Vehicle interior structure

Abstract

To provide an interior structure of a vehicle.SOLUTION: An interior structure of a vehicle includes a roof console 10 and an exciter 40. The roof console 10 is disposed on a ceiling portion inside a vehicle cabin. The exciter 40 generates vibrations according to an acoustic signal. The roof console 10 includes: a console main body 13 in which input and output devices are mounted; and a console panel 14 made of a hard resin to cover a side of the console main body 13 that faces an inside of the vehicle cabin. The exciter 40 is mounted on the console panel 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an interior structure of a vehicle equipped with an acoustic exciter on the ceiling part.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to improve the acoustic environment inside a vehicle, vehicles have been proposed in which sound sources such as speakers are installed at multiple locations inside the vehicle cabin. However, the locations where sound sources can be installed inside the vehicle are limited to the inside of the side door, pillars, etc., and securing locations for sound sources that can form a good acoustic space has become an issue.

[0003] As a countermeasure against this, an exciter (sound exciter) is installed on the ceiling part inside the vehicle, and by the generated vibration of the exciter, a dedicated support plate installed on the ceiling part or the interior material itself is vibrated (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] The interior structure of the vehicle described in Patent Document 1 installs a support plate on the back side (upper side) of the interior material of the ceiling part, and attaches an exciter to the support plate. In this interior structure, the exciter vibrates the support plate by the generated vibration, and causes acoustic vibration to resonate in the interior at the ceiling part. Therefore, in this interior structure, a dedicated diaphragm (cone) becomes unnecessary, and the sound source does not greatly compress the interior space.

[0005] The interior structure of the vehicle described in Patent Document 2 has an exciter attached to the lower surface of the interior material of the ceiling part made of urethane, foamed resin, etc. via a coupler. In this interior structure, the exciter vibrates the interior material itself by the generated vibration, and causes acoustic vibration to resonate in the interior at the ceiling part. Also in this case, since a dedicated diaphragm (cone) becomes unnecessary, the sound source does not greatly compress the interior space.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] However, in the vehicle interior structure described in Patent Document 1, the support plate that vibrates due to the vibrations generated by the exciter is installed on the back side (upper side) of the interior material of the ceiling. As a result, the interior material obstructs the transmission of acoustic vibrations from the support plate to the interior space, making it impossible to efficiently resonate the acoustic vibrations of the support plate inside the vehicle.

[0008] Furthermore, in the vehicle interior structure described in Patent Document 2, the object vibrated by the vibrations generated by the exciter is the interior ceiling material made of urethane or foamed resin, so although the vibrating part faces directly into the vehicle's interior, it is difficult to obtain good quality acoustic vibrations due to the material characteristics of the interior material.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle interior structure that can suppress the sound source from significantly encroaching on the interior space and that can generate high-quality acoustic vibrations in the ceiling area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The vehicle interior structure according to the present invention employs the following configuration to solve the above problems. In other words, the interior structure of a vehicle according to the present invention comprises a roof console (for example, a roof console 10 in the embodiment) positioned on the ceiling of the passenger compartment, and an exciter (for example, an exciter 40 in the embodiment) that generates vibrations in response to an acoustic signal, wherein the roof console comprises a console body (for example, a console body 13 in the embodiment) for mounting input / output devices, and a hard resin console panel (for example, a console panel 14 in the embodiment) covering the side of the console body facing the passenger compartment, and the exciter is mounted on the console panel.

[0011] With the above configuration, the exciter is mounted on a console panel in the ceiling that faces directly into the passenger compartment. The vibrations generated by the exciter cause the hard resin console panel to vibrate, and these vibrations are transmitted into the cabin space. This prevents the sound source from significantly encroaching on the cabin space, and allows high-quality acoustic vibrations to resonate in the ceiling.

[0012] The exciter is preferably mounted on the upper surface of the substantially flat portion of the console panel (for example, the rear extension region 14r in the embodiment).

[0013] In this case, since the exciter is mounted on the upper side of the console panel, it does not protrude further inward than the console panel. Also, because the exciter is mounted on the nearly flat part of the console panel, the vibrations generated by the exciter can effectively vibrate the nearly flat part. Therefore, adopting this configuration makes it possible to obtain higher quality acoustic vibrations.

[0014] The exciter may be attached to a free end region of the console panel that is not fixed to either the roof panel of the vehicle body (e.g., the roof panel 2 in the embodiment) or the console body (e.g., the rear extension region 14r in the embodiment).

