JP7758580B2 - Measuring device and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a measuring device and a method for manufacturing a measuring device.

Patent document 1 describes a scanning device that scans laser light by moving a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element, and an optical system relative to each other.

Special Publication No. 2021-500554

When attaching a measuring device to a vehicle body, a vehicle body mounting member that holds the main body of the measuring device is attached to the vehicle body. If the vehicle body mounting members are to hold both widthwise sides of the main body of the measuring device, and the vehicle body mounting members are configured integrally to straddle the main body in the widthwise direction, there is a risk that the measuring device will become large.

The present invention aims to reduce the size of the vehicle body mounting member and the measuring device.

One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a measuring device including a main body that irradiates light onto an object and receives reflected light, and a pair of vehicle body mounting members that mount the main body to a vehicle body while independently holding both sides of the main body in a width direction, wherein the main body includes a sensor unit having a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives the reflected light, an optical unit that irradiates the object with light emitted from the light-emitting element and causes the light-receiving element to receive the reflected light, a holder that holds the sensor unit and the optical unit so that they can move relative to each other, and a pair of vehicle body mounting members that mount the sensor unit to a vehicle body while independently holding both sides of the main body in a width direction, the sensor unit including a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives the reflected light, an optical unit that irradiates the object with light emitted from the light-emitting element and causes the light-receiving element to receive the reflected light, a holder that holds the sensor unit and the optical unit so that they can move relative to each other, and a pair of vehicle body mounting members that mount the sensor unit to a vehicle body. and a housing that accommodates the sensor unit and the optical unit, the housing having an upper housing that covers the upper part of the sensor unit and the optical unit and a lower housing that covers the lower part of the sensor unit and the optical unit, a gap is formed between the upper housing and the lower housing on the side of the housing, the holder has a protrusion that protrudes from the gap on the side of the housing to the outside of the housing, the vehicle body mounting member holds the protrusion, and the vehicle body mounting member clamps the protrusion via a damper member .
Another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is a method for manufacturing a measuring device, comprising the steps of preparing a main body that irradiates light onto an object and receives reflected light, and a pair of vehicle body mounting members that mount the main body to a vehicle body, adjusting a positional relationship between the pair of vehicle body mounting members, and holding both sides of the main body in a width direction by the pair of vehicle body mounting members, with the positional relationship between the pair of vehicle body mounting members adjusted , wherein the main body comprises a sensor unit having a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives the reflected light, an optical unit that irradiates the object with light emitted from the light-emitting element and causes the light-receiving element to receive the reflected light, and a holder that holds the sensor unit and the optical unit so that they can move relative to one another, and a housing that houses the sensor unit and the optical unit, the housing having an upper housing that covers the upper parts of the sensor unit and the optical unit and a lower housing that covers the lower parts of the sensor unit and the optical unit, a gap is formed between the upper housing and the lower housing on the side of the housing, the holder has a protrusion that protrudes outside the housing through the gap on the side of the housing, and the vehicle body mounting member holds the protrusion, and the vehicle body mounting member clamps the protrusion via a damper member .

Furthermore, the problems disclosed in this application and the solutions thereto will be made clear in the detailed description and drawings.

This invention allows for the miniaturization of the vehicle body mounting member and the measurement device.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view of the measuring device 1. Fig. 1B is a perspective view of the measuring device 1 in a state where a vehicle body mounting member 100 has been removed from a main body portion 3. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the main body 3. 3A is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning of laser light, FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning in a certain frame, and FIG. 3C is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning by multiple channels. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the housing 30 is removed. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the holder 40 and the processing substrate 50 are removed. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the spring member 60. FIG. 7 is an exploded explanatory view of the optical unit 20, the spring member 60, and the holder 40. As shown in FIG. Fig. 8A is an explanatory diagram showing the state before the holder 40 is attached, and Fig. 8B is an explanatory diagram showing the state after the holder 40 is attached. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the measuring device 1. Fig. 10A is an explanatory diagram of the vehicle body mounting member 100. Fig. 10B is a perspective view of the first mounting member 110. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the jig 200. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the vehicle body mounting member 100 is set on the jig 200. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship of the members set in the jig 200. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the contact portion 203 and the protrusion 41 are in contact with each other. 15A and 15B are explanatory diagrams of a vehicle body mounting member 100' of a comparative example.

The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following description, identical or similar components may be designated by common reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

<Overall structure>
Fig. 1A is a perspective view of the measuring device 1. Fig. 1B is a perspective view of the measuring device 1 in a state where a vehicle body mounting member 100 has been removed from a main body 3. Fig. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the main body 3.

In the following description, directions are defined as shown in FIG. 1A. The direction parallel to the optical axis (axis of rotational symmetry of the lens) of the optical system (light-projecting optical system 21 or light-receiving optical system 22) is defined as the Z direction. The object to be measured by the measuring device 1 is separated from the measuring device 1 in the Z direction. The direction perpendicular to the Z direction, in which the light-projecting optical system 21 and the light-receiving optical system 22 are aligned, is defined as the X direction. The direction perpendicular to the Z and X directions is defined as the Y direction.
The side of the object to be measured as viewed from the measuring device 1 (positive side in the Z direction) is sometimes referred to as the "front," and the opposite side (negative side in the Z direction) is sometimes referred to as the "rear." When viewed from the rear to the front, the right side is sometimes referred to as the "right," and the left side is sometimes referred to as the "left." The left-right direction is sometimes referred to as the width direction. The upper side in the vertical direction (positive side in the Y direction) is sometimes referred to as the "top," and the opposite side (negative side in the Y direction) is sometimes referred to as the "bottom."

