Patent Publication Number: US-2007115434-A1

Title: External ornament for vehicle and vehicle including external ornament

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to an external ornament for attachment to a vehicle including an in-vehicle camera for capturing images outside the vehicle. The present invention also relates to a vehicle including an external ornament.  
      Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-159997 discloses a mounting structure for a camera arranged in a vehicle to ensure the view in front of the vehicle. The camera is projected forward from the front of the vehicle to captures images of a wide view in front of the vehicle. The camera mounting structure includes a drive device, a first arm connected to the drive device, and a second arm connected to the first arm. This structure enables the camera to be projected forward from the front of the vehicle.  
      The camera mounting structure does not transmit the drive force of the drive device through a rack and pinion engagement to move the camera. Thus, the moving mechanism of the camera is not affected by dust. This improves the reliability of the camera. Further, when not in use, the camera is hidden behind an emblem. When using the camera, the emblem is moved so as to enable the camera to be projected forward.  
      The inventors of the present invention have researched and developed an in-vehicle camera mounting structure having a high aesthetic appeal and enabling images to be captured without using a complicated structure such as that disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-159997.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide an external ornament for a vehicle having a high aesthetic appeal while enabling an in-vehicle camera to capture images. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle including an external ornament.  
      One aspect of the present invention is an external ornament for a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle camera for capturing images outside the vehicle. The external ornament 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.  
      Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle including an in-vehicle camera for capturing images outside the vehicle and an external ornament. The external ornament includes a base material made of a transparent resin and a thick portion 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.  
      Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention, together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments together with the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the front of a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a front view showing a radiator grille;  
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional diagram taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional diagram showing a radiator grille with a thick portion according to another embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional diagram showing a radiator grille with a thick portion according to a further embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      An external ornament for a vehicle according to the present invention and embodied in a radiator grille will now be discussed with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the upper and lower directions from the radiator grille correspond to the upper and lower directions indicated by arrow Y 1  shown in  FIG. 2  and extending in the vertical direction. Further, the right and left directions from the radiator grille correspond to the right and left directions indicated by arrow Y 2  shown in  FIG. 2  and extending in the lateral direction. Further, the forward direction from the radiator grille corresponds to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the rearward direction from the radiator grille corresponds to the reverse direction of the vehicle.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a radiator grille  11 , which is also referred to as a front grille, is arranged at the front of a vehicle  10  and in front of a radiator (not shown). More specifically, the radiator grille  11  is arranged between a front bumper  17  and a hood  18  of the vehicle  10  and located between two headlights  19 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , the radiator grille  11  includes a rectangular outer frame  12  elongated in the lateral direction and having a predetermined width. A plurality of vertical bars  13  connect the upper and lower sides of the outer frame  12 . The vertical bars  13  are formed integrally with the outer frame  12 . A vertical bar  13   a  located in the middle of the radiator grille  11  includes a recess  15  for receiving an emblem  14 , which is an elliptic plate.  
      In the radiator grille  11 , a plurality of slits  16  are defined between the left and right sides of the outer frame  12  and the vertical bars  13 . Further, the radiator grille  11  is streamlined and extends diagonally from the front bumper  17  to the hood  18  of the vehicle. The streamlined form of the radiator grille  11  makes the vehicle look sporty and luxurious.  
      The front side of the vehicle around the radiator grille  11  is the portion that gives a strong impression of the vehicle. In other words, the front side of the vehicle corresponds to the face of a person and is an extremely important portion that distinguishes the vehicle from other vehicles. Thus, the aesthetic appeal of the vehicle  10  is important, and the front surface of the radiator grille  11  plays an important role in improving the aesthetic appeal. The front surfaces of the outer frame  12  and vertical bars  13  forming the front surface of the radiator grille  11  function as an ornamental surface of the radiator grille  11 .  
