Vehicle exterior parts

Abstract

To provide a vehicle exterior component capable of preventing beauty from being impaired with a socket.SOLUTION: A vehicle exterior component includes an emblem 1 in which heater wires are arranged, a socket 4 that is integrally formed with a base material 7 of the emblem 1 and protrudes from the base material 7, and a connector pin 5 partially embedded in the socket 4. Heater wires 11 and 12 extend to the inside of the socket 4 and are joined to the connector pin 5. The socket 4 is made to allow a power plug 14 to be inserted. The heater wires 11 and 12 are energized through the power plug 14 and the connector pin 5. The socket 4 includes a base end portion 4b protruding in a direction from the outer edge of the emblem 1 toward the inside of the vehicle, and a tip end portion 4a protruding in a direction from the base end portion 4b toward the inside of the vehicle. The base end portion 4b of the socket 4 is positioned closer to the center of the emblem 1 than the outer edge of the emblem 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to exterior vehicle accessories. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with sensors that transmit and receive electromagnetic waves such as millimeter waves to detect objects outside the vehicle. These sensors transmit the electromagnetic waves toward the outside of the vehicle and receive the electromagnetic waves that are reflected off objects outside the vehicle (reflected waves). The sensors detect objects outside the vehicle through the transmission and reception of the electromagnetic waves.

[0003] A vehicle exterior accessory is disposed in front of the vehicle in the direction of transmission of electromagnetic waves from the sensor to make the sensor less visible from outside the vehicle. Known examples of vehicle exterior accessories include a main body, such as an emblem, ornament, or mark, and a grille located around the outer edge of the main body. The main body of the vehicle exterior accessory is located in front of the vehicle in the direction of transmission of electromagnetic waves from the sensor, and is formed from a resin that can transmit the electromagnetic waves.

[0004] Ice and snow may accumulate on the body of a vehicle exterior part. When ice and snow accumulate on the body, the electromagnetic wave permeability of the body decreases. For this reason, it is conceivable to arrange a heater wire in the body of the vehicle exterior part. To connect this heater wire to a power source, for example, a socket and connector pin as shown in Patent Document 1 are used.

[0005] The socket protrudes from the outer edge of the main body toward the interior of the vehicle and allows a power plug to be inserted. The heater wire extends into the socket and is coupled to a connector pin partially embedded in the socket. The heater wire is connected to a power source via the power plug and the connector pin. This allows current to be applied to the heater wire. When current is applied to the heater wire, the heater wire generates heat, melting ice and snow adhering to the vehicle exterior part. As a result, it is possible to prevent the electromagnetic wave permeability of the vehicle exterior part from being reduced due to the adhesion of ice and snow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-36321 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the above-described vehicle exterior accessory, when the main body is viewed from outside the vehicle, the socket behind the main body is visible, which may spoil the appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The means for solving the above problems and their effects will be described below. A vehicle exterior accessory that solves the above problem includes a main body portion in which a heater wire is disposed, a socket integrally formed with the main body portion and protruding from the main body portion, and a connector pin partially embedded in the socket. The heater wire extends into the socket and is joined to the connector pin. A power plug can be inserted into the socket, and electricity is applied to the heater wire via the power plug and the connector pin. The socket includes a base end portion that protrudes from the outer edge of the main body portion toward the interior of the vehicle, and a tip end portion that protrudes from the base end portion toward the interior of the vehicle. The base end portion of the socket is located closer to the center of the main body portion than the outer edge of the main body portion.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the base end of the socket is positioned closer to the center of the main body than the outer edge of the main body, so that the socket is hidden by the main body and is difficult to see from outside the vehicle, thereby preventing the socket from spoiling the aesthetic appearance.

[0010] In the above vehicle exterior accessory, the entire socket may be positioned closer to the center line of the main body than a reference position that is 2.0 mm away from the center line of the main body relative to the outer edge of the main body.

