Vehicle periphery viewing device

Abstract

A vehicle periphery viewing device according to the present invention includes: a base member which is provided on the inner side, in the width direction of a vehicle, of a vehicle outer panel, and which has a holding portion constituted of one of a recessed portion and a protruding portion at an end portion on the outer side in the width direction of the vehicle; and a housing in which a viewing unit is housed at an end portion on the outer side in the width direction of the vehicle, and which has a held portion that is at an end portion on the inner side in the width direction of the vehicle, the held portion being constituted of the other of the recessed portion and the protruding portion that is held by the holding portion so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

Description

Vehicle peripheral visibility device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle peripheral visibility device.

[0002] An electrically retractable vehicle peripheral visibility device that can prevent damage when colliding with an obstacle during use has been known (see, for example, JP 2019-26161 A). In this electrically retractable vehicle peripheral visibility device, the housing containing the camera is configured to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle around a rotation axis that is provided so as to extend in the up-down direction of the vehicle.

[0003] Incidentally, it is desirable to reduce the thickness of the housing of such a vehicle peripheral visibility device along the vertical direction of the vehicle from the viewpoint of aerodynamic characteristics when the vehicle is traveling, etc. However, if the housing is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis that is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle, it is difficult to reduce the height of the housing, and therefore difficult to make the housing thinner.

[0004] The present disclosure provides a vehicle peripheral visibility device that can reduce the thickness of the housing.

[0005] A first aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present disclosure comprises a base member provided on the inner side of the vehicle's outer panel in the vehicle width direction and having a holding portion composed of either a recess or a protrusion at its outer end in the vehicle width direction, and a housing that houses the visibility portion at its outer end in the vehicle width direction and has a held portion composed of the other of either a recess or a protrusion at its inner end in the vehicle width direction that is held by the holding portion so as to be rotatable in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0006] According to the first aspect of the invention, a base member is provided on the inner side of an outer panel of a vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and a retaining portion composed of either a recess or a protrusion is provided at the outer end of the base member in the vehicle width direction. A retained portion composed of the other of either a recess or a protrusion is provided at the inner end of the housing in the vehicle width direction, the housing accommodating the visual confirmation portion at the outer end in the vehicle width direction, and is rotatably held by the retaining portion in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. This eliminates the need for a pivot shaft extending in the vehicle up-and-down direction between the base member and the housing, allowing the housing to be made thinner.

[0007] A vehicle periphery visualizing device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the vehicle periphery visualizing device according to the first aspect, wherein the recessed portion and the protruding portion have a generally arc shape in a plan view.

[0008] According to the second aspect of the invention, the recessed portion and the protruding portion are formed in a generally arc-shaped configuration in plan view, which allows the housing to rotate more smoothly than when the recessed portion and the protruding portion are not formed in a generally arc-shaped configuration in plan view.

[0009] Furthermore, a third aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present disclosure is a vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion, and the upper and lower surfaces are provided with protrusions that abut against the upper and lower inner surfaces, respectively.

[0010] According to the third aspect of the invention, the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion. The upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion are provided with protrusions that abut against the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion, respectively. Therefore, compared to a case where the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion do not have protrusions that abut against the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion, the housing is more stably held on the base member, and image capture by the viewing unit (e.g., a camera) is less likely to be blurred.

[0011] Furthermore, a fourth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present disclosure is a vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion, and the upper and lower inner surfaces are respectively provided with protrusions that abut against the upper and lower surfaces.

[0012] According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion. The upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion are provided with protrusions that abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion, respectively. Therefore, compared to a case where the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion do not have protrusions that abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion, the housing is more stably held on the base member, and blurring of images captured by a viewing unit (e.g., a camera) is less likely to occur.

[0013] In addition, a fifth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present disclosure is a vehicle peripheral visibility device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which the holding portion is a recess and the held portion is a convex portion.

