Vehicle Sensors

Abstract

To provide a sensor for a vehicle, especially, a sensor for a vehicle that allows efficient attachment of an internal element.SOLUTION: A sensor for a vehicle is provided, which has: a body in which a construction space is formed; and a connection member that is inserted into the body, is provided in the construction space, and has a first end including a holding part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides a sensor for a vehicle, and in particular, a sensor for a vehicle in which an internal element can be efficiently mounted. [Background technology]

[0002] Automobiles are an essential transportation tool in daily life. Generally, to prevent collisions with other vehicles or obstacles while moving (forward or backward), sensors are installed around the vehicle body to detect the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles or obstacles, and non-contact sensing means such as ultrasonic or optical sensing can be used to instantly notify the safety distance when driving (forward or backward), thereby avoiding vehicle collisions and protecting the safety of the vehicle, passengers, and pedestrians.

[0003] A conventional vehicle sensor includes a sensor (transducer) that can realize the above-mentioned non-contact sensing means, a control element that performs calculations and judgments based on the sensor signal, a connection terminal that electrically connects the sensor and the control element, and a body that houses the above components. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the space inside the body is too narrow, so when establishing electrical connections between elements, for example, when welding a wire between a sensor and a connecting terminal, it is easy for misalignment to occur between the wire and the connecting terminal. Therefore, the welding and installation process must be done manually, which not only reduces the installation efficiency but also increases the labor cost.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the applicant has taken into consideration the shortcomings of the prior art and provided a vehicle sensor that allows internal elements to be installed efficiently, thereby improving installation efficiency and reducing labor costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention includes a main body in which a working space is formed, a connecting member inserted into the body and disposed in the working space, the connecting member having a first end including a holding portion;

[0007] In one embodiment, the connecting member further comprises an insertion portion and an extension portion, The insertion portion is inserted into the main body, and the extension portion is attached to the surface of the main body.

[0008] In one embodiment, the surface has a horizontal surface and a vertical surface; the stretching section has a first stretching section and a second stretching section, the first extension portion is attached to the horizontal surface, The second extension portion is curved relative to the first extension portion and is attached to the vertical surface.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first end is provided on the extension.

[0010] In one embodiment, the holding portion has a groove or a hole formed therein.

[0011] In one embodiment, the surface of the holding portion has adhesiveness.

[0012] In one embodiment, the working space includes a first working space and a second working space, the first working space has a cross-sectional dimension larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the second working space; The first end is disposed within the first working space.

[0013] In one embodiment, the device further comprises a control element, The connecting member further has a second end, the second end being electrically connected to the control element.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second end is inserted into or welded to the control element.

[0015] In one embodiment, the body is integrally formed with the linking member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As a result, in the vehicle sensor of the present invention, the connecting member includes a first end having a holding portion, so when establishing an electrical connection between elements, the conductive element can be held at the first end, and then the relative positions of the elements can be adjusted before welding.This makes it possible to automate the installation process, thereby improving installation efficiency and achieving the effect of reducing labor costs.

[0017] In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the following detailed description will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vehicle sensor according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a connecting member in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 2 after the vehicle sensor and other elements are attached. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of a vehicle sensor according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a connecting member in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a connecting member in a third embodiment of a vehicle sensor according to the present invention. [Figure 10]10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of FIG. 9 after the connecting member has been attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The above and other technical contents, features, and advantages of the present invention can be described in detail by preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Please note that directional terms used in the embodiments, such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear, refer only to the directions shown in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for explanatory purposes only and do not limit the present invention. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, identical or similar components will be described using identical or similar reference numerals.

[0020] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vehicle sensor according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1. The vehicle sensor 1 of this embodiment has a main body 100 and at least one connecting member 200. The main body 100 is used to accommodate at least a part of the connecting member 200. The connecting member 200 is used, for example, to electrically connect the sensing element of the vehicle sensor 1 to the connecting terminal of the control element. In this embodiment, the number of the auxiliary connecting members 300 is two and is provided on the main body 100. In one embodiment, the vehicle sensor 1 may have at least one auxiliary connecting member 300, which may be, for example, a connecting terminal used for directly physically connecting with the sensing element or the control element, and in this embodiment, the number of the auxiliary connecting members 300 is three and is provided on the main body 100.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the connecting member in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the connecting member 200 has a connecting body 210 and an inserting portion 220. The connecting body 210 is used to connect to either a sensing element or a control element. The inserting portion 220 is connected to the connecting body 210, and the connecting member 200 can be inserted into the main body 100 through the inserting portion 220. In this embodiment, the connecting member 200 has a first end 222. The first end 222 is located at one end of the inserting portion 220 away from the connecting body 210 and is curved relative to the inserting portion 220. The end of the first end 222 away from the inserting portion 220 has a holding portion 222a, which is used to hold a conductive element for connecting the sensing element.