[0011] The vehicle exterior accessory includes a grille positioned around the outer edge of a main body, which may be an emblem. Furthermore, a protrusion is formed on the grille facing the outer edge of the main body, at least at a position corresponding to the socket, and protruding toward the interior of the vehicle.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the protrusion formed on the grill makes the socket even less visible from outside the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an emblem and a sensor as vehicle exterior accessories. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower end of an emblem and a grille in a vehicle exterior accessory. [Figure 3] 3 is a front view showing the decorative layer and the transparent layer of the emblem as viewed from the right side of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a front view showing the heater sheet as viewed from the right side of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector pin and its periphery in the socket as viewed in the direction of arrow AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 6 is a bottom view showing the socket as viewed from below in FIG. 5 before the plate portion and the heater wire are joined together. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a vehicle exterior accessory will be described with reference to FIGS. The emblem 1 shown in FIG. 1 serves as the main body of a vehicle exterior accessory. The emblem 1 is placed at the front end of the vehicle. The emblem 1 has multiple claws 1a. The emblem 1 is attached to the front of the vehicle by the multiple claws 1a. The emblem 1 is capable of transmitting electromagnetic waves.

[0015] Sensor 2 is located behind emblem 1 at the front end of the vehicle. Sensor 2 transmits electromagnetic waves, such as millimeter waves, toward the front of the vehicle to detect objects outside the vehicle, and receives the electromagnetic waves that are reflected off objects outside the vehicle (reflected waves). Sensor 2 detects objects outside the vehicle through the transmission and reception of such electromagnetic waves. Furthermore, by placing emblem 1 in front of sensor 2, emblem 1 can make sensor 2 less visible from outside the vehicle.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows the lower end of the emblem 1 and its surroundings. The vehicle exterior accessory includes a grille 3 located around the outer edge of the emblem 1. The grille 3 is attached to the front end of the vehicle. A protrusion 3a that protrudes toward the interior of the vehicle is formed on the grille 3 at a location facing the outer edge of the emblem 1. The emblem 1 includes a base material 7, a socket 4, a connector pin 5, and a heater sheet 6. Below, the base material 7, the socket 4, the connector pin 5, and the heater sheet 6 will be individually outlined.

[0017] [Base material 7] The substrate 7 is formed into a plate shape from resin and is capable of transmitting millimeter waves. The substrate 7 is attached to a vehicle and has the above-mentioned claw 1a (FIG. 1) formed integrally therewith. A decorative layer 8 and a transparent layer 9 are arranged in this order on the front surface (right surface in FIG. 2) of the substrate 7 along the transmission direction of millimeter waves from the sensor 2 (right direction in FIG. 2). A resin frame 16 is arranged on the outer edge of the substrate 7. The frame 16 extends in a ring shape along the outer edge of the substrate 7. The frame 16 is welded to the substrate 7 and the transparent layer 9. As a result, the substrate 7 and the transparent layer 9 are connected by the frame 16.

[0018] FIG. 3 shows the decorative layer 8 and transparent layer 9 as viewed from the right side of FIG. 2. The transparent layer 9 is formed from a colorless, transparent or colored, transparent resin, and is capable of transmitting millimeter waves. The decorative layer 8 has a pattern region 8a and a background region 8b, and is capable of transmitting millimeter waves. The pattern region 8a and the background region 8b are each positioned relative to the emblem 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 3. The pattern region 8a and the background region 8b are intended to add design features to the emblem 1.

[0019] [Heater Sheet 6] As shown in FIG. 2, the heater sheet 6 is disposed on the front surface (the right surface in FIG. 2) of the transparent layer 9. The heater sheet 6 includes a sheet body 10 and heater wires 11 and 12. The sheet body 10 is made of a transparent resin and is capable of transmitting electromagnetic waves. The heater wires 11 and 12 are disposed on the rear surface (the left surface in FIG. 2) of the sheet body 10. The heater wires 11 and 12 are made of a metal material that generates heat when electricity is applied.

