Vehicle exterior parts

Abstract

To facilitate the work of making a body part of a sheet base material into a shape corresponding to the shape of a front surface of a transparent resin layer.SOLUTION: A decoration body part 21 in an emblem 14 as a vehicular exterior trim part includes a transparent resin layer 51 in the foremost part and a decorative layers (brilliant decorative layer 38 and chromatic decorative layer 41) behind the transparent resin layer 51. The front surface of a general part 52 in the transparent resin layer 51 includes a general surface 54 made of a curved surface. An outer edge part 57 around the general part 52 in the transparent resin layer 51 has a curved surface 58 that curves at a larger curvature than the general surface 54. A sheet base material 62 of a heater sheet 61 includes a body part 63 which is arranged on the front side of the transparent resin layer 51 and an extension part which extends from a peripheral part of the body part 63. A heater wire of the heater sheet 61 is wired to the body part 63 and the extension part and receives power supply at the extension part. The body part 63 and a portion of the heater wire wired to the body part 63 are arranged on the front side of only the general surface 54.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to exterior vehicle products, such as emblems, ornaments, marks, etc., that decorate a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In a vehicle equipped with a millimeter-wave radar device, millimeter waves are transmitted from the device toward the outside of the vehicle. The millimeter waves that are reflected by objects outside the vehicle, including preceding vehicles, pedestrians, etc., are received by the millimeter-wave radar device. The millimeter-wave radar device uses the transmitted and received millimeter waves to recognize the objects and to detect the distance and relative speed between the vehicle and the objects.

[0003] In the vehicle, an exterior accessory for a vehicle such as an emblem is disposed in front of the millimeter wave radar device in the transmission direction of millimeter waves. The exterior accessory for a vehicle includes a decoration main body portion that decorates the vehicle and is transparent to millimeter waves. The decoration main body portion has a layered structure in which a plurality of layers are stacked in the front-rear direction.

[0004] The decorative main body has a transparent resin layer at the forefront and a decorative layer behind the transparent resin layer. The transparent resin layer has a general portion and an outer edge portion around the general portion. At least the front surface of the general portion has a general surface that is flat or curved. The outer edge portion has a curved surface that is curved or bent at a greater degree than the general surface.

[0005] The above vehicle exterior parts have a problem that when ice and snow adhere to them, millimeter waves are attenuated, and the detection performance of the millimeter wave radar device is reduced. To address this problem, it has been considered to add a snow melting function to the vehicle exterior parts. For example, a heater sheet is disposed in front of the transparent resin layer (see Patent Document 1). The heater sheet includes a transparent sheet base material and a heater wire that is wired on the sheet base material and generates heat when electricity is passed through it. The sheet base material includes a main body portion disposed in front of the transparent resin layer and an extension portion extending from the periphery of the main body portion. The heater wire is wired in the main body portion and the extension portion, and receives a supply of power at the extension portion.

[0006] According to the vehicle exterior accessory, the heater wire generates heat when current is applied, so that even if ice and snow adhere to the vehicle exterior accessory, the heat generated by the heater wire melts the ice and snow, thereby suppressing attenuation of millimeter waves caused by the adhesion of ice and snow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6719506 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Here, the heater sheet is arranged in a state of being in close contact with the transparent resin layer. If the main body portion of the sheet base material is shaped to correspond to the shapes of the general surface and the curved surface due to this arrangement, the following concerns arise.

[0009] Since the curved surface of the outer edge is bent or curved to a greater degree than the general surface, it is difficult to precisely shape the main body into a shape that corresponds to the curved surface. Furthermore, when resin molding a transparent resin layer using the heater sheet as an insert, it is difficult to accurately position the main body portion shaped as described above in a mold while maintaining a shape corresponding to the curved surface.

[0010] This problem is not limited to millimeter wave radar devices, but can occur in any vehicle exterior part that is installed in a vehicle equipped with a device that transmits and receives electromagnetic waves to detect objects outside the vehicle and has a heater sheet disposed in front of a transparent resin layer. Also, the same problem as above can occur in a vehicle exterior part that is installed in a vehicle not equipped with a device that transmits and receives electromagnetic waves and has a heater sheet disposed in front of a transparent resin layer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The vehicle exterior part that solves the above-mentioned problems is a vehicle exterior part that has a layered structure in which a plurality of layers are laminated in the front-rear direction, and that includes a decorative main body part that decorates the vehicle, and a heater sheet in which a heater wire that generates heat when electricity is passed through it is wired on a transparent sheet base material, wherein the decorative main body part has a transparent resin layer at its foremost part, and a decorative layer behind the transparent resin layer, the transparent resin layer includes a general part and an outer edge part around the general part, the front surface of the general part has a general surface that is flat or curved, and the outer edge part has a curved surface that is curved or bent at a greater degree than the general surface, the sheet base material includes a main body part that is arranged in front of the transparent resin layer, and an extension part that extends from a peripheral part of the main body part, the heater wire is wired in the main body part and the extension part, and receives a power supply at the extension part, and the main body part and the portion of the heater wire that is wired in the main body part are arranged in front of only the general surface.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the main body and the portion of the heater wire that is wired to the main body are disposed in front of only the general surface, and therefore, when the shape of the main body is made to correspond to the shape of the front surface of the transparent resin layer, it is only necessary to shape the main body into a shape that corresponds to the general surface, and it is not necessary to shape the main body into a shape that corresponds to the curved surface.

