MIRROR FOR AN AUTOMOBILE

• US 20100188763A1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Inventors: KITAGAWA, Fumitaka, FUKAI, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 8,215,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/06 using friction, e.g. spin welding non-plastics elements to plastic elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1635 at least passing through one of the parts to be joined, i.e. laser transmission welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1641 making use of a reflector on the opposite side, e.g. a polished mandrel or a mirror pressing means reflective to electromagnetic radiation B29C66/81268
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/169 being a part of the joined article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30221 said melt initiators being point-like
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/545 one hollow-preform being placed inside the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73341 at least one of the parts to be joined being glossy or reflective
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/08 Polymers of acrylic acid esters, e.g. PMA, i.e. polymethylacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/002 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/0058 Mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/737 Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/02 Rear-view mirror arrangements periscope arrangements B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/182 for mirrors

Abstract

In a mirror for an automobile, the adoption of resin mirror body to a mirror plate can decrease the weight of the mirror body, and the mirror plate is fixed onto a mirror holder through the welding. Therefore, this eliminates the usage of both-sided adhesive tape or adhesive agent, makes assembly processes less complicated, and thus the reduction in production cost is achieved. Furthermore, since the mirror plate can be fixed onto the mirror holder firmly and strongly even when the mirror plate is not pressed strongly to the mirror holder, excessive load on the mirror holder or the mirror plate becomes avoided. In addition, at the time of the production stage, some dimensional variation in the edge part of the mirror holder or the peripheral edge of the mirror plate becomes easily acceptable.

Claims

1. A mirror for an automobile, which includes a reflection mirror having a constitution such that a mirror plate is retained by a mirror holder, wherein

the mirror plate comprises a mirror body made of transparent resins, and a reflection part formed in the mirror body, and the mirror plate is fixed onto the mirror holder through the welding of an abutting area between the mirror holder and the mirror body.

2. The mirror for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein

the mirror holder is made of resin material capable of absorbing laser beam and has an edge part abutting on peripheral edge of the mirror plate, and

by irradiating the inner wall surface of the edge part with the laser beam having passed through the mirror body of the mirror plate, a melting part formed by melting the inner wall surface of the edge part fixes the mirror holder onto the mirror plate.

3. The mirror for an automobile according to claim 2, wherein

the melting part is formed by the laser beam which reaches the inner wall surface of the edge part after the laser beam has been reflected at the reflection part of the mirror plate.

4. The mirror for an automobile according to claim 2, wherein

the melting part is formed by the laser beam which is entered into the mirror body to reach the inner wall surface of the edge part after the laser beam having passed through an opening formed in the edge part of the mirror holder.