Vehicle sound output device

Abstract

To make sound waves reach areas farther from a vehicle while increasing the number of targets to become aware of the approach of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A sound output device 15 comprises an exterior member body 21, a vibration device 30 that vibrates by energizing, and multiple connecting portions 22 linking them. The sound output device 15 radiates sound waves generated associated with vibration of the exterior member body 21 forward by causing the exterior member body 21 to vibrate via vibrations from the vibration device 30 propagated through each connecting portion 22. The multiple connecting portions 22 are arranged on a circumference of a virtual circle C located on a rear surface 21b of the exterior member body 21. A diameter R of the virtual circle C is set to a value that makes the exterior member body 21 a point sound source with a circle center CC of the virtual circle C as a sound source when the vibration device 30 vibrates in a low frequency band, and to a value that makes the exterior member body 21 as a surface sound source when the vibration device 30 vibrates in a high frequency band.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sound output device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an in-vehicle system for preventing contact between an animal and a vehicle when the animal suddenly attempts to cross the road in front of the vehicle. When this in-vehicle system detects an animal near the vehicle, it emits sound waves with a frequency of 25,000 Hz or higher from a radiator to alert the animal to the approaching vehicle. When an animal notices an approaching vehicle, it becomes anxious and frightened, and tries to escape from the sound source (radiator). In this way, it is possible to prevent the animal from coming into contact with the vehicle by making the animal leave. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2006-502729 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted system can only emit sound waves with frequencies of 25,000 Hz or higher, so the targets that can be alerted to the approach of a vehicle are limited to animals. Furthermore, when an in-vehicle speaker is used as the radiator of the sound waves, the speaker is a point sound source, which poses the following problem: the sound waves emitted from the speaker are diffused spherically, so the distance the sound waves can reach is short. This means that the sound waves have difficulty reaching animals that are far away. This means that only animals close to the vehicle can be alerted to the approach of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Various aspects of a vehicle sound output device for solving the above problems will be described. [Aspect 1] A sound output device for a vehicle comprising: an exterior member main body that forms a skeleton of an exterior member of a vehicle; a vibration device that is arranged inside the exterior member main body in the exterior-interior direction of the vehicle and vibrates when electricity is applied; and a plurality of connecting parts that each protrude inward from the inner surface of the exterior member main body in the exterior-interior direction and connect the exterior member main body and the vibration device, wherein the exterior member main body is vibrated by the vibration of the vibration device propagated through each connecting part, and sound waves generated by the vibration of the exterior member main body are radiated outside the vehicle, wherein the plurality of connecting parts are arranged on the circumference of an imaginary circle located on the inner surface of the exterior member main body, and the diameter of the imaginary circle is set to a value that makes the exterior member main body a point sound source with the center of the imaginary circle as a sound source when the vibration device vibrates in a low frequency band, and a value that makes the exterior member main body a surface sound source when the vibration device vibrates in a high frequency band that is higher than the low frequency band.

[0006] According to the above configuration, when the vibration device is vibrated in the low frequency band, the exterior member main body becomes a point sound source with the center of the imaginary circle as the sound source. At this time, the vibration of the vibration device is propagated to the exterior member main body via each connecting portion. The vibrations propagated from each of the multiple connecting portions overlap and reinforce each other at the center of the imaginary circle located on the inner surface of the exterior member main body. The exterior member main body vibrates around the center of the imaginary circle.

[0007] Low-frequency sound waves, which are effective in warning people, are emitted outward in the vehicle's interior and exterior directions from the center of the imaginary circle on the exterior member body. The low-frequency sound waves reach people around the vehicle, making them aware of the approaching vehicle.

[0008] The sound waves generated by the vibrations propagate while diffusing spherically, so they have a short reach. Therefore, when a vehicle is traveling in residential areas, urban areas, etc., the sound waves do not travel far. The sound waves are difficult to hear at points far from the vehicle, and do not become noise.

[0009] In contrast, when the vibration device is vibrated in the high-frequency band, the exterior member body becomes a surface sound source. The vibration of the vibration device is propagated to the exterior member body through each connecting part. The vibrations propagated from each of the multiple connecting parts are unlikely to overlap at specific points, such as the center of the imaginary circle, causing the exterior member body to vibrate.

[0010] High-frequency sound waves, which are effective in warning animals, are emitted from the exterior member body outward in the vehicle's interior and exterior directions. When the high-frequency sound waves reach an animal, the animal is made aware of the approaching vehicle.

