Vehicle sensor

Abstract

To reduce working man-hours related to assembly to a vehicle, while restraining reduction in heating efficiency of a heater, in a sensor for the vehicle for recognizing the outside of the vehicle.SOLUTION: The vehicular camera device 1 recognizes the outside of a vehicle through a windshield, and includes a hood 30 on which a camera 21 is mounted, and a heater module 50. The heater module 50 has the heater main body 51 and the connector 53 connected to the automobile via the harness 52 extending from the heater main body 51, the hood 30 has the hood base 31 capable of arranging the heater main body 51 on the plate arrangement surface 31A facing the windshield, and the hood base 31 is provided with the cutout portion 31A through which the harness 52 can be inserted over the plate arrangement surface 31a2 and the lower surface 31L. The cutout 31L communicates with the edge of the hood base 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle sensor that recognizes the outside world of a vehicle through a transparent member. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, some vehicles, such as automobiles, are equipped with systems that avoid collisions with objects ahead or mitigate damage caused by collisions. In these types of vehicles, sensors such as cameras are installed on the passenger compartment side of the windshield to recognize the outside world. For example, the on-board camera unit described in Patent Document 1 includes an on-board camera, a hood, and a heater. Here, the hood is composed of a hood base that holds the on-board camera and a hood plate that covers the bottom surface of a recessed area above the hood base. The heater is disposed between the hood base and the hood plate and fixed within the hood. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-179002 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a heater is provided on the hood, as in Patent Document 1, the heater is supplied with power from a power source provided on the vehicle side. In this case, the heater is typically connected to the vehicle using a connector. In the vehicle-mounted camera unit of Patent Document 1, the heater is located on the top surface of the hood base, i.e., on the side of the hood base facing the windshield. In this case, the connector for connecting to the vehicle needs to be located on the bottom surface of the hood base. This raises the question of how to attach the heater module, which is composed of the heater, harness, and connector, to the hood base.

[0005] One installation method involves forming a small through-hole in the hood base through which the heater module harness can be inserted. In this case, after connecting the harness to the heater, the end of the harness is inserted through the through-hole, positioning the end of the harness on the underside of the hood base. A connector is then attached to the end of the harness on the underside of the hood base. This method requires the process of attaching the connector after assembling the heater to the hood base, which is inefficient.

[0006] One possible solution is to simply attach the completed heater module to the hood base. In this case, a large-area through-hole is formed in the hood base so that the connector can be inserted. Then, during the process of assembling the completed heater module to the hood base, the connector is inserted through the through-hole and positioned on the underside of the hood base. This method has the problem that, because a large through-hole is formed in the hood base, heat from the heater easily escapes through the through-hole, reducing the heater's heat generation efficiency. This problem can be addressed by covering the through-hole after inserting the connector, but this increases the number of manufacturing steps and costs.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the number of steps required for assembling a vehicle sensor that recognizes the outside world of the vehicle while suppressing a decrease in the heat generation efficiency of the heater. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The vehicle sensor of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a vehicle sensor that is arranged opposite a transparent member provided on a vehicle and recognizes the outside world of the vehicle through the transparent member, and is characterized in that it comprises a hood on which the sensor is mounted and a heater module, and the heater module has a heater body and a connector that is connected to the vehicle via a harness extending from the heater body, and the hood has a hood base that allows the heater body to be placed on the surface facing the transparent member, and the hood base is provided with a cutout portion that allows the harness to be inserted across the front and back surfaces, and the cutout portion is connected to an edge of the hood base.

[0009] The above-described vehicle sensor has a cutout portion formed in communication with the edge of the hood base. The cutout portion is configured to allow a harness to be inserted through both the front and rear surfaces of the hood base. With this configuration, when a completed heater module is formed, with a heater body connected to one end of the harness and a connector connected to the other end, the heater body can be disposed on the front surface of the hood base and the connector can be disposed on the rear surface of the hood base as follows. For example, when the heater body is disposed on the front surface of the hood base and the connector is disposed on the rear surface of the hood base, the harness can be drawn from the heater body on the front surface of the hood base, along the front surface, via the edge of the hood base, and to the rear surface of the hood base. In this case, the harness is inserted through the cutout portion as it is drawn to the edge of the hood base. After being inserted, the harness can be moved within the cutout portion of the hood base. Therefore, for example, if the cutout portion is formed from the edge of the hood base to the inside, the harness can be shifted inward from the edge of the hood base. Furthermore, this series of harness movement can be achieved by making the cutouts large enough to allow the harness to pass through. Therefore, the connector can be easily positioned on the back side of the hood base without forming a large-area through-hole through which the connector can be inserted. Furthermore, for example, by forming the cutouts small enough to allow the harness to pass through, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the heater's heat generation efficiency and to suppress a decrease in the rigidity of the hood base that would otherwise be caused by providing the cutouts. Furthermore, according to the configuration of the present invention, since there is no need to connect the connector later, as described above, to position the heater module connector on the back side of the hood base, the number of work steps can be reduced.

