Vehicle rear bumper structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle rear bumper structure which can protect a reflector during a minor rear-end collision.SOLUTION: A vehicle rear bumper structure 100 includes a garnish member 112 which is installed in an area located below a reflector 108 of a rear bumper 102 and to which a sonar 110 is attached. The garnish member 112 has: a garnish design part 114 exposed from the rear bumper 102 when viewed from the vehicle rear; and a sonar attachment part 116 which is provided at a predetermined portion of the garnish design part 114 and to which the sonar 110 is attached. A rear end in a vehicle front-back direction of the garnish member 112 is located at the vehicle rear relative to a rear end in the vehicle front-back direction of the reflector 108.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The rear bumper of a typical vehicle is equipped with rearward-facing warning components such as reflectors and sonar. These rearward-facing warning components must be protected to prevent them from falling off in the event of a minor rear-end collision. For example, a vehicle may continue to drive after a minor rear-end collision to a safe location. To ensure the safety of the vehicle in such situations, the rearward-facing warning components must be protected.

[0003] For example, Figure 2 of Patent Document 1 shows an ultrasonic sensor 50 as a rearward monitoring component arranged on the rear bumper face 20. With the technology of Patent Document 1, even if an impact force directed toward the vehicle body acts on the rear bumper face 20 during a minor collision, the connecting portion L in Figure 4 hits the bumper beam 7 first, thereby preventing the ultrasonic sensor 50 from coming into contact with structures on the vehicle body side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-208500 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the ultrasonic sensor 50 in Fig. 4 is located at the rear end of the vehicle, which is thought to make it more likely to come into contact with objects behind. Among rearward warning components, reflectors in particular are components that notify following vehicles of the presence of the vehicle at night, and it is desirable for them to be configured to be less likely to come into contact with objects behind so that they do not fall off the vehicle even in the event of a minor rear-end collision.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a rear bumper structure for a vehicle that can protect a reflector in the event of a minor rear-end collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of a vehicle rear bumper structure according to the present invention is a vehicle rear bumper structure comprising a rear bumper at the rear of the vehicle, a reflector installed on the end side of the rear bumper in the vehicle width direction to reflect light toward the rear of the vehicle, and a sonar installed at a predetermined location on the rear bumper to detect objects behind the vehicle using sound waves, wherein the vehicle rear bumper structure further comprises a garnish member installed on the rear bumper below the reflector and to which the sonar is attached, the garnish member having a garnish design portion exposed from the rear bumper when viewed from the rear of the vehicle, and a sonar mounting portion provided at a predetermined location on the garnish design portion and to which the sonar is attached, and the rear end of the garnish member in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction is located further rearward of the rear end of the reflector in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a rear bumper structure for a vehicle that can protect a reflector in the event of a minor rear-end collision or the like. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle rear bumper structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the rear guard unit of FIG. 1(b) from a different direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a view showing the garnish member of FIG. 2(a) alone. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rear bumper structure taken along line AA in FIG. 2(a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A vehicle rear bumper structure according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a rear bumper at the rear of the vehicle, a reflector installed on the end side of the rear bumper in the vehicle width direction to reflect light toward the rear of the vehicle, and a sonar installed at a predetermined location on the rear bumper to detect objects behind the vehicle using sound waves, wherein the vehicle rear bumper structure further comprises a garnish member installed on the rear bumper below the reflector and to which the sonar is attached, the garnish member having a garnish design portion exposed from the rear bumper when viewed from the rear of the vehicle, and a sonar mounting portion provided at a predetermined location on the garnish design portion and to which the sonar is attached, and the rear end of the garnish member in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction is located further rearward of the vehicle than the rear end of the reflector in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0011] In the above configuration, the rear end of the garnish member is located further rearward than the rear end of the reflector. In other words, the reflector is located on the rear bumper closer to the front of the vehicle than the garnish member. Therefore, if an object strikes the rear bumper from behind, the garnish member comes into contact with the object first, thereby protecting the reflector. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to protect the reflector and prevent it from falling off in the event of a minor rear-end collision, thereby ensuring vehicle safety.

[0012] In addition, in the above configuration, the garnish member is an independent part that can be attached to and detached from the rear bumper, and because it is a smaller part than the rear bumper, it is possible to change the material and thickness as appropriate. In other words, according to the above configuration, by attaching the sonar to the rear bumper via the garnish member, it is easier to improve the mounting rigidity of the sonar compared to when the sonar is attached directly to the rear bumper.

[0013] The above-mentioned garnish member may further have an outer peripheral rib arranged along the outer periphery of the garnish design portion and protruding from the garnish design portion toward the front of the vehicle, and the rear bumper may have a return portion recessed toward the front of the vehicle along the outer peripheral rib of the garnish member and into which the outer peripheral rib is inserted.

