Vehicle sound output device

Abstract

To improve a sound pressure of sound waves propagated to the outside of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle sound output device 10 includes: an exterior member 20 forming a part of an outer shell portion of a vehicle; an exciter 30 located at the inner side of the exterior member 20 and configured to cause the exterior member 20 to vibrate; and a pressing member 60 configured to constantly press the exciter 30 toward the exterior member 20. The sound output device 10 is configured so that sound waves generated as the exterior member 20 is vibrated by the exciter 30 are propagated to the outside of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sound output device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle approach notification device. This device includes a speaker capable of emitting sound waves downwardly from the vehicle, and an undercover disposed below the speaker that reflects the sound waves emitted downwardly from the speaker toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0003] In recent years, with increasing demand for electrification of vehicles and reduction of air resistance, there has been a trend toward reducing or eliminating openings in exterior components such as front grilles. According to the device described in Patent Document 1, even if the opening in the exterior member is reduced or omitted, sound waves emitted downward from the speaker can be reflected outside the vehicle by the undercover. [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 case of the device described in Patent Document 1, sound waves emitted from the speaker are lost in energy as they propagate through the air and reach the undercover. Furthermore, sound waves are also lost in energy when reflected by the undercover. Therefore, it is desirable to efficiently propagate sound waves outside the vehicle.

[0006] It should be noted that these problems are not limited to exterior members constituting the front of the vehicle and vibrators provided behind the exterior members, but also occur in exterior members constituting the rear of the vehicle and vibrators provided in front of the exterior members. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Various aspects of a vehicle sound output device for solving the above problems will be described. [Aspect 1] A sound output device for a vehicle comprising: an exterior member that forms part of an outer shell of a vehicle; a vibrator located inside the exterior member that vibrates the exterior member; and a pressing member that constantly presses the vibrator toward the exterior member, wherein sound waves generated when the exterior member is vibrated by the vibrator are configured to propagate outside the vehicle.

[0008] With this configuration, the vibration exciter is constantly pressed against the exterior member by the pressing member, so that a temporary gap does not occur between the vibration exciter and the exterior member due to vibration of the vibration exciter. Therefore, the vibration of the vibration exciter is transmitted to the exterior member more efficiently, and the sound pressure of the sound waves propagating outside the vehicle can be increased.

[0009] [Aspect 2] The vehicle sound output device of aspect 1, wherein the pressing member has a base portion that covers the vibrator from the inside and a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion toward the vibrator, and the base portion is attached to the exterior member so that the protrusion constantly presses the vibrator.

[0010] According to this configuration, by attaching the base portion to the exterior member, the protrusion constantly presses the vibrator, thereby realizing a pressing member with a simple configuration.

[0011] [Aspect 3] The vehicle sound output device according to aspect 1 or 2, further comprising: an interposition portion provided between an inner surface of the exterior member and an outer surface of the vibrator, the interposition portion being in contact with both the inner surface and the outer surface.

[0012] Since the outer surface of the exterior member constitutes a design surface, there are few flat portions on the outer surface of the exterior member. In addition, the exterior member is generally made of a resin material. Therefore, the thickness of the exterior member is made approximately uniform to prevent molding defects, so-called sink marks, during resin molding. For these reasons, there are few flat portions on the inner surface of the exterior member.

[0013] On the other hand, the end face of a typical vibrator is generally flat. Therefore, when the outer surface of the vibrator is placed against the inner surface of an exterior member, the vibrator and the exterior member come into point or line contact. As a result, the vibrations of the vibrator are not efficiently transmitted to the exterior member, making it difficult to increase the sound pressure of sound waves propagating outside the vehicle.

[0014] According to the above configuration, even if a gap occurs between the inner surface of the exterior member and the outer surface of the vibrator due to the shape of the inner surface of the exterior member, the gap is filled by the interposition portion. Therefore, vibrations of the vibrator are easily transmitted to the exterior member via the interposition portion. Therefore, the sound pressure of the sound waves propagating outside the vehicle can be further increased.

