Indicator and outer mirror

Abstract

To improve visibility of an object in an outer mirror.SOLUTION: An indicator 30 provided on an outer mirror 1 of a vehicle 100 includes: a light transmission portion 36 formed in a mirror surface portion 13 of a mirror member 10 of the outer mirror; and a light emission portion 33 disposed on a side opposite to an exposure surface 11 side being exposed to the outside of the mirror member in such a way that the light emission portion can emit light through the light transmission portion. The light transmission portion includes a plurality of linear transmission portions 37 each extending in a horizontal direction and being aligned in a vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an indicator and an outer mirror. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, outer mirrors having luminous indicators have been known (Patent Documents 1 and 2). In particular, the indicator of the door mirror described in Patent Document 1 has a triangular ring-shaped outer mark and a triangular inner mark, with the outer mark being arranged to surround the entire periphery of the inner mark. Furthermore, in the door mirror described in Patent Document 1, no reflective film is provided at the positions of the outer and inner marks, so that light is transmitted inside and outside the door mirror at these positions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-218113 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 8,242,896 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the door mirror described in Patent Document 1, a reflective film is not provided in the area where the outer mark and inner mark are located. Therefore, even if an object such as another vehicle is located in a position corresponding to this area, the driver may not be able to properly see the object.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the visibility of objects in an outer mirror. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0007] (1) An indicator provided on an outer mirror of a vehicle, a light transmitting portion formed on a mirror surface portion of a mirror member of the outer mirror; a light-emitting section disposed on the opposite side of the mirror member from an exposed surface side exposed to the outside so as to be able to emit light through the light-transmitting section, The indicator, wherein the light transmitting portion has a plurality of linear transmitting portions each extending in the horizontal direction and arranged side by side in the vertical direction. (2) The indicator according to (1) above, wherein the light transmitting portion is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions as a whole form a single closed planar figure. (3) The indicator according to (2) above, wherein the light transmitting portion is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions together form a triangle. (4) The indicator according to (3) above, wherein the light transmitting portion is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions as a whole form a triangle whose base extends horizontally. (5) The indicator according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the light transmitting portion is composed only of the plurality of linear transmitting portions. (6) The indicator according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the light emitting section includes a light emitting body and a lens disposed between the light emitting body and the light transmitting section. (7) Further comprising a housing arranged around the light emitting portion, The indicator according to (6) above, wherein the inner surface of the housing is formed to have a mirror finish. (8) An outer mirror having the indicator according to any one of (1) to (7) above, The light transmitting portion is formed on the mirror surface portion outside the center of the mirror member in the vehicle width direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the visibility of objects in an outer mirror can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view that schematically shows a vehicle equipped with door mirrors. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view that schematically shows a door mirror. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mirror member taken along plane III-III of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of region R in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the indicator taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the equipment configuration of the vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing an enlarged view of a light transmitting portion having a linear transmitting portion extending in the vertical direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the indicator taken along line IIX-IIX in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an indicator similar to FIG. 5 taken along line IX-IX of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an indicator similar to FIG. 8 taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an indicator similar to FIG. 5 taken along line VV of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing an enlarged view of a light transmitting portion of an indicator according to one modification. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing an enlarged view of a light transmitting portion of an indicator according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, like components are designated by like reference numerals.

[0011] <Vehicle and door mirror configuration> First, the configuration of a vehicle 100 equipped with a door mirror 1 having an indicator 30 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The indicator 30 is an indicator light that is turned on when an object such as another vehicle is present to the left rear or right rear of the vehicle 100. Figure 1 is a perspective view that schematically shows a vehicle 100 equipped with the door mirror 1.

[0012] In this specification, the forward and backward directions of the vehicle 100 will be described as the front and rear, respectively. The ceiling side of the vehicle 100 will be described as the upper side, and the floor side will be described as the lower side. The direction perpendicular to the road surface on which the vehicle 100 is located will be described as the vertical direction, and the direction parallel to the road surface will be described as the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the left side when facing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 will be described as the left, and the right side when facing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 will be described as the right.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 100 is provided with a door mirror 1 attached to the front of a door 101 of the vehicle 100. The door mirror 1 is disposed at a height where a window glass 102 of the door 101 is located, particularly at a height corresponding to the lower part of the window glass 102. The door mirror 1 is used by passengers (particularly the driver) of the vehicle 100 to view areas to the rear and sides of the vehicle 100. Although only the door mirror 1 on the left side of the vehicle 100 is shown in FIG. 1, a door mirror is also provided on the right side of the vehicle 100.

