Radome structure for vehicle-mounted radar device and its manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a radome structure for an in-vehicle radar device that can reduce the manufacturing cost of a radome structure with a snow melting function, by simplifying a connection structure and a waterproof structure of a connection part which electrically connects a heater line and a power supply line of a radome to each other.SOLUTION: In the radome structure for an in-vehicle radar device, a planar heat generator 2 is deposited and fixed to a base material 1 of a radome, a local recessed part 3 is provided to protrude from the base material 1, a connector 4 which electrically connects an electrode of a heater line 21 of the planar heat generator 2 and a power supply line 5 for the planar heat generator 2 to each other is contained in the recessed part 3, and an insulating resin 6 is filled in the recessed part 3 to bury and seal the connector 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a radome for an on-vehicle radar device provided in front of the on-vehicle radar device, and more particularly to a radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device having a snow melting function and a manufacturing method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as a radome for an in-vehicle radar device, a radome that exerts a snow melting function while ensuring the necessary electromagnetic wave transparency is known. This snow melting radome is generally formed by adhering a sheet heating element such as a resin film with a heater wire wired thereon to a substrate. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose such a radome in which a sheet heating element is adhered to the rear side of a front substrate of an intermediate molded body composed of a transparent member, a decorative layer, and a front substrate, and a rear substrate is fixed to the rear side of the sheet heating element of the intermediate molded body to which the sheet heating element is adhered, by welding or insert molding.

[0003] In the radomes of Patent Documents 1 and 2, a waterproof connector that is connected to both electrodes of a heater wire wired to a planar heating element is exposed to the rear of the rear substrate, and a vehicle-side connector that is introduced from the vehicle side via a cable is connected to this waterproof connector from the rear side so that power is supplied to the heater wire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-66705 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-66706 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, the radome for the on-vehicle radar device in Patent Documents 1 and 2 has a structure in which the waterproof connector of the heater wire exposed to the rear of the rear base material is mechanically and electrically connected to the vehicle-side connector to supply power, but this structure alone is not sufficient to ensure the required waterproofing when washing the vehicle, in rainy weather, etc. That is, in order to actually mount this structure on a vehicle and ensure the required waterproofing, in addition to making the heater wire-side connector a waterproof connector with a waterproof structure, it is necessary to waterproof the joint between the heater wire-side connector and the vehicle-side connector using a separate waterproof member.

[0006] In this way, if a waterproof connector with a waterproof structure is used for the connector on the heater wire side, and if a separate waterproof material is used to waterproof the connection point between the heater wire side connector and the vehicle side connector, the cost of waterproofing the radome increases, which creates the disadvantage of increasing the manufacturing cost of the radome.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a radome structure for an on-board radar device and a manufacturing method thereof that can simplify the connection structure and waterproof structure of the connection part that electrically connects the heater wire and power supply line of the radome, and reduce the manufacturing cost of the radome structure with a snow-melting function. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of the present invention is a radome base material that is not a film having extensibility and that constitutes a heat generating member. The same as the viewing side where the appearance of the radome for the vehicle-mounted radar device is visible. A sheet heating element is laminated and fixed to the back surface on the side opposite to the viewing side, and a pocket-shaped local heating element is formed by a member protruding from the radome base material. insulation The present invention is characterized in that a recess for filling with resin is provided, a connector that electrically connects the electrode of the sheet heating element and a power supply line to the sheet heating element is housed in the recess, and the recess is filled with insulating resin so as to embed and seal the connector. This not only uses a waterproof connector with a waterproof structure for the heater wire connector, but also eliminates the need to waterproof the joint between the heater wire connector and the vehicle connector using a separate waterproof member. In other words, it simplifies the connection structure and waterproof structure of the connection part that electrically connects the heater wire and the power supply line of the radome, and reduces the manufacturing cost of the radome structure with snow melting function.

[0009] The radome structure for an automotive radar device of the present invention is characterized in that the sheet heating element is laminated and fixed to the back surface of the radome base material on the side opposite the viewing side, and the recessed member is arranged so as to protrude from the back surface of the radome base material to the side opposite the viewing side, or so as to protrude laterally from the side end face of the radome base material. This makes it possible to prevent the recess from protruding toward the viewing side where the appearance of the radome for the automotive radar device is viewed, thereby ensuring the aesthetic appearance of the radome for the automotive radar device and improving the design freedom of the appearance of the radome for the automotive radar device.

