Vehicle periphery viewing device

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle periphery viewing device which enables reduction of a thickness of a housing.SOLUTION: A vehicle periphery viewing device 10 includes: a base member 20 provided at the inner side in a vehicle width direction of an outer panel of a vehicle and having, at an outer end in the vehicle width direction, a holding part 26 formed by a recessed part 26A; and a housing 30 which houses viewing means 12 at an outer end in the vehicle width direction and has, at an inner end in the vehicle width direction, a held part 36 formed by a protruding part 36A which is held rotatably in a vehicle fore and aft direction by the holding part 26.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle peripheral visibility device. [Background technology]

[0002] An electrically retractable vehicle peripheral visibility device that can prevent damage when colliding with an obstacle while in use has been known for some time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this electrically retractable vehicle peripheral visibility device, the housing that houses the camera is configured to be rotatable in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle around a rotation axis that is provided so as to extend in the up-down direction of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-26161 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, it is desirable to reduce the thickness of the housing of such a vehicle peripheral visibility device along the vertical direction of the vehicle from the viewpoint of aerodynamic characteristics when the vehicle is traveling, etc. However, if the housing is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis that is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle, it is difficult to reduce the height of the housing, and therefore difficult to make the housing thinner.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle peripheral visibility device that can reduce the thickness of its housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present invention comprises a base member provided on the inner side of the vehicle's outer panel in the vehicle width direction and having a holding portion composed of either a recess or a protrusion at its outer end in the vehicle width direction, and a housing in which a visibility means is accommodated at its outer end in the vehicle width direction and which has a held portion composed of the other of either a recess or a protrusion at its inner end in the vehicle width direction that is held by the holding portion so as to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the invention, a base member is provided on the inner side of an outer panel of a vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and a holding portion composed of either a recess or a protrusion is provided at the outer end of the base member in the vehicle width direction. A housing, the outer end of which houses the visual confirmation means, has a held portion, composed of the other of the recess or the protrusion, held by the holding portion so as to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, at the inner end of the housing in the vehicle width direction. This eliminates the need to provide a pivot shaft extending in the vehicle up-and-down direction between the base member and the housing, allowing the housing to be made thinner.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is directed to the device for visualizing surroundings for a vehicle of the first aspect, wherein the recessed portion and the protruding portion are formed in a generally arc shape in a plan view.

[0009] According to the second aspect of the invention, the recessed and protruding portions are generally arc-shaped in plan view, which allows the housing to rotate more smoothly than when the recessed and protruding portions are not generally arc-shaped in plan view.

[0010] Furthermore, a third aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present invention is a vehicle peripheral visibility device of the first or second aspect, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion, and the upper and lower surfaces are respectively provided with protrusions that abut against the upper and lower inner surfaces.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the invention, the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion. The upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion are provided with protrusions that abut against the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion, respectively. Therefore, compared to a case where the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion do not have protrusions that abut against the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion, the housing is more stably held on the base member, and blurring of images captured by the viewing means (e.g., a camera) is less likely to occur.

[0012] Furthermore, a fourth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present invention is a vehicle peripheral visibility device of the first or second aspect, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion, and the upper and lower inner surfaces are respectively provided with protrusions that abut against the upper and lower surfaces.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion. The upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion are provided with protrusions that abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion, respectively. Therefore, compared to a case where the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion do not have protrusions that abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion, the housing is more stably held on the base member, and blurring of images captured by the viewing means (e.g., a camera) is less likely to occur.

[0014] In addition, a fifth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present invention is a vehicle peripheral visibility device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which the holding portion is a recess and the held portion is a convex portion.

[0015] According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the holding portion is a recess and the held portion is a protrusion. Therefore, even when the housing rotates, a gap is unlikely to occur between the housing and the base member, and foreign matter is unlikely to get into the gap. This prevents the problem of the imaging area of the viewing means (e.g., a camera) being changed when the housing returns to its original state.

