Vehicular structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicular structure that can be easily attached to an object to which such a structure is attached while protecting a detecting member from the exterior by a simple structure.SOLUTION: A vehicular structure includes: a bracket that fastens a basket to the front member of a vehicle; and a detecting member that detects information on an obstacle present at the further front side relative to the vehicle. The bracket includes an extended portion that extends from the front member toward the further front side of the vehicle. The extended portion includes a recess that is opened toward the down side of the vehicle. The basket is fastened to the upper surface of the extended portion, and the detecting member is fastened in the recess.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a small electric vehicle equipped with a basket capable of storing luggage. The basket is attached to a steering column. The steering column houses a steering shaft. The steering shaft is connected to a steering wheel.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a small electric vehicle equipped with a measuring unit that measures the distance between vehicles. The measuring unit is a millimeter-wave radar or the like. The measuring unit is directly attached to the steering column so that it is exposed to the outside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-103417 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-97772 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a vehicle equipped with a basket, it is desirable to have a detection member, such as a millimeter wave radar, that can detect information about obstacles ahead of the vehicle, that has a simple configuration, is protected from the outside, and can be easily attached to an object to be attached.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle structure that has a simple configuration and can be easily attached to an attachment object while protecting a detection member from the outside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle structure according to one aspect of the present invention includes a bracket for fixing a basket to a front member of a vehicle, and a detection member for detecting information about an obstacle ahead of the vehicle. The bracket has an extension extending from the front member toward the front of the vehicle. The extension has a recess that opens downward from the vehicle. The basket is fixed to an upper surface of the extension. The detection member is fixed inside the recess. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The detection member is attached to the front member using a bracket that secures the basket to the front member. Therefore, the vehicle structure has a simple configuration and can easily attach the detection member to the front member. Therefore, the vehicle structure can easily suppress increases in costs. The extension portion of the bracket having a recess is more likely to have high rigidity than when it is configured in a flat plate shape. Therefore, the detection member fixed inside the recess is less likely to be damaged by external impact. Therefore, the vehicle structure can easily protect the detection member from the outside. The vehicle structure can easily stably secure the basket and detection member to the extension portion due to the high rigidity of the extension portion. The upper side of the detection member is covered by the extension portion and the basket. Therefore, the vehicle structure can easily suppress water exposure to the detection member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an outline of the vehicle structure of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the vehicle structure of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the vehicle structure of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or equivalent parts. The sizes of the members shown in each figure are expressed for the purpose of clarity of explanation and do not necessarily represent the actual dimensions. In the figures, "UP" indicates the top of a vehicle 100 equipped with the vehicle structure 1 of the embodiment, "LWR" indicates the bottom, "FR" indicates the front, "RR" indicates the rear, "RH" indicates the right, and "LH" indicates the left. In the following description, "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "right," and "left" respectively correspond to the "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "right," and "left" of the vehicle 100.

[0011] <<Embodiment>> [Vehicle structure] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 100 equipped with a vehicle structure 1 of the embodiment will be described using as an example a self-operated handle-type electric wheelchair (mobility scooter) that is used by a passenger (not shown) operating a handle portion 110. Self-operated handle-type electric wheelchairs are also called senior cars. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle structure 1 of the embodiment includes a bracket 2 and a detection member 6. The bracket 2 secures a basket 150 to a front member 120 of the vehicle 100. The detection member 6 detects information about an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100. One of the features of the vehicle structure 1 of the embodiment is that the bracket 2 has an extension portion 52 of a specific shape, as shown in FIG. 2, and the detection member 6 is secured to a specific location on the extension portion 52.

[0012] [Front member] The front member 120, to which the basket 150 is fixed by the bracket 2, is a component of the vehicle 100 arranged at the front of the vehicle 100. The front member 120 has a surface arranged to face forward. The front member 120 is, for example, a steering column, a handle unit 110, or a front cover. The steering column houses a steering shaft (not shown). The steering shaft is connected to the handle unit 110. The steering column is provided below the handle unit 110. The front cover covers the space between the left and right front wheels 141 below the steering column. In this example, the front member 120 is a steering column. As shown in FIG. 2, the left side of the front member 120 has a plurality of holes 121. Although not shown, the right side of the front member 120 also has a similar plurality of holes (see the holes 121 on the left side). In this example, there are two holes 121 on the left side. There are also two holes on the right side. The number of holes 121 is not limited to this example. Each hole 121 has a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion aligned along the depth of the hole. A protrusion 411 of the second bracket 4, which will be described later, is inserted into the large diameter portion. The small diameter portion is located deeper in the hole than the large diameter portion. The inner peripheral surface of the small diameter portion is internally threaded.

