the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the horizontal axis is performed by using the horizontal axis around adjustment means. In this case, by turning the adjustment bolt of the horizontal axis adjustment screw part by a predetermined angle, the horizontal axis adjustment plate is rotated by a small angle around the engaging part with respect to the base by the screw feeding operation, Similarly to the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the vertical axis, the fine adjustment around the horizontal axis is performed at a position where the light receiving level of the reflected light from the reflector becomes maximum.

Either the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the vertical axis or the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the horizontal axis may be performed first, but these fine adjustments are repeated as many times as necessary.
By such rough adjustment and fine adjustment, the optical axis adjustment work of the inter-vehicle distance warning device can be performed easily and accurately.

[0021]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an inter-vehicle distance warning device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of the device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line B-B, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a supporting portion of the device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the device is attached to a vehicle. is there.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inter-vehicle distance warning device of this embodiment includes a main body 1 provided with functional parts for calculating the distance to the object to be measured and outputting a predetermined warning, and the like. It has a support portion 2 attached to a lower portion to support the main body portion 1 and fixed to a predetermined portion of the vehicle.

The main body 1 is a case 11 forming an outer frame.
As shown in FIG. 2, a laser diode or the like for generating a laser beam is provided inside the case 11 to irradiate the DUT with the laser beam L.
5, a reflector 16 for reflecting the laser light L emitted by the light emitting means 15 toward the front (right side in the drawing), and a light receiving means 1 for detecting the reflected light of the laser light L from the object to be measured.
And 7 are provided. As the light receiving means 17, for example, a photodiode or the like is used.

The reflector 16 is fixed to one end of a link mechanism portion 18 as shown in the figure. This link mechanism 18
The other end is fixed to the main shaft 20 of the pulse motor 19, and the angle of the reflection plate 16 is variable by driving the pulse motor 19. The use of the link mechanism section 18 gives freedom in the arrangement of the reflection plate 16 and the pulse motor 19 and allows an extremely compact structure. Further, if the link mechanism is used for transmitting the driving force, it is possible to secure the rotational drive accuracy of the reflection plate 16 without causing a shift due to backlash unlike the transmission of gears.

In this embodiment, for example, 100 in front of the device.
The laser light L can be scanned in six directions at predetermined angular intervals so that an object to be measured such as an obstacle in the range of a road width of about 3.5 m near m can be measured. The laser light L reflected by the reflector 16 is emitted toward the object to be measured from the first opening 21 formed in front of the case 11.

A condenser 22 is provided in front of the light receiving means 17. The condensing unit 22 has a condensing lens such as a convex lens, and the reflected light of the laser beam L irradiated by the light irradiation unit 15 from the object to be measured is condensed by the condensing unit 22 to receive light. It is designed to be incident on 17. In addition, the case 11 on the front surface of the light collecting unit 22 has the second opening 23.
Is formed, and the reflected light passes through the second opening 23.
Then, the light is incident on the light collecting unit 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, a control means 31 is provided at the rear of the case 11 (on the left side in the figure). The control means 31 is one in which various elements and circuits are arranged on a substrate, and a pulse drive unit for generating the pulsed laser light L by the light irradiation means 15 and laser light from the light irradiation means 15. A time / voltage conversion unit for converting the time until the light receiving unit 17 detects the light reflected by L and reflected by the object to be measured, and the signal from the time / voltage conversion unit is converted into a digital value. An A / D conversion unit for conversion, and an arithmetic processing unit for processing data from the A / D conversion unit and calculating the distance to the object to be measured to make various judgments such as whether or not it is safe. (Not shown) or the like. In this case, as described above, the laser light L
Since it is configured to scan and measure in six directions, it is possible to determine that a vehicle is moving and a guardrail is not moving.

A display unit 35 is provided at the rear of the case 11, and an indicator (or alarm) as to whether the inter-vehicle distance is safe or an alarm when a rear-end collision is likely to occur is determined based on the measured inter-vehicle distance and vehicle speed. , Can report to the crew.

As shown in FIG. 5, the inter-vehicle distance warning device of the present embodiment has a structure particularly suitable for mounting on the dashboard of a vehicle, and the main body 1 has an upper portion of the support portion 2. It will be installed on the dashboard while it is attached to.

