Sonic wave apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10901075-B2
Application number	US-201716349110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Nov 14, 2016
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A sonic wave apparatus is provided with an apparatus body and a cushioning member. The apparatus body is configured with a columnar front-end section having a level difference. The apparatus body includes a sonic wave unit disposed on the front-end section and a support member supporting the sonic wave unit. The apparatus body is inserted into and attachment hole that is formed on a part of the vehicle. The cushioning member includes a tubular portion covering the front-end section, a plate shaped flange that is extended from one end of the support section of the tubular portion, along an end surface of side being a front-end side of the support section, and a protrusion portion that is arranged on the flange and protrudes in an extending direction from the flange of the tubular portion. The cushioning member is formed as one body from elastomer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sonic wave apparatus mounted to a part of a vehicle, the sonic wave apparatus comprising;
an apparatus body comprising:
a columnar shape having an axial direction and a radial direction that is orthogonal to the axial direction;
a sonic wave unit provided with a front-end section located on a front part of the apparatus body in the axial direction, the front-end section having a radius that is smaller than a radius of the apparatus body; and
a support section configured to support the sonic wave unit, the support section comprising a step between the sonic wave unit and the support section; and

a cushioning member comprising:
a tubular portion that covers the front-end section of the apparatus body;
a plate shaped flange located on a front end, relative to the axial direction, of the support section of the tubular portion, the plate shape flange configured to extend in the radial direction along an end surface of the support section, the end surface being a front-end side of the support section; and
a protrusion portion provided on the plate shaped flange and configured to protrude in the axial direction from the plate shaped flange of the tubular portion towards the part of the vehicle,

wherein
the front-end section is positioned within an attachment hole formed on the part of the vehicle, the attachment hole comprising a through-hole that enables insertion therein,
the tubular portion and the plate shaped flange are formed as one body made of an elastomer, and
the protrusion portion provides elastic cushioning between the sonic wave unit and the part of the vehicle.

2. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion portion is provided as a plurality of protrusion portions.

3. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the plate shaped flange comprises:
a ring shape, when viewed from the front-end side of the support section; and
an outer-edge part that forms a circumference,
wherein the plurality of protrusions portions are arranged along the circumference of the outer-edge part.

4. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plate shaped flange is configured with an inner-edge part and an outer-edge part,
the inner-edge part is configured to connect to the tubular portion and has a smaller thickness than the outer-edge part, and the protrusion portion is formed on the outer-edge part of the plate shaped flange.

5. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plate shaped flange comprises:
a ring shape, when viewed from the front-end side of the support section; and
an inner-edge part configured to connect to the tubular portion of the plate shaped flange, the ring shape intervening between the inner-edge part and an outer-edge part of the plate shaped flange.

6. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a tubular bezel that accommodates the apparatus body in which the front-end section is exposed to an outside of the part of the vehicle, wherein the protrusion portion is in contact with the tubular bezel.

7. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sonic wave unit is an ultrasonic wave unit.

8. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a tubular bezel that accommodates the apparatus body in which the front-end section is exposed to an outside of the part of the vehicle, wherein the protrusion portion is in contact with the tubular bezel.

9. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a tubular bezel that accommodates the apparatus body in which the front-end section is exposed to an outside of the part of the vehicle, wherein the protrusion portion is in contact with the tubular bezel.

10. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a tubular bezel that accommodates the apparatus body in which the front-end section is exposed to an outside of the part of the vehicle, wherein the protrusion portion is in contact with the tubular bezel.

11. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a tubular bezel that accommodates the apparatus body in which the front-end section is exposed to an outside of the part of the vehicle, wherein the protrusion portion is in contact with the tubular bezel.

12. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the sonic wave unit is an ultrasonic wave unit.

13. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the sonic wave unit is an ultrasonic wave unit.

14. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the sonic wave unit is an ultrasonic wave unit.

15. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the sonic wave unit is an ultrasonic wave unit.

16. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the sonic wave unit is an ultrasonic wave unit.

17. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion portion is provided as a plurality of protrusion portions which are arranged in a circumferential direction at equal intervals on an other edge part of the plate shaped flange.

18. The sonic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a tubular bezel that intervenes between the part of the vehicle and the apparatus body, and is provided with a portion, and the protrusion portion is elastically in contact with the portion.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Ueda Keisuke
• Kawashima Yasuhiro

Classifications

• B60R19/48

  combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds · CPC title

• G01S7/521 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title

• B60R19/483 Primary

  with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type · CPC title

• G01S15/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2015/938

  in the bumper area · CPC title