[0013] [basket] The basket 150 is a member into which luggage can be placed and removed. The basket 150 of this example is a container-like member that is open at the top and has a bottom surface and front, rear, left, and right peripheral surfaces. As shown in FIG. 2, a rear surface 151 of the basket 150 of this example is provided with a groove that extends vertically and covers the front surface and left and right side surfaces of the front member 120. The bottom surface of this groove is provided with a plurality of through holes 151a through which the first bolts 91 are inserted. Although some of the through holes 151a are not shown in FIG. 2, the number of through holes 151a is four in this example. Two through holes 151a are provided, one above the other, on the left and right sides of the rear surface 151. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a bottom surface 152 of the basket 150 of this example is provided with a plurality of through holes 152a through which the second bolts 92 are inserted. The number of through holes 152a is two in this example. Two through holes 152a are provided at the front and rear of the rear surface 151. The number of through holes 151a, 152a is not limited to this example. The rear surface portion 151 and the bottom surface portion 152 of the basket 150 are fixed to the front member 120 by the first bolt 91, the second bolt 92, and the bracket 2 described below, so that the basket 150 is firmly attached to the front member 120.

[0014] [bracket] As shown in FIG. 2, the bracket 2 of this example includes three brackets: a first bracket 3, a second bracket 4, and a third bracket 5. The first bracket 3, the second bracket 4, and the third bracket 5 are formed by bending a metal plate. The first bracket 3 and the second bracket 4 are attached to the front member 120. The first bracket 3 and the second bracket 4 are symmetrical members. The third bracket 5 is attached to the first bracket 3 and the second bracket 4. A basket 150 is attached to the third bracket 5.

[0015] The first bracket 3 is provided from the left side surface of the front member 120 to the front surface. The first bracket 3 has a side portion 31 and a front portion 32. The side portion 31 is a portion facing the left side surface of the front member 120. The front portion 32 is a portion facing the front surface of the front member 120. The side portion 31 has a protrusion (not shown: see the protrusion 411 of the second bracket 4) that is inserted into a hole 121 provided on the left side surface of the front member 120. The protrusion has an insertion hole through which the third bolt 93 is inserted. The protrusion is inserted into the large diameter portion of the hole 121, and the third bolt 93 passes through the insertion hole of the protrusion and is fastened to the female thread of the small diameter portion of the hole 121, thereby fixing the first bracket 3 to the left side surface of the front member 120. The front portion 32 has a plurality of through holes 321 through which the first bolts 91 are inserted. In this example, there are two through holes 321. The number of through holes 321 is not limited to this example. Each through hole 321 is provided at a position corresponding to the two left through holes 151a in the rear surface portion 151 of the basket 150. Nuts (not shown) are welded to the rear surface of the front portion 32 at locations corresponding to each through hole 321.

[0016] The second bracket 4 is provided from the right side surface of the front member 120 to the front surface. The second bracket 4 has a side portion 41 and a front portion 42. The side portion 41 is a portion facing the right side surface of the front member 120. The front portion 42 is a portion facing the front surface of the front member 120. The side portion 41 has a protrusion 411 that is inserted into a hole (not shown: see the hole 121 on the left side surface) provided on the right side surface of the front member 120. The protrusion 411 has an insertion hole through which the fourth bolt 94 is inserted. The second bracket 4 is fixed to the right side surface of the front member 120 by inserting the protrusion 411 into the large diameter portion of the hole 121 and fastening the fourth bolt 94 through the insertion hole of the protrusion 411 to the female thread of the small diameter portion of the hole 121. The front portion 42 is provided with a plurality of through holes 421 through which the first bolts 91 are inserted. In this example, there are two through holes 421. The number of through holes 421 is not limited to this example. Each through hole 421 is provided at a position corresponding to the two right-hand through holes 151a in the rear surface portion 151 of the basket 150. Nuts (not shown) are welded to the rear surface of the front portion 42 at locations corresponding to each through hole 421.

