Inside rearview mirror apparatus for motor vehicle

• US 6,871,968 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Wachi, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US10/326,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20030137757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 359/603, 359/604, 359/605, 359/606, 359/850, 359/872, 359/881, 359/900, 248/481, 248/484
• US Class Current: 359/606
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/086 using a mirror angularly movable between a position of use and a non-glare position reflecting a dark field to the user, e.g. situated behind a transparent glass used as low-reflecting surface; Wedge-shaped mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

Shafts are respectively provided in a bracket. An operating lever, and bearings and guiding and temporary holding sections are provided in a mirror housing. When the bracket, the mirror housing, and the operating lever are assembled, the shafts are guided to the bearings by the guiding and temporary holding sections, and the shafts are temporarily held in the guiding and temporary holding sections and the bearings. Therefore, the shafts can be rotatably supported on the bearings easily and reliably, and hence the cost of the inside mirror can be reduced.

Claims

1. An inside rearview mirror apparatus, for a motor vehicle, equipped in a vehicle compartment via a stay, comprising:

a bracket supported by the stay;

a mirror housing tiltably supported by the bracket via a first shaft mechanism and having a prismatic mirror body; and

a lever tiltably supported by the mirror housing via a second shaft mechanism and also supported by the bracket via a resilient engagement unit, so as to be able to be shifted between a first position and a second position,

wherein each of the first shaft mechanism and the second shaft mechanism includes;

shafts provided on one of a mirror housing side or a bracket and lever side, bearings provided on the other of the mirror housing side or the bracket and lever side for rotatably supporting the shafts, and

the bearings comprising guiding and temporary holding sections configured to temporarily hold the shafts therein while guiding the shafts further into the bearings upon assembly of the apparatus.

2. The mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shafts are provided on the bracket and lever side,

the bearings are provided on the mirror housing side, and respectively have a first wall and a second wall,

the first wall supports a respective one of the shafts, in a resilience acting direction in which the resilience of the resilient engagement unit respectively acts on the bracket and the lever and in a direction in which the mirror housing and the lever respectively tilt with respect to the bracket,

the second wall has an opening and supports a respective one of the shafts on the first wall in a direction other than the above directions, and

the guiding and temporary holding sections are provided on the mirror housing side, and extended in a direction between the direction opposite to the resilience acting direction and the direction opposite to an assembly direction, from the edge of the opening of the second wall in the direction of assembling the bracket and the lever via the resilient engagement unit.

3. The mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shafts are provided on the mirror housing side,

the bearings are provided on the bracket and lever side, and respectively have a first wall and a second wall,

the first wall supports a respective one of the shafts, in a direction opposite to a resilience acting direction in which the resilience of the resilient engagement unit respectively acts on the bracket and the lever and in a direction in which the mirror housing and the lever respectively tilt with respect to the bracket,

the second wall has an opening and supports a respective one of the shafts on the first wall in a direction other than the above directions, and

the guiding and temporary holding sections are provided on the bracket and lever side, and extended in a direction between the resilience acting direction and the assembly direction, from the edge of the opening of the wall in the direction opposite to the direction of assembling the bracket and the lever via the resilient engagement unit.

4. The mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two ribs are provided in the mirror housing, and the shafts of the first shaft mechanism and the second shaft mechanism, or the bearings and the guiding and temporary holding sections are provided on the faces of the two ribs facing each other.

5. The mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lever insertion hole is provided in the mirror housing, and a part of the lever protrudes outwards of the mirror housing through the lever insertion hole, and

the resilient engagement unit includes a first abutting face and a second abutting face provided in a V shape on one of the bracket side or the lever side, and a resilient engagement abutting portion provided on the other of the bracket side or the lever side, which resiliently engages with a trough between the first abutting face and the second abutting face, such that when the lever is shifted to the first position or to the second position, the resilient engagement abutting portion resiliently abuts on a respective one of the first abutting face or the second abutting face, before the lever abuts on the edge of the lever insertion hole.

6. The mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lever insertion hole is provided in the mirror housing, and a part of the lever protrudes outwards of the mirror housing through the lever insertion hole, and a cover plate for covering the lever insertion hole is provided on the lever.

7. The mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a ball portion is provided on the stay, and a spherical concave portion is provided in the bracket, such that the ball portion of the stay and the spherical concave portion in the bracket are tiltably connected to each other by a fit structure.

8. The mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the direction of assembling the shafts of the first shaft mechanism and the second shaft mechanism with the bearings through the guiding and temporary holding sections, the direction of assembling the bracket and the lever via the resilient engagement unit, and the direction of assembling the bracket and the stay substantially agree with each other.

9. An inside rearview mirror apparatus, for a motor vehicle, equipped in a vehicle compartment via a stay, comprising:

a bracket configured to be supported by the stay;

a mirror housing tiltably supported by the bracket via a first shaft mechanism; and

a lever tiltably supported by the mirror housing via a second shaft mechanism and also supported by the bracket, capable of being shifted between a first position and a second position,

wherein each of the first shaft mechanism and the second shaft mechanism includes;

a shaft provided on one of a mirror housing side or a bracket side;

a bearing provided on the other of the mirror housing side or the bracket side for rotatably supporting the shaft; and

the bearing comprising a guiding and temporary holding section configured to temporarily hold the shaft therein while guiding the shaft further into the bearing upon assembly of the apparatus.

10. A method of assembling an inside rearview mirror apparatus, for a motor vehicle, equipped in a vehicle compartment via a stay, the method comprising:

providing a bracket configured to be supported by the stay;

providing a mirror housing;

providing a lever;

wherein the inside rearview apparatus includes a first shaft mechanism and a second shaft mechanism respectively, each shaft mechanism including;

a shaft provided on one of a mirror housing side or a bracket side;

a bearing provided on the other of the mirror housing side or the bracket side; and

a guiding and temporary holding section provided with the bearing;

disposing the shafts on respective ones of the guiding and temporary holding sections so as to temporarily hold the shafts; and

guiding the shafts via respective ones of the guiding and temporary holding sections to respective ones of the bearings, and setting the shafts in the bearings so as to rotatably support the shafts.

11. An inside rearview mirror apparatus, for a motor vehicle, equipped in a vehicle compartment via a stay, comprising:

a bracket supported by the stay;

a mirror housing tiltably supported by the bracket via a first shaft mechanism and having a prismatic mirror body; and

a lever tiltably supported by the mirror housing via a second shaft mechanism and also supported by the bracket via a resilient engagement unit, so as to be able to be shifted between a first position and a second position,

wherein each of the first shaft mechanism and the second shaft mechanism includes;

shafts provided on one of a mirror housing side or a bracket and lever side;

bearings provided on the other of the mirror housing side or the bracket and lever side for rotatably supporting the shafts, and respectively having a first wall and a second wall, wherein

the first wall supports a respective one of the shafts, in a resilience acting direction in which the resilience of the resilient engagement unit respectively acts on the bracket and the lever and in a direction in which the mirror housing and the lever respectively tilt with respect to the bracket, and

the second wall has an opening and supports a respective one of the shafts on the first wall in a direction other than the above directions, and

the bearings comprising guiding and temporary holding sections configured to temporarily hold the shafts therein while guiding the shafts further into the bearings upon assembly of the apparatus, the guiding and temporary holding sections being extended in a direction between the direction opposite to the resilience action direction and the direction opposite to an assembly direction, from the edge of the opening of the second wall in the direction of assembling the bracket and the lever via the resilient engagement unit.