[0016] In addition, a sixth aspect of the present invention is a vehicle peripheral visibility device of any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the base member has a holding mechanism for holding the held portion to the holding portion.

[0017] According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the base member has a holding mechanism for holding the held portion on the holding portion, which allows the housing to be made thinner than when part of the holding mechanism is provided inside the housing.

[0018] Furthermore, a seventh aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present invention is the sixth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device, wherein the holding mechanism includes a coil spring having one end abutted against the base member, and a spring having an approximately "V" shape in a plan view, one end attached to the held portion, and the other bifurcated end engaged with the other end side of the coil spring.

[0019] According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the holding mechanism is configured to include a coil spring having one end abutting against the base member, and a spring having a generally V-shaped planar shape with one end attached to the held portion and the other bifurcated end engaging with the other end of the coil spring, thereby making it possible to realize the holding mechanism with a simple configuration.

[0020] Furthermore, an eighth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present invention is the seventh aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device, in which the harness extending from the visibility means is routed so as to pass through the inside of the coil spring.

[0021] According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the harness extending from the visualizing means is routed so as to pass through the inside of the coil spring, which allows the base member to be made smaller than when the harness extending from the visualizing means is routed outside the coil spring. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] As described above, according to the present invention, the housing of the vehicle periphery visual recognition device can be made thinner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a vehicle peripheral visibility device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vehicle surroundings visual recognition device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional plan view showing a vehicle peripheral visibility device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a partially enlarged schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 4 is a partially enlarged schematic cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are schematic perspective views showing a protrusion on the upper surface side of the device for visualizing surroundings for a vehicle according to the first embodiment, respectively. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional plan view showing a vehicle peripheral visibility device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional plan view showing a vehicle peripheral visibility device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the arrow UP shown in each drawing indicates the upward direction of the vehicle, the arrow FR indicates the forward direction of the vehicle, the arrow RE indicates the rearward direction of the vehicle, and the arrow LH indicates the leftward direction of the vehicle. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions are mentioned, they refer to the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions of the vehicle. Furthermore, the left / right direction is synonymous with the vehicle width direction.

[0025] First Embodiment First, a first embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 6, a vehicle periphery visualizing device 10 according to the first embodiment includes a resin base member 20 provided on the inside in the vehicle width direction of outer panels on both the left and right sides of a vehicle (not shown), and a resin housing 30 that houses a camera 12 as a visualizing means at the outer end in the vehicle width direction. Note that the vehicle periphery visualizing devices 10 have left and right symmetrical shapes and the same configuration, so the right vehicle periphery visualizing device 10 will be described here as an example.

[0026] The base member 20 has a substantially rectangular base body 22 whose longitudinal direction is the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and a cylindrical portion 24 that extends integrally toward the inside in the vehicle width direction from a wall surface facing the inside in the vehicle width direction of a bottom wall 22A (see FIG. 3) of the base body 22. A through-hole 22B (see FIG. 3) is formed in the center of the bottom wall 22A of the base body 22 for passing therethrough a harness 14 (see FIG. 2) and one end 16A of a spring 16, which will be described later.

[0027] The housing 30 has a housing main body 32 that is substantially flat and box-shaped and extends in the vehicle width direction, and a holder 34 that is integrally joined to the vehicle width direction inner end of the housing main body 32. The housing main body 32 is composed of an upper half 32A and a lower half 32B, and the upper half 32A and the lower half 32B are abutted against each other from above and below, and their vehicle width direction inner ends are fitted inside the vehicle width direction outer end of the holder 34, thereby being integrally attached to the holder 34.

[0028] Camera 12 is housed inside housing main body 32 at the outer end in the vehicle width direction, and a circular opening 32C is formed in the rear wall (the rear wall formed when upper half 32A and lower half 32B are abutted) at the outer end in the vehicle width direction of housing main body 32 to expose lens 12A of camera 12. The outer dimensions of the outer end in the vehicle width direction inside housing main body 32 are approximately the same as the outer dimensions of camera 12, and camera 12 is held by being fitted into this outer end in the vehicle width direction.

