Mounting structure of ultrasonic sensor

Abstract

To improve detection performance of an ultrasonic sensor in a mounting structure of the ultrasonic sensor.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic sensor mounting structure 10 includes an ultrasonic sensor 11 provided in an opening 4 of an exterior member 3 of a vehicle 1 and a mounting member 12 for mounting the ultrasonic sensor to the exterior member around the opening. The ultrasonic sensor has a vibration unit 18 that vibrates to generate an ultrasonic wave. The vibration unit has an end surface 18A exposed from the opening toward a vehicle exterior side and an outer peripheral surface 18B extending from an outer periphery of the end surface toward a vehicle interior side. The mounting member has a cylindrical unit 41 having an inner peripheral surface 41A opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the vibration unit and an annular projecting unit 43 projecting to a space between the outer peripheral surface of the vibration unit and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting structure for an ultrasonic sensor. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transport systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants have been gaining momentum. To achieve this, we are focusing on research and development into preventive safety technologies to further improve transport safety and convenience.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic sensor to be attached to a vehicle body part. This ultrasonic sensor has a sensor body including an ultrasonic microphone, a cushion member that covers the ultrasonic microphone, and a retainer part for attaching the sensor body to the vehicle body part. A waterproof seal is provided between the cushion member and the retainer part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-100713 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the ultrasonic sensor described in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that water that has entered from the outside due to rainfall or the like may accumulate between the cushion member and the retainer due to deterioration of the waterproof seal. When the vibration of the ultrasonic sensor is transmitted to the water that has accumulated between the cushion member and the retainer, the water that has accumulated between the cushion member and the retainer vibrates. If the water continues to vibrate even after the vibration of the ultrasonic sensor stops, the so-called reverberation time increases, and this may deteriorate the detection performance of the ultrasonic sensor.

[0006] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to improve the detection performance of an ultrasonic sensor in a mounting structure for the ultrasonic sensor, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an ultrasonic sensor mounting structure (10) comprising an ultrasonic sensor (11) provided in an opening (4) of an exterior member (3) of a vehicle (1) and a mounting member (12) for mounting the ultrasonic sensor to the exterior member around the opening, wherein the ultrasonic sensor has a vibration part (18) that vibrates to generate ultrasonic waves, the vibration part has an end face (18A) exposed from the opening toward the outside of the vehicle and an outer circumferential surface (18B) extending from the outer periphery of the end face toward the inside of the vehicle, and the mounting member has a cylindrical part (41) having an inner circumferential surface (41A) facing the outer circumferential surface of the vibration part, and an annular protrusion (43) protruding into a space (S) between the outer circumferential surface of the vibration part and the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical part.

[0008] According to this aspect, the volume of water that accumulates in the space between the outer peripheral surface of the vibrating part and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical part is smaller than when the protruding part is not provided. Therefore, after the vibration of the vibrating part stops, the vibration of the water that has accumulated in the space can be quickly converged. This can shorten the so-called reverberation time, thereby improving the detection performance of the ultrasonic sensor. This can ultimately contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0009] In the above-described aspect, the mounting member may further have an annular portion (42) connected to the vehicle exterior end of the cylindrical portion and exposed from the opening toward the vehicle exterior, the annular portion abutting the exterior member around the opening from the vehicle exterior on the radially outer side of the cylindrical portion, and the protruding portion may protrude from the annular portion toward the vehicle interior on the radially inner side of the cylindrical portion.

[0010] According to this aspect, the mounting member can be easily fixed to the exterior member, and by providing a protrusion on the mounting member, vibrations of the water can be quickly dampened.

[0011] In the above aspect, the protruding portion may protrude from a radially inner end portion of the annular portion toward the vehicle interior side.

[0012] According to this aspect, the vibration part (or the member covering the periphery of the vibration part) and the protrusion can be brought into contact with each other or as close as possible to each other. This makes it possible to prevent water from entering between them and to reduce the contact area between the vibration part (or the member covering the periphery of the vibration part) and the water. This makes it possible to converge the vibration of the water more quickly and further improve the detection performance of the ultrasonic sensor.