[0020] FIG. 4 shows the heater sheet 6 as viewed from the right side of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the heater wires 11 and 12 are wired in different wiring patterns. The ends of the heater wires 11 and 12 are gathered at the lower end of the emblem 1. When the heater wires 11 and 12 are energized to generate heat, the ice and snow adhering to the emblem 1 melts. This prevents the electromagnetic wave transparency of the emblem 1 from decreasing due to the adhesion of ice and snow.

[0021] [Socket 4] As shown in Fig. 2, the socket 4 is located at the lower end of the base material 7 of the emblem 1 and is formed integrally with the base material 7. The protruding portion 3a of the grille 3 is located corresponding to the entire outer edge of the emblem 1, and is therefore located corresponding to the socket 4. The socket 4 has a tip end 4a and a base end 4b.

[0022] The base end 4b protrudes from the outer edge of the substrate 7 of the emblem 1 in a direction toward the interior of the vehicle, i.e., to the left in Fig. 2. The base end 4b, more specifically the portion of the base end 4b that connects to the substrate 7, is located closer to the center of the emblem 1 (upper in Fig. 2) than the outer edge of the emblem 1. A frame 16 is embedded in the base end 4b. The seat body 10 and heater wires 11, 12 of the heated seat 6 extend to the base end 4b of the socket 4 and are embedded in the base end 4b while aligning with the frame 16.

[0023] The base end 4b is formed with a window 18 and a water blocking portion 19. The window 18 is open to the outside of the socket 4, facing downward in FIG. 2. The heater wires 11, 12 of the heater sheet 6 extend through the inside of the base end 4b of the socket 4 to the window 18. The water blocking portion 19 is used to fill the window 18, and is made of a resin that is softer than the socket 4.

[0024] The tip end 4a protrudes from the base end 4b toward the interior of the vehicle. A recess 13 is formed in the tip end 4a of the socket 4 in the protruding direction. A power plug 14 can be inserted into this recess 13. The power plug 14 is connected to a power source 15.

[0025] The entire socket 4, including the tip end 4a and base end 4b, is located closer to the center line CL of the emblem 1 (upper in Figure 2) than a reference position Pb, which is located a distance X away from the center line CL (Figure 1) of the emblem 1 relative to the outer edge of the emblem 1. Note that the distance X may be, for example, 2.0 mm, preferably 1.6 mm, and more preferably 1.2 mm.

[0026] [Connector pin 5] The connector pin 5 is disposed in the socket 4. The connector pin 5 includes a plate portion 5a and a terminal 5b. The plate portion 5a, which is a part of the connector pin 5, is embedded in the base end portion 4b of the socket 4. Ends of the heater wires 11 and 12 are joined to the plate portion 5a by joints 21. The joints 21 are located corresponding to the window portions 18.

[0027] Fig. 5 shows the connector pin 5 and its surroundings in the socket 4 as viewed from the direction of arrow AA in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 5, the joint 21 is formed by soldering the ends of the heater wires 11, 12 to the plate portion 5a before the window portion 18 is filled with the waterproof portion 19, with the ends of the heater wires 11, 12 and the plate portion 5a exposed through the window portion 18. Note that the joining of the plate portion 5a of the connector pin 5 to the heater wires 11, 12 can also be performed by other means than the soldering, such as adhesion with a conductive adhesive or welding.

[0028] Fig. 6 shows the socket 4 as viewed from below in Fig. 5 before the plate portion 5a and the heater wires 11, 12 are joined at the joint portion 21. As shown in Fig. 6, the window portion 18 is open at this time, so that the plate portion 5a and the heater wires 11, 12 can be joined through the window portion 18. After the plate portion 5a and the heater wires 11, 12 are joined, the window portion 18 is filled with a waterproof portion 19, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 5. At this time, the joint portion 21 is covered with the waterproof portion 19.