The measuring device 1 is a device that measures the distance to an object. The measuring device 1 emits laser light, detects the light reflected from the surface of the object, and calculates the distance to the object based on the detection results. Specifically, the measuring device 1 measures the distance to the object using the TOF (Time of Flight) method by measuring the time from when the light-emitting element 11 emits pulsed laser light to when the light-receiving element 12 receives the reflected light. The measuring device 1 has a main body 3 and a vehicle body mounting member 100.

The main body 3 is a component that constitutes the main body of the measuring device 1. The main body 3 has a sensor unit 10 and an optical unit 20. The main body 3 also has a housing, a holder, a processing board, a spring member, a vibration member, and a drive unit.

The sensor unit 10 has a light-emitting element 11, a light-receiving element 12, and a sensor substrate 13. The light-emitting element 11 is an element that emits laser light. The light-receiving element 12 is an element that converts optical signals into electrical signals. The sensor substrate 13 is a substrate on which the light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 12 are mounted. The sensor unit 10 is formed by mounting the light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 12 on the same substrate. Here, the sensor substrate 13 has multiple light-emitting elements 11 and multiple light-receiving elements 12. However, the sensor substrate 13 may have only one light-emitting element 11 and one light-receiving element 12.

The optical unit 20 is an optical system that irradiates the laser light emitted from the light-emitting element 11 toward an object and receives the light reflected from the object at the light-receiving element 12. The light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 12 are respectively arranged at conjugate positions of the optical system constituted by the optical unit 20. The optical unit 20 has a light-projecting optical system 21 and a light-receiving optical system 22. The light-projecting optical system 21 is an optical system that irradiates the laser light emitted from the light-emitting element 11 toward the object. The light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 11 is arranged within the focal plane of the light-projecting optical system 21. The light-projecting optical system 21 irradiates the laser light emitted from the light-emitting element 11 as collimated light toward the object. The light-receiving optical system 22 is an optical system that focuses the reflected light onto the light-receiving element 12. The light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element 12 is arranged within the focal plane of the light-receiving optical system 22. The light-projecting optical system 21 and the light-receiving optical system 22 are integrally configured to constitute the optical unit 20. Here, the light projecting optical system 21 and the light receiving optical system 22 are each composed of a group of multiple lenses. However, the light projecting optical system 21 and the light receiving optical system 22 may each be composed of a single lens.

The sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 move relative to each other in directions perpendicular to the Z direction (X and Y directions). This relative movement between the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 changes the position of the light-emitting element 11 relative to the optical unit 20, which in turn changes the angle at which the laser light is emitted. In other words, the relative movement between the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 allows the laser light to scan. The sensor unit 10 moves relative to the optical unit 20 by vibrating in the X and Y directions at predetermined resonant frequencies.

3A is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning of laser light. When the sensor unit 10 vibrates at a predetermined resonance frequency in the X and Y directions relative to the optical unit 20, the laser light is emitted so as to draw a Lissajous curve as shown in FIG. 3A.
3B is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning in a certain frame. For each frame (one three-dimensional image), the measurement device 1 measures the distances (Z coordinates) to the surface of the object at multiple points on the Lissajous curve. This allows coordinates to be measured with increased resolution.
3C is an explanatory diagram of two-dimensional scanning using multiple channels. The sensor substrate 13 includes multiple light-emitting elements 11 and multiple light-receiving elements 12, which allows two-dimensional scanning over different ranges for each channel. This enables measurement over a wide range in the X and Y directions, achieving a wide FOV (field of view).

It should be noted that two-dimensional scanning does not have to follow a Lissajous curve. For example, two-dimensional scanning may be performed by performing a line scan in the X direction (or Y direction) multiple times while shifting the line scan in the Y direction (or X direction). Also, instead of two-dimensional scanning, one-dimensional scanning (scanning in one direction, either the X direction or the Y direction) may be performed.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the camera with the housing 30 removed. The housing 30 is a member (enclosure) that houses the optical unit 20 and sensor unit 10. The housing 30 has a rear housing 31, an upper housing 32, and a lower housing 33.

The rear housing 31 covers the rear of the main body 3. The rear housing 31 has a connector 311 and a coil board 312. The connector 311 is a part (connection part) for electrically connecting to an external power source and the vehicle ECU. The coil board 312 is a board for driving the coil 71 (see Figure 2) of the drive unit 70.

The upper housing 32 covers the upper part of the main body 3. The lower housing 33 covers the lower part of the main body 3. A gap is formed between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33 on the side of the housing 30, and the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 is inserted into this gap. The gap between the housing 30 (upper housing 32 and lower housing 33) and the holder 40 is sealed by a gasket 35.

The gasket 35 is a component that seals the gap between the housing 30 (upper housing 32 and lower housing 33) and the holder 40. The gasket 35 is sandwiched between the upper housing 32 and lower housing 33 on the side of the main body 3. The gasket 35 has an insertion portion 35A through which the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 passes. The gasket 35 is made of rubber to make it easier to seal the gap between the housing 30 and the holder 40.

Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the state when the holder 40 and processing substrate 50 are removed.

The holder 40 is a member that holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20. Here, the holder 40 is fixed to a spring member 60 that is fixed to the optical unit 20, and indirectly holds the optical unit 20 via the spring member 60. The sensor unit 10 is also attached to the spring member 60, and the holder 40 holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 so that they can move relative to each other. The holder 40 is made up of a right holder 40A and a left holder 40B. Instead of being made up of two parts, the holder 40 may be made up of one part. However, by making the holder 40 up of two parts, the right holder 40A and the left holder 40B, the holder 40 can be made more compact.

The holder 40 has a protrusion 41. The protrusion 41 is a portion that protrudes outward to the left and right from the main body of the holder 40. The protrusion 41 is inserted into the gap between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33, causing the end of the protrusion 41 to protrude outside the housing 30. The end of the protrusion 41 that protrudes outside the housing 30 is held by the vehicle body mounting member 100. In other words, the protrusion 41 is the portion that is attached to the vehicle body mounting member 100.

The processing board 50 is a board that performs various processes, such as control processing and signal processing (arithmetic processing) for the sensor unit 10. The processing board 50 is equipped with chips (not shown in Figure 5) that control the light emission timing of the light-emitting element 11 and calculate the distance to an object based on the light-receiving signal of the light-receiving element 12. The processing board 50 is fixed onto the holder 40. One end of the processing board 50 is supported by the holder 40 via a support member 80. A shield member 91 is disposed between the processing board 50 and the optical unit 20. As shown in Figure 4, a heat transfer sheet 92 is disposed between the processing board 50 and the upper housing 32.

The spring member 60 is a member that holds the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10 so that they can move relative to each other. The spring member 60 holds the sensor unit 10 relative to the optical unit 20 so that it can vibrate in the X and Y directions at predetermined resonant frequencies.

Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the spring member 60.

The spring member 60 has a fixed portion 61 and a pair of vibrating portions 62 .
The fixing portion 61 is a portion that is fixed to the optical unit 20. The fixing portion 61 is also a portion that is fixed to the holder 40. The fixing portion 61 is a band-shaped (plate-shaped) portion that extends along the front-rear direction, and is disposed in the center of the spring member 60 in the up-down direction.
The vibrating portion 62 is a vibrating portion. The vibrating portion 62 is U-shaped (tuning fork-shaped) and has a branch portion 621, a first bent portion 62A, and a second bent portion 62B. The branch portion 621 is a portion between the fixed portion 61 and the first bent portion 62A and the second bent portion 62B, and is a portion where the first bent portion 62A and the second bent portion 62B branch from the fixed portion 61. The first bent portion 62A and the second bent portion 62B are cantilever-shaped portions extending from the branch portion 621 and bend at a predetermined natural frequency. The base end (front end) of the first bent portion 62A is connected to the branch portion 621, and the opposite end (rear end; tip) is connected to the sensor unit 10. The base end (front end) of the second bent portion 62B is connected to the branch portion 621, and the opposite end (rear end; tip) is connected to the vibrating member 65. When the vibration part 62 including the first bending part 62A and the second bending part 62B vibrates in a predetermined vibration mode, the sensor unit 10 vibrates at a predetermined resonant frequency in the X direction and the Y direction relative to the optical unit 20.

The fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60 is disposed between the pair of vibrating portions 62. As a result, the vibrations of the pair of vibrating portions 62 are canceled out in the fixed portion 61, making the fixed portion 61 less likely to vibrate even during relative movement between the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10.

The vibrating member 65 is a member for resonating the sensor unit 10. The vibrating member 65 is held by the spring member 60. The second bent portion 62B of the spring member 60 is connected to the left and right edges of the vibrating member 65. When the vibrating member 65 receives forces in the X and Y directions from the drive unit 70, the sensor unit 10 resonates via the spring member 60, and as a result, the sensor unit 10 moves relative to the optical unit 20 in the X and Y directions.

The drive unit 70 is a member (motor) that generates a drive force for moving the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10 relative to one another. The drive unit 70 has a coil 71 and a magnet 72 (see Figure 2). Here, the coil 71 is fixed to the housing 30 (rear housing 31) and forms a stator. The magnet 72 is fixed to the vibration member 65 and forms a mover. The magnet 72 may be the stator and the coil 71 the mover. However, when the coil 71 is used as the stator, wiring to the coil 71 is easier than when the coil 71 is used as the mover. Furthermore, the drive unit 70 is not limited to a motor composed of the coil 71 and magnet 72, and may be another actuator, such as a piezoelectric transducer.

The vehicle body mounting member 100 is a member that mounts the main body 3 to the vehicle body (see Figures 1A and 1B). A pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 are arranged on the left and right sides of the main body 3. The pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 respectively hold the protruding portions 41 of the holder 40 that protrude from the left and right side surfaces of the main body 3. The vehicle body mounting member 100 has a first mounting member 110 and a second mounting member 120. The main body 3 is held by the vehicle body mounting member 100 by sandwiching the protruding portions 41 of the holder 40 between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120. In addition, a damper member 130 is arranged between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 and the holder 40. The damper member 130 is a rubber member that absorbs vibrations. By the vehicle body mounting member 100 holding the holder 40 via the damper member 130, it is possible to suppress transmission of vibrations from the main body 3 to the vehicle body.

