Holding member and blind spot assistance device

Abstract

To provide a holding member that is capable of post-attaching an optical member and that easily adjusts a position in a pillar cover, and to provide a blind spot assistance device using the same.SOLUTION: A holding member has: a holder portion 4 that holds a light guide body 2 that internally reflects and guides incident outside-scene light and emits the light from an emission surface 2c; and holding portions 5, 6 that fix and hold the holder portion 4 to a pillar cover 10. The holder portion 4 holds a portion of the light guide body 2 different from surfaces 2c, 2d used for reflection of light incident inside. In the holding portions 5, 6, tip parts on a side opposite to the holder portion 4 are clip-like holding portions 53, 63 fitted to the pillar cover 10. The blind spot assistance device includes: the holding member; the light guide body 2; and a positioning member for positioning the light guide body 2 or the holder portion 4 with respect to the pillar cover 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a holding member that holds an optical element that internally reflects and guides light from an external scene that is incident through an entrance surface and emits the light from an exit surface, and to a blind spot assistance device that uses the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a blind spot assistance device that attaches an optical element to a light-blocking obstacle such as a front pillar of a vehicle using a holding member, and reflects and guides light from the blind spot area caused by the obstacle inside the optical element, and then emits the light to allow a user to see the scene in the blind spot. For example, the blind spot assistance device described in Patent Document 1 includes an optical element made up of a pair of semi-transparent mirrors and a mirror arranged in parallel, and a holding member that holds the optical element, and the holding member is attached to an obstacle inside the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-147496 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The blind spot auxiliary device of Patent Document 1 has a structure in which a holding member for an optical element is attached to a pillar or pillar cover using a fixing member such as a screw and a locking member that releases the fixing when a load exceeding a predetermined level is applied. However, in a vehicle, the viewpoint position of each user (occupant) is typically different, and the fixing structure of the holding member described above makes it difficult or impossible to adjust the position of the blind spot auxiliary device to match the user's viewpoint position. Furthermore, changing the position of the blind spot auxiliary device to correspond to the user's viewpoint position requires changing or modifying the vehicle structure or pillar cover. For this reason, conventional blind spot auxiliary devices make it difficult to easily use optical elements as retrofits.

[0005] In view of the above points, the present disclosure aims to provide a holding member that is attached to a pillar cover of a vehicle while holding an optical element, allowing the optical element to be retrofitted and facilitating the position adjustment of the holding member, and to provide a blind spot assistance device using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a holding member that is attached to a pillar cover (10) and holds a light guide (2) that internally reflects and guides incident external scene light (L1) and emits the light from an emission surface, the holding member comprising: a light guide holder (4) for holding portions (2e, 2f, 2g) of the light guide that are different from the surfaces (2c, 2d) used to reflect the incident light (L2) that has entered the light guide; and a holding portion (5, 6) for holding the light guide holder in a state where the light guide holder is attached to the pillar cover, The holding portion has a tip portion on the opposite side to the light guide holder that is a clip-shaped clamping portion (53, 63) that fits into the pillar cover.

[0007] This holding member has a light guide holder that holds a light guide that guides light in a blind spot created by the pillar to which the pillar cover is attached, and a holding portion that holds the light guide holder in a state where it is attached to the pillar cover, with the tip of the holding portion being a clamping portion that clamps the pillar cover. Because the holding portion is structured to clamp the pillar cover and fix the light guide holder, it is possible to retrofit an optical element (light guide) via the light guide holder without having to perform processing such as drilling screw holes in the pillar cover itself. Furthermore, as described above, because the holding member can be attached without having to perform processing on the pillar cover itself, it is easy to adjust its position to match the user's viewpoint.

[0008] Also, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a blind spot assistance device includes: A holding member according to the above aspect, a light guide (2) that internally reflects and guides incident external light (L1) and emits the light from an exit surface; The pillar cover has a positioning member (7) attached to an outer surface (10a) that faces the light guide and is used for positioning the light guide or the holding member.

[0009] This allows the blind spot auxiliary device to be retrofitted with optical elements, makes it easy to adjust the position of the light guide holder that holds the optical elements, and allows for the positioning of the optical elements or light guide holder and the pillar cover to be adjusted and positional misalignment to be prevented.

[0010] The reference symbols in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between the component and the specific components described in the embodiments described below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a blind spot assistance device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1, and is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a light guide and light guiding. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the arrow III in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a view seen from the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a holding portion of the blind spot assistance device of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a divided portion of the holding portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a blind spot assistance device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a view seen from the direction of the arrow VIII in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 8 is a view seen from the X direction in FIG. 7. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a blind spot assistance device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] 12 is a view taken along the arrow XII direction in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 13 is a view seen from the direction of the arrow XIII in FIG. 11. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, identical or equivalent parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0013] (First embodiment) A description will be given of a blind spot assistance device 1 according to a first embodiment. The blind spot assistance device 1 is attached to a pillar of a vehicle such as an automobile, and guides external light from a blind spot area created by the pillar inside a light guide body 2 (described later) and emits the light toward the user, allowing the user to view the scene in the blind spot.

