Mirror device for a vehicle

• US 6,648,294 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
• Inventors: Kato, Hitoshi, Iwasa, Hiroki, Mizutani, Toshinobu, Aoki, Masakazu, Teraoka, Fuminori, Yoshida, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHULTERBRANDT, KOFI A
• Application Number:
  US09/881,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20020006003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 248/466, 248/475.1, 248/476, 248/479, 248/481, 248/482, 359/872, 359/841, 359/876
• US Class Current: 248/479
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

In a door mirror device for a vehicle, an retracting device supports a mirror by coupling a mirror angle adjusting device for holding the mirror with a holding portion of a frame and coupling the retracting device fixed to a vehicle body with a supporting portion of the frame. The frame is provided with the holding portion and the supporting portion formed by drawing a frame-forming metal plate which has been formed by pressing, and a portion connecting the holding portion and the supporting portion is provided with a difference in level. Thus, the frame can have sufficient rigidity.

Claims

1. A mirror device for a vehicle, the mirror device comprising:

(a) a frame including a frame-forming metal plate formed by a pressing process, the frame including a holding portion, a supporting portion, and a drawn portion, the drawn portion being disposed at a position connecting the holding and supporting portions to one another, with the holding, supporting and drawn portions each being formed by a drawing process on the frame-forming metal plate that increases the rigidity of the metal plate in said portions;

(b) a holding member for holding a rear-view mirror, coupled to the holding portion; and

(c) a supporting member coupled to the supporting portion, with the supporting member mountable to a vehicle

wherein said drawn portion is offset from and spaced away from a plane of said holding portion.

2. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion is drawn to a level of depth deeper than the holding portion.

3. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the supporting and holding portions are drawn in one direction, and the drawn portion is drawn in an opposite direction.

4. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein when the supporting member is mounted to a vehicle, the supporting portion is formed at a vehicle inner side of the frame, and the holding portion is formed towards the vehicle outer side relative to the supporting portion.

5. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the frame includes a stepped portion provided at the holding portion, with the stepped portion substantially parallel to a vehicle width direction when the supporting member is mounted to a vehicle, and disposed at a vehicle upper side of the holding portion.

6. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the frame includes another stepped portion, provided at the supporting portion, with said another stepped portion substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction when the supporting member is mounted to a vehicle, and disposed at a vehicle upper side of the supporting portion.

7. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the frame includes a plurality of openings defined in the frame.

8. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the holding member is a mirror angle adjusting device which rockably holds the mirror and is operable for adjusting an angle of the mirror.

9. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the supporting member is an retracting device.

10. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the retracting device comprises a casing member and a stand including a flat portion and a supporting shaft projecting from the flat portion toward a vehicle upper side when the supporting member is mounted to a vehicle.

11. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a coupling member fixing the casing member to the frame, wherein the supporting shaft is inserted into the casing member and rotatably supports the frame relative to the casing member.

12. A mirror device for a vehicle comprising:

(a) a frame including a frame-forming metal plate for at least one of directly and indirectly holding a rear-view minor, said plate having a supporting portion formed by a drawing process to increase the rigidity of the supporting portion;

(b) a projecting portion integrally formed at the frame and projecting towards the vehicle front side or the vehicle rear side with respect to the frame when the minor device is in use with a vehicle; and

(c) a supporting member coupled with the supporting portion of the frame and the projecting portion for supporting the minor, and mountable to the vehicle;

wherein said drawn portion is offset from and spaced away from a plane of said holding portion.

13. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising a coupling member, wherein the projecting portion comprises a vertical wall substantially perpendicular with respect to, and integrally connected to the frame, and a parallel wall substantially parallel to the frame, and the supporting member is coupled with the frame and the projecting member by the coupling member being inserted through the frame, the supporting member, and the parallel wall, with the supporting member enclosed by the frame, and the vertical and parallel walls.

14. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising a holding member for holding the mirror.

15. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the frame comprises a holding portion that may be coupled with the holding member and a supporting portion that may be coupled with the supporting member.

16. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the holding portion and the supporting portion of the frame are formed by drawing, and a drawn portion is formed by drawing at a portion connecting the holding portion and the supporting portion.

17. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the supporting portion is drawn to a level of depth deeper than the holding portion.

18. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the supporting and holding portions are drawn in one direction, and the connecting portion is drawn in an opposite direction.

19. The mirror device for a vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the holding portion includes a depressed portion formed at a generally central section of the holding portion.

20. A method of forming a mirror device for a vehicle comprising the steps of:

(a) pressing a metal into a plate for use as a frame;

(b) drawing the plate to form a holding portion, a supporting portion, and a drawn portion between the holding and supporting portions, wherein said drawing increases the rigidity of said plate in said portions;

(c) coupling to the holding portion a holding member for holding a mirror; and

(d) coupling to the supporting portion a supporting member mountable to a vehicle.

21. A mirror device for a vehicle, the mirror device comprising:

(a) a frame including a frame-forming metal plate formed by a pressing process, the frame including a holding portion, a supporting portion, and a drawn portion, the drawn portion being disposed at a position connecting the holding and supporting portions to one another, with the holding, supporting and drawn portions each being formed by a drawing process on the frame-forming metal plate that increases the rigidity of the metal plate in said portions;

(b) a holding member for holding a rear-view mirror, coupled to the holding portion; and

(c) a supporting member coupled to the supporting portion, with the supporting member mountable to a vehicle

wherein the supporting portion is drawn to a level of depth deeper than the holding portion, and

wherein the supporting and holding portions are drawn in one direction, and the drawn portion is drawn in an opposite direction.

22. A mirror device for a vehicle comprising:

(a) a frame including a frame-forming metal plate for at least one of directly and indirectly holding a rear-view mirror, said plate having a supporting portion formed by a drawing process to increase the rigidity of the supporting portion;

(b) a projecting portion integrally formed at the frame and projecting towards the vehicle front side or the vehicle rear side with respect to the frame when the mirror device is in use with a vehicle; and

(c) a supporting member coupled with the supporting portion of the frame and the projecting portion for supporting the mirror, and mountable to the vehicle, and

further including a coupling member, wherein the projecting portion comprises a vertical wall substantially perpendicular with respect to, and integrally connected to the frame, and a parallel wall substantially parallel to the frame, and the supporting member is coupled with the frame and the projecting member by the coupling member being inserted through the frame, the supporting member, and the parallel wall, with the supporting member enclosed by the frame, and the vertical and parallel walls.