VEHICLE DOOR MIRROR

• US 20130051047A1
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Misato Industries Company Limited (Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: ENDOH, Tetsuya, HONDA, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,888,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/494
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

In a vehicle door mirror, Between a circumferential edge of a mirror body 2 of a reflection mirror unit 1 in which a lighting unit 10 is incorporated and a flange on a circumferential edge 3a of a holder 3, a gap 4 for light emission is provided in a state in which the circumferential edges thereof are partially spaced from each other in a radial direction, and in the gap, a light emitting portion 10L of the lighting unit 10 is secondarily disposed. In this manner, a driver can directly visually recognize light that is emitted from the light emitting portion 10L, and a decrease in reflection area of the mirror body 2, which is caused by forming the gap 4, can be restrained to its required minimum level, making it possible to ensure an effective field of view of the door mirror.

Claims

1. A vehicle door mirror comprising:

between a circumferential edge of a mirror body of a reflection mirror unit and a flange on a circumferential edge of a holder adapted to hold the mirror body, providing a gap for light emission in which the circumferential edges thereof are formed to be partially spaced from each other in a radial direction; and

in the gap, secondarily disposing a light emitting portion of a lighting unit.

2. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 1, wherein

the holder comprises, at a circumferential side proximal position that corresponds to the gap, a recessed portion adapted to form a closed space with respect to a back face of the mirror body, and

in the recessed portion, a circuit board that includes an optical system of the lighting unit is arranged.

3. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 2, wherein

the optical system of the lighting unit comprises a light source and a light guide adapted to receive light that is emitted from the light source and then guide the received light to a light emission surface, and

the light emission surface of the light guide is employed as the light emitting portion.

4. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 3, wherein

the light guide is molded separately from the holder, whereas the recessed portion of the holder comprises a groove portion with which the light guide is capable of engaging, and

the light guide is engaged with the groove portion, and is fixed by means of welding or adhesive bonding.

5. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 4, wherein

the light guide comprises an engagingly stop stepped portion that is adjacent to the light emission surface, the stepped portion being molded in a stepped manner to be lower than the light emission surface, the stepped portion being adapted to engagingly stop at a circumferential edge portion of the mirror body.

6. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 3, wherein the light guide is integrally molded with the holder by means of two color molding.

7. A vehicle door mirror comprising:

housing and arranging a circuit board that includes an optical system of a lighting unit, between a circumferential edge of the mirror body and a holder adapted to hold the mirror body,

between a circumferential edge of a mirror body of a reflection mirror unit and a flange on a circumferential edge of a holder adapted to hold the mirror body, providing a gap for light emission in which the circumferential edges thereof are formed to be partially spaced from each other in a radial direction; and

in the gap, secondarily disposing a light emitting portion of a lighting unit.

8. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 7, wherein

the holder comprises, at a circumferential side proximal position that corresponds to the gap, a recessed portion adapted to form a closed space with respect to a back face of the mirror body, and

in the recessed portion, a circuit board that includes an optical system of the lighting unit is arranged.

9. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 8, wherein

an opening of the recessed portion is closed by means of a cap, and

the mirror body is adhesively bonded and fixed over the cap and a general portion of the holder.

10. The vehicle door minor according to claim 7, wherein

the optical system of the lighting unit comprises a light source and a light guide adapted to receive light that is emitted from the light source and then guide the received light to a light emission surface, and

the light emission surface of the light guide is employed as the light emitting portion.

11. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 10, wherein the cap is integrally molded with the light guide.

12. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 8, wherein

the recessed portion does not have an opening hole other than a power conducting member arrangement hole and a ventilation hole, and

the ventilation hole is closed by means of a ventilation waterproof film.