[0029] 2, the terminal 5b of the connector pin 5 protrudes from the plate portion 5a into the recess 13 of the socket 4. When the power plug 14 is inserted into the recess 13 of the socket 4, the terminal 5b of the connector pin 5 is connected to the power plug 14. This connects the heater wires 11 and 12 of the heater sheet 6 to the power source 15 via the connector pin 5 and the power plug 14, allowing current to flow through the heater wires 11 and 12.

[0030] Next, the effects of the vehicle exterior accessory of this embodiment will be described. (1) The portion of the base end 4b of the socket 4 that connects to the substrate 7 is located closer to the center of the emblem 1 than the outer edge of the emblem 1. This makes the socket 4 hidden by the emblem 1 and difficult to see from outside the vehicle, thereby preventing the socket 4 from spoiling the aesthetic appearance.

[0031] (2) The entire socket 4, including the tip end 4a and base end 4b, is positioned closer to the center line CL of the emblem 1 than a reference position Pb, which is located at a distance X from the outer edge of the emblem 1 in a direction away from the center line CL of the emblem 1. This makes the entire socket 4 less visible from outside the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to prevent the socket 4 from spoiling the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle.

[0032] (3) In the grille 3 of the vehicle exterior part, a protrusion 3a that protrudes toward the interior of the vehicle is formed at a location facing the outer edge of the emblem 1, at least at a position corresponding to the socket 4. The protrusion 3a formed in this grille 3 makes the socket 4 even less visible from outside the vehicle.

[0033] The above embodiment can be modified as follows, for example: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. The socket 4 does not necessarily have to be located at the lower end of the emblem 1, more specifically, at the lower end of the base material 7.

[0034] The protruding portion 3 a of the grille 3 may be formed only at a position corresponding to the socket 4 , for example, among the portions of the grille 3 that correspond to the outer edge of the emblem 1 . The grille 3 does not necessarily have to have the protrusion 3a formed thereon.

[0035] Although the emblem 1 is shown as an example of the main body of the vehicle exterior accessory, other items may also be used as the main body. In this case, it is not necessary to have the grille 3 around the main body.

[0036] The heater sheet 6 may have one or more heater wires. The transmission direction of the millimeter waves from the sensor 2 does not necessarily have to be in front of the vehicle, but may be in other directions such as to the side of the vehicle or to the rear of the vehicle.

[0037] The sensor 2 may transmit and receive electromagnetic waves other than millimeter waves, such as infrared rays or lasers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1...Emblem 1a...nail 2...Sensor 3. Grill 3a...Protruding part 4...Socket 4a...Tip 4b...Proximal end 5...Connector pin 5a...Plate part 5b...Terminal 6...Heated seat 7...Base material 8...Decorative layer 8a...Pattern area 8b…Background area 9…Transparent layer 10...Seat body 11, 12...Heater wire 13...Recess 14...Power plug 15...Power supply 16...Frame 18...Window section 19...Water stop section 21…Joint part

Claims

1. A vehicle exterior accessory comprising: a main body in which a heater wire is disposed; a socket integrally formed with the main body and protruding from the main body; and a connector pin partially embedded in the socket, wherein the heater wire extends into the socket and is joined to the connector pin at a joint; a power plug can be inserted into the socket; and electricity is supplied to the heater wire via the power plug and the connector pin. the socket includes a base end portion that protrudes from a position closer to the center of the main body portion than the outer edge of the main body portion toward the vehicle interior, and a tip end portion that protrudes from the base end portion toward the vehicle interior, the base end of the socket is located closer to the center of the main body than the outer edge of the main body, The base end portion has a window portion that opens outward from the socket, and the window portion is filled with a waterproofing portion, The joint is located in the window and is covered by the watertight portion.

2. 2. The vehicle exterior accessory according to claim 1, wherein the entire socket is positioned closer to the center line of the main body than a reference position that is 2.0 mm away from the outer edge of the main body in a direction away from the center line of the main body.

3. a grille located around an outer edge of the body; the main body is an emblem, 3. The vehicle exterior accessory according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion protruding toward the interior of the vehicle is formed at a location on the grille facing the outer edge of the main body, at least at a position corresponding to the socket.

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