[0010] The radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of the present invention is characterized in that the recess is arranged at a position outside an electromagnetic wave irradiation area of ​​the radome base material by the on-vehicle radar device. This prevents the recess of the radome, the connecting body housed in the recess, and the insulating resin filled in the recess from interfering with the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves from the vehicle-mounted radar device, thereby ensuring the desired transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves from the vehicle-mounted radar device.

[0011] The manufacturing method of the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of the present invention is a method for manufacturing the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of the present invention, which comprises forming a pocket-shaped local radome structure by a member protruding from a radome base material. For filling with insulating resinThe method is characterized by comprising a first step of accommodating in a recess a connector that electrically connects an electrode of a sheet-shaped heating element to be laminated and fixed to the radome base material and a power supply line to the sheet-shaped heating element, and a second step of transporting the radome base material with the open side of the recess containing the connector facing upward, and filling the recess with insulating resin during transport in this state to embed and seal the connector. According to this, the radome base material is transported with the open side of the recess that houses the connector facing upward, and the insulating resin is filled into the recess that opens upward, thereby preventing leakage of the insulating resin in a fluid state without the need for special leakage prevention treatment. Furthermore, by maintaining the recess open upward even after the insulating resin in a fluid state is injected into the recess, the insulating resin can be hardened over time during transportation while preventing leakage of the insulating resin in a fluid state. Therefore, a radome structure that combines a waterproof structure and a snow-melting structure can be manufactured very efficiently, and since no special leakage prevention treatment is required, the manufacturing cost of the radome structure can be further reduced.

[0012] The method for manufacturing a radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of the present invention includes the steps of: The method includes a first step of accommodating a connector that electrically connects an electrode of a sheet heating element to be laminated and fixed to the radome base material and a power supply line to the sheet heating element in a pocket-shaped local recess for filling with insulating resin, the local recess being provided by a member protruding from the radome base material; and a second step of transporting the radome base material with the open side of the recess containing the connector facing upward, and filling the recess with insulating resin during transport in this state to embed and seal the connector. In the first step, the sheet heating element, the power supply line to the sheet heating element, and the sheet heating element are accommodated in a first recess for filling with insulating resin. The present invention uses an intermediate structure in which an electrode of the sheet heating element is fixed to the connecting body, electrically connecting the electrode of the sheet heating element to the connecting body, and a terminal of the power supply line is fixed to the connecting body, electrically connecting the terminal of the power supply line to the connecting body, and the sheet heating element of the intermediate structure is laminated and fixed to the radome base material, and the connecting body of the intermediate structure is fixed to a member protruding from the radome base material for locally filling with insulating resin. The device is characterized in that it is housed in the recess. According to this, by using an intermediate structure composed of a sheet heating element, a power supply line, and a connector therefor, and by housing the connector of this intermediate structure in a recess in the radome base material, it is possible to eliminate the need for electrically connecting the sheet heating element and the connector in a narrow space within a local recess, and the need for electrically connecting the power supply line and the connector, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and achieving further efficiency. Furthermore, when solder or the like is used to electrically connect the sheet heating element and the connector, or the power supply line and the connector, and the connection work is performed within the recess, there is a possibility that a problem will arise in which the synthetic resin constituting the radome base material or the synthetic resin constituting the local recess will melt, for example, but by housing the connector of the intermediate structure in the recess in the radome base material, it is possible to prevent deformation or defects in the shape caused by the synthetic resin melting. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the radome structure for an automotive radar device of the present invention, the connection structure and waterproof structure of the connection part that electrically connects the heater wire and power supply line of the radome can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost of the radome structure with snow-melting function can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the radome structure for the vehicle-mounted radar device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an on-vehicle radar structure to which a radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device according to an embodiment is applied; [Figure 4] An enlarged portion of the radome in Figure 3. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5D are process explanatory diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a partial side view of a radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] [Radome structure for vehicle-mounted radar device according to embodiment and manufacturing method thereof] The radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electromagnetic wave transparent substrate 1 corresponding to a radome substrate, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The substrate 1 may be made of any suitable material within the scope of the present invention, such as synthetic resin, glass, ceramics, etc., and is preferably made of an insulating synthetic resin. When the substrate 1 is made of an insulating synthetic resin, the material may be any suitable material within the applicable scope, and may be, for example, one of acrylic resins such as acrylonitrile-ethylene propyl rubber-styrene copolymer (AES) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA), polypropylene (PP), etc., used alone or in combination of two or more thereof, and may contain an additive.