[0022] Specifically, because the dimensions of each element in the vehicle sensor 1 are small, when establishing an electrical connection between the elements, for example, by welding a wire between the sensing element and the connecting terminal, misalignment between the wire and the connecting terminal is likely to occur. This necessitates manual welding and installation, which not only unwittingly reduces installation efficiency but also increases labor costs. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first end 222 of the connecting member 200 includes a retaining portion 222a, which allows a portion of the wire to be temporarily fixed to the retaining portion 222a before welding and allows the relative position of the sensing element and the connecting member 200 to be adjusted. During the adjustment process, the portion of the wire is always held by the retaining portion 222a and will not come off the connecting member 200. Therefore, after the sensing element and the connecting member 200 are positioned in the final installation position, the wire held at the first end 222 can be quickly and reliably welded to the connecting member 200, which enables automation of the installation process, thereby improving installation efficiency and reducing labor costs.

[0023] More specifically, in this embodiment, the retaining portion 222a is formed, for example, as a substantially semicircular groove, which is used to accommodate a portion of the wire from the side. In other embodiments, the arc of the groove may be smaller or larger than a semicircle to facilitate placement of the wire in the groove or to stably lock the wire in the groove. Furthermore, the retaining portion may be formed as a V-shaped locking groove instead of a circular groove, or may be formed as a sealed hole through which the wire passes. As long as it is effective in accommodating or locking a portion or all of the wire, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0024] In addition, in some embodiments, the holding portion 222a can hold the wire in a manner other than by receiving the wire. For example, the surface of the holding portion 222a can be provided with an adhesive layer that can adhere the wire permanently or temporarily, thereby making the surface of the holding portion 222a sticky. This allows the wire to be welded to be stuck to the holding portion 222a before installation, and welding can be performed after the connecting member 200 and the sensing element are placed in the predetermined position, which also has the effect of improving the success rate of welding.

[0025] Meanwhile, the connecting piece 200 of this embodiment further includes a second end 212, which is located at one end of the connecting body 210 away from the insertion portion 220, and has an outer shape such as a press-fit terminal, extending parallel to the connecting body 210. With this arrangement, the second end 212 can be press-fitted into the other of the control element or the sensing element before or after the first end 222 is welded, thereby quickly completing the electrical connection between the two.

[0026] Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 2. Specifically, the main body 100 has a base 110 and a mounting portion 120. The base 110 has a front end 112 and a rear end 114. The front end 112 has a front end opening 160, and the rear end 114 has a working space 170. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the base 110 has a groove for locking the linking member 200. When attaching the linking member 200 to the main body 100, the user presses the linking member 200 into the groove of the base 110, thereby positioning the first end 222 and the holding portion 222a within the working space 170. When removing the linking member 200 from the main body 100, the user holds the linking body 210 with a tool such as pliers or a clip and pulls the linking member 200 out of the base 110 in the opposite direction to the attachment direction. In other words, the connecting member 200 of this embodiment is removably attached to the main body 100, which can improve the reuse rate of the member.

[0027] Furthermore, the working space 170 has a first working space 172 (the portion above the horizontal dotted line in FIG. 4) and a second working space 174 (the portion below the horizontal dotted line in FIG. 4), and the second working space 174 communicates with the front end opening 160 and the first working space 172. As shown in FIG. 4, the first working space 172 has a larger cross-sectional dimension than the second working space 174. As a result, the vehicle sensor 1 can lock the internal element in a predetermined position due to the dimensional difference between the first working space 172 and the second working space 174, thereby achieving a structural element positioning effect.

