Vehicle outside mirror device

• US 7,441,912 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Onuki, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer; Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US11/905,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/873, 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

An outside mirror device for a vehicle includes a mirror assembly that is rotatably attached to a body of the vehicle through an electric retracting unit and a base. The electric retracting unit includes bearing portions at both ends of a first stage gear of a rotational force transmitting mechanism. The bearing portions are supported by bearing holes in the bearing member as a single member, respectively.

Claims

1. An outside mirror device for a vehicle, the outside mirror device including a mirror assembly that is rotatably attached to a body of the vehicle through an electric retracting unit and a base, wherein

the electric retracting unit includes

a shaft holder that is fixed to the base,

a shaft that is provided on the shaft holder,

a casing to which the mirror assembly is attached, the casing rotatably attached to the shaft,

a motor that outputs a rotational force,

a rotational force transmitting mechanism that transmits the rotational force to the mirror assembly, and

a bearing member that rotatably supports a first stage gear of the rotational force transmitting mechanism coupled to a shaft of the motor,

the first stage gear includes

a gear portion having a fitting hole at a first end thereof,

a pin that is fitted into the fitting hole, and

a shaft portion provided at a second end of the gear portion,

the bearing member includes bearing holes that support the shaft portion and the pin, respectively, and

the casing includes a pin retaining portion that prevents the pin from coming off.

2. The outside mirror device according to claim 1, wherein the first stage gear is directly coupled to the shaft of the motor.

3. The outside mirror device according to claim 1, wherein

the rotational force transmitting mechanism includes the first stage gear and a second stage gear that meshes with the first stage gear,

the second stage gear includes shaft portions at both ends,

the bearing member includes elastic plates having bearing holes, respectively, and

the shaft portions of the second stage gear are rotatably supported by the bearing holes of the elastic plates, respectively.

4. The outside mirror device according to claim 3, wherein the motor, the gear portion and the pin of the first stage gear, the second stage gear and the bearing member are sub-assembled.