Outside mirror assembly for vehicle

• US 7,104,662 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Misato Industries Company Limited (Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Kawanishi, Joichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US11/125,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20050254153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 359/838, 359/871, 359/872, 362/494
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

An outside mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror housing; an accessory part; a temporary fixing unit that temporarily fixes the accessory part to the mirror housing; and a permanent fixing unit that permanently fixes the accessory part to the mirror housing. The temporary fixing unit includes a first guide positioning part provided in the mirror housing and a second guide positioning part provided in the accessory part. The first and the second guide positioning parts perform a positioning of the accessory part with a first guide in a first direction and a second guide in a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to a direction of setting the accessory part to the mirror housing, respectively, and substantially perpendicular to each other.

Claims

1. An outside mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a mirror housing that encloses a mirror;

an accessory part including at least one of an illuminator or an imaging unit;

a temporary fixing unit that temporarily fixes the accessory part to the mirror housing; and

a permanent fixing unit that permanently fixes the accessory part to the mirror housing, wherein

the temporary fixing unit is formed with a first guide positioning part provided in the mirror housing and a second guide positioning part provided in the accessory part,

the first guide positioning part and the second guide positioning part perform, when temporarily fixing the accessory part to the mirror housing, a positioning of the accessory part with a first guide in a first direction and a second guide in a second direction, and the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to each other, wherein

either of the first guide positioning part and the second guide positioning part is formed with a plate having a substantially V-shaped groove of which a width becomes narrower along a direction of setting the accessory part to the mirror housing, and

an other of the first guide positioning part and the second guide positioning part includes an engagement plate that engages into an edge of the substantially V-shaped groove, and two pieces of holding parts that are provided in opposing ends of the engagement plate which hold the plate having the substantially V-shaped groove from both sides.

2. An outside minor assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a mirror housing that encloses a mirror;

an accessory part including at least one of an illuminator or an imaging unit;

a temporary fixing unit that temporarily fixes the accessory part to the mirror housing; and

a permanent fixing unit that permanently fixes the accessory part to the mirror housing, wherein

the temporary fixing unit is formed with a first guide positioning part provided in the mirror housing and a second guide positioning part provided in the accessory part,

the first guide positioning part and the second guide positioning part perform, when temporarily fixing the accessory part to the mirror housing, a positioning of the accessory part with a first guide in a first direction and a second guide in a second direction, and

the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to a direction of setting the accessory part to the mirror housing, respectively, and substantially perpendicular to each other, wherein

either of the first guide positioning part and the second guide positioning part is formed with a plate having a substantially V-shaped groove of which a width becomes narrower along the direction of setting the accessory part to the mirror housing, and

an other of the first guide positioning part and the second guide positioning part includes an engagement plate that engages into an edge of the substantially V-shaped groove, and two pieces of holding parts that are provided in opposing ends of the engagement plate which hold the plate having the substantially V-shaped groove from both sides.

3. The outside mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein

a thickness of the engagement plate is substantially equal to or slightly wider than a width of a back of the V-shaped groove, and

inner surfaces of the two pieces of the holding parts are slightly sloped so as to be widened from the engagement plate toward an outer side of the holding parts.

4. The outside mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein

the permanent fixing unit includes

at least one boss part provided in either one of the mirror housing or the accessory part in the direction of setting the accessory part to the mirror housing;

at least one fixing part provided in an other of the mirror housing or the accessory part corresponding to the at least one boss part; and

a screw that secures the at least one fixing part to the at least one boss part, and

the fixing part includes a through-hole into which the screw is inserted and a recess part into which the boss part is fitted, provided in the direction of setting the accessory part to the mirror housing.

5. The outside mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein

the direction of setting the accessory part to the mirror housing is a direction from a front side toward a back side of the mirror housing,

the first direction is a horizontal direction of the mirror housing, and

the second direction is a vertical direction of the mirror housing, and

the accessory part is temporarily fixed to the mirror housing by dropping the accessory part into the mirror housing with the back side of the mirror housing downward.