[0011] The sound waves generated by the vibrations are highly directional and resistant to attenuation, allowing for a long reach. The sound waves can reach places far away from the vehicle. Therefore, when the vehicle is traveling in mountainous areas, the sound waves can easily reach animals far away. It is also possible to make animals aware of an approaching vehicle more quickly. It is also possible to make animals aware of the direction from which the vehicle is approaching. By keeping animals away from the vehicle, it is possible to avoid contact between the animal and the vehicle.

[0012] [Aspect 2] A sound output device for a vehicle as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the vibration device vibrates at a frequency of 100 Hz or more and 2000 Hz or less in the low frequency band, and the vibration device vibrates at a frequency higher than 2000 Hz in the high frequency band, and the diameter of the imaginary circle is set to 50 mm or more and 250 mm or less.

[0013] According to the above configuration, by setting the diameter of the virtual circle to be 50 mm or more and 250 mm or less, when the vibration device vibrates in a low frequency band of 100 Hz or more and 2000 Hz or less, the exterior member main body becomes a point sound source with the center of the virtual circle as the sound source. Also, when the vibration device vibrates in a high frequency band higher than 2000 Hz, the exterior member main body becomes a surface sound source.

[0014] [Aspect 3] A sound output device for a vehicle as described in [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], further comprising a control device that controls the supply of electricity to the vibration device, and when the control device vibrates the vibration device, it turns on a vehicle lamp mounted on the vehicle in conjunction with the vibration of the vibration device.

[0015] According to the above configuration, when the vibration device is vibrated by the control device, the vehicle lamp is turned on in conjunction with the vibration of the vibration device. Therefore, it is possible to alert both people and animals to the approach of a vehicle both audibly and visually. This facilitates vehicle discovery compared to when people and animals are alerted only by sound waves. Furthermore, because the vehicle is discovered earlier, people and animals have more time to avoid contact with the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the number of targets that are made aware of the approach of a vehicle, while also making the sound waves reach locations that are far away from the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle equipped with a sound output device according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the sound output device of FIG. 1 as seen from behind. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the sound output device before the sound insulating cover is attached in the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the sound output device in the above embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the diameter of the imaginary circle, the frequency of the vibrator, and the distribution of the amplitude (absolute value) of vibration in the exterior member main body in the above embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the radiation state of sound waves when the exterior member main body acts as a point sound source in the low frequency band in the above embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the radiation state of sound waves when the exterior member main body acts as a surface sound source in the high frequency band in the above embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the range of sound waves when the exterior member main body acts as a point sound source in the low frequency band in the above embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the range of sound waves when the exterior member main body acts as a plane sound source in the high frequency band in the above embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, a specific embodiment of a sound output device for a vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle 10 is referred to as the front, and the backward direction is referred to as the rear. Furthermore, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction of the vehicle 10, and the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the vehicle, which coincides with the left-right direction when the vehicle 10 is moving forward.

[0019] 1 and 3, a sound output device 15 that emits sound waves SW forward of the vehicle 10 is mounted on the front end of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the front-to-rear direction of the sound output device 15 corresponds to the outside-to-inside direction of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the "front" of each part of the sound output device 15 corresponds to the "outside" of the vehicle 10, and the "rear" of each part corresponds to the "inside" of the vehicle 10.

[0020] 2 to 4, the sound output device 15 includes an exterior member 20, a vibrating device 30, a sealing member 45, and a sound-insulating cover 46. Next, each part constituting the sound output device 15 will be described.

[0021] <Exterior member 20> As shown in FIG. 1 , the outer shell portion of the vehicle 10 is made up of exterior members. A portion of the outer shell portion at the front end of the vehicle 10 is made up of a front grille 17. An emblem, which also constitutes a portion of the outer shell portion at the front end of the vehicle 10, is attached to the front grille 17. The emblem is located in the center between headlamps 18, which serve as vehicle lamps, mounted on both the left and right sides of the front end of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the emblem constitutes an exterior member 20 to which the sound output device 15 is applied.

[0022] 2 to 4, the exterior member 20 includes a plate-shaped exterior member main body 21 and a plurality of (three in this embodiment) connecting portions 22. The exterior member main body 21 forms the framework of the exterior member 20. A front surface 21a of the exterior member main body 21 forms part of the front design surface of the vehicle 10 (see FIG. 1). The plurality of connecting portions 22 are formed integrally with the exterior member main body 21 on the rear side of the exterior member main body 21.

