Exterior antenna cover

Abstract

To provide an exterior antenna cover which can surely protect an antenna device such as a radar device from water such as rainwater.SOLUTION: An exterior antenna cover installed as an exterior radome cover on a vehicle includes an exterior substrate 2 which is formed of an electromagnetic wave transmissive synthetic resin, is arranged in an electromagnetic waver irradiation direction of a radar device 10 and is visible from outside of the vehicle, a top plate 3 extending inward from an upper end of the exterior substrate 2, a bottom plate 4 extending inward from a lower end of the exterior substrate 2, and cutoff side walls 61 and 62 which are provided on both right and left sides of the radar device 10 so as to project inward from the exterior substrate 2. The top plate 3, the bottom plate 4 and the cutoff side walls 61 and 62 on both right and left sides are arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the radar device 10, and at least one front end edge of the cutoff side walls 61 and 62 on both right and left sides is fitted to the separated exterior substrate 2 by protrusions and recesses and is fixed thereto.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exterior antenna cover, such as an exterior radome cover, which is disposed in the electromagnetic wave irradiation direction of an in-vehicle radar device, for example, and is visible from outside the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an exterior radome cover arranged in the irradiation direction of an on-vehicle radar device and visible from the outside of the vehicle, there is a bumper described in Patent Document 1. The bumper in Patent Document 1 is formed by resin molding, and is provided from the front side of the on-vehicle radar device, which is in the electromagnetic wave irradiation direction of the on-vehicle radar device, to one side side of the on-vehicle radar device so as to protect the on-vehicle radar device from rainwater. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3419675 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, when providing a waterproof structure for protecting an on-vehicle radar device or the like mounted on a vehicle from water such as rainwater, it is desirable to provide a waterproof member so as to cover the top, bottom, left and right sides of the radar device in addition to an electromagnetic wave-transmitting exterior substrate that is disposed in the electromagnetic wave irradiation direction of the radar device. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a similar waterproof structure for an antenna device that is fixedly installed outdoors, etc.

[0005] Furthermore, when arranging a water-stopping member so as to cover the top, bottom, left and right of the radar device on a long exterior substrate such as a synthetic resin bumper, at least one of the water-stopping members provided to cover the left and right sides of the radar device needs to be installed so as to protrude inward from a midway position in the longitudinal direction of the exterior substrate.

[0006] However, when the water-stopping member is resin-molded integrally with the synthetic resin exterior substrate so as to protrude inward from a midpoint in the longitudinal direction of the exterior substrate, a recess 204 is formed in a portion of the exterior surface 203 of the exterior substrate 201 corresponding to the water-stopping member 202, as shown in Fig. 11, causing a problem that the design of the exterior radome cover is impaired. Therefore, there is a demand for an exterior antenna cover that can reliably protect an antenna device such as a radar device from water such as rainwater without impairing the design of the exterior surface visible from the outside.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed in view of the above problems, and has an object to provide an exterior antenna cover that can reliably protect an antenna device such as a radar device from water such as rainwater. Another object of the present invention is to provide an exterior antenna cover that can ensure the required design of the outer surface that is visible from the outside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The exterior antenna cover of the present invention comprises an electromagnetically transparent exterior substrate formed of an electromagnetically transparent synthetic resin, arranged in the electromagnetic wave irradiation direction of the antenna device and visible from the outside, a top plate extending inward from the upper end of the exterior substrate, a bottom plate extending inward from the lower end of the exterior substrate, and water-stopping side walls provided on both the left and right sides of the antenna device so as to protrude inward from the exterior substrate, wherein the top plate, the bottom plate, and the water-stopping side walls on both the left and right sides are arranged to cover the outer periphery of the antenna device, and at least one of the front edges of the water-stopping side walls on both the left and right sides is fixed to the separate exterior substrate. According to this, in addition to the exterior substrate arranged in the electromagnetic wave irradiation direction of an antenna device such as a radar device, the outer periphery of the antenna device is covered with the top plate, bottom plate, and water-stopping side walls on both the left and right sides, thereby complicating the path through which water such as rainwater can penetrate, and the antenna device, particularly the electromagnetic wave transmitting surface, electromagnetic wave receiving surface, or electromagnetic wave transmitting / receiving surface of the antenna device, can be reliably protected from water such as rainwater, snow, etc. Also, by fixing the front end edge of the water-stopping side walls to a separate exterior substrate formed of synthetic resin, it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of dents in the outer surface of the exterior substrate that would occur if the water-stopping side walls were resin-molded integrally with the exterior substrate, and it is possible to ensure the required design of the outer surface visible from the outside of a vehicle, etc., and to ensure good aesthetics of the exterior antenna cover.

