LAMP-EQUIPPED VEHICLE OUTER MIRROR

• US 20170210298A1
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murakami Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Murakami Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: NISHIMURA, Toshihiko, YASUDA, Michio, RITKEAW, Panida, ISEKI, Kota
• Granted Patent: US 10,118,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/00 Signalling devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. brake lamps, direction indicator lights or reversing lights

Abstract

This invention provides a lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror in which a phenomenon is less likely to occur, the phenomenon being the one in which light emitted from a lamp appears in a light emission pattern that is different from that intended by a designer. A side turn signal lamp is incorporated in a minor housing. A downward inclined surface is formed at a position above a lens of the side turn signal lamp in the mirror housing. The downward inclined surface is inclined obliquely downward and is lustrous. A part of turn signal lamp light emitted from the lens to an external field is reflected by the downward inclined surface. A relative positional relationship between the lens and the downward inclined surface is set so that the reflected light passes through an area on an upper side relative to a horizontal direction.

Claims

1. A lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror including a mirror housing with a lamp incorporated therein,

the vehicle outer mirror comprising a light emitting section in a front face and/or a side face of the mirror housing as viewed from a front side of a vehicle in a state in which the vehicle outer mirror is mounted in the vehicle and the mirror housing is in a use position, the light emitting section emitting light of the lamp toward an external field, wherein

the mirror housing includes a lustrous downward inclined surface in an outer surface at a position above the light emitting section, the downward inclined surface being inclined obliquely downward, and

a relative positional relationship between the light emitting section and the downward inclined surface is set so that, in the state in which the vehicle outer mirror is mounted in the vehicle and the mirror housing is in the use position, the light emitted from the light emitting section and reflected by the downward inclined surface is emitted substantially toward an area on an upper side relative to a horizontal direction in the external field.

2. The lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror according to claim 1, wherein the mirror housing includes a lusterless surface or a surface having an inclination angle that is different from that of the downward inclined surface in an outer surface between the downward inclined surface and the light emitting section.

3. The lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror according to claim 1, wherein the downward inclined surface of the mirror housing includes a plated surface.

4. The lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror according to claim 1, wherein the relative positional relationship between the light emitting section and the downward inclined surface is set so that the lamp light reflected by the downward inclined surface passes through an area above a position of 190 cm from a ground surface in a vertical direction at a position 1 m away from a position of the reflection in the horizontal direction.

5. The lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror according to claim 1, wherein an angle of the downward inclined surface relative to a horizontal plane is set to be no less than 70 degrees.

6. The lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror according to claim 1, wherein the mirror housing includes a projection at a position above the light emitting section, and the downward inclined surface is formed on a lower side of a top of the projection.

7. The lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror according to claim 1, wherein

the mirror housing includes a lower cover forming a lower part of an outer casing of the mirror housing, and an upper cover forming an upper part of the outer casing of the mirror housing,

the downward inclined surface is included in the upper cover, and

the upper cover includes an outer surface having a specular reflectivity that is higher than that of an outer surface of the lower cover.

8. The lamp-equipped vehicle outer mirror according to claim 7, wherein the lower cover includes a part disposed between the downward inclined surface and the light emitting section, and the part includes the lusterless surface or the surface having an inclination angle that is different from that of the downward inclined surface.