Mirror device for a vehicle

• US 7,033,033 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ishigami, Narumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amari, Alessandro
• Application Number:
  US10/609,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/876, 359/877, 248/476, 248/479, 248/487
• US Class Current: 359/872
• 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

In order to eliminate use of assembling equipment for assembling a holding member to a supporting member, a mirror device for a vehicle, having the holding member which holds a mirror and the supporting member which is connected to a vehicle body and assembled with the holding member, comprising an engage-member provided in one of the holding member or the supporting member, the engage-member having elasticity in a first direction and having rigidity in a second direction, and an engagement claw provided in the other of the holding member and the supporting member, the engagement claw having a protruding portion, wherein the holding member is assembled to the supporting member by the protruding portion of the engagement claw being engaged with the engage-member in the second direction due to that the protruding portion causes the engage-member to elastically deform in the first direction, and passes over the engage-member, is provided.

Claims

1. A mirror device for a vehicle, having a mirror angle adjustment mechanism which holds and selectively tilts a mirror for a vehicle operator for said operator to visualize rearward, and a door mirror visor which is connected to a vehicle body and which is assembled with said minor angle adjustment mechanism, said door mirror visor supporting the mirror via said mirror angle adjustment mechanism,

said device comprising:

an engage-member provided in one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door minor visor, said engage-member having elasticity in a first direction and having rigidity in a second direction; and

an engagement claw provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, the engagement claw having a protruding portion,

an engagement hole provided in one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, and an engagement protrusion provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, said engagement protrusion being engaged with said engagement hole when said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor,

wherein said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor by the protruding portion of said engagement claw being engaged with said engage-member in the second direction due to that the protruding portion causes said engage-member to elastically deform in the first direction, and passes over said engage-member.

2. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor, said door mirror visor presses said mirror angle adjustment mechanism toward said door minor visor, thereby allowing said mirror angle adjustment mechanism to abut on said door mirror visor.

3. A mirror device for a vehicle, having a mirror angle adjustment mechanism which holds and selectively tilts a mirror for a vehicle operator for said operator to visualize rearward;

and a door mirror visor which is connected to a vehicle body and which is assembled wit said mirror angle adjustment mechanism, said door mirror visor supporting the mirror via said mirror angle adjustment mechanism,

said device comprising;

an engage-member provided in one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, said engage-member having elasticity in a first direction and having rigidity in a second direction; and

an engagement claw provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor,

wherein said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor by said engagement claw being engaged with said engage-member in the second direction after said engage-member is elastically deformed by said engagement claw in the first direction, and

wherein the first direction is a direction perpendicular to an assembling direction of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism and said door mirror visor, and the second direction is parallel to the assembling direction.

4. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said engage-member is formed such that a plate-shape member is bent in a substantially U-form, and a central portion of the plate-shape member is engaged with a protrusion formed on said engagement claw.

5. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

an engagement hole provided in one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor; and

an engagement protrusion provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism and said door mirror visor, said engagement protrusion being engaged with said engagement hole when said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor.

6. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said engagement protrusion has protrusions on a tip end thereof, and said engagement hole is a tube-shape.

7. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said engagement protrusion is a plate-shape member, and said engagement hole is formed by a pair of plate-shape members.

8. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said engage-member and said engagement hole are formed on a single member.

9. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the single member is a tube-shape member, and a pair of slits are formed on the tube-shape member so as to have elasticity in the first direction.

10. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said engagement claw and said engagement protrusion are formed on a single member.

11. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the single member is a protruding member having protrusions on a tip end thereof.

12. A mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein a predetermined gap is formed between said engagement claw and said engage-member in a state in which said engagement protrusion is engaged with said engagement hole.

13. A mirror device for a vehicle, having a mirror angle adjustment mechanism which holds and selectively tilts a mirror for a vehicle operator for said operator to visualize rearward, and a door mirror visor which is connected to a vehicle body and which is assembled with said mirror angle adjustment mechanism, said door mirror visor supporting the mirror via said mirror angle adjustment mechanism,

said device comprising:

an engage-member provided in one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, said engage-member having elasticity in a first direction and having rigidity in a second direction; and

an engagement claw provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, the engagement claw having a protruding portion,

wherein said engage-member in the second direction due to that the protruding portion causes said engage-member to elastically deform in the first direction, and passes over said engage-member,

wherein a plurality of said engage-members are provided in the one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor so as to be arranged in a circumferential manner at substantially same intervals therebetween, end a plurality of said engagement claws are provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor so as to be arranged in a circumferential manner at substantially same intervals therebetween.

14. A mirror device for a vehicle, having a mirror angle adjustment mechanism which holds and selectively tilts a mirror for a vehicle operator for said operator to visualize rearward;

and a door mirror visor which is connected to a vehicle body and which is assembled with said mirror angle adjustment mechanism, said door mirror visor supporting the mirror via said mirror angle adjustment mechanism, said device comprising;

an engage-member provided in one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, said engage-member having elasticity in a first direction and having rigidity in a second direction; and

an engagement claw provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor,

wherein said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor by said engagement claw being engaged with said engage-member in the second direction after said engage-member is elastically deformed by said engagement claw in the first direction, and

wherein said engage-member is a substantially U-shaped member in a view seen from the second direction, a central portion thereof being elastically deformable in the first direction, and said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor by a protrusion formed on said engagement claw being engaged with the central portion of said engage-member in the second direction after the central portion of said engagement-member is elastically deformed by the protrusion of said engagement claw in the direction.

15. A mirror device for a vehicle, having a mirror angle adjustment mechanism which holds and selectively tilts a mirror for a vehicle operator for said operator to visualize rearward;

and a door mirror visor which is connected to a vehicle body and which is assembled with said mirror angle adjustment mechanism, said door mirror visor supporting the mirror via said mirror angle adjustment mechanism,

said device comprising;

an engage-member provided in one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, said engage-member having elasticity in a first direction and having rigidity in a second direction; and

an engagement claw provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor,

wherein said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor by said engagement claw being engaged with said engage-member in the second direction after said engage-member is elastically deformed by said engagement claw in the first direction, and

wherein a plurality of said engage-members are provided in the one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor so as to be arranged in a circumferential manner at substantially same intervals therebetween, and a plurality of said engagement claws are provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor so as to be arranged in a circumferential manner at substantially saint intervals therebetween.

16. A mirror device for a vehicle, having a mirror angle adjustment mechanism which holds ad selectively tilts a mirror for a vehicle operator for said operator to visualize rearward;

and a door mirror visor which is connected to a vehicle body and which is assembled with said mirror angle adjustment mechanism, said door mirror visor supporting the mirror via said mirror angle adjustment mechanism,

said device comprising;

an engage-member provided in one of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor, said engage-member having elasticity in a first direction and having rigidity in a second direction; and

an engagement claw provided in the other of said mirror angle adjustment mechanism or said door mirror visor,

wherein said mirror angle adjustment mechanism is assembled to said door mirror visor by said engagement claw being engaged with said engage-member in the second direction after said engage-member is elastically deformed by said engagement claw in the first direction,

wherein said engage-member is formed such that a plate-shape member is bent in substantially U-form, and a central portion of the plate-shape member is engaged with a protrusion formed on said engagement claw.