<About holder placement and fixing>
First, the holder 40 held by the vehicle body mounting member 100 will be described, and then the vehicle body mounting member 100 will be described.
Fig. 7 is an explanatory exploded view of the optical unit 20, the spring member 60, and the holder 40. Fig. 8A is an explanatory view before the holder 40 is attached, and Fig. 8B is an explanatory view after the holder 40 is attached.

The optical unit 20 has a lens housing 23 (lens barrel) that houses a lens. A fixing portion 24A and an alignment pin 24B are provided on the side of the lens housing 23. The fixing portion 24A is a portion (screw hole) that fixes the spring member 60 to the optical unit 20 (lens housing 23). The alignment pin 24B is a portion for aligning the spring member 60 (and holder 40). Here, the lens housing 23 is formed by insert molding, and the fixing portion 24A and alignment pin 24B are provided on a metal insert part 24 (see Figure 9). However, the fixing portion 24A and alignment pin 24B do not have to be provided on the insert part 24.

The fixing portion 61 of the spring member 60 has a first hole 61A, a second hole 61B, and an alignment hole 61C. The first hole 61A is a hole (through hole) for screwing the spring member 60 to the optical unit 20. The second hole 61B is a hole for screwing the holder 40. The alignment hole 61C is a hole for aligning the spring member 60 with the optical unit 20. The alignment pin 24B of the optical unit 20 is inserted into the alignment hole 61C of the spring member 60, thereby aligning the optical unit 20 and the spring member 60.

The holder 40 has a fixing portion 45 and an alignment hole 46. The fixing portion 45 is a portion for screwing the holder 40 to the spring member 60. The alignment hole 46 is a hole for aligning the holder 40 with the optical unit 20. The alignment pin 24B of the optical unit 20 is inserted into the alignment hole 46 of the holder 40, thereby aligning the optical unit 20 with the spring member 60.

As already explained, the spring member 60 has a fixed portion 61 and a vibrating portion 62 (see FIG. 6 ). As shown in FIG. 8A , the fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60 is attached to the optical unit 20, and the sensor unit 10 (or the vibrating member 65) is attached to the end (rear end; front end) of the vibrating portion 62. In this way, the spring member 60 holds the sensor unit 10 so that it can move relative to the optical unit 20. In such a structure, if the holder 40 were attached to a vibrating portion such as the vibrating portion 62, the holder 40 would vibrate, and as a result, there is a risk that the vibration of the holder 40 would be transmitted to the vehicle body.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the holder 40 is attached to the fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60. As already explained, the fixed portion 61 is disposed between the pair of vibrating portions 62, and since the vibrations of the pair of vibrating portions 62 are canceled out at the fixed portion 61, the fixed portion 61 is a portion that is unlikely to vibrate even during relative movement between the optical unit 20 and the sensor unit 10. Therefore, by attaching the holder 40 to the fixed portion 61 of the spring member 60, the vibration of the holder 40 can be suppressed, and therefore the transmission of vibration to the vehicle body can be suppressed.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the measuring device 1. This figure shows how the vehicle body mounting member 100 holds the holder 40.

Since the housing 30 accommodates the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 (and the spring member 60), the holder 40 that holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 is also accommodated in the housing 30. On the other hand, if the vehicle body mounting member 100 holds the housing 30 to hold the main body 3, there is a risk that vibrations of the housing 30 will be transmitted to the vehicle body. For this reason, it is desirable for the vehicle body mounting member 100 to hold the holder 40, which has reduced vibrations, rather than holding the housing 30.
Therefore, in this embodiment, a gap is formed between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33 on the side surface of the housing 30. Furthermore, the holder 40 has a protrusion 41, which is inserted into the gap in the housing 30 (the gap between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33), and the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 protrudes from the gap to the outside of the housing 30. This allows the vehicle body mounting member 100 to hold the holder 40 by grasping the protrusion 41 protruding to the outside of the housing 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress transmission of vibrations to the vehicle body.

When a structure is adopted in which the protrusion 41 of the holder 40 is inserted into the gap in the housing 30 (the gap between the upper housing 32 and the lower housing 33), it is necessary to provide a gap (play) between the protrusion 41 and the housing 30. On the other hand, if there is a gap between the protrusion 41 and the housing 30, there is a risk that dust and the like may enter the inside of the housing 30 from the outside.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the measuring device 1 is provided with a gasket 35 that closes the gap between the housing 30 and the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40. The gasket 35 closes the gap between the housing 30 and the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40, thereby preventing dust and the like from entering the inside of the housing 30 from the outside.
The gasket 35 is preferably made of flexible rubber. By interposing the gasket 35 between the housing 30 and the holder 40, the housing 30 and the holder 40 can be prevented from being rigidly fixed together. This prevents vibrations from the housing 30 from being transmitted to the holder 40, and therefore prevents vibrations from being transmitted to the vehicle body.

<About vehicle body mounting parts>
15A and 15B are explanatory diagrams of a vehicle body mounting member 100' of a comparative example.

