External ornament for vehicle and vehicle including external ornament

• US 20070115434A1
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Totani, Chiharu, Oba, Tatsuya, Fujii, Tetsuya
• Application Number:
  US11/594,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20070115434A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 352/243
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/00 Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/005 Manufacturers' emblems, name plates, bonnet ornaments, mascots or the like; Mounting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/04 External Ornamental or guard strips; Ornamental inscriptive devices thereon fastening strips or bars to sheets or plates by means of clips F16B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/52 Radiator or grille guards ; Radiator grilles cooling aspects B60K11/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/525 Radiator grilles

Abstract

A radiator grille for a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle camera that captures images outside the vehicle. The radiator grille includes a base material made of a transparent resin. A thick portion is formed integrally with the base material. The thick portion is arranged outward from the in-vehicle camera and functions as a lens of the in-vehicle camera.

Claims

1. An external ornament for a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle camera for capturing images outside the vehicle, the external ornament comprising:

a base material made of a transparent resin; and

a thick portion formed integrally with the base material, wherein the thick portion is arranged outward from the in-vehicle camera and functions as a lens of the in-vehicle camera.

2. The external ornament according to claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle has a front having a predetermined width;

the external ornament is a radiator grille arranged on the front of the vehicle; and

the thick portion is arranged at a middle part of the vehicle with respect to the width of the vehicle.

3. The external ornament according to claim 1, wherein the thick portion is shaped into an outwardly bulging convex lens.

4. The external ornament according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle has an interior, and the thick portion is shaped into a concave meniscus lens bulging toward the interior of the vehicle.

5. The external ornament according to claim 1, wherein the thick portion is shaped into a plano-convex lens having an outwardly exposed flat surface and a surface bulging into the vehicle.

6. The external ornament according to claim 1, wherein the thick portion functions as a wide-angle lens.

7. The external ornament according to claim 2, wherein the radiator grille has an ornamental surface, the thick portion has a surface exposed to the outside, and the surface of the thick portion is formed along the ornamental surface of the radiator grille.

8. The external ornament according to claim 1, wherein the transparent resin is polycarbonate.

9. A vehicle comprising:

an in-vehicle camera for capturing images outside the vehicle; and

an external ornament including;

a base material made of a transparent resin; and

a thick portion formed integrally with the base material, wherein the thick portion is arranged outward from the in-vehicle camera and functions as a lens of the in-vehicle camera.