[0013] In addition, when the transparent resin layer is resin-molded using the heater sheet as an insert, the main body portion after shaping does not have a portion that curves or bends to a greater degree than the general surface in correspondence with the curved surface. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange the above portion in a mold while maintaining the shape corresponding to the curved surface. It is only necessary to arrange the main body portion in a mold while maintaining the shape corresponding to the general surface, which makes it easy to arrange the heater sheet in the mold.

[0014] In the above vehicle exterior accessory, it is preferable that the general portion has a recess that opens forward, at least a part of the general surface is composed of an inner bottom surface of the recess and a front surface of the peripheral portion of the recess in the transparent resin layer, the heater wire is wired to a rear surface of the main body portion, and the main body portion and the portion of the heater wire wired to the main body portion are arranged in a state where the recess is filled so that the front surface of the main body portion is located on the same plane as the general surface of the peripheral portion of the recess.

[0015] Here, the sheet base material having the main body and the transparent resin layer having the recess are made of separate materials, and therefore a linear gap called a parting line is generated between the periphery of the main body and the opening edge of the recess.

[0016] By arranging the main body and the portion of the heater wire that is wired on the rear surface of the main body so as to fill the recess and satisfy the above-mentioned condition, a step is unlikely to occur between the front surface of the main body and the general surface of the transparent resin layer surrounding the recess. Therefore, when the vehicle exterior accessory is viewed from the front, the parting line between the peripheral edge of the main body and the opening edge of the recess is less noticeable than in the case where a step occurs.

[0017] In the above vehicle exterior accessory, it is preferable that the transparent resin layer has a groove portion extending from the recess and extending rearward through the outer edge portion, the heater wire is wired on the rear surface of the boundary portion between the extension portion and the main body portion, and the boundary portion and the portion of the heater wire wired on the boundary portion are arranged in a state where the groove portion is filled so that the front surface of the boundary portion is located on the same plane as the general surface and the curved surface of the surrounding portion of the groove portion in the transparent resin layer.

[0018] Here, the sheet base material having the main body and the extension and the transparent resin layer having the groove are made of separate materials, and therefore a linear gap called a parting line is generated between the periphery of the boundary part of the extension with respect to the main body and the opening edge of the groove.

[0019] By arranging the boundary part of the extension part with the main body part and the part of the heater wire routed on the rear surface of the boundary part in a state where the groove part is filled so as to satisfy the above-mentioned condition, a step is unlikely to occur between the front surface of the boundary part and the general surface and curved surface of the periphery of the groove part. Therefore, when the vehicle exterior accessory is viewed from the front, the parting line between the periphery of the boundary part of the extension part with the main body part and the opening edge of the groove part is less noticeable than in the case where a step occurs.

[0020] In the above vehicle exterior product, it is preferable that the decorative layer comprises a shiny decorative layer having a lustrous property and a colored decorative layer having a lower lustrous property than the shiny decorative layer, and that a parting line between the peripheral portion of the main body portion and the opening edge portion of the recess is located in front of the colored decorative layer.

[0021] If the parting line between the periphery of the main body and the opening edge of the recess is located in front of the bright decorative layer, the parting line may be reflected in the bright decorative layer. Also, if visible light is transmitted through the main body and reflected by the bright decorative layer, the visible light is bright and the parting line may be noticeable.

[0022] In this respect, according to the above-mentioned configuration, the parting line is located in front of the colored decorative layer. The colored decorative layer has a lower luster than the shiny decorative layer. Therefore, the parting line is unlikely to be reflected in the colored decorative layer. In addition, even if visible light is transmitted through the main body and irradiated onto the colored decorative layer, the colored decorative layer is darker than the shiny decorative layer, so the parting line is unlikely to be noticeable.

[0023] In the vehicle exterior part, it is preferable that the colored decorative layer has a darker color than the bright decorative layer. Here, examples of colors that are darker than the shiny decorative layer include black, navy blue, etc. When the colored decorative layer has such a dark color, when the vehicle exterior product is viewed from the front, the parting line blends into the dark color of the colored decorative layer, making it even less noticeable. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the above vehicle exterior product, it is possible to easily form the main body portion of the sheet base material into a shape that corresponds to the shape of the front surface of the transparent resin layer. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of an emblem according to an embodiment of the vehicle exterior accessory. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a rear view showing the heater wire in the emblem of FIG. 1 together with the surrounding area. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure along line 3-3 of the emblem in FIG. 1, together with a millimeter wave radar device and a part of a front grille. [Figure 4] 4 is a plan sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure along line 4-4 of the emblem in FIG. 1, together with a millimeter wave radar device and a part of a front grille. [Diagram 5] 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an enlarged view of a portion X in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional plan view of a portion Y in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing a cross-sectional structure along line 7-7 in FIG. 1 together with devices for power supply, etc.; [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heater sheet before shaping in the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heater sheet after shaping in the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a transparent resin layer in the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a step of insert molding a transparent resin layer in the embodiment, and is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state before a heater sheet is placed in a mold. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the step of insert-molding a transparent resin layer, and is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which a heater sheet is placed in the metal mold of FIG. 12 and the mold is clamped. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a vehicle exterior accessory is embodied as an emblem attached to the front of a vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle is referred to as the front, and the reverse direction is referred to as the rear. The up-down direction refers to the up-down direction of the vehicle, and the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the vehicle, which coincides with the left-right direction when the vehicle is moving forward.

