Attachment structure of vehicular module to ceiling of vehicle cabin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12240398-B2
Application number	US-202217744154-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2022
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

An attachment structure of a vehicular module to a ceiling of a vehicle cabin of a vehicle includes a design member. The design member is configured to attach, to the ceiling, the module including an in-cabin sensor configured to perform detection in the vehicle cabin, and includes a securing portion configured to be secured to a vehicle-body ceiling member of the vehicle or an interior ceiling member disposed on a vehicle cabin side of the vehicle-body ceiling member, a downward protrusion protruding downward from the securing portion, and a design constituent extending from the downward protrusion and covering the securing portion. In an accommodating space defined between the downward protrusion and the design constituent, the in-cabin sensor is supported by the design member in such a manner that, above the accommodating space, a gap is left between the in-cabin sensor and the vehicle-body ceiling member or the interior ceiling member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An attachment structure of a vehicular module to a ceiling of a vehicle cabin of a vehicle, the attachment structure comprising:
a design member configured to attach, to the ceiling, the module comprising an in-cabin sensor configured to perform detection in the vehicle cabin,
the design member comprising
a securing portion configured to be secured to a vehicle-body ceiling member of the vehicle or an interior ceiling member disposed on a vehicle cabin side of the vehicle-body ceiling member,
a downward protrusion protruding downward from the securing portion, and
a design constituent extending from the downward protrusion and covering the securing portion so as to constitute a design as the design member,

wherein in an accommodating space defined between the downward protrusion and the design constituent, the in-cabin sensor is supported by the design member in such a manner that, above the accommodating space, a gap is left between the in-cabin sensor and the vehicle-body ceiling member or between the in-cabin sensor and the interior ceiling member.

2. The attachment structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the downward protrusion comprises a surrounding wall extending along an outer periphery of the securing portion and protruding downward so as to surround the securing portion,
wherein the design constituent is folded back upward from a lower end of the surrounding wall as the downward protrusion and extends to surround the surrounding wall,
wherein an outer peripheral edge of the design constituent folded back upward is disposed in contact with the vehicle-body ceiling member or the interior ceiling member from below around part of the vehicle-body ceiling member or the interior ceiling member where the securing portion is secured, and
wherein the in-cabin sensor is placed on the design constituent and supported by the design constituent.

3. The attachment structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein the in-cabin sensor comprises a plate-shaped sensor member capable of detecting an object in an angle range about a detection direction, the detection direction being a direction of a normal to a detection surface of the plate-shaped sensor member,
wherein the plate-shaped sensor member is placed on the design constituent and supported by the design constituent while the plate-shaped sensor member is in such an inclined posture that the detection direction is a diagonally downward direction, and
wherein, above the plate-shaped sensor member, a gap is left at least between a lower end of the plate-shaped sensor member disposed in the inclined posture and the vehicle-body ceiling member or between the lower end of the plate-shaped sensor member and the interior ceiling member.

4. The attachment structure according to claim 3 ,
wherein the vehicle-body ceiling member or the interior ceiling member is disposed above an upper end of the plate-shaped sensor member in the inclined posture in such a manner that the vehicle-body ceiling member or the interior ceiling member is closer to the upper end of the plate-shaped sensor member than to the lower end of the plate-shaped sensor member or in contact with the upper end of the plate-shaped sensor member.

5. The attachment structure according to claim 2 , wherein the in-cabin sensor is disposed at a position in the design member behind the securing portion in a fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle body of the vehicle.

6. The attachment structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein a plurality of modules comprising the in-cabin sensor are disposed in the design member, and
wherein the in-cabin sensor is disposed at a rearmost position in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body among the modules disposed in the design member.

7. The attachment structure according to claim 2 , wherein the in-cabin sensor is disposed in the design member and at least on a front side of a rear end of a seated portion of a foremost seat in the vehicle cabin so as to detect a surface of a chest of an occupant seated in the foremost seat.

8. The attachment structure according to claim 2 , wherein a board connector disposed on the in-cabin sensor is disposed on a side surface of the in-cabin sensor other than a rear side surface of the in-cabin sensor.

9. The attachment structure according to claim 2 , wherein the in-cabin sensor is disposed at a center portion of the design member in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle body.

10. The attachment structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the in-cabin sensor comprises a plate-shaped sensor member capable of detecting an object in an angle range about a detection direction, the detection direction being a direction of a normal to a detection surface of the plate-shaped sensor member,
wherein the plate-shaped sensor member is placed on the design constituent and supported by the design constituent while the plate-shaped sensor member is in such an inclined posture that the detection direction is a diagonally downward direction, and
wherein, above the plate-shaped sensor member, a gap is left at least between a lower end of the plate-shaped sensor member disposed in the inclined posture and the vehicle-body ceiling member or between the lower end of the plate-shaped sensor member and the interior ceiling member.

11. The attachment structure according to claim 10 ,
wherein the vehicle-body ceiling member or the interior ceiling member is disposed above an upper end of the plate-shaped sensor member in the inclined posture in such a manner that the vehicle-body ceiling member or the interior ceiling member is closer to the upper end of the plate-shaped sensor member than to the lower end of the plate-shaped sensor member or in contact with the upper end of the plate-shaped sensor member.

12. The attachment structure according to claim 11 ,
wherein the plate-shaped sensor member of the in-cabin sensor comprises a board connector disposed in such a manner that a cable connector or a flexible printed board configured to be coupled to the board connector is removably insertable in a direction along the detection surface of the plate-shaped sensor member.

13. The attachment structure according to claim 10 ,
wherein the plate-shaped sensor member of the in-cabin sensor comprises a board connector disposed in such a manner that a cable connector or a flexible printed board configured to be coupled to the board connector is removably insertable in a direction along the detection surface of the plate-shaped sensor member.

14. The attachment structure according to claim 1 , wherein the in-cabin sensor is disposed at a position in the design member behind the securing portion in a fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle body of the vehicle.

15. The attachment structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein a plurality of modules comprising the in-cabin sensor are disposed in the design member, and
wherein the in-cabin sensor is disposed at a rearmost position in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body among the modules disposed in the design member.

16. The attachment structure according to claim 1 , wherein the in-cabin sensor is disposed in the design member and at least on a front side of a rear end of a seated portion of a foremost seat in the vehicle cabin so as to detect a surface of a chest of an occupant seated in the foremost seat.

17. The attachment structure according to claim 1 , wherein a board connector disposed on the in-cabin sensor is disposed on a side surface of the in-cabin sensor other than a rear side surface of the in-cabin sensor.

18.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Ryota
• Kanagawa Tomoya
• Kawamura Kousei

Classifications

• B60R21/01532

  using electric or capacitive field sensors · CPC title

• B60R21/0153

  using field detection presence sensors · CPC title

• B60R2011/0075

  using a containment or docking space · CPC title

• B60R11/00 Primary

  Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B60R21/055

  Padded {or energy-absorbing} fittings {, e.g. seat belt anchors (sun visors B60J3/00; head rests B60N2/80)} · CPC title