Vehicle exterior part

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487352-B2
Application number	US-202217692723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2022
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle exterior part is configured to be arranged frontward of a millimeter wave radar device with respect to the transmission direction of millimeter waves. The vehicle exterior part includes an ornamental body, a light source that emits light, and a light diffuse reflection member. The light diffuse reflection member is millimeter wave-transmissive and diffuses and reflects light. The ornamental body includes a base and an ornamental layer. The base is millimeter wave-transmissive and diffuses and transmits the light. The ornamental layer is millimeter wave-transmissive and arranged frontward of the base with respect to the transmission direction. The light source, the ornamental body, and the light diffuse reflection member are arranged so that the light emitted from the light source is diffused and reflected by the light diffuse reflection member and directed toward the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle exterior part configured to be applied to a vehicle including a millimeter wave radar device that transmits millimeter waves, wherein the vehicle exterior part is configured to be arranged frontward of the millimeter wave radar device with respect to a transmission direction of the millimeter waves, the vehicle exterior part comprising:
an ornamental body that is configured to decorate an exterior member of the vehicle; a light source that emits light; and a light diffuse reflection member that is millimeter wave-transmissive and diffuses and reflects the light, wherein the ornamental body includes:
a base that is millimeter wave-transmissive and diffuses and transmits the light; and
an ornamental layer that is millimeter wave-transmissive and arranged frontward of the base with respect to the transmission direction,
the light source, the ornamental body, and the light diffuse reflection member are arranged so that the light emitted from the light source is diffused and reflected by the light diffuse reflection member and directed toward the base, the light diffuse reflection member is arranged rearward from the ornamental body with respect to the transmission direction, a peripheral edge of the ornamental body is joined with a peripheral edge of the light diffuse reflection member by an annular joining portion, an area surrounded by the annular joining portion between the ornamental body and the light diffuse reflection member defines an accommodating portion, and the light source is arranged in the accommodating portion, wherein the ornamental body includes, in addition to the base, a light shield that blocks transmission of the light, the light shield partially includes a peripheral light shield that contacts a peripheral edge of the base, the peripheral light shield is welded in contact with the peripheral edge of the light diffuse reflection member, and the peripheral light shield and the light diffuse reflection member are welded at the annular joining portion, wherein the light shield includes an intermediate light shield surrounded by the peripheral light shield and located frontward of the base with respect to the transmission direction, and a light reflector is arranged between the intermediate light shield and the base to reflect the light rearward with respect to the transmission direction.

2 . The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1 , wherein
the base includes a general portion and a band-shaped projection that projects frontward from the general portion with respect to the transmission direction, the projection includes two side surfaces, with respect to a width direction, inclined with respect to the transmission direction so that a distance between the side surfaces increases toward the rear with respect to the transmission direction, the projection includes a top surface at a front end, with respect to the transmission direction, connecting the side surfaces, the intermediate light shield is arranged frontward of the general portion with respect to the transmission direction, and a light block layer that blocks transmission of the light is formed between the side surfaces of the projection and the ornamental layer and not formed between the top surface of the projection and the ornamental layer.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk
• Toyota Gosei Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirano Risa
• Shibakawa Hiroko
• Hattori Norifumi
• Okumura Koji
• Maeda Hideto
• Otsuka Yutaka
• Nishioka Keisuke
• Fujimoto Kazuyoshi

Classifications

• G01S7/027

  Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness · CPC title

• F21S43/255 Primary

  Filters · CPC title

• F21S43/27

  Attachment thereof · CPC title

• F21S43/14

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21S43/50

  characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers · CPC title