[0029] Furthermore, the harness 14 extending from the camera 12 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction is housed within the housing main body 32 and holder 34. That is, only the camera 12 and the harness 14 are housed within the housing main body 32, and only the harness 14 is housed within the holder 34. Note that a through-hole 34A (see FIG. 2) for passing the harness 14 through is formed at a predetermined position (a position avoiding a hook 37, which will be described later) in a protrusion 36A, which will be described later, of the holder 34.

[0030] An annular retaining portion 26 is formed on the outer wall surface in the vehicle width direction of the base main body 22 of the base member 20. This retaining portion 26 is configured as a recess 26A in which at least both front-rear direction wall surfaces are substantially arc-shaped in plan view. Note that an inner peripheral wall 22C extends integrally from the inner peripheral edge of the recess 26A toward the inside in the vehicle width direction in plan view, and this inner peripheral wall 22C is integrally connected to the bottom wall 22A.

[0031] Meanwhile, a held portion 36 is formed at the inner end of the holder 34 of the housing 30 in the vehicle width direction. This held portion 36 is configured as a convex portion 36A that is substantially arc-shaped in a plan view, and the curvature of this convex portion 36A is set to be equal to the curvature of the concave portion 26A. Note that the wall surface of the convex portion 36A that constitutes the held portion 36 of the holder 34 and that is not held by the concave portion 26A is configured not to abut against the wall surface of the bottom wall 22A of the base main body 22 that faces outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0032] A hook 37 is formed integrally with the central portion of the wall surface of the protrusion 36A that is not held by the recess 26A, and one end 16A of a spring 16 that is substantially V-shaped in plan view is attached to the hook 37. A coil spring 18 having an outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 24 is housed inside the cylindrical portion 24 of the base member 20, and one end 18A, which is the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the coil spring 18, abuts against the wall surface of the bottom wall 22A of the base main body 22 that faces inward in the vehicle width direction.

[0033] The spring 16 is disposed inside the coil spring 18, and the other bifurcated end 16B of the spring 16 is engaged from the inside with the other end side of the coil spring 18. This results in a configuration in which the held portion 36 formed by the convex portion 36A of the holder 34 is held by the holding portion 26 formed by the concave portion 26A of the base body 22 so as to be rotatable at least in the front-rear direction.

[0034] That is, holding mechanism 15 is configured to include spring 16, which is roughly V-shaped in plan view, and coil spring 18, and holding mechanism 15 holds housing 30 to base member 20 so that it can rotate in the front-to-rear direction. Note that harness 14 extending from camera 12 is routed so as to pass through the inside of coil spring 18 (see FIG. 2).

[0035] 4 and 5, the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A constituting the held portion 36 of the holder 34 face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion 26A constituting the holding portion 26 of the base body 22. Then, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A are formed with protrusions 38 that come into contact with the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion 26A, respectively.

[0036] The protrusions 38 are formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and for example, as shown in Fig. 6, two protrusions 38 are formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 36A, and one protrusion 38 is formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 36A. Note that two protrusions 38 may be formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 36A, and one protrusion 38 may be formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 36A. In this way, it is desirable that the protrusions 38 are formed on both the upper and lower surfaces of the protrusion 36A, and that at least two protrusions 38 are formed on the upper or lower surface at a predetermined interval in the front-to-rear direction.

[0037] Next, the operation of the vehicle surroundings visual confirmation device 10 according to the first embodiment configured as above will be described.

[0038] As described above, the base member 20 of the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 is provided on the inner side of the outer panel of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and the holding portion 26 formed by the recessed portion 26A is provided on the outer end of the base member 20 in the vehicle width direction. The housing 30, which houses the camera 12 at its outer end in the vehicle width direction, has the held portion 36 formed by the protruding portion 36A on its inner end in the vehicle width direction, and the held portion 36 is held by the holding portion 26 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction.