[0016] The sheet heating element 2 is laminated and fixed to the substrate 1, and in this embodiment, the sheet heating element 2 is laminated and fixed to the back surface 11 of the substrate 1 opposite to the viewing side. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sheet heating element 2 is configured by fixing the heater wire 21 to the back surface side of the insulating film 22, and the insulating film 22 is fixed to the back surface 11 of the substrate 1 by adhesion, welding, double-sided tape, or the like. In the configuration in which the heater wire 21 is provided on the back surface side of the insulating film 22, the insulating film 22 ensures insulation, and is suitable for preventing conduction of the decorative layer 71 even when, for example, an electromagnetic wave-transmitting metal part 711 is provided in the decorative layer 71 of the radome of the emblem. In other words, regardless of the configuration of the decorative layer, conduction of the decorative layer due to current flow to the heater wire 21 can be prevented, and a decrease in electromagnetic wave transmittance due to the conduction of the decorative layer can be reliably prevented. Incidentally, it is also preferable to arrange the heater wire 21 so as to be placed on the front side (substrate 1 side) of the insulating film 22 or to arrange the heater wire 21 so as to be embedded in the insulating film 22, as necessary.

[0017] The heater wire 21 is wired along the back surface 11 of the substrate 1, and is wired so as to spread over almost the entire surface of the substrate 1 or almost the entire surface of the electromagnetic wave irradiation region of the substrate 1. The heater wire 21 in the illustrated example is wired in a meandering manner, but other wiring modes such as wiring in a concentric circle are also suitable. The heater wire 21 can be made of an appropriate applicable material such as nichrome wire, iron chromium, copper, silver, carbon fiber, or a transparent conductive film such as an ITO film. The insulating film 22 can be made of an appropriate applicable material that is insulating and electromagnetic wave transmissive, and is preferably made of an insulating synthetic resin such as polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polyimide (PI).

[0018] The substrate 1 is provided with a local recess 3 by a member protruding from the substrate 1, and in this embodiment, the local recess 3 is provided by a member protruding from the back surface 11 of the substrate 1 on the side opposite to the viewing side to the side opposite to the viewing side. The local recess 3 is arranged near the outer periphery of the back surface 11 of the substrate 1 in order to expand the electromagnetic wave irradiation area in which good electromagnetic wave transmittance can be ensured as much as possible, and the local recess 3 in this embodiment is arranged at a position outside the electromagnetic wave irradiation area R of the substrate 1 by the vehicle-mounted radar device 100. The recess 3 is formed in a pocket shape, and the bottom side is closed by the bottom 31, and the four sides are surrounded by the peripheral wall 32 and the substrate 1, and the ceiling is formed so as to be open. It is preferable that the recess 3 or the member constituting the recess 3 is formed integrally with the substrate 1 and formed on the back surface 11 of the substrate 1, but it is also preferable that an intermediate member composed of the bottom 31 and the peripheral wall 32 is fixed to the back surface 11 of the substrate 1 by adhesion or riveting.

[0019] The recess 3 houses a connector 4 that electrically connects the electrodes of the sheet heating element 2 and a power supply line 5 to the sheet heating element 2. The heater wire 21 of the sheet heating element 2 is fixed to an insulating film 22 and introduced into the connector 4, with both electrodes exposed at positions adjacent to the connector 4 and electrically connected to the connector 4. The power supply line 5 that supplies power to the heater wire 21 is covered with a waterproof insulating coating such as a wire harness, introduced into the connector 4, and a terminal exposed at a position adjacent to the connector 4 is electrically connected to the connector 4.

[0020] The recess 3 is filled with insulating resin 6 and cured, and the connector 4 is entirely embedded and sealed in the insulating resin 6. The connector 4, both electrodes of the exposed heater wire 21 electrically connected to the connector 4, and the exposed terminal of the power supply line 5 electrically connected to the connector 4 are all embedded and sealed in the insulating resin 6, ensuring waterproofing of the heater wire 21 and power supply line 5 of the sheet heating element 2 via the connector 4.

