Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Of collision or contact with external object
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-13
2004-07-06
Lieu, Julie (Department: 2636)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Of collision or contact with external object
C340S435000, C340S693110, C340S904000, C340S554000, C280S735000, C180S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06759950
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ultrasonic obstacle detector mounted on a bumper or the like of a vehicle such as an automotive vehicle, as well as to a method of assembling the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 16
is a side view showing a conventional ultrasonic obstacle detector.
FIG. 17
is a front view of FIG.
16
.
FIG. 18
is a sectional view taken along the line A—A in FIG.
17
.
FIG. 19
is a rear end view of FIG.
16
.
FIG. 20
is an exploded side view of FIG.
16
and
FIG. 21
is a plan view of
FIG. 20
with the case cover opened.
In these figures, reference numeral
1
denotes a sensor case. A case cover
2
for this sensor case
1
is connected along one edge of an open end of the sensor case
1
. Engaging claws
3
are integrally formed on an outer wall of the sensor case
1
along the opposite edge of the open end of the sensor case
1
. Engaging holes
4
are provided on a free end of the case cover
2
so as to engage with the engaging claws
3
. An ultrasonic sensor
5
is partly fit in its periphery into a front end (right in
FIG. 18
) of the sensor case
2
through a sensor holder
6
. This ultrasonic sensor
5
is held between the case cover
2
and the sensor case
1
by pinching them when the case cover
2
is closed.
In
FIGS. 18 and 21
, a circuit board
7
is contained inside the sensor case
1
with being electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor
5
. A connector lead wire
8
connected to the circuit board
7
is led outside the sensor case
1
. As shown in
FIG. 16
, at a lead-out end of this connector lead wire
8
, a connector
9
for external connection is connected. Reference numeral
10
denotes a cap fit in and engaged with a front end of the sensor case
1
with the case cover
2
closed. This cap
10
is to hold the ultrasonic sensor
5
by covering the periphery of the front end of the sensor holder
6
, and has integrally formed an outward flange
10
a
on its front end.
Reference numeral
11
denotes a plate spring which is assembled into the sensor case
1
. This plate spring
11
is made up of: a bottom plate
11
b
having mounting holes
11
a
(see
FIG. 19
) which are press-fit into protrusions
1
a
provided on a rear end surface of the sensor case
1
; and arm pieces
11
c
(four in the figures) which extend from this bottom plate
11
b
to the vicinity of the outward flange
10
a
of the cap
10
along the outer wall of the sensor case
1
and the case cover
2
. On a front end of the arm pieces
11
c
articulated portions
11
d
are provided, which pinches a hole edge portion of a sensor-mounting hole (not shown) formed in a bumper of a vehicle, between the outward flange
10
a
and the articulated portions
11
d
. An intermediate portion of each of the arm pieces
11
c
is engaged with the outer wall portions of the sensor case
1
and the case cover
2
, respectively. The portions to be engaged are denoted by reference numerals
11
e.
A description will now be given of the assembly of this detector.
First, the case cover
2
is opened to fit the sensor holder
6
, fit-in by the ultrasonic sensor
5
, into the front end of the sensor case
1
. The circuit board
7
which is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor
5
by a connector lead wire
8
is mounted inside the sensor case
1
in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the ultrasonic sensor
5
. The case cover
2
is then closed with the connector lead wire
8
connected to the circuit board
7
which us led outside, and the engaging holes
4
formed in the case cover
2
are engaged with the engaging claws
3
on the sensor case
1
. The ultrasonic sensor
5
is thus pinched by the sensor case
1
and the case cover
2
through the sensor holder
6
.
Then, the cap
10
is press-fit into the front end of the sensor case
1
inclusive of the case cover
2
through the peripheral portion of the sensor holder
6
. The ultrasonic sensor
5
is thus held by the cap
10
. Thereafter, the protrusions
1
a
on the rear end of the sensor case
1
are press-fit into the mounting holes
11
a
of the bottom plate
11
b
. Also, the intermediate portion
11
e
of each of the arm pieces
11
c
of the plate springs
11
is engaged with the outer walls of the sensor case
1
and the case cover
2
, respectively.
After the ultrasonic obstacle detector has been assembled as described above, a molding resin is filled from a molding opening
2
a
(see
FIG. 21
) formed in the case cover
2
. The ultrasonic obstacle detector is ultimately completed. When this detector is to be mounted on a bumper of a vehicle, the sensor case
1
inclusive of the case cover
2
is inserted into a sensor-mounting hole formed in the bumper of the vehicle from the rear end of the detector, together with the connector lead wire
8
. At the time of inserting the detector, the articulated portions
11
d
of the arm pieces
11
c
are elastically deformed inwardly at the hole edge portion of the sensor-mounting hole. When the outward flange
10
a
of the cap
10
comes into contact with a front surface of the bumper and the articulated portions
11
d
passed through the sensor-mounting hole, the articulated portions
11
d
are elastically restored to their original state. As a result, the hole edge portion of the sensor-mounting hole formed in the bumper is pinched between the articulated portions
11
d
and the outward flange
10
a
. The ultrasonic obstacle detector can ultimately be mounted on the bumper of the vehicle.
However, there have been a drawback that the number of working steps increases undesirably, and the assembly of the ultrasonic sensor
5
and the cap
10
is troublesome, resulting in a poor working efficiency since the conventional ultrasonic obstacle detector has been constructed as described above. Namely, in order for the ultrasonic sensor
5
to be assembled into the sensor case
1
, after the sensor holder
6
into which the ultrasonic sensor
5
is fit into the inside of the front end of the sensor case
1
with the case cover
2
opened, and the engaging claws
3
of the sensor case
1
must be engaged with the engaging holes
4
in the case cover
2
with the case cover
2
closed. In addition, the cap
10
which is used only for the purpose of bringing itself into contact with the front surface of the bumper should be press-fit into the outer walls of the sensor case
1
and the case cover
2
, respectively, while sliding along the peripheral edge portion of the sensor holder
6
from the front side thereof.
Furthermore, there has been a drawback that the assembly of the plate spring
11
is time-consuming, resulting in a poor work efficiency since the plate spring
11
has only the ability for mounting the ultrasonic obstacle detector on the bumper of the vehicle. In addition, in assembling the plate spring
11
into the sensor case
1
, the mounting holes
11
a
in the base plate
11
b
must be press-fit through the protrusion
1
a
on the rear end of the sensor case
1
along the axial direction. The intermediate engaging portion
11
e
of each of the arm pieces
11
c
must further be engaged with the outer walls of the sensor case
1
and the case cover
2
, respectively. Still furthermore, the sensor holder
6
, the circuit board
7
, the cap
10
and the plate spring
11
are assembled one another from the different directions relative to the sensor case
1
. In this point, too, much manpower is required for assembling these parts together, resulting in a poor work efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been made to solve the above drawbacks, and an object thereof is to provide an ultrasonic obstacle detector which provides an easy integral assembly of a sensor case and a cap by means of a single plate spring, and which exhibits the ability for mounting and fixing the detector to the bumper or the like of a vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ultrasonic obstacle detector which simplifies the shape of the plate spring, and which easily assembles the pla
Fukuda Akiharu
Nishimoto Yukio
Lieu Julie
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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