Blind spot mirror capable of revealing a-pillar blind spot of vehicle

Abstract

A lens structure, which is a semi-concave lens made of a material having preset transparency, wherein one surface of the lens structure is a concave spherical surface (19), and the other opposite surface is a flat surface (18), or a concave spherical surface (19), or a convex spherical surface (20); when a light beam that matches the shape and size of the lens structure vertically passes through the lens structure, the light beam (6) is magnified; if the magnified light beam is deflected outwardly in four directions: up, down, left and right, the outward deflection amplitude in one direction among the four directions is less than that in the other three directions. The lens structure can be made into a blind spot mirror that enables the driver to see the A-pillar blind spot without moving the body and leaning left or right to look around the A-pillar, and features a simple structure, low cost, easy installation, and good effect.

Description

Blind area mirror capable of seeing blind area of vehicle A column TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle technology, in particular to a blind area mirror capable of letting the driver see the blind area of the vehicle A column, which is a lens structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] The vehicle A column forms a blind area, which is easy to cause the driver to have traffic accidents due to not seeing the danger. In the prior art, in order to avoid this situation, the common practice is to add a camera outside the vehicle body to shoot the area blocked by the A column, but the cost of the camera procurement, use and maintenance is relatively high. Moreover, the information collected by the camera is transmitted to the in-vehicle display device after being processed by the chip, and the display device has problems such as resolution, color restoration degree and other parameters, which has a certain gap with the real scene, and the recognition degree is low in poor light environment. And due to the problem of technical principle, the driver cannot distinguish the distance from the obstacle or the person.

[0003] SUMMARY

[0004] An object of the present application is to provide a blind area mirror capable of letting the driver see the blind area of the A column without moving the body and stretching the head to the left and right to bypass the A column, which is a lens structure.

[0005] A further object of the present application is to provide a lens structure which is simple in structure and low in cost.

[0006] The concave lens not only increases the field of view, but also deflects the field of view. The deflection direction of a complete concave lens is roughly divided into four directions, i.e. up, down, left and right. The diameter of the concave lens is taken as the cutting line, and the left and right halves are simply referred to as half-concave lenses. It is called half-concave lens because the focal point is not on the axis passing through the center of the lens, but is deviated to one side. The left half of the lens (referred to as left half-concave lens 1) deflects the field of view to the left and up and down directions; the right half of the lens (referred to as right half-concave lens 2) deflects the field of view to the right and up and down directions. The left and right half-concave lenses are processed into the required shape by removing the edge part, and a special lens structure (hereinafter referred to as blind area mirror) is obtained. The left half-concave lens 1 is installed on the right side of the right A column 4, and the right half-concave lens 2 is installed on the left side of the left A column 3, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 1, so that the driver can see the blind area of the left and right A columns through the left and right half-concave lenses.

[0007] The lens structure is made of a material with a predetermined transparency.

[0008] Optionally, the semi-concave lens is cut into a rectangle by removing the edge part, and the length of the rectangle is coincident with or parallel to the diameter of the original cutting line, i.e. the diameter of the original concave lens. The shape obtained is as shown in FIGS. 3-5, i.e. the cross sections of the left and right sides are thin in the middle and thick at the edges, and the cross sections of the left and right sides are compared, one side is thin and the other side is thick. The thin side is marked as 5 in the figure, and the thick side opposite to 5 is the thick side. The cross sections of the upper and lower sides are both thin on one side and thick on the other side.

[0009] Optionally, the lens structure has a plane 18 on one side and a concave spherical surface 19 on the other side, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0010] Optionally, the lens structure has a convex spherical surface 20 on one side and a concave spherical surface 19 on the other side, and the concave degree is greater than the convex degree, and the whole has a semi-concave lens characteristic, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0011] Optionally, the lens structure has a concave spherical surface 19 on both sides, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0012] The lens structure can be cut into any desired shape according to needs, including but not limited to a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a semi-circular shape, a polygonal shape, and an irregular shape.

[0013] In short, the lens structure is actually a semi-concave lens, and the semi-concave lens is divided into a left semi-concave lens and a right semi-concave lens. The same point of the left semi-concave lens and the right semi-concave lens is that the cross sections of the left and right sides are thin in the middle and thick at the edges. The different point is that the cross sections of the upper and lower sides are thick on the left side and thin on the right side for the left semi-concave lens 1, and thick on the right side and thin on the left side for the right semi-concave lens 2. The left semi-concave lens 1 is installed on the right side of the A-pillar, and the right semi-concave lens 2 is installed on the left side of the A-pillar.

