Vehicle mirror device

• US 6,682,200 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Tsuyama, Osamu, Kikuchi, Akito
• Primary Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US10/262,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20030086189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 359/876, 359/877, 359/864, 359/865, 359/871, 359/872, 359/873, 359/841, 359/850, 359/862, 248/478
• US Class Current: 359/876
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

A pivot portion is press-fitted to the inside hollow portion of a pivot receiver, thereby the pivot receiver wraps the pivot portion from outside. A spring member is also fitted to the outside on one end side of the pivot receiver, thereby the pivot receiver fastens the pivot portion from outside. As a result, the outer face of the pivot portion and the inner face of the hollow portion of the pivot receiver are abutted on each other securely all the time, thereby the mirror unit is held always stably with respect to the holding member. As a result, the mirror face can be held reliably at a predetermined tilted position all the time.

Claims

1. A vehicle mirror device in which a mirror unit is tiltably held by a holding member via a pivot mechanism, wherein the pivot mechanism comprises:

a pivot receiver provided in the mirror unit or the holding member, which has a hollow portion provided inside thereof, wherein an opening communicating with the hollow portion is provided at one end thereof;

a pivot portion provided in the other of the mirror unit and the holding member, which is tiltably press-fitted to the hollow portion from the opening of the pivot receiver; and

a spring member fitted around and to the outside of the hollow portion of the pivot receiver, which fastens the pivot receiver onto the pivot portion.

2. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the external shape of the pivot portion is substantially spherical,

a spherical inner face, which resiliently abuts on the spherical outer face of the pivot portion slidably, is provided on the inner side of the hollow portion of the pivot receiver, and

a neck portion having an inner diameter smaller than the largest outer diameter of the pivot portion is provided on the inner side of the opening of the pivot receiver.

3. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the one end of the pivot portion is provided in the other of the mirror unit and the holding member via a shank, and a chamfered portion is provided at the other end of the pivot portion, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the shank, and a small protrusion is provided substantially at the center of the chamfered portion, and

a flat portion is provided at the other end of the pivot receiver, always with a space between the chamfered portion and itself, against which the small protrusion abuts all the time.

4. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 1, wherein one end of the pivot receiver is provided in the mirror unit or the holding member, and a plurality of slits are provided on the one end of the pivot receiver.

5. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 1, wherein a press-fit guiding face which guides press-fit of the pivot portion is formed on the inner side of the opening of the pivot receiver, gradually enlarged towards the edge of the opening.

6. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 1, wherein a temporary holder for the spring member is provided at the other end of the pivot receiver, and by press-fitting the spring member temporarily held by the temporary holder from the temporary holder to the one end of the pivot receiver, the spring member is fitted to the outside on the one end side of the pivot receiver.

7. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of engaging protrusions for preventing the spring member from coming off is provided on the other end side than the fitting section, to which the spring member is fitted, outside of the one end of the pivot receiver.

8. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 1, wherein one end of the pivot receiver is provided in the mirror unit or the holding member, and slits are provided on the one end of the pivot receiver,

engaging protrusions for preventing the spring member from coming off are provided on the other end side than the fitting section, to which the spring member is fitted, outside of the one end of the pivot receiver, and

the slits and the engaging protrusions are provided corresponding to each other, and the slits are also used as holes for pulling out a mold for forming the engaging protrusions.

9. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the pivot portion is formed hollow, and a plurality of ribs are formed inside of the hollow pivot portion.

10. A remote-control type vehicle mirror device in which a mirror unit is held by a power unit as a holding member via a pivot mechanism, tiltably in horizontal and vertical directions, wherein the pivot mechanism comprises:

a pivot receiver provided in the mirror unit, which has a hollow portion provided inside thereof, wherein an opening communicating with the hollow portion is provided at one end thereof;

a pivot portion provided in the power unit, which is tiltably press-fitted to the hollow portion from the opening of the pivot receiver; and

a spring member fitted around and to the outside of the hollow portion of the pivot receiver, which fastens the pivot receiver onto the pivot portion.

11. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 10, wherein the external shape of the pivot portion is substantially spherical,

a spherical inner face, which resiliently abuts on the spherical outer face of the pivot portion slidably, is provided on the inner side of the hollow portion of the pivot receiver, and

a neck portion having an inner diameter smaller than the largest outer diameter of the pivot portion is provided on the inner side of the opening of the pivot receiver.

12. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 10, wherein the one end of the pivot portion is provided in the power unit via a shank, and a chamfered portion is provided at the other end of the pivot portion, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the shank, and a small protrusion is provided substantially at the center of the chamfered portion, and

a flat portion is provided at the other end of the pivot receiver, always with a space between the chamfered portion and itself, on which the small protrusion abuts all the time.

13. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 10, wherein one end of the pivot receiver is provided in the mirror unit, and slits are provided on the one end of the pivot receiver.

14. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 10, wherein a press-fit guiding face which guides press-fit of the pivot portion is formed on the inner side of the opening of the pivot receiver, gradually enlarged towards the edge of the opening.

15. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 10, wherein a temporary holder for the spring member is provided at the other end of the pivot receiver, and by press-fitting the spring member temporarily held by the temporary holder from the temporary holder to the one end of the pivot receiver, the spring member is fitted to the outside on the one end side of the pivot receiver.

16. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 10, wherein engaging protrusions for preventing the spring member from coming off are provided on the other end side than the fitting section, to which the spring member is fitted, outside of the one end of the pivot receiver.

17. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 10, wherein one end of the pivot receiver is provided in the mirror unit, and slits are provided on the one end of the pivot receiver,

engaging protrusions for preventing the spring member from coming off are provided on the other end side than the fitting section, to which the spring member is fitted, outside of the one end of the pivot receiver, and

the slits and the engaging protrusions are provided corresponding to each other, and the slits are also used as holes for pulling out a mold for forming the engaging protrusions.

18. The vehicle mirror device according to claim 10, wherein the inside of the pivot portion is formed hollow, and ribs are formed inside of the hollow pivot portion.