Door mirror equipped with lamp body

• US 7,686,487 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yoshihiro, Fukasawa, Yosuke, Ishizawa, Motosuke, Umezawa, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; Jacob Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Makiya; David J
• Application Number:
  US11/503,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20060274543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 362/494, 362/498, 362/487, 362/501, 362/506, 296/1.11
• US Class Current: 362/494
• 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: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

A door mirror comprising a mirror portion and a side blinker which is one example of lamp bodies allows easily performed maintenance for the side blinker. It is also structured so as to make a lamp body elongated in lateral dimension. A second opening is formed on the back side of a mirror housing with fixing pieces formed on the second opening. A lamp unit integrates a lens portion with the back face of a base body having an inner base and an outer base which covers the front face of the inner base and is structured so that the base end side avoids the vehicle body mounting portion. The lamp unit is inserted into the second opening through the back face side of the mirror housing, and fixing pieces on the lamp unit and the mirror housing-fixing pieces are tightened by screws.

Claims

1. A door mirror equipped with a lamp-body, comprising:

a housing having a mirror side to which a mirror is attached and a swelling side swelling from the mirror side, wherein an opening is formed on the swelling side of the housing; and

a lamp body incorporated onto the housing on the swelling side in a state that the lamp body is in contact with the housing, the lamp body being constructed into a lamp unit by integrating a base body with a lens portion that covers a back face of an inner base, the base body including the inner base that exposes a light source from the back face and has a reflector on the back face and an outer base that covers a front face of the inner base and integrally has a board for supplying power to the light source that is between the inner base and the board, wherein;

the lens portion includes an upper edge that extends straight in a lateral direction, a lower edge that outlines a lower edge of the door mirror, and a slant portion where the lower edge of the lens portion is slanted toward the upper edge of the lens portion so that a shape of the slant portion is more sharply tapered toward a base-end side of the lens portion at a side of a door mounting portion,

the outer base includes a fixing piece that protrudes upward from an upper face portion,

the lamp unit is fixed to the housing from a back face side of the lamp unit in a state that the fixing piece is in contact with the housing from the back face side of the lamp unit while the lamp unit is incorporated onto the housing on the swelling side,

an upper surface of the lamp unit at the back face side of the lamp unit is covered with a cover body, the cover body also covering the fixing piece, and

an outer edge of the slant portion adjacent the door mounting portion matches an outer edge of the housing that is adjacent to the outer edge of the slant portion to create a smooth outline that extends to an outer edge of the cover body adjacent the door mounting the light source includes a plurality of light sources located between the upper edge and the lower edge of the lens portion, the inner base is provided with swelling and protruding portions swelling toward the back face, and the plurality of light sources are located at concave portions that are in the middle of adjacent swelling and protruding portions, and none of the plurality of light sources are located within the slant portion such that the door mounting side is not directly illuminated by the plurality of light sources.

2. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lamp body is provided horizontally and laterally on a lower half of the housing.

3. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lamp body is provided flush with the cover body.

4. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lamp body is provided with a lamp-body bending portion in which a lateral external side is bent toward the mirror side.

5. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 4, wherein the lamp-body bending portion is protruded laterally and outwardly.

6. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lamp body is provided with a lower face portion which constructs a lower face of the door mirror.

7. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 6, wherein the lower face portion is non-translucent.

8. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner base is provided with through-holes passing through the light source for exposure.

9. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the swelling and protruding portions are provided with through-holes on an external face swelled laterally.

10. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein through-holes are formed at the concave portions between adjacent swelling and protruding portions.

11. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner base is provided with an extending portion having a lateral external side bent toward the mirror side for extension and swelling, and protruding portions are provided on the extending portion.

12. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 8, wherein a plurality of boards are provided in opposition to the through-holes.

13. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the board is composed of a single member.

14. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner base is provided with engaging claws for latching the board with an appropriate space left between the board and the front face.

15. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer base is non-translucent.

16. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lens portion comprises a back face portion extending laterally and outwardly from a base-end side and a side face portion bending from the back face to the mirror side and leading to a protruding front end, and the back face portion and the side face portion are provided with a dispersion portion for dispersing light emitted from the light source.

17. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 16, wherein protruded strips are provided at the back face portion in a lateral direction and the protruded strips are provided at the side face portion in a longitudinal direction.

18. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 16, wherein a protruding portion is formed at the side face portion, which protrudes laterally and outwardly in a state continuing from the back face portion.

19. The door mirror equipped with a lamp-body as set forth in claim 1, wherein only a top portion of the inner base is brought into contact with the outer base between the upper edge and the lower edge of the lens portion.