[0021] The radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of this embodiment is suitable for use as, for example, an emblem for a front grille or a bumper mounted on a vehicle. Figures 3 and 4 show an example of an on-vehicle radar structure in which an emblem-shaped radome 10 is formed using the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of this embodiment, and an on-vehicle radar device 100 is disposed on the back side of this radome 10.

[0022] The radome 10 is disposed in front of the on-vehicle radar device 100 and attached to the vehicle, and is irradiated with electromagnetic waves such as millimeter waves by the on-vehicle radar device 100. In the emblem-shaped radome 10 of this example, a decorative layer 71 and a transparent substrate 72 through which the decorative layer 71 can be seen are laminated and fixed in order toward the front on the front surface 12 of a substrate 1 corresponding to the radome substrate, and a rear substrate 73 is fixed to the rear surface of the planar heating element 2 of the substrate 1 in an area avoiding the localized recess 3.

[0023] The transparent substrate 72 and the rear substrate 73 are insulating and electromagnetic wave transmissive, like the substrate 1. From the viewpoint of improving the electromagnetic wave transmissive performance, it is preferable that the transparent substrate 72 and the rear substrate 73 are formed of the same material as the substrate 1, so that the refractive indexes n defined based on the complex dielectric constant match each other, or that the refractive indexes n are approximately the same or close to each other. As for the numerical range of the refractive indexes n of the transparent substrate 72 and the substrate 1 that are close to each other, it is preferable that the difference between the refractive indexes of the transparent substrate 72 and the substrate 1 is within a range of 0 to 10%. Also, as for the numerical range of the refractive indexes n of the rear substrate 73 and the substrate 1 that are close to each other, it is preferable that the difference between the refractive indexes of the rear substrate 73 and the substrate 1 is within a range of 0 to 10%.

[0024] Here, the refractive index n is a quantity defined by the real part of the dielectric constant εr' and the imaginary part of the dielectric constant εr" as shown in Equation 1. From the viewpoint of transparency, it is preferable that the magnitude of the dielectric loss tangent tan δ, defined by Equation 2 from the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part at the applicable frequency, be 0.1 or less. Also, it is preferable that the magnitude of the real part of the dielectric constant be 3 or less. By setting the magnitudes of the dielectric loss tangent and the real part of the dielectric constant to be equal to or less than these numerical values, it is possible to ensure the reduction of the reflectance and internal loss required for the radome.

[0025]

number

[0026]

number

[0027] The decorative layer 71 of this embodiment, which is provided in close contact between the transparent base material 72 and the base material 1, is composed of an electromagnetic wave-transmitting metal portion 711 and a colored portion 712. The decorative layer 71 may be composed of, for example, only electromagnetic wave-transmitting metal portions, or only colored portions, other than the electromagnetic wave-transmitting metal portion 711 and the colored portion 712.

[0028] The electromagnetic wave-transmitting metal part 711 is composed of, for example, a discontinuous metal layer that is electromagnetically transmissive and has metallic luster, has luster and integral visibility, and is formed by electroless plating, vapor deposition, sputtering, or the like on the back surface of the transparent substrate 72. When the electromagnetic wave-transmitting metal part 711 is made to be a discontinuous metal layer that is luster and integrally visible, it can be composed of, for example, nickel or a nickel alloy, chromium or a chromium alloy, cobalt or a cobalt alloy, tin or a tin alloy, copper or a copper alloy, silver or a silver alloy, palladium or a palladium alloy, platinum or a platinum alloy, rhodium or a rhodium alloy, gold or a gold alloy, or the like.

[0029] The colored portion 712 has electromagnetic wave transparency and is formed by printing, painting using a paint mask, or the like. In the illustrated decorative layer 71, the colored portion 712 is provided in close contact with the back surface of the transparent substrate 72 so as to be laminated on a part of the front surface side of the electromagnetic wave transparent metal portion 711, and the electromagnetic wave transparent metal portion 711 is formed in a layer shape over the entire area where the back surface of the transparent substrate 72 is exposed and the area where the colored portion 712 is provided, and is provided in close contact with the exposed back surface of the transparent substrate 72 and the colored portion 712. A recess 721 is formed on the rear surface side of the transparent substrate 72 at a position corresponding to the mark symbol portion of the emblem, and the decorative layer 71 is formed to bend and partially protrude toward the front surface side in cross section so as to imitate the recess 721. In addition, in the examples of Figures 3 and 4, a convex portion 13 is formed on the substrate 1 at a location corresponding to the concave portion 721 of the transparent substrate 72, and the substrate 1 is fixed to the decorative layer 71 and the transparent substrate 72 by engaging the convex portion 13 with the concave portion 721 and the decorative layer 71 within the concave portion 721.