[0039] Therefore, even if a load is applied to the housing 30 (housing main body 32) of the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 from the front side, for example, if an obstacle collides with it relatively from the front side, the housing 30 can rotate rearward against the biasing forces of the spring 16 and the coil spring 18, as shown by the imaginary lines in Fig. 3, thereby suppressing or preventing damage to the housing 30. Even if a load is applied from the rear side, the housing 30 can rotate forward against the biasing forces of the spring 16 and the coil spring 18, thereby suppressing or preventing damage to the housing 30.

[0040] Furthermore, in this vehicle periphery visualization device 10, the held portion 36 formed by the convex portion 36A is rotatably held by the holding portion 26 formed by the concave portion 26A, so there is no need to provide a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction between the base member 20 and the housing 30. Therefore, the thickness in the vertical direction of the housing 30 (the housing main body 32 and the holder 34 excluding the outer end portion in the vehicle width direction that houses the camera 12) can be made thinner (lower in height).

[0041] Furthermore, the outer dimensions of the vehicle width direction outer end portion inside the housing main body 32 are substantially the same as the outer dimensions of the camera 12, and the camera 12 is held by being fitted into the vehicle width direction outer end portion. Therefore, there is no need to provide a bracket or the like for holding the camera 12 inside the housing main body 32, which allows the housing 30 to be made even smaller (thinner) and the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 to be made lighter.

[0042] In the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment, the recessed portion 26A and the protruding portion 36A have a generally arc-shaped configuration in plan view, which allows the housing 30 to rotate more smoothly in the front-rear direction than when the recessed portion 26A and the protruding portion 36A do not have a generally arc-shaped configuration in plan view.

[0043] Furthermore, in the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment, the holding portion 26 is configured as a recess 26A, and the held portion 36 is configured as a protrusion 36A. Therefore, even when the housing 30 rotates, a gap is unlikely to be formed between the housing 30 and the base member 20, and foreign matter is unlikely to enter the gap. This prevents the appearance of the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 from being impaired, and also prevents or prevents the occurrence of a problem in which the shooting area of the camera 12 is changed when the housing 30 returns to its original state by the biasing force of the spring 16 and the coil spring 18.

[0044] Furthermore, in the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment, protrusions 38 that come into contact with the upper and lower inner surfaces of the recess 26A are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A, respectively. Therefore, compared to a case in which the protrusions 38 that come into contact with the upper and lower inner surfaces of the recess 26A are not formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A, respectively, the housing 30 is more stably held on the base member 20, and blurring of the image captured by the camera 12 is less likely to occur.

[0045] In particular, when two protrusions 38 are formed on the upper surface (or the lower surface) of the convex portion 36A at a predetermined distance in the front-to-rear direction, the housing 30 is held more stably on the base member 20 than when only one protrusion 38 is formed on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A, making it even less likely that shaking will occur when capturing images by the camera 12.

[0046] Furthermore, in the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment, the holding mechanism 15 for holding the held portion 36 on the holding portion 26 is provided only on the base member 20. Therefore, compared to when a portion of the holding mechanism 15 is provided inside the housing 30, the housing 30 can be made even thinner.

[0047] Furthermore, this holding mechanism 15 can be realized with a simple configuration because it is composed of a coil spring 18 having one end abutted against the base member 20, and a spring 16 having an approximately "V" shape in a plan view, one end 16A attached to the held portion 36 and the other bifurcated end 16B engaged from the inside with the other end side of the coil spring 18.

[0048] Furthermore, the harness 14 extending from the camera 12 is routed so as to pass through the inside of the coil spring 18. Therefore, compared to when the harness 14 extending from the camera 12 is routed outside the coil spring 18, the base member 20 can be made smaller, and the wiring path of the harness 14 can be prevented from interfering with the rotation of the housing 30.

[0049] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0050] 7, in the second embodiment, the recess 26A constituting the holding portion 26 of the base main body 22 is formed larger (deeper) than in the first embodiment. That is, unlike the first embodiment, the recess 26A is not formed in an annular shape at the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the inner circumferential wall 22C of the base main body 22 in a plan view, but is formed by forming at least both front-rear direction sides of the inner circumferential wall 22C into a substantially arc shape in a plan view.