[0014] According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the holding portion is a recess and the held portion is a protrusion, so that a gap is unlikely to form between the housing and the base member even when the housing rotates, and foreign matter is unlikely to enter the gap, thereby suppressing the occurrence of a problem in which the photographing area of ​​the viewing portion (e.g., a camera) is changed when the housing is returned to its original state.

[0015] Furthermore, a sixth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present disclosure is a vehicle peripheral visibility device of any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the base member has a holding mechanism for holding the held portion to the holding portion.

[0016] According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the base member has a holding mechanism for holding the held portion on the holding portion, which allows the housing to be made thinner than when a part of the holding mechanism is provided inside the housing.

[0017] Furthermore, a seventh aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present disclosure is the sixth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device, wherein the holding mechanism includes a coil spring having one end abutted against the base member, and a spring having an approximately "V" shape in a plan view, one end attached to the held portion, and the other bifurcated end engaged with the other end side of the coil spring.

[0018] According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the holding mechanism is configured to include a coil spring having one end abutting against the base member, and a spring having a generally V-shaped planar shape with one end attached to the held portion and the other bifurcated end engaging with the other end of the coil spring. Therefore, the holding mechanism can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0019] In addition, an eighth aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device according to the present disclosure is the seventh aspect of the vehicle peripheral visibility device, in which the harness extending from the visibility portion is arranged to pass through the inside of the coil spring.

[0020] According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the harness extending from the visual confirmation portion is routed so as to pass through the inside of the coil spring, which allows the base member to be made smaller than when the harness extending from the visual confirmation portion is routed outside the coil spring.

[0021] As described above, according to the present disclosure, the housing of the vehicle peripheral visibility device can be made thinner.

[0022] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a vehicle periphery visibility device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vehicle periphery visibility device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the arrows X-X in FIG. 3, showing an enlarged portion; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the arrows Y-Y in FIG. 3, showing an enlarged portion; FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a protruding portion on the upper surface side of the vehicle periphery visibility device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vehicle periphery visibility device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vehicle periphery visibility device according to the third embodiment;

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For ease of explanation, the arrow UP shown in each drawing indicates the upward direction of the vehicle, the arrow FR indicates the forward direction of the vehicle, the arrow RE indicates the rearward direction of the vehicle, and the arrow LH indicates the leftward direction of the vehicle. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions are mentioned, they refer to the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions of the vehicle. Furthermore, the left / right direction is synonymous with the vehicle width direction.

[0024] First, a first embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 6B, a vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment includes a resin base member 20 provided on the inside of the outer panels on both the left and right sides of a vehicle (not shown) in the vehicle width direction, and a resin housing 30 that houses a camera 12 as a visualization unit at the outer end in the vehicle width direction. Note that the vehicle periphery visualization devices 10 have symmetrical shapes and the same configuration, so the right-side vehicle periphery visualization device 10 will be described here as an example.

[0025] The base member 20 has a substantially rectangular base body 22 whose longitudinal direction is the front-to-rear direction when viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and a cylindrical portion 24 that extends integrally toward the inside in the vehicle width direction from a wall surface facing the inside in the vehicle width direction of a bottom wall 22A (see FIG. 3) of the base body 22. A through-hole 22B (see FIG. 3) is formed in the center of the bottom wall 22A of the base body 22 for passing therethrough a harness 14 (see FIG. 2) and one end 16A of a spring 16, which will be described later.

[0026] The housing 30 has a housing main body 32 that is substantially flat and box-shaped and extends in the vehicle width direction, and a holder 34 that is integrally joined to the vehicle width direction inner end of the housing main body 32. The housing main body 32 is composed of an upper half 32A and a lower half 32B, and the upper half 32A and the lower half 32B are abutted against each other from above and below, and their vehicle width direction inner ends are fitted inside the vehicle width direction outer end of the holder 34, thereby being integrally attached to the holder 34.

