vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle comprises a side door having a window, an antenna and a bracket. The side door comprises an outer panel located below the window and a door frame extending around the window. The antenna is fixed to the outer surface of the door frame in a section extending in the vertical direction by double-sided tape. The bracket is mounted on the side door, opposite to a cable extending downward from the antenna. The bracket comprises a cable opening for the cable to pass through between the bracket and the door frame. The cable opening has a shape through which the antenna cannot pass.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle equipped with an antenna. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-212479 discloses a vehicle in which an antenna for a smart key system (also called keyless entry) is mounted on a center pillar of a vehicle body. Summary of the invention

[0003] Depending on the design of the vehicle, the center pillar of the vehicle body may be covered by the door frame. In this case, the antenna's sensitivity may be reduced because the radio waves that the antenna should send and receive are blocked by the door frame. To avoid this, consider installing the antenna on the door frame instead of the center pillar. Alternatively, considering other factors, it is often more advantageous to install the antenna on the door frame rather than the center pillar.

[0004] However, it is also conceivable that since the antenna installed on the door frame is easily subjected to the impact and vibration accompanying the opening and closing of the side door, the antenna may fall off from the door frame after repeated impact and vibration. At this time, if the antenna that has fallen off from the door frame enters the inner side of the outer panel of the side door, the sensitivity of the antenna may also be significantly reduced due to the shielding effect of the outer panel.

[0005] In order to prevent the above-mentioned antenna from falling off, it is considered to use a mounting member, a bolt or other fixing device to firmly mount the antenna on the door frame. However, the space in the door frame is limited, and it is difficult to ensure space for arranging such a fixing device. In addition, if a fixing device is used to fix the antenna, the manufacturing process and cost of the vehicle are likely to increase.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a technology for mounting an antenna on a vehicle door frame.

[0007] The first aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle. The vehicle comprises: a side door having a window, an antenna, and a bracket. The side door comprises an outer panel located below the window and a door frame extending around the window. The antenna is fixed to the outer surface of the door frame in a section extending in the up-down direction by double-sided tape. The bracket is mounted on the side door, opposite to a cable extending downward from the antenna. The bracket comprises a cable opening between the bracket and the door frame for the cable to pass through. The cable opening has a shape through which the antenna cannot pass.

[0008] In the vehicle according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a dimension of the cable opening in the front-rear direction may be smaller than a dimension of the antenna in the front-rear direction.

[0009] In the vehicle according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the bracket may include a facing surface that faces the antenna from below at a position adjacent to the cable opening.

[0010] In the vehicle of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the side door may be a rear door adjacent to the front door for the driver's seat. The rear door may be located behind the front door. The section of the door frame extending in the vertical direction may be a section located in front of the window.

[0011] In the vehicle of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the side door may be a front side door for a driver's seat. The section of the door frame to which the antenna is fixed extending in the vertical direction may be a section located behind the window.

[0012] In the vehicle according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the antenna may be configured to communicate with a wireless communication terminal held by a user of the vehicle.

[0013] In the vehicle according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the antenna may be an antenna for a smart key system.

[0014] In the vehicle according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the side door may be a hinged door.

[0015] In the above-mentioned structure, the antenna is fixed to the door frame using a double-sided tape. By using the double-sided tape, the antenna can be firmly fixed to the door frame even in the limited space of the door frame. On the other hand, it is also conceivable that the double-sided tape cannot avoid aging, and the antenna falls off (or peels off) from the door frame during the long-term use of the vehicle. In this regard, a cable extends downward from the antenna, and the cable passes through a cable opening provided in the bracket. Moreover, the cable opening has a shape that the antenna cannot pass through. Therefore, when the antenna falls off from the door frame, the antenna descending along the door frame can be caught by the bracket. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the antenna from falling off the door frame from entering, for example, the inner side of the outer panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of embodiments of the present invention will be schematically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements, and in which:

[0017] Figure 1 A vehicle 10 according to the embodiment is schematically shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A rear side door 40 of the vehicle 10 is shown.

[0019] Figure 3 The antenna 60 installed on the rear side door 40 is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Cross-sectional view along line IV-IV in FIG.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a perspective view showing the bracket 70 .

[0022] Figure 6 A modification example in which the mounting position of the antenna 60 is changed is shown.