The supporting portion 2 has the structure shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.
As shown in FIG. 5, a ball joint 40 that can be rotated about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis by a predetermined angle in order to hold the main body 1 in a predetermined posture, and the main body 1 by a predetermined minute amount about the horizontal axis. It has a horizontal axis adjusting means 41 for rotating and adjusting the angle and a vertical axis adjusting means 42 for adjusting the main body part by rotating a predetermined minute angle about the vertical axis.

The ball joint section 40 has a two-split base 43a formed with fixed surfaces 45a and 45b fixed to the upper surface of the dashboard of the vehicle by a double-sided adhesive and spherical concave surfaces 44a and 44b. 43b.
Further, a ball 47 that rotatably engages with the spherical concave surfaces 44a and 44b has a support shaft 46 provided at one end, and a male screw portion formed on the support shaft 46 is a base 4
8 is screwed into a female screw portion provided on the
The base 48 is fixed to the other end of the support shaft 46 by 9. The ball 47 is a spherical concave surface 4 of the bases 43a and 43b.
Since it is slidably sandwiched between 4a and 44b, the ball 4
It is possible to tilt the main body 1 forward and backward and left and right around a center of 7 so that the optical axis can be roughly adjusted, and finally the bolt 51 strongly fixes it in a predetermined posture. .

The horizontal axis adjusting means 41 is a pin 50 as an engaging portion provided on both left and right side surfaces of the base 48.
Horizontal axis adjustment plate 52a rotatably connected around
To 52c. These horizontal axis adjustment boards 52a
52c are fixed by screwing according to the assembly order. In addition, the horizontal axis adjustment plates 52a to 52c are attached to the base 48 by the screws 50 by the screw feeding operation.
Horizontal axis adjustment screw 53 for rotating a small angle around
The horizontal axis adjusting screw portion 53 includes an adjusting bolt 54, a stopper 55, and a coil spring 5 as an elastic member.
6 and a nut 57.

The nut 57 screwed with the adjusting bolt 54 is
After being accommodated in the recess 59 formed in the horizontal axis adjustment plates 52a and 52c, these horizontal axis adjustment plates 52 are formed.
The a and 52c are screw-fastened to each other so that they are held in a state in which the rotation is restricted while holding a predetermined slight degree of freedom. In this way, the nut 57 is smoothly fed and moved by the rotation of the adjusting bolt 54 without rubbing the horizontal axis adjusting plates 52a to 52c with respect to the base 48 and the pin 5 thereof.
It can be rotated by a small angle around 0. That is, fine adjustment around the horizontal axis is possible for optical axis adjustment.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, uneven portions 54a having a predetermined depth are radially formed on the bearing surface of the adjusting bolt 54. This uneven portion 54a is, for example, knurled into a mountain shape having a depth of about 0.2 mm in terms of a section in the circumferential direction of the seat surface, and adjacent peaks and valleys are set at 15 ° intervals. On the other hand, on the end surface of the stopper 55, a concavo-convex portion 55a having the same shape as the concavo-convex portion 54a engaging with the concavo-convex portion 54a of the seat surface of the adjusting bolt 54 is radially formed. The uneven portion 54a of the adjusting bolt 54 and the uneven portion 55a of the stopper 55 are configured such that a predetermined elastic force is constantly urged by the coil spring 56 and the engaged state is maintained. Therefore, the adjusting bolt 5
Since the axial force due to the elastic force of the coil spring 56 acts on No. 4, the adjustment position cannot be displaced unless a rotational torque that generates an axial force larger than the elastic force of the coil spring 56 is applied to the adjustment bolt 54. Absent. Moreover, the rotational torque depends on the shapes of the uneven portions 54a and 55a, and is set to a predetermined high value by the meshing of the uneven portions 54a and 55a. As a result, in the horizontal axis adjusting means 41 of the present embodiment, the adjusting bolt 54 is rotated to adjust the optical axis, and at the same time, a predetermined axial force acts to lock it. There is no risk that the settings will shift.