[0009] The exterior antenna cover of the present invention is characterized in that the front end edges of both the left and right water blocking side walls are fixed to the separate exterior substrate. According to this, when the exterior substrate is a long exterior substrate such as a synthetic resin bumper, even if an antenna device such as a radar device is arranged at any position in the left-right direction of the exterior substrate, the antenna device can be reliably protected from water such as rainwater.

[0010] The exterior antenna cover of the present invention is characterized in that the exterior substrate is formed of an inner primary molding material and a secondary molding material that is laminated and fixed to the outside of the primary molding material to form the outer surface, and the front edge of the water-stopping side wall is fixed to the primary molding material by a concave-convex fit. According to this, even if tiny recesses or protrusions are formed on the surface of the primary molding material made of synthetic resin due to the formation of recesses or protrusions that fit into the concave and convex parts of the primary molding material, by forming the outer surface from a secondary molding material made of synthetic resin, the effect of the tiny recesses or protrusions on the outer surface of the exterior antenna cover can be eliminated, and the required design of the outer surface visible from the outside of a vehicle, etc. can be more reliably ensured.

[0011] The exterior antenna cover of the present invention is characterized in that a heater wire is provided in a predetermined area of ​​the exterior substrate corresponding to the antenna device, so as to be sandwiched between the primary molding material and the secondary molding material. This makes it possible to melt snow adhering to the outer surface of a specified area of ​​the exterior substrate corresponding to the antenna device, and to maintain good electromagnetic wave transparency in the specified area of ​​the exterior substrate corresponding to the antenna device even during snowfall.

[0012] The exterior antenna cover of the present invention is characterized in that the top plate, the bottom plate, and the water-tight side walls on both the left and right sides are positioned at a distance from the outer peripheral edge of the antenna device, and the distance between the top plate, the bottom plate, the left water-tight side wall, and the right water-tight side wall and the outer peripheral edge of the antenna device is set to within 5 mm. According to this, by arranging the top plate, the bottom plate, and the left and right water-stopping side walls at a distance from the outer periphery of the antenna device, the antenna device can be smoothly accommodated in the space surrounded by the top plate, the bottom plate, and the left and right water-stopping side walls during vehicle manufacture. Also, by setting the distance between the top plate, the bottom plate, the left water-stopping side wall, and the right water-stopping side wall and the outer periphery of the antenna device to within 5 mm, the top plate, the bottom plate, and the left and right water-stopping side walls are arranged in close positions that reliably prevent water from entering by utilizing the surface tension of water, so that the antenna device can be more reliably protected from water such as rainwater.

[0013] The exterior antenna cover of the present invention is characterized in that a convex portion or a concave portion formed on the inner surface of the exterior substrate is fitted into the front edge of the water blocking side wall in a concave-convex manner. According to this, regardless of the internal structure of the exterior substrate, the exterior substrate and the water-blocking side wall can be easily fixed by fitting the concave and convex parts together. Also, by fitting the inner surface of the exterior substrate and the front edge of the water-blocking side wall together, even if a gap occurs between the inner surface of the exterior substrate and the front edge of the water-blocking side wall, the convex or concave part can divert water from entering the antenna device, thereby preventing water from entering the antenna device.

