Ultrasound sensor

• US 20070115102A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Kojima, Kiyonari, Sato, Yoshihisa, Nakano, Akio, Tsuzuki, Takeo
• Granted Patent: US 7,626,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/122 using piezoelectric driving means G10K9/121 takes precedence

Abstract

An ultrasound sensor for a vehicle has a housing which is fixedly arranged at a vehicle inner side of a periphery member of the vehicle, an ultrasound vibrator for sending and receiving ultrasound, and an ultrasound transferring member which is constructed of a different material from that of the housing to have an acoustic impedance with a medium value between an acoustic impedance of the ultrasound vibrator and that of the periphery member. The ultrasound vibrator is accommodated in the housing and fixed to an end portion of the housing, which faces the periphery member. The ultrasound transferring member is arranged at the end portion of the housing, and contacts both the ultrasound vibrator and the periphery member of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An ultrasound sensor, comprising:

a housing which is fixedly arranged at a vehicle inner side of a periphery member of a vehicle;

an ultrasound vibrator for sending and receiving ultrasound, the ultrasound vibrator being accommodated in the housing and fixed to an end portion of the housing, the end portion facing the periphery member; and

an ultrasound transferring member which is arranged at the end portion of the housing and contacts both the ultrasound vibrator and the periphery member of the vehicle, wherein

the ultrasound transferring member is constructed of a different material from that of the housing to have an acoustic impedance with a medium value between an acoustic impedance of the ultrasound vibrator and that of the periphery member, the ultrasound being sent and received through the ultrasound transferring member and the periphery member of the vehicle.

2. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the acoustic impedance of the ultrasound transferring member further approaches a midpoint value between the acoustic impedance of the ultrasound vibrator and that of the periphery member of the vehicle, than an acoustic impedance of the end portion of the housing does.

3. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the ultrasound transferring member and the ultrasound vibrator contact each other respectively at end surfaces thereof,

the end surface of the ultrasound transferring member being smaller than the end surface of the ultrasound vibrator, and the whole end surface of the ultrasound transferring member contacting a part of the end surface of the ultrasound vibrator.

4. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the ultrasound transferring member protrudes out of the end portion of the housing toward a side of the periphery member of the vehicle, to contact the periphery member at a protrusion end surface of the ultrasound transferring member.

5. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 1, further comprising

an ultrasound attenuating member which is constructed of a different material from that of the housing to have a larger ultrasound attenuation coefficient than the material of the housing, wherein

the ultrasound attenuating member is arranged in the housing and positioned between the ultrasound vibrator and the end portion of the housing, where the ultrasound transferring member is mounted.

6. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 5, wherein

the ultrasound attenuating member is arranged at the end portion of the housing at least at a range to isolate an end surface of the ultrasound vibrator from the end portion of the housing, the end surface of the ultrasound vibrator facing the end portion of the housing.

7. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the periphery member is a bumper of the vehicle.

8. An ultrasound sensor, comprising:

a housing which is fixed to a side of a base;

an ultrasound vibrator for sending ultrasound to an opposite side of the base with respect to the side thereof and for receiving ultrasound from the opposite side,

the ultrasound vibrator being accommodated in the housing and fixed to an inner surface of an end portion of the housing with a vibration direction of the ultrasound vibrator being substantially perpendicular to the inner surface, the end portion of the housing facing the base; and

an ultrasound transferring member which is arranged at the end portion of the housing and contacts both the ultrasound vibrator and the base, wherein

the ultrasound transferring member is constructed of a different material from that of the housing to have an acoustic impedance with a predetermined value.

9. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 8, wherein

the acoustic impedance of the ultrasound transferring member further approaches a midpoint value between an acoustic impedance of the ultrasound vibrator and that of the base, than an acoustic impedance of the end portion of the housing does.

10. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 8, wherein:

the ultrasound transferring member and the ultrasound vibrator contact each other respectively at end surfaces thereof,

the end surface of the ultrasound transferring member being smaller than the end surface of the ultrasound vibrator, and the whole end surface of the ultrasound transferring member contacting a part of the end surface of the ultrasound vibrator.

11. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 8, wherein

the ultrasound transferring member protrudes out of the end portion of the housing toward a side of the base, to contact the base.

12. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 8, further comprising

an ultrasound attenuating member which is constructed of a different material from that of the housing to have a larger ultrasound attenuation coefficient than the material of the housing, wherein

the ultrasound attenuating member is arranged in the housing and positioned between the ultrasound vibrator and the end portion of the housing.

13. The ultrasound sensor according to claim 12, wherein

the ultrasound attenuating member is arranged at the end portion of the housing to isolate an end surface of the ultrasound vibrator from the end portion of the housing, the end surface of the ultrasound vibrator facing the end portion of the housing.