[0015] In this case, since the exciter is attached to the free end region of the console panel, the acoustic vibration portion of the console panel is less likely to be strongly constrained by its surroundings, making it possible to obtain better acoustic vibrations.

[0016] The free end region may be formed with a substantially arc-shaped outer edge when viewed from above, and the exciter may be positioned at a distance from the substantially arc-shaped outer edge.

[0017] In this case, the vibrations generated by the exciter can be efficiently transmitted to the central part of the free-end region of the console panel. Therefore, adopting this configuration makes it possible to obtain better acoustic vibrations.

[0018] The exciter includes a voice coil (for example, a voice coil 41 in the embodiment) that converts a signal current into vibration, and the intermediate portion of the wiring connected to the voice coil may be fixed to the roof panel of the vehicle body (for example, a roof panel 2 in the embodiment).

[0019] In this case, unlike when the middle section of the wiring connected to the hoist coil is fixed to the console panel, the middle section of the wiring does not come into contact with the console panel, thus preventing the wiring from hindering the console panel's desirable acoustic vibrations.

[0020] The exciter is preferably positioned approximately in the center of the vehicle's width direction, above the front seats inside the vehicle.

[0021] In this case, the vibrations generated by the exciter can be distributed evenly in the left-right direction within the vehicle cabin. Therefore, adopting this configuration makes it possible to obtain better acoustic vibrations.

[0022] The roof console may be equipped with an emergency switch (for example, the emergency switch 15 in the embodiment) that is pushed upward in an emergency, and the emergency switch may be positioned in a recessed position above the substantially flat portion of the console panel to which the exciter is attached.

[0023] In this case, the area where the emergency switches are located, which are easily touched by the occupant's fingers for position confirmation, etc., is recessed upward relative to the nearly flat surface of the console panel. Therefore, even if the peripheral area of ​​the emergency switches is touched by the occupant's fingers while the nearly flat surface of the console panel is acoustically vibrating as a diaphragm, the good acoustic vibration of the nearly flat surface of the console panel is less likely to be suppressed by the finger contact.

[0024] The roof console further includes a camera (for example, the camera 30 of the embodiment) that images the interior of the vehicle, and a map lamp (for example, the map lamp 12 of the embodiment) that irradiates the vicinity of the front seats in the vehicle interior. It is desirable that the camera, the map lamp, and the exciter be arranged in this order from the front of the vehicle on the roof console.

[0025] In this case, since the camera is arranged on the front end side of the roof console, a wider range of the interior of the vehicle can be imaged. Also, the map lamp can be arranged substantially above the front seats, and the exciter can be arranged at a position close to both the front seats and the rear seats in the interior. As a result, the map lamp is arranged at a position convenient for the passengers in the front seats to use, and the exciter can cause good acoustic vibrations on both the front seat side and the rear seat side.

Advantages of the Invention

[0026] In the interior structure of the vehicle according to the present invention, since the exciter is attached to the console panel that directly faces the interior of the vehicle at the ceiling portion, the console panel made of hard resin is vibrated well by the vibration generated by the exciter, and the vibration can be made to resonate in the interior space. Therefore, when the interior structure of the vehicle according to the present invention is adopted, it is possible to suppress the sound source from greatly compressing the interior space, and it is possible to cause good acoustic vibrations at the ceiling portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1] Plan view of the vehicle of the embodiment. [Figure 2] Perspective view showing the interior of the vehicle of the embodiment. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] Top view of the roof console of the embodiment. [Figure 5] Perspective view of a portion of the roof console of the embodiment corresponding to the view from arrow V in FIG. 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings include arrows FR pointing to the front of the vehicle, UP pointing to the top of the vehicle, and LH pointing to the left side of the vehicle.

[0029] Figure 1 is a plan view of the vehicle 1 of the embodiment, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the interior ceiling of the vehicle 1, viewed from the rear lower side. In Figure 1, reference numeral 2 denotes the roof panel of vehicle 1, and reference numerals 3f and 3r denotes the front and rear seats installed inside the vehicle 1. In Figure 2, reference numeral 10 denotes the roof console located in the central region of the ceiling in the vehicle width direction above the front seats inside the vehicle, and reference numeral 11 denotes the sun visor located in the ceiling above the front seats inside the vehicle.

