Outer mirror for vehicle and lower unit thereof

Abstract

To enable modification of design and size in multiple outer mirrors while employing in common a unit incorporating a lower cover.SOLUTION: A lower unit 12 is applied to both a first outer mirror 10a and a second outer mirror 10b serving as vehicle outer mirrors. The lower unit 12 comprises a common lower cover 14 and common electrical parts 16, 21-23 secured to the common lower cover 14. The first outer mirror 10a comprises a first body for holding a first mirror and a first upper cover 30a that covers the upper side of the first body from the vehicle front side, the common lower cover 14 covering the lower side of the first body from the vehicle front side. The second outer mirror 10b comprises a second body for holding a second mirror different in size from the first mirror and a second upper cover 30b that covers the upper side of the second body from the vehicle front side, the common lower cover 14 covering the lower side of the second body from the vehicle front side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an outer mirror for a vehicle and a lower unit thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Automobiles are equipped with outer mirrors as rearview mirrors. Patent Document 1 relates to a vehicle door mirror with side turn lamps, and discloses a structure for making the light source of the side turn lamps replaceable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-24775 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Exterior mirrors are design components, and as more and more types of vehicles are released onto the market, it is necessary to change the design of the exterior mirrors. Furthermore, automobile regulations stipulate different mirror (mirror) sizes depending on the vehicle's specifications. Meanwhile, there is also a demand for exterior mirrors to be developed more efficiently by using common parts across multiple vehicle types.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to enable a plurality of outer mirrors to share a unit including a part of the housing (lower cover) while allowing the design and size to be changed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle outer mirror lower unit according to the present invention is a lower unit used for both a first outer mirror and a second outer mirror as vehicle outer mirrors. The lower unit includes a common lower cover and common electrical components fixed to the common lower cover. The first outer mirror includes a first body that holds a first mirror and a first upper cover that covers an upper side of the first body from the front side of the vehicle, and the common lower cover covers a lower side of the first body from the front side of the vehicle. The second outer mirror includes a second body that holds a second mirror of a different size from the first mirror and a second upper cover that covers an upper side of the second body from the front side of the vehicle, and the common lower cover covers a lower side of the second body from the front side of the vehicle.

[0007] In the lower unit of the vehicle outer mirror of the present invention, the first mirror and the second mirror may have the same widthwise size, and the first mirror may have a smaller heightwise size than the second mirror.

[0008] In the lower unit of the vehicle outer mirror of the present invention, the first outer mirror may be attached to a first type of vehicle at a first height from the ground, and the second outer mirror may be attached to a second type of vehicle different from the first type of vehicle at a second height from the ground, and the first height may be lower than the second height.

[0009] In the vehicle outer mirror lower unit according to the present invention, the common electrical components may include at least one of a side turn lamp, a camera, an IR floodlight, and a foot lighting device.

[0010] An outer mirror for a vehicle according to the present invention includes the above-described lower unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a plurality of outer mirrors can share the same lower unit, while the design and mirror size can be changed by changing the body and upper cover. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of a plurality of outer mirrors. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a plurality of outer mirrors. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the mounting position of an outer mirror. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein. In all drawings, equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating directions and orientations such as front, rear, left, right, up, down, etc. refer to directions and orientations relative to the vehicle. In each drawing, the arrow FR points forward, the arrow UP points upward, and the arrow RH points rightward.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a front view of multiple outer mirrors 10a, 10b, and 10c. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the multiple outer mirrors 10a and 10b, with the outer mirror 10c not shown. The outer mirrors 10a, 10b, and 10c are each used in an automobile.

[0015] The outer mirror 10a includes a mirror assembly 11a (visor) and is mounted on a passenger vehicle such as a sedan. The mirror assembly 11a has a small-sized mirror 40a (see FIG. 2(A)).

[0016] The outer mirrors 10b and 10c include mirror assemblies 11b and 11c (visors), respectively, and are generally mounted on sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which are taller than passenger cars. The mirror assemblies 11b and 11c include medium-sized mirrors 40b and 40c (see FIG. 2B, 40c is not shown).

[0017] 1, the multiple mirror assemblies 11a, 11b, and 11c share a common lower unit 12. The multiple mirror assemblies 11a, 11b, and 11c have different designs and sizes of upper covers 30a, 30b, and 30c and bodies 42a, 42b, and 42c (42c not shown).