[0014] Optionally, the lens structure is thick on the left side and thin on the right side, i.e. the left semi-concave lens 1 is installed on the left side of the A-pillar 3 as a left side A-pillar 3 blind area mirror, and is installed on the inner side of the left side of the front windshield glass close to the A-pillar, i.e. on the right side of the left side A-pillar 3, as shown in FIG. 14. Similarly, the right semi-concave lens 2 is installed on the inner side of the right side of the front windshield glass close to the A-pillar, i.e. on the left side of the right side A-pillar 4.

[0015] Optionally, the lens structure is installed on the outer side of the front windshield glass close to the A-pillars on the left and right sides.

[0016] Optionally, the lens structure is installed on the inner side or outer side of the left and right quarter windows of the front row of the vehicle close to the A-pillars, or directly replaces the left and right quarter window glasses.

[0017] Optionally, the lens structure is installed on the outer side of the left and right door frames of the front row of the vehicle close to the A-pillars, i.e. the right semi-concave lens 2 is installed on the left side of the left side A-pillar 3, as shown in FIG. 12, and the left semi-concave lens 1 is installed on the right side of the right side A-pillar 4, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0018] Optionally, the lens structure is hidden in the A-pillar trim panel, driven by a motor to stretch and retract, and the motor is controlled by a chip with a program. The program can be set to automatically pop up the lens structure when the driver turns on the left or right turn signal or turns the steering wheel left or right, and retract into the A-pillar trim panel when the left or right turn signal is turned off or the steering wheel is returned to the straight position.

[0019] Optionally, the lens structure has a marking line on its mirror surface to distinguish which part is the blind area and which part is the front view of the half-concave lens.

[0020] It should be noted that the cross-sectional features of the left and right sides and the top and bottom sides of the above-mentioned lens structure are a special case, only one of the features of the present application, not the only feature of the present application. Since the shape of the lens structure varies greatly, the angle of processing also changes randomly, for example, one side of the above-mentioned rectangular shape does not coincide with or is parallel to the original cutting line, and the diagonal of the above-mentioned rectangular shape points to the center of the original concave lens, and the above-mentioned features do not exist, as shown in FIG. 6, it can be seen that among the two opposite sides, one side is thick and the other side is thin; the other side is also one side thick and the other side thin, and there is also a middle thin edge. If the above-mentioned two cases do not exist, then the cross-section of the top, bottom, left and right sides exists in another case, for example, the lens structure is processed into a circular or elliptical shape, and one of the edges 5 around the circular or elliptical shape is obviously thinner than the other edges, as shown in FIG. 7. Since the lens structure is processed by cutting the concave lens in half, among the top, bottom, left and right sides of the lens structure, the side 5 near the center of the original concave lens has little or almost no deflection of light. Therefore, it is certain that, as shown in FIG. 11, when a beam of light with the same size and shape as the right half-concave lens 2 passes through the lens structure vertically, the light beam 6 is enlarged, and the light beam 6 is irradiated to the opaque plane parallel to the lens to form a light spot 7, which can reflect the enlargement and deflection direction of the light beam 6. If the outward deflection direction of the enlarged light beam 6 is divided into four directions of up, down, left and right, then one of the four directions has a smaller outward deflection amplitude than the other three directions. In fact, the side 5 with smaller deflection amplitude in the lens structure is closest to the center of the original concave lens.

[0021] Optionally, a transparent material with a predetermined transparency is made into a Fresnel lens with image reduction function, which is cut in half with the diameter as the cutting line and processed by removing the edge part, and the function of the lens structure of the present application can also be achieved. The half of the Fresnel lens is simply called a half-Fresnel lens 15, one side or both sides of the half-Fresnel lens 15 have a number of sawtooth-shaped grooves 16, and the grooves are a series of concentric circular arcs from small to large, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0022] Optionally, the half-Fresnel lens 15 has one or both sides with sawtooth grooves 16, and a flat transparent material 17 is added, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. If the half-Fresnel lens 15 has only one side with sawtooth grooves 16, the other side is flat 18, as shown in FIG. 9. It should be noted that if the half-Fresnel lens 15 has both sides with grooves, one side of the two sides with grooves is an image-reducing feature, and the other side is also an image-reducing feature; optionally, one side is an image-reducing feature, and the other side is an image-enlarging feature, and the two sides as a whole are image-reducing features. FIG. 10 shows both sides with image-reducing features.

