SOUND GENERATING SYSTEM, MOTOR VEHICLE WITH A SOUND GENERATING SYSTEM, AND SOUND SENSOR UNIT FOR A SOUND GENERATING SYSTEM

Abstract

A sound generating system for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle includes an electrically actuatable sound generating device to generate sound outside a vehicle interior space. A sound sensor is configured to detect the sound generated by the sound generating device in combination with sound carried by an exhaust gas stream outside the exhaust system. The sound sensor is arranged in a region of a license plate or a rearview camera of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, a motor vehicle includes such a sound generating system. In addition, there is presented a sound sensor unit for such a sound generating system.

Claims

1. A sound generating system for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising: an electrically actuatable sound generating device to generate sound outside a vehicle interior space, a sound sensor that is configured to detect the sound generated by the electrically actuatable sound generating device in combination with sound carried by an exhaust gas stream outside the exhaust system, and wherein the sound sensor is arranged in a region of a license plate or a rearview camera of the motor vehicle.

2. The sound generating system according to claim 1, wherein the sound sensor is arranged in a housing of a license plate illumination, wherein a license plate illumination component is provided in the housing, or wherein the housing is a license plate holder or is directly connected to a license plate holder.

3. The sound generating system according to claim 1, wherein the sound sensor is arranged in a housing of the rearview camera, and wherein a rearview camera component is provided in the housing.

4. The sound generating system according to claim 1, wherein the electrically actuatable sound generating device is configured to introduce sound into an exhaust gas stream conducted in the exhaust system.

5. The sound generating system according to claim 4, wherein the electrically actuatable sound generating device is coupled with an acoustic horn or a sound conducting funnel and can introduce sound into the exhaust gas stream via the acoustic horn or the sound conducting funnel.

6. The sound generating system according to claim 1, wherein the sound generating system is configured such that the sound generating system attenuates the sound emitted via the exhaust gas stream or emits an additional audible noise.

7. The sound generating system according to claim 1, wherein the electrically actuatable sound generating device is fluidically coupled with the exhaust system and couples the generated sound into the exhaust gas stream.

8. The sound generating system according to claim 1, including a heating device configured to heat the sound sensor.

9. A motor vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine, an exhaust system, and a sound generating system according to any of the preceding claims.

10. A sound sensor unit for a sound generating system for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, comprising: a sound sensor arranged in a housing that is configured to detect sound generated by the sound generating system in combination with sound carried by an exhaust gas stream, wherein a license plate illumination component and/or a rearview camera component is/are provided in the housing, or wherein the housing is a license plate holder or is directly connected to a license plate holder.

11. The sound generating system according to claim 1, wherein the electrically actuatable sound generating device superimposes said sound with a sound of the internal combustion engine carried by the exhaust gas stream.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention will be explained below with reference to various exemplary embodiments that are shown in the attached drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle of the invention with a sound generating system of the invention according to a first embodiment,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a detail II of FIG. 1 in an enlarged representation,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a sound generating system of the invention according to a second embodiment in a representation corresponding to FIG. 2,

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a sound generating system of the invention according to a third embodiment in a representation corresponding to FIG. 2,

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the motor vehicle of the invention as shown in FIG. 1, wherein beside the sound generating system of the invention a sensor unit of the invention can be seen,

[0031] FIG. 6 shows the sensor unit of FIG. 5 in an enlarged representation,

[0032] FIG. 7 shows a sensor unit of the invention according to an alternative embodiment, and

[0033] FIG. 8 shows a sensor unit of the invention according to a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 10 with an internal combustion engine 12 and an exhaust system 14 connected to the internal combustion engine 12.

[0035] The motor vehicle 10 also includes a sound generating system 16. The same can be actuated electrically and for generating sound outside the vehicle interior space, it comprises a sound generating device 18 which in the present case is configured as a loudspeaker.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiments the sound generating system 16 is explained as an active sound absorber. This means that the sound generated by the sound generating system 16 is superimposed with the sound of the internal combustion engine 12 carried by the exhaust gas stream such that a resulting summation sound is attenuated or completely eliminated.