In the comparative example, the vehicle body mounting member 100' also holds both the left and right sides of the main body 3 (more specifically, the protruding portions 41 of the holder 40 that protrude from the left and right side surfaces of the main body 3). The vehicle body mounting member 100' of the comparative example has a connecting member 120' instead of a pair of second mounting members 120. In the comparative example, the first mounting member 110 and the connecting member 120' are fastened together with screws, so that the main body 3 (more specifically, the protruding portions 41 of the holder 40) is sandwiched between the first mounting member 110 and the connecting member 120'.

In the comparative example, a pair of first mounting members 110 are connected by a connecting member 120'. When the pair of first mounting members 110 are fixed to the connecting member 120', the pair of first mounting members 110 form an integrated structure via the connecting member 120'. In other words, in the comparative example, the vehicle body mounting members 100' that each hold a main body portion 3 are not separated into left and right portions. The connecting member 120' is shaped to straddle the main body portion 3 from left to right, and therefore is a relatively large member. Furthermore, because the connecting member 120' must straddle the main body portion 3 from left to right, the vertical dimension of the measuring device 1 increases.

The vehicle body mounting member 100' has vehicle body mounting portions 111 on both the left and right sides. The measuring device 1 is mounted to the vehicle body by attaching the vehicle body mounting portions 111 (mounting holes) to predetermined mounting positions (not shown) on the vehicle body. Therefore, the left and right vehicle body mounting portions 111 must be positioned and spaced appropriately to fit the predetermined mounting positions on the vehicle body. Furthermore, if the vehicle body mounting member 100' that holds the left and right sides of the main body 3 is an integrated structure, as in the comparative example, the connecting member 120' must be manufactured with high precision to position and space the left and right vehicle body mounting portions 111 at the predetermined positions and spacing. However, because the connecting member 120' is a relatively large member that spans the main body 3 from left to right, it is difficult to manufacture the connecting member 120' with high precision (or manufacturing costs would be high). Furthermore, if the connecting member 120' cannot be manufactured with high precision, it becomes difficult to position and space the left and right vehicle body mounting portions 111 at the predetermined mounting positions (not shown) on the vehicle body, making it difficult to attach the vehicle body mounting portions 111 (mounting holes) to the predetermined mounting positions (not shown).

Figure 10A is an explanatory diagram of the vehicle body mounting member 100 of this embodiment.

The measuring device 1 of this embodiment has a pair of vehicle body mounting members 100. The pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 are not connected to each other and are separate from each other. The pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 of this embodiment independently hold the left and right sides of the main body portion 3. As a result, in this embodiment, there is no member that straddles the main body portion 3 from left to right (such as the connecting member 120' in the comparative example), which allows for the vehicle body mounting members 100 to be made smaller, and also allows for the measuring device 1 to be made smaller. Furthermore, because the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 have a separate structure, it is possible to adjust the left and right vehicle body mounting portions 111 to a predetermined positional relationship. Adjusting the positional relationship between the left and right vehicle body mounting portions 111 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 via the damper member 130. The vehicle body mounting member 100 has a first mounting member 110 and a second mounting member 120. The protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 is disposed between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120. Damper members 130 are disposed between the first mounting member 110 and the protruding portion 41, and between the second mounting member 120 and the protruding portion 41. By fastening the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 with screws (not shown), the damper member 130 is compressed in the vertical direction, and the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 is clamped between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 via the damper member 130. In this embodiment, the vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 via the damper member 130, thereby preventing vibrations (particularly vertical vibrations) of the main body 3 from being transmitted to the vehicle body. Note that the structure in which the vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 via the damper member 130 is not limited to the structure using the first mounting member 110 and second mounting member 120 as shown in the figure, and other structures may also be used.

Figure 10B is a perspective view of the first mounting member 110.

The first mounting member 110 has a vehicle body mounting portion 111, a fixing portion 112, and a storage portion 113. The vehicle body mounting portion 111 is a portion (mounting hole) for mounting the vehicle body mounting member 100 to the vehicle body. The fixing portion 112 is a portion for fixing the second mounting member 120. The storage portion 113 is a portion for storing the damper member 130. The storage portion 113 is formed in a concave shape, and the damper member 130 is stored in the space inside the concave storage portion 113.

The storage section 113 has a bottom surface 113A and an inner wall surface 113B that rises from the bottom surface 113A. The damper member 130 is stored in the space enclosed by the bottom surface 113A and the inner wall surface 113B. The bottom surface 113A is a surface that is vertically perpendicular (parallel to the horizontal direction). The bottom surface 113A faces the protrusion 41 of the holder 40. The bottom surface 113A also serves as a mounting surface on which the damper member 130 is placed. The damper member 130 is sandwiched between the bottom surface 113A and the lower surface of the protrusion 41. The inner wall surface 113B is a surface that is parallel to the vertical direction. Here, the inner wall surface 113B has a pair of opposing surfaces (first surfaces) that are vertically perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, and a pair of opposing surfaces (second surfaces) that are vertically perpendicular to the left-to-right direction.

As shown in Figure 9, there is a gap S in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the up-down direction; front-to-back and left-to-right directions) between the inner wall surface 113B of the first mounting member 110 and the side surface of the damper member 130. This allows shear deformation of the damper member 130 and prevents vibrations (especially horizontal vibrations) from being transmitted to the vehicle body.

