JP2014008905A - Vehicle presence notification device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve mountability of a trumpet type alarm horn mounted with a small speaker to a vehicle by thinning the alarm horn.SOLUTION: A spiral horn 3 includes: an acoustic outlet α; a dead-space acoustic line 4 using dead space β of the spiral horn 3; and a sub-acoustic outlet γ for emitting outward sound transmitted into the dead-space acoustic line 4. A front face of the spiral horn 3 is arranged in a nearly flat surface, and in a rear surface of the spiral horn 3 is arranged a rear protruding part. A stay for mounting for a vehicle is secured on an uneven surface of an outer circumference of a coil housing part. A small speaker 1 is installed inside the spiral horn 3. This enables thickness of a trumpet type alarm horn mounted with the small speaker 1 to be nearly as thin as an existing flat electromagnetic alarm horn, so that even vehicles that could ever mount only the flat electromagnetic alarm horn can mount "the trumpet type alarm horn mounted with the small speaker 1."

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle presence notification device that generates a notification sound outside a vehicle and notifies the presence of the vehicle to the surroundings, and is particularly suitable for a quiet vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and a hybrid vehicle. About.

There has been proposed a vehicle presence notification device that notifies the presence of a vehicle by a notification sound (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The vehicle presence notification device needs to include a notification sound generating means (such as a dynamic speaker) for generating a notification sound toward the outside of the vehicle.

Since the notification sound generating means notifies the pedestrian of the presence of the vehicle by the notification sound, it is necessary to mount the notification sound on a vehicle part that can generate the notification sound outside the vehicle.
However, it is difficult to secure a place where the notification sound generating means is mounted.
In particular, in order to generate a notification sound in front of the vehicle, it is desired to install the notification sound generating means in the front part of the vehicle.

Accordingly, the inventors of the present application have proposed “a technology for mounting a notification sound generating means on a vehicle alarm device (vehicle horn)” (not a well-known technology).
This proposed technology uses a “trumpet type alarm” among the vehicle alarms, and attaches a “small speaker for generating a notification sound” to a “swirl horn (trumpet) of the trumpet type alarm” to provide a small speaker. The sound generated by the sound is enhanced by a “trumpet alarm swirl horn” and released to the outside.

In the following, among trumpet type alarms,
-The side where the spiral horn is placed (one side in the axial direction passing through the center of the spiral)
・ After the side where the alarm sound generator that generates the alarm sound is arranged inside the spiral horn,
Will be described.

Here, there are vehicles in which a trumpet type alarm device having a large thickness cannot be mounted due to restrictions on the vehicle mounting space.
Specifically, the front surface of the spiral horn is provided with “a trumpet spread portion: see J1 in FIG. 1” that bulges forward by “sound path spread (exponential curve or the like)”. As a result, the trumpet type alarm device has a large thickness dimension (see D1 in FIG. 1).
For this reason, there is a vehicle in which a trumpet type alarm device cannot be mounted due to restrictions on the vehicle mounting space. In this case, a flat electromagnetic alarm device having a thin thickness dimension (see D2 in FIG. 1) is mounted.

In this way, for vehicles equipped with flat electromagnetic alarms with a small thickness due to restrictions on the vehicle mounting space, the technology to improve vehicle mounting by installing “notification sound generation means” in the “trumpet alarm” Cannot be used.
As a result, it is necessary to mount the notification sound generating means at a site different from the flat electromagnetic alarm device, and it is difficult to secure the mounting location of the notification sound generating means.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-201001

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle presence notification device that can improve the vehicle mountability by reducing the thickness of a trumpet type alarm equipped with a small speaker. It is in.

The notification sound generator of the present invention is a small speaker that generates a notification sound provided in a spiral horn of a trumpet type alarm device. The notification sound emitted by the small speaker is enhanced by the spiral horn and the directivity is controlled. Is done.
In addition to the acoustic outlet that emits the sound guided along the spiral to the outside, the spiral horn on which a small speaker is mounted,
・ Dead space sound path using dead space (space in the radial direction of the spiral horn) on the outer diameter side of the spiral horn,
A sub-acoustic outlet that emits the sound guided by this dead space sound path toward the outside;
Is provided.

