JP7626010B2 - In-vehicle equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle device. This in-vehicle device includes an in-vehicle device (in-vehicle device main body), a cluster panel, and an instrument panel fixing bracket. The cluster panel has an instrument panel fixing mounting portion and a cluster side positioning protrusion on its back side. The in-vehicle device has an in-vehicle device side positioning protrusion. This in-vehicle device positions the in-vehicle device main body and the cluster panel using the cluster side positioning protrusion and the in-vehicle device side positioning protrusion.

JP 2013-199199 A

Conventionally, in-vehicle equipment is fixed by screwing a bracket, which is fixed to the side of the in-vehicle equipment, to a vehicle-side fixing part. In addition, the panel component is fixed to the vehicle side separately from the vehicle-side fixing part. When the panel component and the cluster panel are positioned here, the in-vehicle equipment and the cluster panel are not directly positioned, so misalignment between the cluster panel and the display part of the in-vehicle equipment is likely to occur. On the other hand, when the panel component and the in-vehicle equipment are positioned here, misalignment between the cluster panel and the panel component is likely to occur, because the cluster panel and the panel component are not directly positioned.

The present invention aims to provide an in-vehicle device that can position the cluster panel and panel components, as well as the cluster panel and the display unit of the in-vehicle device.

To achieve the above object, one aspect of the in-vehicle device of the present invention includes an in-vehicle device having a sub-panel that positions a display unit at a predetermined position, and a cluster panel that is attached to the sub-panel so as to surround the display unit, and is equipped with an engagement portion provided on the sub-panel that can engage with a plate piece provided on a panel component that is attached separately from the in-vehicle device to the vehicle to which the in-vehicle device is attached, and a fitting portion provided on the cluster panel that can be fitted with the plate piece when the plate piece and the engagement portion are engaged.

The present invention allows the cluster panel and panel components to be positioned, and also allows the cluster panel 20 and the display unit of the in-vehicle device to be positioned.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an installed state of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment in the middle of being attached. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of an in-vehicle device of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the cluster panel of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the vehicle-mounted device according to the embodiment during installation. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the mounted state of the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment.

Below, a detailed description of a form for carrying out the invention (hereinafter, referred to as an embodiment) will be given with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiment include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the components disclosed in the following embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, an in-vehicle device 1 according to an embodiment is mounted inside a vehicle 100. The in-vehicle device 1 is, for example, an AV (Audio Visual) integrated car navigation device. The in-vehicle device 1 is, for example, attached to an instrument panel 101 of the vehicle 100. The in-vehicle device 1 is mounted and partially covered by a panel component 102 that constitutes part of the instrument panel 101, so that a part of the in-vehicle device 1 is disposed inside the instrument panel 101 and another part is visible outside the instrument panel 101.

The vehicle-mounted device 1 has an in-vehicle device 10 and a cluster panel 20.

The in-vehicle device 10 has a display unit 12 and a sub-panel 13 on the front side of the device body 11. In the case of a car navigation device mounted inside the vehicle 100, the front side refers to the surface facing backward inside the vehicle 100, since the device is located at the front of the vehicle. Conversely, the surface facing forward inside the vehicle 100 is referred to as the rear side.

The device body 11 is a housing that is open at the front and has the top, bottom, right, left, and back faces sealed with sheet metal. Inside the housing, the device body 11 houses electronic components and drive components for moving the display unit 12. Although not shown in the figure, brackets are fixed to the right and left faces of the device body 11, and the device body 11 is fixed to the vehicle 100 by screwing them into fixing parts on the vehicle 100 side via the brackets.

In the embodiment, the display unit 12 is formed in a rectangular shape larger in vertical and horizontal dimensions than the device body 11, and is arranged on the front side of the device body 11. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the display unit 12 is usually arranged with the display surface 12A facing forward so as to cover the front of the device body 11. The display unit 12 is, for example, configured as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescence (EL) display. In addition, the display unit 12 can be configured such that the display surface 12A is a pressure-sensitive touch panel. The display unit 12 is provided so as to be movable relative to the device body 11. For example, the display unit 12 is provided so as to be capable of tilt movement so that the display surface 12A is tilted upward. In addition, the display unit 12 is provided so as to be capable of reverse tilt movement so that the display surface 12A is tilted downward. The display unit 12 is also arranged so that it can be opened and moved to reveal, at the front, a card slot for inserting storage media such as a memory card, and a disk slot for inserting a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or CD (Compact Disc).