Excessive horizontal (front-to-back and left-to-right) displacement of the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 relative to the vehicle body mounting member 100 can cause significant shear deformation of the damper member 130, potentially damaging the damper member 130. Therefore, in this embodiment, a portion of the inner wall surface 113B of the first mounting member 110 is extended to the same height as the side surface of the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40, forming a contact portion 113C that contacts the protruding portion 41. Contact between the contact portion 113C of the first mounting member 110 and the protruding portion 41 prevents the protruding portion 41 of the holder 40 from significantly displacing horizontally relative to the vehicle body mounting member 100. In other words, the contact portion 113C of the first mounting member 110 functions as a stopper that limits the maximum horizontal displacement of the holder 40. The contact portion 113C is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 9 , as long as it can contact the protruding portion 41. For example, the second mounting member 120 may have a contact portion that can come into contact with the protrusion 41. Alternatively, the vehicle body mounting member 100 may not have a contact portion that can come into contact with the protrusion 41.

<Regarding position adjustment of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100>
Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the jig 200. Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the vehicle body mounting member 100 is set in the jig 200. Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship of the members set in the jig 200.
In FIG. 11 , the main body 201 of the jig 200 is indicated by a dotted line. The eight components of the jig 200 in FIG. 11 (the positioning portion 202 and the contact portion 203) are integrally formed by the main body 201 (see the dotted line) and are arranged in a predetermined positional relationship. In FIGS. 12 and 13 , the components constituting the jig 200 (the positioning portion 202 and the contact portion 203) are hatched, and the main body 201 of the jig 200 is not shown (each component is shown in a perspective view of the main body 201). In FIG. 13 , the main body 3 other than the protrusion 41 is not shown in order to show the positional relationship between the jig 200 and the vehicle body mounting member 100. Each figure indicates the direction of the main body 3 to be set. The main body 3 is set upside down in the jig 200.

The jig 200 is a component for adjusting the position of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100. The jig 200 is used to hold the main body 3 to the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 during the manufacture of the measuring device 1.

The jig 200 has multiple positioning portions 202. The positioning portions 202 are used to position the first mounting member 110. The multiple positioning portions 202 are arranged in a predetermined positional relationship on the main body 201 of the jig 200 so as to fit into a predetermined mounting position (not shown) on the vehicle body.

The positioning portion 202 is composed of multiple (here, three) positioning pins 202A and positioning grooves 202B. As already explained, the first mounting member 110 has mounting holes (vehicle body mounting portions 111) used for mounting to the vehicle body, and the positioning pin 202A is inserted into the mounting hole (vehicle body mounting portion 111) of the first mounting member 110. The positioning pin 202A is a pin that extends in the vertical direction. By inserting the positioning pin 202A into the vehicle body mounting portion 111 of the first mounting member 110, the position of the first mounting member 110 relative to the jig 200 (position perpendicular to the vertical direction) can be adjusted. By inserting the positioning pin 202A into each mounting hole (vehicle body mounting portions 111) of a pair of vehicle body mounting members 100, the relative positions of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 can be adjusted, and the left and right vehicle body mounting portions 111 of the vehicle body mounting members 100 can be positioned and spaced as desired. The positioning groove 202B is a groove-shaped portion for clamping the end of the first mounting member 110 from the horizontal direction (here, the left-right direction). The positioning groove 202B is a portion for preventing rotation of the first mounting member 110 relative to the jig 200. In this way, the positioning portion 202 is not limited to a pin-shaped portion.

When assembling the measuring device 1 using the jig 200, first prepare the main body 3, a pair of vehicle body mounting members 100, and the jig 200. Then, after sequentially setting the second mounting member 120 and the main body 3 (and damper member 130) on the jig 200, the positioning pin 202A of the jig 200 is inserted into the mounting hole (vehicle body mounting portion 111) of the first mounting member 110 of the vehicle body mounting member 100 to adjust the relative positions of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100. Then, with the positioning pin 202A of the jig 200 inserted into the mounting hole (vehicle body mounting portion 111) of the first mounting member 110 (i.e., with the relative positions of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 adjusted), the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 are fastened together with screws (not shown), thereby sandwiching the protrusion 41 of the main body 3 between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120. This allows the left and right sides of the main body 3 to be held by a pair of vehicle body mounting members 100, respectively.

When clamping the protrusion 41 of the main body 3 between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120, it is desirable to align the position of the main body 3 with the vehicle body mounting member 100. Therefore, the jig 200 of this embodiment has a contact portion 203 that comes into contact with the main body 3 (specifically, the protrusion 41).

Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram of the state in which the contact portion 203 and the protrusion 41 are in contact. The circles in the figure indicate the locations where the contact portion 203 and the protrusion 41 are in contact.

When setting the main body 3 on the jig 200, the protrusion 41 of the main body 3 is brought into contact with the contact portion 203 of the jig 200. By bringing the contact portion 203 and the protrusion 41 into contact, the protrusion 41 is aligned horizontally (perpendicular to the up-down direction) with respect to the jig 200, and the main body 3 is aligned with the jig 200. Note that the vehicle body mounting member 100 is aligned with the jig 200 by inserting the positioning pin 202A into the mounting hole (vehicle body mounting portion 111) of the vehicle body mounting member 100. Therefore, by bringing the contact portion 203 into contact with the protrusion 41, the main body 3 can be aligned with the vehicle body mounting member 100 via the jig 200.