As a result, a part of the “sound path expanse (exponential curve etc.)” can be assigned to the “dead space sound path using the dead space of the spiral horn”.
Therefore, the thickness dimension (thickness in the front-rear direction) of the spiral horn can be provided thinner than in the prior art. That is, the thickness dimension of the trumpet type alarm can be made thinner than that of the prior art.
As a result, the vehicle mountability of the trumpet type alarm device equipped with a small speaker can be improved, and the vehicle mountability of the vehicle presence notification device can be improved.

It is sectional drawing of a trumpet type alarm device. It is sectional drawing of a spiral horn. It is the schematic of a vehicle presence notification apparatus.

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
The vehicle presence notification device is configured to generate a notification sound outside the vehicle when a driving condition that notifies the presence of the vehicle is satisfied, and includes a notification sound generation unit that generates a notification sound.
The small speaker 1 that generates a notification sound in this vehicle presence notification device is provided in the spiral horn 3 of the trumpet type alarm device 2, emits the notification sound into the spiral horn 3, and the notification sound is transmitted through the spiral horn 3. To the outside of the vehicle.

The spiral horn 3 is
In addition to the acoustic outlet α that emits the sound guided along the spiral toward the outside,
A dead space sound path 4 for guiding sound to a dead space β (space in the radial direction of the spiral horn 3) formed on the outer diameter side of the spiral sound path in the spiral horn 3;
A sub-acoustic exit γ that emits the sound guided to the dead space sound path 4 to the outside;
Is provided.

A substantially flat surface 5 perpendicular to the thickness direction (front-rear direction) is provided on the front surface of the spiral horn 3.
On the rear surface of the spiral horn 3, a rear bulging portion 6 that bulges rearward is provided.
The stay 7 for attaching the trumpet type alarm device 2 to the vehicle has a stepped surface (rear housing 9 around the coil housing portion 8) provided on the outer periphery of the “coil housing portion 8 having a cylindrical boss shape” that houses the exciting coil therein. Fixed to the rear surface).
The small speaker 1 is disposed inside the spiral horn 3.
Furthermore, both the acoustic outlet α and the sub acoustic outlet γ are provided toward the front of the vehicle.

Hereinafter, a specific example (example) to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is a specific example, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.
In the following examples, the same reference numerals as those in the “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION” denote the same functional objects.

Vehicle presence reporting device
・ Vehicles not equipped with engines (internal combustion engines) (electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, etc.)
・ Vehicles that may stop the engine while driving and stopping (hybrid vehicles, etc.) ・ Vehicles that may stop the engine while stopping (idle stop vehicles, etc.)
・ Even if it is an engine vehicle,
It is installed in a car with quiet running noise and stationary.

This vehicle presence notification device generates a notification sound (pseudo engine sound, chords, voice, music, etc.) outside the vehicle and informs the pedestrian of the presence of the vehicle when the driving conditions for notifying the presence of the vehicle are established. Yes, as shown in FIG.
A small speaker 1 that generates a notification sound;
A driving amplifier 11 for driving the small speaker 1;
A microcomputer 13 (abbreviation of a microcomputer) including a sound data generation unit 12 for giving an “audio signal (analog signal or digital signal) that makes a notification sound” to the drive amplifier 11;
It is configured using.

  The microcomputer 13 receives vehicle information (vehicle speed signal, etc.) of the running state of the vehicle from an ECU (abbreviation of engine control unit) or the like, and when a driving condition for informing the presence of the vehicle is satisfied (for example, the vehicle speed is 20 km / In the case of h or less), the sound data generator 12 gives the drive amplifier 11 an “audio signal that makes a notification sound”, and the small speaker 1 generates the notification sound.

  The drive amplifier 11 is an amplifying means (for example, a class B amplifier or a class D amplifier) that drives the small speaker 1 by the “audio signal forming the notification sound” generated by the sound data generating unit 12. Are arranged in different parts (for example, in the passenger compartment) and are electrically connected to the small speaker 1 through electrical connection means (connector + cable) (not shown).

The small speaker 1 is a small-diameter speaker having a small thickness and a diameter of several centimeters (for example, a micro-speaker having a thickness dimension in the front-rear direction of the spiral horn 3). As a specific example, in this embodiment, a small-diameter dynamic speaker is used. Is used.
The dynamic speaker is a so-called cone-type or dome-type speaker, and includes a permanent magnet used as a stator and a voice coil (a coil that generates magnetic force when energized) supported together with a diaphragm, and is added to the voice coil. The diaphragm vibrates together with the voice coil in accordance with the change in electric power, and generates sound waves (air density waves).