In this embodiment, the sub-panel 13 is formed in a rectangular frame shape that is larger in vertical and horizontal dimensions than the device body 11, and is arranged on the front side of the device body 11 together with the display unit 12. The sub-panel 13 is molded from a synthetic resin material such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin. The sub-panel 13 is fixed to the device body 11. When the display unit 12 is arranged with the display surface 12A facing forward so as to cover the front of the device body 11, the sub-panel 13 is arranged on the rear side of the display unit 12 and abuts against the rear side of the display unit 12 to position the display unit 12.

The sub-panel 13 is formed with an external shape that is approximately the same size as the external shape of the display unit 12, but has joints at the top and bottom that protrude beyond the display unit 12. The sub-panel 13 has a first joint 131 provided on the top side of the sub-panel 13, and a second joint 132 provided on the bottom side of the sub-panel 13.

The first joint 131 protrudes upward from the upper end of the sub-panel 13 and is arranged along the left-right direction of the sub-panel 13. The first joint 131 has an engagement portion 131A and a positioning portion 131B. As shown in FIG. 4, the engagement portion 131A is provided with a plate member 131Aa that protrudes upward and extends in the left-right direction at the center of the left-right direction of the upper end of the sub-panel 13, and a rib 131Ab that protrudes upward and extends in the rear direction on the rear side of the plate member 131Aa at the upper end of the sub-panel 13, and is configured by a groove 131Ac that is a gap that opens upward and is formed between the plate member 131Aa and the rib 131Ab. The groove 131Ac is formed in multiple places (two places in the embodiment) because the ribs 131Ab are provided in multiple places (two places in the embodiment) in the left-right direction on the rear side of the plate member 131Aa. Additionally, the plate member 131Aa has multiple through holes 131Ad (two on the left and right in this embodiment) that penetrate in the front-to-rear direction and are located so as not to overlap with the ribs 131Ab in the front-to-rear direction.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the positioning section 131B is provided with block-shaped protruding members 131Ba extending to the left and right from the plate member 131Aa, and each protruding member 131Ba is divided into upper and lower parts by a partition 131Bc and is composed of recesses 131Bb formed along the front-rear direction. The upper recess 131Bb is open to the front and upper sides, and the lower recess 131Bb is open to the front side.

The second joint 132 protrudes downward from the lower end of the sub-panel 13 and is disposed along the left-right direction of the sub-panel 13. The second joint 132 protrudes downward from the lower end of the sub-panel 13 and has a plate member 132A formed along the left-right direction of the sub-panel 13, and has a positioning portion 132B and a locking hole 132C. The positioning portion 132B is constituted by a recess 132Bb formed by cutting out a part of a rib 132Ba that protrudes from the plate member 132A toward the front side and extends along the left-right direction. The recess 132Bb is provided to be open toward the front side, and multiple recesses 132Bb are formed in the left-right direction (two in the embodiment). The locking hole 132C is formed between each recess 132Bb at the center of the left-right direction of the plate member 132A, penetrating it in the front-rear direction.

The cluster panel 20 is formed from a synthetic resin material such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cluster panel 20 is formed to surround the periphery of the display unit 12. The cluster panel 20 has a rectangular frame 20A that surrounds the periphery of the display unit 12, and a rectangular window 20Aa inside the frame 20A that exposes the display surface 12A of the display unit 12. The cluster panel 20 also has a push button 20B provided on the frame 20A. The push button 20B operates a switch element provided on the rear side when pressed from the front side.

The cluster panel 20 is detachably attached to the sub-panel 13 and panel component 102 of the in-vehicle device 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the cluster panel 20 has a first joint 201 provided on the upper frame, a second joint 202 provided on the lower frame, and a third joint 203 provided on the left and right frames on the rear side of the frame portion 20A.

