Vehicle sound output device

Abstract

To increase sound waves emitted from a sound output device to the outer side of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A sound output device 20 includes: an exterior member 21; an exciter 25; and a reflection member 31. The exterior member 21 forms a part of an outer shell portion of a vehicle 10 and has an opening 12. The exciter 25 is attached to a portion, which is separated from the opening 12, of the exterior member 21 from the rear side to cause the exterior member 21 to vibrate and generate sound waves. The reflection member 31 is disposed rearward of the exterior member 21. The reflection member 31 encloses the vibrator 25 and the opening 12 from the rear side, reflects the sound wave SW2 generated by the exterior member 21 and emitted to the rear side, and guides the sound wave SW2 to the opening 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sound output device for a vehicle that is mounted on a vehicle and emits sound waves to notify people around the vehicle of the presence of the vehicle by the sound waves. [Background technology]

[0002] Various sound output devices have been proposed that emit sound waves from an exterior member of a vehicle to alert people around the vehicle of the vehicle's presence. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a sound output device that includes a speaker and an undercover. The speaker is located behind an exterior member at the front end of the vehicle, such as a front grille or under-grill. The speaker generates sound waves in a downward direction. The undercover is located below the speaker. The undercover has an inclined portion that slopes downward toward the front.

[0003] In this sound output device, when the speaker generates sound waves, the sound waves propagate through the air toward the undercover. The sound waves are reflected off the sloped portion of the undercover, changing their direction of propagation forward. The sound waves, whose direction has been changed, propagate through the air and are emitted forward through the gap in the under-grille. These sound waves alert people in front of the vehicle to the presence of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-153305 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above-described sound output device, some sound waves generated by the speaker do not hit the sloped portion of the undercover and propagate in a direction different from the sloped portion, resulting in fewer sound waves being emitted forward through the gap in the under-grille. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Various aspects of a vehicle sound output device for solving the above problems will be described. [Mode 1] A sound output device for a vehicle comprising: an exterior member that forms part of the outer shell of a vehicle and has an opening; and a vibrator that is attached to the exterior member from inside the vehicle at a location away from the opening and vibrates the exterior member to generate sound waves; and further, a reflective member is located inside the vehicle from the exterior member that surrounds the vibrator and the opening from inside the vehicle and reflects sound waves generated by the exterior member and emitted toward the inside of the vehicle, guiding them to the opening.

[0007] According to the above configuration, when the vibrator vibrates, the vibration is transmitted to the exterior member. The vibration of the exterior member generates sound waves. A portion of the sound waves is emitted from the exterior member to the outside of the vehicle. When these sound waves reach a person near the vehicle, the person is notified of the presence of the vehicle by the sound waves.

[0008] Furthermore, some of the sound waves are emitted from the exterior components into the interior of the vehicle. If these emitted sound waves were to propagate further into the interior of the vehicle, not only would the energy of these sound waves be wasted, but the sound waves would also become noise, compromising the quietness of the interior of the vehicle.

[0009] In contrast, with the above-described configuration, sound waves emitted toward the interior of the vehicle are reflected by the reflecting member, and the sound waves are blocked by the reflecting member from propagating toward the interior of the vehicle. As a result, quietness inside the vehicle is improved compared to when a reflecting member is used.

[0010] Furthermore, the sound waves reflected by the reflecting member are guided to the opening and then emitted to the outside of the vehicle through the opening. The emitted sound waves are added to the sound waves generated by the vibration of the exterior member and emitted to the outside of the vehicle. As a result, more sound waves are emitted from the sound output device to the outside of the vehicle. In this way, the energy of the sound waves emitted from the exterior member to the inside of the vehicle is used effectively.

[0011] [Aspect 2] A vehicle sound output device as described in [Aspect 1], in which the portion of the reflective member that is further outside the vehicle than the middle portion in the vehicle's exterior-interior direction is composed of a reflective layer that does not have a hollow portion.

