Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – With support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-26
2002-11-19
Robinson, Mark A. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
With support
C248S476000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06481863
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mirror provided at the exterior of a vehicle compartment, and particularly to a mirror which is favorable as a door mirror provided near a door at the side of a driver's seat or a passenger seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of mirrors for confirming the rear of a vehicle from the inside of a vehicle compartment is a door mirror provided at the side of a door of the vehicle. An example of such a door mirror is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication (JP-Y) No. 4-33157.
As shown in
FIG. 15
, a door mirror
300
disclosed in JP-Y No. 4-33157 includes a visor cover
302
(which is referred to as an “elastomer mirror body” in the disclosure) which has a dome shape and is open toward a substantial rear of the vehicle in normal use (i.e., during traveling of a vehicle). A visor rim
304
(which is referred to as a “visor” in the disclosure) is mounted to the interior of the visor cover
302
. The visor rim
304
is formed in a shape of a case having a shallow base and has a surrounding wall
306
whose shape is similar to that of an opening of the visor cover
302
. A mirror main body (mirror)
312
is provided inside the surrounding wall
306
and near the opening of the visor cover
302
.
Further, mounting pieces
314
which are hook-shaped and formed so as to protrude from an inner bottom of the aforementioned visor cover
302
pass through a bottom portion
308
of the visor rim
304
. Each of the mounting pieces
314
is fastened to the bottom portion
308
of the visor rim
304
by a screw
316
.
Moreover, surrounding walls
318
(which are referred to as “sleeve-shaped double wall portions” in the disclosure) which are toroidal in shape are formed at open ends of the visor rim
304
so as to extend therefrom. A marginal portion
32
of the visor cover
302
is inserted and fit between each of the open ends of the visor rim
304
and each of the surrounding wall
318
. The marginal portion
320
is thinner than the remaining portion of the visor cover
302
, and the sum of the thickness of the marginal portion
320
and the thickness of the surrounding wall
318
roughly corresponds to the thickness of the remaining portion of the visor cover
302
.
As shown in an enlarged view of a circle portion in an alternate long and short dash line in
FIG. 15
, in the above-described structure of the door mirror
300
, an abutting surface
322
of the visor cover
302
, which faces the surrounding wall
318
at a portion further toward the bottom portion
308
than the marginal portion
320
, faces a rim side abutting surface
324
of the surrounding wall
318
, which faces the cover side abutting surface
322
, in a substantially longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Therefore, a portion
326
at which the cover side abutting surface
322
and the rim side abutting surface
324
abut each other is exposed at outer peripheral surfaces (i.e., the surfaces) of the visor cover
302
and the visor rim
304
.
Further, in the door mirror
300
described above, both of the visor cover
302
and the visor rim
304
are molded products which are formed of synthetic resin material. Dimensional control of such molded products formed of synthetic resin material is difficult because they are subjected to so-called shrinkage during molding. Thus, irregularities resulting from dimensional errors take place on the surface of the portion
326
at which the visor cover
302
and the visor rim
304
abut each other.
Furthermore, at the portion where the aforementioned dimensional errors are significant, as shown in the enlarged view of the circle portion in the alternate long and short dash line in
FIG. 15
, a clearance
328
is formed between the cover side abutting surface
322
of the visor cover
302
, which faces the surrounding wall
318
at a portion further toward the bottom portion than the marginal portion
320
, and a rim side abutting surface
324
of the surrounding wall
318
, which faces the cover side abutting surface
322
.
When air flow W passes above the aforementioned irregularities or directly above the clearance
328
which is open to the outer peripheral surface, noise referred to as so-called “wind noise” is generated. Particularly, since the door mirror is provided at a position which is relatively close to the driver's seat or the passenger seat such as a side of a door of a vehicle, there has been demand for reduction in or elimination of such noise during traveling of a vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned drawbacks, an object of the present invention is to obtain a mirror which can reduce or eliminate noise resulting from the air flow above the surface of a visor.
A first aspect of the present invention is a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising: (a) a mirror having a rear surface and an outer periphery; and (b) a visor which includes a visor cover for covering the rear surface of the mirror and a visor rim for surrounding the outer periphery of the mirror, said visor rim having an annular end portion; (c) wherein the visor cover has an annular end portion which engages with the annular end portion of the visor rim when the visor cover and the visor rim are assembled to each other, and wherein the engagement of the visor cover and visor rim annular end portions with one another forms a loop-shaped opposing portion as a boundary between the visor cover and the visor rim, said loop-shaped opposing portion facing a direction towards which a surface of the mirror is usually oriented.
A second aspect of the present invention is a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, the rearview mirror assembly comprising: (a) a mirror having a rear surface and an outer periphery; (b) a visor which includes a visor cover for covering the rear surface of the mirror and a visor rim for surrounding the outer periphery of the mirror; (c) a connecting portion for mounting the mirror assembly to a vehicle, said connecting portion being structured with the visor cover and the visor rim at the time of assembling of the visor cover and the visor rim to one another; (d) wherein the connecting portion has an opposing portion forming a boundary between the visor cover and the visor rim when the visor cover and the visor rim are assembled to one another, with said opposing portion facing a direction toward which a mirror surface is usually oriented.
A third aspect of the present invention is a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising: (a) a mirror having a rear surface and an outer periphery; (b) a visor which includes a visor cover for covering the rear surface of the mirror and a visor rim for surrounding the outer periphery of the mirror; (c) a frame accommodated within the visor cover and movably supporting the mirror; and (d) a cylindrical reinforcing rib provided between the frame and the visor cover and having an axis extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rear surface of the mirror.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4225212 (1980-09-01), Grabowski
patent: 5198929 (1993-03-01), Clough
patent: 5604644 (1997-02-01), Lang et al.
patent: 5621577 (1997-04-01), Lang et al.
patent: 63-70447 (1988-05-01), None
Ejiri Tadashi
Horio Wataru
Inayama Masahide
Kato Tadayoshi
Mizutani Toshinobu
Cole Thomas W.
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Robinson Mark A.
LandOfFree
Mirror assembly for a vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Mirror assembly for a vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mirror assembly for a vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2930499