[0051] The protrusions 36A constituting the held portion 36 of the holder 34 are also formed on at least both front-rear portions of the peripheral wall on the inner side in the vehicle width direction that contacts the recess 26A, and are formed in a generally arc shape in plan view with a curvature equivalent to that of the recess 26A. The wall surface 34B of the holder 34 facing the inner side in the vehicle width direction is a flat surface, and is disposed adjacent to but not in contact with the wall surface of the bottom wall 22A of the base body 22 that faces the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0052] According to the device 10 for visualizing vehicle peripheries for the second embodiment having such a shape, when the housing 30 is rotated rearward, the gap G1 that occurs between the housing 30 and the base member 20 is reduced compared to the first embodiment, as shown by the imaginary lines in Fig. 7. In other words, according to the device 10 for visualizing vehicle peripheries for the second embodiment, even when the housing 30 is rotated, a gap is less likely to occur between the housing 30 and the base member 20, making it even more difficult for foreign matter to enter the gap.

[0053] Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the appearance of the vehicle peripheral visibility device 10 from being damaged, and it is also possible to further prevent or prevent the occurrence of a problem in which the shooting area of the camera 12 is changed when the housing 30 returns to its original state due to the biasing force of the spring 16 and the coil spring 18.

[0054] <Third embodiment> Finally, a third embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts equivalent to those in the first and second embodiments, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0055] 8, in the third embodiment, a convex portion 26B constituting the holding portion 26 is formed on the base main body 22 of the base member 20, and a concave portion 36B constituting the held portion 36 is formed on the holder 34 of the housing 30. In other words, the held portion 36 constituted by the concave portion 36B of the holder 34 is held by the holding portion 26 constituted by the convex portion 26B of the base main body 22 so as to be rotatable at least in the front-rear direction.

[0056] More specifically, a cylindrical portion 28 having a smaller diameter than the cylindrical portion 24 is integrally formed on the wall surface of the bottom wall 22A of the base body 22 facing outward in the vehicle width direction, and protrusions 26B having a substantially arc shape in a plan view are formed on at least both front-rear directions of the outer end portion of the cylindrical portion 28. In other words, a through-hole 28A for passing the hook 37 and one end 16A of the spring 16 therethrough is formed in the center of the outer end portion of the cylindrical portion 28 in the vehicle width direction.

[0057] Meanwhile, a recess 36B having a generally arcuate shape in plan view that is recessed outward in the vehicle width direction is formed at the inner end of the holder 34 in the vehicle width direction, and the curvature of this recess 36B is the same as the curvature of the protrusion 26B. A hook 37 for attaching one end 16A of the spring 16 is integrally formed at the center of the recess 36B. A through-hole (not shown) for passing the harness 14 through is formed at a predetermined position in the recess 36B (a position avoiding the hook 37).

[0058] An edge 36C, which is the inner end of the recess 36B in the vehicle width direction, abuts against a wall surface that is radially outer than the cylindrical portion 28 of the bottom wall 22A of the base body 22, and an inclined wall 36D is formed integrally with the edge 36C at least on both front-rear sides. The inclined wall 36D is inclined at a predetermined angle toward the front and rear as it goes outward in the vehicle width direction in a plan view.

[0059] In addition, inclined walls 22D inclined at a predetermined angle toward the front and rear as they move outward in the vehicle width direction in plan view are also formed on at least both front-rear direction portions of the inner peripheral wall 22C of the base main body 22. In other words, the inclined wall 36D on the holder 34 side and the inclined wall 22D on the base main body 22 side face each other, and the inclination angle thereof in plan view is set such that the gap G2 between them widens as they move outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0060] As a result, even if the convex portion 26B is formed on the base member 20 side and the concave portion 36B is formed on the housing 30 side, the housing 30 can easily rotate in the front-rear direction relative to the base member 20. In other words, the rotation of the housing 30 in the front-rear direction relative to the base member 20 is not hindered.

