Retracting mechanism of vehicular outer mirror device

• US 7,290,890 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Yoshida, Shigeki, Tsujiuchi, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer; Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US11/220,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/877
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle

Abstract

A retracting mechanism for storing or erecting a mirror includes, at a coupled portion of an output shaft of a drive motor and a worm gear, coupling retaining portions fitted together in a press-fitted state and rotational force transmitting portions opposing each other in a state where a predetermined gap is present between them. The coupling retaining portions are configured by a circular shaft portion and a circular fitting hole, and the rotational force transmitting portions are configured by a double D-cut portion and double D-protruding portions. The rotational force of the output shaft is transmitted by the rotational force transmitting portions, and the coupled state of the output shaft and the worm gear is retained on the same axial line and the slanting of the worm gear is prevented by the coupling retaining portions.

Claims

1. A retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device, the retracting mechanism comprising:

a case member that is pivotably supported on a support shaft of a vehicle body and to which a vehicular outer mirror is coupled;

a motor disposed in the case member including an output shaft that rotates around an axis of rotation;

a motor gear that is disposed in the case member, and that has first and second opposing ends including first and second end openings, respectively, said first end opening being coupled to said output shaft of the motor, such that said shaft is rotated by the driving of the motor, and said second end opening being coupled to a gear support shaft;

a gear plate attached to the vehicle body support shaft such that its rotation with respect to the vehicle body support shaft can be prevented; and

intermediate gears that are disposed in the case member and mesh with the motor gear and the gear plate to couple the motor gear and the gear plate together, with the intermediate gears rotating while meshing the periphery of the gear plate in a state where the rotation of the gear plate with respect to the vehicle body support shaft is prevented, whereby the outer mirror is pivoted together with the case member around the vehicle body support shaft,

wherein a coupled portion is formed between the output shaft of the motor and the opening in the first end of the motor gear that includes

coupling retaining portions that are fitted together, and that retain the coupled state of the output shaft of the motor and the motor gear collinear with the axis of rotation, and deter slanting of the motor gear, including a cylindrical surface of said output shaft that slidably interfits with a cylindrical surface of said motor gear, said cylindrical surfaces being rotatably slidable with respect to one another, and

rotational force transmitting portions that oppose each other in a state where a predetermined gap is present between the output shaft of the motor and the motor gear, and transmit only the rotational force of the motor to the motor gear, including a first pair of opposing surfaces on said output shaft that opposes a second pair of opposing surfaces on said motor gear, wherein each pair of opposing surfaces is symmetrical with respect to said axis of rotation.

2. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical surfaces of said coupling retaining portions include a cylindrical portion of the output shaft closest to the motor and a cylindrical hole in the motor gear coupled thereto.

3. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 1, wherein the first and second pairs of opposing surfaces each include two mutually parallel planar surfaces at opposing positions, with their axial centers sandwiched therebetween, in the rotational force transmitting portions.

4. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 1, wherein the coupling retaining portions and the rotational force transmitting portions are spaced apart from each other, and wherein said coupling retaining portions perform all of a function of deterring slanting of the motor gear, and said rotational force transmitting portions perform all of a function of transmitting all of said rotational force.

5. A retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device, the retracting mechanism comprising:

a support shaft fixed to a vehicle body;

a case member that is pivotably supported on the fixed support shaft and that retains a vehicular outer mirror;

a motor disposed in the case member having an output shaft that rotates around an axis of rotation;

a motor gear having first and second opposing ends including first and second end openings, respectively, that is disposed in the case member, said first end opening being coupled to said output shaft of the motor, such that said output shaft is rotated by the driving of the motor, and said second end opening being coupled to a gear support shaft; and

a rotation transmitting mechanism that transmits the rotation of the motor gear to the fixed support shaft to thereby cause the case member to rotate around the fixed support shaft,

wherein a portion where the output shaft of the motor and the first end of the motor gear are coupled together, includes

coupling retaining portions where the output shaft and the motor gear are fitted together and which retain their axial centers collinear with the axis of rotation, including a cylindrical surface of said output shaft that slidably interfits with a cylindrical surface of said motor gear, said cylindrical surfaces being rotatably slidable with respect to one another, and

rotational force transmitting portions where the output shaft and motor gear include mutually opposing surfaces separated by a gap and where rotational force is transmitted between the output shaft and the motor gear via the opposing surfaces, including a first pair of opposing surfaces on said output shaft that opposes a second pair of opposing surfaces on said motor gear, wherein each pair of opposing surfaces is symmetrical with respect to said axis of rotation.

6. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 5, wherein the cylindrical surfaces of the coupling retaining portions include a cylindrical portion of said output shaft and a cylindrical hole in the motor gear.

7. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 6, wherein the cylindrical portion of the output shaft and the cylindrical hole in the motor gear coupled thereto are fitted together in the coupling retaining portions.

8. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 5, wherein each of the pairs of surfaces of the rotational force transmitting portions include two mutually parallel planar surfaces at opposing positions, with their axial centers sandwiched therebetween, in the rotational force transmitting portions.

9. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 5, wherein a gear is attached to the fixed support shaft such that the rotation of the gear is prevented, and the rotation transmitting mechanism transmits rotation to the gear attached to the fixed support shaft attached to the fixed support shaft to thereby cause the case member to rotate around the fixed support shaft.

10. A retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device, the retracting mechanism comprising:

a support shaft fixed to a vehicle body;

a case member that is pivotably supported on the fixed support shaft and that retains a vehicular outer mirror;

a motor disposed in the case member including an output shaft that rotates around an axis of rotation;

a motor gear having first and second opposing ends including first and second end openings, respectively, that is disposed in the case member, said first end opening being coupled to the output shaft of the motor, such that said shaft is rotated by the driving of the motor, and said second end opening being coupled to a gear support shaft; and

a rotation transmitting mechanism that transmits the rotation of the motor gear to the fixed support shaft to thereby cause the case member to rotate around the fixed support shaft,

wherein a portion where the output shaft of the motor and the first end of the motor gear are coupled together, includes

coupling retaining portions where the output shaft and the motor gear are fitted together and which retain their axial centers collinear with the axis of rotation, including a cylindrical surface of said output shaft that slidably interfits with a cylindrical surface of said motor gear, said cylindrical surfaces being rotatably slidable with respect to one another, and

rotational force transmitting portions where the output shaft and the motor gear include planar surfaces that oppose each other in a state where they include a predetermined gap and where rotational force is transmitted between the output shaft and the motor gear via the planar surfaces, including a first pair of mutually parallel opposing surfaces on said output shaft that opposes a second pair of mutually parallel opposing surfaces on said motor gear, wherein each pair of opposing surfaces is symmetrical with respect to said axis of rotation.

11. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 10, wherein the cylindrical surfaces of the coupling retaining portions include a cylindrical portion of said output shaft and a cylindrical hole in the motor gear.

12. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 11 wherein the cylindrical portion of the output shaft and the cylindrical hole in the motor gear coupled thereto are fitted together in the coupling retaining portions.

13. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 10, wherein the mutually parallel planar surfaces at opposing positions of each pair of surfaces is arranged, with their axial centers sandwiched therebetween, in the rotational force transmitting portions.

14. The retracting mechanism of a vehicular outer mirror device of claim 10, wherein a gear is attached to the fixed support shaft such that the rotation of the gear attached to the fixed support shaft is prevented, and the rotation transmitting mechanism transmits rotation to the gear attached to the fixed support shaft to thereby cause the case member to rotate around the fixed support shaft.