[0012] If the reflecting member has a hollow portion at a portion located outside the vehicle's middle in the vehicle's exterior direction, the sound waves will lose energy as they are reflected within the hollow portion and will be attenuated (absorbed).

[0013] In this regard, according to the above-mentioned configuration, the exterior portion of the reflecting member is formed of a reflective layer without a cavity. Therefore, sound waves generated by the vibration of the exterior member that are emitted toward the interior of the vehicle are reflected by the reflective layer. This suppresses the phenomenon in which sound waves lose energy due to reflection within the cavity.

[0014] [Aspect 3] The vehicle sound output device according to [Aspect 2], wherein the reflective layer is formed by a coating film. According to the above configuration, a coating film is formed by painting during the manufacturing process of the reflecting member, so that a reflective layer that does not have a cavity and reflects sound waves can be formed simply and at low cost.

[0015] [Aspect 4] A vehicle sound output device as described in [Aspect 2] or [Aspect 3], wherein the portion of the reflective member that is closer to the vehicle interior than the middle portion is composed of a sound-absorbing layer having the hollow portion. According to the above configuration, part of the noise on the vehicle interior side of the reflecting member is attenuated by the sound absorbing layer of the reflecting member that is on the vehicle interior side of the intermediate portion. That is, part of the sound waves that make up the noise on the vehicle interior side of the reflecting member is reflected within the cavity in the sound absorbing layer, thereby losing energy and being attenuated (absorbed).

[0016] [Aspect 5] The vehicle sound output device according to [Aspect 4], wherein the sound absorbing layer is made of a porous material. According to the above configuration, the pores in the porous body function as cavities, and part of the noise on the vehicle interior side of the reflecting member is reflected within the pores in the porous body, thereby losing energy and being attenuated (absorbed). [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the above-described sound output device for a vehicle, it is possible to increase the amount of sound waves emitted from the sound output device to the outside of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a front end portion of a vehicle incorporating a sound output device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a part of the reflecting member in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing a modified example of the reflecting member, and is a partial vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the sound output device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the sound output device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a sound output device for a vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle 10 is referred to as the front, and the backward direction is referred to as the rear. Furthermore, the up-down direction refers to the up-down direction of the vehicle 10, and the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the vehicle, which coincides with the left-right direction when the vehicle 10 is moving forward.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 in this embodiment is assumed to be an electric vehicle or the like that can be driven by an electric motor that generates rotational power when energized and that produces quiet running noise.

[0021] A front grille 11, which constitutes part of the outer shell of the vehicle 10, is disposed at the front end of the vehicle 10. The front grille 11 is a plate-like structure that extends in the vertical and horizontal directions and has its thickness in the front-to-rear direction. An opening 12 is formed in the lower part of the front grille 11, penetrating the front-to-rear direction. The size, shape, and number of the openings 12 are not particularly limited. No such openings are provided above the lower part of the front grille 11.

[0022] An undercover 13 is disposed at the front bottom of the vehicle 10 to prevent the intrusion of dirt, dust, water, etc. while the vehicle 10 is traveling, and to reduce the resistance of air passing under the vehicle 10. The undercover 13 is also a member that constitutes part of the outer shell of the vehicle 10.

[0023] Vehicle 10 is equipped with a sound output device 20 that emits sound waves outside the vehicle to notify people around (outside) vehicle 10 of the presence of vehicle 10 through the sound waves. In this embodiment, sound output device 20 is mounted on the front end of vehicle 10. By emitting sound waves forward of vehicle 10, sound output device 20 notifies people in front of vehicle 10 of the presence of vehicle 10 through the sound waves. In this embodiment, the front-to-rear direction of sound output device 20 corresponds to the outside-inside direction of vehicle 10. Furthermore, the "front" of each part of sound output device 20 corresponds to the "outside" of vehicle 10, and the "rear" of each part corresponds to the "inside" of vehicle 10.