[0014] With the garnish mounting portion configured as described above, when a load is applied to the garnish member from behind, the return portion interferes with the outer peripheral rib and prevents the garnish member from moving, thereby preventing the garnish member from falling off the rear bumper.

[0015] The garnish design portion may have a honeycomb shape in which a plurality of hexagons are arranged, the hexagons being formed by protrusions and recesses in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0016] According to the above configuration, by forming the garnish design portion in a honeycomb shape, it is possible to improve the rigidity of the garnish member, and to suitably protect the reflector and improve the mounting rigidity of the sonar.

[0017] The rear bumper may have a bumper design portion formed to surround the reflector and the garnish member and protruding rearward of the vehicle beyond the reflector and the garnish member.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned bumper design part, when an object hits the rear bumper from behind, the bumper design part will come into contact with the object before the reflector and garnish member, thereby preventing the reflector and sonar from falling off and ensuring the safety of the vehicle.

[0019] The above-mentioned sonar has a harness connection portion that is provided at a location other than the front end of the portion exposed to the front of the vehicle from the sonar mounting portion and to which a specified harness can be connected, and the harness connection portion may be such that when the harness is connected, the harness extends in a direction other than the front of the vehicle.

[0020] In the above configuration, the harness does not extend from the sonar to the front of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the sonar moves forward when an object hits the rear bumper from behind, the harness is less likely to come into contact with structures in front of the rear bumper, thereby protecting the sonar's function. [Example]

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle rear bumper structure (hereinafter referred to as rear bumper structure 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of the rear bumper structure 100 as seen from above the rear right side. Hereinafter, in Fig. 1 and all other drawings of the present application, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the vertical direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward).

[0023] The rear bumper structure 100 is configured with a rear bumper 102 as its central component. The rear bumper 102 is a component that extends in the vehicle width direction and is attached to the rear of the vehicle. Rear guard sections 104 and 106 for guarding the area behind the vehicle are provided on the left and right end sides of the rear bumper 102 in the vehicle width direction.

[0024] 1(b) is an enlarged view of the rear warning unit 104 on the right side in the vehicle width direction of the rear bumper 102 in FIG. 1(a). Note that the rear warning unit 104 and the rear warning unit 106 (see FIG. 1(a)) have the same configuration, and are symmetrical left and right, and the description of the rear warning unit 104 also applies to the rear warning unit 106.

[0025] The rear warning unit 104 is configured to include a reflector 108 that reflects light backward, and a sonar 110 that detects rearward using sound waves. In this embodiment, a garnish member 112 is used as an attachment part for the sonar 110.

[0026] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the rear warning unit 104 of Figure 1(b) from another direction. Figure 2(a) is a diagram showing the rear warning unit 104 of Figure 1(b) as seen from the rear of the vehicle.

[0027] The reflector 108 is provided in a shape that is long in the vehicle width direction, and has the function of notifying the following vehicle of the presence of the vehicle by reflecting the lights of the following vehicle at night.

[0028] Sonar 110 is a device that uses sound waves to detect objects behind the vehicle. Sonar 110 has the function of measuring the distance between the vehicle and the object behind and notifying the driver of the approach of the object behind by sounding an alarm or the like.

[0029] The garnish member 112 is a member for attaching the sonar 110 to the rear bumper 102. The garnish member 112 is installed in a range below the reflector 108 on the end side of the rear bumper 102 in the vehicle width direction.

[0030] The portion of the garnish member 112 that is exposed from the rear bumper 102 is a honeycomb-shaped garnish design portion 114. Slightly to the right of the center of the garnish design portion 114, a sonar mounting portion 116 for mounting the sonar 110 is provided.

[0031] FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing the rear warning unit 104 of FIG. 2(a) as viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0032] The rear bumper 102 is provided with a reflector mounting portion 118 for mounting the reflector 108 (see FIG. 2(a)), and a garnish mounting portion 120 for mounting the garnish member 112. A bridge portion 122 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed between the reflector mounting portion 118 and the garnish mounting portion 120.

[0033] The reflector installation portion 118 is a portion into which the reflector 108 (see FIG. 2(a)) is fitted, and is provided by recessing an area toward the front of the vehicle that follows the shape of the reflector 108. A bottom surface 124 of the reflector installation portion 118 is provided with holes 128a, 128b into which the tabs 126a, 126b of the reflector 108 are inserted.

[0034] The garnish installation portion 120 is a portion into which the garnish member 112 is fitted, and is provided by recessing an area along the shape of the garnish design portion 114 of the garnish member 112 toward the front of the vehicle.

[0035] The garnish installation portion 120 is provided with return portions 148 along the outer peripheral rib 142 (see FIG. 3(b)) of the garnish member 112. The return portions 148 are recessed toward the front of the vehicle, and the outer peripheral rib 142 is inserted into them. Holes 150 are provided in various locations on the return portions 148, into which the tabs 144 of the outer peripheral rib 142 are inserted. In this embodiment, seven tabs 144 and seven rear portions 150 are provided.

