Abstract:
A vehicle is provided with a forward-looking radar (FLR) assembly. The assembly includes a radar module mounted to a bracket or frame of the vehicle. Because precision in the angular positioning of the radar is desirable, the radar module is designed such that its vertical angular orientation can be adjustable. An adjustment screw connects the radar module and the bracket. The adjustment screw is provided with a plurality of annular flat engagement surfaces between the radar module and the bracket. Rotation of the engagement surfaces rotates the adjustment screw, causing the radar module to angularly adjust relative to the bracket. The engagement surfaces being between the radar module and the bracket allow for adjustment of the adjustment screw from its side in addition to its end surfaces.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to a mechanism for adjusting a radar unit in a vehicle. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Active safety systems for vehicles have been growing in popularity in recent years. These systems typically sense a vehicle&#39;s external environment, determine a safety criticality level of current and near future events based on the sensed data, and actuate on-board vehicle systems to react accordingly. In many of these active safety systems, the vehicle&#39;s external environment is sensed using a forward looking radar (FLR) unit. 
         [0003]    Due to limitations set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other governing bodies, a radar may be limited to a maximum threshold energy level or frequency. Given these limitations, the beam emitted from the FLR unit must be relatively tight to maximize the range of the beam so that the FLR unit can sense at adequate distances from the vehicle. Therefore, the FLR unit, and hence the radar beam, is typically aligned with a relatively high degree of angular accuracy, such as vertical angular accuracy. 
         [0004]    A high degree of accuracy in the angular positioning of the FLR unit is therefore preferable. FLR units are typically packaged near the front bumper of the vehicle, and accessing the FLR unit for angular adjustment can be difficult due to the structure around the FLR unit. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    According to one embodiment, a vehicle radar assembly comprises a radar module, a bracket, and a fastener. The radar module has a flange. The fastener secures and spaces apart the flange and the bracket. The fastener includes a threaded shaft threadedly engaged with one of the flange and bracket, and a nut fixed with the shaft between the flange and bracket such that rotation of the nut adjusts a position of the radar module along an axis of the fastener relative to the bracket. 
         [0006]    According to another embodiment, a vehicle radar assembly is provided. A radar module is mounted to the vehicle and defines a first aperture. A bracket is spaced from the radar module and defines a second threaded aperture. A fastener has a threaded portion threadedly engaged with the second threaded aperture, a non-threaded portion extending through the first aperture, and a nut fixed with the portions and disposed between the first and second threaded apertures. 
         [0007]    According to yet another embodiment, a vehicle comprises a radar module, and a bracket secured to the radar module and mounted to a front bumper beam. An adjustment screw connects the radar module and the bracket. The adjustment screw defines a nut disposed between the radar module and bracket, and is configured such that rotation of the nut adjusts a position of the radar module relative to the bracket along an axis of the adjustment screw. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle including a forward looking radar (FLR) unit mounted onto the vehicle; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the FLR unit mounted to the vehicle; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the FLR unit mounted to the vehicle; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the FLR unit relative to the vehicle; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the FLR unit relative to the vehicle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations. 
         [0014]    Turning to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a vehicle  10  including a forward looking radar (FLR) unit  12  mounted to the vehicle  10  behind a front grille  14  and below a bumper fascia  16 . Of course, the location and size of the FLR unit  12  relative to the front grille  14  and bumper fascia  16  may vary among assemblies to suit various packaging concerns. The FLR unit  12  may also be behind or integral with the bumper fascia  16 . As will be described below, in at least one embodiment, the FLR unit  12  is mounted to a mounting bracket, which is mounted to the front bumper and rail of an apron assembly. It should be understood that the specific arrangement of the FLR unit  12  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is merely exemplary. The FLR unit  12  can be a module or housing that surrounds a radar transmitting device. 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates a front perspective view of the FLR unit  12  mounted to a bracket  20  with the front bumper fascia  16  removed for illustrative purposes.  FIG. 3  provides a rear perspective view of the FLR unit  12  mounted to the bracket  20 , with the grille region of the front bumper fascia  16  shown in front of the FLR unit  12 . The bracket  20  mounts the FLR unit  12  to a rail or front bumper  22 . 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the FLR unit  12  includes a flange  24  on either side to provide a mounting surface. The flanges extend away from the center of the FLR unit  12  and toward either side of the vehicle. The bracket  20  includes a corresponding attachment surface aligned with the flanges  24 . A fastener  26  mounts the flange of the FLR unit  12  to the attachment surface of the bracket  20 . The fastener  26  may be a fixed spacer or the like that is not designed to adjust the distance between the bracket  20  and the FLR unit  12 . In other words, the fastener  26  affixes the flange  24  to the bracket  20  in a spaced-apart relationship to maintain a fixed distance between the flange  24  and the bracket  20  along the fastener. 