[0024] The sound output device 20 includes an exterior member 21, a vibrator 25, and a reflecting member 31. Next, each part constituting the sound output device 20 will be described. <Exterior member 21> The exterior member 21 is a member that constitutes part or all of the front grille 11, and is made of a hard material such as hard resin. In this embodiment, the exterior member 21 constitutes the entire front grille 11, and has the opening 12 described above in its lower portion.

[0025] <Vibrator 25> The vibrator 25 is disposed behind the exterior member 21 and above the opening 12. The vibrator 25 is attached to the exterior member 21 from the rear by adhesive, claw fitting, screw fastening, or the like.

[0026] The vibrator 25 vibrates the exterior member 21 in the front-rear direction to generate sound waves in the audible frequency range as a horn sound for warning, an approach notification sound for notifying that the vehicle 10 is approaching, etc. The horn sound is output from the sound output device 20 at a single predetermined frequency. The approach notification sound is output from the sound output device 20 as a melody, music, etc.

[0027] A control device (not shown) is mounted on the vehicle 10. For example, the control device outputs an operation instruction signal to the vibrator 25 in response to the traveling state of the vehicle 10 or in response to detection of a pedestrian by a sensor (not shown), causing the vibrator 25 to vibrate.

[0028] <Reflective member 31> The reflecting member 31 has a plate shape with its thickness in the front-rear direction and extending in the up-down and left-right directions. The reflecting member 31 is arranged in an upright state at a location rearward away from the exterior member 21 and close to the exterior member 21. With the vibrator 25 as the reference point, the reflecting member 31 is located on the opposite side of the vibrator 25 from the exterior member 21. The reflecting member 31 surrounds the vibrator 25 and the opening 12 from the rear.

[0029] The reflecting member 31 is formed in a shape that reflects the sound waves SW2 that are generated in the exterior member 21 and emitted rearward, and guides them toward the opening 12. As this shape, in this embodiment, the reflecting member 31 has a plurality of flat portions 32 that reflect the sound waves SW2, and each flat portion 32 is inclined (bent) relative to the adjacent flat portion 32. The angle that each flat portion 32 makes with the adjacent flat portion 32 is set to a value that causes the reflected sound waves SW2 to head toward the opening 12.

[0030] The peripheral edge 31c of the reflecting member 31 is spaced rearward from the exterior member 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate (middle) portion of the reflecting member 31 in the front-to-rear direction, which is the thickness direction, is referred to as the intermediate portion 31m. The intermediate (middle) portion includes the central portion in the front-to-rear direction, as well as the portion forward of the central portion and the portion rearward of the central portion. In the reflecting member 31, the portion forward of the intermediate portion 31m is composed of a hard reflecting layer 33 that does not have a cavity. In this embodiment, the reflecting layer 33 is formed by a coating film. This coating film is formed during the manufacturing process of the reflecting member 31, for example, by spraying paint onto the front surface of the sound absorbing layer 34, which will be described later.

[0031] The coating may also be formed by in-mold coating, which can be done by applying paint to the inside of the mold before resin molding the sound absorbing layer 34, or by injecting paint into the mold with or without opening the mold after resin molding has been performed in the mold.

[0032] The portion of the reflecting member 31 behind the intermediate portion 31m is formed by a sound-absorbing layer 34 having a cavity 35. The sound-absorbing layer 34 is adjacent to the rear side of the reflecting layer 33. In other words, the intermediate portion 31m is the boundary between the reflecting layer 33 and the sound-absorbing layer 34. The cavity 35 is a portion that has volume but is low in density. The sound-absorbing layer 34 is formed by a porous body having many pores. In this case, the pores correspond to the cavity 35. In this embodiment, a foam is used as the porous body. The sound-absorbing layer 34 made of a foam is formed, for example, by a foam molding method. This molding method includes physical foaming and chemical foaming. In the former foam molding method, a resin is heated and melted in a molding machine, and a gas is injected into the resin as a foaming agent to perform molding. In the latter foam molding method, a thermoplastic resin and a foaming agent are introduced into a molding machine, mixed, and then molded.