[0014] In Fig. 1, to make it easier to understand the configuration of the blind spot auxiliary device 1, some of the outer peripheries of the light guide 2, light guide holder 3, and pillar cover 10, which will be described later, that cannot be seen from the angle of Fig. 1 are shown with dashed lines. Also, in Fig. 3, the outer periphery of the light guide 2 attached to the light guide holder 3 is shown with dashed lines. In Fig. 4, to make it easier to understand the state of the light guide 2 and light guide holder 3 as viewed from the pillar cover 10 side, the outer periphery of the pillar cover 10 is shown with dashed lines, and the outer peripheries of the light guide 2 and light guide holder 3 are shown with solid lines.

[0015] 1, the blind spot auxiliary device 1 of this embodiment includes a light guide 2 and a light guide holder 3, which is a holding member that holds the light guide 2 and can be attached to a pillar cover 10. The blind spot auxiliary device 1 has holding portions 5 and 6 in the light guide holder 3 that clamp the pillar cover 10, making it easy to adjust the attachment position relative to the pillar cover 10 without having to process the pillar cover 10. The pillar cover 10 to which the blind spot auxiliary device 1 is attached has, for example, a substantially semi-cylindrical arc shape that covers the pillar of the vehicle, and is made of any resin material.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the light guide 2 is a member having an incident portion 2a, a reflecting surface 2d adjacent to the incident portion 2a, an exit surface 2c facing the incident portion 2a and the reflecting surface 2d, a side surface 2b connecting the incident portion 2a and the exit surface 2c, and a terminal surface 2e connecting the exit surface 2c and the reflecting surface 2d. As shown in FIG. 1, the light guide 2 has an upper surface 2f and a lower surface 2g that face each other and connect the incident portion 2a, the side surface 2b, the exit surface 2c, the reflecting surface 2d, and the terminal surface 2e. The light guide 2 is, for example, a single transparent member made of a light-transmitting material. Examples of the light-transmitting material include resin materials such as polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, and acrylic, as well as inorganic materials such as glass. The light guide 2 has a mirrorless structure that does not include a mirror made of a reflective material different from the translucent material, and is designed to guide the incident light from the incident portion 2a by total internal reflection. The light guide 2 may be, for example, that described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-28532. The light guide 2 has a structure in which a portion of the incident light L2 (described below) that enters from the incident portion 2a is emitted from the emission prism portion 22, and another portion of the incident light L2 is reflected by total internal reflection at the flat portion 23 and the reflecting surface 2d and guided.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the incident portion 2a is formed by a plurality of incident prism portions 21, each of which is a triangular prism-shaped protrusion, arranged in a continuous, repeating pattern with the same extension direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer surface of each of the incident prism portions 21, opposite the reflecting surface 2d adjacent to the incident portion 2a, serves as an incident surface 21a through which a portion of the external light L1 enters the interior. The incident prism portions 21 are arranged such that the heights of their protruding portions from the reflecting surface 2d are approximately the same and their incident surfaces 21a are approximately parallel. "Almost identical" includes not only cases where they are completely identical, but also cases where they are nearly identical but not completely identical due to unavoidable errors such as processing errors. The outer surface of each of the incident prism portions 21 facing the reflecting surface 2d serves as an adjacent surface 21b. The adjacent surface 21b has a predetermined inclination angle so as not to obstruct the incidence of the external light L1 on the incident surfaces 21a of adjacent incident prism portions 21.

[0018] For ease of explanation, as shown in Figure 2, of the external light L1 from the incident portion 2a and the reflecting surface 2d side, the light that enters the interior from the incident portion 2a will be referred to as "incident light L2," and the light that is emitted to the outside from the emission prism portion 22 described later will be referred to as "emitted light L3."

[0019] The side surface 2b has an inclination of at least the incident angle φ of the incident light L2 to the flat portion 23, so that the incident light L2 is not emitted to the outside from the side surface 2b. The incident angle φ of the incident light L2 is the angle between the normal direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the "normal direction") to the plane formed by the flat portion 23 or the reflecting surface 2d and the traveling direction of the incident light L2. The light guide 2 is capable of guiding light in a mirrorless structure by satisfying the total reflection condition of the following equation (1) where the refractive index of the constituent material is n and the external medium is air (refractive index = 1).