         [0017]    A fastener such as an adjustment screw  30  is also provided. Each flange  24  can be provided with one or more adjustment screws  30 . The adjustment screw  30  acts as an adjustment mechanism to allow a user to rotate the adjustment screw  30  to modify the distance between the FLR unit  12  and the bracket  20  at the location of the adjustment screw  30 . This provides the user with the ability to finely-tune the angular positioning of the FLR unit  12  with respect to the bracket  20 . When the adjustment screw is rotated, the FLR unit  12  can move toward and away from the bracket along the axis of the adjustment screw  30 . The spacing between the FLR unit  12  and the bracket  20  can be therefore be altered by rotating the adjustment screw. Since the fastener  26  maintains a fixed distance between the FLR unit  12  and the bracket  20  at the location of the fastener  26 , rotation of the adjustment screw  30  causes the FLR unit  12  to slightly pivot about the fastener  26 . 
         [0018]    As best illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the packaging of the FLR unit  12  can cause difficulty in accessing the adjustment screws  30 . For example, once the FLR unit  12  is installed in the vehicle and needs to be adjusted, it can be difficult to reach the adjustment screw in the axial direction due to the fascia  16 , the bracket  20 , the bumper  22 , and powertrain components behind the bracket  20  (not shown). The adjustment screws  30  are therefore provided with rotatable, flat engagement surfaces  32  between the bracket  20  and the flange  24  of the FLR unit  12 . These engagement surfaces  32  can be part of a nut, for example. Additional illustration of the engagement surfaces  32  of the adjustment screw  30  is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
         [0019]    Vertical angular adjustment is thus provided by the use of an adjustment screw  30  with engagement surfaces (e.g., a nut) between the FLR unit  12  and the bracket  20 . In a preferred embodiment, one adjustment screw  30  is provided at the bottom of the FLR unit  12 , and a corresponding fixed fastener  26  is provided above the adjustment screws  30 . Of course, more than one adjustment screw and corresponding fastener can be provided. In another embodiment, the adjustment screws  30  and the fixed fasteners  26  have their location swapped such that the adjustment screws  30  are above the fasteners  26 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the adjustment screw  30  with a plurality of flat engagement surfaces  32  between the bracket  20  and the flange  24  of the FLR unit  12 . The adjustment screw  30  extends from a first end  34 , through an aperture or hole  36  in the bracket  20 , through an aperture or hole  38  in the flange  24 , and to a second end  40 . Thus, the adjustment screw secures the FLR unit  12  to the bracket  20  while extending through both holes  36 ,  38  that are aligned with one another. A nut  44  is machined into the adjustment screw  30  such that the nut  44  and the adjustment screw  30  are one unitary, singularly-formed unit. The nut  44  includes a plurality of engagement surfaces  32  that are radially-outward of the shaft of the adjustment screw  30 . The engagement surfaces  32  allow a user to access the adjustment screw  30  from a position offset from the axis of the adjustment screw  30 . In other words, the engagement surfaces  32  allow a tool to access the adjustment screw  30  from the side of the adjustment screw  30 , rather than at one of the ends  34 ,  40  of the adjustment screw, in order to adjust the angular position of the FLR unit  12 . Gaps are provided on either side of the nut  44  allow the adjustment screw  30  to travel an intended length when adjusting the angle of the FLR unit  12 ; a gap exists between the nut  44  and the bracket  20 , and between the nut  44  and the flange  24 . 
         [0021]    A grommet  46  is provided in the hole  38  of the flange  24 . The grommet  46  is fixed within the hole  38  and receives the adjustment screw  30 . The grommet  46  includes an interior cavity having an interior surface to engage the external surface of the adjustment screw  30  near its second end  40 . In one embodiment, the adjustment screw  30  includes a ball head at or near the second end  40  that snaps into the grommet  46  which allows the grommet  46  to absorb a small amount of rotation due to the tilting of the FLR unit  12 . In this embodiment, the adjustment screw does not spin freely within the grommet  46 . In other embodiments, the adjustment screw  30  is able to spin freely within the grommet  46  as the engagement surfaces  32  are rotated. The second end  40  of the adjustment screw  30  pushes against the interior surface of the grommet  46  as the screw  30  is rotated, causing the flange  24  to move toward and away from the bracket  20  for adjustment. 
         [0022]    The adjustment screw  30  can also be provided with an axial feature at its first end  34  for adjustment. The axial feature can be star-shaped, as best shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , except that the adjustment screw  30  is provided with a hex nut  50  that is welded thereon. The hex nut  50  can be welded at a predefined location with sufficient gaps on either side to allow the adjustment screw  30  to be rotated and extended the appropriate distance during adjustment. 
         [0024]    References herein to the forward looking radar (FLR) unit are not necessarily limited to only radar units at the front of the vehicle. The adjustment mechanisms can be incorporated to the radar units in various positions about the vehicle. As vehicles become more autonomous, the number, size, and location of radar units vary. The teachings provided above regarding adjustment mechanisms for adjusting the FLR unit can be implemented to different radar units about the vehicle, as one of ordinary skill in the art will understand. 
         [0025]    While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, to the extent any embodiments are described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics, these embodiments are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.