DEVICE FOR AIRBORNE SOUND ACOUSTIC SENSING OF THE SURROUNDINGS OF A VEHICLE, VEHICLE

Abstract

A device (1) for airborne sound acoustic sensing of the surroundings of a vehicle, the device (1), comprising at least one microphone (2), which is integrated in a housing (3) which, in the region of the microphone (2), has at least one opening (4) for the entry of sound waves. According to the invention, in the region of the opening (4) and at a distance from the microphone (2) there is arranged at least one film or membrane (5) which, together with the microphone (2) and the housing (3), delimits an ante-volume (6), the cross-sectional area of which increases from inside to outside in relation to the housing (3), so that a cross sectional area (A) of the ante-volume (6) adjacent to the film or membrane (5) is greater than a cross sectional area (B) of the ante-volume (6) adjacent to the microphone (2).

Claims

1. A device (1) for airborne sound acoustic sensing of the surroundings of a vehicle, the device (1) comprising at least one microphone (2), which is integrated in a housing (3) which, in a region of the microphone (2), has at least one opening (4) for the entry of sound waves, and comprising, in a region of the opening (4) and at a distance from the microphone (2), at least one film or membrane (5) which, together with the microphone (2) and the housing (3), delimits an ante-volume (6), a cross-sectional area of which increases from inside to outside in relation to the housing (3), so that a first cross-sectional area (A) of the ante-volume (6) adjacent to the film or membrane (5) is greater than a second cross-sectional area (B) of the ante-volume (6) adjacent to the microphone (2).

2. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that a ratio of the first cross-sectional area (A) to the second cross-sectional area (B) is greater than 1 and less than 10.

3. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the ante-volume (6) is formed rotationally symmetrically.

4. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first cross-sectional area (A) and/or the second cross-sectional area (B) are/is configured circularly, elliptically, polygonally or as a polygon with rounded corners.

5. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first cross-sectional area (A) and the second cross-sectional area (B) are shaped differently.

6. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first cross-sectional area (A) and the second cross-sectional area (B) are rotated and/or offset relative to each other.

7. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the film or membrane (5) is fixed to the outside of the housing (3), covering the at least one opening (4) completely.

8. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the film or membrane (5) is clamped in the housing (3), completely covering the at least one opening (4).

9. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the microphone (2) is spring-mounted on one side or both sides.

10. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the microphone (2) comprises a printed circuit board (9) delimiting the ante-volume (6) and having at least one sound entry opening (10), behind which a sensor element (11) is arranged.

11. A vehicle having a device (1) for airborne sound acoustic sensing of the surroundings according to claim 1.

12. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the ante-volume (6) is shaped conically or spherically.

13. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the film or membrane (5) is fixed to the outside of the housing (3), covering the at least one opening (4) completely, wherein the film or membrane (5) is adhesively bonded to the housing (3).

14. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the microphone (2) is spring-mounted on one side or both sides, wherein spring mounting is formed by an elastically deformable material.

15. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the microphone (2) is spring-mounted on one side or both sides, wherein spring mounting is formed by an elastomer or polymer foam layer (7), by an elastically deformable sealing element (8), by an at least partial overmolding and/or by an adhesive layer.

16. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the microphone (2) comprises a printed circuit board (9) delimiting the ante-volume (6) and having at least one sound entry opening (10), behind which a sensor element (11) is arranged, wherein the sensor element (11) is connected to the printed circuit board (9) via a solder connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail below by using the appended drawings, in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a device according to the invention according to a first preferred embodiment,

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a device according to the invention according to a second preferred embodiment,

[0026] FIG. 3a) through 3f) each show a schematic longitudinal section through a device according to the invention to illustrate possible variations of the geometry of the ante-volume,

[0027] FIG. 4a) through 4f) each show a plan view of various cross-sectional pairings,

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a device according to the invention according to a third preferred embodiment,

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a device according to the invention according to a fourth preferred embodiment,

[0030] FIG. 7 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a device according to the invention according to a fifth preferred embodiment, and

