Detection unit and vehicle undercarriage

Abstract

This detection unit (5), which is attached to a rear bumper cover (2) of a vehicle and detects a kicking action of a user, comprises: a sensor (10) that is disposed facing an inner surface (2A) of the rear bumper cover (2) and extends in the vehicle width direction, and detects a kicking action; a controller (20) that processes a sensor signal; and a support member (30) that is fixed to the inner surface (2A) and supports the sensor (10) and the controller (30) . The support member (30) has: a first surface section (31) to which the sensor (10) and the controller (20) are attached and that extends along the inner surface (2A) in the fixed state; a second surface section (32) that is positioned in the vehicle forward side of the controller (20) in the fixed state and extends upward from a front end (31b) of the first surface section (31); and a third surface section (33) that extends downward from an upper end (32a) of the second surface section (32) in the fixed state and forms, with the second surface section (32), an erect wall (34) having a substantially reverse V-shape.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a detection unit that is attached to a rear bumper cover of a vehicle and detects a user's kicking motion, and a vehicle undercarriage that is equipped with this detection unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles with automatic opening and closing of the tailgate (back door) at the rear of a hatchback or minivan vehicle using an electric motor have been put into practical use. Such electric tailgates are opened and closed by the electric motor operating in response to the user's switch operation or by detecting the user's kicking motion. A detection unit (kick sensor, kick motion sensor) that detects the foot kicking motion is often located under the rear bumper cover or in the undercover. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle underbody structure in which a kick sensor is located in a closed cross-sectional space surrounded by a rear floor cover, which is a type of undercover, and a rear bumper cover, preventing the intrusion of foreign objects such as dirt, rain, and snow and preventing malfunction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-127804 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Because the detection unit is located behind the rear wheels, there is a risk that foreign objects such as stones and dirt (hereinafter referred to as "flying stones") kicked up by the rear wheels while driving may fly toward the detection unit. Because the detection unit includes a controller that processes signals from the sensor, a structure is required to protect the controller from flying stones. In addition, wind from driving may enter the rear bumper cover, increasing driving resistance and potentially affecting fuel economy and electricity consumption.

[0005] From these viewpoints, it is desirable for the detection unit to satisfy two requirements: protecting the controller from flying stones (stone flying prevention requirement) and reducing running resistance (aerodynamic requirement). However, if these two requirements are to be satisfied by forming a closed cross-sectional space with a rear bumper cover and a rear floor cover, as in Patent Document 1, the structure would become larger, which could lead to increased costs.

[0006] The present invention was conceived to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objectives is to provide a detection unit and a vehicle undercarriage that can reduce costs while satisfying both stone-flying prevention requirements and aerodynamic requirements. However, in addition to this objective, another objective of the present invention is to achieve operational effects derived from the configurations shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described below, which are not obtainable with conventional technology. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The disclosed detection unit and vehicle undercarriage can be realized as the following disclosed aspects or application examples, and solve at least some of the above problems. (1) The detection unit disclosed herein is attached to the rear bumper cover of a vehicle and detects the user's kicking motion. The detection unit is arranged opposite the inner surface of the rear bumper cover facing the inside of the vehicle and extends in the vehicle width direction, and includes a sensor that detects the kicking motion, a controller that processes signals from the sensor, and a support member that is fixed to the inner surface of the rear bumper cover and supports the sensor and the controller.

[0008] The support member has a first surface portion to which the sensor and the controller are attached and which extends along the inner surface of the rear bumper cover when fixed, a second surface portion which is located in front of the controller when fixed and extends upward from the front end of the first surface portion, and a third surface portion which, when fixed, extends downward from the upper end of the second surface portion and forms an approximately inverted V-shaped vertical wall together with the second surface portion.

[0009] (2) It is preferable that the first surface portion, the second surface portion, and the third surface portion of the detection unit are integrally formed. (3) In the detection unit described in (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the support member has a rib connecting the opposing surfaces of the second surface portion and the third surface portion. (4) In this case, it is preferable that a plurality of the ribs be arranged in the vehicle width direction.

[0010] (5) In the detection unit described in any one of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the third surface portion has an inclined surface that is positioned in a forward-leaning position so that the lower end is located further rearward than the upper end of the detection unit. (6) In the detection unit described in any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that the dimension of the standing wall in the vehicle width direction is equal to or less than half the dimension of the sensor in the vehicle width direction.