      The radiator grille  11  is transparent and formed by a base material  21  made of polycarbonate. The base material  21  forms the outer frame  12  and the vertical bars  13 . Polycarbonate resin is a transparent resin that enables the transmission of visible light. Further, polycarbonate resin is provided with superior light and weather resistance properties and has a high refractive index. The base material  21  is solid and formed by injection molding polycarbonate resin, which resembles glass.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in the base material  21 , a thick portion  22  is formed integrally with the vertical bar  13   a . The thick portion  22 , which is located below the recess  15 , has a round shape when viewed from the front of the vehicle  10  (radiator grille  11 ). Further, the thick portion  22  is thicker than the vertical bars  13  and the outer frame  12 . The thick portion  22  has an exposed surface that defines a front surface  22   a  extending to the lower side of the outer frame  12 . The front surface  22   a  bulges in a curved manner toward the front of the vehicle  10 . The front surface  22   a  of the thick portion  22  is in conformity and integrity with the front surface of the vertical bar  13   a  and forms part of the ornamental surface of the radiator grille  11 . That is, the front surface  22   a  of the thick portion  22  is formed along the ornamental surface of the radiator grille  11 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 3 , the middle part of the thick portion  22  is most projected toward the front. The thick portion  22  is curved from the middle part to the circumferential part of the front surface  22   a . Further, the thick portion  22  has a rear surface  22   b  curved inwardly toward the front. The thick portion  22  is curved from the middle part to the circumferential part of the rear surface  22   b . The thick portion  22  is thickest at the middle part and gradually becomes thin toward the circumferential part.  
      The thick portion  22  is shaped into a convex lens (in the preferred embodiment, meniscus lens) in which the middle part is thicker than the circumferential part. The convex lens functions to converge parallel light and generate an image at the converging point. The thick portion  22  functions as a wide-angle lens. As a result, the view in front of the thick portion  22  is generated as an image inward from the thick portion  22  in the vehicle.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , in a state in which the radiator grille  11  is arranged at the front of the vehicle  10 , the thick portion  22  is located under the emblem  14  and above the lower side of the outer frame  12 . The upper side of the outer frame  12 , the emblem  14 , the thick portion  22 , and the lower side of the outer frame  12  are arranged from the upper portion to the lower portion at the front of the vehicle  10 . The front of the vehicle  10  is partially transparent like glass at the radiator grille  11 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 3 , an in-vehicle camera  30  is arranged behind the thick portion  22  of the radiator grille  11 . The in-vehicle camera  30  is arranged in the vehicle  10  at a location corresponding to the thick portion  22 . The thick portion  22  is arranged outward from the in-vehicle camera to function as the lens for the in-vehicle camera  30 . The thick portion  22  bulges outwardly.  
      In the vehicle  10  equipped with the in-vehicle camera  30 , the base material  21  forming the radiator grille  11  is made of a transparent polycarbonate resin, and the thick portion  22  functions as a lens (wide-angle lens in the present embodiment). The thick portion  22  forms an image of the view in front of and around (in the vertical and lateral directions of) the thick portion  22 . Then, the in-vehicle camera  30  captures the image in front of (outside) the vehicle  10  formed by the thick portion  22 . This image is shown on a monitor (e.g., screen of a navigation system) in the passenger compartment.  
      The above embodiment has the advantages described below.  
      The radiator grille  11  is formed by the base material  21 , which is made of a transparent polycarbonate resin. The thick portion  22 , which functions as a lens (wide-angle lens) of the in-vehicle camera  30 , is formed integrally with the base material  21 . The thick portion  22  forms a wide-angle image of the view in front of (outside) the vehicle so that the in-vehicle camera  30  captures a satisfactory view. The in-vehicle camera  30  does not have to be projected toward the front of the vehicle  10  to capture an image of the view in front of the vehicle  10 . Thus, a satisfactory view of the front of the vehicle  10  is captured with a simple structure that does not use a projection mechanism.  