[0015] [Aspect 4] A sound output device for a vehicle as described in aspect 3, wherein the inner surface is curved and concave, the outer surface is flat, and the intervening portion has a convex first surface that curves along the inner surface and contacts the inner surface, and a flat second surface that follows the outer surface and contacts the outer surface.

[0016] According to this configuration, the first and second surfaces of the interposition portion are aligned along the inner surface of the exterior member and the outer surface of the vibrator, respectively, so that a wider range of the gap is filled by the interposition portion. As a result, the vibration of the vibrator is transmitted to the exterior member more efficiently via the interposition portion. This further increases the sound pressure of the sound waves propagating outside the vehicle.

[0017] [Aspect 5] The vehicle sound output device according to aspect 3 or 4, wherein the interposition portion is formed of a hard resin material.

[0018] According to this configuration, since the interposing portion is made of a hard resin material, the vibration of the vibrator is less likely to be attenuated as it propagates through the interposing portion. This allows the vibration to be transmitted to the exterior member more efficiently. Therefore, the sound pressure of the sound waves propagating outside the vehicle can be further increased.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, since the intervening portion is formed from a hard resin material, the gap between the inner surface of the exterior member and the outer surface of the vibrator can be easily filled by, for example, injecting resin into the gap and allowing it to harden.

[0020] [Aspect 6] The sound output device for a vehicle according to any one of aspects 3 to 5, wherein the interposition portion is fixed to both the inner surface and the outer surface.

[0021] According to this configuration, the interposition portion is fixed to both the inner surface of the exterior member and the outer surface of the vibrator, so that vibration of the vibrator is easily transmitted from the vibrator to the interposition portion and also from the interposition portion to the exterior member, thereby further increasing the sound pressure of sound waves propagating outside the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, the sound pressure of sound waves propagating outside the vehicle can be increased. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle in a first embodiment of a sound output device for a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a sound output device for a vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a sound output device for a vehicle according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the longitudinal direction L, and the front and rear of the longitudinal direction L will be simply referred to as the front and rear, respectively. The width direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the vehicle width direction W, and the vertical direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the vertical direction Z.

[0025] 1 and 2, a sound output device 10 is provided at the front of a vehicle. The sound output device 10 includes an exterior member 20, a vibrator 30, and a pressing member 60. <Exterior member 20 and vibrator 30> 1, the exterior member 20 constitutes a part of the outer shell of the vehicle. The exterior member 20 is, for example, a front grille.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the exterior member 20 has an outer surface 21 that forms the design surface of the front of the vehicle, and an inner surface 22 that is the surface opposite to the outer surface 21, that is, the rear surface. The exterior member 20 is made of, for example, a hard resin material.

[0027] The vibrator 30 is located inside, i.e., behind, the exterior member 20 and vibrates the exterior member 20 . The oscillator 30 has a planar outer surface 31, or front surface.

[0028] The vibrator 30 is electrically connected to a control unit 50 that controls the operation of the vibrator 30 . An outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30 is in contact with the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20. The portion of the inner surface 22 facing the vibrator 30 is preferably flat.

[0029] A plurality of mounting seats 23 are provided to protrude rearward on the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 at a portion on the outer periphery side of the vibrator 30. The mounting seats 23 are provided with locking holes 24 that open inward, i.e., rearward.

[0030] <Pressing member 60> The pressing member 60 has a base portion 61 , a protrusion 62 , a locking portion 63 , and a support portion 64 .

[0031] The base portion 61 is plate-shaped and covers the inside, i.e., rear, of the vibrator 30. The base portion 61 is provided with a plurality of locking portions 63. The locking portions 63 protrude outward, i.e., forward, from the base portion 61 and are locked into the locking holes 24.

[0032] The protrusion 62 protrudes from the base portion 61 toward the vibrator 30. The protrusion 62 preferably has a curved convex surface. The support portion 64 protrudes from the base portion 61 toward the exterior member 20 and supports the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator 30 .

