Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – With support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-03
2001-08-07
Sikder, Mohammad (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
With support
C359S872000, C359S873000, C359S874000, C359S875000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270227
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles that, when attached to a vehicle such as one-box car or recreational vehicle, allows it to view and perceive in a predetermined field around a desired direction by means of the reflection of a mirror body, and makes it possible to change the direction of view by changing the angle of the mirror body through remote control, and particularly to a remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles that is free from obstacles to the view associated with the adjustment of the mirror body angle and is capable of ensuring wider field of view.
b) Description of the Prior Art
A remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles of the prior art comprises, as shown in
FIG. 1
, a stay
100
one end of which is attached to a vehicle body, a mirror housing
102
fastened on the other end of the stay
100
, a power unit
103
mounted as an angle adjusting mechanism in the mirror housing
102
, a mirror holder (back board)
104
attached, to be capable of adjusting the angle thereof, to the power unit
103
via a pivot mechanism
105
and an advance-retract rod
106
, and a mirror body
101
held on the mirror holder
104
.
An example of the remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles described above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H8-26031. The remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles disclosed in this publication is used as side mirrors for heavy duty vehicles such as truck and bus, and is attached to the vehicle body via a cylindrical support arm instead of the stay
100
.
The mirror body
101
is limited in size so as not to obstruct the field of view when a driver looks back directly. But even when the mirror body
101
is limited in size, a wide field of view can be ensured by decreasing the radius of curvature of the reflecting surface.
The above mentioned power unit
103
is provided with, in addition to the advance-retract rod
106
for vertical adjustment shown in the drawings, an advance-retract rod for horizontal adjustment, for example, not shown.
An example of application of the remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles of the prior art mentioned above will now be described below with reference to FIG.
2
through FIG.
4
.
In this application, the remote-controlled mirror apparatus is used as an electrically powered and remote-controlled rear under mirror apparatus for automobiles, being mounted by attaching an end of the stay
100
on the rear top of a vehicle body such as one-box car or recreational vehicle C.
The remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles enables it to view a range indicated by dashed line in a lower portion at the back of vehicle C such as one-box car or recreational vehicle, from the eye point E.P. of the driver via the mirror body
101
. Namely, it becomes possible to view and perceive within a predetermined field around a desired direction by means of the reflection of the mirror body
101
.
When the advance-retract rod
106
for vertical adjustment is moved forward by the power unit
103
, the mirror body
101
is driven via the mirror holder
104
to tilt down (position indicated by alternate dot and dash line in
FIG. 1
) about a horizontal axis (line connecting the center of the pivot mechanism
105
and the center of the advance-retract rod for horizontal adjustment). This changes the field of view (range which can be viewed and perceived) in a lower portion at the back of vehicle C such as one-box car or recreational vehicle from that indicated by dashed line in
FIG. 2
to that indicated by alternate dot and dash line in FIG.
2
. That is, viewing direction is changed to backward.
When the advance-retract rod
106
for vertical adjustment is moved backward, the mirror body
101
tilts upward (position indicated by alternate double-dot and dash line in
FIG. 1
) about the horizontal axis and the field of view changes from that indicated by dashed line in
FIG. 2
to that indicated by alternate double-dot and dash line in
FIG. 2
, and the viewing direction changes to forward.
Further, when the advance-retract rod for horizontal adjustment is moved forward (or backward), the mirror body
101
tilts to the left about a vertical axis (line connecting the center of the pivot mechanism
105
and the center of the advance-retract rod
106
for vertical adjustment), and the field of view changes from that indicated by dashed line in FIG.
3
and
FIG. 4
to that indicated by alternate dot and dash line in FIG.
3
and
FIG. 4
, so that the viewing direction changes to the left.
Also when the advance-retract rod for horizontal adjustment is moved backward (or forward), the mirror body
101
tilts to the right about the vertical axis, and the field of view changes from that indicated by dashed line in FIG.
3
and
FIG. 4
to that indicated by alternate double-dot and dash line in FIG.
3
and
FIG. 4
, so that the viewing direction changes to the right.
However, in the remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles of the prior art described above, the mirror housing
102
that houses the power unit
103
is located along with the power unit
103
and the stay
100
on the fixed side, while the mirror body
101
is located along with the mirror holder
104
on the tilting side that tilts with respect to the fixed side, as shown in FIG.
1
. As a result, when the mirror body
101
is tilted with respect to the mirror housing
102
, edge of the mirror body
101
may come inside the opening edge of the mirror housing
102
. For example, when the mirror body
101
is tilted downward as indicated by alternate dot and dash line in
FIG. 1
, lower edge of the mirror body
101
comes inside the lower opening edge of the mirror housing
102
. When the mirror body
101
is tilted upward as indicated by alternate double-dot and dash line in
FIG. 1
, upper edge of the mirror body
101
comes inside the upper opening edge of the mirror housing
102
. In case the edge of the mirror body
101
comes inside the opening edge of the mirror housing
102
, the opening edge of the mirror housing
102
may be reflected on the mirror body
101
and make an obstacle to the view. Obstruction to the view when adjusting the angle of the mirror body
101
becomes conspicuous particularly in the case of the mirror body
101
having a small radius of curvature.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles that is capable of securing a wide field of view without the possibility of causing an obstacle to the field of view when adjusting the angle of the mirror body.
According to the present invention, in order to achieve the object described above, a power unit is attached to one end of a stay as an angle adjusting mechanism, a mirror holder having a configuration of housing is attached to the power unit to be capable of tilting, a mirror body is held on the mirror holder, the power unit is housed in a chamber defined by the mirror body and the mirror holder, and the angle of said mirror body, together with the mirror holder, is adjusted with respect to the stay and power unit by means of the power unit.
Thus in the remote-controlled mirror apparatus for vehicles of the present invention, the mirror housing of the prior art, that houses the power unit, located on the fixed side together with the power unit and the stay is eliminated and, instead, the mirror holder having a configuration of housing that houses the power unit is installed together with the mirror body on the tilting side. Consequently, when the mirror body is tilted with respect to the power unit and the stay, the mirror holder is also tilted together with the mirror body with respect to the power unit and the stay, and therefore such a problem does not occur as the edge of the mirror body comes inside the opening edge of the mirror housing on the fixed side as in the case of the prior art. As a result, it becomes possible to secure a wide field of view without the
Foley & Lardner
Ichikoh Industries Ltd.
Sikder Mohammad
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