[0027] The camera 12 is housed inside the housing main body 32 at the outer end in the vehicle width direction, and a circular opening 32C is formed in the rear wall (the rear wall formed when the upper half 32A and the lower half 32B are abutted) at the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the housing main body 32 to expose the lens 12A of the camera 12. The outer dimensions of the outer end in the vehicle width direction inside the housing main body 32 are approximately the same as the outer dimensions of the camera 12, and the camera 12 is held in place by being fitted into the outer end in the vehicle width direction.

[0028] The harness 14 extending from the camera 12 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction is housed within the housing main body 32 and holder 34. That is, only the camera 12 and harness 14 are housed within the housing main body 32, and only the harness 14 is housed within the holder 34. A through-hole 34A (see FIG. 2) for passing the harness 14 through is formed at a predetermined position (a position avoiding a hook 37, which will be described later) in a protrusion 36A, which will be described later, of the holder 34.

[0029] An annular retaining portion 26 is formed on the outer wall surface in the vehicle width direction of the base main body 22 of the base member 20. This retaining portion 26 is configured as a recess 26A in which at least both front-rear direction wall surfaces are substantially arc-shaped in plan view. An inner peripheral wall 22C extends integrally from the inner peripheral edge of the recess 26A toward the inside in the vehicle width direction in plan view, and this inner peripheral wall 22C is integrally connected to the bottom wall 22A.

[0030] Meanwhile, a held portion 36 is formed at the vehicle width direction inner end of the holder 34 of the housing 30. This held portion 36 is configured as a convex portion 36A that is substantially arc-shaped in a plan view, and the curvature of this convex portion 36A is set to be equal to the curvature of the concave portion 26A. Note that the wall surface of the convex portion 36A that constitutes the held portion 36 of the holder 34 and that is not held by the concave portion 26A is configured not to abut against the wall surface of the bottom wall 22A of the base main body 22 that faces outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0031] A hook 37 is formed integrally with the central portion of the wall surface of the protrusion 36A that is not held by the recess 26A, and one end 16A of a spring 16 that is substantially V-shaped in plan view is attached to the hook 37. A coil spring 18 having an outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 24 is housed inside the cylindrical portion 24 of the base member 20, and one end 18A, which is the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the coil spring 18, abuts against the wall surface of the bottom wall 22A of the base main body 22 that faces inward in the vehicle width direction.

[0032] The spring 16 is disposed inside the coil spring 18, and the other bifurcated end 16B of the spring 16 is engaged from the inside with the other end side of the coil spring 18. This results in a configuration in which the held portion 36 formed by the convex portion 36A of the holder 34 is held by the holding portion 26 formed by the concave portion 26A of the base body 22 so as to be rotatable at least in the front-rear direction.

[0033] That is, the holding mechanism 15 includes a spring 16 that is generally V-shaped in plan view and a coil spring 18, and the holding mechanism 15 holds the housing 30 on the base member 20 so that the housing 30 can rotate in the front-to-rear direction. The harness 14 extending from the camera 12 is routed so as to pass through the inside of the coil spring 18 (see FIG. 2).

[0034] 4 and 5, the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A constituting the held portion 36 of the holder 34 face the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion 26A constituting the holding portion 26 of the base body 22. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6B, the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A are formed with protrusions 38 that abut against the upper and lower inner surfaces of the concave portion 26A, respectively.

[0035] The protrusions 38 are formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and for example, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, two protrusions 38 are formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 36A, and one protrusion 38 is formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 36A. Note that two protrusions 38 may be formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 36A, and one protrusion 38 may be formed on the upper surface of the protrusion 36A. In this way, it is desirable that the protrusions 38 are formed on both the upper and lower surfaces of the protrusion 36A, and that at least two protrusions 38 are formed on the upper or lower surface at a predetermined interval in the front-to-rear direction.

[0036] Next, the operation of the vehicle surroundings visual recognition device 10 according to the first embodiment configured as described above will be described.

[0037] As described above, the base member 20 of the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 is provided on the inner side of the outer panel of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and the holding portion 26 formed by the recess 26A is provided at the outer end of the base member 20 in the vehicle width direction. The housing 30, which houses the camera 12 at its outer end in the vehicle width direction, has the held portion 36 formed by the protrusion 36A at its inner end in the vehicle width direction, and the held portion 36 is held by the holding portion 26 so as to be rotatable in the front-to-rear direction.