[0023] Each connecting portion 22 includes a first portion 23 that protrudes rearward from the rear surface 21b of the exterior member main body 21, and a second portion 24 that protrudes rearward from the rear end surface 23b of the first portion 23. The rear surface 21b corresponds to the inner surface of the exterior member main body 21 in the exterior-interior direction of the vehicle 10. The first portion 23 of each connecting portion 22 is hollow and opens downward. Each second portion 24 is formed with a screw hole 24a that opens at the rear end surface 24b.

[0024] 2, the three connecting portions 22 are arranged on the circumference of an imaginary circle C located on the rear surface 21b of the exterior member main body 21. In this embodiment, the centers of the screw holes 24a of the three connecting portions 22 are arranged rearward of the imaginary circle C. Furthermore, the three screw holes 24a are provided at 120-degree intervals, i.e., at equal angular intervals, around the center CC of the imaginary circle C.

[0025] The exterior member 20 configured as described above is fixed to structures such as a frame, exterior panel, cover, etc. (all not shown) provided on the vehicle 10 by a method such as screw fastening. <Vibration device 30> As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the vibration device 30 is provided behind the exterior member main body 21. The vibration device 30 includes a vibrator 31 that vibrates when energized, and a fixed plate 32 that is made of hard resin, metal, or the like and is disposed in front of the vibrator 31. Most of the fixed plate 32 is disk-shaped and has approximately the same size as the imaginary circle C. The fixed plate 32 is provided with a plurality of (three) protruding portions 32b that protrude outward in the radial direction and each have a through-hole 32a. Similar to the screw holes 24a, the three protruding portions 32b are provided at 120-degree intervals, i.e., equiangular intervals, around the circle center CC behind the imaginary circle C. Each protruding portion 32b abuts against the rear end surface 24b of the corresponding second portion 24. In this state, the screw 40 is inserted into the through hole 32a of the protruding portion 32b and screwed into the screw hole 24a, thereby fastening the protruding portion 32b to the connecting portion 22.

[0026] The vibrator 31 is fixed to the central portion of the rear surface of the fixing plate 32 by adhesive, but may be fixed by other fixing methods. The sound output device 15 having such a configuration vibrates the exterior member main body 21 by the vibration of the vibration device 30 that is propagated via the connecting portion 22. The sound output device 15 emits sound waves SW (see FIG. 1 etc.) that are generated in association with the vibration of the exterior member main body 21 toward the front of the vehicle 10.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the diameter R of the imaginary circle C is set so as to satisfy the following conditions 1 and 2 based on the simulation results shown in FIG. Condition 1: When the vibration device 30 vibrates in the low frequency band, the exterior member main body 21 becomes a point sound source with the center CC of the imaginary circle C as the sound source.

[0028] Condition 2: When the vibration device 30 vibrates in a high frequency band higher than the above-mentioned low frequency band, the exterior member main body 21 becomes a surface sound source. The vibration device 30 vibrates at a frequency of 100 Hz or more and 2000 Hz or less in the low frequency band, and at a frequency higher than 2000 Hz in the high frequency band.

[0029] The diameter R of the imaginary circle C is preferably set to be 50 mm or more and 250 mm or less, and more preferably set to be 70 mm or more and 130 mm or less. Fig. 5 shows the relationship between the diameter R of the imaginary circle C, the frequency of the vibrator 31, and the distribution of the amplitude (absolute value) of vibration in the exterior member main body 21. The fixing plate 32 is made of hard resin. Fig. 5 shows the results of a simulation using a square plate-shaped sample with a side length of 150 mm and a thickness of 3 mm as the exterior member main body 21.

[0030] When the vibrator 31 vibrates at a frequency of 500 Hz, the amplitude (absolute value) of the vibration increases at the center CC of the imaginary circle C when the diameter R of the imaginary circle C is 120 mm and 130 mm. Note that in Fig. 5, the dots are displayed at a higher density as the amplitude (absolute value) of the vibration increases. In Fig. 5, the three squares in each frame showing the distribution of the amplitude (absolute value) indicate the connecting portions 22.

