Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – With support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-22
2002-09-10
Sikder, Mohammad (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
With support
C359S872000, C359S873000, C359S874000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06447127
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle inner mirror assembly provided within a passenger compartment of a vehicle, and to a method of assembling the vehicle inner mirror assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional vehicle inner mirror assembly
50
is illustrated in FIG.
13
. The vehicle inner mirror assembly
50
is provided with a base
52
formed in a box-like configuration opening at the vehicle front and lower side. The base
52
is fixed within the passenger compartment to a front windshield (not shown in the drawings), and a substantially U-shaped plate spring
54
is disposed at the interior of the base
52
. The plate spring
54
has an urging force applied toward side walls of the base
52
. In a state in which balls
56
are nipped between ends of the plate spring
54
and the side walls of the base
52
by the urging force, the plate spring
54
is held at the base
52
. A base inner
58
is provided at an interior of the plate spring
54
, and the base inner
58
is fixed by a bolt
64
to a stay
62
disposed at a rear view mirror
60
. A nipping plate
66
is disposed at each end of the plate spring
54
. By fixing the base inner
58
to the stay
62
as described above, the plate spring
54
is nipped at the nipping plates
66
between the base inner
58
and the stay
62
.
In the vehicle inner mirror assembly
50
, as described above, the base
52
holds the spring plate
54
, and the plate spring
54
is nipped between the base inner
58
and the stay
62
. The stay
62
(i.e., the inner mirror
60
) is thereby held at the base
52
.
Generally, in a vehicle inner mirror assembly, it is desirable that the mirror fall out when a load of predetermined value or more acts on the rear view mirror, regardless of the direction in which the load is applied.
Here, as described above, in the vehicle inner mirror assembly
50
, when a load of predetermined value or more load acts on the mirror
60
in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle (or in a vertical direction of the vehicle), the plate spring
54
is deflected inwardly with the spring plate
54
coming out from the base
52
, whereby the mirror
60
(i.e., the stay
62
) drops out from the base
52
.
However, in the vehicle inner mirror assembly
50
, the stay
62
is supported at the base
52
only at the two points corresponding to the ends of the plate spring
54
. In order to maintain for a predetermined load the force holding the stay
62
to the base
52
only at the two points which are the ends of the plate spring
54
, the urging force of the plate spring
54
is made larger. Moreover, due to the ends of the plate spring
54
abutting the side walls of the base
52
and the base inner
58
, twisting of the plate spring
54
is hindered. For this reason, when a load of predetermined value or more acts on the mirror
60
in a transverse direction of the vehicle, there has been the problem that it becomes difficult for the plate spring
54
to be released from the base
52
and, as a result, it becomes difficult for the mirror
60
(i.e., the stay
62
) to fall from the base
52
.
Further, when the vehicle inner mirror assembly
50
is assembled, the plate spring
54
, the balls
56
and the base inner
58
are aligned at predetermined positions within the base
52
. The base inner
58
must be fixed to the stay
62
by fastening the bolt
64
and maintaining this state. In this manner, there has been a problem in that not only does the assembly operation become troublesome because the balls
56
and the base inner
58
are necessary, the number of parts increases, many parts must be aligned and the bolt
64
must be fastened, but a lot of time must be expended for assembly. As a result, overall assembly is poor and costs escalate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Taking the above facts into consideration, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle inner mirror assembly in which, when a load of predetermined value or greater acts on a mirror, the mirror can fall regardless of the direction in which the load acts.
A first aspect of the present invention is a mirror assembly for fastening to the interior of a vehicle, the mirror assembly comprising: a mirror; a stay supporting the mirror; a base fastenable to the interior of a vehicle, the base having at least three lugs; and a retention member connected to the stay, the retention member having at least three legs engageable with the lugs of the base for mounting the stay to the base.
A second aspect of the present invention is a mirror assembly for fastening to the interior of a vehicle, the mirror assembly comprising: a rear view mirror; a stay provided at the mirror; a base fixable to the interior of a vehicle; retention lugs provided at the base; and a retention member fixed to the stay, the retention member having at least three resiliently deformable legs, each leg extending at a substantially equal interval from around the retention member and being engageable with a corresponding lug, the legs being resiliently deformed and pressing against the lugs when engaged with the lugs for maintaining engagement therewith up to a load of a predetermined value.
According to the vehicle inner mirror assembly of the first and second aspects of the present invention, the urging legs of the retention member fixed to the stay engage by an urging force with the retention lugs provided on the base, whereby the stay (i.e., the mirror) is held at the base at a load of predetermined value.
Here, because at least three urging legs are provided on the retention member, the stay is supported at the base at at least three points. Accordingly, there is no need to increase the urging force of the urging legs to the extent necessary with conventional plate springs in order to maintain the force at which the stay is held at the base for a load of predetermined value. Moreover, bending of the urging legs is unobstructed by other members.
Consequently, when a load of predetermined value or greater acts on the mirror, at least one of the urging legs corresponding to the direction in which the load acts slides toward the stay from the base, whereby the engagement between all of the urging legs and the retention lugs is released. As a result, the mirror (i.e., the stay) is allowed to fall from the base regardless of the direction in which the load acts.
Further, when the vehicle rear view mirror assembly is assembled, the stay (i.e., the mirror) is held at the base by the urging legs engaging with the retention lugs of the base in a state in which the urging legs of the retention member are elastically deformed. As a result, conventional balls and the base inner become unnecessary, the number of parts can be reduced, and the need to align many parts and fasten them with a bolt is eliminated so that assembly operations can be conducted easily and assembly time can be shortened. Hence, overall assembly can be improved and costs can be reduced.
A third aspect of the present invention a method for assembling a mirror assembly, comprising the steps of: providing a retention member having legs; providing a base having at least one opening with lugs disposed therein, engageable with the retention member legs; inserting the retention member legs into the opening and rotating until the legs engage with the lugs; and fixing the retention member to a stay for supporting a mirror.
REFERENCES:
patent: 61-115748 (1986-07-01), None
patent: 3-19481 (1991-04-01), None
Fujikawa Yoshihiro
Noda Kazuyuki
Ohashi Masatsugu
Yoshida Shigeki
Cole Thomas W.
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Sikder Mohammad
LandOfFree
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