[0038] Therefore, even if a load is applied to the housing 30 (housing main body 32) of the vehicle peripheral visibility device 10 from the front side, for example, when an obstacle collides with the housing 30 from the front side, the housing 30 can rotate rearward against the biasing forces of the spring 16 and the coil spring 18, as shown by the phantom lines in Fig. 3, thereby suppressing or preventing damage to the housing 30. Even if a load is applied from the rear side, the housing 30 can rotate forward against the biasing forces of the spring 16 and the coil spring 18, thereby suppressing or preventing damage to the housing 30.

[0039] Furthermore, in this vehicle periphery visualization device 10, the held portion 36 formed by the convex portion 36A is rotatably held by the holding portion 26 formed by the concave portion 26A, so it is not necessary to provide a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction between the base member 20 and the housing 30. Therefore, the thickness in the vertical direction of the housing 30 (the housing main body 32 and the holder 34 excluding the outer end portion in the vehicle width direction that houses the camera 12) can be made thinner (lower in height).

[0040] Furthermore, the outer dimensions of the vehicle width direction outer end portion inside the housing main body 32 are substantially the same as the outer dimensions of the camera 12, and the camera 12 is held by being fitted into the vehicle width direction outer end portion. Therefore, there is no need to provide a bracket or the like for holding the camera 12 inside the housing main body 32, which allows the housing 30 to be made even smaller (thinner) and the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 to be made lighter.

[0041] In the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment, the recessed portion 26A and the protruding portion 36A have a generally arc-shaped configuration in plan view, which allows the housing 30 to rotate more smoothly in the front-rear direction than when the recessed portion 26A and the protruding portion 36A do not have a generally arc-shaped configuration in plan view.

[0042] Furthermore, in the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment, the holding portion 26 is configured as a recess 26A, and the held portion 36 is configured as a protrusion 36A. Therefore, even when the housing 30 rotates, a gap is unlikely to form between the housing 30 and the base member 20, and foreign matter is unlikely to enter the gap. This prevents the appearance of the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 from being impaired, and also prevents or prevents the occurrence of a problem in which the imaging area of ​​the camera 12 is changed when the housing 30 returns to its original state due to the biasing force of the spring 16 and the coil spring 18.

[0043] Furthermore, in the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment, protrusions 38 that come into contact with the upper and lower inner surfaces of the recess 26A are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A, respectively. Therefore, the housing 30 is more stably held on the base member 20, and blurring of the image captured by the camera 12 is less likely to occur, compared to a case in which the protrusions 38 that come into contact with the upper and lower inner surfaces of the recess 26A are not formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A, respectively.

[0044] In particular, when two protrusions 38 are formed on the upper surface (or the lower surface) of the convex portion 36A at a predetermined distance in the front-to-rear direction, the housing 30 is held more stably on the base member 20 than when only one protrusion 38 is formed on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A, making it even less likely that shaking will occur when capturing images by the camera 12.

[0045] Furthermore, in the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment, the holding mechanism 15 for holding the held portion 36 to the holding portion 26 is provided only on the base member 20. Therefore, compared to when a portion of the holding mechanism 15 is provided inside the housing 30, the housing 30 can be made even thinner.

[0046] Furthermore, this holding mechanism 15 can be realized with a simple configuration because it is composed of a coil spring 18 with one end abutting against the base member 20, and a spring 16 that is roughly V-shaped in plan view, with one end 16A attached to the held portion 36 and the other bifurcated end 16B engaged from the inside with the other end side of the coil spring 18.

[0047] Furthermore, the harness 14 extending from the camera 12 is routed so as to pass through the inside of the coil spring 18. Therefore, compared to when the harness 14 extending from the camera 12 is routed outside the coil spring 18, the base member 20 can be made smaller, and the wiring path of the harness 14 can be prevented from interfering with the rotation of the housing 30.