[0023] Figure 7 Another modification example in which the mounting position of the antenna 60 is changed is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In one embodiment of the present technology, the dimension of the cable opening in the front-to-back direction may be smaller than the dimension of the antenna in the front-to-back direction. However, the shape of such a cable opening is an example of a shape through which the antenna cannot pass, and does not limit the shape of the cable opening. In addition, the dimension of the cable opening in the front-to-back direction refers to the dimension of the cable opening in the front-to-back direction of the vehicle when the bracket is installed on the side door and the side door is closed. The same applies to the dimension of the antenna in the front-to-back direction.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present technology, the bracket may have an opposing surface that opposes the antenna from below at a position adjacent to the cable opening. According to such a structure, the antenna that falls off the door frame and descends along the door frame is stably supported by the opposing surface of the bracket.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present technology, the side door may be a rear side door adjacent to the front side door for the driver's seat from the rear. In this case, the section of the door frame to which the antenna is fixed extending in the vertical direction may be a section located in front of the window. According to such a structure, the antenna can be arranged adjacent to the front side door, and the communication range of the antenna can be set near the front side door (particularly near its door handle).

[0027] In one embodiment of the present technology, the side door may be a front side door for a driver's seat. In this case, the section of the door frame to which the antenna is fixed extending in the vertical direction may be a section located behind the window. With such a structure, the antenna can be arranged adjacent to the front side door, and the communication range of the antenna can be set near the front side door (particularly near its door handle).

[0028] In one embodiment of the present technology, the antenna may be configured to communicate with a wireless communication terminal held by a user of the vehicle. In this case, the wireless communication terminal may be, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet computer, an electronic communication key, or an IC card.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present technology, the antenna may be an antenna for a smart key system. However, there is no particular limitation on the use of the antenna, and the technology disclosed in this specification can be widely applied regardless of the use or communication method of the antenna.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present technology, the side door may be a hinged door. However, as other embodiments, the side door may be various types of side doors such as a sliding door, a gull-wing door, a scissor door, a butterfly door, etc.

[0031] In this specification, the descriptions such as the front, rear, front-to-back direction and the like respectively mean the front, rear, and front-to-back directions of the vehicle. Similarly, the descriptions such as the left, right, left-right direction and the like respectively mean the left, right, and left-right directions of the vehicle, and the descriptions such as the top, bottom, and up-down direction and the like respectively mean the top, bottom, and up-down directions of the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle is arranged on a horizontal plane, the up-down direction of the vehicle is consistent with the vertical direction. In addition, the left-right direction of the vehicle is a direction parallel to the horizontal plane and parallel to the axle of the vehicle, and the front-to-back direction of the vehicle is a direction parallel to the horizontal plane and perpendicular to the axle of the vehicle.

[0032] Example

[0033] The vehicle 10 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The vehicle 10 is a vehicle that travels on a road surface, and includes a body 12 and a plurality of wheels 14, 16. The body 12 is not particularly limited, and is mainly made of metal. The body 12 mainly includes a front portion 12f, a cabin 12c, and a rear portion 12r. The cabin 12c is configured so that one or more users can ride. The plurality of wheels 14, 16 include a pair of front wheels 14 and a pair of rear wheels 16. In addition, the number of wheels 14, 16 is not limited to four.

[0034] Although not particularly limited, the vehicle 10 may be an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle referred to here broadly means a car in which at least one of the wheels 14 and 16 is driven by a running motor. The vehicle 10 includes, for example, an electric car charged by an external power source, a hybrid car having a running motor and an engine, a fuel cell car using a fuel cell as a power source, and the like. In addition, the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment is not limited to a vehicle driven by a user, but also includes a vehicle operated by an external device and a vehicle that drives autonomously.

[0035] Here, the direction FR in the drawings indicates the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The direction RR indicates the rear in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. In addition, the direction LH indicates the left in the left-right direction (or width direction) of the vehicle 10. The direction RH indicates the right in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10. Moreover, the direction UP indicates the top in the up-down direction of the vehicle 10. The direction DN indicates the bottom in the up-down direction of the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the front, rear and front-rear direction of the vehicle 10, the left, right and left-right directions of the vehicle 10, and the top, bottom and up-down directions of the vehicle 10 are also referred to as the front, rear, front-rear direction, left, right, left-right direction, top, bottom and up-down direction, respectively.

[0036] The vehicle 10 also includes a plurality of side doors 20, 40. The plurality of side doors 20, 40 are located on the side of the vehicle body 12 and are configured to be openable and closable. A user can get on and off the vehicle compartment 12c by opening one of the side doors 20, 40. Although not particularly limited, the plurality of side doors 20, 40 include a front side door 20 and a rear side door 40. The front side door 20 is a door for the driver's seat of the vehicle 10. The rear side door 40 is a door for other passenger seats and is adjacent to the front side door 20 from the rear. Although not particularly limited, the side doors 20, 40 of this embodiment are hinged doors that swing in the horizontal direction relative to the vehicle body 12.