When assembling the measuring device 1 using the jig 200, the positioning pin 202A of the jig 200 is inserted into the mounting hole (vehicle body mounting portion 111) of the first mounting member 110 (i.e., the vehicle body mounting member 100 is aligned with the jig 200), and the contact portion 203 of the jig 200 is in contact with the protrusion 41 (i.e., the main body portion 3 is aligned with the jig 200). Then, the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 are fastened together with screws (not shown), thereby sandwiching the protrusion 41 of the main body portion 3 between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120. This allows the measuring device 1 to be assembled (the measuring device 1 can be manufactured) with the main body portion 3 aligned with the vehicle body mounting member 100.

When setting the second mounting member 120, main body 3, and first mounting member 110 in the jig 200 in that order, it is desirable to pre-adhere the damper member 130 to each of the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120. This allows the protrusion 41 of the main body 3 to be sandwiched between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 with the gap S shown in FIG. 9 set to a predetermined distance. Also, by pre-adhering the damper member 130 to the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120, it is easy to sandwich the protrusion 41 between the first mounting member 110 and the second mounting member 120 via the damper member 130. However, the damper member 130 does not have to be glued to the first mounting member 110 or the second mounting member 120.

It is desirable that the portion of the protrusion 41 that comes into contact with the contact portion 203 of the jig 200 is the same as the portion that comes into contact with the contact portion 113C of the first mounting member 110. This allows the shape of the protrusion 41 to be simpler than if the portion that comes into contact with the contact portion 203 of the jig 200 and the portion that comes into contact with the contact portion 113C of the first mounting member 110 were separate.

<Summary>
As described above, the measuring device 1 includes a main body 3 and a pair of vehicle body mounting members 100. The main body irradiates light onto an object and receives reflected light. The vehicle body mounting members 100 are members that hold both the left and right sides (both widthwise sides) of the main body 3 to mount the main body 3 to the vehicle body. If the vehicle body mounting members 100' were integrally configured to straddle the left and right sides of the main body 3, as in the comparative example (see FIG. 15A ), the measuring device 1 would be large. In contrast, in this embodiment, the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 independently hold both the left and right sides (both widthwise sides) of the main body 3. The separate left and right structure of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 allows for a smaller vehicle body mounting member 100 and therefore a smaller measuring device 1, compared to the comparative example.

The main body 3 also includes the sensor unit 10, the optical unit 20, a holder 40 that holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 so that they can move relative to one another, and a housing 30. The housing 30 houses the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20, so the holder 40 that holds the sensor unit 10 and the optical unit 20 is also housed within the housing 30. However, if the vehicle body mounting member 100 were to hold the housing 30, there is a risk that vibrations from the housing 30 would be transmitted to the vehicle body. Therefore, in this embodiment, a protrusion 41 is provided on the holder 40, and the vehicle body mounting member 100 holds the protrusion 41, which protrudes from the housing 30 through a gap in the housing 30 to the outside. This prevents vibrations from being transmitted to the vehicle body.

The vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protrusion 41 via the damper member 130. This prevents vibrations (especially vertical vibrations) from the main body 3 from being transmitted to the vehicle body.

In addition, a gap S is provided between the vehicle body mounting member 100 and the damper member 130 in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the vehicle body mounting member 100 clamps the protruding portion 41) (see Figure 9). This prevents vibrations of the main body 3 (especially horizontal vibrations) from being transmitted to the vehicle body.

The vehicle body mounting member 100 also has a contact portion 113C that can come into contact with the protrusion 41. This makes it possible to limit the maximum displacement of the holder 40.

The assembly method (manufacturing method) for the above-described measuring device includes the steps of preparing the main body 3 and a pair of vehicle body mounting members 100, adjusting the relative positions of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100, and, with the relative positions of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 adjusted, holding both the left and right sides (both widthwise sides) of the main body 3 by the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100, respectively. This manufacturing method allows the main body 3 to be held using a pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 separated left and right, thereby enabling the vehicle body mounting members 100 to be made smaller, and therefore the measuring device 1 to be made smaller.

In addition, in the assembly method (manufacturing method) of the measuring device 1 described above, a jig 200 is used to adjust the positional relationship of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100. In this way, using the jig 200 facilitates the process of adjusting the positional relationship of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100. Furthermore, using the jig 200 facilitates the process of holding both the left and right sides (both widthwise sides) of the main body 3 to the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100, respectively, after the positional relationship of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 has been adjusted. Note that the positional relationship of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 may be adjusted using a jig other than the aforementioned jig 200. Alternatively, the positional relationship of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 may be adjusted without using a jig.

Furthermore, the jig 200 has a positioning pin 202A, and in the assembly method (manufacturing method) of the measuring device 1, the positional relationship of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 is adjusted by inserting the positioning pin 202A into the mounting holes (vehicle body mounting portions 111) of the vehicle body mounting members 100. This allows the mounting holes (vehicle body mounting portions 111) of the pair of vehicle body mounting members 100 to be adjusted to a predetermined positional relationship, so that the vehicle body mounting portions 111 of the completed measuring device 1 can be positioned and spaced to suit the predetermined mounting position on the vehicle body.