[0027] 3 and 4, a millimeter wave radar device 13 for monitoring the forward direction is disposed in the center of the front of the vehicle 10 in the left-right direction, near the rear of the front grill 11. The millimeter wave radar device 13 has a function of transmitting millimeter waves, which are electromagnetic waves, toward the front outside the vehicle, and receiving millimeter waves reflected by an object outside the vehicle.

[0028] In this embodiment, as described above, the transmission direction of millimeter waves by the millimeter wave radar device 13 is a direction from the rear to the front of the vehicle 10. The front in the transmission direction of millimeter waves roughly coincides with the front of the vehicle 10, and the rear in the same transmission direction roughly coincides with the rear of the vehicle 10. Therefore, in the following description, the front in the transmission direction of millimeter waves will be simply referred to as "front", "front", etc., and the rear in the same transmission direction will be simply referred to as "rear", "rear", etc.

[0029] A window portion 12 is formed in the front grille 11 at a location near the millimeter wave radar device 13. An emblem 14 for decorating the vehicle 10 is disposed in front of the window portion 12, and the millimeter wave radar device 13 is covered from the front by the emblem 14. The emblem 14 is disposed in an upright state with its front surface facing the front of the vehicle 10 and its rear surface facing the rear of the vehicle 10.

[0030] The emblem 14 includes a decorative main body portion 21, a heater sheet 61, and a hard coat layer 75 (see FIG. 5, etc.) Next, each member constituting the emblem 14 will be described. <Decorative body part 21> The decorative main body 21 constitutes the main portion of the emblem 14. As shown in Fig. 1, the decorative main body 21 has an elliptical shape when viewed from the front, the shape being larger in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction.

[0031] Here, in the radial direction of the decorative main body 21, the direction approaching the center O (the intersection of the long axis and the short axis) is referred to as the "inward direction," and the direction moving away from the center O is referred to as the "outward direction." In addition, the direction along the edge of the decorative main body 21 is referred to as the "circumferential direction."

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, a part of the area radially inwardly away from the edge of the decorative main body part 21 is made into a transmission area Z1 for millimeter waves transmitted from the millimeter wave radar device 13. 3 to 5, the decoration main body 21 has a layered structure in which a plurality of layers, each of which is transmissive to millimeter waves, are laminated in the front-rear direction. The layers include a resin base material 22 and a transparent resin layer 51.

[0033] <Resin substrate 22> The resin base material 22 is a member that constitutes the rear portion of the decorative main body portion 21, and includes a rear base material portion 23 and a front base material portion 35.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the rear base material part 23 includes a base part 24, an annular locking part 25, an inner annular protrusion 26, and a letter protrusion 27. The base part 24 constitutes the entire rear part of the rear base material part 23. The annular locking part 25 protrudes forward from the edge part of the base part 24 and has an elliptical ring shape. The annular locking part 25 has a hook-shaped cross section. The inner annular protrusion 26 protrudes forward from a part of the base part 24 that is radially inward from the annular locking part 25 and has an elliptical ring shape. The letter protrusion 27 protrudes forward from a part of the area surrounded by the inner annular protrusion 26 of the base part 24 and represents a letter, in this embodiment, the alphabet "K". In the rear base material part 23, the area between the annular locking part 25 and the inner annular protrusion 26 is an annular recess 28 that opens forward (see FIG. 5).

[0035] 7, the rear substrate portion 23 has a socket portion 29 that protrudes rearward from the lower portion of the base portion 24. A mounting recess 32 that is open at the rear surface and recessed forward is formed at the rear of the socket portion 29.

[0036] The rear base material 23 having the above-mentioned configuration is formed of AES (acrylonitrile-ethylene-styrene copolymer) resin and is colored. The rear base material 23 may be formed of ASA (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer) resin, PC (polycarbonate) resin, or a polymer alloy of PC resin and ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) resin.

[0037] 1 and 3 to 5, the front base material part 35 is formed in front of the rear base material part 23. The front base material part 35 includes an outer annular part 36 and a background part 37. The outer annular portion 36 is located in front of the annular locking portion 25 and the annular recess 28 and has an elliptical ring shape. The outer annular portion 36 is engaged with the annular locking portion 25 in a state where it is fitted into the annular recess 28. As shown in FIG. 7 , a part of the front base material portion 35 extends rearward from the outer annular portion 36 and enters the socket portion 29.

[0038] 1, 3 and 4, the background portion 37 is formed in a region in front of the base portion 24, different from the inner annular protrusion 26 and the character protrusion 27. The front substrate portion 35 is formed of, for example, a mixed material of PC resin and carbon black, and has a black color.