[0013] In the above aspect, the mounting member may further include a plurality of guide portions (44) that are circumferentially spaced apart and protrude from the protruding portion toward the interior side of the vehicle.

[0014] According to this aspect, the ultrasonic sensor can be stably held on the mounting member.

[0015] In the above aspect, the mounting member may further include a plurality of reinforcing portions (45) that are circumferentially spaced apart and connect the cylindrical portion and the protruding portion.

[0016] According to this aspect, the strength of the protrusion can be increased, and deformation of the protrusion can be suppressed.

[0017] In the above aspect, at least a part of an inner circumferential surface of the protruding portion may be inclined radially inward toward the vehicle exterior side.

[0018] According to this aspect, the ultrasonic sensor can be easily inserted into the protruding portion from the inside of the vehicle toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0019] In the above aspect, the mounting member may be fixed to the vehicle interior surface of the exterior member, and the protrusion may protrude radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion and be arranged along the vehicle interior surface of the exterior member.

[0020] According to this aspect, the mounting member can be firmly fixed to the exterior member, and the provision of a protrusion on the mounting member makes it possible to quickly dampen water vibrations.

[0021] In the above-described aspect, the mounting member further has a fixing portion (64) protruding radially outward from the vehicle exterior end of the outer circumferential surface of the tubular portion, and the protruding portion protrudes radially inward from the vehicle exterior end of the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion and may be fixed to the vehicle interior surface of the exterior member together with the tubular portion and the fixing portion.

[0022] According to this aspect, the fixing area between the exterior member and the mounting member can be increased compared to when only the fixing portion is fixed to the vehicle interior surface of the exterior member, thereby making it possible to more firmly fix the mounting member to the exterior member.

[0023] In the above-mentioned aspect, the vehicle may further include an elastic portion (34) covering an outer periphery of the vibrating portion, the elastic portion having a cylindrical peripheral wall portion (37) centered on an axis extending in the vehicle interior / exterior direction, and a flange portion (38) protruding radially outward from an end of the peripheral wall portion on the vehicle interior side, the protruding portion being positioned radially outward of the peripheral wall portion and facing the flange portion with a gap in the vehicle interior / exterior direction.

[0024] According to this aspect, deformation and damage to the elastic portion caused by the protrusion coming into contact with the flange portion of the elastic portion is suppressed.

[0025] In the above aspect, the cylindrical portion and the protruding portion may be integrally formed from the same material.

[0026] According to this aspect, the mounting member can be manufactured with a simple structure. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the above configuration, in the ultrasonic sensor mounting structure, it is possible to improve the detection performance of the ultrasonic sensor, which in turn can contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle provided with an ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ultrasonic sensor according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] A rear view of the mounting member according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] VV cross section of Figure 4 [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to a second embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle 1 provided with an ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a "sensor mounting structure 10") will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] (First embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is, for example, a four-wheeled automobile. The vehicle 1 has a vehicle body 2 that is long in the front-rear direction. A front bumper 3 (an example of an exterior member) is provided at the front of the vehicle body 2. The front bumper 3 extends in the left-right direction and covers the front of a bumper beam (not shown). A circular opening 4 that penetrates the front bumper 3 in the thickness direction is provided on both the left and right sides. A front grille 5 is provided above the front bumper 3.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 2, the sensor mounting structure 10 is a structure for mounting an ultrasonic sensor 11 to the front bumper 3. In this embodiment, the front of the vehicle 1 is the exterior side of the sensor mounting structure 10, and the rear of the vehicle 1 is the interior side of the sensor mounting structure 10. The fore-aft direction of the vehicle 1 is the interior-exterior direction of the sensor mounting structure 10 (the direction from the interior side of the vehicle to the exterior side of the vehicle). Below, the sensor mounting structure 10 will be described based on a state in which the ultrasonic sensor 11 is mounted on the front bumper 3.

[0032] The dashed dotted line in the drawing indicates an axis extending in the front-rear direction (hereinafter referred to as the "sensor axis A"). Hereinafter, the term "circumferential direction" refers to the circumferential direction based on the sensor axis A, and the term "radial direction" refers to the radial direction based on the sensor axis A.