Since the small speaker 1 has a small area for generating a notification sound by vibration, it is difficult to generate air vibration at a low frequency (particularly, reproduction of low sound is difficult).
Therefore, the small speaker 1 is mounted on the spiral horn 3 of the trumpet type alarm device 2 mounted on the vehicle, and the notification sound emitted from the small speaker 1 is emitted into the spiral horn 3 so that the small speaker 1 generates the notification. Sound is provided so as to be emitted to the outside through the spiral horn 3.

Thereby, the notification sound generated by the small speaker 1 can be enhanced and emitted. Specifically, the air density wave generated by the small speaker 1 is braked by the spiral horn 3, and low frequency air vibrations can be emitted to the outside of the spiral horn 3 as a low sound (sound wave) without being swung.
For this reason, even if it is the small speaker 1, the sound pressure which generate | occur | produces a bass can be raised and it becomes possible to generate the notification sound which strengthened the bass as a result.

  On the other hand, the trumpet type alarm device 2 generates an alarm sound when a horn switch (for example, a horn button of a steering wheel) is operated by an occupant. For example, a front grille (running wind It is fixedly disposed between a grill provided at the intake) and a heat exchanger (a heat exchanger for air conditioning, a radiator, etc.).

As shown in FIG.
An alarm sound generator 14 that generates an alarm sound when energized;
A spiral horn 3 that enhances the alarm sound generated by the alarm sound generator 14 and releases the alarm sound to the outside is configured.
The trumpet type alarm device 2 is mounted on a vehicle, and the left side of FIG. 1 is directed to the front of the vehicle. The left side of FIG. 1 will be referred to as the front, and the right side of FIG. In this embodiment, the upper side of FIG. 1 is described as the upper side, and the lower side of FIG. 1 is referred to as the lower side. However, the vertical direction is a direction for explanation and is not limited.

The basic structure of the alarm sound generator 14 is well known,
・ Excitation coil that generates magnetic force when energized,
-A fixed iron core (magnetic attraction core) that generates magnetic attraction by the magnetic force generated by the excitation coil,
-A movable iron core (movable core) supported at the center of the diaphragm (diaphragm) and supported so as to be movable toward the fixed iron core;
A current interrupter that continuously interrupts the energization circuit of the excitation coil when the excitation coil is energized;
It is configured with.

The spiral horn 3 is an acoustic tube having a sound path formed in a spiral shape, and an acoustic inlet (horn inlet) is provided at the center of the spiral, and an acoustic outlet α on the outer diameter side (perpendicular to the axis passing through the spiral center). Is provided.
The alarm sound generation unit 14 is assembled to the rear side of the spiral horn 3 (rear side when mounted on the vehicle), and an alarm sound (specifically, an acoustic sound (specifically, the center of the spiral) of the spiral horn 3). A rough and dense wave that generates an alarm sound is generated.

(Background Art of Examples)
Here, for the purpose of assisting understanding, a spiral horn 3 to which the present invention is not applied will be described with reference to FIG. The spiral horn 3 shown in FIG. 2A is a comparative example for explaining the embodiment and is not well known.
The spiral horn 3 is provided with “sound path expansion (exponential curve, etc.)” on the acoustic outlet α side. Therefore, in the existing technology, a “trumpet spreading portion (see J1 in FIG. 1)” that bulges forward is provided on the front surface of the spiral horn 3 to ensure “sound path spreading”.

For this reason, the trumpet type alarm device X using the spiral horn 3 shown in FIG. 2A (the trumpet type alarm device of the reference example) has a large thickness dimension D1 in the front-rear direction.
As a result, only the flat electromagnetic alarm device Y can be mounted on the vehicle due to restrictions on the vehicle mounting space, and there is a vehicle to which the present invention is not applicable.

(Feature technology 1 of the embodiment)
Therefore, in the spiral horn 3 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
In addition to the acoustic outlet α that emits the sound guided along the spiral of the spiral horn 3,
A dead space sound path 4 for guiding sound to dead space β formed on the outer diameter side of the spiral sound path in the spiral horn 3;
A sub-acoustic exit γ that emits the sound guided to the dead space sound path 4;
Is provided.