The first joint portion 201 has a fitting portion 201A and a positioning portion 201B. The fitting portion 201A is configured by forming claw portions 201Ab and 201Ac on a protruding piece 201Aa formed on the upper frame of the frame portion 20A and extending toward the rear side. The protruding piece 201Aa is formed in a plate shape having plate surfaces on the top and bottom. The claw portion 201Ab protrudes upward from the upper surface of the protruding piece 201Aa, and is formed in a mountain shape with inclined surfaces 201Aba on the front and rear sides (see FIG. 7). The claw portion 201Ac protrudes downward from the lower surface of the protruding piece 201Aa, and is formed with an inclined surface 201Aca on the rear side (see FIG. 7). Two of these fitting portions 201A are provided in the center of the upper frame of the frame portion 20A in the left-right direction. The positioning portion 201B is formed on the upper frame of the frame portion 20A, extending toward the rear side, and is composed of a pair of protrusions arranged with a gap between them. The positioning portions 201B are provided on the left and right sides of the fitting portion 201A.

The second joint portion 202 has a fitting portion 202A and a positioning portion 202B. The fitting portion 202A is formed by forming a claw portion 202Ab on a protrusion 202Aa formed on the lower frame of the frame portion 20A and extending toward the rear side. The protrusion 202Aa is formed in a plate shape having plate surfaces on the top and bottom. The claw portion 202Ab is formed protruding upward on the upper surface of the protrusion 201Aa. This fitting portion 202A is provided in the center of the lower frame of the frame portion 20A. The positioning portion 202B is formed by forming a convex portion 202Bb extending toward the rear side in a groove of a groove portion 202Ba formed on the lower frame of the frame portion 20A, opening on the rear side and extending in the left-right direction. The convex portions 202Bb are provided on the left and right sides of the fitting portion 202A.

The third joint 203 has a locking portion 203A. The locking portions 203A are provided at four corners of the frame portion 20A, above and below the left and right frames of the frame portion 20A. The locking portions 203A are configured by attaching claw portions 203Ab made of a spring member to protrusions 203Aa formed and extending from the rear side of the frame portion 20A.

The in-vehicle device 1 of the embodiment is configured as described above.

Now, the panel component 102 will be described. The panel component 102 is configured as part of the instrument panel 101 of the vehicle 100. The panel component 102 is formed from a softer material (e.g., polypropylene) than the sub-panel 13 and the cluster panel 20 in the in-vehicle device 10 of the in-vehicle device 1. That is, the sub-panel 13 and the cluster panel 20 are formed from a harder material than the panel component 102. Therefore, the panel component 102 is a material that is more flexible than the sub-panel 13 and the cluster panel 20. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the panel component 102 has a fixing portion 102A, a covering portion 102B, a plate piece 102C, and a locking portion 102D.

The fixing part 102A is a part that is fixed to the vehicle 100 by screwing. The fixing part 102A is fixed to a part of the in-vehicle device 1 that is different from the part where the device body 11 of the in-vehicle device 10 is fixed to the vehicle 100.

The covering portion 102B is a portion that is formed integrally with the fixing portion 102A and covers the in-vehicle device 10 of the in-vehicle device 1. The fixing portion 102A is provided on the rear side of the covering portion 102B. The covering portion 102B has an upper plate member 102Ba connected to the fixing portion 102A, and a left plate member 102Bb and a right plate member 102Bb on the left and right of the upper member, and is configured with an open front side. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the in-vehicle device 10 of the in-vehicle device 1 is accommodated in a housing portion 103 in which a part of the instrument panel 101 is opened in the vehicle 100, and the device main body 11 is accommodated in the housing portion 103. As shown in FIG. 2, the covering portion 102B is arranged to cover the device main body 11 and the sub-panel 13 from above, and is configured so that the display surface 12A of the display portion 12 and the first joint portion 131 and the second joint portion 132 of the sub-panel 13 appear on the front side.

The plate piece 102C is provided at the upper end of the front side of the covering part 102B, extends downward with the plate surface facing the front and rear, and is formed along the left-right direction. The plate piece 102C has a hole 102Ca formed therethrough in the front-rear direction. In the embodiment, the hole 102Ca is formed in two places on the left and right. When the fixing part 102A of the plate piece 102C is fixed and the covering part 102B covers the in-vehicle device 10, as shown in FIG. 6, the plate piece 102C is inserted from above into the groove 131Ac, which is the engagement part 131A of the first joint part 131 of the sub-panel 13, and engages therewith. In this state, the hole 102Ca communicates with the through hole 131Ad formed in the plate member 131Aa of the first joint part 131 of the sub-panel 13 in the front-rear direction. In addition, in the same state, the fitting portion 201A of the cluster panel 20 is inserted into and fitted into the hole portion 102Ca.