[0031] When the vibrator 31 vibrates at a frequency of 640 Hz, the amplitude (absolute value) of the vibration at the circle center CC is large when the diameter R is 85 mm, 100 mm, 120 mm, and 130 mm. In particular, the amplitude (absolute value) of the vibration at the circle center CC is large when the diameter R is 120 mm and 130 mm.

[0032] When the vibrator 31 vibrates at a frequency of 800 Hz, the amplitude (absolute value) of the vibration at the center CC of the circle is large when the diameter R is 70 mm, 85 mm, 100 mm, 120 mm, and 130 mm. In particular, the amplitude (absolute value) of the vibration at the center CC of the circle is large when the diameter R is 100 mm, 120 mm, and 130 mm.

[0033] Furthermore, when the vibrator 31 vibrates at a frequency of 1000 Hz, the amplitude (absolute value) of the vibration at the center CC of the circle is large when the diameter R is 70 mm, 85 mm, 100 mm, 120 mm, and 130 mm. In particular, the amplitude (absolute value) of the vibration at the center CC of the circle is large when the diameter R is 85 mm and 100 mm.

[0034] <Sealing member 45 and sound insulating cover 46> As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the seal member 45 is formed in a ring shape from an elastic material such as silicone rubber. The seal member 45 is attached to the rear surface 21b of the exterior member main body 21 with double-sided tape or the like, with the seal member 45 surrounding all of the connecting portions 22. The sound-insulating cover 46 is attached to the seal member 45 with double-sided tape or the like, with the sound-insulating cover 46 covering all of the connecting portions 22 and the vibration device 30. In this way, the sound-insulating cover 46 is attached to the exterior member main body 21 via the seal member 45. The sound-insulating cover 46 and the seal member 45 suppress sound waves SW (see Figures 6, 7, etc.) caused by vibrations of the exterior member main body 21 from being transmitted into the vehicle interior.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 4, the vibrator 31 and both headlamps 18 are electrically connected to a control device 50 mounted on the vehicle 10. The control device 50 controls the frequency of vibration of the vibrator 31 by controlling the supply of electricity to the vibrator 31. When vibrating the vibration device 30, the control device 50 also turns on both headlamps 18 in conjunction with the vibration of the vibration device 30. The following are examples of lighting modes.

[0036] - To keep the light on continuously for a certain period of time. - To flash. · Varying the intensity of the light emitted.

[0037] <Operation of this embodiment> When the vibration device 30 is vibrated in the low frequency band by the control device 50, the exterior member main body 21 becomes a point sound source with the center CC of the imaginary circle C as the sound source, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. The vibration of the vibration device 30 is propagated to the exterior member main body 21 via each of the connecting portions 22. The vibrations propagated from each of the multiple connecting portions 22 overlap and reinforce each other at the center CC of the imaginary circle C (see FIG. 2) located on the rear surface 21b of the exterior member main body 21. Therefore, the exterior member main body 21 vibrates around the center CC of the imaginary circle C. Note that at this time, it is considered that the configuration of the exterior member main body 21 shown in FIG. 2 outside the imaginary circle C has almost no effect on the vibration inside the imaginary circle C.

[0038] 6 and 8, sound waves SW in a low frequency band that are effective for warning people are emitted forward from the center CC of the imaginary circle C in the exterior member main body 21. When the sound waves SW in the low frequency band reach people around the vehicle 10, the people are made aware that the vehicle 10 is approaching. When people who notice the approach of the vehicle 10 move away from the vehicle 10, they are able to avoid contact with the vehicle 10.

[0039] The sound waves SW generated by the vibrations propagate while diffusing spherically, and therefore have a short reach, so when the vehicle 10 is traveling in residential areas, urban areas, etc., the sound waves SW do not easily reach far.

[0040] The sound waves SW in the low frequency band can reach animals A close to the vehicle 10, but have difficulty reaching animals A that are far away (see FIG. 8). Animals A close to the vehicle 10 are made aware of the approaching vehicle 10. When animals A notice that the vehicle 10 is approaching, they move away from the vehicle 10, thereby avoiding contact between the animal A and the vehicle 10.

[0041] In contrast, when the vibration device 30 is vibrated in the high frequency band by the control device 50 shown in Fig. 4, the exterior member main body 21 becomes a planar sound source as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 9. The vibration of the vibration device 30 is propagated to the exterior member main body 21 via each of the connecting parts 22. The vibrations propagated from each of the multiple connecting parts 22 are unlikely to overlap at a specific location, such as the center CC of the imaginary circle C, causing the exterior member main body 21 to vibrate.