The male screw portion formed on the adjusting bolt 54 may be processed into a predetermined fine screw having a small pitch in order to enable fine adjustment. Further, in order to facilitate the adjustment work, it is preferable to use a bolt having a cross hole as the adjustment bolt 54. In this way, not only the driver but also the spanner can be adjusted by using the narrow space. The shapes of the uneven portions 54a and 55a are not limited to the above-described shapes, and the depth of the unevenness and the pitch of the unevenness in the circumferential direction can be changed as appropriate, and a wavy uneven shape can be used. It is possible.

The vertical axis adjusting means 42 is provided with a rotary shaft 62 which engages with an engaging hole 60 as an engaging portion provided in the vertical direction at the substantially center of the horizontal axis adjusting plate 52a.
It has vertical axis rotation adjusting plates 61a and 61b that are rotatably connected around the rotation shaft 62. The vertical axis adjustment boards 61a and 61b are fixed by screwing according to the assembly order. In addition, this vertical axis adjustment board 61
A vertical axis adjusting screw portion 58 for rotating a and 61b by a small angle around the rotation axis 62 with respect to the horizontal axis adjusting plates 52a to 52c by the screw feeding operation is provided. The portion 58 is the adjustment screw portion 5 around the horizontal axis.
3, the same members as the adjustment bolt 54, the stopper 5
5, a coil spring 56, and a nut 57. Therefore, according to the vertical axis adjusting means 42, fine adjustment around the vertical axis can be performed for optical axis adjustment.

Further, screw holes 63, 63 are formed on the upper surface of the vertical axis adjustment plate 61a, and as shown in FIG. 1, the case 1 is formed on the upper surface of the vertical axis adjustment plate 61a.
The support surface 11a of No. 1 is placed and screwed with screws 64, 64. Thus, the main body 1 is attached to the support portion 2. The protective cover 13 is provided so as to be swingable around the support shaft 65, and can cover the gap between the case 11 and the dashboard that occurs after the device is installed and the optical axis is adjusted. It is like this.

Next, the operation in the optical axis adjustment of the inter-vehicle distance warning device of this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 5, when the inter-vehicle distance warning device of this embodiment is mounted on a dashboard, the ball joint section 4 is used.
A double-sided adhesive tape is attached to the fixing surfaces 45a and 45b of the bases 43a and 43b of No. 0, and thereby fixed to a predetermined position on the dashboard of the vehicle.

Here, with the bolt 51 lightly tightened,
The ball 47 is a spherical concave surface 44 of the bases 43a and 43b.
It should be able to slide inside a and 44b. Next, a predetermined reflector is arranged in front of the vehicle, for example, at a position of 10 to 20 m, and the present apparatus is set to the optical axis adjustment mode to irradiate the laser beam toward the reflector. Then, for example, holding the case 11 of the present device, the ball 47 is rotated back and forth and left and right, that is, about the horizontal axis and the vertical axis, and the point where the light reception level by the reflected light from the reflector is highest is searched for. In this way, the optical axis is roughly adjusted, and then the bolt 51 is strongly tightened to fix the support shaft 46 at a predetermined tilt position.

When the rough adjustment of the optical axis is completed, the optical axis is finely adjusted. In this fine adjustment of the optical axis, for example,
First, the vertical axis adjustment means 42 is used to finely adjust the optical axis around the vertical axis. In this case, the vertical screw 5
By rotating the adjusting bolt 54 of No. 8 with a screwdriver or the like by a predetermined angle, the vertical axis turning adjustment boards 61a, 61b are rotated by a screw to move the vertical axis turning adjustment boards 61a, 61b with respect to the horizontal axis turning adjustment boards 52a to 52c. It is rotated and finely adjusted to a position where the light reception level of the reflected light from the reflector is maximized. Here, since the concavo-convex portion 54a of the adjustment bolt 54 and the concavo-convex portion 55a of the stopper 55 are pressed against each other by the coil spring 56, in order to shift the engagement between the concavo-convex portion 54a and the concavo-convex portion 55a by one, the rotational torque is changed. The axial force converted into the axial force on the slope of the mountain of the uneven portion is the coil spring 56.
It is necessary to be larger than the elastic force of.