[0048] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0049] 7, in the second embodiment, the recess 26A constituting the holding portion 26 of the base main body 22 is formed larger (deeper) than in the first embodiment. That is, unlike the first embodiment, the recess 26A is not formed in an annular shape at the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the inner circumferential wall 22C of the base main body 22 in a plan view, but is formed by forming at least both front-rear directions of the inner circumferential wall 22C into a substantially arc shape in a plan view.

[0050] The protrusions 36A constituting the held portion 36 of the holder 34 are also formed on at least both front-rear portions of the peripheral wall on the inner side in the vehicle width direction that contacts the recess 26A, and are formed in a generally arc shape in plan view with a curvature equivalent to that of the recess 26A. The wall surface 34B of the holder 34 facing the inner side in the vehicle width direction is a flat surface, and is disposed adjacent to but not in contact with the wall surface of the bottom wall 22A of the base body 22 that faces the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0051] According to the device for visualizing vehicle peripheries 10 of the second embodiment having such a shape, when the housing 30 is rotated rearward, the gap G1 that occurs between the housing 30 and the base member 20 is reduced compared to the first embodiment, as shown by the phantom lines in Fig. 7. In other words, according to the device for visualizing vehicle peripheries 10 of the second embodiment, even when the housing 30 is rotated, a gap is less likely to occur between the housing 30 and the base member 20, making it even more difficult for foreign matter to enter the gap.

[0052] Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the appearance of the vehicle peripheral visibility device 10 from being damaged, and it is also possible to further prevent or prevent the occurrence of a problem in which the shooting area of ​​the camera 12 is changed when the housing 30 returns to its original state due to the biasing force of the spring 16 and the coil spring 18.

[0053] Third Embodiment Finally, a third embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts equivalent to those of the first and second embodiments, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0054] 8, in the third embodiment, a convex portion 26B constituting the holding portion 26 is formed on the base main body 22 of the base member 20, and a concave portion 36B constituting the held portion 36 is formed on the holder 34 of the housing 30. In other words, the held portion 36 constituted by the concave portion 36B of the holder 34 is held by the holding portion 26 constituted by the convex portion 26B of the base main body 22 so as to be rotatable at least in the front-rear direction.

[0055] More specifically, a cylindrical portion 28 having a smaller diameter than the cylindrical portion 24 is integrally formed on the wall surface of the bottom wall 22A of the base body 22 facing outward in the vehicle width direction, and protrusions 26B having a substantially arc shape in a plan view are formed on at least both front-rear directions of the outer end portion of the cylindrical portion 28 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, a through-hole 28A is formed in the center of the outer end portion of the cylindrical portion 28 in the vehicle width direction, for passing therethrough the hook 37 and one end 16A of the spring 16.

[0056] Meanwhile, a recess 36B having a generally arcuate shape in plan view that is recessed outward in the vehicle width direction is formed at the inner end of the holder 34, and the curvature of the recess 36B is the same as the curvature of the protrusion 26B. A hook 37 for attaching one end 16A of the spring 16 is integrally formed at the center of the recess 36B. A through-hole (not shown) for passing the harness 14 through is formed at a predetermined position in the recess 36B (a position avoiding the hook 37).

[0057] An edge 36C, which is the inner end of the recess 36B in the vehicle width direction, abuts against a wall surface that is radially outer than the cylindrical portion 28 of the bottom wall 22A of the base body 22, and an inclined wall 36D is formed integrally with the edge 36C at least on both front-rear sides. The inclined wall 36D is inclined at a predetermined angle toward the front and rear as it goes outward in the vehicle width direction in a plan view.

[0058] In addition, inclined walls 22D are formed at least on both front and rear sides of the inner peripheral wall 22C of the base main body 22. The inclined walls 22D are inclined at a predetermined angle toward the front and rear as they move outward in the vehicle width direction in a plan view. In other words, the inclined wall 36D on the holder 34 side and the inclined wall 22D on the base main body 22 side face each other, and the inclination angle between them in a plan view is set so that the gap G2 between them widens as they move outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0059] As a result, even if the convex portion 26B is formed on the base member 20 side and the concave portion 36B is formed on the housing 30 side, the housing 30 is easily rotatable in the front-rear direction relative to the base member 20. In other words, the housing 30 is configured so that it can be easily rotated in the front-rear direction relative to the base member 20.