[0037] The plurality of side doors 20 and 40 are provided with windows 22 and 42 and door handles 24 and 44, respectively. The user can open the side doors 20 and 40 by operating the door handles 24 and 44. However, the side doors 20 and 40 are locked and unlocked by the smart key system 18 provided in the vehicle 10. When the side doors 20 and 40 are locked, the operation of the door handles 24 and 44 is invalidated, and the side doors 20 and 40 are fixed so as not to be opened. The smart key system 18 performs locking and unlocking of the side doors 20 and 40 by wirelessly communicating with a wireless communication terminal (not shown) held by the user.

[0038] like Figure 2As shown, the rear side door 40 has an outer panel 46 and a door frame 48. The outer panel 46 is located below the window 42 and is not particularly limited and is made of metal. The above-mentioned door handle 44 is located on the outer panel 46. The door frame 48 extends around the window 42 and is not particularly limited and is made of metal. The door frame 48 generally has a first section 48a, a second section 48b and a third section 48c. The first section 48a is located in front of the window 42 and extends upward from the outer panel 46. The second section 48b is located above the window 42 and extends from the upper end of the first section 48a toward the rear. The third section 48c is located behind the window 42 and extends downward from the rear end of the second section 48b to the outer panel 46. In other words, the third section 48c extends upward from the outer panel 46 to the rear end of the second section 48b. The antenna 60 described below is installed in the first section 48a of the door frame 48.

[0039] The vehicle 10 also includes an antenna 60 and a bracket 70. As an example, the antenna 60 in the present embodiment is an antenna for the smart key system 18. The antenna 60 is connected to the smart key system 18 via a cable 62. The antenna 60 is mounted on the rear side door 40. The antenna 60 is located in the first section 48a of the door frame 48 and is arranged in a manner close to the door handle 24 of the front side door 20. Thus, the communicable range of the antenna 60 can be set near the door handle 24 of the front side door 20.

[0040] Reference Figure 3 to Figure 5 , the installation structure of the antenna 60 is described in detail. The antenna 60 is fixed to the outer surface 49 of the first section 48a of the door frame 48 by a double-sided tape 52. The specific material and structure of the double-sided tape 52 are not particularly limited. The double-sided tape 52 can be a tape with relatively strong adhesion for industrial products. As an example, a recess 50 for accommodating the antenna 60 is provided on the outer surface 49 of the first section 48a. The cable 62 extends downward from the antenna 60 and is arranged on the inner side of the outer panel 46.

[0041] A decorative panel 54 is installed in the first section 48a of the door frame 48. The decorative panel 54 is made of a polymer material such as resin, and is opposite to the outer surface 49 of the first section 48a via the antenna 60. A sealing material 56 is provided on the inner surface 54a of the decorative panel 54. The sealing material 56 is made of a soft material such as foam resin, and presses the antenna 60 toward the door frame 48 by abutting against the antenna 60. Here, the materials constituting the decorative panel 54 and the sealing material 56 are not particularly limited. However, the materials constituting the decorative panel 54 and the sealing material 56 are preferably materials that transmit radio waves. In addition, it is preferred that the sealing material 56 has a soft material or structure with a lower elastic coefficient than the decorative panel 54.

[0042] The bracket 70 is mounted on the rear side door 40. The bracket 70 is made of a polymer material such as resin. The bracket 70 is located at the boundary between the outer panel 46 and the first section 48a of the door frame 48, and is opposite to the cable 62. In addition, the position of the bracket 70 is not limited to the position of the boundary. The bracket 70 defines a cable opening 72 for the cable 62 to pass through between the bracket 70 and the door frame 48. The dimension W72 of the cable opening 72 in the front-to-back direction is larger than the diameter D62 of the cable 62, but smaller than the dimension W60 of the antenna 60 in the front-to-back direction. That is, the cable opening 72 has a shape that the antenna 60 cannot pass through.

[0043] As described above, in the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, the antenna 60 is fixed to the door frame 48 using the double-sided tape 52. By using the double-sided tape 52, the antenna 60 can be firmly fixed to the door frame 48 even in the limited space of the door frame 48. On the other hand, it is also conceivable that the double-sided tape 52 will inevitably deteriorate, and the antenna 60 may fall off (or peel off) from the door frame 48 during the long-term use of the vehicle 10.

[0044] In this regard, the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment is provided with a bracket 70. The bracket 70 is opposed to the cable 62 extending downward from the antenna 60, and a cable opening 72 through which the cable 62 passes is defined between the door frame 48 and the bracket 70. The cable opening 72 has a shape that prevents the antenna 60 from passing through. Therefore, for example, when the antenna 60 falls off from the door frame 48, the antenna 60 descending along the door frame 48 can be caught by the bracket 70. Thus, it is possible to prevent the antenna 60 that falls off from the door frame 48 from entering the inner side of the outer panel 46, for example.