[0017] The third bracket 5 is an L-shaped member having a base portion 51 and an extension portion 52. The base portion 51 is configured to extend along the front member 120. The base portion 51 is a portion that faces the front surface of the front member 120. The extension portion 52 is configured to extend forward from the front member 120. In this example, the rear end of the extension portion 52 is connected to the lower end of the base portion 51.

[0018] The base 51 has a recess that opens rearward. The cross-sectional shape of the base 51 is U-shaped. The cross-sectional shape of the base 51 is not particularly limited as long as it opens rearward, and may be, for example, V-shaped. The front surface of the base 51 is flat. The base 51 has a plurality of through holes 511 through which the first bolts 91 are inserted. In this example, there are four through holes 511. The four through holes 511 are provided at positions corresponding to the four through holes 151a of the basket 150. The first bolts 91 pass through the through holes 511 and the through hole 321 and are fastened to the nuts (not shown) described above, and the first bolts 91 pass through the through holes 511 and the through hole 421 and are fastened to the nuts (not shown) described above. This fastening fixes the third bracket 5 to the first bracket 3 and the second bracket 4.

[0019] The extension portion 52 has a recess that opens downward. The cross-sectional shape of the extension portion 52 is U-shaped. The cross-sectional shape of the extension portion 52 is not particularly limited as long as it opens downward, and it may be, for example, V-shaped. The upper surface of the extension portion 52 is configured to be flat. The extension portion 52 is provided with a plurality of through holes 521 through which the second bolts 92 are inserted. In this example, there are two through holes 521. The two through holes 521 are provided at positions corresponding to the through holes 152a.

[0020] [Detection element] The detection member 6 detects information about obstacles ahead of the vehicle 100. Examples of obstacles include people, vehicles, ditches, concrete blocks, and utility poles. The detection member 6 is, for example, at least one of a millimeter-wave radar, an infrared laser sensor, a LiDAR (light detection and ranging), and a camera. In this example, the detection member 6 is a millimeter-wave radar.

[0021] The detection member 6 is fixed inside the recess of the extension portion 52. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3 , a nut 95 is welded to a portion of the upper surface of the detection member 6 corresponding to the through hole 521. The second bolt 92 is passed through the through hole 152a and the through hole 521 and fastened to the nut 95, thereby fixing the basket 150 to the upper surface of the extension portion 52 and fixing the detection member 6 inside the recess of the extension portion 52. That is, the basket 150, the extension portion 52, and the detection member 6 are fixed together by fastening them with the second bolt 92. The third bracket 5 is fixed to the first bracket 3 and the second bracket 4 as described above, and the first bracket 3 and the second bracket 4 are fixed to the front member 120 as described above, so the basket 150 is fixed to the front member 120 by the bracket 2.

[0022] In this example, the front end of the detection member 6 is located between the front end of the basket 150 and the front end of the extension portion 52. That is, in this example, the front portion of the detection member 6 is located forward of the front end of the extension portion 52, but rearward of the front end of the basket 150. Therefore, even if the vehicle 100 collides head-on with an obstacle, the basket 150 can absorb the impact. Therefore, damage to the detection member 6 is suppressed. Unlike this example, the front end of the detection member 6 may be located rearward of the front end of the extension portion 52. In this case, damage to the detection member 6 due to a frontal collision is further suppressed and the waterproofness of the detection member 6 can be improved. In this example, the lower end of the detection member 6 is located below the lower end of the extension portion 52, but may be located above the lower end of the extension portion 52. If the lower end of the detection member 6 is located above the lower end of the extension portion 52, the side surface of the detection member 6 can also be protected. That is, if the lower ends of the left and right side surface portions of the extension portion 52 are positioned lower than the lower end of the detection member 6, the left and right side surface portions can protect the sides of the detection member 6.

[0023] The detection member 6 in this example is configured integrally with a controller 7, which will be described later. However, unlike this example, the detection member 6 may be configured independently of the controller 7.

[0024] [Controller] The controller 7 controls the operation of the vehicle 100 based on the signal detected by the detection member 6. Although not shown, the control by the controller 7 is typically realized by a processing circuit including one or more processors and one or more memories. The memory stores programs (instructions) that cause the one or more processors to execute the above control. The one or more processors execute the above control in accordance with the programs read from the one or more memories. The processor may be various processors suitable for computer control, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The operation of the vehicle 100 is, for example, at least one of steering the steering wheel 110 and braking the vehicle 100.

