Vehicle-Mounted Sensor Assembly With Asymmetric Orientation Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
The mounting of vehicle-mounted devices, such as ultrasonic sensors, in vehicle body members, like bumpers, often results in errors due to incorrect orientation or attachment of the wrong device.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-mounted assembly is designed with a cylindrical main body, protrusions, a cylindrical member, and a fastener to secure the device to a plate-like vehicle body member with a through-hole. The assembly includes a vehicle body joint that engages a device joint on the cylindrical member to ensure correct orientation and attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If smooth flat side surfaces are used for the ultrasonic sensor case to achieve a fit in the mounting hole, then the sensor can be inserted without incorrect orientation and the horizontal directivity can be widened, but the vertical directivity is narrowed and mounting errors still occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing a circumferential groove at a specific angular position on the cylindrical sensor case and a corresponding protrusion on the mounting plate. This asymmetric feature prevents incorrect orientation during mounting, ensuring the sensor is always installed in the correct angular position while maintaining ease of insertion through the circular mounting hole.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the directivity of the ultrasonic sensor is narrowed in the vertical direction and widened in the horizontal direction, then the horizontal sensing region is increased, but mounting errors occur due to incorrect orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric circumferential groove and protrusion arrangement ensures that the sensor maintains its optimized directivity pattern (narrowed vertical, widened horizontal) while preventing incorrect mounting orientations. The asymmetric features provide mechanical guidance that aligns the sensor's directional characteristics with the desired sensing coverage area.
3Ease of manufacture
If a cylindrical sensor case with smooth surfaces is used, then the sensor can be easily inserted into the mounting hole, but incorrect devices or incorrect orientations may be attached
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the simple cylindrical shape for ease of manufacture and assembly, but adds asymmetric circumferential groove and protrusion features. These features provide precise angular positioning and prevent incorrect device attachment, achieving both ease of assembly and high mounting precision without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle-mounted assembly is designed to have a vehicle-mounted device attached to a plate-like vehicle body member with a through hole. The vehicle-mounted device includes a cylindrical member fit in a through-hole and a fastener which secures the cylindrical member to the vehicle body member. The cylindrical member includes a cylindrical main body extending along a center axis line, protrusions protruding from the main body in a direction crossing the center axis line. The fastener is held between the protrusions and the vehicle body member. The through-hole is equipped with a vehicle body joint which engages a device joint made of recessed and raised portions of the cylindrical member. The vehicle body joint is arranged at a given location on an inner circumference of the through-hole around a center of the through-hole.