[0030] Next, a method for manufacturing the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of this embodiment will be described (see FIG. 5). When manufacturing the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5(a), an intermediate structure M1 is used, which is composed of a sheet heating element 2, a power supply line 5 to the sheet heating element 2, and a connector 4 that electrically connects the electrode of the sheet heating element 2 and the terminal of the power supply line 5. In the intermediate structure M1, the heater wire 21 of the sheet heating element 2 is electrically connected to the connector 4 by exposing both electrodes from the insulating film 22 at a position close to the connector 4, and the power supply line 5 that supplies power to the heater wire 21 is electrically connected to the connector 4 by exposing a terminal from the insulating coating at a position close to the connector 4. The heater wire 21 of the intermediate structure M1 is wired in a predetermined manner, such as a meandering manner, while being covered with the insulating film 22.

[0031] Then, a substrate 1 having a local recess 3 on the rear surface 11 side is used (see FIG. 5(b)), and a connector 4 that electrically connects the electrode of the sheet heating element 2 laminated and fixed to the rear surface 11 of the substrate 1 and the power supply line 5 to the sheet heating element 2 is accommodated in the local recess 3 on the rear surface 11 side of the substrate 1. In the manufacturing process of this embodiment, the sheet heating element 2 of the intermediate structure M1 is laminated and fixed to the rear surface 11 of the substrate 1, and the connector 4 of the intermediate structure M1 is accommodated in the local recess 3 on the rear surface 11 side of the substrate 1. The sheet heating element 2 is fixed to the rear surface 11 of the substrate 1 by fixing an insulating film 22, to which the heater wire 21 of the sheet heating element 2 is fixed on the rear surface side, to the rear surface 11 in this example. The connector 4 is accommodated in the recess 3 by inserting the connector 4 from the open side of the recess 3 (see FIG. 5(c)). In this embodiment, a notch 221 is formed in the insulating film 22 of the planar heating element 2 so as to straddle the recess 3, and the insulating film 22 and heater wire 21 on the recess 3 side of the notch 221 form an extension portion 23 that extends to the connector 4 and has a tip end that is accommodated in the local recess 3 together with the connector 4 (see Figures 1, 2 and 5).

[0032] Next, the base material 1 is transported with the open side of the recess 3 housing the connector 4 facing upward, and during the transport, molten thermoplastic insulating resin 6 is injected from above into the recess 3 housing the connector 4 with an injection nozzle 8, filling the recess 3 with the insulating resin 6 and sealing the connector 4 in an embedded state (see FIG. 5(d)). The resin injected and filled into the recess 3 may be an insulating resin other than the thermoplastic insulating resin 6, for example, a one-component moisture-curing resin or a two-component reaction-curing resin. Thereafter, the base material 1 with the insulating resin 6 filled into the recess 3 is transported, and the insulating resin 6 with the connector 4 embedded therein hardens during the transport or in a stationary state after the transport, thereby obtaining the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of this embodiment.

[0033] According to the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of this embodiment, in addition to using a waterproof connector for the heater wire side connector, it is possible to eliminate the need to waterproof the joint between the heater wire side connector and the vehicle side connector by using a separate waterproof member. That is, the connection structure and waterproof structure of the connection part that electrically connects the heater wire 21 of the radome and the power supply line 5 can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost of the radome structure with a snow melting function can be reduced.

[0034] In addition, when manufacturing the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of this embodiment, the base material 1 is transported with the open side of the local recess 3 housing the connector 4 facing upward, and the insulating resin 6 is injected and filled into the recess 3 opening upward, thereby preventing leakage of the insulating resin 6 in a fluid state without performing a special leakage prevention treatment. Furthermore, by maintaining the recess 3 open upward even after the insulating resin 6 in a fluid state is injected into the local recess 3, the insulating resin 6 can be hardened with the passage of time during transportation while preventing leakage of the insulating resin 6 in a fluid state. Therefore, a radome structure having both a waterproof structure and a snow-melting structure can be manufactured very efficiently, and since a special leakage prevention treatment is not required, the manufacturing cost of the radome structure can be further reduced.