[0033] The sensor mounting structure 10 comprises an ultrasonic sensor 11 provided in an opening 4 of a front bumper 3, and a mounting member 12 for mounting the ultrasonic sensor 11 to the front bumper 3 around the opening 4.

[0034] The ultrasonic sensor 11 is a sensor for detecting obstacles around the vehicle 1. The ultrasonic sensor 11 is disposed on the rear side of the front bumper 3, i.e., on the inside of the vehicle. The ultrasonic sensor 11 measures the distance from the ultrasonic sensor 11 to an object, for example, according to the time from emitting an ultrasonic wave to receiving a reflected wave reflected by the object. The ultrasonic sensor 11 is provided at a corner of the front bumper 3 so as to emit ultrasonic waves toward the front and front sides of the vehicle 1. In this way, the ultrasonic sensor 11 detects obstacles in front of the vehicle 1 and on the front sides of the vehicle 1.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the ultrasonic sensor 11 has a housing 14, a sensor board 16 arranged at the rear of the housing 14 (the part facing the inside of the vehicle), a vibration part 18 arranged at the front of the housing 14 (the part facing the outside of the vehicle), and an elastic member 20 covering the outer periphery and rear (the part facing the inside of the vehicle) of the vibration part 18.

[0036] The housing 14 of the ultrasonic sensor 11 is made of a hard resin material. The housing 14 has a main body portion 22 extending in the front-rear direction and a connector portion 23 extending from a rear portion (a portion on the vehicle interior side) of the main body portion 22 in a direction perpendicular to the main body portion 22.

[0037] The main body 22 of the housing 14 has a cylindrical shape centered on the sensor axis A. The internal space of the main body 22 is divided into front and rear spaces by a disk-shaped partition wall 24. An interior recess 25 that opens rearward is formed at the rear (inner side) of the partition wall 24. An exterior recess 26 that opens forward is formed at the front (outer side) of the partition wall 24.

[0038] Left and right positioning protrusions 28 are provided on the front portion (portion facing the vehicle exterior) of the outer circumferential surface of the main body 22 (see FIG. 3). The left and right positioning protrusions 28 are arranged on opposite sides of the sensor axis A. Each positioning protrusion 28 extends in the front-to-rear direction. Upper and lower engagement protrusions 29 are provided on the rear portion (portion facing the vehicle interior) of the outer circumferential surface of the main body 22. The upper and lower engagement protrusions 29 are arranged on opposite sides of the sensor axis A.

[0039] The connector portion 23 of the housing 14 has a flat cylindrical shape. A sensor side terminal (not shown) connected to a sensor board 16 (described later) is accommodated in the connector portion 23. When a plug (not shown) connected to a control device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1 via a harness is inserted into the connector portion 23, the plug side terminal of the plug comes into contact with the sensor side terminal of the connector portion 23. This electrically connects the control device of the vehicle 1 and the sensor board 16, making it possible to transmit the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor 11 (information regarding an obstacle) from the sensor board 16 to the control device.

[0040] The sensor board 16 of the ultrasonic sensor 11 is provided along a plane perpendicular to the sensor axis A. The sensor board 16 is accommodated in an interior recess 25 of the housing 14. The sensor board 16 is embedded in a potting agent 31 (a cushioning material) filled in the interior recess 25. The potting agent 31 is formed of an insulating elastic material such as silicone rubber.

[0041] The vibration part 18 of the ultrasonic sensor 11 is a part that vibrates to generate ultrasonic waves. The vibration part 18 is cylindrical and centered on the sensor axis A. The central axis of the vibration part 18 (i.e., the sensor axis A) is aligned with the center of the opening 4. The rear part (the part on the inside of the vehicle) of the vibration part 18 is accommodated in the vehicle exterior recess 26 of the housing 14. The front part (the part on the outside of the vehicle) of the vibration part 18 protrudes forward beyond the housing 14. The vibration part 18 accommodates a microphone 19 (vibration source). The microphone 19 is connected to the sensor board 16 via a plurality of lead wires 32. This electrically connects the microphone 19 and the sensor board 16.