[0020] sinφ≧1 / n (1) The exit surface 2c has, for example, a plurality of exit prism portions 22, which are triangular protrusions in a cross-sectional view, and a plurality of flat portions 23 adjacent to the exit prism portions 22 and which are flat surfaces substantially parallel to the reflecting surface 2d. The exit surface 2c is the surface on which the incident light L2 from the incident portion 2a first arrives, and is formed by alternately arranging the exit prism portions 22 and the flat portions 23. The exit prism portions 22 each have an exit portion 22a, which is the surface that emits the incident light L2 to the outside, and another surface 22b adjacent to the exit portion 22a. For example, the exit portion 22a is parallel to the incident surface 21a. The flat portions 23 are, for example, flat surfaces located on the same plane, and serve as first reflecting surfaces that reflect the incident light L2 toward the reflecting surface 2d by total internal reflection.

[0021] For ease of explanation, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the exit prism portions 22 and along the arrangement direction of the plurality of exit prism portions 22 will be referred to as the "first direction D1," and the direction along the normal direction will be referred to as the "second direction D2." The direction along the extension direction of the entrance prism portions 21 and the exit prism portions 22 will be referred to as the "third direction D3." The direction from the side surface 2b toward the terminal surface 2e in the first direction D1 is the direction in which the incident light L2 is guided, and can also be referred to as the light guide direction. The second direction D2 corresponds to the thickness direction of the light guide body 2. The direction along the extension direction of the pillar to which the pillar cover 10 is attached will be referred to as the "fourth direction D4."

[0022] In addition, the entrance prism portion 21 and the exit prism portion 22 have a width such that their ends in the third direction D3 do not reach the upper surface 2f and the lower surface 2g, for example, so that the light guide 2 can be inserted into the holder portion 4 of the light guide holder 3 without interfering with the holder portion 4.

[0023] The reflecting surface 2d is a second reflecting surface that reflects the incident light L2 reflected by the flat portion 23 toward the exit surface 2c by total reflection. If the exit surface 2c facing the user side is considered to be the front surface, the reflecting surface 2d is the surface that corresponds to the back surface. For example, the entire area of the reflecting surface 2d is covered by the back cover 44 of the light guide holder 3 across a gap to prevent external light L1 from directly entering the reflecting surface 2d. This prevents light from directly entering the reflecting surface 2d, and therefore prevents the incident light from being emitted toward the user side together with the exit light L3, thereby suppressing the occurrence of ghost images.

[0024] The terminal surface 2e is the surface where a portion of the incident light L2 finally reaches. The terminal surface 2e may form a single plane together with the exit portion 22a of the exit prism portion 22, or may have any other surface shape.

[0025] The top surface 2f and the bottom surface 2g are located at both ends of the light guide 2 in the third direction D3, and, like the side surface 2b, are non-optical surfaces that are not used for guiding, i.e., reflecting, the incident light L2 inside the light guide 2. The top surface 2f and the bottom surface 2g are, for example, single flat surfaces that connect the incident portion 2a, the exit surface 2c, the reflecting surface 2d, and the terminal surface 2e, and are arranged in parallel, but may have any shape as long as they do not interfere with the guiding of the incident light L2. For example, the top surface 2f and the bottom surface 2g may have protrusions that match the width of a groove (not shown) formed on the surface of the holder 4 facing the light guide 2, so that the light guide 2 can be inserted into the groove.

[0026] The light guide holder 3 has, for example, a holder portion 4 to which the light guide 2 is attached and which holds the light guide 2, and holding portions 5 and 6 attached to the holder portion 4 and which fix the holder portion 4 to the pillar cover 10.

[0027] 1, the holder 4 is U-shaped, and the light guide 2 is inserted into its opening in the direction indicated by the outline arrow. The holder 4 includes, for example, an upper cover 41 facing the upper surface 2f of the light guide 2, a lower cover 42 facing the lower surface 2g, a rear cover 43 facing the terminal end surface 2e, and a rear cover 44 covering the reflecting surface 2d. The holder 4 may include covers 41 to 44 that are integral with each other or may be separate bodies. In the latter case, they are assembled using any method, such as fastening members such as screws or adhesives.

[0028] The top cover 41, the bottom cover 42, and the rear cover 43 have, for example, groove-like recesses (not shown) formed on the surfaces facing the light guide 2 to match the thickness of the light guide 2, allowing the light guide 2 to be inserted while sliding. As a result, the light guide 2 is held by the light guide holder 3, with, for example, the top surface 2f, the bottom surface 2g, and part or all of the end surface 2e fitting into the recesses of the holder part 4. The holder part 4 has a thickness such that, for example, the top cover 41 covers the entire top surface 2f of the light guide 2, the bottom cover 42 covers the entire bottom surface 2g, and the rear cover 43 covers the entire end surface 2e. Note that the light guide 2 is held in a state where the tip of the entrance prism part 21 protrudes from the holder part 4 in a side view, as shown in FIG. 3, for example.