[0035] Furthermore, during manufacturing, an intermediate structure M1 consisting of the sheet heating element 2, the power supply line 5, and the connectors 4 therebetween is used, and the connectors 4 of the intermediate structure M1 are accommodated in the local recess 3 of the base material 1, thereby making it possible to eliminate the need to electrically connect the sheet heating element 2 and the connectors 4 and the power supply line 5 and the connectors 4 in the narrow space of the local recess 3, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and improving efficiency. In addition, when solder or the like is used to electrically connect the sheet heating element 2 and the connectors 4, or the power supply line 5 and the connectors 4, and the connection work is performed in the local recess 3, there is a possibility that a problem will occur in which, for example, the synthetic resin constituting the base material 1 or the synthetic resin constituting the local recess 3 melts. However, by accommodating the connectors 4 of the intermediate structure M1 in the recess 3 of the base material 1, deformation of the shape and defects due to the melting of such synthetic resin can be prevented.

[0036] [Scope of the invention disclosed herein] The inventions disclosed in this specification include, in addition to the inventions and embodiments listed as inventions, those specified by changing partial contents of these to other contents disclosed in this specification, those specified by adding other contents disclosed in this specification to these contents, or those specified by deleting partial contents of these to the extent that partial effects can be obtained, and specifying them as a higher-level concept. The inventions disclosed in this specification also include the following modified examples and added contents.

[0037] The radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device of the present invention can be applied to appropriate vehicle-mounted components mounted on a vehicle, other than the preferred examples of emblems such as a front grille or bumper described above. Although the radome for an on-vehicle radar device of the present invention is preferably manufactured by the manufacturing process example of the embodiment described above, the radome for an on-vehicle radar device of the present invention also includes those manufactured by other manufacturing processes, such as those manufactured without using the intermediate structure M1.

[0038] Furthermore, on the outermost outer surface of the radome of the radome structure for an automotive radar device of the present invention, such as the outer surface of the transparent substrate 72 in the above embodiment, an electromagnetic wave-transmitting waterproof layer made of a material such as an epoxy polyurethane-based waterproofing material, a polyester-based waterproofing material, a silicone-based waterproofing material, an acrylic-based waterproofing material, a methacrylic-based waterproofing material, or a titania-based waterproofing material may be laminated and fixed in place to enhance waterproofing, or an electromagnetic wave-transmitting water-repellent layer made of a material such as an acrylic-based water-repellent material or a silicone-based water-repellent material may be laminated or fixed in place to impart a water-repellent nanostructure to the surface to enhance water repellency, or a waterproof layer and a water-repellent layer may be laminated in that order on the outer surface of a resin body and fixed in place to enhance both water repellency and waterproofing.

[0039] In addition, an electromagnetic wave transparent hard coat layer made of an organic hard coat material such as a melamine-based hard coat agent, a urethane-based hard coat material, an acrylic-based hard coat material, a silicon-based hard coat material, or an inorganic hard coat material may be laminated and fixed to the outermost outer surface of the radome formed by the radome structure for an automotive radar device of the present invention, such as the outer surface of the transparent base material 72 in the above embodiment, to protect the outer surface and provide a configuration that enhances the strength and durability of the radome.

[0040] In addition, by laminating and adhering an electromagnetic wave transparent hydrophilic layer made of a material such as an organic hydrophilic material, a silane-based hydrophilic material, or a titania-based hydrophilic material on the outermost outer surface of the radome formed by the radome structure for an automotive radar device of the present invention, such as the outer surface of the transparent substrate 72 in the above embodiment, or by imparting a hydrophilic nanostructure to the surface, it is possible to retain melted snow as water on the radome surface and prevent new snow from adhering by utilizing the latent heat of the water.

[0041] In addition, in the above embodiment, the local recess 3 is formed by a member protruding from the back surface 11 of the substrate 1 to the side opposite the viewing side. However, it is also possible to form the local recess 3 by stacking and adhering the sheet heating element 2 to the back surface 11 of the substrate 1 opposite the viewing side, which corresponds to a radome substrate, and forming the local recess 3 by a member protruding laterally from the side end face 14 of the substrate 1, housing the connector 4 in this recess 3, and filling the recess 3 with insulating resin 6 so as to embed and seal the housed connector 4.

