Vehicle exterior component

Abstract

To enable a rear component, including a reflection member, to be joined to a front component, including a transparent member, more securely by ultrasonic welding in a vehicle exterior component including the reflection member formed of a foam material.SOLUTION: A vehicle exterior component includes: a front component 2 having a transparent member 2c which may transmit visible light; a rear component 3 which forms a space A with the front component 2 and is welded at an edge to the front component 2; and an LED unit 4 which emits visible light toward the space A. The rear component 3 includes: a diffusion reflector 3a forming the space A with the front component 2 and formed by a foam material having electric wave transmissivity; and a housing 3b which is formed of a resin and integrally molded with the diffusion reflector 3a to form the edge of the rear component 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exterior part for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle exterior part including a diffuse reflector made of a foam material. The vehicle exterior part disclosed in Patent Document 1 also includes a cover main body portion disposed opposite the diffuse reflector and an LED (Light Emitting Diode) unit that emits light toward the space between the cover main body portion and the diffuse reflector. The vehicle exterior part disclosed in Patent Document 1 can diffuse light emitted from the LED unit using the diffuse reflector to emit diffused light to the outside from a transparent member, enabling decorative illumination. Furthermore, the vehicle exterior part of Patent Document 1 has a diffuse reflector made of a foam material that is permeable to radio waves, allowing it to be placed in front of a radar unit that detects obstacles around the vehicle using radio waves such as millimeter waves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-173447 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vehicle exterior part disclosed in Patent Document 1, a rear part including a diffuse reflector (reflective member) made of a foam material needs to be fixed to a front part including a transparent member. Attempts have been made to ultrasonically weld the reflective member to the front part, but the reflective member made of a foam material absorbs vibrations, and in some cases the rear part and the front part cannot be joined well.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an exterior vehicle part that includes a reflective member formed from a foam material, whereby a rear part including the reflective member can be reliably joined to a front part including a transparent member by ultrasonic welding. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention employs the following configuration as a means for solving the above problems.

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention employs a configuration comprising a front part having a transparent member capable of transmitting visible light, a rear part which forms a gap between itself and the front part and has an edge welded to the front part, and a light source unit which emits the visible light toward the gap, wherein the rear part has a reflective member which forms the gap between itself and the front part and is made of a foam material having radio wave permeability, and a resin welded portion which is made of resin and is integrally molded with the reflective member to form the edge of the rear part.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention adopts a configuration in which the resin welded portion in the first aspect has an annular flange portion welded to the front part, and a plurality of retaining protrusions that protrude rearward from the back surface of the flange portion and retain the reflective member.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention employs a configuration in which, in the first or second aspect, the front part has the transparent member and a rear member that is integrally molded with a portion of the rear surface of the transparent member and to which the resin welding portion is welded.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the surface of the resin weld portion that is welded to the front part and the surface of the front part that is welded to the resin weld portion are flat. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the rear part has a resin weld portion formed integrally with the reflective member made of foam material. The resin weld portion forms the edge of the rear part and is welded to the front part. In other words, according to the present invention, since the resin weld portion is welded to the front part, it is not necessary to directly weld the reflective member to the front part. Therefore, according to the present invention, in a vehicle exterior part including a reflective member made of foam material, it is possible to reliably join the rear part including the reflective member to the front part including a transparent member by ultrasonic welding. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing a schematic configuration of an illumination radar cover according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view seen from the front side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view seen from the rear side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an illumination radar cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an outer member provided in an illumination radar cover according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic exploded cross-sectional view including a front part and a rear part of an illumination radar cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a vehicle exterior part according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of an illumination radar cover 1 (exterior part for a vehicle) of this embodiment, where (a) is a perspective view seen from the front side and (b) is a perspective view seen from the rear side. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment. The illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment is provided, for example, at the front of a vehicle, and is positioned on the radar transmission direction side of a radar unit mounted on the vehicle.

[0015] The installation position and installation posture of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment are not particularly limited. That is, the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment can also be installed on the rear or side of the vehicle. The illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment is disposed facing the outside of the vehicle. In the following description, the direction toward the outside of the vehicle is referred to as the front of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, and the direction toward the inside of the vehicle is referred to as the rear of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment.