[0014] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 has door mirrors 1 as outer mirrors (wing mirrors or side mirrors) arranged outside the vehicle. However, the vehicle 100 may have fender mirrors attached to the fenders of the vehicle 100 instead of the door mirrors 1. In this case, indicators 30, which will be described later, are provided on the fender mirrors.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a perspective view that schematically shows the door mirror 1. In particular, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the door mirror 1 as seen from inside the vehicle 100 (from the driver's position). As shown in Fig. 2, the door mirror 1 includes a mirror member 10 and a mirror body 20 that surrounds the mirror member 10.

[0016] The mirror member 10 is a member that functions as a reflecting mirror. The mirror member 10 has an exposed surface 11 on one surface thereof. The mirror member 10 is disposed within the mirror body 20 so that the exposed surface 11 is exposed to the outside from the mirror body 20. Therefore, the surface of the mirror member 10 opposite the exposed surface 11 is surrounded by the mirror body 20 and cannot be seen from the outside.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mirror member 10 taken along plane III-III in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the mirror member 10 has a glass portion 12 and a mirror portion 13. The glass portion 12 is a transparent member made of glass and formed in a flat plate shape. The mirror portion 13 is a member formed of a glossy material such as chrome, aluminum, or silver, and reflects light. The mirror portion 13 is attached to the surface (hereinafter also referred to as the "rear surface") opposite the exposed surface 11 of the glass portion 12 (i.e., the inner surface of the mirror body 20 of the glass portion 12). In the mirror member 10 configured in this manner, light L entering the glass portion 12 from the exposed surface 11 side is reflected by the surface (hereinafter also referred to as the "front surface") of the mirror portion 13 facing the exposed surface 11, and is then emitted again through the glass portion 12.

[0018] In this embodiment, the mirror member 10 is formed by stacking layers of the glass portion 12 and the mirror portion 13. However, in addition to the glass portion 12 and the mirror portion 13, the mirror member 10 may have another layer (for example, a metal layer disposed on the surface of the mirror portion 13 opposite to the glass portion 12 side (hereinafter also referred to as the "rear surface")).

[0019] 2, the mirror member 10 is provided with an indicator 30 that is illuminated when an object is present to the rear side of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, a light-transmitting portion 36 (see FIG. 4) of the indicator 30 is formed on the mirror surface portion 13 outside the center M of the mirror member 10 in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). In particular, in this embodiment, the light-transmitting portion 36 of the indicator 30 is disposed approximately in the center of the mirror member 10 in the up-down direction. In addition, the light-transmitting portion 36 of the indicator 30 is disposed close to the outer portion of the mirror body 20 in the left-right direction.

[0020] <Indicator configuration> Next, the configuration of the indicator 30 provided on the mirror member 10 of the door mirror 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of region R of the light-transmitting portion 36 in Figure 2. In particular, Figure 4 includes an enlarged view of the lower right portion of the indicator 30. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the indicator 30 as seen along line VV in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5, the indicator 30 includes a housing 31, a printed circuit board 32, a light-emitting portion 33, and a light-transmitting portion 36.

[0021] The housing 31 houses some of the components that make up the indicator 30. As shown in Fig. 5, the housing 31 is attached to the surface of the mirror member 10 opposite the exposed surface 11 (hereinafter also referred to as the "back side") via an adhesive member 38. In this embodiment, the housing 31 is attached to the back surface of the mirror surface portion 13 of the mirror member 10 via the adhesive member 38.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 5, the housing 31 is configured to open at least toward the mirror member 10. Therefore, at least a portion of the components arranged inside the housing 31, particularly the lens 35, faces the back surface of the mirror surface portion 13 without being blocked by the housing 31. In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the housing 31 is configured to partially open on the side opposite to the mirror member 10 side. However, the housing 31 may be configured to be completely closed on the side opposite to the mirror member 10 side. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner surface of the housing 31 is formed to have a mirror surface so that the light emitted from the light-emitting portion 33 is not absorbed by the inner surface of the housing 31.

[0023] The printed circuit board 32 is a board on which electronic components related to the indicator 30 are mounted. In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 32 is mounted with a light emitting unit 33 and a communication interface component for connecting the indicator 30 to an external device (in this embodiment, an electronic control unit (ECU) 50, which will be described later) external to the indicator 30.

[0024] 5, the printed circuit board 32 is housed in the housing 31. In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 32 is fixed to the housing 31 and is disposed so as to extend perpendicular to the mirror member 10.