[0014] The exterior antenna cover of the present invention is characterized in that a convex portion is formed inside a groove formed on the inner surface side of the exterior substrate, the front edge of the water-stopping side wall is fitted into the groove, and a side wall recess formed on the front edge of the water-stopping side wall is fitted into the convex portion in a concave-convex manner. With this, in addition to fitting the front edge of the water-stopping side wall into the concave groove of the exterior substrate, the side wall concave portion of the front edge of the water-stopping side wall can be fitted into the convex portion of the exterior substrate, thereby making it possible to more firmly fix the exterior substrate and the water-stopping side wall.

[0015] The exterior antenna cover of the present invention is characterized in that the antenna device is an in-vehicle radar device and is installed on a vehicle as an exterior radome cover. This makes it possible to complicate the path through which water such as rainwater can infiltrate, and to reliably protect the vehicle-mounted radar device, particularly the electromagnetic wave transmitting / receiving surface of the vehicle-mounted radar device, from water such as rainwater, snow, etc. Also, it is possible to ensure the required design of the outer surface visible from outside the vehicle, and to ensure good aesthetics of the exterior radome cover. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the exterior antenna cover of the present invention, an antenna device such as a radar device can be reliably protected from water such as rainwater, etc. Also, the required design of the outer surface of the exterior antenna cover that is visible from the outside can be ensured. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of an exterior radome cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 3A is a left side view of the exterior radome cover of the first embodiment, and FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the exterior radome cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. BB cross-sectional view of the exterior radome cover of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part C of the exterior radome cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 13 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to an enlarged view of part C of an exterior radome cover according to a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view of the exterior radome cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 8]6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the BB cross-sectional view of the exterior radome cover of the second embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 13A is an enlarged view of a portion D of the exterior radome cover of the second embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the exterior radome cover of the second embodiment before the secondary molding material is formed. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the enlarged view of part C of the exterior radome cover of the third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a problem that occurs when a waterproofing member is integrally formed with an exterior substrate by resin molding. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] [Exterior radome cover of the first embodiment] An exterior radome cover 1 of a first embodiment which is an exterior antenna cover of the present invention is used, for example, as a bumper cover attached to a vehicle bumper, and is made of electromagnetic wave permeable synthetic resin as shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 5, and is arranged in the electromagnetic wave irradiation direction of a radar device 10 such as an on-vehicle radar device which is an antenna device, and includes an exterior substrate 2 which is visible from the outside of the vehicle, a top plate 3 which extends inward from the upper end of the exterior substrate 2, and a bottom plate 4 which extends inward from the lower end of the radome substrate. The top plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 in this embodiment are integrally formed by injection molding or the like using the same synthetic resin as the exterior substrate 2, and are formed so as to be bent from the upper and lower ends of the exterior substrate 2.

[0019] Furthermore, the exterior substrate 2, top plate 3, and bottom plate 4 in this embodiment are formed by laminating and fixing an inner primary molding material 51 made of electromagnetic wave-transmitting synthetic resin and an outer secondary molding material 52 made of the same electromagnetic wave-transmitting synthetic resin material as the primary molding material 51, and each of the exterior substrate 2, top plate 3, and bottom plate 4 is composed of the primary molding material 51 and the secondary molding material 52. The portion of the exterior substrate 2 that is the secondary molding material 52 constitutes the outer surface of the exterior radome cover 1 or the outer surface of the exterior substrate 2.

[0020] The material for the exterior substrate 2, and the material for the top plate 3 and the material for the bottom plate 4 when they are formed integrally with the exterior substrate 2, can be any appropriate synthetic resin within the spirit of the present invention. For example, it is preferable to use one or more of the following acrylic resins alone or in combination: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA), acrylonitrile-ethylene propyl rubber-styrene copolymer (AES), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene ether (PPE), modified polyphenylene ether (m-PPE), etc., and additives may be contained therein or the material may be a foamed synthetic resin.