[0016] For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment includes a front part 2, a rear part 3, and an LED unit 4 (light source part). As shown in Fig. 1, the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment is formed by joining the front part 2 and the rear part 3. Although not shown in Fig. 1, the LED unit 4 is disposed in the gap (space A described below) between the front part 2 and the rear part 3, avoiding the radio wave transmission range of the radar unit.

[0017] The front part 2 is a part that forms the front portion of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the front part 2 has an outer part 2a and a back shot part 2b (back member).

[0018] The outer member 2a is formed in a disk shape, for example, as shown in Fig. 2. The front surface of the outer member 2a is curved so that the center portion bulges forward, and the back surface of the outer member 2a is curved so that the center portion is recessed forward.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer 2a. As shown in this figure, the outer 2a has a transparent member 2c and a film member 2d. The transparent member 2c is a member that is transmissive to visible light and supports the film member 2d. The transparent member 2c is formed of a transparent synthetic resin such as colored transparent PC (polycarbonate) or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). The front surface of the transparent member 2c is the outer wall surface of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment. Note that a hard coat layer is provided on the front surface of the transparent member 2c as needed. This hard coat layer is a transparent coating layer that prevents the surface of the transparent member 2c from being scratched.

[0020] The film member 2d is provided on the back surface of the transparent member 2c. For example, the film member 2d is housed inside a mold when the transparent member 2c is injection molded, and is integrated with the transparent member 2c. In other words, the transparent member 2c is molded integrally with the film member 2d by insert molding or in-mold molding.

[0021] Such a film member 2d is formed by laminating a base material 2d1 and a light-shielding layer 2d2, as shown in FIG. 3, for example. The base material 2d1 is made of a transparent material. An opening 2d3 is provided in a portion of the light-shielding layer 2d2. Such a light-shielding layer 2d2 transmits visible light only in the area where the opening 2d3 is provided. Therefore, when the LED unit 4 emits light, only the area where the opening 2d3 is provided is visible from outside the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment. This allows patterns and marks to be visible to outsiders.

[0022] The buckshot portion 2b is formed in a circular ring shape with a central opening, as shown in FIG. 2, for example. The buckshot portion 2b can be formed, for example, from AES (acrylonitrile ethylene styrene) resin. The buckshot portion 2b is integrally molded with the edge of the transparent portion 2c via a film portion 2d. For example, the outer portion 2a is housed inside a mold when the buckshot portion 2b is injection molded, and is integrated with the outer portion 2a. In other words, the outer portion 2a (i.e., the transparent portion 2c) is integrated with the buckshot portion 2b by insert molding or multi-color molding.

[0023] The backshot portion 2b is formed in a color such as black, and is arranged to cover from the front side a housing 3b (described later) of the rear part 3. In the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the backshot portion 2b is arranged to cover the entire housing 3b as seen from the front part 2 side.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded cross-sectional view including the front part 2 and the rear part 3. As shown in this figure, the outer edge of the outer part 2a is curved rearward. The backshot part 2b has an outer protrusion 2b1 that surrounds the outer edge of the outer part 2a. The backshot part 2b also has an inner protrusion 2b2 (protrusion) that is located closer to the space A than the outer protrusion 2b1 and protrudes rearward. The outer protrusion 2b1 and inner protrusion 2b2 are continuously provided in a ring shape along the outer edge of the outer part 2a.

[0025] A welding surface 2b3 is provided in the area between the outer protrusion 2b1 and the inner protrusion 2b2. The welding surface 2b3 of the buckshot portion 2b is the surface to which a housing 3b (described later) of the rear part 3 is welded. While the front surface of the outer 2a is a curved surface as described above, the welding surface 2b3 is flat.

[0026] The outer protrusion 2b1 and the inner protrusion 2b2 catch debris generated when welding the buckshot portion 2b to the housing 3b (described later). For example, the inner protrusion 2b2 prevents debris generated when welding the buckshot portion 2b to the housing 3b (described later) from entering the space A.

[0027] The rear part 3 is a part that forms the rear portion of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, it has a diffusion reflector 3a (reflective member) and a housing 3b (resin welded portion).