[0010] (2) The hood base may have a side surface extending in a direction intersecting the surface, and the cutout portion may extend along the boundary between the surface and the side surface.

[0011] In this way, the vehicle sensor of the present invention can maintain light-blocking properties on the sides of the hood compared to, for example, a configuration in which a notch is provided on the side of the hood base. Furthermore, because a notch is formed at the boundary between the surface and side of the hood base, the vehicle sensor of the present invention can easily guide the harness into the notch using the surface or side as a guide surface. This improves the ease of installation of the vehicle sensor of the present invention.

[0012] (3) The hood base may have a rear wall provided with an opening for exposing part or all of the sensor to the outside, and the cutout portion may be in communication with the opening.

[0013] In this way, the vehicle sensor of the present invention can utilize the opening for the sensor to guide the harness into the cutout portion, thereby improving workability when assembling the sensor into a vehicle.

[0014] (4) The cutout portion may be formed to a size that allows the harness to be inserted therethrough, but not allowing the connector to be inserted therethrough.

[0015] In this way, the vehicle sensor of the present invention can be sized so that the harness can be inserted through the cutout formed in the hood base when the hood is assembled to the vehicle with the heater module in a completed state. As a result, the vehicle sensor of the present invention can reduce the number of steps required for assembly to the vehicle while preventing a decrease in the heat generation efficiency of the heater.

[0016] (5) The cutout portion may have a linear first portion and a second portion formed to be wider than the first portion, and the second portion may be located farther from the edge of the hood base than the first portion.

[0017] In this way, since the second section is formed wider than the first section, the range of movement of the harness in the second section can be increased. In this case, the stress acting on the harness after it is placed in the second section of the notch can be reduced. In addition, since the harness can be freely pulled out between the first section and the second section, the degree of freedom in routing the harness 52 is improved.

[0018] (6) The hood may include a hood plate that covers the heater body disposed on the surface of the hood base, and the hood plate may close at least a portion of the cutout portion.

[0019] In this way, the vehicle sensor of the present invention can further suppress a decrease in the heat generation efficiency of the heater because at least a portion of the cutout is blocked by the hood plate. Also, the vehicle sensor of the present invention can suppress a decrease in the light blocking ability of the hood due to the provision of the cutout. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, in a vehicle camera sensor that recognizes the outside world of the vehicle, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the heat generation efficiency of the heater while reducing the number of work steps required for assembling the sensor to the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hood of a vehicle camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hood base that constitutes a part of the hood. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged view of region A in FIG. 3, illustrating a cutout portion formed in the hood base. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hood base as viewed from below. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the heater module attached to the food plate. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a heater module mounted on a hood. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hood with the heater module assembled thereto, as viewed from below. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the rear side; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, a vehicle camera device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] The vehicle camera device 1 of this embodiment is mounted as a sensor that recognizes an object present in front of a vehicle equipped with a driving assistance system, for example. The driving assistance system may have one or more of a system that activates an automatic brake to prevent a collision between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle or an obstacle or to reduce collision damage, a system (LKA: Lane Keeping Assist) that controls the steering angle to keep the vehicle within the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, a system (ACC: Adaptive Cruise Control) that causes the vehicle to travel by following a preceding vehicle, a system that assists steering when the vehicle is parking, and a system that monitors the driver's blind spot.

[0024] In this embodiment, among the horizontal directions parallel to the vehicle's traveling direction, the windshield side is defined as the front when viewed from the vehicle interior, and the rear glass side is defined as the rear. Furthermore, among the horizontal directions parallel to the vehicle width direction, the right side when viewed from the vehicle interior is defined as the right direction, and the left side is defined as the left direction. Furthermore, among the directions parallel to the vertical direction, the roof side is defined as the upper direction when viewed from the vehicle interior, and the road side is defined as the lower direction. Below, the above directions will be indicated as appropriate, and each component of the vehicle camera device 1 when attached to the vehicle will be described.

[0025] The vehicle camera device 1 is disposed in front of the vehicle's rearview mirror (in the direction of travel of the vehicle) and faces the upper center in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of a windshield (not shown) that is a light-transmitting member.