[0039] 7 and 8, two connector pins 45 extending in the front-rear direction are arranged in the socket portion 29, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The front portion of each connector pin 45 is formed of a plate-shaped portion 46, and the rear portion is formed of a pin portion (not shown) extending rearward from the plate-shaped portion 46. Each plate-shaped portion 46 is embedded in the socket portion 29. A portion of each pin portion is arranged in the mounting recess 32. A window portion 47 that opens on the lower surface of the socket portion 29 is formed in the lower portion of the socket portion 29.

[0040] In addition, mounting portions (not shown) for attaching the emblem 14 to the front grille 11 or the vehicle body are provided at multiple locations on the outer periphery of the rear surface of the resin base material 22. The mounting portions are constituted by clips, screws, engaging claws, etc.

[0041] <Transparent resin layer 51> As shown in Figs. 3 to 5 and 11, the transparent resin layer 51 constitutes the frontmost part of the decorative main body 21. The transparent resin layer 51 is made of a transparent resin material, in this embodiment, PC resin, and is formed in front of the resin base material 22. Here, "transparent" includes not only colorless transparency, but also colored transparency (colored transparent). This also applies to the sheet base material 62 and the hard coat layer 75 described later. The rear part of the transparent resin layer 51 is formed into a shape corresponding to the shape of the front part of the resin base material 22.

[0042] The transparent resin layer 51 includes a general portion 52 and an outer edge portion 57 surrounding the general portion 52, and the general portion 52 and the outer edge portion 57 have a general surface 54 that is gently curved so as to bulge forward. The general portion 52 has a recess 53 that opens forward. The recess 53 has a depth substantially equal to the thickness of a sheet substrate 62 described below. The inner bottom surface of the recess 53 constitutes a part of the general surface 54.

[0043] The outer edge portion 57 has a curved surface 58 that is curved at a greater degree of bending than the general surface 54. The outer edge portion 57 has a part of the general surface 54 on the inner side of the curved surface 58 in the radial direction, or in other words, on the periphery of the recess 53. The outer edge portion 57 has an outer peripheral surface 60 on the outer side of the curved surface 58 in the radial direction. In this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface 60 is formed by a flat surface that is inclined with respect to the front-to-rear direction, but may be formed by a surface that is curved or bent at a smaller degree of bending than the curved surface 58.

[0044] The transparent resin layer 51 has a groove 59 extending from the recess 53 and extending rearward through the outer edge 57 (see FIG. 1). The groove 59 is provided at a position slightly spaced in the circumferential direction from a position below the center O.

[0045] The transparent resin layer 51 may be made of a transparent resin material such as PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) resin instead of the PC resin. As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, a decorative layer is provided behind the transparent resin layer 51 and between the rear substrate portion 23. The decorative layer is composed of a bright decorative layer 38 having high brilliance and a colored decorative layer 41 having lower brilliance than the bright decorative layer 38. The bright decorative layer 38 is laminated in front of the inner annular protrusion 26 and the character protrusion 27. The bright decorative layer 38 is formed to have an island structure using a metal material such as indium (In). The island structure is a structure in which the metal film is not continuous on one surface, and many fine metal films are laid out in an island shape with a slight separation or partial contact with each other. By adopting this structure, the bright decorative layer 38 has a discontinuous structure, has high electrical resistance, and is permeable to millimeter waves.

[0046] It should be noted that the bright decorative layer 38 is omitted in FIGS. The colored decorative layer 41 is constituted by the front base material portion 35 which is black. In the millimeter wave transmission region Z1 (see FIG. 4), the resin base material 22 and the transparent resin layer 51 are formed so as to have a constant overall thickness.

[0047] <Heater sheet 61> As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the heater sheet 61 is intended to add a snow-melting function to the emblem 14, and is composed of two heater wires 68, 69 that generate heat when electricity is passed through them, wired on a sheet base material 62 (see Figure 6).

[0048] <Sheet base material 62> 9, the sheet base material 62 is formed of a transparent resin material such as PC resin. The sheet base material 62 includes a main body portion 63 and an extension portion 65. The main body portion 63 is formed in a horizontally long elliptical shape corresponding to the decorative main body portion 21.

[0049] As shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 11, the extension 65 is a portion to which the device A for power supply is electrically connected, and extends from a portion of the peripheral edge 63a of the main body 63 that is slightly shifted in the circumferential direction from a portion below the center O (see Figs. 1 and 2). The extension 65 is disposed rearward of the general surface 54 via the outer edge 57. The extension 65 is bent relative to the main body 63 and disposed along the lower surface of the transparent resin layer 51, the lower surface of the front base material 35, etc., so as to wrap around rearward relative to the transparent resin layer 51. As shown in Figs. 2, 8 and 9, openings 66, 67 are formed on both sides of the extension 65 in the circumferential direction.

[0050] <Heater wire 68, 69> The heater wires 68, 69 are formed in a linear shape from a metal material, such as copper, that generates heat when electricity is applied. Both heater wires 68, 69 are wired to the main body portion 63 and the extending portion 65 of the sheet substrate 62. The heater wires 68, 69 are wired to the rear surface of the main body portion 63. In the main body portion 63, each of the heater wires 68, 69 has a plurality of straight portions 71 that extend parallel to each other and an arc-shaped folded portion 72 that connects the ends of adjacent straight portions 71. However, the heater wires 68 and 69 are wired in different wiring patterns.

