Ultrasonic sensor

Abstract

An ultrasonic sensor has a sensor body and a bezel having a metal spring attached on a side wall thereof for installation on a vehicle component. A free end of the metal spring is positioned to protrude from a through hole of the side wall, is pressed by a portion of the sensor body that is inserted in a hollow space of the bezel, and is pushed back by an opening face of the sensor body. In this manner, the bezel is firmly attached on the component and the sensor body is firmly attached on the bezel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an ultrasonic sensor attached to a bumper in a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2A to 2D show illustrations of the ultrasonic sensor in a front/right side/top/rear view in the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic sensor taken along a line III-III in FIG. 2A in the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic transducer in the first embodiment;

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E show illustrations of a front/left-side/rear/top/bottom view of a bezel in the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the bezel taken along a line VI-VI in FIG. 5C in the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 shows an illustration of the ultrasonic sensor before attachment to the bumper in the first embodiment;

FIG. 8 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the bezel being inserted in a hole of the bumper in the first embodiment;

FIG. 9 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the bezel having an open face of a sensor body being inserted in a hollow thereof;

FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E show illustrations of a front/left-side/rear/top/bottom view of the bezel in a second embodiment;

FIG. 11 shows a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the bezel taken along a line XI-XI in FIG. 10C in the second embodiment;

FIG. 12 shows an illustration of the ultrasonic sensor before attachment to the bumper in the second embodiment;

FIG. 13 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the bezel being inserted in a hole of the bumper in the second embodiment;

FIG. 14 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the bezel having an opening face of a sensor body being inserted in a hollow thereof in the second embodiment;

FIGS. 15A and B show partially enlarged cross-sectional views of the bezel in modifications of the first and the second embodiments;

FIG. 16 shows an enlarged illustration of tips of the bezel in a modification of the second embodiment; and

FIG. 17 shows an illustration of a conventional ultrasonic sensor disposed on a bumper.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic sensor comprising: a bezel in a pipe shape with an opening on one end and a hollow space housed therein;a sensor body having an insertion portion with an ultrasonic transducer disposed therein; anda spring,wherein the bezel has a side wall having an opening of a through hole that connects an outside of the bezel and the hollow space,the side wall of the bezel has the spring disposed at a position of the through hole,insertion of the bezel into a hole portion of a vehicle component from an outside of the component accompanied by having the insertion portion of the sensor body being inserted from an inside of the component into the hollow space of the bezel causes a compressive deformation condition of the spring positioned between an outer wall of the insertion portion and a wall face of the hole portion, andthe compressive deformation condition of the spring (5) generates a reactive force of the spring that resiliently attaches the sensor body and the bezel on the wall face of the hole portion of the component.

2. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 1, wherein the spring having contact with the wall face of the hole portion protrudes from the through hole to the hollow space of the bezel when the insertion portion is inserted in the hollow space, anda portion of the spring protruding in the hollow space of the bezel is pushed back by the outer wall of the insertion portion to cause the reactive force of the spring when the insertion portion is in a condition of insertion into the hollow space.

3. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 1, wherein the spring is a metal spring having a fixed end that is fixed on the bezel and a free end that is displaceable by an external force,the free end is positioned in the through hole, andthe reactive force of the free end in the compressive deformation condition attaches the sensor body and the bezel on the wall face of the hole portion.

4. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 3, wherein the bezel has a flange formed at a rear end relative to an insertion direction of the bezel into the hole portion of the component for regulating an insertion amount of the bezel into the hole portion,the metal spring has the fixed end fixed at a front end of the bezel relative to the insertion direction and the free end positioned toward the rear end of the insertion direction,the free end of the metal spring has a convex portion that inclines relative to the insertion direction of the bezel, andthe convex portion applying the reactive force and the flange hold the component when the bezel is inserted in the hole portion of the component.

5. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 4, wherein the flange and the component defines an empty space interposed therebetween, andthe spring protrudes from an outer face of the component into the empty space.

6. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 5, wherein the flange is at least partially larger than the hole portion,

7. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 4, wherein the spring is formed by bending a rod shape member,the rod member has the fixed end and the free end,the free end has a bending portion that is formed by bending a tip of the free end toward the fixed end, andthe tip of the free end is prevented from entering the through hole by being held by a wall that defines the through hole.

8. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 4, wherein the side wall of the bezel has a nail that prevents the bezel from falling from the hole portion at a position that is apart from the flange by at least an amount of the thickness of the component.

9. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 1, wherein the bezel is in a cylinder shape, andthe insertion portion of the sensor body is in a column shape.

10. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 9, wherein plural pieces of the spring are positioned equiangularly around a center of the bezel.

11. An ultrasonic sensor comprising: a bezel in a pipe shape with an opening on one end and a hollow space housed therein;a sensor body having an insertion portion with an ultrasonic transducer disposed therein; anda spring,wherein the bezel has a side wall having an opening of a through hole that connects an outside of the bezel and the hollow space,the side wall of the bezel has the spring disposed at a position of the through hole,insertion of the bezel into a hole portion of a vehicle component from an outside of the component accompanied by having the insertion portion of the sensor body being inserted from an inside of the component into the hollow space of the bezel causes a compressive deformation condition of the spring positioned between an outer wall of the insertion portion and a wall face of the hole portion,the compressive deformation condition of the spring (5) generates a reactive force of the spring that resiliently attaches the sensor body and the bezel on the wall face of the hole portion of the component,a portion of the bezel is formed in a shape that contacts the vehicle component at a tip part,the portion of the bezel and the component defines an empty space interposed therebetween, andthe spring protrudes from an outer face of the component into the empty space.

12. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 11, wherein the spring having contact with the wall face of the hole portion protrudes from the through hole to the hollow space of the bezel when the insertion portion is inserted in the hollow space, anda portion of the spring protruding in the hollow space of the bezel is pushed back by the outer wall of the insertion portion to cause the reactive force of the spring when the insertion portion is in a condition of insertion into the hollow space.

13. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 11, wherein the spring is a metal spring having a fixed end that is fixed on the bezel and a free end that is displaceable by an external force,the free end is positioned in the through hole, andthe reactive force of the free end in the compressive deformation condition attaches the sensor body and the bezel on the wall face of the hole portion.

14. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 11, wherein the portion of the bezel is a flange that is at least partially larger than an opening of the hole portion.

15. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 14, wherein the flange is formed at a rear end relative to an insertion direction of the bezel into the hole portion of the component for regulating an insertion amount of the bezel into the hole portion,the metal spring has the fixed end fixed at a front end of the bezel relative to the insertion direction and the free end positioned toward the rear end of the insertion direction,the free end of the metal spring has a convex portion that inclines relative to the insertion direction of the bezel, andthe convex portion applying the reactive force and the flange hold the component when the bezel is inserted in the hole portion of the component.

16. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 11, wherein the shape of the portion of the bezel is an arc shape in its cross section, andthe arc shape has contact with the component at a farthest portion from a center of the bezel.

17. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 11, wherein the shape of the portion of the bezel is a bent shape in its cross section, andthe arc shape has contact with the component at a farthest portion from a center of the bezel.

18. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 11, wherein the bezel is in a cylinder shape, andthe insertion portion of the sensor body is in a column shape.

19. The ultrasonic sensor as in claim 17, wherein plural pieces of the spring are positioned equiangularly around a center of the bezel.