[0026] 1, the vehicle camera device 1 includes a camera body 20, a hood 30 attached to the camera body 20, and a bracket 40 that holds the camera body 20 and the hood 30. The bracket 40 is fixed to the passenger compartment side surface of the vehicle's windshield, thereby fixing the vehicle camera device 1 to the windshield.

[0027] 1 and 10, the camera body 20 has, for example, two cameras 21 (FIG. 1) and a camera housing 22 (FIG. 10). The cameras 21 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, with their lenses facing the windshield (forward). Furthermore, both cameras 21 are arranged so that their optical axes extend in the front-rear direction.

[0028] As shown in Figure 10, the camera housing 22 holds the cameras 21 spaced apart by the predetermined distance. An opening 22b for inserting a connector 22c is provided in the rear wall 22a of the camera housing 22. The connector 22c can be configured as a common connector on which multiple terminals for transmitting signals and supplying power to both cameras 21 are arranged. In the following, when it is necessary to distinguish between the two cameras 21, they will be referred to as the right camera 21a and the left camera 21b, and when no distinction is made, they will both be collectively referred to as the cameras 21.

[0029] (food) Hood 30 prevents light from below camera 21 from reflecting off the windshield and entering the lens, causing an image caused by that light to appear in an image captured by camera 21. As shown in Fig. 1, hood 30 is generally plate-shaped and extends forward and downward from the front of camera body 20. As shown in Fig. 2, hood 30 has a hood base 31 and a hood plate 32, and is detachably attached to bracket 40.

[0030] 3, the hood base 31 has a base portion 31a. The base portion 31a of the hood base 31 is generally plate-shaped and is disposed so that most of the upper surface 31a1 faces the windshield. The base portion 31a is formed to be wider in the left-right direction as it extends forward.

[0031] An area 31A where the hood plate 32 (FIG. 2) is placed is provided on the upper surface 31a1 of the base portion 31a of the hood base 31. A recess 31a3 is formed in this area 31A to accommodate a heater main body 51, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 6. The depth of the recess 31a3 is greater than the thickness of the heater main body 51. Hereinafter, the area 31A on the upper surface 31a1 of the base portion 31a where the hood plate 32 is placed will be referred to as the plate placement surface 31A.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the plate placement surface 31A has approximately the same external shape as the hood plate 32 (FIG. 2), and is formed to become wider in the left-right direction as it moves forward. A right side surface 31b is provided at the right end of the plate placement surface 31A, expanding in a direction intersecting the plate placement surface 31A. The right side surface 31b extends along the right end of the plate placement surface 31A. A plate-shaped flange portion 31g1 is formed at the upper end of the right side surface 31b. The flange portion 31g1 is bent at approximately 90 degrees from the right side surface 31b so as to protrude outward from the plate placement surface 31A when viewed from above.

[0033] A left side surface 31c is provided at the left end of the plate placement surface 31A, expanding in a direction intersecting the plate placement surface 31A. The left side surface 31c extends along the left end of the plate placement surface 31A. A flange portion 31g2 similar to the right flange portion 31g1 is formed at the upper end of the left side surface 31c.

[0034] A right middle side surface 31e is provided at the rear end of the plate placement surface 31A so as to face the right side surface 31b. The right middle side surface 31e is provided so that its rear end is located at the rear end of the base portion 31a and its front end is located between the front and rear ends of the plate placement surface 31A in the front-to-rear direction. When viewed from above, the right side surface 31b and the right middle side surface 31e become wider toward the front. The angle between the right side surface 31b and the right middle side surface 31e when viewed from above can be set according to the angle of view of the right camera 21a.

[0035] Further, at the rear end of the plate placement surface 31A, a left middle side surface 31f is provided so as to face the left side surface 31c, similar to the right middle side surface 31e facing the right side surface 31b.

[0036] 3, a rear wall 31d is provided at the rear end of the base portion 31a. Claws 31h are formed in the center of the rear wall 31d in the left-right direction and are aligned in a line in the left-right direction. The claws 31h protrude rearward from the rear wall 31d.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, the right camera 21a is exposed on the rear wall 31d so as to face the outside world. The right opening 31i1 is formed, and the left opening 31i2 is formed to expose the left camera 21b.

[0038] The right opening 31i1 is formed by the rear edge of the right side surface 31b, the rear edge of the plate placement surface 31A, and the rear edge of the right middle side surface 31e, and is open upward. The lens of the right camera 21a is disposed in the right opening 31i1. This allows the right camera 21a, to which the hood 30 is attached, to recognize the outside world through the right opening 31i1.

[0039] The left opening 31i2 is formed by the rear edge of the left side surface 31c, the rear edge of the plate placement surface 31A, and the rear edge of the left middle side surface 31f, and is open upward. As a result, like the right opening 31i1, the left camera 21b equipped with the hood 30 can recognize the outside world through the left opening 31i2.