[0028] The diffuse reflector 3a is supported by the housing 3b. The diffuse reflector 3a is disposed facing the rear surface of the front part 2 so as to form a space A (gap). The inner wall surface of the diffuse reflector 3a is a reflective surface for visible light. The inner wall surface of the diffuse reflector 3a diffusely reflects visible light. In this embodiment, the inner wall surface of the diffuse reflector 3a diffusely reflects the visible light emitted from the LED unit 4 and guides it toward the front part 2.

[0029] The diffuse reflector 3a is formed from a foam material that is radio wave transparent. The term "foam material" refers to a material that has been hardened with air bubbles dispersed within it. In other words, the foam material referred to here includes materials using synthetic resins and ceramics. However, it is more preferable to use a synthetic resin foam material, which is easy to process and manufacture. For example, synthetic resin foam materials include polyester foaming agents, polyethylene foaming agents, polystyrene foaming agents, polypropylene foaming agents, polyurethane foaming agents, and polycarbonate foaming agents. The diffuse reflector 3a formed in this manner has a surface that is, for example, a white scattering surface. Therefore, the inner wall surface of the diffuse reflector 3a can be used as a diffuse reflection surface for visible light.

[0030] The gas contained in the foam material may be air. However, the foam material may contain gases other than air. Since such foam material contains many air bubbles inside, its dielectric constant is closer to that of air compared to ordinary resin materials. Therefore, like air, it has little effect on the radio waves that pass through it.

[0031] In this embodiment, the diffusion reflector 3a can be formed by shaping a sheet-like diffusion reflector 3a. The edge portion 3a1 of the diffusion reflector 3a is formed in a flange shape. The diffusion reflector 3a has such a flange-shaped edge portion 3a1 and is formed in a container shape as a whole. In such a diffusion reflector 3a, the flange-shaped edge portion 3a1 is located at the frontmost position, and the center portion is located behind the edge portion 3a1.

[0032] The housing 3b is molded integrally with the diffuse reflector 3a and forms the edge of the rear part 3. The housing 3b can be made of, for example, AES resin. The housing 3b is formed by injection molding using a mold that houses the diffuse reflector 3a. In other words, the housing 3b is molded integrally with the diffuse reflector 3a by insert molding.

[0033] 2, the housing 3b has a flange portion 3b1 and a plurality of holding protrusions 3b2. The flange portion 3b1 is a portion that is welded to the front part 2 (i.e., the buckshot portion 2b) and is formed in a circular ring shape that follows the outer edge shape.

[0034] A welding surface 3b3 is provided on the front surface of the flange portion 3b1. The welding surface 3b3 of the housing 3b is the surface to which the buckshot portion 2b of the front part 2 is welded. This welding surface 3b3 is flat, just like the welding surface 2b3 of the buckshot portion 2b. In this embodiment, the welding surface 2b3 of the buckshot portion 2b and the welding surface 3b3 of the housing 3b are ultrasonically welded together, thereby joining the front part 2 and the rear part 3. Note that multiple protrusions may be provided on either or both of the welding surface 2b3 and the welding surface 3b3.

[0035] The front surface of the flange 3b1 is provided with a groove 3b4 into which the inner protrusion 2b2 of the buckshot portion 2b is fitted. The groove 3b4 is provided continuously in an annular shape along the flange 3b1. The outer protrusion 2b1 of the buckshot portion 2b is located outside the flange 3b1, as shown in FIG.

[0036] The retaining protrusions 3b2 are provided to protrude rearward from the flange portion 3b1 and retain the side wall surface of the diffusion reflector 3a. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of such retaining protrusions 3b2 are arranged at intervals along the flange portion 3b1. By retaining the diffusion reflector 3a with these retaining protrusions 3b2, deformation of the diffusion reflector 3a can be prevented. Furthermore, these retaining protrusions 3b2 can also improve the overall strength of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment.

[0037] The LED unit 4 is a unit that emits visible light. The LED unit 4 is supported by the housing 3b. The LED unit 4 includes a light-emitting element that emits light, a substrate on which the light-emitting element is mounted, and the like. For example, a plurality of light-emitting elements are provided. The LED unit 4 emits visible light toward the space A. The LED unit 4 has wiring that is drawn to the outside of the housing 3b through a through-hole (not shown) provided in the housing 3b. The through-hole through which the wiring passes is sealed as necessary.