[0021] The exterior substrate 2 is provided with water-stopping side walls 61 and 62 that are separate from the exterior substrate 2 and protrude inward. The water-stopping side wall 61 is provided at a position closer to the left in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the front of the exterior substrate 2, and the water-stopping side wall 62 is provided at a position closer to the right in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the front of the exterior substrate 2, and the flat water-stopping side walls 61 and 62 are arranged with a gap between them. The radar device 10 is arranged between the left water-stopping side wall 61 and the right water-stopping side wall 62, in other words, the water-stopping side walls 61 and 62 are provided on both the left and right sides of the radar device 10. In addition, the top plate 3 is arranged above the radar device 10 provided between the left and right water-stopping side walls 61 and 62, and the bottom plate 4 is arranged below the radar device 10, and the top plate 3, the bottom plate 4, and the left and right water-stopping side walls 61 and 62 are arranged to cover the outer periphery of the radar device 10.

[0022] In this embodiment, the top plate 3, the bottom plate 4, and the water-stopping side walls 61 and 62 on both the left and right sides are disposed at a distance from the outer periphery of the radar device 10. The distance L1 at the closest position between the top plate 3 and the outer periphery of the radar device 10, the distance L2 at the closest position between the bottom plate 4 and the outer periphery of the radar device 10, the distance L3 at the closest position between the left water-stopping side wall 61 and the outer periphery of the radar device 10, the distance L4 at the closest position between the right water-stopping side wall 62 and the outer periphery of the radar device 10, or the closest distance among the distances L1 to L4 is preferably set to within 5 mm, and more preferably within 3 mm (see FIG. 7). Moreover, it is preferable from the viewpoint of improving water-stopping performance that the top plate 3, the bottom plate 4, and the water-stopping side walls 61 and 62 on both the left and right sides are installed so as to cover the entire periphery of the radar device 10 so that the radar device 10 does not protrude inward.

[0023] Both the left water-stopping side wall 61 and the right water-stopping side wall 62 are fixed to the exterior substrate 2 by fitting their front edges to the separate exterior substrate 2 in a concave-convex manner. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, a concave portion 63 is formed at each of the front edges of the water-stopping side wall 61 and the front edges of the water-stopping side wall 62, and a convex portion 21 is formed on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2, in this embodiment, a convex portion 21 is formed on the primary molding material 51 which is a component of the exterior substrate 2, and the concave portion 63 at the front edge of the water-stopping side wall 61 and the convex portion 21 on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2 are fitted to each other in a concave-convex manner to fix the water-stopping side wall 61 to the exterior substrate 2 which is separate from the water-stopping side wall 61, and the concave portion 63 at the front edge of the water-stopping side wall 62 and the convex portion 21 on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2 are fitted to each other in a concave-convex manner to fix the water-stopping side wall 62 to the exterior substrate 2 which is separate from the water-stopping side wall 62. In this embodiment, the portion of the primary molding material 51 that is the exterior substrate 2 and the water-stopping side walls 61 and 62 are fixed to each other in a concave-convex manner.

[0024] 6, it is also preferable to form convex portions 64 on the front edges of the waterstopping side walls 61 and 62, respectively, and form concave portions 22 on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2, in this embodiment, in the primary molding material 51 which is a component of the exterior substrate 2, and fix the convex portion 64 on the front edge of the waterstopping side wall 61 to the concave portion 22 on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2 by fitting the convex portion 64 on the front edge of the waterstopping side wall 61 with the concave portion 22 on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2, and fix the convex portion 64 on the front edge of the waterstopping side wall 62 to the concave portion 22 on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2 by fitting the convex portion 64 on the front edge of the waterstopping side wall 62 with .... Note that in this modification as well, the portion of the primary molding material 51 that is part of the exterior substrate 2 and the waterstopping side walls 61, 62 are fixed by fitting the concave portion.