[0042] A front end surface (outer end surface) 18A of the vibrating part 18 is exposed toward the outer side of the vehicle from the opening 4 of the front bumper 3. The front end surface 18A of the vibrating part 18 functions as a transmitting surface that emits ultrasonic waves and a receiving surface that receives reflected waves. An outer peripheral surface 18B of the vibrating part 18 extends in the front-rear direction from the outer periphery of the front end surface 18A of the vibrating part 18 toward the inner side of the vehicle.

[0043] The elastic member 20 of the ultrasonic sensor 11 is disposed between the vibration part 18 and the surrounding members. In this embodiment, the elastic member 20 is disposed between the vibration part 18 and the housing 14 and between the vibration part 18 and the mounting member 12. The elastic member 20 suppresses the transmission of the vibration of the vibration part 18 to the surrounding members, and suppresses the influence of an external force from the surrounding members on the vibration of the vibration part 18. The elastic member 20 is formed of an elastic material such as silicone rubber. The elastic member 20 has an interior elastic part 33 and an exterior elastic part 34 provided in front of the interior elastic part 33 (on the exterior side of the vehicle).

[0044] The interior elastic portion 33 of the elastic member 20 is accommodated in the exterior recess 26 provided in the main body portion 22 of the housing 14. The interior elastic portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The interior elastic portion 33 has a cylindrical tube wall portion 35 centered on the sensor axis A, and a disk-shaped closing portion 36 that closes the opening of the tube wall portion 35 on the interior side of the vehicle. The tube wall portion 35 covers the rear portion (the part on the interior side of the vehicle) of the outer circumferential surface 18B of the vibration portion 18. The front end portion (the end portion on the exterior side of the vehicle) of the tube wall portion 35 is disposed on the same plane as the front end portion (the end portion on the exterior side of the vehicle) of the main body portion 22 of the housing 14. The closing portion 36 covers the rear end surface (the end surface on the interior side of the vehicle) of the vibration portion 18.

[0045] The exterior elastic portion 34 of the elastic member 20 is disposed in front of the housing 14 (on the exterior side of the vehicle). The exterior elastic portion 34 is disposed on the outer periphery of the vibration portion 18. The exterior elastic portion 34 has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 37 centered on the sensor axis A, and a flange portion 38 protruding radially outward from a rear end portion (interior end portion) of the peripheral wall portion 37. The peripheral wall portion 37 covers a front portion (outer portion) of the outer periphery surface 18B of the vibration portion 18. The rear end portion (interior end portion) of the peripheral wall portion 37 abuts against a front end portion of the tubular wall portion 35 of the interior elastic portion 33. The rear surface (interior surface) of the flange portion 38 abuts against a front end portion of the main body portion 22 of the housing 14.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, the mounting member 12 is fixed to the front bumper 3 in a state where it is inserted into the opening 4 of the front bumper 3. The mounting member 12 is formed of a hard resin material. The mounting member 12 includes a cylindrical portion 41 having an inner peripheral surface 41A facing the outer peripheral surface 18B of the vibration portion 18, an annular portion 42 connected to the front end portion (the end portion on the vehicle exterior side) of the cylindrical portion 41 and exposed toward the vehicle exterior side from the opening 4, an annular protruding portion 43 protruding toward the rear (the vehicle interior side) from the annular portion 42 on the radially inner side of the cylindrical portion 41, a plurality of guide portions 44 protruding toward the rear (the vehicle interior side) from the rear end portion (the end portion on the vehicle interior side) of the protruding portion 43, and a plurality of reinforcing portions 45 connecting the cylindrical portion 41 to the protruding portion 43 and the plurality of guide portions 44. The cylindrical portion 41, the annular portion 42, the protruding portion 43, the plurality of guide portions 44, and the plurality of reinforcing portions 45 are integrally formed of the same resin material.

