Mirror surface angle adjusting device

• US 6,550,923 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Masato, Tsujiuchi, Yoshio, Ogasawara, Morihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US09/843,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20010040744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/871, 359/872, 359/876, 359/877, 359/873, 359/874, 248/479, 248/480, 248/481, 248/483, 248/484, 248/485
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

A mirror surface angle adjusting device is provided which can be used at both left and right outer mirror devices of a vehicle. At a mirror driving unit, positional relationships between respective points (fulcrum of swinging A1 and A2, first adjusting points B1 and B2, second adjusting points C1 and C2, first mounting points D1 and D2, second mounting points E1 and E2, and third mounting points F1 and F2) are set such that the points have line symmetry with respect to 45° direction reference lines P1, P2. Accordingly, from a functional standpoint as well, there are no obstacles at a time of mounting, and as a result, a same type of mirror driving unit can be used at both a left door mirror device and a right door mirror device.

Claims

1. A mirror surface angle adjusting device for mounting in a rear view vehicle outer mirror device, the mirror surface angle adjusting device comprising:

a pivot portion which swingably supports a holding member for holding a mirror body;

a first adjusting device connected to the holding member, and which swings the holding member, in one of a vertical direction and a left-and-right direction, around the pivot portion by receiving driving force and being displaced;

a second adjusting device connected to the holding member, and which swings the holding member, in another of the vertical direction and the left-and-right direction, around the pivot portion by receiving driving force and being displaced; and

a housing which accommodates the pivot portion, the first adjusting device, and the second adjusting device, and the housing including a plurality of mounting portions for mounting in the rear view vehicle outer mirror device,

wherein in a case in which the mirror surface angle adjusting device is mounted in a rear view vehicle outer mirror device disposed at an exterior of a vehicle, a first adjustment point of the first adjusting device and a second adjustment point of the second adjusting device have line symmetry with respect to a 45°

direction reference line which forms an angle of elevation of substantially 45°

with respect to a vehicle transverse direction reference line passing through a fulcrum of swinging of the pivot portion and which passes through the fulcrum of swinging, and positional relationships of mounting points of the plurality of mounting portions are set such that the mounting points have line symmetry with respect to the 45°

direction reference line.

2. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of mounting points comprises three points, said one of the mounting points being set on the 45°

direction reference line, and second mounting and third mounting points set at positions which are substantially line symmetry with respect to the 45°

direction reference line.

3. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 2, wherein the first adjusting point is set on a vertical direction line which passes through the fulcrum of swinging, and the second adjusting point is set on a horizontal direction line which passes through the fulcrum of swinging.

4. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the first adjusting point is set on a vertical direction line which passes through the fulcrum of swinging, and the second adjusting point is set on a horizontal direction line which passes through the fulcrum of swinging.

5. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the first adjusting device moves in an axial direction relative to the first adjusting device due to receipt of the driving force, and the second adjusting device moves in an axial direction relative to the second adjusting device due to receipt of the driving force.

6. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the mirror body include a mirror surface, the mirror surface angle adjusting device further comprising:

a mirror angle detecting device for independently detecting a vertical direction angle of the mirror surface and a left-and-right direction angle of the mirror surface.

7. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 6, wherein the mirror angle detecting device includes a first member for detecting the left-and-right direction angle, the first member comprising a distal end portion, a second member for detecting the vertical direction angle, the second member comprising a distal end portion, and a spherical member held rollably at the distal end portion of each of the first member and the second member, and a compression coil spring disposed between the first member and the spherical member corresponding to the first member, and another compression coil spring disposed between the second member and the spherical member corresponding to the second member.

8. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a front housing disposed at a vehicle front side and a rear housing disposed at a vehicle rear side, and the front housing and the rear housing mating together, when the mirror surface angle adjusting device is being used in a rear view vehicle outer mirror device.

9. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 8, wherein the housing generally corresponds to a thin, square, flat-plate shape.

10. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 8, wherein the pivot portion comprises a spherical receiving portion including a hemispherical concave portion comprising a bottom and formed integrally with the rear housing, a hemispherical retainer including a bottom and formed smaller in size than the spherical receiving portion and received therein, a compression coil spring urging the retainer toward the spherical receiving portion, and a screw.

11. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 10, wherein the spherical receiving portion comprises a cylindrical holding portion and includes a bottom, a boss corresponding in shape to an elongated cylinder formed at an axially central portion of the holding portion, and a spherical supporting portion extending radially outward from the holding portion.

12. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 11, wherein the retainer comprises a cylindrical shaft portion inserted in the holding portion of the spherical reeiving portion, and a spherical pressing portion extending radially outward from an intermediate portion of the shaft portion.

13. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 12, wherein the holding member includes a shaft supporting portion, with the shaft supporting portion nipped between the spherical supporting portion of the spherical receiving portion and the spherical pressing portion of the retainer.

14. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 13, wherein the shaft supporting portion of the holding member is formed hemispherically at a substantially central portion of the holding member, and a through hole, whose diameter is greater than an outer diameter of the shaft portion of the retainer, is formed in a center of the shaft supporting portion.

15. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 14, wherein the shaft portion comprises a bottom portion including a boss insertion hole defined therein at the retainer, through which the boss is inserted, and when the compression coil spring is disposed between the shaft portion of the retainer and the boss, the screw is screwed into the boss.

16. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 15, wherein urging force from the compression coil spring is applied to the shaft supporting portion of the holding member via the retainer, and the shaft supporting portion of the holding member swingably supports the spherical receiving portion.

17. A mirror surface angle adjusting device for mounting in a rear view vehicle outer mirror device, the mirror surface angle adjusting device comprising:

a pivot portion which swingably supports a holding member for holding a mirror body;

a first adjusting device connected to the holding member, and which swings the holding member, in one of a vertical direction and a left-and-right direction, around the pivot portion by receiving driving force and being displaced;

a second adjusting device connected to the holding member, and which swings the holding member, in another of the vertical direction and the left-and-right direction, around the pivot portion by receiving driving force and being displaced; and

a housing which accommodates the pivot portion, the first adjusting device, and the second adjusting device, and the housing including a plurality of mounting portions for mounting in the rear view vehicle outer mirror device,

wherein in a case in which a straight line which passes through a fulcrum of swinging of the pivot portion and a first adjusting point of the first adjusting device is a first straight line, a second adjusting point of the second adjusting device passes through the fulcrum of swinging and is positioned on a second straight line which is orthogonal with respect to the first straight line, and the first adjusting point and the second adjusting point have line symmetry with respect to a 45°

direction reference line which forms an angle of elevation of substantially 45°

with respect to the second straight line and which passes through the fulcrum of swinging, and positional relationships of mounting points of the plurality of mounting portions are set such that the mounting points have line symmetry with respect to the 45°

direction reference line.

18. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 17, wherein the first adjusting device moves in an axial direction relative to the first adjusting device due to receipt of the driving force, and the second adjusting device moves in an axial direction relative to the second adjusting device due to receipt of the driving force.

19. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 17, wherein the mirror body include a mirror surface, the mirror surface angle adjusting device further comprising:

a mirror angle detecting device for independently detecting a vertical direction angle of the mirror surface and a left-and-right direction angle of the mirror surface.

20. A mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 19, wherein the mirror angle detecting device includes a first member for detecting the left-and-right direction angle, the first member comprising a distal end portion, a second member for detecting the vertical direction angle, the second member comprising a distal end portion, and a spherical member held rollably at the distal end portion of each of the first member and the second member, and a compression coil spring disposed between the first member and the spherical member corresponding to the first member, and another compression coil spring disposed between the second member and the spherical member corresponding to the second member.