Vehicle-mounted radio wave radar

• US 20040036646A1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazuto, Takano, Kazuaki, Suzuki, Mitsushige, Nakazawa, Terumi, Oouchi, Shirou
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/348 using square or rectangular modulation, e.g. diplex radar for ranging over short distances
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/027 Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them

Abstract

An antenna base, a control circuit section, and a high-frequency circuit section are enclosed in an inner space defined by a housing and a radome. Inside this inner space, the control circuit section and the high-frequency circuit section are surrounded by the antenna base and the housing. A circuit GND common to the control circuit section and the high-frequency circuit section is electrically connected to the antenna base and the housing, and it is connected to a body GND through only capacitive impedance.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar, comprising:

transmitting/receiving section for transmitting and receiving a radio signal;

signal processing section for processing the radio signal transmitted and received by said transmitting/receiving section;

an electrically conductive housing for accommodating said signal processing section therein;

an electrically conductive member supporting said transmitting/receiving section and disposed so as to close an opening of said electrically conductive housing, and electrically connected to said electrically conductive housing; and

an insulating member for inhibiting direct current from passing through said insulating member,

wherein said electrically conductive housing is connected to a vehicle body through at least said insulating member, ground of said transmitting/receiving section and said signal processing section being electrically connected to at least said electrically conductive housing or said electrically conductive member.

2. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar according to claim 1, further comprising an electrically conductive outer housing for accommodating said electrically conductive housing therein, wherein said electrically conductive housing is connected to said electrically conductive outer housing through said insulating member, said electrically conductive outer housing being electrically connected to said vehicle body.

3. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar according to claim 1, wherein said insulating member is constructed by insulating material.

4. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar according to claim 1, wherein said insulating member is a capacitive element.

5. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar according to claim 1, further comprising biasing means for fixing said signal processing section within said housing by a biasing force.

6. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar according to claim 1, wherein said signal processing section comprises a plurality of circuit boards stacked in the multilayered form by a plurality of spacers for sandwiching each of said circuit boards from above and below to support said circuit boards.

7. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar according to claim 6, wherein said spacers are electrically conductive and said plurality of circuit boards have ground connected to each other through said spacers.

8. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar according to claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive housing is formed of a resin having a metal-plated surface, having a surface coated with metallic powder, or being mixed with metallic powder.

9. A vehicle-mounted radio wave radar according to claim 1, further comprising means for attaching said vehicle-mounted radio wave radar to said vehicle body, said attaching means including an adjusting mechanism for adjusting an attachment angle of said attaching means.

10. A method of attaching a vehicle-mounted radio wave radar to a vehicle body, comprising the steps of:

attaching a radio wave transmitting/receiving section to an electrically conductive member;

accommodating a signal processing section to the inner of an electrically conductive housing, wherein said signal processing section processes an electrical signal transmitted or received by said transmitting/receiving section;

arranging said electrically conductive member so as to close the opening of said electrically conductive housing, and electrically connecting said electrically conductive member to said electrically conductive housing;

connecting said electrically conductive housing to a vehicle body through at least an insulating member for inhibiting direct current from passing through said insulating member; and

electrically connecting ground of said transmitting/receiving section and said signal processing section to at least said electrically conductive housing or said electrically conductive member.

11. A method of attaching a vehicle-mounted radio wave radar to a vehicle body according to claim 10, connecting said electrically conductive housing to an electrically conductive outer housing through at least said insulating member, electrically connecting said electrically conductive outer housing to said vehicle body.

12. A method of attaching a vehicle-mounted radio wave radar to a vehicle body according to claim 10, wherein said insulating member is an insulating material.

13. A method of attaching a vehicle-mounted radio wave radar to a vehicle body according to claim 10, wherein said insulating member is a capacitive element.

14. A method of attaching a vehicle-mounted radio wave radar to a vehicle body according to claim 10, wherein said signal processing section comprises a plurality of circuit boards stacked in the multilayered form by a plurality of spacers.

15. A method of attaching a vehicle-mounted radio wave radar to a vehicle body according to claim 10, wherein said signal processing section comprises a plurality of circuit boards stacked in the multilayered form by a plurality of electrically conductive spacers, and ground of said plurality of circuit boards are connected with each other.