[0042] High-frequency sound waves SW that are effective in warning animal A are emitted from the exterior member main body 21 to the front of the vehicle 10. When the high-frequency sound waves SW reach animal A, animal A is made aware that the vehicle 10 is approaching.

[0043] The sound waves SW generated by the vibrations are highly directional and resistant to attenuation, and therefore have a long reach. The sound waves SW can reach places far from the vehicle 10. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 is traveling in mountainous areas, the sound waves SW are likely to reach not only animals A close to the vehicle 10, but also animals A far away from the vehicle 10. Figure 9 shows that both animals A close to the vehicle 10 and animals A far away are likely to notice the approach of the vehicle 10. When an animal A notices the approach of the vehicle 10, it moves away from the vehicle 10, thereby avoiding contact between the animal A and the vehicle 10.

[0044] When sound waves SW having a frequency within the human audible range are emitted and reach a person, the person is made aware of the approach of vehicle 10. If the person notices the approach of vehicle 10, they move away from vehicle 10, thereby avoiding contact with vehicle 10.

[0045] 4, when the vibration device 30 is vibrated, the control device 50 turns on both the left and right headlamps 18 in conjunction with the vibration of the vibration device 30, as indicated by dots in FIG. 1. Both humans and animals A are alerted to the approach of the vehicle 10 by both their hearing and their sight. This facilitates the discovery of the vehicle 10 compared to when alerted only by sound waves SW.

[0046] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The diameter R of the imaginary circle C is set so that when the vibration device 30 vibrates in the low frequency band, the exterior member main body 21 becomes a point sound source with the center CC of the imaginary circle C as the sound source, and when the vibration device 30 vibrates in the high frequency band, the exterior member main body 21 becomes a surface sound source.

[0047] Therefore, when it is desired to alert people around the vehicle 10 that the vehicle 10 is approaching, the vibration device 30 can be vibrated in the low frequency band, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, thereby emitting low frequency sound waves SW that are effective in warning people.

[0048] Furthermore, when it is desired to make animal A aware of the approaching vehicle 10, the vibration device 30 can be vibrated in the high frequency band, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, thereby emitting high frequency sound waves SW that are effective in warning animal A.

[0049] In this way, the sound output device 15 of this embodiment can alert both people and animals A that the vehicle 10 is approaching. Compared to the system of Patent Document 1, the number of people who are alerted to the approach of the vehicle 10 can be increased.

[0050] Furthermore, the sound waves SW emitted from the exterior member main body 21, which acts as a point sound source with the center CC of the imaginary circle C as the sound source, propagate while diffusing spherically, and therefore have a short reach. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 travels in a residential area, urban area, etc., the sound waves SW can be prevented from reaching locations far from the vehicle 10. This can prevent noise caused by the sound waves SW from occurring in locations far from the vehicle 10.

[0051] Furthermore, the sound waves SW emitted from the exterior member main body 21, which serves as a planar sound source, are highly directional. These sound waves SW are less likely to attenuate and have a long reach. Therefore, the sound waves SW can reach even an animal A that is far away from the vehicle 10. This can make the animal A aware of the approaching vehicle 10 more quickly. In addition, the animal A can be made aware of the direction from which the vehicle 10 is approaching.

[0052] As a result, contact between the vehicle 10 and both the person and the animal A can be suitably prevented. (2) The diameter R of the imaginary circle C is set to be equal to or greater than 50 mm and equal to or less than 250 mm. With this setting, in the low frequency band of 100 Hz or higher and 2000 Hz or lower, the exterior member main body 21 can be made into a point sound source with the center CC of the imaginary circle C as the sound source, as shown in Fig. 6. In the high frequency band higher than 2000 Hz, the exterior member main body 21 can be made into a plane sound source, as shown in Fig. 7.

[0053] (3) Wild animals, especially herbivores such as deer and wild boars, are sensitive to sounds of 2000Hz to 5000Hz, which are the wavelengths of the cries of dogs and wolves, which are their natural enemies and which they do not like. Therefore, when the exterior member main body 21 is used as a surface sound source, the animal A can be effectively kept away from the vehicle 10 by vibrating the vibration device 30 at a frequency of 2000 Hz to 5000 Hz in the high frequency band.