[0038] In the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, when visible light is emitted from the LED unit 4, the emitted light is diffusely reflected by the inner wall surface of the diffuse reflector 3a within the space A. A portion of the emitted light diffusely reflected by the inner wall surface of the diffuse reflector 3a passes through the opening 2d3 of the light-shielding layer 2d2 and is emitted to the outside of the front part 2.

[0039] Furthermore, in the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, radio waves emitted from the radar unit sequentially pass through the diffuse reflector 3a, space A, and front part 2, and are emitted from the front of the front part 2 to the outside of the illumination radar cover 1. Furthermore, reflected radio waves heading toward the radar unit sequentially pass through the front part 2, space A, and diffuse reflector 3a, and are received by the radar unit from the back side of the diffuse reflector 3a.

[0040] When manufacturing the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the front part 2 and the rear part 3 are formed separately. When forming the front part 2, first, the transparent member 2c is integrally molded with the film member 2d by insert molding or in-mold molding. This forms the outer member 2a. Next, the backshot portion 2b is integrally molded with the outer member 2a by insert molding. This forms the front part 2.

[0041] When forming the rear part 3, first, a sheet-like diffusion reflector 3a is formed to form the diffusion reflector 3a. Next, the housing 3b is integrally molded with the diffusion reflector 3a by insert molding. In this way, the rear part 3 is formed.

[0042] Next, with the LED unit 4 attached to the rear part 3, the front part 2 and the rear part 3 are ultrasonically bonded together. Here, the welding surface 2b3 of the front part 2 and the welding surface 3b3 of the rear part 3 are brought into contact with each other, and an ultrasonic horn is brought into contact with the back surface of the flange portion 3b1 to apply ultrasonic vibrations. This welds the welding surface 2b3 of the front part 2 to the welding surface 3b3 of the rear part 3, and the front part 2 and the rear part 3 are bonded together.

[0043] The illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment as described above includes a front part 2, a rear part 3, and an LED unit 4. The front part 2 has a transparent member 2c that is transparent to visible light. The rear part 3 forms a space A between itself and the front part 2, and its edge is welded to the front part 2. The LED unit 4 emits visible light toward the space A. The rear part 3 also includes a diffusion reflector 3a and a housing 3b. The diffusion reflector 3a forms the space A between itself and the front part 2, and is made of a foam material that is radio wave transparent. The housing 3b is made of resin, and is molded integrally with the diffusion reflector 3a to form the edge of the rear part 3.

[0044] According to the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the rear part 3 has a housing 3b formed integrally with the diffuse reflector 3a made of a foam material. The housing 3b forms the edge of the rear part 3 and is welded to the front part 2. In other words, according to the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, because the housing 3b is welded to the front part 2, there is no need to directly weld the diffuse reflector 3a to the front part 2. Therefore, according to the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to reliably join the rear part 3, including the diffuse reflector 3a, to the front part 2, including the transparent member 2c, by ultrasonic welding.

[0045] In the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the housing 3b has a flange portion 3b1 and a holding protrusion 3b2. The flange portion 3b1 is welded to the front part 2 and is formed in an annular shape along the outer edge. The holding protrusion 3b2 protrudes rearward from the back surface of the flange portion 3b1 and holds the diffusion reflector 3a. Multiple holding protrusions 3b2 are provided.

[0046] According to the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the retaining protrusions 3b2 can prevent the diffusion reflector 3a from being deformed. In addition, the retaining protrusions 3b2 can improve the overall strength of the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment.

[0047] In addition, in the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the front part 2 includes a transparent member 2c and a back shot portion 2b. The back shot portion 2b is integrally molded with a part of the back surface of the transparent member 2c, and a housing 3b is welded to the back shot portion 2b.

[0048] According to the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the rear part 3 is not welded to the transparent member 2c, so that the welded portion can be prevented from being seen from the front side through the transparent member 2c.

[0049] Furthermore, in the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the backshot portion 2b covers the housing 3b when viewed from the front part 2 side. According to the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the housing 3b can be prevented from being seen from the outside.