[0030] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III-III in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a top view of the roof console 10. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the roof console 10 comprises a console body 13 and a plate-shaped console panel 14 that covers the interior side of the console body 13. The console body 13 has a resin or metal housing in which the operating devices (switch mechanisms, operating circuits, etc.) for input / output devices such as map lamps 12 and emergency switches 15 (see Figures 2 and 3) are mounted. The console panel 14 is made of a high-density hard resin.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the top view shape of the console panel 14 is a roughly square shape with a roughly semicircular shape added to one side. The console panel 14 has a roughly square portion located on the front side of the vehicle and a roughly semicircular portion located on the rear side of the vehicle. For the sake of explanation, the portion that is square in top view will be referred to as the "main area 14m," and the portion that is roughly semicircular in top view will be referred to as the "rear extension area 14r."

[0032] The console body 13 and console panel 14 are fixed to the roof panel 2 in the central region of the interior ceiling in the vehicle width direction by clip fastening, bolt fastening, etc. The roof panel 2 consists of a roof panel outer 2o and a roof panel inner 2i that are joined together to form a closed cross-sectional structure. The console body 13 and console panel 14 are fixed to the roof panel inner 2i.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, roof linings 4A and 4B (interior materials) made of urethane or foamed resin are arranged around the periphery of the console panel 14 on the ceiling. The lower surface of the console panel 14 is exposed to the interior through the opening 5 in the roof lining 4A.

[0034] The main area 14m of the console panel 14 has a recessed portion 16 in which the central area is recessed upward relative to the peripheral edge. The shape of the recessed portion 16 when viewed from below is approximately similar to the outer shape of the console panel 14, but scaled down. In other words, the shape of the recessed portion 16 when viewed from below is a shape in which a roughly semicircular portion is combined with the rear side of a roughly square portion. The front edge of the roughly square portion of the recessed portion 16 is provided with an inclined surface that slopes upward from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle. An opening 17 (see Figure 3) is formed in this inclined surface, and a cover glass 32 (transparent resin panel) is attached to the opening 17 to cover the front (rear side of the vehicle) of the imaging unit 31 (lens) of the camera 30, which will be described later.

[0035] The operating part of the aforementioned emergency switch 15 is located on the upper wall 16u (the wall that forms the bottom of the recess) of the recess 16. The operating part of the emergency switch 15 is positioned to penetrate the upper wall 16u of the recess 16 and is capable of operating the switch body (not shown) on the console body 13 side. The emergency switch 15 is activated by pushing the operating part upward. When the switch body is activated, the emergency switch 15 connects to, for example, an emergency support center via communication.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the peripheral area of ​​the recessed portion 16 of the console panel 14 is a first base wall 18 that surrounds the recessed portion 16 in a roughly U-shape. The lower surface of the first base wall 18 is formed to be roughly flat. A second base wall 19 is positioned on the peripheral area of ​​the first base wall 18, with a lower surface height slightly higher than that of the first base wall 18. The second base wall 19 is formed to surround the outside of the first base wall 18 in a roughly U-shape. On the vehicle-front side of the first base wall 18 and the second base wall 19, a front base wall 20 is positioned, with a lower surface at roughly the same height as the lower surface of the first base wall 18.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, the light-emitting parts 12a of the map lamps 12 for the driver's seat and passenger's seat are respectively positioned on the front and rear extensions on one side and the other side in the vehicle width direction of the roughly U-shaped first base wall 18. Each light-emitting part 12a is capable of illuminating light downwards on the driver's side and downwards on the passenger's side, respectively. In this embodiment, the lower surfaces of the left and right front and rear extensions of the first base wall 18 are the mounting surfaces for the light-emitting parts 12a of the map lamps 12. The recessed part 16 of the console panel 14 is formed to be recessed upwards with respect to the mounting surface for the light-emitting parts 12a.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a camera 30 for imaging the interior of the vehicle is positioned at the front end (vehicle front side) of the recess 16 in the console panel 14. The camera 30 is fixedly installed to the roof panel 2, console body 13, etc., via a bracket (not shown).

[0039] Here, the imaging unit 31 of the camera 30 is positioned so that the imaging direction faces downward towards the rear of the vehicle interior through the opening 17 at the front of the recess 16 of the console panel 14. Furthermore, at least the center position of the front of the imaging unit 31 of the camera 30 (the center position of the front of the lens) is positioned above the lower surface of the first base wall 18 of the console panel 14. In addition, the center position of the front of the imaging unit 31 of the camera 30 (the center position of the front of the lens) is positioned above the light-emitting part 12a of the map lamp 12 located on the first base wall 18. Furthermore, the lower end of the imaging unit 31 of the camera 30 is located above the lower end of the light-emitting unit 12a of the map lamp 12.

