Vehicle forward information acquiring device

• US 9,908,481 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Hideaki, Sakaguchi, Atsutoshi, Futatsugi, Tomohiko, Uechi, Masaaki, Taki, Naoki, Kimura, Akio, Kondo, Kumiko, Harada, Hiroshi, Kawasaki, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, HEZRON
• Application Number:
  US14/995,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20160229355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0026 Windows, e.g. windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors

Abstract

A vehicle forward information acquiring device includes a bracket fixed to a windshield, a cover mounted to the bracket by being moved along the bracket in one direction, and a vehicle forward information acquiring sensor accommodated between the bracket and the cover. The cover is mounted to the bracket while being pressed against the bracket by a first elastic force and a second elastic force generated when a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion formed on the cover are respectively engaged with a first engaged portion and a second engaged portion formed on the bracket. A position of the cover on the bracket when the first elastic force becomes a maximum value is different from a position of the cover on the bracket when the second elastic force becomes a maximum value.

Claims

1. A vehicle forward information acquiring device, comprising:

a vehicle forward information acquiring sensor;

a bracket fixed on an inner surface of a windshield; and

a cover positioned on a side opposite to the windshield through intermediation of the bracket so as to cover the vehicle forward information acquiring sensor,

wherein the cover is mounted to the bracket by being moved up to a preset position along the bracket in a predetermined direction defined along the inner surface of the windshield,

wherein one of the bracket and the cover comprises a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion spaced apart from each other in the predetermined direction,

wherein another one of the bracket and the cover comprises a first engaged portion and a second engaged portion spaced apart from each other in the predetermined direction,

wherein the second engaging portion is moved in the same direction as the first engaging portion along the inner surface of the windshield until the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged with the first engaged portion and the second engaged portion, respectively, through movement of the cover along the bracket in the predetermined direction,

wherein, under a state in which the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion are engaged with each other, at least one of the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion is elastically deformed by another one of the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion to generate a first elastic force of mutually pressing the bracket and the cover,

wherein, under a state in which the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion are engaged with each other, at least one of the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion is elastically deformed by another one of the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion to generate a second elastic force of mutually pressing the bracket and the cover,

wherein the first elastic force and the second elastic force are changed through the movement of the cover along the bracket in the predetermined direction, and

wherein a first position of the cover on the bracket when the first elastic force becomes a maximum value is different from a second position of the cover on the bracket when the second elastic force becomes a maximum value.

2. A vehicle forward information acquiring device according to claim 1, wherein when the cover is moved toward the preset position along the bracket in the predetermined direction, the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion start to be engaged with each other before the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion start to be engaged with each other, and

wherein the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion allow the cover to be moved up to the preset position along the bracket also after the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion start to be engaged with each other.

3. A vehicle forward information acquiring device according to claim 2, wherein the first engaging portion is positioned on a forward side in a moving direction of the cover with respect to the second engaging portion.

4. A vehicle forward information acquiring device according to claim 2, wherein the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion are constructed such that the first elastic force gradually increases to reach the maximum value, and then decreases while the cover is moved to the preset position, and that the first elastic force is generated also when the cover is at the preset position.

5. A vehicle forward information acquiring device according to claim 1, wherein when the cover is moved from the preset position in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, at least one of the first elastic force and the second elastic force increases to prevent the cover from being displaced from the bracket in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

6. A vehicle forward information acquiring device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle forward information acquiring sensor is mounted to the bracket at a predetermined mounting position before the cover is mounted to the bracket,

wherein the vehicle forward information acquiring sensor comprises an elastic deformation portion, and

wherein when the vehicle forward information acquiring sensor is mounted to the bracket at a position other than the predetermined mounting position, the elastic deformation portion interferes with the cover due to elastic deformation caused by the bracket, to thereby prevent the cover from being mounted to the bracket.