[0036] An opening 132 is formed in the center of the garnish installation portion 120. The opening 132 is formed in a range in front of the vehicle of the sonar attachment portion 116 of the garnish member 112. The sonar 110 is installed in a state where it protrudes from the garnish design portion 114 to the front side of the vehicle of the rear bumper 102 through the opening 132.

[0037] Fig. 3 is a view showing the garnish member 112 of Fig. 2(a) alone. Fig. 3(a) is a view showing the garnish member 112 as seen from the rear of the vehicle, similar to Fig. 2(a).

[0038] The garnish design portion 114 is a portion that occupies the main area of ​​the garnish member 112. As shown in Fig. 2(a), when the garnish member 112 is attached to the rear bumper 102, the garnish design portion 114 is exposed from the rear bumper 102 when viewed from behind the vehicle.

[0039] The garnish design portion 114 has a honeycomb shape with multiple hexagons 134 arranged side by side. The honeycomb shape is formed by unevenness in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. In particular, in this embodiment, the honeycomb shape of the garnish design portion 114 is formed by hexagons 134 that are recessed toward the front of the vehicle and edge portions 136 of each hexagon that bulge toward the rear of the vehicle. The honeycomb shape of the garnish design portion 114 improves rigidity.

[0040] The sonar mounting portion 116 is the portion where the sonar 110 (see FIG. 2(a)) is attached, and is located slightly to the right of the center of the garnish design portion 114. The sonar mounting portion 116 has a circular base portion 138 that bulges out toward the rear of the vehicle, and an opening 140 in the center of the base portion 138, and is formed in an overall annular shape. The sonar 110 is attached to the sonar mounting portion 116 with the sonar 110 inserted into the opening 140.

[0041] The sonar mounting portion 116 is formed with the corners of multiple hexagons 134 connected to each other. For example, corners P1 to P4 of the edge 136 of the hexagon 134 are connected to the sonar mounting portion 116. With this configuration, the sonar mounting portion 116 distributes the load to the edge 136 extending in each direction from the corners P1 to P4, making it possible to mount the sonar 110 with greater rigidity.

[0042] FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view of the garnish member 112 of FIG. 3(a) as viewed from the upper left of the front side of the vehicle.

[0043] An outer peripheral rib 142 is provided on the vehicle front side of the garnish member 112. The outer peripheral rib 142 is provided along the outer periphery of the garnish design portion 114 and protrudes from the garnish design portion 114 toward the vehicle front side.

[0044] Claws 144 for attaching the garnish member 112 to the rear bumper 102 (see FIG. 3(b)) are provided at various locations on the outer peripheral rib 142. The claws 144 are inserted into holes 150 provided in a return portion 148 of the garnish installation portion 120 of the rear bumper 102.

[0045] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the rear bumper structure 100 of Fig. 2(a). The cross-section AA is a cross-section of the rear bumper structure 100 cut along a plane extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and in the vertical direction.

[0046] In this embodiment, the rear end of the garnish member 112 in the vehicle front-rear direction is located rearward of the rear end of the reflector 108 in the vehicle front-rear direction. For example, a vertical line L1 along the rear end of the garnish member 112 is located a distance D1 rearward of a vertical line L2 along the rear end of the reflector 108. In other words, the reflector 108 is disposed on the rear bumper 102 closer to the front of the vehicle than the garnish member 112 by the distance D1.

[0047] With the above configuration, when an object hits the rear bumper 102 from behind, the garnish member 112 comes into contact with the object first, thereby protecting the reflector 108. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the reflector 108 from falling off in the event of a minor rear-end collision, etc., and ensure the safety of the vehicle. Protecting the reflector 108 and preventing it from falling off is extremely useful for safely moving the vehicle after a collision when a rear-end collision or the like occurs at night. In particular, the garnish member 112, whose rigidity is improved by the honeycomb shape described with reference to FIG. 3(a), can suitably protect the reflector 108.

[0048] The garnish member 112 of this embodiment is an independent part that can be attached to and detached from the rear bumper 102, and because it is a small member compared to the entire rear bumper 102, it is possible to change the material and plate thickness as appropriate. That is, in this embodiment, by attaching the sonar 110 to the rear bumper 102 via the garnish member 112, it is easier to improve the attachment rigidity of the sonar 110 compared to when the sonar 110 is attached directly to the rear bumper 102.

[0049] Referring again to Figure 2(a), the rear bumper 102 has a bumper design portion 146 formed to surround the reflector 108 and the garnish member 112. As shown in Figure 4, the bumper design portion 146 is formed to bulge out further rearward than the reflector 108 and the garnish member 112.