[0025] The light-emitting portion 33 is a portion that emits light to light up the indicator 30. In this embodiment, the light-emitting portion 33 has a light-emitting body 34, which is a device that emits light, and a lens 35 that is arranged between the light-emitting body 34 and the light-transmitting portion 36. The light-emitting portion 33 is arranged close to the light-transmitting portion 36 so that it can emit light to the outside of the mirror member 10 through the light-transmitting portion 36 of the mirror member 10. In particular, in this embodiment, the light-emitting portion 33 is arranged immediately behind the light-transmitting portion 36 of the mirror member 10. Furthermore, the light-emitting portion 33 is accommodated in the housing 31. Therefore, the housing 31 is arranged around the light-emitting portion 33.

[0026] In this embodiment, the light emitter 34 is a single LED. The light emitter 34 is housed in the housing 31 and attached to the printed circuit board 32. Therefore, the light emitter 34 is disposed on the back side of the mirror member 10 (the side opposite to the exposed surface 11). In this embodiment, the light emitter 34 is disposed on the surface of the printed circuit board 32 facing the lens 35. As a result, the light emitter 34 is located between the printed circuit board 32 and the lens 35. Power is supplied to the light emitter 34 via wiring on the printed circuit board 32, and the light emits light in response to this power supply. Note that the light emitter 34 may be any device, such as a light bulb, as long as it is capable of emitting light. The light emitter 34 may also be composed of a plurality of devices, such as a plurality of LEDs.

[0027] In this embodiment, the lens 35 guides the light emitted from the light emitter 34 to the light transmitting portion 36. That is, the lens 35 guides the light emitted from the light emitter 34 so that it passes through the light transmitting portion 36 and is emitted to the outside of the mirror member 10. In particular, in this embodiment, the lens 35 guides the light emitted in multiple directions by the light emitter 34 so that it becomes light with a shape that matches the overall shape of the light transmitting portion 36. As a result, even when a single LED is used as the light emitter 34, the light emitter 33 can provide sufficient brightness, for example, approximately 3000 to 5000 cd / m when viewed from the driver's seat. 2 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lens 35 is configured so that when light emitted by the light emitter 34 is incident on the lens 35, the lens 35 emits light of approximately uniform intensity in a shape that matches the overall shape of the light-transmitting portion 36. As a result, the indicator 30 can emit light evenly.

[0028] The light-transmitting portion 36 is a portion of the mirror member 10 that transmits light. Therefore, the light-transmitting portion 36 transmits light from the back side of the mirror member 10, particularly light emitted by the light-emitting portion 33, toward the exposed surface 11. As shown in FIG. 5 , the light-transmitting portion 36 does not have a mirrored surface 13. Therefore, the light-transmitting portion 36 transmits light due to the absence of the mirrored surface 13. In addition, because the light-transmitting portion 36 does not have a mirrored surface 13, light that enters the glass portion 12 from the exposed surface 11 is not reflected by the back side of the glass portion 12. On the other hand, the mirror member 10 has a mirrored surface 13 in areas other than the light-transmitting portion 36. Therefore, the mirror member 10 does not transmit light in areas other than the light-transmitting portion 36. Furthermore, in areas other than the light-transmitting portion 36, light that enters the glass portion 12 from the exposed surface 11 is reflected by the surface of the mirrored surface 13, as described above.

[0029] 4, the light transmitting portion 36 has a plurality of linear transmitting portions 37. The linear transmitting portions 37 each extend in the horizontal direction, and the plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. In particular, in this embodiment, the light transmitting portion 36 is composed only of linear transmitting portions 37. Therefore, the light transmitting portion 36 does not have any transmitting portions that extend in the vertical direction or in a direction angled with respect to the horizontal direction, for example.

[0030] In this embodiment, the linear transmitting portions 37 are all formed to have the same width (length in the vertical direction) Wt. In addition, in this embodiment, the linear transmitting portions 37 are all formed to have the same spacing Wm between them. Furthermore, in this embodiment, 5 or more, 10 or more, or 15 or more linear transmitting portions 37 are arranged vertically in the light transmitting portion 36. In this embodiment, 30 or less, 25 or less, or 20 or less linear transmitting portions 37 are arranged vertically in the light transmitting portion 36.

[0031] 4, the light transmitting portion 36 is formed such that a plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 together form a triangle. The length of one side of the triangle is 5 mm or more, 8 mm or more, or 11 mm or more. The length of one side of the triangle is 30 mm or less, 22 mm or less, or 15 mm or less.

