Radar apparatus

• US 8,174,432 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Tomoya, Mitsumata, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US12/580,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20100097264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 342 70- 72, 342/175
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• 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 7/032 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 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome

Abstract

A radar apparatus mounted in a vehicle includes an inward bent surface and a radar device. The inward bent surface is formed in a lower portion of a bumper of the vehicle, and curves inward with a higher degree of curvature in a horizontal plane than a bumper surface of an upper portion of the inward bent surface. The radar device is placed behind the inward bent surface so that a beam axis of the radar device penetrates the inward bent surface.

Claims

1. A radar apparatus mounted in a vehicle, comprising:

an inward bent surface provided in a lower portion of a bumper of the vehicle, the inward bent surface curving inward with a higher degree of curvature in a horizontal plane than a bumper surface of an upper portion of the inward bent surface; and

a radar device positioned behind the inward bent surface so that a beam axis of the radar device penetrates the inward bent surface.

2. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inward bent surface is positioned to face in a direction oblique with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

3. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an air intake opening connected to the inward bent surface.

4. The radar apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the air intake opening is an air intake opening of a brake duct.

5. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radar device is positioned so that an incident angle of radar wave with respect to a direction of a normal line to the inward bent surface is less than or equal to 50°

in a detection range of the radar device.

6. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radar device is positioned so that angle error is within ±

1°

, and radio transmission attenuation of the inward bent surface is within 6 dB.

7. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the inward bent surface is a flat plane and the radar device has a detection range of 25°

to each of left and right from the beam axis, the radar device is positioned so that attachment angle of the radar device is less than or equal to 25°

.

8. The radar apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a curvature factor of the inward bent surface is larger than a curvature factor of the bumper.

9. A vehicle that includes the radar apparatus according to claim 1.