[0018] The outer mirrors 10a, 10b, and 10c basically have the same component configuration. The following description will focus on the outer mirror 10a, and the other outer mirrors 10b and 10c will be described focusing on the differences from the outer mirror 10a.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 4(A), the outer mirrors 10a are door mirrors that are attached to both the right and left front doors of an automobile 100a and are used primarily for rearward confirmation. The right outer mirror 10a will be described below, and the left outer mirror 10a will not be described because it has a symmetrical structure to the right one.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1(A), the outer mirror 10a includes a mirror base 90a fastened to the door and a mirror assembly 11a (visor) attached to the mirror base 90a. The mirror assembly 11a is supported by the mirror base 90a so as to be rotatable horizontally, and is positioned alternatively between an upright position (usage position, Fig. 1(A)) in which it protrudes laterally from the door, and a retracted position (not shown) in which it is retracted to the door side.

[0021] 3 is an exploded perspective view of the outer mirror 10a, and shows the outline of each component. The mirror assembly 11a includes a lower unit 12, an upper cover 30a, and a body 42a. The lower unit 12 includes a common lower cover 14.

[0022] The common lower cover 14, the upper cover 30a, and the body 42a form a mirror housing. The body 42a holds the mirror 40a (mirror surface). The upper cover 30a covers the upper side of the body 42a from the front. The common lower cover 14 covers the lower side of the body 42a from the front. The upper cover 30a and the common lower cover 14 are partially overlapped with each other. The upper cover 30a and the common lower cover 14 are partially overlapped with the body 42a and engaged with the body 42a.

[0023] The common lower cover 14 includes a lower cover main body 15 and a panel (small cover) 50. A camera 21, an IR floodlight 22, and a foot lighting device 23 are fixed to the upper surface of the panel 50. An opening 60 is provided in the lower cover main body 15. The panel 50 is attached to the lower cover main body 15 so as to close the opening 60 of the lower cover main body 15. The panel 50 forms part of the lower surface of the common lower cover 14.

[0024] The lower unit 12 includes a side turn lamp 16, a camera 21, an IR floodlight 22, and a foot lighting device 23.

[0025] The side turn lamp 16 has an internal light source such as an LED, and radiates light emitted from the light source to the outside via a light-emitting portion made of transparent plastic. A slit 62 is formed in the lower cover main body 15. The side turn lamp 16 is positioned in the slit 62 from the inside of the lower cover main body 15 and fixed to the lower cover main body 15.

[0026] Camera 21 is a surveillance camera and is used for, for example, a panoramic view monitor function, an automatic parking function, etc. The panoramic view monitor function assists driving of the vehicle at low speeds by combining images from front, side, and rear cameras attached to the vehicle and displaying an image seen from above the vehicle on a display. Camera 21 is a side camera that assists driving of the vehicle at low speeds. Camera 21 may be capable of capturing images in two ranges: the visible light range (daytime) and the infrared light range (nighttime).

[0027] The IR floodlight 22 irradiates the side of the vehicle with infrared light to assist the camera 21 (a camera capable of detecting infrared light) in taking pictures in a dark environment at night.

[0028] The foot lighting device 23 illuminates the feet of the occupant (the ground on the side of the vehicle) when getting on or off the vehicle.

[0029] The camera 21, the IR floodlight 22, and the foot lighting device 23 each include a device body and a bracket that supports the device body. The brackets for the camera 21, the IR floodlight 22, and the foot lighting device 23 are fixed to the upper surface of the panel 50. The panel 50 is flat and has windows 51, 52, and 53. The camera 21 is positioned on the panel 50 in alignment with the window 51, and the imaging portion of the camera 21 is exposed from the window 51. The IR floodlight 22 is positioned on the panel 50 in alignment with the window 52, ​​and the light-emitting portion of the IR floodlight 22 is exposed from the window 52. The foot lighting device 23 is positioned on the panel 50 in alignment with the window 53, and the light from the foot lighting device 23 is projected from the window 53.

[0030] 3, the mirror assembly 11a includes a mirror 40a, a mirror holder 47a, an angle adjustment device 72, and a storage device 70. The mirror holder 47a holds the mirror 40a. The mirror holder 47a is attached to the angle adjustment device 72. The angle adjustment device 72 is driven by a motor to rotate the mirror holder 47a up and down and left and right about a predetermined position, thereby adjusting the mirror angle of the mirror 40a.

[0031] The body 42a has a recess on the rear side, and the bottom surface of the recess serves as a flat plate portion 43. A hole 45 is formed in the flat plate portion 43. The mirror holder 47a and the mirror 40a are disposed rearward of the flat plate portion 43, i.e., in the recess of the body 42a. The angle adjustment device 72 is disposed forward of the flat plate portion 43. The angle adjustment device 72 and the mirror holder 47a are connected to each other through the hole 45.