      If a component functioning as a lens of the in-vehicle camera  30  were to be formed separately from the base material  21 , the lens and the radiator grille  11  may have different colors. In such a case, the radiator grille  11  would appear as not having integrity. However, in the above embodiment, the thick portion  22  is formed integrally with the base material  21 . Thus, the ornamental surface (front surface) of the radiator grille  11  has integrity. Further, the front surface  22   a  of the thick portion  22  is formed in conformation with the vertical bars  13   a  and the outer frame  12 . Thus, the radiator grille  11  has a high aesthetic appeal. In the background art, when using a camera, the emblem (corresponding to the emblem  14  of the present embodiment) is moved so as to enable the camera to be projected forward. However, in the present embodiment, when using the in-vehicle camera  30 , the ornamental surface of the radiator grille  11  including the thick portion  22  does not change. This prevents the aesthetic appeal of the radiator grille  11 , or the front of the vehicle  10 , from being reduced since the camera is not projected.  
      The radiator grille  11  is arranged at the front of the vehicle  10 , that is, the portion of the vehicle  10  that distinguishes the vehicle  10  from other vehicles. The radiator grille  11  including the thick portion  22  is transparent like glass. Thus, in comparison with a typical radiator grille that is painted and colored, the radiator grille  11  has a high aesthetic appeal and makes the vehicle  10  impressive.  
      The radiator grille  11  is formed by the base material  21 , which is injection molded into a solid from polycarbonate resin (transparent resin). The base material  21  has the desired shape that is obtained in accordance with the shape of the molds used during injection molding. In the present embodiment, the thick portion  22  is molded on the base material  21  at a location that is optimal for arranging the in-vehicle  30  at the front of the vehicle  10 . Accordingly, by injection molding the radiator grille  11  from polycarbonate resin, the freedom of design of the radiator grille  11  is drastically increased.  
      If the thick portion  22  were to be, for example, formed toward one side of the vehicle  10 , the view captured by the in-vehicle camera  30  would be biased to that side. However, in the present embodiment, the thick portion  22  is formed in the laterally middle part of the vehicle  10 . Thus, the view captured by the in-vehicle camera  30  is not biased to one side of the vehicle. As a result, the in-vehicle camera  30  captures an image of a view having balanced sides.  
      The thick portion  22  is shaped into a convex lens that bulges toward the front of the vehicle  10 . The ornamental surface of the radiator grille  11  is formed by portions that continuously bulge toward the front of the vehicle  10 . These portions include the upper side of the outer frame  12 , the emblem  14 , the front surface  22   a  of the thick portion  22 , and the lower side of the outer frame  12 . Due to the continuously bulged portions, the radiator grille  11  looks integral. As a result, the radiator grille  11  has a high aesthetic appeal.  
      The thick portion  22  is shaped into a convex lens. Thus, the in-vehicle camera  30  captures a view of the entire surrounding of the thick portion  22 , and the view in front of the vehicle  10  can be displayed with a single picture on the monitor in the passenger compartment. This makes the monitor easy to see in comparison to when the view in front of the vehicle  10  is shown divided into two pictures on the left and right sides of the monitor, such as when using a prism as the lens of the in-vehicle camera  30 .  
      It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Particularly, it should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in the following forms.  
      As shown in  FIG. 4A , the thick portion  22  may be shaped into a concave meniscus lens that bulges inwardly into the vehicle  10 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 4B , the thick portion  22  may be shaped into a plano-convex lens having a flat front surface  22   a , which is exposed to the front of the vehicle  10 , and a rear surface  22   b  curved and bulged toward the rear. Further, the thick portion  22  may be shaped into a double convex lens, a double concave lens, or a plano-concave lens. That is, as long as the thick portion  22  functions as a lens of the in-vehicle camera  30  and forms an image of the view outside the vehicle  10  that can be captured by the in-vehicle camera  30 , the thick portion  22  may have any shape and may be changed in any manner.  
      The vehicle external ornament may be embodied in a rear garnish. In this case, a thick portion may be formed in the rear garnish to function as a lens of a rear camera (in-vehicle camera).  
      The vehicle external ornament may be embodied in a roof end spoiler. In this case, a thick portion may be formed in the roof end spoiler to function as a lens of a rear camera (in-vehicle camera).  
      In the radiator grille  11 , portions other than the thick portion  22  may be painted.  
      The thick portion  22  may be shaped into a prism.  
      The present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalence of the appended claims.