[0025] The convex portion 21 of the exterior substrate 2 and the concave portion 63 of the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 in this embodiment are formed as a convex streak and a concave groove extending in the height direction when viewed from the front, as shown in Fig. 1, but it is also suitable to form them as dot-like convex portions and dot-like concave portions scattered at intervals in the height direction, respectively. Similarly, the concave portion 22 of the exterior substrate 2 and the convex portion 64 of the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 in the modified example are formed as a concave groove and a convex streak extending in the height direction when viewed from the front, respectively, but it is also suitable to form them as dot-like concave portions and dot-like convex portions scattered at intervals in the height direction, respectively.

[0026] Furthermore, from the standpoint of more reliably preventing the formation of irregularities on the outer surface 23 of the synthetic resin exterior substrate 2 that would impair the design, it is preferable that the depth of the recess 63 and the height of the protrusion 21, the height of the protrusion 64 and the depth of the recess 22, for fitting the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 and the separate exterior substrate 2 together, be 30% or less of the thickness of the exterior substrate 2, and it is even more preferable that they be 15% or less.

[0027] From the viewpoint of reliably preventing any influence on the electromagnetic wave irradiation characteristics of the radar device 10, it is preferable to use an electromagnetic wave transparent synthetic resin as the material of the water blocking side walls 61, 62. In this case, the synthetic resin of the water blocking side walls 61, 62 can be a synthetic resin different from or the same as the material of the exterior substrate 2. When the same synthetic resin is used, it is preferable to use one of acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA), acrylonitrile-ethylene propyl rubber-styrene copolymer (AES), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene ether (PPE), modified polyphenylene ether (m-PPE), etc., either alone or in combination of two or more thereof, and additives may be contained.

[0028] According to the exterior radome cover 1 of the first embodiment, the front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 are fixed to the separate exterior substrate 2 by fitting them in a concave-convex manner, thereby eliminating the occurrence of dents on the outer surface of the exterior substrate that would occur if the water-stopping side walls were resin-molded integrally with the exterior substrate, and it is possible to ensure the required design of the outer surface 23 visible from outside the vehicle, and to ensure good aesthetics of the exterior radome cover 1. Also, by covering the outer periphery of the radar device 10 with the top plate 3, bottom plate 4, and the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 on both the left and right sides in addition to the exterior substrate 2 arranged in the electromagnetic wave irradiation direction of the radar device 10, the path through which water such as rainwater enters is made complex, and the radar device 10 can be reliably protected from water such as rainwater.

[0029] Furthermore, by fixing the front edges of both the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 on both the left and right sides to a separate exterior substrate 2 by engaging with each other in a concave-convex manner, even when the exterior substrate 2 is long and the radar device 10 is positioned at any position in the left-right direction of the exterior substrate 2, it is possible to ensure good design of the outer surface 23 of the exterior radome cover 1 or the outer surface 23 of the exterior substrate 2, which is visible from outside the vehicle, and to reliably protect the radar device 10 from water such as rainwater.

[0030] In addition, the exterior substrate 2 is formed of an inner primary molding material 51 and a secondary molding material 52 that is laminated and fixed to the outside of the primary molding material 51 to form the exterior surface 23, and the front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 are fixed to the primary molding material 51 by fitting the concave and convex parts together. Even if minute recesses or minute protrusions are formed on the surface of the primary molding material 51 by forming the concave and convex parts 22 or protrusions 21 that fit the concave and convex parts of the primary molding material 51, by forming the exterior surface 23 with the secondary molding material, the influence of the minute recesses or minute protrusions can be eliminated on the exterior surface 23 of the exterior radome cover 1, and the required design of the exterior surface 23 visible from outside the vehicle can be more reliably ensured. Furthermore, when the above-mentioned water-stopping member is resin-molded integrally with the exterior substrate and a large recess 204 is formed in the portion of the outer surface 203 of the exterior substrate 201 that corresponds to the water-stopping member 202, even if a secondary molding material is resin-molded on the outside of the outer surface 203 having the large recess 204, a recess will be formed on the outer surface of the secondary molding material due to the influence of the recess (see Figure 11).