[0033] Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as above will be described. 1 is vibrated in response to an operation instruction signal from the control device, the vibrations are transmitted to the exterior member 21. As the exterior member 21 vibrates in the front-to-rear direction, sound waves SW1 and SW2 are generated. Sound wave SW1 is emitted forward from the exterior member 21. When this sound wave SW1 reaches people around the vehicle 10, particularly people in front, the people are notified of the presence of the vehicle 10.

[0034] Furthermore, the sound waves SW2 are emitted rearward from the exterior member 21. If the reflecting member 31 were not provided and the emitted sound waves SW2 were to propagate further rearward, not only would the energy of the sound waves SW2 be wasted, but the sound waves SW2 would also become noise, impairing the quietness inside the vehicle more than would be possible with the reflecting member 31.

[0035] In this regard, in this embodiment, the reflecting member 31 is disposed behind the exterior member 21. As shown in Fig. 2, a front surface 33f of a reflecting layer 33 in the reflecting member 31 functions as a reflecting surface that reflects the sound wave SW2.

[0036] Therefore, sound waves SW2 emitted rearward from the exterior member 21 hit the reflective layer 33 on the flat surface portion 32 of the reflective member 31 and are reflected. The sound waves SW2 are blocked by the reflective member 31 from propagating rearward beyond the reflective member 31. This improves noise reduction on the rear side (inside the vehicle) of the reflective member 31.

[0037] 1, the propagation direction of the sound wave SW2 is changed by the above-mentioned reflection at the flat portion 32. Most of the sound wave SW2 is guided to the opening 12 after multiple reflections, but it may also be guided to the opening 12 after a single reflection. In the former case, the propagation direction of the sound wave SW2 is changed each time the sound wave SW2 is reflected at the flat portion 32, and the sound wave SW2 is brought closer to the opening 12. Then, the propagation direction of the sound wave SW2 is finally changed to a direction toward the opening 12.

[0038] The sound waves SW2 guided to the opening 12 are emitted forward through the opening 12. The emitted sound waves SW2 are added to the sound waves SW1 that are generated in association with the vibration of the exterior member 21 and emitted forward. As a result, the number of sound waves emitted forward from the sound output device 20 increases accordingly.

[0039] Here, if the portion of the reflecting member 31 in front of the intermediate portion 31m has a cavity, the sound wave SW2 is reflected within the cavity, thereby losing energy and being attenuated (absorbed).

[0040] In this regard, in the present embodiment, the reflective layer 33 in front of the intermediate portion 31m of the reflective member 31 does not have a cavity. Therefore, among the sound waves generated by the vibration of the exterior member 21, the sound waves SW2 emitted to the rear side are reflected by hitting the reflective layer 33. This suppresses the phenomenon in which sound waves lose energy due to reflection within the cavity.

[0041] Additionally, in the vehicle 10, noise (unpleasant and undesirable noise) is generated behind the reflecting member 31 due to the running noise of the vehicle 10. Examples of running noise include the following.

[0042] - Road noise caused by the friction between the tires and the road surface -The sound made when the tires go over uneven surfaces - Noise generated by the operation of the power source (electric motor) - Noise when braking A portion of the sound waves SW3 that constitute the noise inside the vehicle is attenuated by the sound absorbing layer 34. That is, a portion of the sound waves SW3 is reflected within the cavities 35 in the sound absorbing layer 34, thereby losing energy and being attenuated (absorbed). In this embodiment, in which the sound absorbing layer 34 is made of a porous body, the pores in the porous body function as the cavities 35. A portion of the sound waves SW3 that are located inside the vehicle relative to the reflecting member 31 is reflected within the pores in the porous body, thereby losing energy and being attenuated (absorbed).

[0043] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a reflecting member 31 is disposed behind the exterior member 21, surrounding the vibrator 25 and the opening 12 from the rear side and reflecting the sound wave SW2 emitted from the exterior member 21 to the rear side.