[0040] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an exciter 40 (sound exciter) is installed on the upper surface of the curved rear portion of the roughly U-shaped first base wall 18. The exciter 40 is mounted on the upper surface of the roughly semicircular rear extension region 14r of the console panel 14. The exciter 40 includes a voice coil 41 that generates vibrations in response to a signal current input from the outside and a magnetic circuit (not shown). The vibrations generated by the exciter 40 cause the roughly flat portion of the console panel 14 (mainly the rear extension region 14r) to vibrate as a diaphragm. The vibrations generated in this roughly flat portion of the console panel 14 are transmitted as acoustic vibrations into the space inside the vehicle.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the signal wiring and other wiring 42a and 42b drawn out from the voice coil 41 of the exciter 40 are fixed to the underside of the roof panel 2 (roof panel inner 2i) at their intermediate points via fixing clips 43 or the like.

[0042] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the portion of the roof console 10 corresponding to the view taken by arrow V in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5, locking claws 21a and 21b are provided protruding from the front and front side of the console body 13 housing, respectively. Furthermore, engaging pieces 22a and 22b are provided protruding from the main area 14m of the console panel 14 at positions corresponding to the locking claws 21a and 21b on the console body 13. Each engaging piece 22a and 22b protrudes upward from the upper surface of the console panel 14, and an engaging hole 23 is formed in the protruding portion, penetrating in the thickness direction. The locking claws 21a and 21b on the console body 13 engage with the corresponding engaging holes 23 of the engaging pieces 22a and 22b on the console panel 14. The front part of the main area 14m of the console panel 14 is fixed to the console body 13 by the engagement of the locking claws 21a and 21b with the corresponding engaging holes 23.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, resin fixing clips 24 are provided protruding from the left and right upper surfaces of the front side of the console body 13. These fixing clips 24 are fitted into fixing holes (not shown) formed in the roof panel 2 (roof panel inner 2i). The front side of the console body 13 is thus fixed to the roof panel 2 (roof panel inner 2i).

[0044] Furthermore, a pair of support protrusions 25 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear of the main area 14m of the console panel 14, projecting upward from the upper surface of the console panel 14. A resin fixing clip portion 26 is provided on the upper part of each support protrusion 25. This fixing clip portion 26 is fitted into fixing holes (not shown) formed in the roof panel 2 (roof panel inner 2i). The left and right rear portions of the main area 14m of the console panel 14 are thus fixed to the roof panel 2 (roof panel inner 2i).

[0045] Here, as described above, the console panel 14 has its main area 14m fixed to the console body 13 and the roof panel 2 (roof panel inner 2i) at the front and rear, respectively. However, the rear extension area 14r, which is roughly semicircular in top view, is not fixed to the console body 13 or the roof panel 2. In other words, the roughly flat rear extension area 14r to which the exciter 40 is attached is a free end that is not constrained by the console body 13 or the roof panel 2.

[0046] Furthermore, Time of Flight (TOF) cameras 50, which acquire distance information to a subject, are positioned on both the left and right sides of the console body 13 fixed to the upper surface of the main area 14m of the console panel 14. The TOF cameras 50 can recognize the shape and behavior of a subject by irradiating the subject with infrared light and calculating the time it takes for the infrared light to return. The TOF cameras 50 positioned on both the left and right sides of the console body 13 are installed so as to be able to identify the faces and behaviors of the occupant seated in the driver's seat and the occupant seated in the passenger seat, respectively. In Figure 2, reference numeral 51 denotes an infrared light inlet / outlet window located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the light-emitting parts 12a of the left and right map lamps 12 on the console panel 14. The inlet / outlet window 51 is fitted with a cover that allows infrared light to pass through.

[0047] As described above, in the vehicle interior structure of this embodiment, the exciter 40 is attached to a hard resin console panel 14 that faces directly into the passenger compartment at the ceiling. Therefore, the vibrations generated by the exciter 40 cause the hard resin console panel 14 to vibrate, and these vibrations can be effectively transmitted into the interior space. Therefore, by adopting the interior structure of the vehicle according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the sound source from significantly encroaching on the interior space, and to generate high-quality acoustic vibrations in the ceiling area.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the exciter 40 is mounted on the upper surface of the rear extension region 14r, which is a substantially flat portion of the console panel 14. As a result, the exciter 40 mounted on the console panel 14 does not protrude further inward than the console panel 14, and the vibrations generated by the exciter 40 can effectively vibrate the substantially flat portion of the console panel 14. Therefore, by adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to obtain higher quality acoustic vibrations.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the exciter 40 is attached to the rear extension region 14r (free end region) of the console panel 14, which is a free end not fixed to either the roof panel 2 or the console body 13. As a result, the main acoustic vibration part of the console panel 14 (rear extension region 14r) is less likely to be strongly constrained by its surroundings. Therefore, better acoustic vibration can be obtained when this configuration is adopted.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer edge of the rear extension region 14r of the console panel 14 is formed in a substantially arc shape, and the exciter 40 is mounted at a position spaced apart from the substantially arc-shaped outer edge of the rear extension region 14r. Therefore, the vibrations generated by the exciter 40 can efficiently vibrate the area near the center of the rear extension region 14r. Consequently, by adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to obtain better acoustic vibrations.