[0042] In addition, for the configuration in which the electrodes of the sheet-shaped heating element and the connector are fixed and electrically connected in the present invention, and for the configuration in which the power supply line to the sheet-shaped heating element and the connector are fixed and electrically connected, any suitable fixing structure that allows for electrical connection can be used, and it is preferable to use, for example, a fixing structure using solder, a fixing structure using crimping, a fixing structure using pressure bonding, or a fixing structure using a conductive adhesive.

[0043] Furthermore, the local recess 3 in the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which a single recess is provided in the radome base material, and multiple recesses are also acceptable.For example, it is acceptable to provide two local recesses in one radome base material, and one connector that electrically connects one electrode of the sheet heating element or heater wire and one power supply line to the sheet heating element is housed in one recess, and the one connector housed in the one recess is embedded in insulating resin including the connection point, while another connector that electrically connects the other electrode of the sheet heating element or heater wire and the other power supply line to the sheet heating element is housed in another recess, and the other connector housed in the other recess is embedded in insulating resin including the connection point. [Industrial Applicability]

[0044] The present invention can be used as a radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...Base material 11...Rear surface 12...Front surface 13...Convex portion 14...Side end surface 2...Planar heating element 21...Heater wire 22...Insulating film 221...Notch 23...Extending portion 3...Concave portion 31...Bottom portion 32...Peripheral wall 4...Connector 5...Power supply line 6...Insulating resin 71...Decorative layer 711...Electromagnetic wave permeable metal portion 712...Colored portion 72...Transparent base material 721...Concave portion 73...Rear base material 8...Injection nozzle 10...Radome 100...On-vehicle radar device R...Electromagnetic wave irradiation area M1...Intermediate structure

Claims

1. a sheet heating element is laminated and fixed to a back surface of a radome base material that is not a film having extensibility and that constitutes a heat generating member, the back surface being on the opposite side to the same viewing side as the viewing side on which the external appearance of the radome for the automotive radar device is viewed; a pocket-shaped recess for filling with insulating resin is provided by a member protruding from the radome base material; a connector that electrically connects the electrode of the sheet heating element and a power supply line to the sheet heating element is housed in the recess, a recessed portion filled with insulating resin so as to embed and seal the connector,

2. A radome structure for an automotive radar device as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the recessed member for filling with insulating resin is arranged to protrude from the back surface of the radome base material to the side opposite the viewing side, or to protrude laterally from the side end face of the radome base material.

3. The electrodes of the sheet heating element are fixed to the connectors so that the electrodes of the sheet heating element and the connectors are electrically connected to each other, 3. The radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device according to claim 1, wherein a terminal of the power supply line is fixed to the connecting body, so that the terminal of the power supply line and the connecting body are electrically connected to each other.

4. A method for manufacturing the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device according to claim 1 or 2, a first step of accommodating a connector for electrically connecting an electrode of a sheet heating element, which is laminated and fixed to a radome base material, and a power supply line to the sheet heating element, in a pocket-shaped recess for localized filling of insulating resin, the recess being provided by a member protruding from the radome base material; A manufacturing method of a radome structure for an automotive radar device, comprising: transporting the radome base material with the open side of the recess containing the connector facing upward, and during transport in that state, filling the recess with insulating resin to embed and seal the connector.

5. A method for manufacturing the radome structure for an on-vehicle radar device according to claim 3, comprising the steps of: a first step of accommodating a connector for electrically connecting an electrode of a sheet heating element, which is laminated and fixed to a radome base material, and a power supply line to the sheet heating element, in a pocket-shaped recess for localized filling of insulating resin, the recess being provided by a member protruding from the radome base material; a second step of transporting the radome base material with an open side of the recess containing the connecting body facing upward, and filling the recess with an insulating resin during the transport in this state to embed and seal the connecting body, The method for manufacturing a radome structure for an automotive radar device, characterized in that in the first step, an intermediate structure is used, which is composed of a sheet-shaped heating element, a power supply line to the sheet-shaped heating element, and a connector that electrically connects an electrode of the sheet-shaped heating element to the power supply line, and in which the electrode of the sheet-shaped heating element is fixed to the connector to electrically connect the electrode of the sheet-shaped heating element to the connector, and a terminal of the power supply line is fixed to the connector to electrically connect the terminal of the power supply line to the connector, and the sheet-shaped heating element of the intermediate structure is laminated and fixed to the radome base material, and the connector of the intermediate structure is housed in the recess for local filling with insulating resin provided by a member protruding from the radome base material.

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