[0044] Therefore, compared to a case where the reflective member 31 is not provided, quietness can be improved on the rear side (inside the vehicle) of the sound output device 20 in the vehicle 10. (2) In this embodiment, the reflecting member 31 is formed in a plate shape as shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, the installation space for the reflecting member 31 can be reduced.

[0045] In particular, in this embodiment, the reflecting member 31 is disposed in an upright state, which makes it possible to reduce the installation space occupied by the reflecting member 31 in the front-rear direction. (3) In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of flat surfaces 32 that reflect sound waves SW2 are formed on the reflecting member 31, and the inclination angles of the flat surfaces 32 are set so that the reflected sound waves SW2 are directed toward the opening 12. Therefore, the sound waves SW2 emitted rearward from the exterior member 21 can be reflected by the flat surfaces 32, guided to the opening 12, and emitted forward through the opening 12. This increases the amount of sound waves emitted forward from the sound output device 20. This allows the sound output device 20 to more accurately perform its function of notifying people in front of the vehicle 10 of the presence of the vehicle 10 by sound waves. In this way, the energy of the sound waves SW2 can be used effectively.

[0046] (4) In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the portion of the reflecting member 31 in front of the intermediate portion 31m is formed by the reflecting layer 33 without the hollow portion 35. Therefore, the sound waves SW2 emitted rearward from the exterior member 21 can be appropriately reflected by the reflecting layer 33 while being prevented from being absorbed by the reflecting member 31.

[0047] (5) In this embodiment, the reflective layer 33 is formed by a coating film. Therefore, the reflective layer 33 without the cavity 35 can be formed easily and at low cost. (6) In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the portion of the reflecting member 31 rearward of the intermediate portion 31m is formed by the sound absorbing layer 34 having the hollow portion 35. Therefore, part of the sound waves SW3 that constitute noise inside the vehicle rearward of the reflecting member 31 can be absorbed by the sound absorbing layer 34, thereby reducing the noise.

[0048] This effect can be obtained even when the vibrator 25 is not operating and the exterior member 21 is not generating the sound waves SW1 and SW2. (7) In this embodiment, the sound absorbing layer 34 is made of a porous body. Therefore, the pores in the porous body can be used to reduce noise behind the reflecting member 31.

[0049] 1, in this embodiment, the peripheral edge 31c of the reflecting member 31 is spaced rearward from the exterior member 21. Therefore, transmission of vibrations of the exterior member 21 to the reflecting member 31 can be suppressed.

[0050] The above embodiment can also be implemented as a modified example in which it is modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modified example can be implemented in combination with each other within a range where no technical contradiction occurs.

[0051] <Regarding the Reflective Member 31> The peripheral edge 31 c of the reflecting member 31 may be in contact with the exterior member 21 . A flexible, elastically deformable cushioning material may be interposed between the outer casing 21 and a peripheral edge 31c of the reflecting member 31 that is spaced rearward from the outer casing 21. In this way, the gap between the peripheral edge 31c of the reflecting member 31 and the outer casing 21 can be filled with the cushioning material, thereby preventing sound waves SW2 from leaking out from the gap.

[0052] The reflective layer 33 may be formed of a layer other than a coating film, provided that it does not have any hollow portions 35, has a high density, and is hard. The reflective layer 33 may be formed of, for example, a film.

[0053] The sound absorbing layer 34 may be made of a porous material other than foam, such as a porous ceramic material or a porous metal material. The sound absorbing layer 34 may be made of an acoustic metamaterial. Fig. 3 shows an example. The acoustic metamaterial 36 has combinations of cavities 37 and necks 38 at multiple locations spaced apart from one another. The cavities 37 for each combination are formed inside the sound absorbing layer 34 at locations spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction from the front surface 36f and rear surface 36r of the acoustic metamaterial 36. Each neck 38 connects the corresponding cavities 37 to the rear surface 36r. The cavities 37 have a larger cross-sectional area than the necks 38.