[0032] The storage device 70 is driven by a motor to rotate the mirror assembly 11a relative to the mirror base 90a, moving the mirror assembly 11a between the use position and the storage position. The storage device 70 is disposed forward of the flat plate portion 43 of the body 42a, and is connected to the body 42a and the mirror base 90a. Conventionally known outer mirror (door mirror, side mirror) technology may be adopted for the outer mirror 10a.

[0033] Here, the differences between the mirror assembly 11a of the outer mirror 10a described above and the mirror assembly 11b of the outer mirror 10b shown in FIG. 1(B) will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the mirror 40a of the mirror assembly 11a is small in size, whereas the mirror 40b of the mirror assembly 11b is medium in size. That is, the mirror 40b is larger than the mirror 40a. In the mirror assembly 11b, the body 42b and upper cover 30b are larger than those of the mirror assembly 11a in order to hold the relatively large mirror 40b.

[0034] The required dimensions of the width (hereinafter referred to as the W dimension) and height (hereinafter referred to as the H dimension) of the mirrors (mirror surfaces) 40a, 40b are regulated by automobile regulations. The higher the driver's line of sight in a vehicle, the larger the H dimension of the mirrors 40a, 40b must be. On the other hand, the W dimension of the mirrors 40a, 40b does not need to be changed significantly depending on the vehicle.

[0035] In this embodiment, the W dimension of mirrors 40a and 40b is the largest required size among mirror assemblies for multiple vehicle models, and W dimension W1 of mirror 40a is the same as W dimension W2 of mirror 40b (W1 = W2). On the other hand, H dimension H2 of mirror 40b is larger than H dimension H1 of mirror 40a (H2 > H1).

[0036] The W dimension of the body 42a of the mirror assembly 11a and the W dimension of the body 42b of the mirror assembly 11b may be the same or approximately the same. The common lower cover 14 may be configured to cover the entire front lower sides of the bodies 42a, 42b in the width direction (vehicle left-right direction). Note that the common lower cover 14 may be configured to cover only a portion of the front lower sides of the bodies 42a, 42b in the width direction.

[0037] The mirror bases 90a, 90b, and 90c can be changed depending on the vehicle model, for example.

[0038] FIG. 4(A) shows automobile 100a, which is a passenger car such as a sedan, and FIG. 4(B) shows automobile 100b, which is an SUV. Automobile 100b has a higher vehicle height than automobile 100a. The eye level of the driver of automobile 100b is higher than the eye level of the driver of automobile 100a. The outer mirror 10a (small-sized mirror) described above is attached to automobile 100a at a first height h1 from the ground 150 (ground level). Furthermore, outer mirror 10b (medium-sized mirror) is attached to automobile 100b at a second height h2 from the ground 150 (ground level). The second height h2 is higher than the first height h1.

[0039] The outer mirror 10a, mirror 40a, body 42a, and upper cover 30a described above correspond to the first outer mirror, first mirror, first body, and first upper cover, respectively. Also, the passenger car corresponds to the first type of vehicle.

[0040] The outer mirror 10b, the mirror 40b, the body 42b, and the upper cover 30b described above correspond to the second outer mirror, the second mirror, the second body, and the second upper cover, respectively. The SUV corresponds to the second type of vehicle.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 1, each of the mirror assemblies 11a, 11b, and 11c includes a common lower unit 12. Specifically, each of the mirror assemblies 11a, 11b, and 11c includes a common lower cover 14 and common electrical components. The common electrical components include side turn lamps 16, a camera 21, an IR floodlight 22, and a foot lighting device 23.

[0042] It is not necessary for all of the above-described electrical components to be provided in common among the multiple mirror assemblies 11a, 11b, and 11c. For example, the foot lighting device 23 may be omitted from one mirror assembly. Also, for example, the camera 21, the IR floodlight 22, and the foot lighting device 23 may be omitted from another mirror assembly. The windows 51, 52, and 53 of the panel 50 (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the omitted electrical components may be covered with plastic parts (dummy parts). The common electrical components may also include other devices and equipment for, for example, vehicle driving assistance, passenger boarding and disembarking assistance, etc.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, in the multiple mirror assemblies 11a, 11b, 11c, the shapes of boundary portions (parting lines) 25, 26 of the common lower cover 14 are the same. Boundary portion 25 is the boundary portion between the common lower cover 14 and mirror bases 90a, 90b, 90c. The right side portions of each mirror base 90a, 90b, 90c are made common to a shape corresponding to boundary portion 25. Boundary portion 26 is the boundary portion between the common lower cover 14 and upper covers 30a, 30b, 30c. The lower portions of each upper cover 30a, 30b, 30c are made common to a shape corresponding to boundary portion 26.

