Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – With support
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-28
2004-09-21
Sikder, Mohammad (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
With support
C359S873000, C359S874000, C359S875000, C359S876000, C359S877000, C359S841000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06793358
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outer mirrors (or side mirrors) that are mounted on right and left of a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,641, U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,590 and English translation in epitome of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-034288 disclose conventional outer mirrors for a vehicle.
The disclosed outer mirror includes a base (
11
,
43
,
11
) fixed to a side surface of a vehicle body. A shaft (
13
,
2
B,
64
) is fixed to the base. A turning unit (
17
,
1
,
14
) with a turning member (
18
,
1
A,
41
) is turnably mounted on the shaft. A mirror assembly (
10
,
41
,
13
) is fixed to the turning member in such a manner that the mirror assembly (
10
,
41
,
13
) can turn around the shaft between a front retracting position and a rear retracting position. A stopper mechanism (
27
and
26
,
1
B and
2
D,
26
and
59
,
87
) limits a turning motion of the mirror assembly by the front retracting position and the rear retracting position. The base has a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. The base is molded using a metal mold.
In the outer mirrors disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-034288, since the horizontal portion of the base is provided with the projection of the stopper mechanism, it is necessary to split the base into two pieces when the base is molded using a metal mold. Precisely, as shown in
FIGS. 17 and 18
, when a base
101
that has a horizontal portion
107
provided with a projection
102
of the stopper mechanism is to be produced, even if a slide metal mold
105
is used, the projection
102
of the base
101
and cavity
104
(female metal mold) interfere with each other, and the base
101
can not be separated from the cavity
104
(see the solid line with arrows on both sides in FIG.
18
).
In the outer mirrors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,641, U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,590, it is necessary to split the base
101
when the base is molded using a metal mold so that the manufacturing cost increases. In
FIGS. 17 and 18
, a reference number
103
represents a core (male metal mold), and a reference number
106
represents the vertical portion of the base
101
. In
FIG. 17
, hollow arrows show pulling-out directions of the core
103
and the slide metal mold
105
.
Stopper mechanisms are exclusively provided for the outer mirror mounted on the left side (hereinafter, “left outer mirror”) and the outer mirror mounted on the right side (right outer mirror, hereinafter), respectively.
In the outer mirrors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,641, U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,590, since the turning unit is provided with the stopper mechanism, a turning unit provided with a stopper mechanism exclusively for a left outer mirror and a turning unit provided with a stopper mechanism exclusively for a right outer mirror are required. Therefore, in the former publications, there is a problem that one turning unit cannot be used for the left outer mirror and the right outer mirror.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve at least the problems in the conventional technology.
The outer mirror for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base having a first portion fixed to a body of the vehicle and a second portion fixed to and extending from the first portion; a turning unit having a shaft fixed to the second portion and a turning member turnably mounted on the shaft; a mirror assembly fixed to the turning member and which can turn around the shaft between a front retracting position and a rear retracting position; and a stopper mechanism which limits a turning motion of the mirror assembly between the front retracting position and the rear retracting position. The stopper mechanism includes an arc groove, having two ends, provided in the second portion and a projection provided on the mirror assembly and which abuts against the ends of the arc groove to stop the turning motion of the mirror assembly.
Since the mirror assembly is provided with the projection and the base is provided with the arc groove, there is no projection of the stopper mechanism on the side of the base. Therefore, when the base is to be produced, the base and the metal mold do not interfere with each other, and the base can be molded by a metal mold in a usual manner. Since it is unnecessary to split the base into two pieces when the base is molded the metal mold, the cost of manufacturing becomes inexpensive as compared with the conventional outer mirror in which it is necessary to split the base into two pieces when the base is molded the metal mold.
The stopper mechanism is not provided on the turning unit but is provided on the horizontal portion of the base and the mirror assembly. A stopper mechanism for the left outer mirror and a stopper mechanism for the right outer mirror need not be provided on the turning unit, and they can be provided on the mirror assembly for the left base and the mirror assembly for the right base, respectively. Therefore, the turning unit can be used for both the left and right outer mirrors.
The other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are specifically set forth in or will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4786156 (1988-11-01), Kotani et al.
patent: 4988068 (1991-01-01), Yamana et al.
patent: 5190499 (1993-03-01), Mori et al.
patent: 5432641 (1995-07-01), Mochizuki
patent: 5477392 (1995-12-01), Mochizuki et al.
patent: 5594590 (1997-01-01), Ishiyama
patent: 5781354 (1998-07-01), Sakata
patent: 6130514 (2000-10-01), Oesterholt et al.
patent: 6132050 (2000-10-01), Sakata et al.
patent: 6390630 (2002-05-01), Ochs
patent: 6679610 (2004-01-01), Yamauchi
patent: 6-27337 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 7-329642 (1995-12-01), None
patent: 8-34288 (1996-02-01), None
patent: WO 01/03974 a1 (2001-01-01), None
Ichikoh Industries Ltd.
Sikder Mohammad
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