[0054] In the sound absorbing layer 34, the neck portion 38 functions as a resonance tube in a Helmholtz resonance box, and the hollow portion 37 functions as a resonance chamber in the Helmholtz resonance box. Therefore, due to the resonance action of the resonance tube and the resonance chamber, sound waves SW3 of a predetermined frequency component propagating from the rear side to the sound absorbing layer 34 can be attenuated (absorbed).

[0055] The reflecting member 31 may have another layer between the reflecting layer 33 and the sound absorbing layer 34 . The sound absorbing layer 34 may be omitted from the reflecting member 31. The sound absorbing layer 34 may also be formed of a layer that does not have the cavities 35, 37. This is effective when the reflective layer 33 is formed of a coating film. In this case, the modified layer that does not have the cavities 35, 37 may be used as a base material that forms the skeleton of the reflective member 31, and the reflective layer 33 made of a coating film may be formed on the front surface of the base material.

[0056] The entire reflecting member 31 may not have the cavities 35, 37, and may be formed only from a layer that reflects the sound waves SW2 emitted backward from the exterior member 21. <Openings in exterior materials> The exterior member 21 of the sound output device 20 may be formed of a single member (front grille 11) having the opening 12, or may be formed of a plurality of adjacent members. In this case, the exterior member 21 has an opening at the boundary between the plurality of adjacent members.

[0057] 4 shows a modified example in which another component 45 is disposed at a location spaced below the front grille 11. In this modified example, the exterior member 21 constitutes at least a portion of the front grille 11 and the component 45. The exterior member 21 has an opening 41 at the boundary between the front grille 11 and the component 45.

[0058] 4, reference numeral 48 denotes a bonnet hood. Reference numeral 44 denotes a component disposed between the bonnet hood 48 and the front grille 11, and constituting the front end portion of the vehicle 10 together with the front grille 11 and component 45.

[0059] In this case, the vibrator 25 is attached to the front grille 11 from the rear side, for example. The reflecting member 31 is arranged in an upright state at a location rearwardly separated from the front grille 11 and the component 45, but close to the front grille 11 and the component 45. As in the above embodiment, the reflecting member 31 has a two-layer structure consisting of a reflective layer 33 and a sound-absorbing layer 34, and surrounds the vibrator 25 and the opening 41 from the rear side. Of the peripheral edge 31c of the reflecting member 31, a lower edge 31l is located close to the lower end of the opening 41 in the up-down direction.

[0060] In this modified example, the opening 41 is formed between the front grille 11 and the component 45, but other configurations are the same as those of the above embodiment. Therefore, this modified example also provides the same effects as those of the above-mentioned (1) to (8) of the above embodiment.

[0061] FIG. 5 shows another modified example. Headlights 49 are arranged below a bonnet hood 48 of the vehicle 10, on both sides in the left-right direction. A portion (lower portion) of a front bumper 46 is arranged below the headlights 49. The front bumper 46 has, in part of its lower portion, an inclined plate portion 46a that is inclined so that it becomes higher toward the front. Behind the lower portion of the front bumper 46, an undercover 13 is arranged spaced apart from the front bumper 46. An exterior member 21 constitutes at least a portion of each of the front bumper 46 and the undercover 13. The exterior member 21 has an opening 47 between a rear edge portion 46r of the front bumper 46 and a front edge portion 13f of the undercover 13.

[0062] In this modified example, the thickness direction of the inclined plate portion 46a corresponds to the outside-inside direction of the vehicle 10. The front lower side corresponds to the outside of the vehicle, and the rear upper side corresponds to the inside of the vehicle. Furthermore, the "front lower" of each part of the sound output device 20 corresponds to the "outside" of the vehicle 10, and the "rear upper" of each part corresponds to the "inside" of the vehicle 10.