[0054] (4) The upper limit of the human audible range is generally set to 20,000 Hz. Therefore, when the exterior member main body 21 is used as a surface sound source, the sound waves SW can be made hard to hear by vibrating the vibration device 30 at a frequency of 20,000 Hz or higher in the high frequency band. This makes it possible to prevent the sound waves SW from being a nuisance to people.

[0055] (5) As shown in Fig. 7, when the exterior member main body 21 becomes a surface sound source in the high-frequency band, the sound waves SW emitted forward from the exterior member main body 21 have high directionality, as described above. Therefore, the sound waves SW that diffuse to the left and right or rearward, i.e., that reverberate, are reduced. This prevents the animal A from losing sight of the approaching vehicle 10 or misidentifying the direction from which the vehicle 10 is approaching due to the reverberation of the sound waves SW.

[0056] When sound waves SW having a frequency within the audible range of humans are emitted, the same effect as described above can also be achieved in humans. (6) As shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the vibration device 30 is vibrated, the headlights 18 are turned on in conjunction with the vibration of the vibration device 30. Therefore, both people and animals A can be made aware of the approaching vehicle 10 by both hearing and seeing. Compared to when only sound waves SW are used to make people aware of the approaching vehicle 10, this can make people aware of the approaching vehicle 10 more quickly. In other words, this can promote the discovery of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, because the vehicle 10 can be discovered more quickly, people and animals A have more time to take action to avoid contact with the vehicle 10.

[0057] (7) Generally, the front of a vehicle is called the face of the vehicle (front mask) because it resembles a face with the headlights as eyes and the emblem as a mouth. In this regard, in this embodiment, the emblem is used as the exterior member 20, and the sound waves SW are emitted forward by vibrating the exterior member main body 21. In other words, the sound waves SW are emitted from the exterior member 20, which is the part that appears as a mouth.

[0058] Therefore, it is easy for both humans and animals A to recognize that sound waves SW are being emitted from the vehicle 10. This effect is difficult to achieve if the sound waves SW are emitted below the vehicle 10 and are reflected and scattered by the ground.

[0059] In addition, by making animal A recognize the front surface 10a of the vehicle 10 as a face, the approaching vehicle 10 will appear as if it were a large animal approaching, which is expected to have the effect of making animal A feel intimidated.

[0060] Furthermore, when people see the front surface 10a of the vehicle 10 from which the sound waves SW are emitted from the exterior member main body 21, they are given the impression of a talking pet or robot, which makes them feel more familiar with the vehicle.

[0061] (8) When the vibrations of the vibration device 30 propagated through each connecting portion 22 overlap at the center CC of the imaginary circle C and reinforce each other, the configuration of the exterior member main body 21 outside the imaginary circle C has almost no effect on the vibrations inside the imaginary circle C.

[0062] Therefore, even if the exterior member bodies 21 have different sizes and shapes, the high-frequency band sound waves SW can be radiated forward from the circle center CC. <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0063] (Matters related to exterior member 20) When vibrating the exterior member main body 21, the frequency of the sound waves SW emitted from the exterior member main body 21 may be changed over time, or the strength of the sound waves SW may be changed. Furthermore, the emission of the sound waves SW may be intermittent.

[0064] The exterior member main body 21 may be configured to vibrate to emit a sound that reproduces the voice of a person or animal A. Even in this case, the front surface 10a of the vehicle 10 resembles a face, so the feeling of discomfort is minimal.

[0065] The positions of the multiple connecting portions 22 may be changed as appropriate, provided that they are on the circumference of the imaginary circle C. The multiple connecting portions 22 do not necessarily have to be arranged at equal angular intervals. The number of connecting portions 22 may be changed from three in the above embodiment to two or four or more, provided that there is a plurality of connecting portions 22.

[0066] The connecting portion 22 may be formed of a separate member from the exterior member main body 21. (Matters related to vibration device 30) The shape of the fixing plate 32 may be changed to a shape different from the above embodiment (substantially circular), for example, to a polygon such as a square. In this case, it is preferable that each vertex of the polygon is located on the circumference of the above imaginary circle C. It is also preferable that the exterior member main body 21 has connecting portions 22 provided at positions corresponding to each vertex of the polygon.

[0067] The fixing plate 32 may be attached to the connecting portion 22 by a method other than screw fastening. For example, it may be attached by a clip, a claw engagement, welding, or adhesive. The vibration device 30 may be arranged inside the exterior member 20 in the outside-inside direction of the vehicle 10, and may vibrate the exterior member main body 21 to generate sound waves SW that are radiated outward. In this case, the inside may be a direction other than the rear with respect to the exterior member main body 21, such as the front, top, bottom, left, or right.