[0040] 3 and 4, a cutout portion 31L that penetrates the base portion 31a in the vertical direction is formed at the left end of the plate placement surface 31A of the hood base 31. The cutout portion 31L has a linear portion 31L1 and a portion 31L2 that is wider than the linear portion 31L1 (FIG. 4). Hereinafter, the portion 31L1 will be referred to as the linear portion 31L1, and the portion 31L2 will be referred to as the wide portion 31L2.

[0041] The linear portion 31L1 extends along the boundary between the plate placement surface 31A and the left side surface 31c. One end of the linear portion 31L1 is connected to the rear edge of the base portion 31a, and the other end is connected to the wide portion 31L2. One end of the linear portion 31L1 reaches the left opening 31i2 located at the rear end of the base portion 31a, and the left opening 31i2 is connected to the cutout portion 31L.

[0042] The wide portion 31L2 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above and is connected to the other end of the linear portion 31L1. The wide portion 31L2 is located farther from the edge of the hood base 31 than the linear portion 31L1. The width (width in the short direction) of the linear portion 31L1 is larger than the width (diameter) of the harness 52 of the heater module 50, allowing the harness 52 to move from one end of the linear portion 31L1 toward the wide portion 31L2.

[0043] Of the sides of the wide portion 31L2, the length of one side connected to the other end of the linear portion 31L1 is longer than the width (width in the short direction) of the linear portion 31L1, so that the wide portion 31L2 is wider than the linear portion 31L1.

[0044] The linear portion 31L1 and the wide portion 31L2 of the cutout portion 31L are both formed to a size that allows the harness 52 of the heater module 50 (Figure 6) to be inserted therethrough, but are formed to a size that does not allow the connector 53 to be inserted therethrough.

[0045] The shape of the wide portion 31L2 is not limited to a rectangle and can be changed as appropriate. For example, it can be a circle, a triangle, a pentagon, or a polygon with more sides. In this case, it is preferable that the shortest width of the wide portion 31L2 is greater than the line width of the linear portion 31L1.

[0046] The position of the linear portion 31L1 can also be changed as appropriate. For example, the linear portion 31L1 can be formed on the left side surface 31c or the plate mounting surface 31A. The linear portion 31L1 can also be formed along the boundary between the plate mounting surface 31A and the right side surface 31b. In this case, the wide portion 31L2 can also be formed on the right end of the plate mounting surface 31A, with one end of the linear portion 31L1 communicating with the rear edge of the plate mounting surface 31A and the other end connected to the wide portion 31L2.

[0047] The shape of the cutout 31L can also be changed. For example, the lower end of the wall surface on one side of the width direction of the cutout 31L (for example, the short direction of the linear portion 31L1) of the cutout 31L can be bent inward of the cutout 31L, so that the cutout 31L has a wall surface with a hook-shaped cross section. In this case, it is preferable to form a gap between the part of the wall surface on one side that is bent inward of the cutout 31L and the lower surface 31a2 of the base portion 31a, through which the harness 52 can be inserted.

[0048] 5, locking pieces 31j that are locked to the locking structures of the bracket 40 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the lower surface 31a2 of the base portion 31a of the hood base 31. The locking pieces 31j each protrude rearward from the rear end edge of the lower surface 31a2.

[0049] Engagement pieces 31k1, 31k2 are provided on both left and right ends of the underside 31a2 of the base portion 31a so as to extend outward from the underside 31a2 and overlap with the corresponding right flange portions 31g1, 31g2. The engagement pieces 31k1, 31k2 and the flange portions 31g1, 31g2 are arranged substantially parallel to each other, and the distance between the flange portions 31g1, 31g2 and the engagement pieces 31k1, 31k2 is slightly wider than the thickness of the engaged pieces (right engaged piece 40c2, left engaged piece 40c4) of the bracket 40, which will be described later. This allows the engaged pieces (right engaged piece 40c2, left engaged piece 40c4) of the hood base 31 to be positioned between the flange portions 31g1, 31g2 and the engagement pieces 31k1, 31k2.

[0050] 2, hood plate 32 is plate-shaped and is placed on plate placement surface 31A of hood base 31 to cover plate placement surface 31A. As a result, upper surface 32a1 of hood plate 32 faces the windshield. Food plate 32 can be made of a metal such as Al (aluminum).

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface 32a1 of the food plate 32 is covered with an anti-reflection film 32b having substantially the same shape as the food plate 32.

[0052] A double-sided tape 32c having substantially the same shape as the food plate 32 is attached to the lower surface 32a2 of the food plate 32.