[0050] In this embodiment, the vertical line L3 along the rear end of the bumper design portion 146 in the vehicle longitudinal direction is located a distance D2 rearward of the vertical line L1 along the rear end of the garnish member 112. In other words, the reflector 108 and the garnish member 112 are disposed on the rear bumper 102 at least the distance D2 or more forward of the rear end of the bumper design portion 146.

[0051] With the above configuration, if an object strikes the rear bumper 102 from behind, the bumper design portion 146 comes into contact with the object before the garnish member 112 and the reflector 108, thereby protecting the garnish member 112 and the reflector 108. The bumper design portion 146 prevents the reflector 108 and the sonar 110 from falling off, ensuring the safety of the vehicle.

[0052] In the rear bumper 102, the return portion 148 of the garnish installation portion 120 covers the front end side of the outer peripheral rib 142 of the garnish member 112 and is capable of gripping a portion of the outer peripheral rib 142. When a load is applied to the garnish member 112 from behind, the return portion 148 interferes with the outer peripheral rib 142 and prevents the garnish member 112 from moving. The return portion 148 makes it possible to prevent the garnish member 112 from falling off the rear bumper 102 in the event of a minor rear-end collision, for example.

[0053] Referring again to Figure 2(b), the sonar 110 has a harness connection portion 152 to which a predetermined harness 156 can be connected. The harness connection portion 152 is provided at a location on the sonar 110 other than the front end 154 of the portion exposed to the front of the vehicle from the sonar mounting portion 116. In this embodiment, the sonar mounting portion 116 is provided on the front right side of the sonar 110 in the vehicle width direction.

[0054] The harness connection portion 152 is configured so that when the harness 156 is connected, the harness 156 extends in a direction other than the front of the vehicle. For example, in this embodiment, the harness connection portion 152 is configured so that the harness 156 extends to the right in the vehicle width direction.

[0055] The harness connection portion 152 is configured so that the harness 156 does not extend from the sonar 110 to the front of the vehicle. Therefore, even if an object comes into contact with the rear bumper 102 from behind and the sonar 110 moves forward, the harness 156 is less likely to come into contact with a structure in front of the rear bumper 102, making it possible to protect the function of the sonar 110.

[0056] 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 these examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] The present invention can be used in a rear bumper structure for a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 100... rear bumper structure, 102... rear bumper, 104... rear surveillance part, 108... reflector, 110... sonar, 112... garnish member, 114... garnish design part, 116... sonar mounting part, 118... reflector installation part, 120... garnish installation part, 122... bridge part, 124... bottom part, 126a, 126b... claws, 128a, 12 8b...hole portion, 132...opening portion, 134...hexagon, 136...edge portion, 138...base portion, 140...opening portion, 142...peripheral rib, 144...claw, 146...bumper design portion, 148...return portion, 150...hole portion, 152...harness connection portion, 154...front end, 156...harness, D1...distance, D2...distance, L1...vertical line, L2...vertical line, L3...vertical line, P1 to P4...corner portion

Claims

1. A rear bumper structure for a vehicle includes a rear bumper at the rear of the vehicle, a reflector installed at an end of the rear bumper in the vehicle width direction to reflect light rearward of the vehicle, and a sonar installed at a predetermined location on the rear bumper to detect objects rearward of the vehicle using sound waves, The vehicle rear bumper structure further includes a garnish member that is installed below the reflector in the rear bumper and to which the sonar is attached, The garnish member is a garnish design portion exposed from the rear bumper when viewed from the rear of the vehicle; a sonar mounting portion provided at a predetermined location of the garnish design portion and having the sonar mounted thereon; A rear bumper structure for a vehicle, characterized in that a rear end of the garnish member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is located rearward of a rear end of the reflector in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

2. The garnish member further includes an outer peripheral rib provided along the outer periphery of the garnish design portion and protruding from the garnish design portion toward the front of the vehicle, 2. The vehicle rear bumper structure according to claim 1, wherein the rear bumper has a return portion recessed toward the front of the vehicle along the outer peripheral rib of the garnish member, into which the outer peripheral rib is inserted.

3. 2. The rear bumper structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the garnish design portion has a honeycomb shape in which a plurality of hexagons are arranged, the hexagons being formed by protrusions and recesses in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

4. 2. The vehicle rear bumper structure according to claim 1, wherein the rear bumper has a bumper design portion formed to surround the reflector and the garnish member and protruding rearward of the vehicle beyond the reflector and the garnish member.

5. the sonar has a harness connection portion that is provided at a location other than the front end of the portion that is exposed to the front of the vehicle from the sonar mounting portion, and to which a predetermined harness can be connected; 2. The rear bumper structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the harness connecting portion allows the harness to extend in a direction other than the forward direction of the vehicle when the harness is connected.

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