[0011] (7) In the detection unit described in any one of (1) to (6) above, a decorative portion of a predetermined shape when viewed from the rear of the vehicle is provided on the lower part of the rear surface of the rear bumper cover facing the rear of the vehicle, and the support member is fixed to the inner surface on the back side of the decorative portion, and at least a part of the sensor is preferably arranged on the back side of the decorative portion. (8) The vehicle undercarriage structure disclosed herein includes the detection unit described in (7) above, and the decorative portion of the rear bumper cover is provided as a convex portion or a concave portion of the predetermined shape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The disclosed detection unit and vehicle undercarriage structure can reduce costs while satisfying both requirements for preventing flying stones and aerodynamic requirements. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic left side view of a vehicle equipped with a detection unit and a vehicle undercarriage according to an embodiment; [Figure 2]2 is a view of the rear bumper cover of the vehicle of FIG. 1 as seen from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 3] 2 and 4. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vehicle undercarriage structure of FIG. 1 taken in the vehicle longitudinal direction (cross-sectional view taken along the arrow XX in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4). [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a view of the detection unit of FIG. 1 as seen from the front of the vehicle. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a standing wall of the detection unit of FIG. 4. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A detection unit and a vehicle undercarriage will be described as embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described in the following embodiments. The configurations of each embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Furthermore, they can be selected or combined as needed.

[0015] In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle is referred to as the forward direction (front of the vehicle), left and right are defined based on the forward direction, and the left and right direction of the vehicle is referred to as the vehicle width direction. The detection unit described in detail below detects the kicking motion of the user, and the vehicle undercarriage described in detail below is the structure relating to the part where the detection unit is attached and its surroundings. Regarding the definition of directions in the embodiments, the directions of the parts and portions that make up the detection unit refer to the directions when they are attached to the vehicle, unless otherwise specified.

[0016] [1. Configuration] 1, a detection unit 5 according to the embodiment is attached to a rear bumper cover 2 of a vehicle 1, and detects a kicking motion by a user, such as by holding a foot 9 under the rear bumper cover 2. When the detection unit 5 detects the kicking motion, a signal is sent to an electric motor (not shown), which automatically opens and closes the tailgate (not shown).

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the rear bumper cover 2 of this embodiment is provided with a decorative portion 6 of a predetermined shape in rear view on the lower part (skid plate portion) of the rear surface 2B facing the rear of the vehicle. The decorative portion 6 is a portion that enhances the aesthetic appeal (design) of the rear bumper cover 2. In the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, three horizontally elongated, approximately trapezoidal decorative portions 6 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, and each decorative portion 6 is provided as a convex portion or a concave portion of a predetermined shape (approximately trapezoidal). As a result, the decorative portion 6 contributes to improving the design as well as the rigidity of the rear bumper cover 2.

[0018] The detection unit 5 is attached to the back side of the left decorative part 6, i.e., to the inner surface 2A (see FIG. 3) of the rear bumper cover 2 facing the inside of the vehicle (the front side of the vehicle). In this way, the decorative part 6 also functions as a landmark to inform the user of the position of the detection unit 5. This lets the user know that they should use the left decorative part 6 as a landmark and perform a kicking motion by holding their foot 9 below this decorative part 6.

[0019] 3, the detection unit 5 includes a sensor 10 that is disposed facing the inner surface 2A of the rear bumper cover 2 and extends in the vehicle width direction, a controller 20 that processes signals from the sensor 10, and a support member 30 that is fixed to the inner surface 2A of the rear bumper cover 2 and supports the sensor 10 and the controller 20. The support member 30 of this embodiment is fixed to the inner surface 2A on the back side of the decorative portion 6. Furthermore, at least a portion of the sensor 10 of this embodiment is disposed on the back side of the decorative portion 6.

[0020] The sensor 10 detects a kicking motion and is, for example, a conventionally known capacitance sensor that detects an object based on a change in capacitance. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the sensor 10 of this embodiment is arranged along a recess 35 of the support member 30 and is engaged (fixed) to the support member 30 by a plurality of clips 36. Here, a detection unit 5 in which two sensors 10 are arranged vertically side by side is illustrated. The vehicle width direction dimension Ls of the sensor 10 of this embodiment is approximately equal to the vehicle width direction dimension of a first surface portion 31 of the support member 30, which will be described later. The type of sensor 10 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a sensor that uses ultrasonic waves.