[0051] The heater wire 68 has terminal portions 68a, 68b at both ends. The heater wire 69 has terminal portions 69a, 69b at both ends. The terminal portions 68a, 69a are gathered and wired at one side in the circumferential direction (the left side in FIG. 8). Similarly, the terminal portions 68b, 69b are gathered and wired at the other side in the circumferential direction (the right side in FIG. 8).

[0052] 7 to 9, terminal portions 68a, 69a are joined to plate-shaped portion 46 by soldering in opening 66. Similarly, terminal portions 68b, 69b are joined to plate-shaped portion 46 by soldering in opening 67. In this manner, heater wire 69 is connected in parallel to heater wire 68. Note that the joining may be performed by adhesion using a conductive adhesive, welding, or the like, other than soldering.

[0053] The window portion 47 is provided with a water stop portion 74 that prevents water from entering the bonded portion as described above. The water stop portion 74 is formed, for example, by filling the window portion 47 with a potting material made of a resin material softer than the resin base material 22.

[0054] 1 and 2, the sheet base material 62 having the main body portion 63 and the transparent resin layer 51 having the recessed portion 53 are made of different materials. Therefore, a linear gap called a parting line 55 is generated between the peripheral portion 63a of the main body portion 63 and the opening edge portion 53a of the recessed portion 53. In addition, the sheet base material 62 having the main body portion 63 and the extending portion 65 and the transparent resin layer 51 having the groove portion 59 are made of different materials. Therefore, a linear gap called a parting line 56 is generated between the peripheral portion of the boundary portion 65a of the extending portion 65 with the main body portion 63 and the opening edge portion 59a of the groove portion 59.

[0055] 5, an opening edge 53a of the recess 53 is located in front of the outer annular portion 36. In this embodiment, the opening edge 53a is located at a position that satisfies the following condition 1. Condition 1: The location is on the outer annular portion 36 side of the boundary 42 between the inner annular protrusion 26 (bright decorative layer 38) and the outer annular portion 36 (colored decorative layer 41), in this case, at a location that is at least a length L1 away radially outward.

[0056] The length L1 is set to a value, which in this embodiment is 0.2 mm, such that the opening edge 53a is not located in front of the inner annular protrusion 26 (bright decorative layer 38) but is located in front of the outer annular portion 36 (colored decorative layer 41), even if this is the maximum value that the total value of the variations in the shapes of the parts, etc. can take.

[0057] Furthermore, in the heater sheet 61 in this embodiment, the main body 63 and the portions of the heater wires 68, 69 that are wired on the rear surface of the main body 63 are arranged in a state where the recess 53 is filled so as to satisfy the following condition 2.

[0058] Condition 2: The front surface of the main body 63 is located on the same plane as the general surface 54 of the periphery of the recess 53 (is flush). With the above arrangement, the main body 63 and the portions of the heater wires 68, 69 that are arranged on the rear surface of the main body 63 are located in front of only the general surface 54 formed by the inner bottom surface of the recess 53, relative to the front surface of the transparent resin layer 51.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 9, and 10, the boundary portion 65a of the extension portion 65 and the portions of the heater wires 68, 69 that are wired to the boundary portion 65a are arranged in a state where the groove portion 59 is filled so as to satisfy the following condition 3.

[0060] Condition 3: The front surface of the boundary portion 65a is located on the same plane (is flush) as the general surface 54 and the curved surface 58 of the periphery of the groove portion 59 in the transparent resin layer 51 (see FIG. 11). As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the hard coat layer 75 is made of a transparent resin material or the like, and is formed on at least the front surface of the main body 63, the front surface (general surface 54) of the peripheral portion of the recess 53 in the transparent resin layer 51, the curved surface 58, etc. The front surface of the hard coat layer 75 constitutes the design surface 14a of the emblem 14. When an external force is applied to the emblem 14, the hard coat layer 75 receives the force and prevents damage to members behind the hard coat layer 75. Note that the hard coat layer 75 is not shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0061] The emblem 14 constructed as described above is arranged in an upright state forward of the window portion 12, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and is attached to the front grille 11 or the vehicle body at the attachment portion.

[0062] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the plug portion B of the device A is inserted into the mounting recess 32 of the socket portion 29 from behind the emblem 14, whereby the heater wires 68, 69 are electrically connected to the device A.

[0063] Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described, along with the effects that accompany the operation. <(1) Forming the main body 63 into a shape corresponding to the shape of the front surface of the transparent resin layer 51> 3 to 5, the heater sheet 61 is disposed in a state of being in close contact with the transparent resin layer 51. For this arrangement, the main body 63 of the sheet substrate 62 is required to have a shape corresponding to the shape of the front surface of the transparent resin layer 51.

[0064] Because the general surface 54 is relatively gently curved, it is relatively easy to shape the main body portion 63 into a shape that corresponds to the general surface 54. In contrast, the curved surface 58 of the outer edge portion 57 is curved to a greater degree than the general surface 54. For this reason, it is difficult to accurately shape the main body portion 63 into a shape that corresponds to the curved surface 58.