[0047] The cylindrical portion 41 of the mounting member 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape centered on the sensor axis A. The cylindrical portion 41 receives the main body portion 22 of the housing 14. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 41 is larger than the outer diameter of the main body portion 22 of the housing 14. The front end portion (the end portion on the vehicle outer side) of the cylindrical portion 41 is fitted into the opening portion 4 of the front bumper 3. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 41 is approximately equal to the diameter of the opening portion 4 of the front bumper 3. The inner peripheral surface 41A of the cylindrical portion 41 faces the outer peripheral surface 18B of the vibrating portion 18 via the main body portion 22 of the housing 14 and the elastic member 20.

[0048] A plurality of elastic pieces 46 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction on the front part (portion facing the vehicle exterior) of the cylindrical part 41. Each elastic piece 46 extends in the front-rear direction. A U-shaped slit 47 is provided on the front (portion facing the vehicle exterior) and both sides in the circumferential direction of each elastic piece 46. A rear end part (end part facing the vehicle interior) of each elastic piece 46 is supported in a cantilever manner on the rear part (portion facing the vehicle interior) of the cylindrical part 41. Each elastic piece 46 is elastically deformable in the radial direction around the rear end part. A guide protrusion 49 is provided on a radially outer surface of each elastic piece 46. An inclined surface 49A is formed on the radially outer surface of the guide protrusion 49, which is inclined radially inward toward the rear (portion facing the vehicle interior).

[0049] Left and right positioning grooves 51 are formed on the inner peripheral surface 41A of the cylindrical portion 41. The left and right positioning grooves 51 extend in the front-rear direction. Left and right positioning protrusions 28 provided on the main body 22 of the housing 14 of the ultrasonic sensor 11 engage with the left and right positioning grooves 51. This positions the ultrasonic sensor 11 with respect to the mounting member 12.

[0050] Upper and lower engagement pieces 52 are provided at the rear of the cylindrical portion 41. Each engagement piece 52 is elastically deformable in the radial direction around its front end (the end on the vehicle exterior side). Each engagement piece 52 is provided with an engagement hole 53 penetrating in the radial direction. Upper and lower engagement protrusions 29 provided on the main body 22 of the housing 14 of the ultrasonic sensor 11 engage with the engagement holes 53 of the upper and lower engagement pieces 52. In this way, the ultrasonic sensor 11 is attached to the mounting member 12.

[0051] The annular portion 42 of the mounting member 12 is formed in a circular ring shape centered on the sensor axis A. The inner diameter of the annular portion 42 is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 41. The outer diameter of the annular portion 42 is larger than the diameter of the opening 4 of the front bumper 3. The rear surface (inner surface) of the annular portion 42 abuts against the front surface (outer surface) of the front bumper 3 around the opening 4 from the outer side of the vehicle, radially outside the cylindrical portion 41. The radially outer end of the annular portion 42 is inclined forward (outer side) toward the upper side. In other embodiments, the radially outer end of the annular portion 42 may be parallel to the up-down direction.

[0052] The protruding portion 43 of the mounting member 12 is formed in an annular shape centered on the sensor axis A. That is, the protruding portion 43 is formed concentrically with the cylindrical portion 41. The outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 43 faces the inner peripheral surface 41A of the cylindrical portion 41 at a radial interval. The protruding portion 43 protrudes into a space S between the outer peripheral surface 18B of the vibration portion 18 and the inner peripheral surface 41A of the cylindrical portion 41 (more specifically, a space between the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 37 of the vehicle exterior elastic portion 34 and the inner peripheral surface 41A of the cylindrical portion 41). The protruding portion 43 protrudes rearward (toward the vehicle interior) from a radially inner end of the annular portion 42. In another embodiment, the protruding portion 43 may protrude rearward from a radially intermediate portion (a portion between a radially outer end and a radially inner end) of the annular portion 42. The protruding portion 43 extends in the front-rear direction. The length of the protruding portion 43 in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the cylindrical portion 41 in the front-rear direction. The position of the protruding portion 43 in the front-rear direction partially overlaps the position of each elastic piece 46 of the cylindrical portion 41 in the front-rear direction.