[0029] The back cover 44 is, for example, a light-blocking member disposed at a distance from the reflective surface 2d of the light guide 2 and covering the entire reflective surface 2d. This prevents external light L1 from being directly incident on the reflective surface 2d, thereby suppressing the occurrence of ghost images, while satisfying the conditions for total reflection on the reflective surface 2d of the mirrorless light guide 2. At least the surface of the back cover 44 facing the reflective surface 2d is a light-blocking portion. A portion of the back cover 44 may be made of any light-blocking material, such as black paint, or the entire back cover 44 may be made of a light-blocking material, such as resin or metal. This also applies to the top cover 41, bottom cover 42, and rear cover 43. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the rear prism portion 211 is the portion of the entrance prism portion 21 closest to the reflective surface 2d. The back cover 44 is disposed in contact with the adjacent surface 21b of the rear prism portion 211. This eliminates a gap between the rear cover 44 and the rear prism portion 211, preventing unintended external light L1 from entering the reflecting surface 2d. It is preferable that at least the portion of the rear cover 44 that abuts against the rear prism portion 211 is made of an elastic material (such as black rubber) that has light-blocking properties and elasticity, as this prevents the rear prism portion 211 from being scratched.

[0030] The holding parts 5 and 6 are, for example, configured with a front holding part 5 arranged at the front and a rear holding part 6 arranged at the rear, with the direction toward the end of the holder part 4 on the incident part 2a side being defined as the front and the direction toward the end opposite to the front, i.e., the rear cover 43 side being defined as the rear. The holding parts 5 and 6 are bendable elastic bodies made of any material such as metal that has a predetermined level of strength and elasticity, and are, for example, in the shape of a thin plate clip.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the front holding portions 5 are disposed at or near the ends of the upper cover 41 and the lower cover 42 opposite the rear cover 43. The front holding portions 5 include, for example, a fixed portion 51 fixed to the holder portion 4, an extended portion 52 extending from the fixed portion 51, and a clamping portion 53 located at the tip of the extended portion 52 and clamping the pillar cover 10. The front holding portions 5 are, for example, fixed to the holder portion 4 by any method, such as a flat plate-shaped fixed portion 51 with a fastening member such as a screw or with an adhesive. One front holding portion 5 is attached to each of the front end sides of the upper cover 41 and the lower cover 42, for example. The extended portion 52 of the front holding portions 5 extends in a direction away from the holder portion 4.

[0032] The front holding portion 5 has a clamping portion 53 at its tip opposite the fixing portion 51 that can clamp and hold the end of the pillar cover 10. The clamping portion 53 is, for example, bent into a generally U-shape to create a gap equal to or smaller than the thickness of the pillar cover 10. When the end of the pillar cover 10 is inserted, the clamping portion 53 elastically deforms, clamping and fixing the pillar cover 10 with the resulting restoring force. When fitted with the end of the pillar cover 10, the clamping portion 53 only needs to clamp the end with a force sufficient to prevent the light guide holder 3 with the light guide 2 attached from shifting position due to vehicle vibration or gravity, and the dimensions and gap of the clamping portion 53 can be changed as appropriate. For example, when the pillar cover 10 is attached to a so-called A-pillar of the vehicle, the front holding portion 5 is fixed between the windshield and the pillar cover 10. In this case, the rear holding portion 6 is fixed by, for example, a rubber packing that fills the gap between the pillar cover 10 and the vicinity of the A-pillar of the vehicle body.

[0033] The rear holding part 6 is a member that forms a pair with the front holding part 5, and, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 , one rear holding part 6 is attached to the rear cover 43 near the center in the direction along the third direction D3 of the light guide 2. The basic configuration of the rear holding part 6 is the same as that of the front holding part 5, and includes, for example, a fixing part 61, an extension part 62, and a clamping part 63, and is designed in the same way as the front holding part 5. The rear holding part 6 clamps and fits an end of the pillar cover 10 opposite to the end clamped by the front holding part 5 with the clamping part 63, and together with the front holding part 5, fixes the holder part 4 to the pillar cover 10.

[0034] The above is the basic configuration of the blind spot assistance device 1 of this embodiment.

[0035] According to this embodiment, the light guide holder 3, which is a holding member for the light guide 2, has a holder portion 4 that holds the light guide 2, and holding portions 5 and 6 that clamp the end of the pillar cover 10 and attach the holder portion 4. This eliminates the need to drill holes in the pillar cover 10 itself or to directly adhesively fix the holder portion 4, and also makes it easy to adjust the position of the light guide holder 3 in the fourth direction D4 of the pillar cover 10 while allowing the light guide 2 to be attached later. Therefore, the blind spot auxiliary device 1 is configured so that the position of the light guide holder 3 can be adjusted according to the viewpoint position of the vehicle occupant, and no processing of the pillar cover 10 itself is required.