[0021] The controller 20 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that processes the signal (detection result) from the sensor 10. The controller 20 determines whether or not a kick operation is occurring based on the capacitance value detected by the sensor 10 and its change, and if it determines that a kick operation is occurring, outputs an open / close signal or a stop signal to a door ECU (not shown). The door ECU sends a signal to an electric motor based on this signal to operate the tailgate. In the detection unit 5 of this embodiment, the controller 20 is disposed to the left (outside in the vehicle width direction). Note that signal lines and power lines connected to the sensor 10 and the controller 20 are not shown.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, the support member 30 is configured to have at least three surfaces 31, 32, and 33. The first surface 31 is a planar portion to which the sensor 10 and the controller 20 are attached, and extends along the inner surface 2A of the rear bumper cover 2 when the support member 30 is fixed to the rear bumper cover 2 (hereinafter referred to as the "fixed state"). The second surface 32 is a planar portion located in front of the controller 20 in the fixed state, and extends upward from a front end 31b of the first surface 31. The third surface 33 is a planar portion that extends downward from an upper end 32a of the second surface 32 and forms a substantially inverted V-shaped standing wall 34 together with the second surface 32 in the fixed state.

[0023] The support member 30 of this embodiment is made of resin, and is integrally formed with a first surface portion 31, a second surface portion 32, and a third surface portion 33. In addition to these surface portions 31 to 33, the support member 30 is also provided with, for example, a bracket (not shown) for attaching it to the rear bumper cover 2. The configuration of each of the surface portions 31 to 33 will be described in detail below.

[0024] The first surface 31 extends in the vehicle width direction along the inner surface 2A of the lower part of the rear bumper cover 2, and is fastened and fixed, for example, to a plurality of bosses (not shown) formed on the inner surface 2A of the rear bumper cover 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the lower part of the rear bumper cover 2 is inclined (or curved) so that it approaches the front as it goes downward, and therefore the first surface 31 is inclined backward so that the upper rear end 31a is located rearward of the lower front end 31b. The sensor 10 is attached to the rearward and downward facing surface of the first surface 31, and the controller 20 is attached to the forward and upward facing surface of the first surface 31.

[0025] The first surface portion 31 is provided with recesses 35 and clips 36 for fixing the sensor 10, and a fixing portion (not shown) for fixing the controller 20. The recesses 35 are portions of the first surface portion 31 recessed forward along the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the first surface portion 31. In the detection unit 5 of this embodiment, two sensors 10 are provided, and therefore the recesses 35 are also formed in two locations, one above and one below, on the first surface portion 31. The clips 36 are formed at multiple locations along the longitudinal direction of each recess 35 and are portions that clamp and lock the sensor 10.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4, the second surface portion 32 is provided on the left part of the support member 30 so as to overlap with the controller 20 when viewed in the front-rear direction, in other words so that the second surface portion 32 covers the entire controller 20 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Fig. 3, the second surface portion 32 is a substantially flat portion that extends obliquely forward and upward from a front end 31b extending in the vehicle width direction at the left part of the first surface portion 31, and that extends in the vehicle width direction, and is inclined forward so that its upper end 32a is located forward of the lower end 32b. beforeIt is continuous with the end 31b.

[0027] The third surface portion 33 is located at the frontmost position of the support member 30 and is a generally planar portion extending in the vehicle width direction. An upper end 33a of the third surface portion 33 is continuous with an upper end 32a of the second surface portion 32. Except for the upper end 33a, the third surface portion 33 faces the second surface portion 32 with a gap in the front-rear direction, and becomes increasingly farther away from the second surface portion 32 as it extends downward.

[0028] The third surface 33 of this embodiment has an inclined surface 33D that is disposed in a forward tilted position such that the lower end 33b is positioned further rearward than the upper end 33a. The third surface 33 of this embodiment is bent near the upper end 33a, and a top surface 33E facing forward and upward is provided between the upper end 33a and the inclined surface 33D. Note that the top surface 33E may be omitted. In this case, the entire third surface 33 becomes the inclined surface 33D.

[0029] The vehicle body (e.g., bumper beam 4, rear floor panel, etc.) is located above the upper end 33a of the third surface portion 33, but the third surface portion 33 (support member 30) is not connected to the vehicle body, and a space is provided above the third surface portion 33. Because the support member 30 is spaced apart from the vehicle body, vibrations are not transmitted between the support member 30 and the vehicle body. Furthermore, the provision of the space contributes to improved installation ease. A gap for draining water is provided between the lower end 33b of the third surface portion 33 and the rear bumper cover 2.

[0030] The standing wall 34 has both the function of protecting the controller 20 from flying stones (including foreign objects such as dirt and soil) flying from the front and diagonally below, as indicated by the solid arrow A in Fig. 3, and the function of preventing air (wind generated by driving) from the front from entering the inside of the rear bumper cover 2, as indicated by the dashed arrow B in Fig. 3. As described above, the standing wall 34 is formed by the second surface portion 32 and the third surface portion 33. As shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle width direction dimension Lw of the standing wall 34 in this embodiment is equal to or less than half the vehicle width direction dimension Ls of the sensor 10.