[0051] Furthermore, in the interior structure for a vehicle of this embodiment, the exciter 40 is equipped with a voice coil 41 that converts signal current into vibration, and the intermediate portions of the wiring 42a and 42b connected to the voice coil 41 are fixed to the roof panel 2 of the vehicle body. In this case, unlike when the intermediate portions of the wiring 42a and 42b connected to the voice coil 41 are fixed to the console panel 14, the good acoustic vibration of the console panel 14 is not hindered by the wiring 42a and 42b. Therefore, by adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to obtain better acoustic vibration.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the exciter 40 is positioned approximately in the center of the vehicle width direction, above the front seats inside the vehicle. This makes it possible to distribute the vibrations generated by the exciter 40 evenly in the left-right direction within the vehicle interior. Therefore, by adopting this configuration, a better acoustic environment can be created inside the vehicle.

[0053] Furthermore, in the interior structure for a vehicle of this embodiment, the emergency switch 15 is positioned in a recessed portion 16 of the console panel 14 that is recessed upward relative to the rear extension region 14r to which the exciter 40 is mounted. Therefore, even if the peripheral portion of the emergency switch 15 is touched by an occupant's finger when the rear extension region 14r (approximately flat portion) of the console panel 14 is vibrating as a diaphragm, the good acoustic vibration of the rear extension region 14r (approximately flat portion) of the console panel 14 is less likely to be suppressed by finger contact. Consequently, a good acoustic environment can always be obtained when this configuration is adopted.

[0054] Furthermore, in the interior structure of the vehicle according to this embodiment, the camera 30, map lamp 12, and exciter 40 are arranged in this order from the front of the vehicle on the roof console 10. As a result, the camera 30, positioned at the very front of the roof console 10, can capture a wide area of ​​the vehicle's interior well, and the map lamp 12, positioned behind the camera 30, can illuminate the front seats well. In addition, since the exciter 40 is positioned close to both the front and rear seats of the interior, it is possible to resonate good acoustic vibrations on both the front and rear sides of the vehicle.

[0055] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the roof console 10 is equipped with a camera 30, a map lamp 12, and a TOF camera 50 in addition to the exciter 40, but these are not necessarily essential, and some may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1…Vehicle 2…Roof panel 10…Roof console 12…Map lamp (input / output device) 13…Console unit 14…Console panel 14... Rear extension area (approximately flat plate part, free end area) 15…Emergency switch (input / output device) 40... Exciter 41…Voice coil 42a, 42b… wiring

Claims

1. The roof console is located on the ceiling inside the vehicle, It comprises an exciter that generates vibrations in response to an acoustic signal, The aforementioned roof console is The console unit that implements the input / output devices, The console body comprises a hard resin console panel that covers the side facing the vehicle interior, The exciter is mounted on the console panel. The exciter comprises a voice coil that converts a signal current into vibrations, The interior structure of a vehicle is characterized in that the middle portion of the wiring connected to the voice coil is fixed to the roof panel of the vehicle body.

2. The interior structure of a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the exciter is attached to the upper surface of the substantially flat portion of the console panel.

3. The interior structure of a vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the exciter is attached to a free-end region of the console panel that is not fixed to either the roof panel of the vehicle body or the console body.

4. The free end region is formed with an outer edge that is approximately arc-shaped when viewed from above. The interior structure of a vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the exciter is positioned at a location spaced apart from the substantially arc-shaped outer edge.

5. The interior structure of the vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the exciter is positioned approximately in the center in the vehicle width direction above the front seats inside the vehicle.

6. The aforementioned roof console is equipped with an emergency switch that is pushed upward in an emergency. The vehicle interior structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the emergency switch is positioned in a recessed position above the substantially flat portion of the console panel to which the exciter is mounted.

7. The aforementioned roof console further includes a camera for capturing images of the interior of the vehicle and a map lamp for illuminating the area near the front seats inside the vehicle. The interior structure of the vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the camera, the map lamp, and the exciter are arranged in this order from the front of the vehicle on the roof console.

Images