Furthermore, the jig 200 has a contact portion 203, and in the assembly method (manufacturing method) of the measuring device 1, the position of the main body portion 3 relative to the vehicle body mounting member 100 is aligned by bringing the main body portion 3 into contact with the contact portion 203 of the jig 200. This allows the measuring device 1 to be assembled (the measuring device 1 can be manufactured) with the main body portion 3 aligned relative to the vehicle body mounting member 100.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and includes various modifications. Furthermore, the above embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those that include all of the described configurations. Furthermore, some of the configurations of the above embodiments can be added to, deleted from, or replaced with other configurations.

1 Measuring device, 3 Main body,
10 sensor unit, 11 light emitting element,
12 light receiving element, 13 sensor substrate,
20 Optical unit, 21 Light projection optical system,
22 Light receiving optical system, 23 Lens housing,
24 Insert part, 24A Fixing part, 24B Alignment pin,
30 Housing, 31 Rear housing,
31A heat dissipation fin, 311 connector, 312 coil substrate,
32 upper housing, 32A heat dissipation fin,
33 Lower housing, 33A Heat dissipation fin,
35 Gasket, 35A Insertion part,
40 holder, 40A right holder, 40B left holder,
41 protrusion, 45 fixing portion, 46 alignment hole,
50 Processing substrate,
60 spring member, 61 fixing portion,
61A first hole, 61B second hole, 61C alignment hole,
62 vibration part, 621 branch part,
62A first bent part, 62B second bent part,
65 vibration member,
70 Drive unit, 71 Coil, 72 Magnet,
80 Support member, 91 Shield member, 92 Heat transfer sheet,
100 vehicle body mounting member, 110 first mounting member,
111 vehicle body mounting portion, 112 fixing portion,
113 storage section, 113A bottom surface,
113B inner wall surface, 113C contact part,
120 second mounting member, 120' connecting member, 130 damper member,
200 Jig, 201 Main body, 202 Positioning part,
202A positioning pin, 202B positioning groove,
203 Contact part

Claims (7)

a main body that irradiates light onto an object and receives reflected light;
a pair of vehicle body mounting members that mount the main body to a vehicle body while independently holding both widthwise sides of the main body;
A measuring device comprising:
The main body portion is
a sensor unit having a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives the reflected light;
an optical unit that irradiates the object with light emitted from the light-emitting element and causes the light-receiving element to receive reflected light;
a holder that holds the sensor unit and the optical unit so that they can move relative to each other;
a housing that accommodates the sensor unit and the optical unit;
and
the housing includes an upper housing that covers an upper portion of the sensor unit and the optical unit, and a lower housing that covers a lower portion of the sensor unit and the optical unit, and a gap is formed between the upper housing and the lower housing on a side surface of the housing;
the holder has a protrusion that protrudes from the gap in the side surface of the housing to the outside of the housing,
the vehicle body mounting member holds the protrusion,
The vehicle body mounting member clamps the protrusion via a damper member . 2. The measuring device according to claim 1 ,
a gap is provided between the vehicle body mounting member and the damper member in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the vehicle body mounting member clamps the protruding portion. 3. The measuring device according to claim 2 ,
The vehicle body mounting member has a contact portion that can come into contact with the protrusion. a step of preparing a main body that irradiates light onto an object and receives reflected light, and a pair of vehicle body mounting members that mount the main body to a vehicle body;
adjusting the positional relationship of the pair of vehicle body mounting members;
and holding both sides of the main body in a width direction by the pair of vehicle body mounting members, respectively , in a state in which the positional relationship between the pair of vehicle body mounting members is adjusted,
The main body portion is
a sensor unit having a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives the reflected light;
an optical unit that irradiates the object with light emitted from the light-emitting element and causes the light-receiving element to receive reflected light;
a holder that holds the sensor unit and the optical unit so that they can move relative to each other;
a housing that accommodates the sensor unit and the optical unit;
and
the housing includes an upper housing that covers an upper portion of the sensor unit and the optical unit, and a lower housing that covers a lower portion of the sensor unit and the optical unit, and a gap is formed between the upper housing and the lower housing on a side surface of the housing;
the holder has a protrusion that protrudes from the gap in the side surface of the housing to the outside of the housing,
the vehicle body mounting member holds the protrusion,
The vehicle body mounting member clamps the protrusion via a damper member . A method for manufacturing a measuring device according to claim 4 , comprising the steps of:
Using a jig, adjust the positional relationship of the pair of vehicle body mounting members.
A method for manufacturing a measuring device. A method for manufacturing the measuring device according to claim 5 , comprising:
the vehicle body mounting member has a mounting hole used for mounting to the vehicle body,
The jig has a positioning pin,
The positional relationship between the pair of vehicle body mounting members is adjusted by inserting the positioning pins into the mounting holes.
A method for manufacturing a measuring device. A method for manufacturing the measuring device according to claim 5 or 6 , comprising the steps of:
the jig has a contact portion that comes into contact with the main body portion,
the main body portion is brought into contact with the contact portion of the jig, thereby aligning the position of the main body portion with respect to the vehicle body mounting member;
A method for manufacturing a measuring device.