[0032] In this embodiment, the light transmitting portion 36 is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 as a whole form a triangle whose base extends horizontally. Therefore, the light transmitting portion 36 is formed so that the length of the linear transmitting portions 37 in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) increases from top to bottom. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light transmitting portion 36 is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 as a whole form an isosceles triangle whose sides other than the base are equal in length. For example, the light transmitting portion 36 is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 as a whole form an equilateral triangle whose base extends horizontally. Because the light transmitting portion 36 has such a shape, the occupant can intuitively recognize the presence of another vehicle traveling forward on the rear side.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the equipment configuration of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 includes the indicator 30, a distance measurement sensor 41, an input device 42, and an ECU 50 as equipment related to the indicator 30. The distance measurement sensor 41, the input device 42, and the ECU 50 are communicatively connected, for example, via an in-vehicle network 45. The in-vehicle network 45 is, for example, a network that complies with a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The ECU 50 is also connected to the indicator 30, particularly to the printed circuit board 32 of the indicator 30, via a signal line. In this embodiment, the light emitter 34 of the indicator 30 is controlled by the ECU 50.

[0034] The distance measurement sensor 41 is a device that measures the distance to an object present around the vehicle 100. In particular, in this embodiment, the distance measurement sensor 41 measures the distance to an object present on the rear side of the vehicle 100. The distance measurement sensor 41 is, for example, a radar such as a millimeter-wave radar, a LIDAR, or an ultrasonic sensor. As shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 1 , the distance measurement sensor 41 is disposed inside the rear bumper 103 of the vehicle 100, on the left and right rear sides of the vehicle 100. The distance measurement sensor 41 outputs the measurement results of the distance to the surrounding object to the ECU 50 via the in-vehicle network 45 at predetermined intervals.

[0035] The input device 42 is a device that allows an occupant to perform input operations. The input device includes, for example, a touch panel, a button, and a switch. When an occupant performs an input operation, the input device 42 outputs the operation signal to the ECU 50 via the in-vehicle network 45. The input operation using the input device 42 can control activation and deactivation of the indicator 30.

[0036] The ECU 50 functions as a control device that controls the illumination of the indicator 30. As shown in FIG. 6 , the ECU 50 includes a communication interface 51, a storage unit 52, and a processor 53. The communication interface 51 is a circuit for connecting the ECU 50 to the in-vehicle network 45. The storage unit 52 stores data. The storage unit 52 includes, for example, at least one of a volatile semiconductor memory, a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), and a solid-state drive (SSD). The storage unit 52 stores computer programs to be executed by the processor 53 of the ECU 50. The processor 53 includes one or more central processing units (CPUs) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 53 may further include other arithmetic circuits such as a logic operation unit or a numerical operation unit. The processor 53 executes the computer programs stored in the storage unit 52.

[0037] In this embodiment, the processor 53 controls the illumination of the indicator 30. Particularly, in this embodiment, the processor 53 controls the illumination of the indicator 30 based on the output of the distance measurement sensor 41. Specifically, the processor 53 detects whether an object, such as another vehicle, is present to the left rear or right rear of the vehicle 100 within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 100 based on the output of the distance measurement sensor 41. Then, when the processor 53 detects that an object is present to the left rear of the vehicle 100, it turns on the indicator 30 of the left door mirror 1. Furthermore, when the processor 53 detects that an object is present to the right rear of the vehicle 100, it turns on the indicator 30 of the right door mirror 1.

[0038] <Effects> Next, the effects obtained by the indicator 30 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0039] In this embodiment, the light-transmitting portion 36 of the indicator 30 is composed of a plurality of linear transmitting portions 37. Therefore, a mirror surface portion 13 is located between adjacent linear transmitting portions 37. For this reason, in the mirror member 10 according to this embodiment, the mirror surface portion 13 is also provided in the region where the indicator 30 is provided, i.e., the region where the light-transmitting portion 36 is provided. Therefore, when an object such as another vehicle is present in a position corresponding to the region where the light-transmitting portion 36 is provided, the occupants of the vehicle 100 (particularly the driver) can see the object due to reflection on the mirror surface portion 13 located between the linear transmitting portions 37 of the light-transmitting portion 36. As a result, the indicator 30 according to this embodiment improves the visibility of objects through the door mirror 1.