[0025] The controller 7 steering the steering wheel unit 110 refers to energizing a steering electric motor (not shown) to rotate the steering shaft. The steering electric motor is provided on the steering shaft. By the controller 7 steering the steering wheel unit 110, the vehicle 100 can avoid contact with an obstacle in front of the vehicle 100. The controller 7 braking the vehicle 100 refers to decelerating or stopping the vehicle 100, for example, by energizing an electromagnetic brake or by reducing or stopping the current supplied to the electric motor for driving. The electromagnetic brakes are provided on, for example, the front wheels 141 and the rear wheels 142. The electric motor is provided on the rear body 130. By the controller 7 braking the vehicle 100, the vehicle 100 can avoid contact with an obstacle in front of the vehicle 100. The steering of the steering wheel unit 110 and the braking of the vehicle 100 are performed, for example, when the distance from the vehicle 100 to an obstacle measured by millimeter-wave radar becomes equal to or less than a threshold.

[0026] The detection member 6 is attached to the front member 120 using the bracket 2 that secures the basket 150 to the front member 120. Therefore, the vehicle structure 1 can easily attach the detection member 6 to the front member 120 despite its simple configuration. Therefore, the vehicle structure 1 can easily suppress increases in costs. The extension portion 52 having a recess can easily increase rigidity compared to a flat plate. Therefore, the detection member 6 fixed inside the recess is less likely to be damaged by impact when the vehicle 100 collides head-on with an obstacle. Furthermore, because the front portion of the detection member 6 is located rearward of the front end of the basket 150, the basket 150 can absorb the impact, making the detection member 6 less likely to be damaged. Therefore, the vehicle structure 1 can easily protect the detection member 6 from external forces. The vehicle structure 1 can easily stably secure the basket 150 and the detection member 6 to the extension portion 52 due to the high rigidity of the extension portion 52. Since the upper part of the detection member 6 is covered by the extension portion 52 and the basket 150, the vehicle structure 1 makes it easy to prevent the detection member 6 from being exposed to water.

[0027] The basket 150 is fixed to the front member 120 by fastening it with the first bolt 91 and the second bolt 92 using the bracket 2, and is therefore detachable from the front member 120. When the basket 150 is not needed, it can be removed. The bracket 2 can remain attached to the front member 120, and the detection member 6 can remain attached to the extension portion 52. By attaching a design cover (not shown) that covers the outside of the bracket 2 and the front member 120 to the front member 120, the appearance of the vehicle 100 can be improved. An opening is provided in the design cover in front of the detection member 6. When the basket 150 is needed, the design cover can be removed and the basket 150 can be fastened with the first bolt 91 and the second bolt 92.

[0028] The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0029] For example, the vehicle structure may be a standard power wheelchair that is self-propelled and operated by the occupant using a joystick, or the vehicle structure may be a bicycle or a scooter.

[0030] For example, a stud bolt protruding upward from the upper surface of the detection member may be provided. In this case, the stud bolt is inserted into a through-hole in the extension portion and a through-hole in the bottom surface of the basket, and a nut is tightened onto the stud bolt inside the basket, thereby fixing the basket, extension portion, and detection member 6 together. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 Vehicle structure 2 brackets 3 First Bracket 31 Side 32 Front 321 Through hole 4 Second Bracket 41 Side 411 protrusion 42 Front 421 Through hole 5 Third Bracket 51 Base 511 Through hole 52 Extension section 521 Through hole 6. Detection element 7 Controller 91 First Bolt 92 Second Bolt 93 Third Bolt 94 4th Bolt 95 Nut 100 vehicles 110 Handle 120 Front member 121 Hole 130 rear body 141 Front wheel 142 rear wheel 150 Basket 151 Rear part 151a Through hole 152 Bottom part 152a Through hole

Claims

[Claim 1] a bracket for fixing the basket to a front member of the vehicle; a detection member that detects information about an obstacle ahead of the vehicle, the bracket has an extension portion extending from the front member toward the front of the vehicle, the extension portion has a recessed portion that opens downwardly of the vehicle, The basket is fixed to the upper surface of the extension portion, The detection member is fixed inside the recess. Vehicle structure.

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