[0053] The inner diameter of the protruding portion 43 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the peripheral wall portion 37 of the exterior elastic portion 34. The protruding portion 43 is disposed radially outward of the peripheral wall portion 37 of the exterior elastic portion 34. The inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion 43 faces the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 37 of the exterior elastic portion 34 with a small gap therebetween. In another embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion 43 may be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 37 of the exterior elastic portion 34. The rear portion (interior portion) of the inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion 43 is inclined radially inward toward the front (outside of the vehicle). In another embodiment, the entire inner peripheral surface of the protruding portion 43 may be inclined radially inward toward the front. The rear end portion (interior end portion) of the protruding portion 43 faces the front surface (outside surface) of the flange portion 38 of the exterior elastic portion 34 with a gap therebetween in the front-rear direction. This suppresses deformation and damage to the exterior-side elastic portion 34 caused by the rear end of the protruding portion 43 coming into contact with the flange portion 38 of the exterior-side elastic portion 34 .

[0054] The multiple guide portions 44 of the mounting member 12 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. Each guide portion 44 is curved in an arc shape with the sensor axis A as its center.

[0055] The multiple reinforcing portions 45 of the mounting member 12 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The circumferential positions of the multiple reinforcing portions 45 coincide with the circumferential positions of the multiple guide portions 44. The multiple reinforcing portions 45 extend in the radial direction.

[0056] When the ultrasonic sensor 11 is attached to the front bumper 3, first, the mounting member 12 is attached to the front bumper 3. Specifically, the mounting member 12 is inserted into the opening 4 of the front bumper 3 from the front (outside the vehicle) toward the rear (inside the vehicle). At this time, the edge of the front bumper 3 that defines the opening 4 abuts against the inclined surfaces 49A of the guide protrusions 49 of each elastic piece 46. As the mounting member 12 is inserted into the opening 4 of the front bumper 3, the edge of the front bumper 3 that defines the opening 4 presses the inclined surfaces 49A of the guide protrusions 49 of each elastic piece 46 radially inward, and each elastic piece 46 elastically deforms radially inward. When the mounting member 12 is further inserted into the opening 4 of the front bumper 3 and each elastic piece 46 moves rearward beyond the edge of the front bumper 3 that defines the opening 4, the elastic deformation of each elastic piece 46 is released and each elastic piece 46 returns to its original position, and the front bumper 3 around the opening 4 is sandwiched between the annular portion 42 and the guide protrusions 49 of each elastic piece 46. In this way, the mounting member 12 is attached to the opening 4 of the front bumper 3.

[0057] Next, the ultrasonic sensor 11 is attached to the mounting member 12. Specifically, the main body 22 of the housing 14 of the ultrasonic sensor 11 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 41 of the mounting member 12 from the rear (inside of the vehicle) toward the front (outside of the vehicle). At this time, the left and right positioning protrusions 28 provided on the main body 22 of the housing 14 engage with the left and right positioning grooves 51 provided on the cylindrical portion 41 of the mounting member 12. As the main body 22 of the housing 14 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 41 of the mounting member 12, the upper and lower engagement protrusions 29 of the main body 22 press the upper and lower engagement pieces 52 of the cylindrical portion 41 radially outward, and the upper and lower engagement pieces 52 are elastically deformed radially outward. When the main body 22 of the housing 14 of the ultrasonic sensor 11 is further inserted into the cylindrical portion 41 of the mounting member 12, the elastic deformation of the upper and lower engagement pieces 52 is released, and the upper and lower engagement pieces 52 are restored to their original positions. As a result, the upper and lower engaging protrusions 29 engage with the engaging holes 53 of the upper and lower engaging pieces 52. As a result, the ultrasonic sensor 11 is attached to the mounting member 12. In this manner, the ultrasonic sensor 11 is attached to the front bumper 3.