[0036] (Second embodiment) A blind spot assistance device 1 according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0037] The blind spot assistance device 1 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the structure of the clamping portions 53, 63 of the holding portions 5, 6 is changed. In this embodiment, this difference will be mainly described.

[0038] The surface of the pillar cover 10 facing the light guide holder 3 is the outer surface 10a, and the opposite surface is the inner surface 10b. In this embodiment, the holding portions 5 and 6 have clamping portions 53 and 63 shaped to fit the rib 11 formed on the inner surface 10b, as shown in Figure 6, for example.

[0039] The pillar cover 10 has a plurality of ribs 11 formed on the inner surface 10b thereof, which are protrusions arranged at predetermined intervals along the fourth direction D4. The plurality of ribs 11 are, for example, wall-like protrusions extending in a direction intersecting the fourth direction D4, i.e., in a direction connecting the end portion clamped by the front holding portion 5 and the end portion clamped by the rear holding portion 6.

[0040] The clamping portions 53, 63 are, for example, divided portions 531, 631 in which the portion that contacts the inner surface 10b is divided into at least two or more portions. Since the clamping portions 53, 63 have basically the same configuration, the following description will mainly focus on the clamping portion 53 and the divided portion 531 of the front holding portion 5.

[0041] The clamping portion 53 has, for example, two divided portions 531, and can be attached to the pillar cover 10 with the rib 11 sandwiched in the gap between the divided portions 531. As shown in FIG. 6 , for example, the width of the divided portions 531 in the direction along the fourth direction D4 of the clamping portion 53 is defined as W1, which is smaller than the pitch P1 of the ribs 11. Furthermore, the gap between adjacent divided portions 531 in the fourth direction D4 of the clamping portion 53 is defined as W2, which is larger than the width P2 of the rib 11 in the same direction. As a result, the clamping portion 53 fits the rib 11 by sandwiching it in the gap between the divided portions 531, and in this state the divided portions 531 do not sandwich other ribs 11, thereby further suppressing misalignment of the light guide holder 3 due to the rib 11 being sandwiched. Furthermore, the width of the clamping portion 53 in the fourth direction D4 at the entire tip portion that abuts against the inner surface 10b is wider than the pitch interval P1 between the adjacent ribs 11, and is designed to satisfy 2W1+W2>P1. This prevents the clamping portion 53 from being assembled to the pillar cover 10 without clamping the rib 11 in the gap of the dividing portion 531.

[0042] According to this embodiment, in addition to the features of the first embodiment, the clamping portions 53, 63 have a branched structure with a plurality of divided portions 531, 631 that match the ribs 11 of the pillar cover 10, making it possible to clamp the ribs 11 in the gaps between the divided portions 531, 631. As a result, the blind spot assistance device 1 of this embodiment is more effectively prevented from causing the light guide holder 3 to slip off the pillar cover 10 even when vibrations or inertial forces of the vehicle act on it, and the effect of preventing the light guide holder 3 from shifting position is further improved.

[0043] (Third embodiment) A blind spot assistance device 1 according to a third embodiment will be described.

[0044] 7, to make it easier to understand the configuration of the blind spot auxiliary device 1, the outer hull of the rear cover 44 and the portions of the outer hull of the positioning member 7 described below that overlap with the upper cover 41 and the lower cover 42 are shown by dashed lines. Also, in Fig. 7, the portions of the outer hull of the positioning member 7 that overlap with the rear cover 44 are shown by solid lines, and, as in Fig. 1, part of the outer hull of the light guide 2 that is not visible from the angle shown in Fig. 7 is shown by dashed lines. These are the same as in Fig. 11 described below.

[0045] The blind spot auxiliary device 1 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that part of the configuration of the light guide 2, the shape of the rear cover 44, and part of the holding portions 5 and 6 are changed, and that the blind spot auxiliary device 1 further includes a positioning member 7 attached to the pillar cover 10. This embodiment will mainly describe these differences.

