Ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure

• US 9,564,116 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Takashi, Azuma, Naoya, Nagano, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ratcliffe, Luke
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ndure Jobe, Amienatta M
• Application Number:
  US13/992,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 367/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/937 sensor installation details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/004 Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device mountings specially adapted to a particular sound-producing device, see the preceding groups G10K1/00 - G10K9/00, e.g. G10K1/26, G10K1/28, G10K9/22; arrangements of sonic watch equipment on submarines B63G8/39; buoys B63B22/00

Abstract

The ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure includes: a housing including: a body part which is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape and is provided at its front surface with a transmission surface allowing an ultrasonic wave to pass therethrough and is designed to accommodate an ultrasonic transducer therein; and plural connection pieces provided to a side surface of the body part; and a holder fixed to a rear surface of a bumper and designed to hold the housing such that the transmission surface of the housing is exposed via an opening of the bumper. The holder includes plural reception pieces to which the plural connection pieces are detachably coupled respectively. The plural reception pieces are fixed to the rear surface of the bumper to surround the opening.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure comprising:

a housing including;

a body part which is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape and is provided at its front surface with a transmission surface allowing an ultrasonic wave to pass therethrough and is designed to accommodate an ultrasonic transducer therein; and

plural connection pieces provided to a side surface of the body part; and

a holder fixed to a rear surface of a bumper and designed to hold the housing such that the transmission surface of the housing is exposed via an opening of the bumper, wherein;

the holder includes plural reception pieces to which the plural connection pieces are detachably coupled respectively;

the plural reception pieces are fixed to the rear surface of the bumper to surround the opening,

the holder includes plural fixed plates respectively corresponding to the plural reception pieces,

each of the fixed plates has a first surface and is fixed to the rear surface of the bumper at the first surface, and

each of the fixed plates has a second surface to which the corresponding reception piece is provided.

2. The ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each fixed plate is flexible to allow the fixed plate to be deformed along the rear surface of the bumper.

3. The ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the fixed plate is provided with at least one of a slit and a groove to allow the fixed plate to be bent along the rear surface of the bumper.

4. The ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the connection piece and the reception piece corresponding to this connection piece are designed to be in contact with each other in a rotation direction around a central axis of the opening.

5. The ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the holder is designed to hold the housing such that the body part is in contact with the rear surface of the bumper at a predetermined pressure.

6. The ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each of the plural reception pieces includes a basement,

each of the plural connection pieces includes a first catching piece and a second catching piece, the first catching piece and the second catching piece facing each other and forming a space therebetween, and

the basement of each of the plural reception pieces is inserted into the spaces of each of the plural connection pieces, thereby coupling the plural reception pieces to the plural connection pieces on a one to one basis.

7. The ultrasonic-transducer mounting structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each of the plural connection pieces includes a basement;

each of the plural reception pieces includes a first catching piece and a second catching piece, the first catching piece and the second catching piece facing each other and forming a space therebetween; and

the basement of each of the plural connection pieces is inserted into the space of each of the plural reception pieces respectively, thereby coupling the plural connection pieces to the plural reception pieces on a one to one basis.