[0061] 8, for example, when the housing 30 is rotated rearward, the edge 36C on the rotation direction side comes into contact with the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 28. In this way, in the third embodiment, the rotation range of the housing 30 in the front-rear direction is limited.

[0062] The vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to this embodiment has been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the illustrated example, and the design can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, the visualization means is not limited to the camera 12, and may be a sensor that can detect in the dark. Furthermore, the base member 20 may be integrally formed on the inner side of the outer panel of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. This case is also included in the term "provided" on the inner side of the outer panel of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.

[0063] Furthermore, at least a portion of the housing 30 may be made of metal. In this case, the holding mechanism 15 may be configured to include, in addition to the spring 16 and the coil spring 18, an electromagnet or a permanent magnet (not shown) for assisting the return of the rotated housing 30. Although not shown, the protrusions 38 may be formed on the upper and lower inner surfaces of the recess 26A rather than on the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A. In this case, it is desirable to form at least two protrusions 38 on the upper or lower inner surface of the recess 26A at a predetermined interval in the front-to-rear direction.

[0064] Also, a nonwoven fabric (not shown) may be wrapped around the other end 16B of the spring 16 that is engaged with the other end side of the coil spring 18. This makes it possible to suppress the generation of contact noise between the spring 16 and the coil spring 18. Also, the harness 14 of the camera 12 may be routed so as to pass outside the coil spring 18, as long as there is ample space inside the base member 20 and the wiring route is a route that does not interfere with the rotation of the housing 30.

[0065] Furthermore, the thickness of the camera 12 in the vertical direction is not limited to that shown in the figure. For example, if the thickness of the camera 12 in the vertical direction is thinner than that shown in the figure, the thickness of the outer end of the housing 30 (housing main body 32) in the vertical direction in the vehicle width direction will also be thinner than that shown in the figure. Furthermore, a camera, sensor, lamp, etc. (not shown) for visually checking the underside of the vehicle may be separately provided inside the housing main body 32. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Vehicle peripheral visibility device, 12 Camera (visualization means), 14 Harness, 15 Holding mechanism, 16 Spring, 18 Coil spring, 20 Base member, 26 Holding portion, 26A Recess, 26B Convex portion, 36 Held portion, 36A Convex portion, 36B Convex portion, 38 Protruding portion

Claims

1. a base member provided on an inner side of an outer panel of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction, the base member having a retaining portion configured as either a recessed portion or a protruding portion at an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction; a housing having an outer end in a vehicle width direction, the housing accommodating a visual confirmation means, and an inner end in the vehicle width direction, the housing having a retained portion constituted by the other of a recessed portion and a protruding portion that is retained by the retaining portion so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; A vehicle peripheral visibility device comprising:

2. The vehicle surroundings visual recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the recessed portion and the protruding portion are substantially arc-shaped in a plan view.

3. an upper surface and a lower surface of the protrusion face an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface of the recess; 2. The vehicle periphery visualization device according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface and the lower surface are provided with protrusions that come into contact with the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface, respectively.

4. an upper surface and a lower surface of the protrusion face an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface of the recess; 2. The vehicle periphery visualization device according to claim 1, wherein the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface are provided with protrusions that come into contact with the upper surface and the lower surface, respectively.

5. 2. The vehicle periphery visual recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is a recess and the held portion is a protrusion.

6. The vehicle periphery visual recognition device according to claim 1 , wherein the base member has a holding mechanism for holding the held portion to the holding portion.

7. The holding mechanism includes: a coil spring having one end abutted against the base member; a spring having a generally V-shaped planar shape, one end of which is attached to the held portion and the other bifurcated end of which is engaged with the other end of the coil spring; The vehicle peripheral visibility device according to claim 6, further comprising:

8. 8. The vehicle surroundings visualizing device according to claim 7, wherein a harness extending from the visualizing means is routed so as to pass through the inside of the coil spring.

Images