IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,487,352
Granted Patent B2
US 12,487,352 · App. 17/692,723 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Vehicle exterior part

Inventors: Risa Hirano (Kiyosu, JP); Hiroko Shibakawa (Kiyosu, JP); Norifumi Hattori (Kiyosu, JP); Koji Okumura (Kiyosu, JP); Hideto Maeda (Kiyosu, JP); Yutaka Otsuka (Kiyosu, JP); Keisuke Nishioka (Kiyosu, JP); Kazuyoshi Fujimoto (Kiyosu, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA GOSEI CO., LTD.
G01S13/931B60R13/005F21S43/26F21S43/33G01S13/06G01S13/58
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,487,352
App. No.
17/692,723
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle exterior part is configured to be arranged frontward of a millimeter wave radar device with respect to the transmission direction of millimeter waves. The vehicle exterior part includes an ornamental body, a light source that emits light, and a light diffuse reflection member. The light diffuse reflection member is millimeter wave-transmissive and diffuses and reflects light. The ornamental body includes a base and an ornamental layer. The base is millimeter wave-transmissive and diffuses and transmits the light. The ornamental layer is millimeter wave-transmissive and arranged frontward of the base with respect to the transmission direction. The light source, the ornamental body, and the light diffuse reflection member are arranged so that the light emitted from the light source is diffused and reflected by the light diffuse reflection member and directed toward the base.

Claims (25)

1 . A vehicle exterior part configured to be applied to a vehicle including a millimeter wave radar device that transmits millimeter waves, wherein the vehicle exterior part is configured to be arranged frontward of the millimeter wave radar device with respect to a transmission direction of the millimeter waves, the vehicle exterior part comprising:

an ornamental body that is configured to decorate an exterior member of the vehicle;

a light source that emits light; and

a light diffuse reflection member that is millimeter wave-transmissive and diffuses and reflects the light,

wherein

the ornamental body includes:

a base that is millimeter wave-transmissive and diffuses and transmits the light; and

an ornamental layer that is millimeter wave-transmissive and arranged frontward of the base with respect to the transmission direction,

the light source, the ornamental body, and the light diffuse reflection member are arranged so that the light emitted from the light source is diffused and reflected by the light diffuse reflection member and directed toward the base,

the light diffuse reflection member is arranged rearward from the ornamental body with respect to the transmission direction,

a peripheral edge of the ornamental body is joined with a peripheral edge of the light diffuse reflection member by an annular joining portion,

an area surrounded by the annular joining portion between the ornamental body and the light diffuse reflection member defines an accommodating portion, and

the light source is arranged in the accommodating portion, wherein

the ornamental body includes, in addition to the base, a light shield that blocks transmission of the light,

the light shield partially includes a peripheral light shield that contacts a peripheral edge of the base,

the peripheral light shield is welded in contact with the peripheral edge of the light diffuse reflection member, and

the peripheral light shield and the light diffuse reflection member are welded at the annular joining portion, wherein

the light shield includes an intermediate light shield surrounded by the peripheral light shield and located frontward of the base with respect to the transmission direction, and

a light reflector is arranged between the intermediate light shield and the base to reflect the light rearward with respect to the transmission direction.

2 . The vehicle exterior part according to claim 1 , wherein

the base includes a general portion and a band-shaped projection that projects frontward from the general portion with respect to the transmission direction,

the projection includes two side surfaces, with respect to a width direction, inclined with respect to the transmission direction so that a distance between the side surfaces increases toward the rear with respect to the transmission direction,

the projection includes a top surface at a front end, with respect to the transmission direction, connecting the side surfaces,

the intermediate light shield is arranged frontward of the general portion with respect to the transmission direction, and

a light block layer that blocks transmission of the light is formed between the side surfaces of the projection and the ornamental layer and not formed between the top surface of the projection and the ornamental layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: HIRANO, RISA; SHIBAKAWA, HIROKO; HATTORI, NORIFUMI; OKUMURA, KOJI; MAEDA, HIDETO; OTSUKA, YUTAKA; NISHIOKA, KEISUKE; FUJIMOTO, KAZUYOSHI
To: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059241/0819 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2021-053900 · Mar 26, 2021 · national
JP 2022-009258 · Jan 25, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220308206A1 · Sep 29, 2022
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