[0058] Since the rear portion of the inner circumferential surface of the protruding portion 43 is inclined radially inward toward the front (outside of the vehicle), the ultrasonic sensor 11 can be easily inserted into the protruding portion 43 of the mounting member 12 from the rear (inside of the vehicle) toward the front (outside of the vehicle). Since the multiple guide portions 44 protrude from the protruding portion 43 toward the inside of the vehicle, the ultrasonic sensor 11 can be stably held on the mounting member 12. The multiple reinforcing portions 45 that connect the tubular portion 41 to the protruding portion 43 and the multiple guide portions 44 increase the strength of the protruding portion 43 and suppress deformation of the protruding portion 43.

[0059] In the sensor mounting structure 10 configured as above, the volume of water that accumulates in the space S between the outer peripheral surface 18B of the vibrating portion 18 and the inner peripheral surface 41A of the cylindrical portion 41 is smaller than that in the case where the protruding portion 43 is not provided. Therefore, after the vibration of the vibrating portion 18 stops, the vibration of the water that has accumulated in the space S can be converged quickly. This shortens the so-called reverberation time, thereby improving the detection performance of the ultrasonic sensor 11. This can contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. In addition, since the protruding portion 43 protrudes rearward (toward the vehicle interior) from the radially inner end of the annular portion 42, the vehicle exterior elastic portion 34 and the protruding portion 43 can be brought into contact with each other or brought as close as possible to each other. This can prevent water from entering between them and reduce the contact area between the vibrating portion 18 and the water. Therefore, the vibration of the water can be converged more quickly, and the detection performance of the ultrasonic sensor 11 can be further improved. Furthermore, since the cylindrical portion 41 and the protruding portion 43 are integrally formed from the same resin material, the mounting member 12 can be manufactured with a simple configuration. Furthermore, the mounting member 12 can be easily fixed to the front bumper 3, and the mounting member 12 can be provided with the protrusion 43.

[0060] Second embodiment An ultrasonic sensor mounting structure (hereinafter referred to as "sensor mounting structure 60") according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In the sensor mounting structure 60 according to the second embodiment, the configuration of the mounting member 61 differs from the configuration of the mounting member 12 according to the first embodiment, and other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be described. Elements that are the same or similar to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0061] 6, the mounting member 61 is fixed to the front bumper 3 by being welded to the periphery of the opening 4 of the front bumper 3. The mounting member 61 has a cylindrical portion 62 having an inner circumferential surface 62A facing the outer circumferential surface 18B of the vibration portion 18, an annular protruding portion 63 protruding radially inward from a front end portion (end portion on the vehicle exterior side) of the inner circumferential surface 62A of the cylindrical portion 62, and an annular fixing portion 64 protruding radially outward from a front end portion (end portion on the vehicle exterior side) of the outer circumferential surface 62B of the cylindrical portion 62. The configuration of the cylindrical portion 62 is similar to that of the cylindrical portion 41 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0062] The protruding portion 63 of the mounting member 61 is disposed along the rear surface (the surface facing the vehicle interior) of the front bumper 3. The protruding portion 63 is formed in an annular shape centered on the sensor axis A. The protruding portion 63 protrudes into a space S between the outer peripheral surface 18B of the vibration portion 18 and an inner peripheral surface 62A of the cylindrical portion 62 (more specifically, the space between the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 37 of the outer-side elastic portion 34 and the inner peripheral surface 62A of the cylindrical portion 62).

[0063] The fixing portion 64 of the mounting member 61 has a plate shape that fits along the rear surface of the front bumper 3. The front surface (surface facing the vehicle exterior) of the fixing portion 64, the front end portion (end portion facing the vehicle exterior) of the tubular portion 62, and the front end portion (end portion facing the vehicle exterior) of the protruding portion 63 are disposed on the same plane.

[0064] When the ultrasonic sensor 11 is attached to the front bumper 3, first, the attachment member 61 is attached to the front bumper 3. Specifically, the front surface of the fixing portion 64 of the attachment member 61 is welded to the rear surface of the front bumper 3. At this time, the front end of the tubular portion 62 and the front end of the protruding portion 63 are welded (fixed) to the rear surface of the front bumper 3 together with the front surface of the fixing portion 64. This makes it possible to increase the welding area (fixing area) between the front bumper 3 and the attachment member 61 compared to the case where only the front surface of the fixing portion 64 is welded to the rear surface of the front bumper 3. Therefore, the attachment member 61 can be fixed to the front bumper 3 more firmly.