[0063] In this case, the vibrator 25 is attached to the inclined plate portion 46a from above and rearward. The reflecting member 31 is disposed at a location spaced from the inclined plate portion 46a toward the above and rearward, close to the inclined plate portion 46a and the undercover 13, and is tilted so that the height increases toward the front as a whole. The reflecting member 31 surrounds the vibrator 25 and the opening 47 from the upper rear side. Of the peripheral edge portion 31c of the reflecting member 31, the rear edge portion 31r is located at a location close to the opening 47 in the front-rear direction.

[0064] The other configurations, particularly the configuration in which the reflecting member 31 has a two-layer structure consisting of the reflecting layer 33 and the sound absorbing layer 34, are the same as those of the above embodiment. In this modified example, a portion of the sound waves generated by vibrating the inclined plate portion 46a is emitted downward and forward from the inclined plate portion 46a. When these sound waves reach a person in front of the vehicle 10, the person is notified of the presence of the vehicle 10 by the sound waves.

[0065] A portion of the sound waves generated by the inclined plate portion 46a is emitted upward and rearward from the inclined plate portion 46a. These sound waves SW2 are reflected by the reflecting member 31 and guided to the opening 47. The sound waves SW2 are emitted downward through the opening 47. The emitted sound waves SW2 are added to the sound waves that are generated in association with the vibration of the inclined plate portion 46a and emitted downward and frontward. As a result, the sound waves emitted downward and frontward from the sound output device 20 increase accordingly.

[0066] Therefore, this modification also provides the same advantages as those of the above-described embodiments (1), (3) to (8). In addition, instead of the above-described advantage (2), the following advantage (2') is provided. (2') Because the reflecting member 31 is plate-shaped, it is possible to reduce the installation space for the reflecting member 31. In particular, in this embodiment, the reflecting member 31 is disposed in an inclined state. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the installation space occupied by the reflecting member 31 in the outward and inward directions.

[0067] The openings 12, 41, 47 may be ones that the exterior member 21 originally has, or may be newly formed in the exterior member 21 when the sound output device 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0068] <Other> The exterior member 21 of the sound output device 20 may be configured as the following exterior member instead of the front grille 11, the parts 45, the front bumper 46, and the undercover 13 described above.

[0069] For example, exterior components include rear bumpers, fog covers, bonnet hoods 48, cowl louvers, fenders, fender arches (wheel arches), rocker moldings, roof side moldings, pillars, side bezels, rear garnishes, spoilers, and the like.

[0070] In this case, the exterior member 21 may be intended for one exterior member having an opening and may constitute a part or all of the exterior member. Alternatively, the exterior member 21 may be intended for a plurality of exterior members that are adjacent to each other and have openings at their boundaries and may constitute at least a part of each of the exterior members.

[0071] The sound output device 20 can also be applied to a vehicle 10 powered by an internal combustion engine such as an engine. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10...Vehicle 12, 41, 47...Opening 20...Sound output device 21...Exterior material 25...Vibrator 31...Reflective member 31m…middle part 33...Reflection layer 34...Sound absorbing layer 35,37…Cavity part SW2...sound wave

Claims

1. an exterior member that forms a part of an outer shell of the vehicle and has an opening; a vibrator attached to a portion of the exterior member, the portion being spaced from the opening, from the vehicle interior side, and vibrating the exterior member to generate sound waves, Furthermore, a reflective member is disposed on the vehicle interior side of the exterior member, the reflective member surrounding the vibrator and the opening from the vehicle interior side, and reflecting sound waves generated by the exterior member and emitted toward the vehicle interior side, and guiding the reflected sound waves to the opening.

2. 2. The vehicle sound output device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the reflective member that is located on the outer side of the vehicle relative to a middle portion in the vehicle's outer-inner direction is formed of a reflective layer that does not have a hollow portion.

3. The vehicle sound output device according to claim 2 , wherein the reflective layer is formed by a coating film.

4. 4. The sound output device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the reflecting member that is closer to the vehicle interior than the intermediate portion is formed by a sound absorbing layer having the hollow portion.

5. 5. The sound output device for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the sound absorbing layer is made of a porous material.

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