[0031] Furthermore, by arranging the top plate 3, the bottom plate 4, and the left and right waterstop side walls 61, 62 at a distance from the outer periphery of the radar device 10, the radar device 10 can be smoothly accommodated in the space surrounded by the top plate 3, the bottom plate 4, and the left and right waterstop side walls 61, 62 during vehicle manufacture. Furthermore, by setting the distance between the top plate 3, the bottom plate 4, the left waterstop side wall 61, and the right waterstop side wall 62 and the outer periphery of the radar device 10 to within 5 mm, the radar device 10 can be more reliably protected from water such as rainwater by the top plate 3, the bottom plate 4, and the left and right waterstop side walls 61, 62 arranged in close positions that reliably prevent water from entering by utilizing the surface tension of water.

[0032] Furthermore, by fitting the convex and concave portions 21 or concave portions 22 formed on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2 into the front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61, 62, the exterior substrate 2 and the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 can be easily fixed by fitting them into each other, regardless of the internal structure of the exterior substrate 2. Furthermore, by fitting the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2 into the front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 into each other, even if a gap occurs between the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2 and the front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61, 62, the convex and concave portions 21 or concave portions 22 can divert the path of water infiltration into the radar device 10, thereby suppressing water infiltration.

[0033] [Exterior radome cover of second embodiment] In the exterior radome cover 1a of the second embodiment which is an exterior antenna cover of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the protrusions 25a of the exterior substrate 2a are formed inside the recessed grooves 24a formed on the inner side of the exterior substrate 2a having the outer surface 23a, and the protruding stripes 25a are formed on the secondary molding material 52a. The front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61a, 62a are fitted into the recessed grooves 24a, respectively, and the side wall recesses 65a formed on the front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61a, 62a are fitted into the protrusions 25a, thereby fixing the synthetic resin exterior substrate 2a and the separate water-stopping side walls 61a, 62a.

[0034] When manufacturing the exterior radome cover 1a, for example, the front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61a, 62a are fitted into the primary molding material 51a having a long hole formed in the height direction when viewed from the front (see Figure 9(b)), and in this state, the secondary molding material 52a is injection molded to form the exterior substrate 2a in a state in which the side wall recesses 65a formed on the front edges of the water-stopping side walls 61a, 62a are fitted into the protrusions 25a.

[0035] The convex portion 25a and the side wall concave portion 65a of the exterior substrate 2a in the second embodiment are formed as a convex stripe and a concave groove extending in the height direction when viewed from the front, but may also be formed as dot-like convex portions and dot-like concave portions scattered at intervals in the height direction. The other configurations of the exterior radome cover 1a of the second embodiment are the same as those of the exterior radome cover 1 of the first embodiment, and modified configurations of the exterior radome cover 1 of the first embodiment can be applied to the second embodiment within an applicable range.

[0036] According to the exterior radome cover 1a of the second embodiment, the front end edges of the water-stopping side walls 61a, 62a are fitted into the recessed grooves 24a of the exterior substrate 2a, and the side wall recesses 65a of the front end edges of the water-stopping side walls 61a, 62a are fitted into the protrusions 25a of the exterior substrate 2a, so that the exterior substrate 2a and the water-stopping side walls 61a, 62a can be fixed more firmly. In addition, the corresponding effects can be obtained from the configuration corresponding to the first embodiment.