[0033] The pressing member 60 is integrally formed from, for example, a hard resin material. The base portion 61 is attached to the exterior member 20 so that the protrusion 62 constantly presses the vibrator 30 .

[0034] The sound output device 10 is configured so that sound waves generated when the exterior member 20 is vibrated by the vibrator 30 are propagated to the outside of the vehicle. The sound waves are, for example, an approach notification sound that is emitted to notify people approaching the vehicle that the vehicle is approaching.

[0035] The sound waves have a predetermined frequency within the range of, for example, 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Note that the predetermined frequency may include, in addition to the fundamental frequency, a frequency that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency that is two or more.

[0036] The fundamental frequency of the approach warning sound is preferably within the range of 20 Hz to 5000 Hz. Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) Because the pressing member 60 constantly presses the vibrator 30 toward the exterior member 20, no gap temporarily occurs between the vibrator 30 and the exterior member 20 due to the vibration of the vibrator 30. This allows the vibration of the vibrator 30 to be transmitted more efficiently to the exterior member 20. This increases the sound pressure of sound waves propagating outside the vehicle.

[0037] (2) By attaching the base portion 61 to the exterior member 20, the protrusion 62 constantly presses the vibrator 30. This allows the pressing member 60 to be realized with a simple configuration.

[0038] Second Embodiment The second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. The sound output device 10 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes an interposition portion 40. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0039] In the following description, the same or corresponding components of the second embodiment as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted. As shown in FIG. 3, the sound output device 10 of this embodiment includes an exterior member 20, a vibrator 30, an interposition portion 40, and a pressing member 60.

[0040] <Exterior member 20> The outer surface 21 of the exterior member 20 is a curved convex surface. The inner surface 22 is a concave surface that curves along the outer surface 21.

[0041] <Intervening part 40> The interposition portion 40 is provided between the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 and the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30 , and is in contact with both the inner surface 22 and the outer surface 31 .

[0042] The interposed portion 40 has a convex first surface 41 that curves along the inner surface 22 and contacts the inner surface 22 , and a flat second surface 42 that follows the outer surface 31 and contacts the outer surface 31 . The interposed portion 40 is preferably made of a hard material. The interposed portion 40 is preferably made of a resin material. The interposed portion 40 is preferably fixed to both the inner surface 22 and the outer surface 31.

[0043] The interposed portion 40 of this embodiment is made of a thermosetting resin material, which is a hard resin material, such as an acrylic resin. The interposition portion 40 of this embodiment is formed as follows.

[0044] With the vibrator 30 positioned so that the outer surface 31 faces the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20, an acrylic resin adhesive is injected into the gap between the inner surface 22 and the outer surface 31 and heated. As a result, the adhesive hardens to form the interposition portion 40 of this embodiment.

[0045] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. (3) The gap that occurs between the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 and the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30 due to the shape of the inner surface 22 is filled by the interposition portion 40. Therefore, the vibration of the vibrator 30 is easily transmitted to the exterior member 20 via the interposition portion 40. Therefore, the sound pressure of the sound waves propagating outside the vehicle can be increased.

[0046] (4) The inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 is curved and concave, and the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30 is flat. The interposition portion 40 has a convex first surface 41 that curves along the inner surface 22 and contacts the inner surface 22, and a flat second surface 42 that follows the outer surface 31 and contacts the outer surface 31.

[0047] According to this configuration, the first surface 41 and the second surface 42 of the interposition portion 40 are aligned with the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 and the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30, respectively, so that a wider range of the gap is filled with the interposition portion 40. Therefore, the vibration of the vibrator 30 is transmitted more efficiently to the exterior member 20 via the interposition portion 40. This further increases the sound pressure of the sound waves propagating outside the vehicle.