[0050] In the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the surface of the housing 3b welded to the front part 2 (welding surface 3b3) and the surface of the front part 2 welded to the housing 3b (welding surface 2b3) are flat surfaces.

[0051] According to the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the welding surfaces are flat, so that the front part 2 and the rear part 3 can be ultrasonically joined reliably and easily.

[0052] In the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the front part 2 includes a transparent member 2c and a film member 2d provided on the surface of the transparent member 2c. The film member 2d has a light-shielding layer 2d2 having an opening 2d3 provided in a part thereof.

[0053] According to the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the bright area can be patterned to match the opening 2d3. Therefore, by emitting light from the LED unit 4, it becomes possible to make patterns or marks visible to outsiders.

[0054] Furthermore, in the illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment, the front part 2 has an inner protrusion 2b2 located closer to the space A than the welding point between the front part 2 and the housing 3b. The illumination radar cover 1 of this embodiment can prevent debris from entering the space A during ultrasonic welding.

[0055] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The shapes and combinations of the components shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0056] For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration has been described in which the inner protrusion 2b2 is provided on the front part 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the inner protrusion is provided on the rear part 3.

[0057] Furthermore, the present invention can employ the configurations described in the following supplementary notes.

[0058] (Appendix 1) a front part having a transparent member that can transmit visible light; a rear part that forms a gap between itself and the front part and has an edge welded to the front part; a light source unit that emits the visible light toward the gap; Equipped with The rear part is a reflective member that forms the gap between itself and the front part and is made of a radio wave permeable foam material; a resin welded portion that is made of resin and is integrally molded with the reflecting member to form the edge portion of the rear part; have An exterior part for a vehicle.

[0059] (Appendix 2) The resin welded portion is an annular flange portion welded to the front part; a plurality of holding protrusions that protrude rearward from the rear surface of the flange portion and hold the reflecting member; 2. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, comprising:

[0060] (Appendix 3) The front part is The transparent member; a back surface member that is integrally molded with a part of the back surface of the transparent member and to which the resin welding portion is welded; 3. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

[0061] (Appendix 4) 4. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 3, wherein the back member covers the resin welded portion when viewed from the front part side.

[0062] (Appendix 5) 5. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the resin weld portion that is welded to the front part and the surface of the front part that is welded to the resin weld portion are flat.

[0063] (Appendix 6) The front part is The transparent member; a film member provided on the surface of the transparent member; Equipped with The film member has a light-shielding layer with an opening provided in a part thereof. 6. A vehicle exterior part according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.

[0064] (Appendix 7) 7. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the front part and the resin welded portion has a protrusion located closer to the gap than the welded point between the front part and the resin welded portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1... Illumination radar cover (vehicle exterior part), 2... Front part, 2a... Outer, 2b... Back shot part (rear part), 2b1... Outer protrusion, 2b2... Inner protrusion (protrusion), 2b3... Welding surface, 2c... Transparent part, 2d... Film part, 2d1... Base material, 2d2... Light-shielding layer, 2d3... Opening, 3... Rear part, 3a... Diffuse reflector (reflective part), 3a1... Edge, 3b... Housing (plastic welding part), 3b1... Flange part, 3b2... Holding protrusion, 3b3... Welding surface, 3b4... Groove, 4... LED unit (light source part), A... Space (gap)

Claims

1. a front part having a transparent member that can transmit visible light; a rear part that forms a gap between itself and the front part and has an edge welded to the front part; a light source unit that emits the visible light toward the gap; Equipped with The rear part is a reflective member that forms the gap between itself and the front part and is made of a radio wave permeable foam material; a resin welded portion that is made of resin and is integrally molded with the reflecting member to form the edge portion of the rear part; have An exterior part for a vehicle.

2. The resin welded portion is an annular flange portion welded to the front part; a plurality of holding protrusions that protrude rearward from the rear surface of the flange portion and hold the reflecting member; 2. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The front part is The transparent member; a back surface member that is integrally molded with a part of the back surface of the transparent member and to which the resin welding portion is welded; 3. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. 3. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the resin weld portion to be welded to the front part and a surface of the front part to be welded to the resin weld portion are flat.

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