[0031] 3 and 5, the support member 30 has a rib 37 that connects the opposing surfaces of the second surface portion 32 and the third surface portion 33, i.e., the front surface 32C of the second surface portion 32 that faces forward and the rear surface 33C of the third surface portion 33 that faces rearward. The rib 37 has the same outer shape as the longitudinal cross section of the standing wall 34 cut in the front-rear direction, and is provided so as to straddle the front surface 32C and the rear surface 33C. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of ribs 37 (three in this example) are provided in the vehicle width direction. Note that the standing wall 34 in this embodiment has a left end surface 34L and a right end surface 34R, but these end surfaces 34L, 34R may be omitted.

[0032] [2. Actions and Effects] (1) In the detection unit 5 described above, the support member 30 that supports the sensor 10 and the controller 20 extending in the vehicle width direction has a first surface 31, a second surface 32, and a third surface 33. The first surface 31 to which the sensor 10 and the controller 20 are attached extends along the inner surface 2A of the rear bumper cover 2. The second surface 32 is located in front of the controller 20 and is located on the first surface 31. before edge 3 1 The third surface portion 33 extends downward from the upper end 32a of the second surface portion 32, and together with the second surface portion 32 forms a standing wall 34 having a generally inverted V shape.

[0033] Therefore, with the above-described detection unit 5, the upright wall 34 prevents traveling wind from entering the rear bumper cover 2, reducing traveling resistance and satisfying aerodynamic requirements. Furthermore, the upright wall 34 protects the controller 20 from flying stones, satisfying the requirement for stone flying prevention. Here, since the upright wall 34 is formed from the second surface portion 32 and the third surface portion 33, high rigidity is ensured and deformation due to the influence of traveling wind or flying stones can be prevented. Additionally, compared to Patent Document 1 listed in the background art, the above-described detection unit 5 does not require a large structure such as a rear floor cover, thereby enabling cost reduction.

[0034] (2) In the detection unit 5 described above, the first surface portion 31, the second surface portion 32, and the third surface portion 33 of the support member 30 are integrally formed. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which separate parts are combined (assembled), the number of parts can be reduced, which can further contribute to cost reduction.

[0035] (3) Furthermore, the support member 30 described above is provided with a rib 37 that connects the front surface 32C of the second surface portion 32 and the rear surface 33C of the third surface portion 33. Therefore, the rib 37 spans the two opposing surfaces 32C, 33C, and the rigidity of the standing wall 34 can be further increased. (4) By arranging a plurality of ribs 37 in the vehicle width direction, the rigidity of the standing wall 34 can be further increased.

[0036] (5) Incidentally, the third surface 33, which is located most forward among the three surfaces 31 to 33, is the portion that receives the wind and flying stones. In the support member 30 described above, the third surface 33 is provided with an inclined surface 33D that is positioned in a forward tilted position. Therefore, even if a foreign object is kicked up by the rear wheel 3 and flies diagonally rearward and upward, it is easily received by the inclined surface 33D. In addition, the inclined surface 33D is also easily able to deflect the airflow from the front, making it easier to achieve both aerodynamic requirements and requirements for preventing flying stones.

[0037] (6) In the above-mentioned detection unit 5, the vehicle width dimension Lw of the above-mentioned standing wall 34 is less than half the vehicle width dimension Ls of the sensor 10, so that it is possible to achieve both aerodynamic requirements and requirements for preventing flying stones while keeping the component size small.

[0038] (7) Furthermore, in the detection unit 5 described above, the support member 30 is fixed to the rear side of the decorative portion 6 of the rear bumper cover 2, and at least a portion of the sensor 10 is disposed behind the decorative portion 6. This allows the decorative portion 6 to be used as a marker for the kicking motion, improving user convenience. Furthermore, since there is no need to attach a dedicated marker for the kicking motion, this also contributes to improving the appearance (design).

[0039] (8) In the above-described vehicle lower structure, the decorative portion 6 is provided in a predetermined convex or concave shape. Therefore, the decorative portion 6 can increase the rigidity of the rear bumper cover 2 in addition to improving the design and functioning as a marker for the above-described detection unit 5.

[0040] [3. Modifications] The above-described configuration of the detection unit 5 is an example, and is not limited to the above. For example, the support member 30 described above is formed by integrally forming the first surface portion 31, the second surface portion 32, and the third surface portion 33. However, these surfaces 31 to 33 may be provided separately and then combined to form the support member 30. In this case, the lower end 32b of the second surface portion 32 and the left part of the first surface portion 31 may be formed by combining the surfaces 31 to 33. before The ends 31b of the third surface portion 33 may be connected to each other, or the upper end 33a of the third surface portion 33 and the upper end 32a of the second surface portion 32 may be connected to each other.