[0065] Furthermore, when manufacturing the emblem 14, if the transparent resin layer 51 is resin-molded using the heater sheet 61 as an insert, there is the following concern: It is difficult to accurately position the main body 63, which has been shaped to correspond to the curved surface 58 as described above, in the location of the mold that is formed to correspond to the curved surface 58 while maintaining the shaped body.

[0066] In this regard, in the present embodiment, the main body 63 and the portions of the heater wires 68, 69 that are wired on the rear surface of the main body 63 are disposed in front of only the general surface 54. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, in order to give the main body 63 a shape that corresponds to the shape of the front surface of the transparent resin layer 51, it is only necessary to shape the main body 63 so as to have a shape that corresponds to only the general surface 54 of the recess 53. The main body 63 does not have to be shaped so as to have a shape that corresponds to the curved surface 58.

[0067] When insert molding the transparent resin layer 51, for example, a mold 81 shown in Figures 12 and 13 is used. The mold 81 includes a fixed mold 82 and a movable mold 84 that moves toward and away from the fixed mold 82. The fixed mold 82 has a placement surface 83 on which the main body 63 is placed. The movable mold 84 has a molding surface 85 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the rear surface of the transparent resin layer 51.

[0068] 12, the movable die 84 is moved away from the fixed die 82, thereby opening the mold 81. The heater sheet 61 is placed on the placement surface 83 of the fixed die 82. In this embodiment, the main body portion 63 after the above shaping does not have a portion that curves to a greater degree than the general surface 54 in correspondence with the curved surface 58. Therefore, it is not necessary to hold the above portion of the main body portion 63 in a shape corresponding to the curved surface 58. It is only necessary to hold the main body portion 63 in a shape corresponding to the general surface 54, which makes it easy to place the heater sheet 61 on the placement surface 83.

[0069] 13, the mold 81 is clamped by bringing the movable die 84 close to the fixed die 82 on which the heater sheet 61 is arranged. A cavity 86 is formed between the fixed die 82 and the main body 63 and the movable die 84, and a molten resin material is filled in this cavity 86 and hardened to form the transparent resin layer 51.

[0070] The configuration of the metal mold 81 may be reversed from that described above, with the mold having the placement surface 83 being the movable mold and the mold having the molding surface 85 being the fixed mold. <(2) Millimeter wave transmittance> When millimeter waves are transmitted from the millimeter wave radar device 13, the millimeter waves pass through the decorative main body 21, the heater sheet 61, and the hard coat layer 75 in this order, as shown in Figures 3 to 6. The transmitted millimeter waves are reflected by an object in front of the vehicle, including a preceding vehicle, a pedestrian, etc., and then pass through the hard coat layer 75, the heater sheet 61, and the decorative main body 21 in this order in the opposite direction to the above, and are received by the millimeter wave radar device 13. The millimeter wave radar device 13 recognizes objects based on the transmitted and received millimeter waves, and detects the distance and relative speed between the vehicle 10 and the object, etc.

[0071] <(3) Snow melting function> 5 and 6, adhesion of ice and snow mainly to the design surface 14a of the emblem 14 attenuates the millimeter waves, decreasing the detection performance of the millimeter wave radar device 13. In this regard, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, power supplied from the device A is supplied to the heater wires 68, 69 shown in Fig. 2 and 10 via the plug part B and the connector pin 45.

[0072] (3-1) When power is supplied to the heater wires 68, 69, the heater wires 68, 69 generate heat as a result of the flow of current. A portion of the heat generated by the heater wires 68, 69 is transferred to each part, including the design surface 14a, of the emblem 14. This heat melts the ice and snow adhering to the design surface 14a, etc., and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the detection performance of the millimeter wave radar device 13 caused by the adhesion of ice and snow.

[0073] (3-2) In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the heater sheet 61 is disposed at the frontmost portion of the emblem 14, excluding the hard coat layer 75. Therefore, the heat generated by the heater wires 68, 69 is easily transmitted to the design surface 14a, and the ice and snow adhering to the design surface 14a can be efficiently melted.

[0074] <(4) About the appearance of Emblem 14> When visible light is irradiated onto the emblem 14 shown in Figs. 3 to 6 from the front of the vehicle 10, the visible light passes through the transparent hard coat layer 75 and is irradiated onto the heater sheet 61. The visible light passes through the main body 63 of the sheet substrate 62. The visible light irradiated onto the heater wires 68, 69 is reflected, and the visible light not irradiated passes through the transparent resin layer 51. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, of the visible light that passes through the transparent resin layer 51, that which is irradiated onto the glittering decorative layer 38 laminated on the inner annular protrusion 26 and the character protrusion 27 is reflected. In contrast, that which is irradiated onto the outer annular portion 36 and the background portion 37 of the front substrate portion 35 after passing through the transparent resin layer 51 is absorbed.

[0075] (4-1) Therefore, when the emblem 14 is viewed from the front, the inner annular protrusion 26, the letter protrusion 27, the outer annular portion 36, and the background portion 37 appear to be located behind the hard coat layer 75, the heater sheet 61, and the transparent resin layer 51. Furthermore, the outer annular portion 36 and the background portion 37 appear black, and the inner annular protrusion 26 and the letter protrusion 27 appear shiny. In other words, against the black outer annular portion 36 and background portion 37, the inner annular protrusion 26 and the letter protrusion 27 appear metallic. In this way, the emblem 14 and its surrounding portions are decorated, improving the appearance.