[0037] [Exterior radome cover of the third embodiment] In the exterior radome cover 1b of the third embodiment which is the exterior antenna cover of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 10, the exterior substrate 2b having the outer surface 23b is formed of a single molding material, and the convex portion 21b on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2b and the concave portion 63 at the front end edge of the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 are fitted into the convex portion 21b on the inner surface of the exterior substrate 2b, respectively, to fix the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 to the separate exterior substrate 2b. From the viewpoint of more reliably preventing the formation of concaves and convexes that impair the design on the outer surface 23b of the synthetic resin exterior substrate 2b, it is preferable that the depth of the concave portion 63 and the height of the convex portion 21b for fitting the water-stopping side walls 61, 62 and the separate exterior substrate 2b into each other are 30% or less of the thickness of the exterior substrate 2, and more preferably 15% or less. The other configurations of the exterior radome cover 1b of the third embodiment are identical to the configuration of the exterior radome cover 1 of the first embodiment, and modified configurations of the exterior radome cover 1 of the first embodiment can be applied to the third embodiment to the extent applicable.

[0038] According to the exterior radome cover 1b of the third embodiment, it is possible to obtain the corresponding effects from the configuration corresponding to the first embodiment.

[0039] [Scope of the invention disclosed herein] The inventions disclosed in this specification include, in addition to the inventions and embodiments listed as inventions, those specified by changing partial contents of these to other contents disclosed in this specification, those specified by adding other contents disclosed in this specification to these contents, or those specified by deleting partial contents of these to the extent that partial effects can be obtained, and specifying them as a higher-level concept. The inventions disclosed in this specification also include the following modified examples and added contents.

[0040] For example, in the above first to third embodiments, the front edges of both the left and right water-stopping side walls 61, 62, etc. are fixed to a separate exterior substrate 2, etc. by fitting in a concave-convex manner. However, the present invention includes any exterior antenna cover such as an exterior radome cover in which at least one of the front edges of the left and right water-stopping side walls 61, 62, etc. is fixed to a separate exterior substrate 2, etc. by fitting in a concave-convex manner, for example, in a case where the side wall of the bumper cover itself serves as the water-stopping side wall on one side.

[0041] Furthermore, when the exterior antenna cover of the present invention is used as an exterior radome cover, it can be installed at any suitable position on the vehicle body, but it is preferable to install it at the front or rear position of the vehicle body in the direction in which the vehicle can move, as this can provide a greater water-stopping effect, and it is even more preferable to install it at the front position of the vehicle body, which can provide a greater water-stopping effect, especially when the vehicle is moving at high speed.

[0042] Furthermore, when providing a separate part on the inside of the exterior antenna cover of the present invention, it is preferable to install the separate part at a position that is 5 mm or less away from the inner end of the watertight side wall, as this more effectively prevents water from entering the location of the antenna device that is arranged so that its outer periphery is covered by the top plate, bottom plate, and watertight side walls on both the left and right sides.

[0043] Furthermore, the shape of the outer surface of the exterior antenna cover of the present invention can be flat, curved, or have a locally bent portion, etc., from the viewpoint of required design.

[0044] In addition, in the exterior antenna cover of the present invention, a means other than fixing by concave-convex fitting can be used to fix the separate water-stopping side wall to the exterior substrate, and for example, the separate water-stopping side wall can be fixed to the exterior substrate by double-sided tape or adhesive, etc. In addition, when fitting the inner surface of the exterior substrate with the front edge of the water-stopping side wall in a concave-convex fitting manner, it is preferable to provide concave-convex fitting portions at multiple locations spaced apart in the width direction of the water-stopping side wall, such as two locations spaced apart in the width direction of the water-stopping side wall, because the multiple concave-convex fitting locations can make the path of water infiltration into an antenna device such as a radar device more roundabout and suppress water infiltration.

[0045] In addition, the materials for the top plate, bottom plate, and water-stopping side walls on both the left and right sides of the exterior antenna cover of the present invention may be any suitable material within the spirit of the present invention other than synthetic resin, and may be, for example, ceramic, rubber, or metal.

[0046] Furthermore, when the exterior antenna cover of the present invention is constructed from a primary molding material made of synthetic resin and a secondary molding material made of synthetic resin, it is possible, within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, to form any part as the primary molding material or any part as the secondary molding material.

