Vehicle side mirror

• US 7,815,325 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Misato Industries Company Limited (Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Shinohara, Teruaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cherry; Euncha P
• Application Number:
  US12/142,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20080316627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 359/511, 359/871
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicle side mirror includes: a housing attached to a vehicle and holding a mirror; and a cover member being attachable to the housing, the cover member and the housing forming an integral outer shape of the vehicle side mirror when the cover member is appropriately attached to the housing. The cover member includes a cover-side identification part, and the housing includes a housing-side identification part which allows the cover member being paired with the housing to be appropriately attached to the housing, and which prevents the cover member not being paired with the housing from being appropriately attached to the housing, in cooperation with the cover-side identification part.

Claims

1. A vehicle side mirror, comprising:

a housing of a first specification attached to a vehicle and holding a mirror; and

a cover member of the first specification being attachable to the housing of the first specification, the cover member of the first specification and the housing of the first specification forming an integral outer shape of the vehicle side minor when the cover member of the first specification is appropriately attached to the housing of the first specification, wherein

in order to prevent wrong attachment of the housing of the first specification and the cover member of the first specification to a housing and a cover member of a second specification different from the first specification,

the cover member of the first specification includes a cover-side identification part, and

the housing of the first specification includes a housing-side identification part which allows the cover member of the first specification being paired with the housing of the first specification to be appropriately attached to the housing of the first specification, and which prevents the cover member of the second specification not being paired with the housing of the first specification from being appropriately attached to the housing of the first specification, in cooperation with the cover-side identification part of the first specification.

2. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 1, wherein

a housing-side facing-surface edge portion of a housing-side facing surface, on a side to which the cover member of the first specification is attached, of the housing of the first specification and a cover-side facing-surface edge portion of a cover-side facing surface, on a side which is attached to the housing of the first specification, of the cover member of the first specification are shaped to be matched with each other, and

when the cover member of the first specification is attached to the housing of the first specification in such a manner that the housing-side facing-surface edge portion and the cover-side facing-surface edge portion are brought into contact with each other while coinciding with each other, the integral outer shape is formed by the housing of the first specification and the cover member of the first specification.

3. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 1, wherein

the housing-side identification part is formed on the housing-side facing surface,

the cover-side identification part is formed on the cover-side facing surface and at a position facing the housing-side identification part when the cover member of the first specification is appropriately attached to the housing of the first specification,

when the cover member of the second specification, not being paired with the housing of the first specification provided with the housing-side identification part, is attempted to be attached to the housing of the first specification, the housing-side identification part interferes with the cover-side identification part of the cover member of the second specification to prevent the cover member of the second specification from being appropriately attached to the housing of the first specification, and

when the cover member of the first specification, being paired with the housing of the first specification provided with the housing-side identification part, is attempted to be attached to the housing of the first specification, the housing-side identification part allows the cover member of the first specification to be attached to the housing of the first specification without interfering with the cover-side identification part of the cover member of the first specification.

4. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 3, wherein

the cover-side identification part has a projection portion that projects from the cover-side facing surface in an attachment direction to the housing of the first specification,

the housing-side identification part has a projection portion that projects from the housing-side facing surface in an attachment direction to the cover member of the first specification, and

the cover-side identification part and the housing-side identification part interfere with each other when projected ends of the respective projection portions thereof abut on each other, and do not interfere with each other when the projection portions thereof are positioned in parallel to each other, so that abutment of the projected ends thereof is avoided.

5. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 4, wherein

the projection portion of the housing-side identification part is formed by a pair of facing walls that project from the housing-side facing surface while facing each other with a predetermined distance in between, and

the projection portion of the cover-side identification part is formed by a pair of projecting walls that project from the cover-side facing surface while being arranged with a distance in between fitting to the facing walls.

6. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 5, wherein the pair of the projecting walls of the cover-side identification part are capable of clamping a painting tool for painting the cover member of the first specification.

7. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 2, wherein

the housing-side identification part is formed on the housing-side facing surface,

the cover-side identification part is formed on the cover-side facing surface and at a position facing to the housing-side identification part when the cover member of the first specification is appropriately attached to the housing of the first specification, and

when the cover member of the second specification, not being paired with the housing of the first specification provided with the housing-side identification part, is attempted to be attached to the housing of the first specification, the housing-side identification part interferes with the cover-side identification part of the cover member of the second specification to prevent the cover member of the second specification from being appropriately attached to the housing of the first specification, and when the cover member of the first specification, being paired with the housing of the first specification provided with the housing-side identification part, is attempted to be attached to the housing of the first specification, the housing-side identification part allows the cover member of the first specification to be attached to the housing of the first specification without interfering with the cover-side identification part of the cover member of the first specification.

8. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 7, wherein

the cover-side identification part has a projection portion that projects from the cover-side facing surface in an attachment direction to the housing of the first specification,

the housing-side identification part has a projection portion that projects from the housing-side facing surface in an attachment direction to the cover member of the first specification, and

the cover-side identification part and the housing-side identification part interfere with each other when projected ends of the respective projection portions thereof abut on each other, and do not interfere with each other when the projection portions thereof are positioned in parallel to each other, so that abutment of the projected ends thereof is avoided.

9. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 8, wherein

the projection portion of the housing-side identification part is formed by a pair of facing walls that project from the housing-side facing surface while facing each other with a predetermined distance in between, and

the projection portion of the cover-side identification part is formed by a pair of projecting walls that project from the cover-side facing surface while being arranged with a distance in between fitting to the facing walls.

10. The vehicle side mirror according to claim 9, wherein the pair of the projecting walls of the cover-side identification part are capable of clamping a painting tool for painting the cover member.