[0068] (Matters concerning the interlocking of the vibration device 30 and the vehicle lamp) When the frequency of the sound waves SW is changed, the light emitted from the headlamp 18 may be changed in conjunction with the change.

[0069] For example, as described above, the headlamp 18 may be turned on during the period in which the sound that reproduces the voice of animal A is being emitted, and the headlamp 18 may be turned off when the emission of the sound stops.

[0070] In addition, the headlamps 18 may be turned on when the frequency of the sound waves SW is in the high frequency band, and may be turned off or dimmed when the frequency is in the low frequency band. When the emission of the sound waves SW is turned on and off, the head lamps 18 may be turned on and off in conjunction with the turning on and off of the sound waves SW.

[0071] When the strength (volume) of the sound waves SW is changed, the strength (brightness) of the light emitted from the headlamp 18 may be changed in conjunction with the change. The linking may be performed in a synchronized manner.

[0072] In any of the above modifications, the effect of facilitating the discovery of the vehicle 10 is improved. The type of vehicle lamp that is turned on in conjunction with the vibration of the vibration device 30 may be changed to one other than the headlamp 18. For example, it may be a small lamp, a position lamp (sidelight), a turn signal (directional indicator), a tail lamp, a backup lamp, a license plate lamp, an illumination lamp, or the like.

[0073] For example, when the emission of the sound waves SW is turned on and off, the turn signals may be turned on and off in conjunction with the turning on and off of the sound waves SW. Also, the blinking speed of the turn signals may be changed. It is preferable that the blinking of the turn signals linked to the vibration of the vibration device 30 is performed only on the front turn signals. This is because if the blinking of the rear turn signals linked to the vibration of the vibration device 30 is performed, it may confuse the drivers of following vehicles.

[0074] (Other matters) The sealing member 45 and the sound insulating cover 46 may be omitted as appropriate. In addition to the above-described emblem, the exterior member 20 may be a member that constitutes an outer shell portion at the front end of the vehicle 10, such as a front panel, a front grille, or a front bumper. In this case, from the viewpoint of obtaining the same effect as in the above-described embodiment, it is desirable to dispose the vibration device 30 in the central portion of the vehicle 10 in the left-right direction or in a portion thereof.

[0075] The exterior member may be a part of the outer shell of the vehicle 10, separate from the front end of the vehicle 10. For example, a back door, a fender panel, a rear bumper, a roof, etc. may be an exterior member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10...Vehicle 15...Sound output device 18...Headlamp (vehicle lamp) 20...Exterior material 21...Exterior member body 21b…Rear surface (inner surface) 22...Connection part 30...Vibration device 50...Control device C...Imaginary circle CC: Center of circle R…Diameter SW...sound wave

Claims

1. an exterior member main body that constitutes a framework of the exterior member of the vehicle; a vibration device that is disposed inside the exterior member main body in the outside-inside direction of the vehicle and vibrates when energized; a plurality of connecting portions that respectively protrude inward from the inner surface of the exterior member main body in the outward-inward direction and connect the exterior member main body and the vibration device, A sound output device for a vehicle, wherein the exterior member main body is vibrated by vibration of the vibration device propagated through each connecting portion, and sound waves generated by the vibration of the exterior member main body are radiated outside the vehicle, the plurality of connecting portions are arranged on the circumference of an imaginary circle located on the inner surface of the exterior member main body, a diameter of the virtual circle is set to a value that makes the exterior member main body a point sound source with the center of the virtual circle as the sound source when the vibration device vibrates in a low frequency band, and to a value that makes the exterior member main body a surface sound source when the vibration device vibrates in a high frequency band that is higher than the low frequency band.

2. the vibration device vibrates at a frequency of 100 Hz or more and 2000 Hz or less in the low frequency band, The vibration device vibrates at a frequency higher than 2000 Hz in the high frequency band, The vehicle sound output device according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the virtual circle is set to be equal to or greater than 50 mm and equal to or less than 250 mm.

3. Further, a control device is provided to control the energization of the vibration device.

3. The sound output device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the control device vibrates the vibration device, the control device turns on a vehicle lamp mounted on the vehicle in conjunction with the vibration of the vibration device.

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