[0076] (4-2) The resin base material 22 is located in front of the millimeter wave radar device 13 and serves to cover and conceal the millimeter wave radar device 13. Therefore, the millimeter wave radar device 13 is difficult to see from in front of the emblem 14. This improves the appearance compared to when the millimeter wave radar device 13 is visible through the emblem 14.

[0077] (4-3) Here, as shown in FIG. 5, since the parting line 55 is located in front of the transparent resin layer 51, the parting line 55 is visible from the front of the emblem 14, which may detract from its appearance.

[0078] If an attempt is made to make the main body 63 as small as possible and the parting line 55 is located in front of the bright decorative layer 38 laminated on the inner annular protrusion 26, the parting line 55 may be reflected in the bright decorative layer 38. In addition, when visible light is transmitted through the main body 63 and reflected by the bright decorative layer 38, the visible light is bright and the parting line 55 may be noticeable.

[0079] In this regard, in this embodiment, the parting line 55 is located in front of the colored decorative layer 41 (outer annular portion 36). The colored decorative layer 41 has a lower luster than the shiny decorative layer 38. Therefore, the parting line 55 is unlikely to be visible reflected in the colored decorative layer 41. Furthermore, even if visible light is transmitted through the main body portion 63 and irradiated onto the colored decorative layer 41, the colored decorative layer 41 is darker than the shiny decorative layer 38, so the parting line 55 is unlikely to be noticeable.

[0080] (4-4) In particular, in this embodiment, the opening edge 53a of the recess 53 is located at a position that satisfies the above-mentioned condition 1. Therefore, even if the total value of the variations in the shapes of the parts is the maximum value that can be taken, the parting line 55 can be located in front of the colored decorative layer 41 (the outer annular portion 36), and the effect of the above-mentioned (4-3) can be obtained.

[0081] (4-5) Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer annular portion 36 constituting the colored decorative layer 41 has a black color that is darker than the shiny decorative layer 38. Therefore, when the emblem 14 is viewed from the front, the parting line 55 blends into the black colored decorative layer 41 and is even less noticeable.

[0082] The same effect can be obtained with respect to the parting line 56 because the parting line 56 is located in front of the outer annular portion 36. (4-6) In this embodiment, the main body 63 and the portions of the heater wires 68, 69 that are routed on the rear surface of the main body 63 are arranged to fill the recess 53 so as to satisfy the above condition 2.

[0083] 5, a step is unlikely to occur between the front surface of the main body 63 and the general surface 54 of the surrounding portion of the recess 53 in the transparent resin layer 51. Therefore, when the emblem 14 is viewed from the front, the parting line 55 is less noticeable than in an emblem in which a step occurs.

[0084] (4-7) In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 11, the boundary portion 65a of the extension portion 65 and the portion of the heater wires 68, 69 that is routed on the rear surface of the boundary portion 65a are arranged in a state of filling the groove portion 59 so as to satisfy the above-mentioned condition 3. Therefore, a step is unlikely to occur between the front surface of the boundary portion 65a and the general surface 54 and the curved surface 58 of the transparent resin layer 51 surrounding the groove portion 59. Therefore, when the emblem 14 is viewed from the front, the parting line 56 is less noticeable than in an emblem in which a step occurs.

[0085] In addition to the above, the present embodiment provides the following effects. (5-1) In the decorative main body 21, the outer annular portion 36 is located radially outward from the inner annular protrusion 26, and the parting line 55 is located in front of the outer annular portion 36. Therefore, the main body 63 is larger than when the parting line 55 is located in front of the inner annular protrusion 26. Accordingly, the area of ​​the rear surface of the main body 63 along which the heater wires 68, 69 are wired is enlarged. Therefore, in this embodiment, the degree of freedom in wiring the heater wires 68, 69 relative to the main body 63 is increased.

[0086] (5-2) The main body 63 of this embodiment is smaller than when it is disposed over the entire front surface of the transparent resin layer 51. Therefore, if the heater wires 68, 69 wired to the main body 63 have the same length, the heat generation efficiency is improved compared to when the main body 63 is disposed over the entire front surface of the transparent resin layer 51. Furthermore, the reduction in size of the main body 63 and the improvement in heat generation efficiency make it possible to reduce the cost of the emblem 14.

[0087] The above embodiment can also be implemented as modified examples as follows: The above embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a range that does not cause technical contradiction.

[0088] <Regarding the decorative main body 21> The front base material portion 35 may be a dark color such as navy blue instead of black. The curved surface 58 at the outer edge 57 may be bent to a greater extent than the general surface 54 .

[0089] The colored decorative layer 41 may be formed by printing such as screen printing, hot stamping, or the like. The general surface 54 of the transparent resin layer 51 may be configured as a flat surface instead of a curved surface.

[0090] When a recess 53 is provided in the transparent resin layer 51 as in the above embodiment, the general surface 54 needs to be formed at least by the inner bottom surface of the recess 53 and the front surface of the surrounding portion of the recess 53 in the transparent resin layer 51, and surfaces of other locations may also be added as the general surface 54.