[0060] 8, for example, when the housing 30 is rotated rearward, the edge 36C on the rotation direction side abuts against the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 28. In this way, in the third embodiment, the rotation range of the housing 30 in the front-to-rear direction is limited.

[0061] The vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to this embodiment has been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the vehicle periphery visualization device 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the illustrated example, and design changes can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the visualization unit is not limited to the camera 12, and may be a sensor capable of detecting in the dark. Furthermore, the base member 20 may be integrally formed on the inner side of the vehicle's outer panel in the vehicle width direction. This case also falls under the category of being "provided" on the inner side of the vehicle's outer panel in the vehicle width direction.

[0062] Furthermore, at least a portion of the housing 30 may be made of metal. In this case, the holding mechanism 15 may be configured to include, in addition to the spring 16 and the coil spring 18, an electromagnet or a permanent magnet (not shown) to assist in returning the rotated housing 30. Furthermore, although not shown, the protrusions 38 may be formed on the upper and lower inner surfaces of the recess 26A rather than on the upper and lower surfaces of the convex portion 36A. In this case, it is desirable to form at least two protrusions 38 on the upper or lower inner surface of the recess 26A at a predetermined interval in the front-to-rear direction.

[0063] Also, a nonwoven fabric (not shown) may be wrapped around the other end 16B of the spring 16 that is engaged with the other end side of the coil spring 18. This makes it possible to suppress the generation of contact noise between the spring 16 and the coil spring 18. Also, the harness 14 of the camera 12 may be routed so as to pass outside the coil spring 18, as long as there is ample space inside the base member 20 and the wiring route does not interfere with the rotation of the housing 30.

[0064] Furthermore, the thickness of the camera 12 in the vertical direction is not limited to that shown in the figure. For example, if the thickness of the camera 12 in the vertical direction is thinner than that shown in the figure, the thickness of the outer end of the housing 30 (housing main body 32) in the vertical direction in the vehicle width direction will also be thinner than that shown in the figure. Furthermore, a camera, sensor, lamp, etc. (not shown) for visually checking the underside of the vehicle may be separately provided inside the housing main body 32.

[0065] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-010572, filed on January 26, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0066] All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A vehicle peripheral vision device, comprising: a base member provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of an outer panel of a vehicle, the base member having a holding portion formed of either a concave portion or a convex portion at an outer end in the vehicle width direction; and a housing having a visible portion accommodated at an outer end in the vehicle width direction and having a held portion formed of the other of the concave portion and the convex portion that is rotatably held in the vehicle longitudinal direction by the holding portion at an inner end in the vehicle width direction.

2. The vehicle peripheral vision device according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion and the convex portion are each substantially arc-shaped in plan view.

3. The vehicle peripheral vision device according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface and a lower surface of the convex portion face an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface of the concave portion, and protruding portions that contact the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface are respectively provided on the upper surface and the lower surface.

4. The vehicle peripheral vision device according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface and the lower surface of the convex portion face the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface of the concave portion, and protruding portions that contact the upper surface and the lower surface are respectively provided on the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface.

5. The vehicle peripheral vision device according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is a concave portion and the held portion is a convex portion.

6. The vehicle peripheral vision device according to claim 1, wherein the base member has a holding mechanism for holding the held portion by the holding portion.

7. The vehicle peripheral vision device according to claim 6, wherein the holding mechanism includes: a coil spring having one end in contact with the base member; and a spring substantially in a "V" shape in plan view having one end attached to the held portion and a bifurcated other end locked to the other end side of the coil spring.

8. The vehicle peripheral vision device according to claim 7, wherein a harness extending from the visible portion is routed through the inside of the coil spring.

Images