[0045] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the bracket 70 has an opposing surface 74 that opposes the antenna 60 from below at a position adjacent to the cable opening 72. In particular, in the bracket 70 of this embodiment, a pair of opposing surfaces 74 are provided on both sides in the front-rear direction of the cable opening 72. According to such a structure, the antenna 60 that falls off from the door frame 48 and descends along the door frame 48 is stably supported by the opposing surfaces 74 of the bracket 70.

[0046] like Figure 6 As shown, as a modified example, the antenna 60 and the bracket 70 may also be provided in the third section 48c in the door frame 48 of the rear side door 40. Since the third section 48c of the door frame 48 also extends upward from the outer panel 46, when the antenna 60 falls off (or peels off) from the door frame 48, the antenna 60 may enter the inner side of the outer panel 46. Therefore, even in the case where the antenna 60 is installed in the third section 48c of the door frame 48, by installing the bracket 70, the above-mentioned effect of the bracket 70 can be expected in the same manner.

[0047] like Figure 7 As shown, as another modified example, the antenna 60 and the bracket 70 can also be installed on the front side door 20. Similar to the rear side door 40, the front side door 20 has an outer panel 26 located below the vehicle window 22 and a door frame 28 extending around the vehicle window 22. The door frame 28 generally has a first section 28a, a second section 28b and a third section 28c. The first section 28a is located in front of the vehicle window 22 and extends upward from the outer panel 26. The second section 28b is located above the vehicle window 22 and extends from the upper end of the first section 28a toward the rear. The third section 28c is located behind the vehicle window 22 and extends downward from the rear end of the second section 28b to the outer panel 26. In other words, the third section 28c extends upward from the outer panel 26 to the rear end of the second section 28b.

[0048] In the front door 20, the antenna 60 and the bracket 70 can be arranged in the third section 28c of the door frame 28. Thus, the antenna 60 can be brought close to the door handle 24 of the front door 20, and the communicable range of the antenna 60 can be set near the door handle 24 of the front door 20. However, although not shown in the figure, the antenna 60 and the bracket 70 can also be arranged in the first section 28a of the door frame 28 in the front door 20. Since the door frame 28 extends upward from the outer panel 26 in any section 28a or 28c, when the antenna 60 falls off (or peels off) from the door frame 28, the antenna 60 may enter the inner side of the outer panel 26. Therefore, even when the antenna 60 is installed in the first section 28a or the third section 28c of the door frame 28, by installing the bracket 70, the above-mentioned effect of the bracket 70 can be expected in the same way.

[0049] In the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, the bracket 70 is located at the boundary between the outer panel 46 and the door frame 48 and is arranged along the boundary. According to such a structure, the portion where the cable 62 is arranged on the inner side of the outer panel 46 can be covered by the bracket 70. Generally, the portion where the cable 62 is arranged on the inner side of the outer panel 46 is often provided with an opening or a gap for passing the cable 62. By covering such an opening or a gap with the bracket 70, the noise intruding into the vehicle compartment 12c can be suppressed. In particular, if the bracket 70 is formed of a polymer such as a resin, such a sound insulation effect can be improved.

[0050] The above describes the implementation methods of the present technology in detail, but these are only examples and do not limit the scope of the technical solution. The technology described in the claims includes various deformations and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exert their technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the technical solution at the time of application. In addition, the technology illustrated in this specification or the drawings achieves multiple purposes at the same time, and achieving one of the purposes itself has technical usefulness.

Claims

1. A vehicle, characterized in that: have: A side door having a window, the side door having an outer panel located below the window and a door frame extending around the window; An antenna, the antenna being fixed to the outer surface of the section of the door frame extending in the up-down direction by means of a double-sided tape; as well as a bracket, the bracket being mounted on the side door, opposite to the cable extending downward from the antenna, the bracket having a cable opening between the bracket and the door frame for the cable to pass through, The cable opening has a shape in which the antenna cannot pass through. The bracket is located at a boundary between the outer panel and the door frame.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that A dimension of the cable opening in the front-to-back direction is smaller than a dimension of the antenna in the front-to-back direction.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The bracket has an opposing surface that opposes the antenna from below at a position adjacent to the cable opening.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The side door is a rear side door adjacent to a front side door for a driver's seat, the rear side door is located behind the front side door, and the section of the door frame extending in the up-down direction is a section located in front of the window.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The side door is a front side door for the driver's seat. The section of the door frame to which the antenna is fixed extending in the vertical direction is a section located behind the window.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The antenna is configured to communicate with a wireless communication terminal held by a user of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The antenna is an antenna for a smart key system.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The side door is a hinged door.

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