Specifically, a reflector 15 that reflects a part of the sound wave (see arrow A in FIG. 2) toward the dead space sound path 4 is provided inside the spiral horn 3.
In addition, an opening 16 is formed inside the spiral horn 3 to guide the sound wave (see arrow B in FIG. 2) reflected by the reflecting plate 15 to the dead space sound path 4.
And the sub acoustic exit (gamma) which discharge | releases toward the exterior the sound wave (refer arrow C of FIG. 2) which passed the dead space sound path 4 is provided in the edge part of the dead space sound path 4.

By providing in this way, a part of the “expansion of the sound path (exponential curve etc.)” can be assigned to the “dead space sound path 4 using the dead space β of the spiral horn 3”.
As a result, the thickness dimension of the spiral horn 3 can be reduced, and as a result, the thickness dimension D of the trumpet type alarm device 2 can be reduced.

(Additional technology of feature technology 1)
Another technique for reducing the thickness of the trumpet alarm 2 will be described.
(I) A substantially flat surface 5 perpendicular to the thickness dimension D (front-rear direction) of the trumpet alarm 2 is provided on the front surface of the spiral horn 3 as shown in FIG.
(Ii) On the other hand, the rear surface of the spiral horn 3 is provided with a rear bulging portion 6 that bulges backward.

Thereby, in addition to the above-mentioned “characteristic technique 1 of the embodiment”, a part of the “sound path expansion (exponential curve etc.)” in the spiral horn 3 is transferred to the dead space sound path 4 and the rear bulge portion 6. Can be distributed and accepted.
For this reason, it is possible to eliminate the forward protrusion amount L1 due to the “trumpet spreading portion J1” that bulges forward, and the thickness dimension D of the trumpet type alarm device 2 can be provided thin.

(Feature technology 2 of the embodiment)
In this embodiment, as a technique for reducing the thickness of the trumpet type alarm device 2, a stay 7 for attaching the trumpet type alarm device 2 to the vehicle is housed in a “coil housing portion 8 having a cylindrical boss shape” that houses an exciting coil therein. Is fixed to a step surface (the rear surface of the rear housing 9 around the coil housing portion 8) provided on the outer periphery (outer diameter direction) of the coil housing.

In order to assist understanding, a technique for fixing the stay 7 in the “trumpet alarm device X of the reference example” will be described.
The “trumpet type alarm device X of the reference example” includes a male screw J2 (bolt screw provided at the rear end of the fixed iron core) protruding rearward of the coil housing portion 8, and a stay 7 is attached to the male screw J2. Then, the stay 7 was fixed to the rear end of the “trumpet alarm device X of the reference example” by fastening the nut J3 to the male screw J2.
For this reason, the thickness dimension D1 of the “trumpet alarm device X of the reference example” is increased by the male screw J2 and the nut J3 for attaching the stay 7.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the stay 7 is fixed to the stepped surface on the outer periphery of the coil housing portion 8, the rearward protruding amount L2 due to the male screw J2 and the nut J3 in the prior art can be eliminated, resulting in the trumpet. The thickness dimension D of the type alarm device 2 can be provided thin.
In this embodiment, an example in which a fastener 17 such as a screw or a rivet is used as a fixing means for fixing the stay 7 to the stepped surface of the rear housing 9 is an example and is not limited.

(Feature technology 3 of the embodiment)
Furthermore, in this embodiment, as a technique for reducing the thickness of the trumpet type alarm device 2, the small speaker 1 is disposed inside the spiral horn 3.
In order to assist understanding, when the small speaker 1 is disposed outside the spiral horn 3, it is conceivable that the small speaker 1 is disposed in front of the spiral horn 3 as indicated by a broken line Z in FIG.
In that case, even if the front surface of the spiral horn 3 is flattened, the thickness is increased by the small speaker 1 (see the broken line Z) disposed on the front surface of the spiral horn 3.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the small speaker 1 is inserted into the spiral horn 3 from the front of the spiral horn 3 so that the notification sound generated by the small speaker 1 is emitted into the spiral horn 3. .
Thereby, when the small speaker 1 is provided on the front surface of the spiral horn 3 (see the broken line Z), the forward protrusion amount L3 can be eliminated, and as a result, the thickness dimension D of the trumpet type alarm device 2 can be provided thin. .