The locking portions 102D are provided on the inside of the opening on the front side of the covering portion 102B on four sides (top, bottom, left and right). The locking portions 102D are configured with locking holes 102Da that penetrate in the front-to-back direction. Locking portions 203A in the third joint portion 203 of the cluster panel 20 are inserted and locked into each locking hole 102Da.

In the in-vehicle device 1 of the embodiment described above, the in-vehicle device 10 is attached to the vehicle 100 as shown in FIG. 3, and the panel component 102 is attached to the vehicle 100 as shown in FIG. 2. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the plate piece 102C of the panel component 102 is inserted from above into the groove 131Ac, which is the engagement portion 131A of the sub-panel 13, and engages with it. As a result, the front side of the panel component 102 is restricted in the front-rear direction relative to the sub-panel 13 of the in-vehicle device 10 fixed to the vehicle 100.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the cluster panel 20 is attached to the panel part 102 by engaging the locking portion 203A with the 102D of the panel part 102. At this time, the convex portion of the positioning portion 201B of the first joint 201 of the cluster panel 20 is inserted into the concave portion 131Bb of the positioning portion 131B of the first joint 131 of the sub-panel 13. Furthermore, the rib 132Ba of the positioning portion 132B of the second joint 132 of the sub-panel 13 is inserted into the groove portion 202Ba of the positioning portion 202B of the second joint 202 of the cluster panel 20, and the convex portion 202Bb of the positioning portion 202B is inserted into the concave portion 132Bb of the same positioning portion 132B. As a result, the cluster panel 20 is restricted in the up, down, left and right directions with respect to the sub-panel 13 of the in-vehicle device 10 fixed to the vehicle 100.

7, in the cluster panel 20, the protrusion 201Aa of the fitting portion 201A of the first joint portion 201 of the upper frame is inserted into the through hole 131Ad of the plate member 131Aa of the sub-panel 13. Then, because the through hole 131Ad of the sub-panel 13 communicates with the hole portion 102Ca of the plate piece 102C of the panel component 102 in the front-rear direction, the protrusion 201Aa of the fitting portion 201A is also inserted into the hole portion 102Ca. The protrusion 201Aa of the cluster panel 20 is inserted into the hole portion 102Ca while being guided by the inclined surfaces 201Aba, 201Aca on the rear side, until the inclined surface 201Aba on the front side passes the hole portion 102Ca and the claw portion 201Ab is caught in the hole portion 102Ca. As a result, the panel component 102 fits into the cluster panel 20, is restricted in the front-to-back direction relative to the sub-panel 13, and is further restricted from moving upward by the cluster panel 20.

Furthermore, the cluster panel 20 has the projection 202Aa of the fitting portion 202A of the second joint 202 of the lower frame inserted into and locked in the locking hole 132C of the sub-panel 13. The projection 201Aa of the fitting portion 201A of the first joint 201 of the upper frame is inserted into the through hole 131Ad of the plate member 131Aa of the sub-panel 13 while fitting into the hole 102Ca of the plate piece 102C of the panel component 102. The cluster panel 20 is restricted in the up, down, left and right directions with respect to the sub-panel 13 by having the groove 202Ba, which is the positioning portion 202B, insert into the rib 132Ba of the positioning portion 132B of the sub-panel 13 and the protrusion 202Bb, which is the positioning portion 202B, insert into the recess 132Bb of the positioning portion 132B of the sub-panel 13. Therefore, the cluster panel 20 is positioned relative to the sub-panel 13.

The cluster panel 20 and the sub-panel 13 are formed from a material harder than the panel component 102, so that the panel component 102 can bend to correct the attachment position of the panel component 102 to the cluster panel 20.