Therefore, the uneven portion 54a and the uneven portion 55a
When adjusting while shifting the meshing with the, the adjusting bolt 54 is always subjected to the axial force due to the elastic force of the coil spring 56, and therefore the rotational torque for generating the axial force larger than the elastic force is adjusted. The adjustment position does not shift unless it is added to the bolt 54. Moreover, the rotational torque is
Since the protrusions and recesses 54a and 55a and the coil spring 56 are set to a predetermined high value, not only the fine adjustment but also a predetermined axial force is applied and locked.

In this way, when the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the vertical axis is almost completed, then the horizontal axis around adjusting means 41.
Use to adjust the optical axis around the horizontal axis. In this case, by turning the adjusting bolt 54 of the horizontal axis adjusting screw portion 53 by a predetermined angle with a spanner or the like, the horizontal axis adjusting plates 52a to 52c are rotated around the pin 50 with respect to the base 48 by the screw feeding operation. Then, in the same manner as the above-mentioned fine adjustment of the optical axis around the vertical axis, the fine adjustment around the horizontal axis is performed at a position where the light receiving level by the reflected light from the reflector becomes maximum.

Either the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the vertical axis or the fine adjustment of the optical axis around the horizontal axis may be performed first, and these fine adjustments may be repeated as many times as necessary. Thus, the optical axis adjustment work of the inter-vehicle distance warning device is completed.

As described above, the inter-vehicle distance warning device of this embodiment is provided with the ball joint 40 which can be rotated by a predetermined angle about the horizontal axis and the vertical axis on the support 2 to which the main body 1 is attached. The part 1 can be held in a predetermined posture. Therefore, in the rough adjustment of the optical axis when the present apparatus is attached to a vehicle, the optical axis can be easily oriented in a predetermined direction even on a curved surface such as a dashboard of a vehicle.

Further, by using the horizontal axis adjusting means 41 and the vertical axis adjusting means 42, the main body 1 can be rotated by a slight angle about the horizontal axis and the vertical axis to adjust the optical axis of the optical axis. In addition to rough adjustment, fine adjustment of the optical axis is possible. Moreover, since the fine adjustment of the optical axis is performed by the screw feeding operation using the horizontal axis adjusting screw portion 53 and the vertical axis adjusting screw portion 58, the adjustment is easy and reliable.

Further, an axial force due to the elastic force of the coil spring 56 acts on the adjusting bolts 54 of the horizontal axis adjusting means 41 and the vertical axis adjusting means 42, whereby the concavo-convex portions 54a and 55a press each other. The adjustment position does not shift unless a rotational torque that generates an axial force larger than the elastic force is applied to the adjustment bolt 54. Therefore, not only the fine adjustment but also a predetermined axial force is applied and locked at the same time, and it is possible to surely avoid the possibility that the setting is misaligned when locking the screw after the adjustment as in the conventional case. The accuracy of is greatly improved.

It should be noted that the embodiments described above are described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and not for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiments is intended to include all design changes and equivalents within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, the inter-vehicle distance warning device according to the above-described embodiment has been described by taking an example using infrared light having a laser diode as a light source, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it can be applied to a device using a light emitting diode.

[0049]

As described above, according to the present invention, a support portion is provided, which is attached to and supported by a main body portion on which the light irradiating means and the light receiving means are provided, and which is fixed to a predetermined portion of the vehicle. The section has a ball joint section that can be rotated about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis by a predetermined angle in order to hold the main body in a predetermined posture, so that the optical axis can be roughly adjusted when the device is mounted on a vehicle. As a result, the optical axis can be easily oriented in a predetermined direction even on a curved surface such as a vehicle dashboard.
Further, a horizontal axis adjusting means for adjusting the main body section by rotating a predetermined minute angle about the horizontal axis, and a vertical axis adjusting means for adjusting the main body section by rotating a predetermined minute angle about the vertical axis. Since it has, the fine adjustment of the optical axis can be performed in addition to the above-mentioned rough adjustment of the optical axis. Moreover, since the fine adjustment of the optical axis is performed by the screw feeding operation using the horizontal axis adjusting screw portion and the vertical axis adjusting screw portion, the adjustment is easy and reliable.