[0053] Furthermore, food plate 32 overlaps cutout portion 31L of food base 31 when viewed from above. Therefore, when food plate 32 covers plate placement surface 31A of food base 31, the upper part of cutout portion 31L is blocked. Note that food plate 32 may not have a portion that overlaps cutout portion 31L when viewed from above. Food plate 32 may also be configured so that a portion overlaps cutout portion 31L.

[0054] (heater module) As shown in FIG. 6, the heater module 50 includes a heater body 51, a harness 52, and a connector 53.

[0055] The heater main body 51 is plate-shaped and is connected to one end of a harness 52. The heater main body 51 functions as a heat generating part when power is supplied to it via the harness 52. The other end of the harness 52 is connected to a connector 53. The connector 53 is connected to the vehicle's power line. This allows power to be supplied to the heater main body 51 from the vehicle side via the harness 52, causing the heater main body 51 to generate heat. The connector 53 is detachably fixed to a predetermined position on the bracket 40.

[0056] As described above, double-sided tape 32c (FIG. 2) is attached to substantially the entire underside 32a2 of food plate 32, and heater body 51 is attached to double-sided tape 32c. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, heater body 51 is attached to underside 32a2 of food plate 32. Food plate 32 is also fixed to plate placement surface 31A of base part 31a of hood base 31 by double-sided tape 32c on underside 32a2. At this time, heater body 51 is placed in recess 31a3 formed in base part 31a of hood base 31. As a result, plate placement surface 31A of food plate 32 remains flat without forming irregularities corresponding to the thickness of heater body 51.

[0057] The positional relationship between hood 30 with hood plate 32 attached to hood base 31 and heater main body 51 is as shown in Figure 7. That is, from bottom to top, these are the lower surface of hood base 31 (lower surface 31a2 of base part 31a), the upper surface of hood base 31 (upper surface 31a1 of base part 31a), heater main body 51, double-sided tape 32c, hood plate 32, and anti-reflection film 32b.

[0058] 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the hood 30 with the heater module 50 assembled, and shows the hood plate 32, heater body 51, double-sided tape 32c, and anti-reflection film 32b in a schematic manner, so the thickness relationships between them may differ from the actual ones.

[0059] In this embodiment, the case where double-sided tape 32c is attached so as to cover substantially the entire underside 32a2 of food plate 32 has been described as an example, but this is not limiting. For example, double-sided tape 32c may be attached so as to cover only a portion of underside 32a2 of food plate 32. In this case, it is advisable to adjust the attachment area and attachment position of double-sided tape 32c so that the adhesive strength between food plate 32 and food base 31, and the adhesive strength between food plate 32 and heater body 51 are each desired values.

[0060] (bracket) The bracket 40 is attached to the interior side of the windshield with double-sided tape (not shown) or adhesive resin provided on the upper surface 40a1, thereby fixing the vehicle camera device 1 to the windshield.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 8, the bracket 40 has a main body 40a formed in a substantially plate shape, and a through-hole 40b for arranging the camera 21 in the center thereof.

[0062] The front portion of the main body portion 40a of the bracket 40 is cut out to form a hood placement portion 40c for placing the hood 30 therein.

[0063] A right-side restriction wall 40c1 and a right-side engagement piece 40c2 are formed at the right end of the hood mounting portion 40c. The right-side restriction wall 40c1 is bent downward from the upper surface 40a1 of the main body 40a. The right-side restriction wall 40c1 extends along the right edge of the hood mounting portion 40c. The right-side engagement piece 40c2 is bent horizontally from the lower end of the right-side restriction wall 40c1 toward the inside of the hood mounting portion 40c.

[0064] Similar to the right end portion, a left restriction wall 40c3 and a left engaged piece 40c4 are formed on the left end portion of the hood placement portion 40c.

[0065] The hood mounting portion 40c is formed to become wider toward the front side, similar to the hood base 31, so that the hood 30 can be mounted on the bracket 40.

[0066] 8, insertion holes 40d for inserting the claws 31h formed on the hood base 31 are formed in the main body 40a of the bracket 40 at the center in the left-right direction and adjacent to the hood arrangement portion 40c in the front-rear direction. The insertion holes 40d are provided side by side on the left and right to correspond to the two claws 31h.

[0067] 10, the bracket 40 is provided with locking claws 40e on both the left and right sides of the camera body 20 for holding the camera body 20 from below. The bracket 40 is formed with a locking structure (not shown) for locking the locking pieces 31j formed on the hood base 31.