As shown in FIG. 7, the in-vehicle device 1 of the embodiment installed in this manner is mainly composed of the sub-panel 13 fixed to the vehicle 100, and the sub-panel 13 and the cluster panel 20 position the panel component 102 in the front-to-back direction and the up-down direction, thereby improving the accuracy of the gap G1 that forms the seam between the front end of the panel component 102 and the upper end of the cluster panel 20. In addition, the in-vehicle device 1 of the embodiment positions the cluster panel 20 relative to the sub-panel 13 fixed to the vehicle 100, thereby improving the accuracy of the surface difference G2 between the display surface 12A of the display unit 12, which is positioned on the sub-panel 13, and the front of the cluster panel 20.

Thus, the in-vehicle device 1 of the embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 10 having a sub-panel 13 that positions the display unit 12 at a predetermined position, and a cluster panel 20 attached to the sub-panel 13 so as to surround the display unit 12, and is equipped with an engagement portion 131A (groove 131Ac) provided on the sub-panel 13 so as to be engageable with a plate piece 102C provided on a panel component 102 that is attached separately from the in-vehicle device 10 to the vehicle 100 to which the in-vehicle device 10 is attached, and a fitting portion 201A provided on the cluster panel 20 so as to be engageable with the plate piece 102C in a state in which the plate piece 102C and the engagement portion 131A (groove 131Ac) are engaged.

This in-vehicle device 1 engages the panel part 102 with the sub-panel 13 of the in-vehicle device 10 attached to the vehicle 100, and in this engaged state, fits the cluster panel 20 attached to the sub-panel 13 into the panel part 102. As a result, the in-vehicle device 1 can position the cluster panel 20 and the panel part 102, as well as position the cluster panel 20 and the display unit 12 of the in-vehicle device 10.

In the embodiment of the in-vehicle device 1, the plate piece 102C is formed with a hole portion 102Ca penetrating therethrough, and the fitting portion 201A is formed with claw portions 201Ab, 201Ac that engage with the hole portion 102Ca on a protrusion 201Aa provided on the cluster panel 20 that is inserted into the hole portion 102Ca.

With this vehicle-mounted device 1, the cluster panel 20 can be fitted to the panel part 102 while maintaining the engagement of the panel part 102 with the sub-panel 13.

In the in-vehicle device 1 of the embodiment, the sub-panel 13 and the cluster panel 20 further include positioning units 131B, 132B and 201B, 202B that position them relative to each other.

This vehicle-mounted device 1 can improve the positioning accuracy between the sub-panel 13 and the cluster panel 20.

In the embodiment of the in-vehicle device 1, the sub-panel 13 and the cluster panel 20 are formed from a material that is harder than the panel component 102.

This vehicle-mounted device 1 can bend the panel component 102 to correct its attachment position to the cluster panel 20.

In the embodiment of the in-vehicle device 1, the cluster panel 20 and the panel component 102 further include a locking portion 203A and a locking portion 102D that lock the cluster panel 20 and the panel component 102 together while positioning them relative to each other.

This vehicle-mounted device 1 can improve the positioning accuracy between the cluster panel 20 and the panel component 102.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 In-vehicle device 10 In-vehicle equipment 12 Display unit 13 Sub-panel 131A Engagement unit 131Ac Groove 131B Positioning unit 132B Positioning unit 20 Cluster panel 201B Positioning unit 201A Fitting unit 201Aa Projection piece 201Ab Claw unit 201Ac Claw unit 202B Positioning unit 203A Locking unit 100 Vehicle 102 Panel part 102C Plate piece 102Ca Hole 102D Locking unit

Claims (5)

an in-vehicle device having a sub-panel for positioning a display unit at a predetermined position;
a cluster panel attached to the sub-panel so as to surround the display unit;
Including,
an engaging portion provided on the sub-panel to be engageable with a plate piece provided on a panel component that is attached to a vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is to be attached separately from the in-vehicle device;
a fitting portion provided on the cluster panel and configured to be fitted with the plate piece in a state in which the plate piece and the engaging portion are engaged with each other;
An in-vehicle device comprising: The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the plate piece is formed with a hole passing through it, and the fitting portion is formed with a protrusion provided on the cluster panel that is inserted into the hole, and a claw portion that engages with the inner edge of the hole is formed on the protrusion. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a positioning unit for positioning the sub-panel and the cluster panel relative to each other. The vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sub-panel and the cluster panel are formed of a material harder than the panel component. The vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a locking portion that locks the cluster panel and the panel component while positioning them relative to each other.

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