[0031] FIG. 8 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a device according to the invention according to a sixth preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The device 1 according to the invention for the airborne sound acoustic sensing of the surroundings of a vehicle, illustrated schematically in longitudinal section in FIG. 1, comprises a microphone 2 which is inserted into a housing 3. The housing 3 has an opening 4 for the entry of sound waves. The microphone 2 is placed behind the opening 4. A membrane 5 which, together with the housing 3 and the microphone 2, encloses an ante-volume 6, extends over the opening 4. The ante-volume 6 has a cross-sectional area which becomes larger from the inside to outside. This means that a cross-sectional area A at the membrane 5 is larger than a cross-sectional area B at the microphone 2. Since, in the present case, the cross-sectional area is circular in plan view (see FIG. 4a), the diameter of the cross-sectional area A is larger than the diameter of the cross-sectional area B. The ante-volume 6 accordingly has a conically shaped geometry, which permits a large membrane area, so that the damping action of the membrane 5 is reduced. In order to avoid parasitic volume expansion via an interspace remaining free between the microphone 2 and the housing 3, a sealing element 8, which consists of an elastically deformable material, is arranged between the microphone 2 and the housing 3. In this way, via the sealing element 8, vibration decoupling of the microphone 2 with respect to the housing 3 is simultaneously effected. As a result, the sensitivity of the microphone 2 rises. Instead of the sealing element 8, an elastomer or polymer foam layer 7 can also be arranged between the microphone 2 and the housing 3.

[0033] A modification of the device 1 is illustrated in FIG. 2. Here, the microphone 2 is formed from a printed circuit board 9 and a sensor element 11, which is arranged behind a sound entry opening 10 of the printed circuit board 9 and is soldered to the printed circuit board 9. In this case, the sealing element 8 is arranged between the printed circuit board 9 and the housing 3.

[0034] As can be gathered in particular from FIG. 3, the ante-volume 6 can have different geometries. They all have in common the fact that the cross-sectional area A is larger than the cross-sectional area B. The geometry can in particular be funnel-like, to be specific with a straight contour (see FIG. 3b, FIG. 3e and FIG. 3f) or with a curved contour (see FIG. 3a, FIG. 3c and FIG. 3d), both concave and convex curvatures being possible. Also to be gathered from FIG. 3 is that the membrane 5 can be arranged on the outside (see FIG. 3f) or within the opening 4 (see FIG. 3a to FIG. 3e).

[0035] The cross-sectional areas A and B can be arranged concentrically but do not have to be.

[0036] In addition, the cross-sectional areas A and B can have a shape deviating from the circular shape. Examples are shown in FIGS. 4b to 4f. In FIG. 4f, the cross-sectional areas A and B are arranged to be rotated relative to each other. Alternatively or additionally, the cross-sectional areas A and B can also be arranged to be offset relative to each other (not illustrated).

[0037] Further preferred embodiments of a device 1 according to the invention can be gathered from FIGS. 5 to 8. These differ with regard to the mounting of the microphone 2, the microphone 2 in each case comprising a printed circuit board 9 and a sensor element 11. The membrane 5 is additionally clamped in between a ledge 12 of the housing 3 and a frame 13, so that the membrane 5 in each case comes to lie within the opening 4.

[0038] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the microphone 2 is mounted via a polymer foam layer 9, which is formed between the microphone 2 and the housing 3 and at the same time effects adhesive bonding of the microphone 2 to the housing 3. There is accordingly no direct contact between the microphone 2 and the housing 3.

[0039] In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the microphone 2 is spring-mounted on both sides, since the microphone 2 is clamped in between a polymer foam layer 7 and a sealing element 8.

[0040] In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the microphone 2 is mounted via sealing elements 8 arranged on both sides. Alternatively, here these could also be elastomer or polymer foam layers 7 formed on both sides (see designations in brackets).

[0041] In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the microphone 2 relative to the ante-volume 6 is mounted by a polymer foam layer 7 not covering the printed circuit board 9 completely and, on the side facing away from the ante-volume 6, by small-volume sealing elements 8 which are moved inward.

[0042] The invention is not restricted to the embodiments illustrated. Rather, further embodiments are given by sub-combinations of features which cannot all be illustrated.