[0091] In FIG. 1, the shape of the decorative main body 21 as viewed from the front may be changed to a shape different from that of the above embodiment, for example, a circle, a polygon, or the like. The recessed portion 53 may be provided over the entirety of the general portion 52 in the radial direction, or may be provided over only a portion of the general portion 52.

[0092] The recesses 53 and the grooves 59 in the transparent resin layer 51 are not essential components, and at least one of them may be omitted. The curved surface 58 may be provided over the entire outer edge portion 57 in the front-to-rear direction, or may be provided over only a portion of the outer edge portion 57.

[0093] <About Heater Sheet 61> 1, 2 and 9, the extension portion 65 of the sheet base material 62 may extend from a portion of the peripheral portion 63a of the main body portion 63 that is different from that in the above embodiment, for example, a portion below, above, or to the side of the center O.

[0094] The heater wires 68, 69 may be constituted by a conductor made of a metal material such as copper and a synthetic resin covering that covers and protects the conductor. The heater wires 68, 69 may be formed by performing photolithography and optical mask processes on a foil of copper, silver, or the like that is attached to the sheet base material 62, and removing unnecessary portions.

[0095] Alternatively, the heater wires 68, 69 may be formed by patterning, by etching, a metal film of copper, silver, or the like formed on the sheet base material 62 by plating. The number of heater wires 68, 69 in the heater sheet 61 may be changed to one or three or more.

[0096] The heater wires 68, 69 in the main body 63 of the heater sheet 61 may be wired in a wiring pattern different from that in the above embodiment. <About hard coat layer 75> When the sheet substrate 62 has a sufficient thickness to protect the heater wires 68, 69, etc., the hard coat layer 75 can be omitted.

[0097] <Other> The vehicle exterior accessory is applicable as long as it is incorporated into a vehicle equipped with a device that transmits and receives electromagnetic waves for detecting objects outside the vehicle, and the heater sheet 61 is disposed in front of the decorative main body 21. In this case, the electromagnetic waves transmitted and received by the device include millimeter waves, infrared rays, etc.

[0098] The device that transmits and receives electromagnetic waves to detect objects outside the vehicle may be a device for monitoring the rear, front side, or rear side in addition to the forward direction. In this case, the vehicle exterior accessory is disposed in front of the device in the direction of transmission of the electromagnetic waves.

[0099] The vehicle exterior accessory may be installed in a vehicle that is not equipped with a device for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves for detecting an object outside the vehicle. The vehicle exterior part described above can be applied to vehicle exterior parts having a function of decorating the vehicle, such as ornaments, marks, etc., in addition to the emblem 14. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 10. Vehicle 14... Emblems (exterior parts for vehicles) 21…Decorative main body 38…Brilliant decorative layer (decorative layer) 41...Colored decorative layer (decorative layer) 51…Transparent resin layer 52…General section 53…Recess 54…General aspect 53a, 59a...opening edge 55,56…Parting line 57…Outer edge 58...Curved surface 59…Groove 61…Heated seat 62...Sheet base material 63…Main body 63a...periphery 65...Extending part 65a…boundary part 68,69…Heater wire

Claims

1. A vehicle exterior accessory includes a decorative main body having a layered structure in which a plurality of layers are laminated in the front-rear direction, and a heater sheet in which a heater wire that generates heat when electricity is applied is wired on a transparent sheet substrate, The decorative main body has a transparent resin layer at the front end, the transparent resin layer includes a general portion and an outer edge portion surrounding the general portion, The front surface of the general portion has a general surface that is a flat surface or a curved surface, The outer edge portion has a curved surface that is curved or bent at a greater degree than the general surface, the sheet base material includes a main body portion disposed in front of the transparent resin layer and an extension portion extending from a peripheral edge portion of the main body portion, the heater wire is wired to the main body portion and the extension portion, and receives power at the extension portion; the main body and a portion of the heater wire that is wired to the main body are disposed in front of only the general surface, The general portion has a recess that opens forward, at least a part of the general surface is constituted by an inner bottom surface of the recess and a front surface of a periphery of the recess in the transparent resin layer, The heater wire is wired to the rear surface of the main body, The main body and the portion of the heater wire that is wired to the main body are arranged in a state where the front surface of the main body is located on the same plane as the general surface of the periphery of the recess, filling the recess.

2. the transparent resin layer has a groove portion extending from the recess and passing through the outer edge portion to the rear, The heater wire is wired on a rear surface of a boundary portion between the extension portion and the main body portion, 2. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, wherein the boundary portion and the portion of the heater wire that is wired at the boundary portion are arranged in a state where the groove portion is filled so that a front surface of the boundary portion is located on the same plane as the general surface and the curved surface of the periphery of the groove portion in the transparent resin layer.

3. The decorative main body portion has a decorative layer behind the transparent resin layer, The decorative layer includes a bright decorative layer having a brilliance and a colored decorative layer having a lower brilliance than the bright decorative layer, 3. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1, wherein a parting line between the peripheral edge of the main body and an opening edge of the recess is located in front of the colored decorative layer.

4. The vehicle exterior part according to claim 3 , wherein the colored decorative layer has a darker color than the bright decorative layer.

Images