Further, in the horizontal axis adjusting means and the vertical axis adjusting means, since the uneven portion of the adjusting bolt and the uneven portion of the stopper are pressed and engaged with each other by the elastic force of the coil spring, the elastic force is generated. The adjustment position will not be displaced unless a rotational torque that generates an axial force larger than the force is applied to the adjustment bolt. Therefore, not only the fine adjustment but also a predetermined axial force is applied and locked at the same time, and it is possible to surely avoid the possibility that the setting is misaligned when locking the screw after the adjustment as in the conventional case. The accuracy of is greatly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an inter-vehicle distance warning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line AA.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line BB.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a support portion of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating how the device is mounted on a vehicle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body part, 2 ... Support part, 15 ... Light irradiation means, 17 ... Light receiving means, 40 ... Ball joint part, 41 ... Horizontal axis rotation adjusting means, 42 ... Vertical axis rotation adjusting means, 43a, 43b ... Base, 44a, 44b ... concave surface, 45a, 45b ... fixed surface, 46 ... support shaft, 47 ... ball, 48 ... board, 50 ... pin (engaging portion), 52a-52c ... horizontal axis rotation adjusting plate, 53 ... horizontal axis rotation Adjusting screw part, 54 ... Adjusting bolt, 54a, 55a ... Uneven part, 55 ... Stopper, 56 ... Coil spring (elastic member), 58 ... Vertical axis adjusting screw part, 60 ... Engaging hole (engaging part), 61a , 61b ... Vertical axis adjustment board.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A light irradiation means (15) for irradiating an object to be measured with light.
And a light receiving means (17) for receiving the reflected light of the light from the object to be measured, and the light irradiation means (15) irradiates the object to be measured with light and then the reflected light The light receiving means (1
In the inter-vehicle distance alarm device that calculates the distance to the object to be measured by measuring the time until light is received by 7) and outputs a predetermined alarm, the light emitting means (15) and the light receiving means (17) A support part (2) that is attached to and supported by the main body part (1) provided with is also fixed to a predetermined location of the vehicle, and this support part (2) keeps the main body part (1) in a predetermined posture. A ball joint part (40) that can be rotated by a predetermined angle around a horizontal axis and a vertical axis for holding, and a horizontal axis adjustment that adjusts the main body part (1) by rotating a predetermined minute angle around the horizontal axis. An inter-vehicle distance warning device comprising a means (41) and a vertical axis rotation adjusting means (42) for rotating the main body part (1) around a vertical axis by a predetermined small angle. 2. The ball joint portion (40) includes a fixing surface (45a, 45b) fixed to a predetermined position of the vehicle and a spherical concave surface.
Bases (43a, 43b) formed with (44a, 44b) and balls (47) slidably engaged with the spherical concave surfaces (44a, 44b).
Has a support shaft (46) provided at one end, and a base (48) fixed to the other end of the support shaft (46), the horizontal axis adjusting means (41), the base (48 ) Of the horizontal axis adjusting plate (52a ~ 52c), which is rotatably connected to the engaging part (50) provided at a predetermined position of the horizontal axis and the horizontal axis adjusting plate (52a ~ 52c). By the screw feeding operation, the board (4
8) has a horizontal axis adjusting screw part (53) for rotating a small angle around the engaging part (50), and the vertical axis adjusting means (42) adjusts the horizontal axis adjusting Board
(52a) a vertical axis adjustment board (61a, 61b) that is attached to the main body section (1) while being rotatably connected to the engagement section (60) provided at a predetermined location, and is attached to the main body section (1), This vertical axis adjustment board (61a, 61b) is rotated by a small angle around the engaging part (60) with respect to the horizontal axis adjustment boards (52a to 52c) by a screw feeding operation. The inter-vehicle distance warning device according to claim 1, further comprising a screw portion (58). 3. The horizontal adjustment screw portion (53) and the vertical adjustment screw portion (58) are adjustment bolts (54) having a seat surface radially formed with uneven portions (54a) of a predetermined depth. ), And a stopper (55) formed with radial irregularities (55a) of a predetermined depth that engage with the irregularities (54a) on the seat surface of the adjusting bolt (54).
The inter-vehicle distance warning according to claim 2, further comprising: an elastic member (56) that applies an elastic force in a direction in which the seat surface of the bolt (54) abuts on the stopper (55). apparatus.