(Feature technology 4 of the embodiment)
Both the acoustic outlet α and the sub acoustic outlet γ of this embodiment are provided toward the front of the vehicle, and the notification sound that has passed through the spiral horn 3 is emitted toward the front of the vehicle from both the acoustic outlet α and the sub acoustic outlet γ. Is done.
Thereby, the sound pressure of the notification sound in front of the vehicle can be increased.
The member provided with the acoustic outlet α and the sub-acoustic outlet γ may be provided integrally with the main body of the spiral horn 3 (the main part of the spiral), or provided separately from the main body. It may be added later.

(Effect of Example)
The trumpet type alarm device 2 (the trumpet type alarm device 2 on which the small speaker 1 is mounted) of this embodiment can eliminate the above-described forward protrusion amount L1, backward protrusion amount L2, and forward protrusion amount L3.
Thereby, the thickness dimension D of the trumpet type alarm device 2 on which the small speaker 1 is mounted can be reduced to be almost the same as the thickness dimension D2 of the existing flat electromagnetic alarm device Y.

  As a result, it becomes possible to mount the “trumpet type alarm 2 equipped with the small speaker 1” even if the vehicle can only be equipped with the flat electromagnetic alarm Y due to the limitation of the vehicle mounting space. The vehicle mountability of the vehicle presence notification device can be improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, a small-diameter dynamic speaker (micro speaker) that is operated by a magnetic force is used as an example of the small speaker 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of small-diameter speakers (for example, piezoelectric speakers) are used. There may be.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which both the acoustic outlet α and the sub acoustic outlet γ are directed only to the front of the vehicle is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

  The small speaker 1 may be simultaneously activated when the alarm sound generation unit 14 is activated, and the tone of the alarm sound (frequency of occurrence of the alarm sound) may be controlled by the operation of the small speaker 1.

  When the small speaker 1 generates a notification sound, the alarm sound generation unit 14 is operated as a dynamic speaker (operation by a voltage that does not operate the current interrupter intermittently), and the notification sound is also generated from the alarm sound generation unit 14 at the same time. May be.

  In the above embodiment, the acoustic outlet α and the sub acoustic outlet γ are provided independently, but the acoustic outlet α and the sub acoustic outlet γ may be provided in common.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Small speaker 2 Trumpet type alarm 3 Spiral horn 4 Dead space sound path α Sound exit β Dead space γ Sub sound exit

Claims (5)

In the vehicle presence notification device that generates a notification sound outside the vehicle when the driving condition to notify the presence of the vehicle is established,
This vehicle presence notification device includes a small speaker (1) that generates a notification sound having an audible sound frequency,
The small speaker (1) is provided in a spiral horn (3) of a trumpet type alarm (2) that is mounted on a vehicle and generates an alarm sound, and emits a notification sound into the spiral horn (3). , To emit a notification sound to the outside through the spiral horn (3),
The spiral horn (3) has an acoustic outlet (α) that emits sound guided along the spiral,
A dead space sound path (4) using a dead space (β) on the outer diameter side of the spiral horn (3);
A sub-acoustic exit (γ) that emits a sound guided to the dead space sound path (4);
A vehicle presence notification device comprising: In the vehicle presence notification device according to claim 1,
The trumpet type alarm (2) is provided by coupling the spiral horn (3) and an alarm sound generator (14) that emits an alarm sound inside the spiral horn (3).
When the vehicle is mounted, the spiral horn (3) is disposed on the front side of the vehicle, and the alarm sound generation unit (14) is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle,
The front surface of the spiral horn (3) directed forward of the vehicle when mounted on a vehicle is provided on a plane (5) perpendicular to the axial direction passing through the spiral center of the spiral horn (3),
The vehicle presence notification device characterized in that a rear surface of the spiral horn (3) directed toward the rear of the vehicle when mounted on a vehicle includes a rear bulge portion (6) that bulges toward the rear of the spiral horn (3). . In the vehicle presence notification device according to claim 2,
The alarm sound generation unit (14) includes a coil storage unit (8) that stores an excitation coil that generates a magnetic force when energized.
The trumpet alarm (2) includes a stay (7) for attaching the trumpet alarm (2) to a vehicle,
This stay (7) is fixed to the level | step difference surface provided in the outer periphery of the said coil accommodating part (8), The vehicle presence notification apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the vehicle presence notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The small speaker (1) is disposed in the spiral horn (3), and the vehicle presence notification device. In the vehicle presence notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The sound exit (α) and the sub sound exit (γ) are both provided toward the front of the vehicle.

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