[0068] (Method of assembling the vehicle camera device 1) The vehicle camera device 1 is assembled, for example, as follows. First, double-sided tape is attached to the underside 32a2 of the hood plate 32, and then the heater body 51 is attached to a predetermined position on the underside 32a2. Then, a harness 52 having a connector 53 connected to the other end is prepared, and one end of the harness 52 is joined to the heater body 51 by, for example, soldering, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 6. Note that the joining of one end of the harness 52 to the heater body 51 does not have to be performed in a state in which the heater body 51 is attached to the underside 32a2 of the hood plate 32. The heater body 51 may be attached to the underside 32a2 of the hood plate 32 in an assembled state (completed state) in which one end of the harness 52 and the heater body 51 are joined.

[0069] Next, the hood plate 32 is attached to the plate placement surface 31A of the base portion 31a of the hood base 31. At this time, the other end (connector 53 side) of the harness 52 is pulled out from the left opening 31i2 for the left camera 21b to the rear outside of the hood base 31. Next, while the harness 52 is in contact with the plate placement surface 31A of the base portion 31a of the hood base 31, it is slid toward the left side surface 31c, and the harness 52 is inserted through the entrance (rear end of the linear portion 31L1) of the cutout portion 31L, and the harness 52 is moved to the wide portion 31L2.

[0070] At this time, the harness 52 is pulled out from the heater main body 51 in a direction parallel to the plate placement surface 31A of the base portion 31a of the hood base 31. When the harness 52 reaches the wide portion 31L2, the harness 52 is bent downward by approximately 90° at the position of the wide portion 31L2 and pulled out to the underside 31a2 of the hood base 31, as shown in FIG. 9 . After being pulled out to the underside of the hood base 31, the harness 52 is bent so as to approach the horizontal direction and pulled out to the fixing position of the bracket 40 of the connector 53. This allows the connector 53 of the heater module 50 to be positioned on the underside 31a2 of the base portion 31a of the hood base 31, even when the heater module 50 is attached to the hood 30 in a completed (assembled) state.

[0071] The completed hood 30 with heater module 50 is attached to the bracket 40, for example, as follows: First, the hood base 31 is placed in front of the hood placement portion 40c of the bracket 40, and the right-side engaged piece 40c2 of the bracket 40 is positioned between the right-side flange portion 31g1 of the hood base 31 and the right-side engaging piece 31k1, and the left-side engaged piece 40c4 of the bracket 40 is positioned between the left-side flange portion 31g2 of the hood base 31 and the left-side engaging piece 31k2. The hood 30 is then slid toward the bracket 40. At this time, the right-side engaged piece 40c2 and the left-side engaged piece 40c4 of the bracket 40 function as guide plates. As the hood 30 is slid, the rear wall 31d of the hood base 31 abuts against the bracket 40.

[0072] At this time, the claws 31h of the hood base 31 are inserted into the insertion holes 40d of the bracket 40, and the locking pieces 31j of the hood base 31 are locked by the locking structure of the bracket 40. In this way, the hood 30 is attached to the bracket 40.

[0073] 10, when camera body 20 and hood 30 are attached to bracket 40, connector 22c of camera body 20 and connector 53 of heater module 50 are arranged so that their vertical height positions and front-to-rear positions are approximately the same. In this case, the workability is improved when connecting connector 53 to the vehicle's power supply line and when connecting connector 22c to the vehicle's signal line.

[0074] Furthermore, the connector 53 is fixed to the bracket 40 at a position that is approximately the same height (vertical height) as the notch 31L of the hood base 31 and close to the notch 31L in the left-right direction. This arrangement shortens the wiring length of the harness 52. Furthermore, the harness 52 can be pulled out to the connector 53 without bending it as much as possible. This arrangement reduces the load acting on the harness 52 when the vehicle vibrates.

[0075] (Action and effect) The above is one embodiment of the vehicle camera device 1 of the present invention. Next, the effects achieved by the vehicle camera device 1 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0076] The above-described vehicle camera device 1 has the following characteristic configuration: Therefore, the vehicle camera device 1 can achieve the following unique effects that cannot be achieved by conventional techniques.

[0077] (a) The vehicle camera device 1 of the present invention is a vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) that is arranged opposite a transparent member (windshield) provided on a vehicle and recognizes the outside world of the vehicle through the transparent member (windshield), and is equipped with a hood 30 to which the sensor is attached, and a heater module 50, the heater module 50 having a heater main body 51 and a connector 53 that is connected to the vehicle via a harness 52 extending from the heater main body 51, the hood 30 having a hood base 31 that can arrange the heater main body 51 on its surface (plate arrangement surface 31A) facing the transparent member (windshield), the hood base 31 having a cutout portion 31L that can insert the harness 52 across the surface (plate arrangement surface 31A) and back surface (lower surface 31a2), and the cutout portion 31L is connected to an edge of the hood base 31.