[0044] The common lower cover 14 is engaged with the bodies 42a, 42b, 42c (42c not shown) by an engagement mechanism. The engagement mechanism may be, for example, an engagement claw provided on one of the common lower cover 14 and the bodies 42a, 42b, 42c, and an engagement hole provided on the other body with which the engagement claw engages. The engagement mechanism may also be, for example, a male thread provided on one of the common lower cover 14 and the bodies 42a, 42b, 42c, and an female thread provided on the other body with which the male thread is threaded. A plurality of engagement mechanisms may be provided. The positions and shapes of the engagement mechanisms for engaging with the common lower cover 14 are standardized for each of the bodies 42a, 42b, 42c.

[0045] Next, the effects of the above-described embodiment will be described.

[0046] According to the embodiment described above, by using the lower unit 12 in common for multiple mirror assemblies 11a, 11b, and 11c, the man-hours required for developing and designing multiple mirror assemblies can be reduced. Furthermore, the mold costs for parts and the man-hours required for evaluating mirror assemblies can also be reduced. Meanwhile, by changing the design and size of the upper covers 30a, 30b, and 30c and the bodies 42a, 42b, and 42c (42c not shown), desired mirror assemblies 11a, 11b, and 11c can be realized. Mirror assemblies with designs and sizes tailored to the type and specifications of the vehicle can be created.

[0047] Many types of mirror assemblies are available depending on the type and specifications of the vehicle. In recent years, functional components (such as cameras) for vehicle driving assistance and passenger entry and exit assistance are sometimes incorporated into mirror assemblies, resulting in an increase in the number of types of mirror assemblies and their components. Brackets for attaching functional components such as cameras to mirror assemblies are also being remade depending on the specifications of the mirror assembly. The large number of types of parts takes up space in factories and reduces manufacturing efficiency.

[0048] However, according to the embodiment described above, functional parts are concentrated in the lower unit, and this lower unit is shared by multiple mirror assemblies, which reduces the number of different parts, reduces the required factory space, and allows for more efficient manufacturing.

[0049] The upper cover and body can be changed in shape, size, and color. The upper cover and body can correspond to the design and size of the outer mirror. The common lower cover has the same shape and size for each outer mirror, but the color can be changed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10a, 10b, 10c outer mirror, 11a, 11b, 11c mirror assembly (visor), 12 lower unit, 14 common lower cover, 15 lower cover body, 16 side turn lamp (common electrical equipment), 21 camera (common electrical equipment), 22 IR floodlight (common electrical equipment), 23 foot lighting device (common electrical equipment), 25, 26 boundary portion, 30a, 30b, 30c upper cover, 40a, 40b mirror, 42a, 42b body, 43 flat plate portion, 45 hole, 47a mirror holder, 50 panel, 51, 52, 53 window, 60 opening, 62 slit, 70 storage device, 72 angle adjustment device, 90a, 90b, 90c mirror base, 100a, 100b automobile (vehicle), 150 ground.

Claims

1. A lower unit used in both a first outer mirror and a second outer mirror as vehicle outer mirrors, A common lower cover, a common electrical component fixed to the common lower cover, The first outer mirror is a first body that holds a first mirror; a first upper cover that covers an upper side of the first body from a front side of the vehicle, the common lower cover covers the lower side of the first body from the front side of the vehicle, The second outer mirror is a second body for holding a second mirror of a different size than the first mirror; a second upper cover that covers an upper side of the second body from the front side of the vehicle, the common lower cover covers the lower side of the second body from the front side of the vehicle; A lower unit for a vehicle outer mirror.

2. 2. The vehicle outer mirror lower unit according to claim 1, the first mirror and the second mirror have the same size in the width direction, The first mirror has a smaller size in a height direction than the second mirror. A lower unit for a vehicle outer mirror.

3. 3. The vehicle outer mirror lower unit according to claim 2, the first outer mirror is attached to a first type of vehicle at a first height from the ground; the second outer mirror is attached to a second type of vehicle different from the first type of vehicle at a second height from the ground; The first height is smaller than the second height. A lower unit for a vehicle outer mirror.

4. 2. The vehicle outer mirror lower unit according to claim 1, The common electrical components include at least one of a side turn lamp, a camera, an IR floodlight, and a foot lighting device. A lower unit for a vehicle outer mirror.

5. A lower unit comprising the lower unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Vehicle outer mirror.

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