[0046] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the light guide 2 has a light guide positioning portion 24 formed on the reflecting surface 2d near the incident portion 2a. The light guide positioning portion 24 is fitted with a positioning member 7 attached to the pillar cover 10, thereby enabling adjustment of the position and tilt (angle) of the light guide 2 relative to the pillar cover 10. The light guide positioning portion 24 is formed at a position that does not interfere with reflection of the incident light L2 on the reflecting surface 2d, for example, at either end of the reflecting surface 2d in the third direction D3 or in the vicinity thereof, as shown in FIG. 8. The light guide positioning portion 24 may be formed closer to the terminal surface 2e than the rear prism portion 211, and may be continuous with the incident portion 2a or may be formed with a gap from the incident portion 2a as shown in FIG. 8.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 9 , the light guide positioning portion 24 is formed by repeatedly arranging a plurality of additional prism portions 241, which are protrusions protruding from the reflecting surface 2d, similar to the entrance prism portion 21. The additional prism portions 241 are shaped to fit with the positioning member 7 attached to the pillar cover 10, and may be triangular prism-shaped protrusions, for example. As shown in FIG. 10 , the plurality of additional prism portions 241 only need to fit with protrusions 71 (described later) of the positioning member 7, and the number, shape, and dimensions of the additional prism portions 241 may be changed as appropriate. Note that the light guide positioning portion 24 is, for example, integral with the light guide 2 and is formed in the same process as the prism portions 21 and 22, using the mold used to mold the entrance prism portion 21 and the exit prism portion 22. Furthermore, the height of the additional prism portions 241 of the light guide positioning portion 24 is, for example, approximately the same as the height of the protrusions 71 of the positioning member 7, thereby suppressing misalignment when they are fitted together.

[0048] In this embodiment, the rear cover 44 has cutouts 441 formed in the vicinity of the top cover 41 and the bottom cover 42 from the entrance portion 2a side toward the terminal end surface 2e. This allows the rear cover 44 to have a shape that does not interfere with the additional prism portions 241 and does not hinder the engagement between the multiple additional prism portions 241 and the positioning member 7. Note that in this embodiment, the rear cover 44 may have any shape as long as it does not hinder the engagement between the additional prism portions 241 and the positioning member 7, and openings may be formed instead of the cutouts 441, and the structure may be modified as appropriate.

[0049] In this embodiment, the holding units 5 and 6 have length adjustment units 54 and 64, respectively, as shown in Fig. 10. The front holding unit 5 has, for example, a fixed unit 51 and a clamping unit 53 that are separate bodies, and has a length adjustment unit 54 that connects the fixed unit 51 and the clamping unit 53. The rear holding unit 6 has the same structure as the front holding unit 5, and the separate fixed unit 61 and the clamping unit 63 are connected by the length adjustment unit 64.

[0050] The length adjustment unit 54 has an insertion unit 541 into which, for example, the tip end side of the fixing unit 51 opposite the holder unit 4 and the end side of the clamping unit 53 opposite the portion that fits with the pillar cover 10 are inserted, and an adjustment unit 542 attached to the insertion unit 541. The adjustment unit 542 is, for example, an arbitrary mechanism that adjusts the inner diameter of an insertion opening into which the fixing unit 51 and a portion of the clamping unit 53 of the insertion unit 541 are inserted. The length adjustment unit 54 has, for example, two states, an open state and a closed state, which are controlled by the adjustment unit 542. In the open state of the length adjustment unit 54, for example, the fixing unit 51 and the clamping unit 53 are slidable within the insertion unit 541, and in the closed state, the fixing unit 51 and the clamping unit 53 are fixed and held within the insertion unit 541. As a result, the length between the fixing part 51 and the clamping part 53 of the front holding part 5 can be freely adjusted within a predetermined range by the length adjustment part 54, and the inclination of the holder part 4 relative to the pillar cover 10 can be adjusted. The rear holding part 6 has the same structure as the front holding part 5, for example, and can obtain the same effect as the front holding part 5.

[0051] The positioning member 7 is attached to the outer surface 10a of the pillar cover 10 and engages with a portion of the light guide 2 to position the light guide 2 relative to the pillar cover 10. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10 , the positioning member 7 has a fitting portion formed by a repeated arrangement of multiple protrusions 71 protruding from the outer surface 10a. The multiple protrusions 71 have a shape, such as a triangular prism, that can fit with the additional prism portions 241 of the light guide 2. The number, shape, and dimensions of the multiple protrusions 71 can be changed as appropriate as long as they fit with the additional prism portions 241. The positioning member 7 is attached to the outer surface 10a of the pillar cover 10 by any adhesive member, such as adhesive tape (not shown). The positioning member 7 is made of, for example, an elastic resin member made of an elastically deformable resin material to prevent scratches on the light guide 2.

[0052] The positioning member 7 extends along the fourth direction D4 of the pillar cover 10 and is a single member with a length equal to or greater than the width of the light guide 2 in the third direction D3, but is not limited to this. For example, the positioning member 7 may be made up of two or more members and attached separately to two locations on the outer surface 10a of the pillar cover 10: a portion facing the vicinity of the upper surface 2f of the light guide 2 and a portion facing the vicinity of the lower surface 2g.

[0053] In other words, the blind spot assistance device 1 is configured to easily position the pillar cover 10 in the width direction that intersects with the fourth direction D4 by attaching the positioning member 7 to the pillar cover 10 and fitting its multiple protrusions 71 into the multiple additional prism portions 241 of the light guide 2. Furthermore, in the blind spot assistance device 1, the lengths of the holding portions 5, 6 can be changed using the length adjustment portions 54, 64, so that it is possible to adjust the tilt of the light guide 2 while fitting the positioning member 7 into the light guide positioning portion 24.