[0078] The vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention is formed with a cutout portion 31L that communicates with an edge of the hood base 31, and the cutout portion 31L is configured to allow a harness 52 to be inserted across the front surface (plate arrangement surface 31A) and back surface (lower surface 31a2) of the hood base 31. With this configuration, in a state where the heater module 50 is completed with the heater main body 51 connected to one end of the harness 52 and the connector 53 connected to the other end, the heater main body 51 can be arranged on the front surface side (plate arrangement surface 31A side) of the hood base 31 and the connector 53 on the back surface side (lower surface 31a2 side) of the hood base 31, as follows. For example, when the heater body 51 is disposed on the front side (plate mounting surface 31A side) of the hood base 31 and the connector 53 is disposed on the back side (lower surface 31a2 side) of the hood base 31, the harness 52 can be drawn from the heater body 51 on the front side (plate mounting surface 31A) of the hood base 31, along the front side (plate mounting surface 31A), via the edge of the hood base 31, and out to the back side (lower surface 31a2 side) of the hood base 31. In this case, the harness 52 is inserted into the cutout portion 31L as it is drawn out to the edge of the hood base 31. After insertion, the harness 52 becomes movable within the cutout portion 31L of the hood base 31. Therefore, for example, if the cutout portion 31L is formed from the edge of the hood base 31 to the inside, the harness 52 can be shifted inward from the edge of the hood base 31. Furthermore, this series of movements of the harness 52 can be realized if the cutout portion 31L is large enough to allow the harness 52 to pass through. Therefore, the connector 53 can be easily disposed on the back surface side (lower surface 31a2 side) of the hood base 31 without forming a large through-hole through which the connector 53 can be inserted. Furthermore, for example, by forming the cutout portion 31L small enough to allow the harness 52 to pass through, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the heat generation efficiency of the heater (heater module 50) and to suppress a decrease in the rigidity of the hood base 31 caused by providing the cutout portion 31L.Furthermore, according to the configuration of the present invention, when the connector 53 of the heater module 50 is placed on the back side (lower surface 31a2 side) of the hood base 31, as described above, there is no need to connect the connector 53 later, thereby reducing the amount of work required.

[0079] (b) The vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention has a side (left side 31c) that extends in a direction intersecting the surface (plate placement surface 31A) of the hood base 31, and the cutout portion 31L preferably extends along the boundary between the surface (plate placement surface 31A) and the side (left side 31c).

[0080] In this way, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention can maintain light-blocking properties on the sides of the hood 30, compared to a configuration in which, for example, the cutout 31L is provided on the side surface (left side surface 31c) of the hood base 31. Furthermore, because the cutout 31L is formed at the boundary between the plate placement surface 31A and the side surface (left side surface 31c) of the hood base 31, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention can use the plate placement surface 31A or the side surface (left side surface 31c) as a guide surface. This allows the harness 52 to be easily guided into the cutout 31L even if the opening of the cutout 31L (one end of the linear portion 31L1) is narrow. Therefore, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention improves workability when assembling the vehicle. Furthermore, by arranging cutout portion 31L at the end of hood 30 away from heater main body 51, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention can reduce heat loss of the heater (heater main body 51). Furthermore, because cutout portion 31L is arranged at the end of hood 30, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention does not get in the way when fixing camera main body 20 to bracket 40, improving workability when assembling to a vehicle.

[0081] (c) The hood base has a rear wall 31d provided with an opening 31i2 that exposes part or all of the sensor (left camera 21b) to the outside world, and the cutout portion 31L is preferably connected to the opening 31i2.

[0082] In this way, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention can utilize the opening 31i2 for the sensor (left side camera 21b) to guide the harness 52 to the cutout portion 31L, thereby improving workability when assembling it to the vehicle.

[0083] (d) The cutout portion 31L may be formed to a size that allows the harness 52 to be inserted therethrough, but not allowing the connector 53 to be inserted therethrough.

[0084] In this way, when the hood 30 is assembled to the vehicle with the heater module 50 completed, the cutout portion 31L formed in the hood base 31 can be made small enough in area to allow the harness 52 to pass through. As a result, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention can reduce the number of steps required for assembly to the vehicle while preventing a decrease in the heat generation efficiency of the heater (heater main body 51).

[0085] (e) The cutout portion 31L has a linear first portion (linear portion 31L1) and a second portion (wide portion 31L2) formed to be wider than the first portion (linear portion 31L1), and the second portion (wide portion 31L2) is preferably located farther from the edge of the hood base 31 than the first portion (linear portion 31L1).

