Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – Retractable vehicle mirror
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-30
2003-04-22
Shafer, Ricky D. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
Retractable vehicle mirror
C359S872000, C359S873000, C359S874000, C359S476000, C359S477000, C248S479000, C248S480000, C248S481000, C248S483000, C248S484000, C248S485000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06550923
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mirror surface angle adjusting device which is incorporated in a vehicle outer mirror device, and which is for adjusting a mirror surface angle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle outer mirror device is used to view the region at the rear of a vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. Among vehicle outer mirror devices, there are vehicle outer mirror devices which are equipped with a mirror surface angle adjusting device in order to improve the ability to view the region at the rear of a vehicle.
This type of mirror surface adjusting device has a housing for accommodating functional parts. Due to the housing being fixed to a frame which is provided within a visor, the mirror surface angle adjusting device is disposed at a predetermined position at a mirror front side (vehicle front side) within the visor. Further, the mirror surface angle adjusting device is equipped with a mirror holder which can swing around a pivot portion, and a mirror is held at the mirror holder. Moreover, the mirror holder is connected to a first drive rod, which is for adjusting the vertical direction angle of the mirror, and a second drive rod, which is for adjusting the left-and-right direction angle of the mirror. Due to the first drive rod and the second drive rod being moved (stroked) in the respective axial directions thereof by the driving force of a driving device, the mirror surface angle of the mirror is adjusted.
However, conventionally, the above-described mirror surface angle adjusting device has not been able to used in common for left and right vehicle outer mirror devices.
This point will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG.
6
. The schematic structure of a right side door mirror device
150
is illustrated at the right side of FIG.
6
. As shown in
FIG. 6
, in the right side door mirror device
150
, a mirror driving unit
152
is set upward. The mirror driving unit
152
has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing
154
at which mounting portions
154
A are formed at the four corners thereof. Due to the mounting portions
154
A being fixed to a frame (not shown) which is provided in a door mirror visor
156
, the mirror driving unit
152
is disposed at a predetermined position in the door mirror visor
156
. Note that, a pivot portion
158
is provided at a lower portion of the housing
154
. Further, a first drive rod
160
, which is for adjusting the vertical direction angle of the mirror, is provided at an upper portion of the housing
154
. Moreover, a second drive rod
162
, which is for adjusting the left-and-right direction angle of the mirror, is provided next to the pivot portion
158
.
A schematic structure of a left side door mirror device
164
is illustrated at the left side of FIG.
6
. As shown in
FIG. 6
, when the mirror driving unit
152
which is used in the right side door mirror device
150
is to be used also in the left side door mirror device
164
, the mirror driving unit
152
must be rotated counterclockwise 90° around the pivot portion
158
so as to be set sideways. This is because, in left and right vehicle outer mirror devices, the position of the pivot portion
158
of the mirror driving unit must be set at the same position. Use of the mirror driving unit
152
for both the left and right vehicle outer mirror devices can only be achieved by switching the functions of the first drive rod
160
and the second drive rod
162
(i.e., switching the functions for adjusting the vertical direction angle and the left-and-right direction angle of the mirror).
As a result, as shown at the left side of
FIG. 6
, two portions (the encircled portion designated by arrow P and the encircled portion designated by arrow Q) among the mounting portions
154
A of the housing
154
of the mirror driving unit
152
interfere with the door mirror visor
156
and another part
166
. Therefore, the mirror driving unit
152
cannot be used for both the left and right vehicle outer mirror devices. Thus, the mirror driving unit
152
must be individually and independently prepared for each of the right side door mirror device
150
and the left side door mirror device
164
. Various drawbacks therefore arise, such as the number of parts increases, there are problems with management for ensuring the storage space and for preventing errors in assembly, and there is an increase in costs which accompanies such problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide a mirror surface angle adjusting device which can be used in both left and right vehicle outer mirror devices.
A first aspect of the present invention is a mirror surface angle adjusting device comprising: a pivot portion which swingably supports a holding member for holding a mirror body; a first adjusting device connected to the holding member, and which swings the holding member, in one of a vertical direction and a left-and-right direction, around the pivot portion by receiving driving force and being displaced; a second adjusting device connected to the holding member, and which swings the holding member, in another of the vertical direction and the left-and-right direction, around the pivot portion by receiving driving force and being displaced; and a housing which accommodates the pivot portion, the first adjusting device, and the second adjusting device, and the housing including a plurality of mounting portions for mounting in the rear view vehicle outer mirror device, wherein in a case in which the mirror surface angle adjusting device is mounted in a rear view vehicle outer mirror device disposed at an exterior of a vehicle, a first adjustment point of the first adjusting device and a second adjustment point of the second adjusting device have line symmetry with respect to a 45° direction reference line which forms an angle of elevation of substantially 45° with respect to a vehicle transverse direction reference line passing through a fulcrum of swinging of the pivot portion and which passes through the fulcrum of swinging, and positional relationships of mounting points of the plurality of mounting portions are set such that the mounting points have line symmetry with respect to the 45° direction reference line.
In the mirror surface angle adjusting device of the present invention, preferably, the first adjusting device moves in an axial direction relative to the first adjusting device due to receipt of the driving force, and the second adjusting device moves in an axial direction relative to the second adjusting device due to receipt of the driving force.
In the mirror surface angle adjusting device of the present invention, preferably, the housing includes a front housing disposed at a vehicle front side and a rear housing disposed at a vehicle rear side, and the front housing and the rear housing mating together, when the mirror surface angle adjusting device is being used in a rear view vehicle outer mirror device.
Further, preferably, the housing generally corresponds to a thin, square, flat-plate shape.
In the mirror surface angle adjusting device of the present invention, preferably, the pivot portion comprises a spherical receiving portion including a hemispherical concave portion comprising a bottom and formed integrally with the rear housing, a hemispherical retainer including a bottom and formed smaller in size than the spherical receiving portion and received therein, a compression coil spring urging the retainer toward the spherical receiving portion, and a screw.
Preferably, the spherical receiving portion comprises a cylindrical holding portion and includes a bottom, a boss corresponding in shape to an elongated cylinder formed at an axially central portion of the holding portion, and a spherical supporting portion extending radially outward the holding portion.
Preferably, the retainer comprises a cylindrical shaft portion inserted in the holding portion of the spherical receiving portion, and a spherical pushing port
Ogasawara Morihiko
Sakamoto Masato
Tsujiuchi Yoshio
Cole Thomas W.
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Shafer Ricky D.
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