[0028] Meanwhile, the mounting portion 120 is used to mount the vehicle sensor 1 on the vehicle in which it is to be mounted, and a chamber is formed therein. As shown in FIG. 4 , the auxiliary connecting member 300 has a first auxiliary end 310 and a second auxiliary end 320. The first auxiliary end 310 is disposed within the first working space 172, and the second auxiliary end 320 is connected to the first auxiliary end 310 and curved relative to the first auxiliary end 310, and the second auxiliary end 320 is disposed within the chamber of the mounting portion 120. With this arrangement, the auxiliary connecting member 300 can receive power from the vehicle via the second auxiliary end 320 and supply power to each electronic component in the working space 170 via the first auxiliary end 310. In this embodiment, the auxiliary connecting member 300 is, for example, integrally injected with the main body 100, that is, the auxiliary connecting member 300 and the main body 100 are integrally formed. Alternatively, according to actual needs, the connecting member 200 and the main body 100 may be integrally formed, which can eliminate the need for a subsequent mounting process, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0029] Please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 2 after the vehicle sensor and other elements have been attached. The welding and attachment process for the vehicle sensor 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below. First, the user places the sensor 400 in the housing 500 for housing the sensor 400 and secures the sensor 400 and the housing 500 together. Then, the user inserts the connecting member 200 into the groove of the base 110 (this step is unnecessary if the connecting member 200 and the main body 100 are integrally formed), welds one end of the conductive element 600 to the surface of the sensor 400, and secures the main body of the conductive element 600 to the holding portion 222a of the connecting member 200 by means of receiving, clipping, or gluing. The conductive element 600 may be, for example, a wire or a flexible circuit board, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Next, the shell 500 is fastened to the front end opening 160, and the conductive element 600 held by the holding portion 222a is welded to the first end 222. The excess conductive element 600 can be removed according to actual needs. Finally, the control element 700 is pressed into the second end 212 of the connecting member 200 and the first auxiliary end 310 of the auxiliary connecting member 300 using a press-fitting method, thereby electrically connecting the second end 212 and the first auxiliary end 310 to the control element 700. The control element 700 can be, for example, a circuit board having a logic circuit, thereby completing the mounting and electrical connection of all internal elements of the vehicle sensor 1.

[0030] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the second end 212 is a press-fit terminal and the control element 700 is press-fitted into the second end 212 to establish a physical electrical connection, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the second end 212 may be a general pin and the electrical connection between the second end 212 and the control element 700 may be established by welding.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of a vehicle sensor according to the present invention. The vehicle sensor 1' of this embodiment is almost the same as the vehicle sensor 1 of the first embodiment, with the main difference being that a portion of the connecting member 200' of the vehicle sensor 1' is embedded in the main body 100' and the connecting member 200' has an extension 230.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the linking member in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 7, the linking member 200' has a linking body 210, an inserting portion 220', an extending portion 230, a first end 232, and a second end 212. The inserting portion 220' is connected to the linking body 210. The extending portion 230 extends like a protrusion relative to the linking body 210 and / or the inserting portion 220'. The first end 232 is provided on the extending portion 230 and has a holding portion 232a. The second end 212 is provided on one end of the connecting body 210 away from the insertion portion 220′ and the extending portion 230, and has an outer shape such as a press-fit terminal and extends parallel to the connecting body 210.

[0033] Please refer to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in Figure 6. Specifically, since the cross-sectional dimensions of the first machining space 172 are larger than those of the second machining space 174, the first end 232 for welding the conductive element 600 can be placed in the first machining space 172 to further improve the yield of the welding process. To achieve this, as shown in Figure 8, the connecting member 200' is inserted into the base 110' via the inserting portion 220'. At this time, one end of the inserting portion 220' away from the connecting body 210 is embedded in the base 110', and the first end 232 is attached to the extending portion 230 located in the first machining space 172. This arrangement allows the user to perform the welding process between the connecting member 200' and the conductive element 600 in a larger machining space, thereby improving the product yield.

[0034] In addition, since the first end 232 is provided on the extension 230, the insert 220' does not need to have conductive properties and may be made of a material that has good temperature adaptability or mechanical hardness compared to the connecting body 210 and the extension 230. This does not affect the properties of the connecting member 200', such as the conductive properties and bonding strength, even if the main body 100' and the connecting member 200' are manufactured integrally by injection molding.

[0035] More specifically, the extension 230 of this embodiment can be attached to the surface of the base 110', thereby improving the connection stability between the connecting member 200' and the main body 100'. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the rear end 114 has a surface, which has a horizontal surface 114a and a vertical surface 114b, and the vertical surface 114b and the horizontal surface 114a are perpendicular to each other. The extension 230 has a first extension 234 and a second extension 236. The first extension 234 is connected, for example, between the connecting body 210 and the insert 220', and the second extension 236 is provided at one end of the first extension 234 away from the connecting body 210 and the insert 220' and is curved relative to the first extension 234. When the main body 100' and the connecting member 200' are fixed to each other, the first extending portion 234 is attached to the horizontal surface 114a, and the second extending portion 236 is attached to the vertical surface 114b. 14b. This arrangement not only strengthens the connection strength between the connecting member 200′ and the main body 100′ by using a portion other than the insertion portion 220′, but also allows the user to weld one end of the conductive element 600 that is away from the sensor 400 to the first end 232, the first extension 234, or the second extension 236, thereby reducing the difficulty of welding the conductive element 600.