[0065] In another embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 11 may be attached to the attachment member 61, and then the attachment member 61 may be attached to the front bumper 3.

[0066] In the sensor mounting structure 60 according to the second embodiment, the mounting member 61 can be firmly fixed to the front bumper 3, and the mounting member 61 can be provided with a protrusion 63.

[0067] Although the description of the specific embodiment is finished above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be widely modified. For example, in the above embodiment, the front bumper 3 provided at the front of the vehicle body 2 is an example of an exterior member, but in other embodiments, the rear bumper provided at the rear of the vehicle body 2 may be an example of an exterior member. In this case, the rear of the vehicle 1 is the exterior side of the sensor mounting structure 10, and the front of the vehicle 1 is the interior side of the sensor mounting structure 10. In other embodiments, a part other than the bumper (for example, the front grille 5) may be an example of an exterior member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1: Vehicle 3: Exterior parts (front bumper) 4: Opening 10, 60: Ultrasonic sensor mounting structure (sensor mounting structure) 11: Ultrasonic sensor 12, 61: Mounting parts 18: Vibration section 18A: End face of vibrating part 18B: Outer surface of the vibrating part 20: Elastic part 37: Peripheral wall part 38: Flange part 41, 62: Cylindrical part 41A, 62A: Inner surface of cylindrical portion 42: Circular section 43, 63:Protrusion 44: Guide section 45: Reinforcement 64:Fixed part S: Space

Claims

1. an ultrasonic sensor provided at an opening in an exterior member of a vehicle; a mounting member for mounting the ultrasonic sensor to the exterior member around the opening, The ultrasonic sensor has a vibration part that vibrates to generate ultrasonic waves, the vibration portion has an end surface exposed from the opening toward an exterior side of the vehicle, and an outer circumferential surface extending from an outer periphery of the end surface toward an interior side of the vehicle, The mounting member is a cylindrical portion having an inner circumferential surface facing the outer circumferential surface of the vibration portion; an annular protrusion protruding into a space between the outer peripheral surface of the vibration portion and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion.

2. the mounting member further includes an annular portion connected to an end portion of the cylindrical portion on the vehicle exterior side and exposed toward the vehicle exterior through the opening, the annular portion is in contact with the exterior member around the opening from the vehicle exterior side at a radially outer side of the cylindrical portion, 2. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion protrudes from the annular portion toward the vehicle interior side on a radially inner side of the cylindrical portion.

3. 3. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein the protruding portion protrudes from a radially inner end of the annular portion toward the inside of the vehicle.

4. 3. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein the mounting member further comprises a plurality of guide portions that are circumferentially spaced apart from one another and that protrude from the protruding portion toward the vehicle interior side.

5. 3. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein the mounting member further comprises a plurality of reinforcing portions that are circumferentially spaced apart from one another and connect the cylindrical portion and the protruding portion.

6. 3. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of an inner circumferential surface of the protruding portion is inclined radially inward toward the vehicle exterior.

7. The mounting member is fixed to a surface of the exterior member on an inner side of the vehicle, 2. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion and is disposed along a surface of the exterior member facing an interior side of the vehicle.

8. the mounting member further includes a fixing portion protruding radially outward from an end portion of an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion on a vehicle exterior side, 8. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 7, wherein the protrusion protrudes radially inward from the vehicle exterior end of the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion, and is fixed to the vehicle interior surface of the exterior member together with the cylindrical portion and the fixing portion.

9. Further comprising an elastic portion covering an outer periphery of the vibration portion, The elastic portion is A cylindrical peripheral wall portion having an axis extending in a vehicle interior / exterior direction as a center; a flange portion protruding radially outward from an end portion of the peripheral wall portion on the vehicle interior side, 9. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is disposed radially outward of the peripheral wall and faces the flange at a distance in the vehicle interior / exterior direction.

10. 9. The ultrasonic sensor mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion and the protruding portion are integrally formed from the same material.

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