[0048] (5) Because the interposition portion 40 is made of a hard resin material, the vibration of the vibrator 30 is less likely to be attenuated as it propagates through the interposition portion 40. This allows the vibration to be transmitted to the exterior member 20 more efficiently. This further increases the sound pressure of the sound waves propagating outside the vehicle. Furthermore, because the interposition portion 40 is made of a resin material, it is possible to easily fill the gap between, for example, the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 and the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30 by injecting and hardening resin into the gap.

[0049] (6) Since the interposition portion 40 is fixed to both the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 and the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30, the vibration of the vibrator 30 is easily transmitted from the vibrator 30 to the interposition portion 40, and is also easily transmitted from the interposition portion 40 to the exterior member 20. Therefore, the sound pressure of the sound waves propagating outside the vehicle can be further increased.

[0050] <Modification> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0051] The interposed portion 40 can also be made of a thermoplastic resin. As shown in Fig. 4, the interposition portion 40 formed by the molding die may be adhered to the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 and the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30 via double-sided tapes 71, 72, respectively. Even in this case, it is preferable that the first surface 41 of the interposition portion 40 has a shape that follows the shape of the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20. It is also preferable that the second surface 42 of the interposition portion 40 has a shape that follows the shape of the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30. Note that the pressing member 60 and the mounting seat 23 are not shown in Fig. 4.

[0052] The interposition portion 40 does not have to be fixed to at least one of the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 and the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30 . The interposed portion 40 may be made of a material other than a hard resin material, such as a metal material.

[0053] The interposed portion 40 is preferably made of a hard resin material, but may also be made of a soft resin material, for example. The shape of the inner surface 22 of the exterior member 20 of the second embodiment is not limited to a curved concave shape and can be changed to any shape. Also, the outer surface 31 of the vibrator 30 is not limited to a flat shape and can be changed to any shape.

[0054] The exterior member 20 is not limited to a front grille. For example, the exterior member of the present disclosure can be embodied as a front bumper cover, a fog lamp cover, a bonnet hood, or a cowl louver. The exterior member of the present disclosure can also be embodied as a fender, a fender arch, a rocker molding, a roof side molding, or a pillar. The exterior member of the present disclosure can also be embodied as a rear garnish, a rear spoiler, or a rear bumper cover. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10...Sound output device 20...Exterior material 21...External surface 22...Inside 23...Mounting seat 24...Latching hole 30...Vibrator 31...External surface 40…Intervening part 41...Side 1 42…Second side 50...Control unit 60...Pressing member 61...Base 62...Protrusion 63...Latching part 64...Support part 71,72...Double-sided tape

Claims

1. an exterior member that constitutes a part of the outer shell of the vehicle; a vibrator located inside the exterior member and vibrating the exterior member; a pressing member that constantly presses the vibrator toward the exterior member, a plurality of mounting seats are provided on an inner surface of the exterior member at a portion on an outer circumferential side of the vibrator, The mounting seat is provided with a locking hole that opens inward, the pressing member includes a base portion that covers the oscillator from the inside, a locking portion that protrudes outward from the base portion and is locked in the locking hole, and a support portion that protrudes from the base portion toward the exterior member and abuts against and supports an outer circumferential surface of the oscillator, The base portion is attached to the exterior member, so that sound waves generated when the exterior member is vibrated by the vibrator are propagated to the outside of the vehicle. Vehicle sound output device.

2. the pressing member has a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion toward the vibrator, and the protrusion is configured to constantly press the vibrator. The vehicle sound output device according to claim 1 .

3. an interposition portion provided between an inner surface of the exterior member and an outer surface of the vibrator, the interposition portion being in contact with both the inner surface and the outer surface, The vehicle sound output device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the inner surface is curved and concave; the outer surface is planar; The interposition portion has a convex first surface that curves along the inner surface and contacts the inner surface, and a flat second surface that curves along the outer surface and contacts the outer surface. The vehicle sound output device according to claim 3 .

5. The interposition portion is formed from a hard resin material. The vehicle sound output device according to claim 3 .

6. The intermediate portion is fixed to both the inner surface and the outer surface. The vehicle sound output device according to claim 3 .

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