[0036] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first end 232 is located between the first extending portion 234 and the second extending portion 236, and extends parallel to the first extending portion 234 like a protrusion, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first end 232 may be located at the end of the second extending portion 236, or may extend in the upper right direction in Fig. 8. Furthermore, the insertion portion 220' and the main body 100' may simply be formed integrally, and as long as the conductive element 600 can be well fixed, this falls within the scope of the present invention.

[0037] Please refer to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a connecting member in a third embodiment of a vehicle sensor according to the present invention. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of Figure 9 after the connecting member has been installed. The connecting member 200'' of this embodiment is almost the same as the connecting member 200' of the second embodiment, with the main difference being that the connecting member 200'' does not have an extension portion 230.

[0038] Specifically, the linking member 200'' comprises a linking body 210, an insertion portion 220'', a first end 232'', and a second end 212. The insertion portion 220'' is connected to the linking body 210. The first end 232'' is located on the insertion portion 220'', and has a retaining portion 232a. The second end is located at one end of the linking body 210 away from the insertion portion 220'', and has an outer shape such as a press-fit terminal, extending parallel to the linking body 210. This allows the first end 232'' to be positioned in the larger first machining space 172 when the linking member 200'' and the main body 100' are attached to each other or integrally formed, and saves material compared to the linking member 200' of the second embodiment. Furthermore, the vertical position of the connecting member 200'' can be adjusted according to actual needs to determine whether the first end 232'' should be attached to the horizontal surface 114a to achieve better supporting stability.

[0039] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims of the present invention. It should be noted that any modifications or replacements of the above embodiments that have the same effect should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention. The technical features of the above embodiments may be suitably combined, replaced, omitted, or modified as long as they do not violate the spirit or intent of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is regulated by the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1, 1': Vehicle sensor 100, 100': Main body 110, 110': base 112: Front end 114: Rear end 114a: horizontal plane 114b: Vertical surface 120: Mounting part 160: Front end opening 170:Work space 172: First workspace 174: Second workspace 200, 200', 200'': Connecting member 210:Connection body 212: 2nd end 220, 220', 220'': Insertion part 222: 1st end 222a: Holding part 230: Stretching section 232, 232'': 1st end 232a: Holding part 234: 1st extension part 236:Second extension part 300: Auxiliary connecting member 310: First auxiliary end 320: Second auxiliary end 400:Sensor 500: Shell 600: Conductive element 700: Control element XX, YY: Cross section

Claims

1. a main body in which a working space is formed; A sensing element; a control element having a connection terminal; a conductive element for connecting the sensing element; a connecting member that is inserted into the body and is used to electrically connect the sensing element and the connecting terminal of the control element, and that is provided in the working space and has a first end including a holding portion formed with a groove or hole that is used to hold a part of the conductive element; Vehicle sensors.

2. The connecting member further includes an insertion portion and an extension portion, The insertion portion is inserted into the main body, and the extension portion is attached to the surface of the main body. The vehicle sensor according to claim 1 .

3. the surface has a horizontal surface and a vertical surface; the stretching section has a first stretching section and a second stretching section, the first extension portion is attached to the horizontal surface, the second extension portion is curved relative to the first extension portion and attached to the vertical surface; The vehicle sensor according to claim 2 .

4. The first end is provided on the extension portion. The vehicle sensor according to claim 2 .

5. The surface of the holding portion has adhesiveness. The vehicle sensor according to claim 1 .

6. the machining space includes a first machining space and a second machining space; the first working space has a cross-sectional dimension larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the second working space; The first end is provided within the first working space. The vehicle sensor according to claim 1 .

7. The connecting member further has a second end, the second end being electrically connected to the control element. The vehicle sensor according to claim 1 .

8. the second end is inserted into or welded to the control element; The vehicle sensor according to claim 7.

9. A main body in which a working space is formed; A sensing element; a control element having a connection terminal; a conductive element for connecting the sensing element; a connecting member that is inserted into the main body and is used to electrically connect the sensing element and the connecting terminal of the control element, and that is provided in the working space and is used to hold a part of the conductive element, the connecting member having a first end including a holding portion having an adhesive surface; Vehicle sensors.

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