[0037] Hence, a negative interference takes place between the sound carried by the exhaust gas stream and the sound generated by the sound generating system 16.

[0038] Of course, the sound generating system 16 can also be utilized to supplement the sound of the internal combustion engine 12 carried by the exhaust gas stream, i.e. to emit an additional, audible noise. The sound generating system 16 then acts as a sound generator.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment in which the sound generating system 16 is arranged beside the exhaust system 14 and separate from the same. In this configuration, the superposition of the sound carried by the exhaust gas stream and the sound generated by the sound generating system 16 is effected only after the sound carried by the exhaust gas has reached the environment via an exhaust tailpipe 20.

[0040] An alternative to this is shown in FIG. 3, in which the sound generating device 18 is coupled with an acoustic horn or sound conducting funnel 22 and introduces sound into the exhaust gas stream via the sound conducting funnel 22. In this configuration, too, the superposition of the sound carried by the exhaust gas stream and the sound generated by the sound generating system 16 substantially takes place in a region in which the sound carried by the exhaust gas stream has already left the exhaust tailpipe 20.

[0041] A third embodiment is shown in FIG. 4. Here, the sound generating device 18 is fluidically coupled with the exhaust system 14. The sound generated by the sound generating device 18 is coupled into the exhaust tailpipe 20. The superposition of the sound carried by the exhaust gas stream and the sound generated by the sound generating device 18 hence takes place substantially within the exhaust tailpipe 20.

[0042] The sound generating device 18 thus is configured to introduce sound into an exhaust gas stream conducted in the exhaust system 14.

[0043] The sound generating system 16 also comprises a sound sensor 24 that is configured to detect the sound generated by the sound generating device 18 in combination with sound carried by the exhaust gas stream outside the exhaust system 14 (see in particular FIG. 5).

[0044] The sound sensor 24 is arranged in the region of a license plate 26 or a rearview camera 28.

[0045] In a motor vehicle 10 that is equipped both with a license plate 26 and with a rearview camera 8 the sound sensor 24 can of course also be arranged both in the region of the license plate 26 and in the region of the rearview camera 28. This is the case here (cf. FIG. 5).

[0046] Preferably, the sound sensor 24 is arranged in the license plate illumination or in the rearview camera 28.

[0047] According to one variant the sound sensor 24 is placed in a housing 30 of the license plate illumination, which protects the same from undesired environmental influences. According to one embodiment a license plate illumination component 32 additionally is arranged in this housing 30 (see FIG. 7), i.e. a part, e.g. the lamp, required only for the license plate illumination. Of course, electrical conductors for the illumination and/or the sound sensor 24 may protrude from the housing 30.

[0048] The housing 30 with the sound sensor 24 and the license plate illumination component 32 hence forms a sound sensor unit 34 that can be mounted on the motor vehicle 10 separate from the exhaust system 14.

[0049] The sound sensor unit 34 merely must be coupled with the sound generating system 16 for control purposes or signal transmission so that the sound generating device 18 and the sound sensor 24 can cooperate in a common control circuit.

[0050] In an alternative embodiment of the sound sensor unit 34, a rearview camera component 36 is arranged in the housing 30 (possibly in addition to the sound sensor 24), e.g. a lens and/or a light conductor. Here, the sound sensor unit 34 is integrated into the rearview camera.

[0051] In yet an alternative embodiment the sound sensor unit 34 is combined with a license plate holder 37. In FIG. 8, the same is shown as a stylized license plate holding clip.

[0052] The housing 30 can be integrally connected with the license plate holder 37. The housing 30 then can also be referred to as license plate holder 37. Alternatively, the housing 30 can releasably or unreleasably be directly connected to the license plate holder 37.

[0053] In all alternatives a heating device 38 is provided, which in FIGS. 6 to 8 is shown as a stylized filament. The sound sensor 24 can be heated by the heating device 38. Thus, its temperature in particular can be kept above the freezing point.

[0054] Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this disclosure. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.