[0047] In the exterior antenna cover of the present invention, when the exterior substrate is formed of a primary molding material on the inside and a secondary molding material that is laminated and fixed to the outside of the primary molding material to form the exterior surface, it is also suitable to provide a heater wire in a predetermined area of ​​the exterior substrate corresponding to an antenna device such as a radar device 10, such as an in-vehicle radar device, sandwiched between the primary molding material and the secondary molding material, for example, as in the heater wire 7 in Fig. 5. This melts snow that has adhered to the outer surface of the predetermined area of ​​the exterior substrate corresponding to the antenna device, and maintains good electromagnetic wave transparency in the predetermined area of ​​the exterior substrate corresponding to the antenna device even during snowfall.

[0048] In addition, the exterior antenna cover of the present invention can be used as an exterior antenna cover for appropriate antenna devices other than vehicle-mounted radar devices, and may be an exterior antenna cover for an antenna device that is fixedly installed outdoors, or an exterior antenna cover for an antenna device that is fixedly installed indoors. [Industrial Applicability]

[0049] The present invention can be used, for example, as an exterior radome cover for an in-vehicle radar device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1, 1a, 1b... Exterior radome cover 2, 2a, 2b... Exterior substrate 21, 21b... Convex portion 22... Concave portion 23, 23a, 23b... Outer surface 24a... Concave groove 25a... Convex portion 3... Top plate 4... Bottom plate 51, 51a... Primary molding material 52, 52a... Secondary molding material 61, 62, 61a, 62a... Water-stopping side wall 63... Concave portion 64... Convex portion 65a... Side wall concave portion 7... Heater wire 10... Radar device 201... Exterior substrate 202... Water-stopping member 203... Outer surface 204... Concave portion L1, L2, L3, L4... Distance between the substrate and the outer surface

Claims

1. an exterior substrate that is made of an electromagnetic wave-transmitting synthetic resin, that is disposed in a direction in which the antenna device is irradiated with electromagnetic waves, and that is visible from the outside; A top plate extending inward from an upper end of the exterior substrate; a bottom plate extending inward from a lower end of the exterior substrate; a water blocking side wall provided on each of the left and right sides of the antenna device so as to protrude inward from the exterior substrate, the top plate, the bottom plate, and the water blocking side walls on both the left and right sides are arranged to cover an outer periphery of the antenna device, An exterior antenna cover, characterized in that at least one of the front end edges of the left and right water blocking side walls is fixed to the separate exterior substrate.

2. 2. The exterior antenna cover according to claim 1, wherein the front end edges of both the left and right water blocking side walls are fixed to the exterior substrate, which is a separate body.

3. the exterior substrate is formed of an inner primary molding material and a secondary molding material that is laminated and fixed to the outside of the primary molding material to form an outer surface, 3. The exterior antenna cover according to claim 1, wherein a front end edge of said water blocking side wall is fixed to said primary molding material by a concave-convex fit.

4. 4. The exterior antenna cover according to claim 3, wherein a heater wire is provided in a predetermined region of the exterior substrate corresponding to the antenna device, the heater wire being sandwiched between the primary molding material and the secondary molding material.

5. the top plate, the bottom plate, and the water blocking side walls on both the left and right sides are disposed apart from an outer periphery of the antenna device, 3. An exterior antenna cover as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the distance between the top plate, the bottom plate, the left water-tight side wall, and the right water-tight side wall and the outer peripheral edge of the antenna device is set to within 5 mm.

6. 3. The exterior antenna cover according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion or recess formed on the inner surface of said exterior substrate is fitted into a front edge of said water blocking side wall in a concave-convex manner.

7. A convex portion is formed inside a concave groove formed on the inner surface side of the exterior substrate, 3. An exterior antenna cover as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front edge of the water-blocking side wall is fitted into the groove, and a side wall recess formed on the front edge of the water-blocking side wall is fitted into the protrusion in a concave-convex manner.

8. 3. The exterior antenna cover according to claim 1, wherein the antenna device is an on-vehicle radar device and is installed on a vehicle as an exterior radome cover.

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