[0054] According to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the blind spot auxiliary device 1 can easily position the light guide holder 3 relative to the pillar cover 10 and correctly determine the position of the light guide 2 by using the light guide positioning portion 24 of the light guide 2 and the positioning member 7. Furthermore, the holding portions 5, 6 have length adjustment portions 54, 64, and the lengths from the fixing portions 51, 61 of the holding portions 5, 6 to the clamping portions 53, 63 can be adjusted, so that an effect can be obtained in which the inclination, i.e., angle, of the light guide 2 can be finely adjusted while the positioning member 7 and the light guide positioning portion 24 are engaged.

[0055] (Fourth embodiment) A blind spot assistance device 1 according to a fourth embodiment will be described.

[0056] 12, to make it easier to understand the configuration of the holder portion 4, the outline of the pillar cover 10 is shown by a dashed line, and the outlines of the light guide 2 and the light guide holder 3 are shown by a solid line, as in Fig. 4. Also, in Fig. 12, the outline of the area of the pillar cover 10 where the positioning member 7 is attached is shown by a dashed line.

[0057] 11 and 12, the blind spot assistance device 1 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it has a positioning member 7 and that a holder positioning portion 45 that fits into the positioning member 7 is formed on the holder portion 4. Note that the positioning member 7 is the same as in the third embodiment, so in this embodiment, the holder positioning portion 45 will be mainly described.

[0058] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12 , the holder unit 4 has holder positioning portions 45 formed on the upper cover 41 and the lower cover 42. The holder positioning portions 45 are formed on the end faces 41 a and 42 a of the upper cover 41 and the lower cover 42 that face the pillar cover 10, near the portions that face the rear prism portion 211, and on the rear cover 43 side of the facing portions. As shown in FIG. 13 , the holder positioning portions 45 are formed by repeatedly arranging multiple protrusions 451 that protrude from the end faces 41 a and 42 a. The multiple protrusions 451 have a shape that can fit with the protrusion 71 of the positioning member 7, for example, a triangular prism shape. The number, shape, dimensions, etc. of the multiple protrusions 451 may be changed as appropriate as long as they fit with the positioning member 7. The holder positioning portion 45 may be integral with the upper cover 41 or the lower cover 42, or, like the positioning member 7, may be separate from the upper cover 41 or the lower cover 42 and attached to the holder portion 4 with any adhesive material.

[0059] According to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the blind spot auxiliary device 1 has the positioning member 7 and the holder positioning portion 45, which makes it possible to position the light guide holder 3 relative to the pillar cover 10. Furthermore, in the blind spot auxiliary device 1 of this embodiment, the light guide 2 does not come into contact with the positioning member 7, so compared to the third embodiment, it is possible to adjust the positioning relative to the pillar cover 10 while suppressing damage to the light guide 2.

[0060] (Other embodiments) Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one, or less than one, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0061] (1) The blind spot assistance device 1 may be configured in a way that freely combines some of the components of the above embodiments, except when they are clearly incompatible, and the number and shape of the components may be changed as appropriate. For example, in the blind spot assistance device 1 in embodiments other than the third embodiment, the holding units 5 and 6 may have length adjustment units 54 and 64, and the number of rear holding units 6 may be two or more.

[0062] (2) In the above embodiments, examples using a mirrorless optical member as the light guide 2 have been described as representative examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the light guide 2 may have a pair of mirrors, including a mirror having a predetermined or higher visible light reflectance, such as a metal mirror, and a half mirror made of a dielectric multilayer structure or a metal film, arranged in parallel. In this case, the light guide holder 3 may have, for example, a holder unit 4 that does not have a back cover 44, or the holder unit 4 may have two rows of grooves on the surface facing the light guide 2 into which the mirror and half mirror are inserted. In this way, the components of the holder unit 4 of the light guide holder 3 and some of its structure may be appropriately changed to match the configuration of the light guide 2.