[0040] Furthermore, in the indicator 30 according to this embodiment, the light transmitting portion 36 has a plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 that extend horizontally and are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. Hereinafter, with reference to Figs. 7 to 11, the effects of having the linear transmitting portions 37 configured in this manner will be described.

[0041] Here, consider an indicator 30' in which the light transmitting portion 36' each extends in the vertical direction and has a plurality of linear transmitting portions 37' arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. Such an example is shown in Figures 7 to 9. Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing an enlarged view of the light transmitting portion 36' having linear transmitting portions 37' extending in the vertical direction. In the example shown in Figure 7, the light transmitting portion 36' is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions 37' as a whole form a triangle.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the indicator 30′ taken along line IIX-IIX in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 illustrates a situation in which an occupant is viewing the mirror member 10 from a direction at an angle θ horizontally relative to a direction perpendicular to the exposed surface 11 of the mirror member 10. As shown in FIG. 8, when the occupant is viewing the mirror member 10 from the direction at the angle θ, only a portion of the light L1 emitted from the light-emitting portion 33 (particularly, the lens 35) of the indicator 30′ that passes through the light-transmitting portion 36′ is visible to the occupant. In particular, when the occupant is viewing the mirror member 10 from the direction at the angle θ, as can be seen from FIG. 8, much of the light emitted from the light-emitting portion 33 is blocked by the mirror surface portion 13 by the thickness of the mirror surface portion 13 located between adjacent linear transmitting portions 37′. This reduces the apparent light-emitting area visible to the occupant, making it difficult for the occupant to see the illuminated indicator 30′. In particular, since the light transmitting portion 36' of the indicator 30' is formed on the mirror surface portion 13 outside the center of the mirror member 10 in the vehicle width direction, the angle θ of the occupant with respect to the mirror member 10 increases, making it difficult for the occupant to see the illuminated indicator 30'. Also, as the size of the vehicle 100 increases, the angle θ of the occupant with respect to the mirror member 10 increases, making it difficult for the occupant to see the illuminated indicator 30'.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an indicator 30′ similar to FIG. 5 , taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 7 . In FIG. 9 , sunlight L2 is assumed to be incident from a direction perpendicular to the exposed surface 11 of the mirror member 10 at an angle φ. As shown in FIG. 9 , when sunlight L2 is incident on the mirror member 10 at an arbitrary angle φ in the vertical direction, all of the incident sunlight L2 passes through the mirror member 10, and some of the sunlight L2 is reflected by the surface of the lens 35. The light reflected by the surface of the lens 35 is then radiated to the outside via the light-transmitting portion 36, or is repeatedly reflected by the back surface of the mirror member 10, the surface of the lens 35, and the like, before being radiated to the outside via the light-transmitting portion 36. Furthermore, light that is not reflected by the surface of the lens 35 is reflected by the inner surface of the housing 31 and the like, and is radiated to the outside via the light-transmitting portion 36. In this case, the lens 35 may appear to the occupant to be shining due to the reflection of sunlight L2, which may be confused with light emitted by the light-emitting unit 33, making it difficult for the occupant to correctly recognize the illumination of the indicator 30'. In particular, if the inner surface of the housing 31 is formed like a mirror, sunlight incident from the mirror member 10 is reflected by the inner surface of the housing 31, which may be easily confused with light emitted by the light-emitting unit 33.

[0044] In contrast, as described above, in the indicator 30 according to this embodiment, the light transmitting portion 36 has a plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 that extend horizontally and are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. The light emission and reflection states of the indicator 30 according to this embodiment are shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

[0045] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the indicator 30, similar to Figure 8, taken along line XX in Figure 4. Figure 10 also assumes a situation in which an occupant views the mirror member 10 from a direction at an angle θ in the horizontal direction relative to a direction perpendicular to the exposed surface 11 of the mirror member 10. As shown in Figure 10, when the occupant views the mirror member 10 from the direction of the angle θ, since the linear transmitting portion 37 extends in the horizontal direction, most of the light L1 emitted from the light emitting portion 33 (particularly the lens 35) of the indicator 30 is visible to the occupant. Therefore, the light emitted from the light emitting portion 33 is hardly blocked by the mirror surface portion 13, and therefore the apparent light-emitting area visible to the occupant is large, and therefore the illuminated indicator 30 is easily visible to the occupant. In addition, since the linear transmitting portion 37 extends horizontally, even if the angle θ of the occupant relative to the mirror member 10 increases due to the light transmitting portion 36 being formed outside the center of the mirror member 10 in the vehicle width direction or the size of the vehicle 100 increasing, the light emitted from the light emitting portion 33 is hardly blocked, and therefore the illumination of the indicator 30 is not difficult for the occupant to see.

