Door mirror

• US 10,077,000 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Fuji, Kei, Nagano, Hisashi, Ikeo, Masahiko, Masatani, Motonari
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US15/067,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 359841, 359877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/078 easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers

Abstract

A door mirror is disposed at a side of a vehicle body, and the door mirror includes a mirror body that is provided at a tip of a door mirror stay extending from the side of the vehicle body in at least one of a width direction and a vertical direction of the vehicle body, and an actuator that changes an interval between the vehicle body and the mirror body. The mirror body is actuated in accordance with at least any of a traveling environment and a passenger state.

Claims

1. A door mirror disposed at a side of a vehicle body, the door mirror comprising:

a mirror body provided at a tip of a door mirror stay that extends from the side of the vehicle body in at least one of a width direction of the vehicle body and a vertical direction of the vehicle body; and

an actuator configured to change an interval between the vehicle body and the mirror body based on at least a temperature outside a vehicle that is equipped with the door mirror and based on a traveling speed of the vehicle, wherein the temperature outside the vehicle is less than a determined temperature, and

wherein the actuator includes;

a pivot shaft along the vertical direction of the vehicle body, and

a pivoting member configured to pivot an outward end of the mirror body, with respect to the width direction of the vehicle body, backward around the pivot shaft.

2. The door mirror according to claim 1, wherein the mirror body includes:

a mirror that includes a mirror surface that faces backward with respect to an advancing direction of the vehicle, and

a cover over at least a front portion of the mirror, wherein the front portion of the mirror faces in the advancing direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the pivot shaft is configured to switch between a first state in which the mirror is connected to the pivot shaft and the cover is disconnected from the pivot shaft, and a second state in which both the mirror and the cover are connected to the pivot shaft.

3. The door mirror according to claim 1, wherein the mirror body includes:

a mirror that includes a mirror surface that faces backward with respect to an advancing direction of the vehicle, and

a cover over at least a front portion of the mirror, wherein the front portion of the mirror faces in the advancing direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the actuator is configured to pivot the cover backward with respect to the advancing direction of the vehicle, while a posture of the mirror relative to the vehicle body remains unchanged.

4. A door mirror disposed at a side of a vehicle body, the door mirror comprising:

a mirror body provided at a tip of a door mirror stay that extends from the side of the vehicle body in at least one of a width direction of the vehicle body and a vertical direction of the vehicle body; and

an actuator configured to change an interval between the vehicle body and the mirror body based on at least a temperature outside a vehicle that is equipped with the door mirror and based on a traveling speed of the vehicle, wherein the temperature outside the vehicle is less than a determined temperature, and

wherein a change amount of the interval between the mirror body and the vehicle body is variable based on a sitting state of a passenger inside the vehicle, wherein the sitting state of the passenger is based on a detection of the passenger in at least one of a front seat of the vehicle or a back seat of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body; and

a door mirror disposed at a side of the vehicle body, the door mirror comprising;

a door mirror stay that extends from the side of the vehicle body in at least one of a width direction of the vehicle body and a vertical direction of the vehicle body;

a mirror body provided at a tip of the door mirror stay; and

an actuator configured to change an interval between the vehicle body and the mirror body based on at least a temperature outside the vehicle, and based on a traveling speed of the vehicle, wherein the temperature outside the vehicle is less than a determined temperature, and

wherein the actuator includes;

a pivot shaft along the vertical direction of the vehicle body, and

a pivoting member configured to pivot an outward end of the mirror body, with respect to the width direction of the vehicle body, backward around the pivot shaft.

6. A vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body; and

a door mirror disposed at a side of the vehicle body, the door mirror comprising;

a door mirror stay that extends from the side of the vehicle body in at least one of a width direction of the vehicle body and a vertical direction of the vehicle body;

a mirror body provided at a tip of the door mirror stay; and

an actuator configured to change an interval between the vehicle body and the mirror body based on at least a temperature outside the vehicle and based on a traveling speed of the vehicle, wherein the temperature outside the vehicle is less than a determined temperature, and

wherein a change amount of the interval between the mirror body and the vehicle body is variable based on a sitting state of a passenger inside the vehicle, wherein the sitting state of the passenger is based on a detection of the passenger in at least one of a front seat of the vehicle or a back seat of the vehicle.