[0063] (3) It goes without saying that in each of the above embodiments, the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless they are specifically stated as essential or are clearly considered essential in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when the numbers, values, amounts, ranges, etc. of the components of the embodiments are mentioned, they are not limited to the specific numbers unless they are specifically stated as essential or are clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when the shapes, positional relationships, etc. of the components are mentioned, they are not limited to the shapes, positional relationships, etc. unless they are specifically stated or are clearly limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 2...light guide, 2a...incident portion, 2c...exit surface, 2d...reflecting surface, 2e...termination surface, 2f...upper surface, 2g...lower surface, 21...incident prism portion, 211...rear prism portion, 24...light guide positioning portion, 241...additional prism portion, 4...holder portion, 45...holder positioning portion, 451...convex portion, 5...front holding portion, 6...rear holding portion, 51, 61...fixing portion, 53, 63...clamping portion, 531, 631...dividing portion, 54, 64...length adjusting portion, 7...positioning member, 71...protrusion, 10...pillar cover, outer surface...10a, inner surface...10b, 11...rib, L1...external light, L2...incident light, P1...rib pitch interval, P2...rib width, W1...dividing portion width, W2...dividing portion gap width

Claims

1. A holding member attached to a pillar cover (10) and holding a light guide (2) that internally reflects and guides incident external scene light (L1) and emits the light from an emission surface, a holder portion (4) for holding portions (2e, 2f, 2g) of the light guide that are different from surfaces (2c, 2d) used to reflect incident light (L2) that has entered the light guide; and a holding portion (5, 6) that holds the holder portion in a state where the holder portion is attached to the pillar cover, The holding portion has a tip portion opposite to the holder portion that is a clip-shaped clamping portion (53, 63) that fits into the pillar cover.

2. 2. A holding member as described in claim 1, wherein the end side of the holder portion that holds the side of the incident portion (2a) in the light guide that allows the external light to enter the interior is set to the front, and the holding portion has a front holding portion (5) that is attached to the front of the holder portion.

3. 3. A holding member as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the end side of the holder portion that holds the side of the incident portion (2a) in the light guide that allows the external light to enter the interior is defined as the front, and the end side opposite the front is defined as the rear, and the holding portion has a rear holding portion (6) that is attached to the rear of the holder portion.

4. The holding member according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion is a bendable elastic body.

5. A retaining member as described in claim 4, wherein the surface of the pillar cover facing the light guide is an outer surface (10a), the surface opposite the outer surface is an inner surface (10b), and the portion of the clamping portion that abuts against the inner surface is a plurality of divided portions (531, 631) whose tips are divided into at least two or more.

6. The retaining member according to claim 5, wherein a gap (W2) between adjacent divided portions is equal to or greater than a width (P2) of a rib (11) formed on the inner surface of the pillar cover.

7. The retaining member according to claim 5, wherein the direction in which a plurality of ribs (11) formed at a predetermined interval on the inner surface of the pillar cover are arranged is defined as the arrangement direction, and each of the plurality of dividing portions has a width (W1) in the arrangement direction that is smaller than the pitch interval (P1) of the plurality of ribs.

8. The holding member according to claim 4, wherein the holding portion has a length adjusting portion (54, 64) that is adjustable in length between a fixing portion (51, 61) fixed to the holder portion and the clamping portion.

9. The holding member according to claim 1; a light guide (2) that internally reflects and guides incident external scene light (L1) and emits the light from an exit surface; A blind spot assistance device comprising: a positioning member (7) attached to the outer surface (10a) of the pillar cover that faces the light guide, and used to position the light guide or the holding member.

10. The blind spot assistance device according to claim 9, wherein the positioning member has a plurality of protrusions (71) arranged repeatedly and protruding from the outer surface, and has a fitting portion that fits with a part of the light guide or the holding member.

11. 11. The blind spot assistance device of claim 10, wherein the light guide has an incident portion (2a) that allows the external light to enter the interior, an exit surface (2c) that emits and reflects a portion of the incident light (L2) that enters the interior from the incident portion, a reflecting surface (2d) that faces the exit surface and reflects the light of the incident light that is reflected at the exit surface toward the exit surface, and a light guide positioning portion (24) that is arranged on the end side of the reflecting surface adjacent to the incident portion and has a plurality of additional prism portions (241) that are protrusions protruding from the reflecting surface arranged in a repeated manner and that engages with the engaging portion.

12. The blind spot assistance device according to claim 10, wherein the holder portion has a plurality of protrusions (451) arranged repeatedly on a surface facing the outer surface of the pillar cover, and further has a holder positioning portion (45) that engages with the engaging portion.

13. The light guide has an incident portion (2a) that allows the external scene light to enter the interior, an exit surface (2c) that emits and reflects a portion of the incident light (L2) that has entered the interior from the incident portion, and a reflection surface (2d) that faces the exit surface and reflects the light of the incident light that has been reflected by the exit surface toward the exit surface, the incident portion is adjacent to the reflecting surface, faces the exit surface together with the reflecting surface, and is formed by repeatedly arranging a plurality of triangular prism-shaped incident prism portions (21), 13. The blind spot assistance device of claim 12, wherein the incident prism portion of the plurality of incident prism portions adjacent to the reflective surface is a rear prism portion (211), and the holder positioning portion is formed at a position closer to the reflective surface than the rear prism portion in a direction along which the plurality of incident prism portions are arranged.

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