[0046] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the indicator 30, similar to FIG. 5 , taken along line VV in FIG. 4 . In FIG. 11 , a situation is assumed in which sunlight L2 is incident from a direction at an angle φ in the vertical direction relative to the direction perpendicular to the exposed surface 11 of the mirror member 10. As shown in FIG. 11 , when sunlight L2 is incident on the mirror member 10 at an arbitrary angle φ in the vertical direction, a portion of the incident sunlight L2 is blocked by the mirror surface portion 13 located between adjacent linear transmitting portions 37. As a result, the amount of sunlight L2 that passes through the mirror member 10 and reaches the surface of the lens 35 is reduced. Even if such light is reflected on the surface of the lens 35, the lens 35 does not appear to be shining to the occupant. In other words, according to this embodiment, the sunlight L2 that reaches the lens 35 is not confused with light emitted by the light-emitting portion 33, and as a result, the illumination of the indicator 30 is correctly recognized by the occupant. In particular, in this embodiment, the inner surface of the housing 31 is formed to have a mirror-like finish. Even in such a case, the amount of sunlight L2 that passes through the mirror member 10 and reaches the surface of the lens 35 is reduced, making it less likely to be confused with light emitted by the light-emitting unit 33.

[0047] <Modification> Next, modified examples of the indicator 30 will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. In the above embodiment, the light transmitting portion 36 is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 together form a triangle. However, the light transmitting portion 36 may be formed to form a shape other than a triangle.

[0048] Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing an enlarged view of the light-transmitting portion 36 of the indicator 30 according to one modification. As shown in Fig. 12, in this modification as well, the light-transmitting portion 36 has a plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 that each extend horizontally and are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. In addition, in the modification shown in Fig. 12, the light-transmitting portion 36 is formed such that the plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 as a whole form a quadrangle (particularly a square) whose base extends horizontally.

[0049] Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing an enlarged view of the light transmitting portion 36 of an indicator 30 according to another modified example. As shown in Fig. 13, in this modified example, the light transmitting portion 36 also has a plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 that extend horizontally and are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. In the modified example shown in Fig. 13, the light transmitting portion 36 is formed such that the plurality of linear transmitting portions 37 as a whole form a circle.

[0050] In this way, the light-transmitting portion 36 of the indicator 30 is formed so that the multiple linear transmittance portions form a single closed planar figure as a whole. This allows a certain area to be illuminated collectively, compared to when the light-transmitting portion 36 is formed in a single line, making it easier for the occupant to see. Note that the light-transmitting portion 36 may be formed in a shape other than the above-described embodiment or modified example, such as a polygon other than a triangle or a rectangle, or an ellipse. Also, the light-transmitting portion 36 does not necessarily have to be formed so as to form a single closed planar figure as a whole, as long as it has multiple linear transmittance portions 37 that each extend horizontally and are arranged side by side in the vertical direction.

[0051] Although preferred embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 door mirror 10 Mirror material 20 Mirror body 30 Indicators 31 Housing 33 Light-emitting part 36 Light transmission part 37 Linear transmission part

Claims

1. An indicator provided on an outer mirror of a vehicle, a light transmitting portion formed on a mirror surface portion of a mirror member of the outer mirror; a light-emitting section disposed on the opposite side of the mirror member from an exposed surface side exposed to the outside so as to be able to emit light through the light-transmitting section, The indicator, wherein the light transmitting portion has a plurality of linear transmitting portions each extending in the horizontal direction and arranged side by side in the vertical direction.

2. The indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the light transmitting portion is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions together form a single closed plane figure.

3. The indicator according to claim 2 , wherein the light transmitting portion is formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions together form a triangle.

4. The indicator according to claim 3 , wherein the light transmitting portions are formed so that the plurality of linear transmitting portions as a whole form a triangle whose base extends horizontally.

5. 5. The indicator according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting portion is composed only of the plurality of linear transmitting portions.

6. The indicator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light-emitting portion comprises a light-emitting body and a lens disposed between the light-emitting body and the light-transmitting portion.

7. Further comprising a housing disposed around the light emitting portion, The indicator of claim 6 , wherein the inner surface of the housing is formed to have a mirrored finish.

8. An outer mirror having the indicator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The light transmitting portion is formed on the mirror surface portion outside the center of the mirror member in the vehicle width direction.

Images