[0086] In this way, in the vehicle sensor of the present invention, the wide portion 31L2 is formed wider than the linear portion 31L1, so that the movable range of the harness 52 can be increased in the wide portion 31L2. In this case, it is possible to reduce stress acting on the harness 52 after the harness 52 is housed in the wide portion 31L2 of the cutout portion 31L. Furthermore, in the vehicle sensor of the present invention, the harness 52 can be freely drawn out between the linear portion 31L1 and the wide portion 31L2, so that the degree of freedom in routing the harness 52 is improved.

[0087] (f) The hood 30 includes a hood plate 32 that covers the heater body 51 arranged on the surface (plate arrangement surface 31A) of the hood base 31, and the hood plate 32 preferably blocks at least a portion of the cutout portion 31L.

[0088] In this way, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention can further suppress a decrease in the heat generation efficiency of the heater (heater main body 51) because at least a portion of the cutout portion 31L is blocked by the hood plate 32. Furthermore, the vehicle sensor (vehicle camera device 1) of the present invention can also suppress a decrease in the light-blocking ability of the hood 30 caused by providing the cutout portion 31L.

[0089] The above are the effects of the vehicle camera device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, but the vehicle camera device of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways. That is, the above-described vehicle camera device 1 merely illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration can be appropriately changed, omitted, or added within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. That is, the vehicle camera device 1 can be one that does not include some or all of the configurations related to (a) to (f) above, one that includes other configurations, or one that realizes the configurations related to (a) to (f) above differently from those exemplified in the above embodiment, within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0090] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cutout portion 31L is configured such that the other end of the linear portion 31L1 is connected to the wide portion 31L2. However, another portion may be provided between the linear portion 31L1 and the wide portion 31L2. For example, a narrow portion having a width smaller than the width (width in the short direction) of the linear portion 31L1 may be provided between the linear portion 31L1 and the wide portion 31L2. This makes it difficult for the harness 52 to return to the linear portion 31L1 after being placed in the wide portion 31L2.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the cutout portion 31L is configured with the linear portion 31L1 and the wide portion 31L2, but it may be configured with only the linear portion 31L1. In this way, the cutout portion 31L can be made smaller, which can prevent a decrease in the heating efficiency of the heater caused by providing the cutout portion 31L in the hood base 31 and also prevent a decrease in rigidity.

[0092] Furthermore, although the hood 30 according to this embodiment has been described as a hood for the camera 21, it can also be used for various sensors that recognize the outside world, such as millimeter-wave radar and laser radar. In this case, when millimeter-wave radar is used, the above-mentioned transparent member may be a radio wave transparent member such as a resin member that transmits millimeter waves.

[0093] The above is an embodiment of the vehicle camera device 1 according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the examples given in the above-described embodiments, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims and the teachings and spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0094] The present invention can be suitably used in general vehicle sensors that recognize the outside world of the vehicle through a transparent member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1: Vehicle camera device (vehicle sensor) 21: Camera (sensor) 30: Food 31: Food Base 31A: Plate placement surface 31c: Left side (side) 31d: Back wall 31i2 :Opening 31L: Notch 31L1: Linear area 31L2: Wide area 32: Food plate 50: Heater module 51: Heater body 52: Harness 53: Connector

Claims

1. A vehicle sensor that is arranged opposite a transparent member provided in a vehicle and recognizes the outside world of the vehicle through the transparent member, a hood on which the sensor is attached; a heater module; It is equipped with The heater module includes: A heater body; a connector connected to the vehicle via a harness extending from the heater body; and the hood has a hood base on which the heater body can be disposed on a surface facing the transparent member, The hood base is provided with a cutout portion through which the harness can be inserted across the front and back surfaces, The sensor for a vehicle, wherein the cutout portion communicates with an edge of the hood base.

2. a side surface extending in a direction transverse to the surface of the hood base; The vehicle sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the notch extends along a boundary between the front surface and the side surface.

3. the hood base has a rear wall provided with an opening for exposing a part or all of the sensor to the outside world; The vehicle sensor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notch communicates with the opening.

4. 3. The vehicle sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portion is formed to a size that allows the harness to be inserted therethrough, but is formed to a size that does not allow the connector to be inserted therethrough.

5. The cutout portion has a linear first portion and a second portion formed to be wider than the first portion, The second portion is larger than the first portion. The vehicle sensor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensor is located at a position away from the edge of the hood base.

6. the hood includes a hood plate that covers the heater body disposed on the surface of the hood base; The vehicle sensor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hood plate closes at least a part of the notch.

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