[0041] The dimensions and arrangement of each part are also examples. For example, three or more sensors 10 extending in the vehicle width direction may be arranged in a row in the vertical direction, or only one may be used. Alternatively, instead of the sensor 10 extending in the vehicle width direction, multiple point-like sensors may be arranged in the vehicle width direction, for example, to enable detection over a wide area. Note that the configuration for supporting the sensor 10 on the support member 30 is not limited to the recess 35 and clip 36.

[0042] Furthermore, the controller 20 may be disposed near the center or to the right in the vehicle width direction of the first surface portion 31. The positions of the fixing portions provided on the first surface portion 31 and the positions of the standing walls 34 (second surface portion 32, third surface portion 33) may be set according to the position of the controller 20. The vehicle width direction dimension Lw of the standing wall 34 may be set to be larger than half the vehicle width direction dimension Ls of the sensor 10 as long as it is large enough to cover at least the entire controller 20 behind the rear wheel 3.

[0043] The third surface 33 is provided with a forward-leaning inclined surface 33D, but this may be omitted. For example, even if there is no inclined surface 33D that is arranged in a forward-leaning position so that the lower end is located further rearward than the upper end of the third surface 33, i.e., even if the third surface 33 extends in a substantially vertical direction, the effect described in (1) of [2. Actions and Effects] above can be obtained. Furthermore, the rib 37 is not essential and can be omitted. The detection unit 5 described above is disposed on the rear side of the left decorative part 6, but may be disposed on the rear side of another decorative part 6. Note that the shape, number, and arrangement of the decorative parts 6 are merely examples and are not limited to those described above. Furthermore, the detection unit 5 described above may be mounted on a vehicle that does not have a decorative part 6. [Industrial Applicability]

[0044] The present invention is applicable to the manufacturing industry of a detection unit that is attached to a rear bumper cover and detects a kicking action by a user, and also to a vehicle equipped with this detection unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 vehicle 2 Rear bumper cover 2A Inner surface 2B Rear 3 rear wheels 4 bumper beam 5. Detection unit 6 Decoration section 9 User's feet 10 sensors 20 Controller 30 Support member 31 First page 31a rear end 31b Front end 32 Second surface part 32a top end 32b bottom end 32C Front (opposing surface) 33 Third side part 33a top end 33b bottom end 33C Rear (opposing side) 33D sloped surface 33E Top surface 34 Standing Wall 34L Left end surface 34R Right end surface 35 recess 36 clips 37 Ribs Ls Sensor width dimension Lw Vehicle width dimension of vertical wall

Claims

1. A detection unit attached to a rear bumper cover of a vehicle to detect a kicking motion of a user, a sensor that is disposed opposite to an inner surface of the rear bumper cover that faces the vehicle interior and extends in a vehicle width direction, and that detects the kicking motion; a controller for processing signals from the sensor; a support member fixed to the inner surface of the rear bumper cover and supporting the sensor and the controller, The support member is a first surface portion extending along the inner surface of the rear bumper cover in a state in which the sensor and the controller are attached and fixed; a second surface portion that is located in front of the vehicle of the controller in the fixed state and extends upward from a front end of the first surface portion; a third surface portion that, in the fixed state, extends downward from an upper end of the second surface portion and forms a substantially inverted V-shaped standing wall together with the second surface portion; A detection unit characterized by:

2. The first surface portion, the second surface portion, and the third surface portion are integrally formed. The detection unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that:

3. The support member has a rib connecting the opposing surfaces of the second surface portion and the third surface portion. The detection unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that:

4. The ribs are arranged in a plurality in the vehicle width direction. The detection unit according to claim 3 , characterized in that:

5. The third surface portion has an inclined surface that is disposed in a forward tilted position so that a lower end thereof is positioned rearward of the vehicle relative to an upper end thereof. The detection unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that:

6. The dimension of the vertical wall in the vehicle width direction is equal to or less than half the dimension of the sensor in the vehicle width direction. The detection unit according to claim 1 , characterized in that:

7. a decorative portion having a predetermined shape in a rear view of the vehicle is provided on a lower portion of a rear surface of the rear bumper cover facing the rear of the vehicle; the support member is fixed to the inner surface on the back side of the decorative portion, At least a part of the sensor is disposed on the rear side of the decorative portion. The detection unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that:

8. A vehicle undercarriage comprising the detection unit according to claim 7, The decorative portion of the rear bumper cover is provided as a convex portion or a concave portion having the predetermined shape. A vehicle undercarriage characterized by:

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