[0023] Optionally, the half-Fresnel lens 15, and the transparent material 17 on one or both sides, is externally attached to the mirror frame 8, so that the half-Fresnel lens 15 with sawtooth grooves 16 on one or both sides is sealed to prevent dust and mud from entering the sawtooth grooves 16, and in the future only the surface of the flat transparent material 17 needs to be cleaned, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. Optionally, to prevent water from entering the interlayer of the half-Fresnel lens 15 and the transparent material 17, a waterproof gasket or adhesive can be applied at the contact between the mirror frame 8 and the half-Fresnel lens 15 and the transparent material 17.

[0024] It should be noted that in order to facilitate explanation and understanding, the left and right half-concave lenses, including the left and right half-Fresnel lenses, are determined according to the angle of field deflection, and are not absolute. For example, if the left half-concave lens is rotated 180 degrees, it becomes a right half-concave lens, and the same applies to the left and right half-Fresnel lenses.

[0025] Optionally, when cutting the left and right half-concave lenses, including the left and right half-Fresnel lenses, the cutting line can be appropriately offset to the left or right from the center of the original concave lens.

[0026] Large and medium-sized vehicles often have wide rearview mirrors that are rectangular and installed vertically, close to the A-pillar, and together with the A-pillar, they create a larger blind area in front of the left and right. Optionally, the lens structure is installed on the outside of the rearview mirror, i.e. the right half-concave lens or the right half-Fresnel lens is installed on the left side of the left rearview mirror; the left half-concave lens or the left half-Fresnel lens is installed on the right side of the right rearview mirror, so that the driver can see the blind area blocked by the rearview mirror and the A-pillar; optionally, the lens structure is installed on the inside of the A-pillar, i.e. the left half-concave lens or the left half-Fresnel lens is installed on the right side of the left A-pillar; the right half-concave lens or the right half-Fresnel lens is installed on the left side of the right A-pillar, which also allows the driver to see the blind area blocked by the rearview mirror and the A-pillar; optionally, when the lens structure is installed on the inside of the A-pillar, the front windshield inner surface or outer surface can be chosen.

[0027] Preferably, the left and right half-concave lenses, including the left and right half-Fresnel lenses, of the same vehicle have different focal lengths and do not come from the same concave lens and the same half-Fresnel lens.

[0028] It should be noted that, for the convenience of explanation and understanding, the present application briefly describes the preparation method, i.e., the cutting method. In actual processing and production, the present preparation method is not the only one. Therefore, the lens structure of the present application prepared by other methods also belongs to the spirit of the present application.

[0029] The following is a detailed description of specific embodiments of the present application, which will make the above-mentioned content of the present application more clear to those skilled in the art in combination with the drawings. In addition, since there are many varieties of installation positions and installation methods of the present lens structure, the above-mentioned content has made a clear and complete description of the subject matter of the present application. Therefore, it is not necessary to describe all the installation positions and methods one by one, and only the specific embodiments of some of them are described. It should be noted that the same components and the same positions of the same components are marked with the same reference numerals in all the drawings of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the light path of the lens structure of the present application installed on the outer side of the left door frame of the front row of the vehicle near the A-pillar position;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the light path of the lens structure of the present application installed on the outer side of the right door frame of the front row of the vehicle near the A-pillar position;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plano-concave lens structure of the present application;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the double-concave lens structure of the present application;

[0034] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the convex-concave lens structure of the present application;

[0035] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plano-concave lens structure of the present application with the diagonal pointing to the center of the original concave lens;

[0036] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elliptical plano-concave lens structure of the present application;

[0037] FIG. 8 is a front view of the half-Fresnel lens structure of the present application;

[0038] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the side of the single-surface texture half-Fresnel lens structure of the present application;

[0039] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the side of the double-surface texture half-Fresnel lens structure of the present application;

[0040] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the lens structure of the present application amplifying the light beam;

[0041] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the lens structure of the present application installed on the outer side of the left door frame of the front row near the left A-pillar position;

[0042] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the lens structure of the present application installed on the outer side of the right door frame of the front row near the right A-pillar position;

[0043] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of the lens structure of the present application installed on the inner surface of the front windshield near the left A-pillar. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, the lens structure has two opposite surfaces of plane and concave sphere, and the cross section of the upper and lower sides is thin on the left and thick on the right, and the cross section of the left and right sides is thick on the edge and thin in the middle, i.e. a right half concave lens 2, with the plane facing left and front and the concave sphere facing the driver, installed on the outer side of the left door frame of the front row of the vehicle near the left A-pillar 3, and the right half concave lens 2 has an external lens frame 8, the lens frame 8 is connected with a bendable shaped part 9, and the bendable shaped part 9 is connected with a rearview mirror base 10. According to the principle of expanding the field of view of a concave lens, the direction of expanding the field of view of a complete concave lens is roughly divided into four directions: upper, lower, left and right. Therefore, the right half concave lens 2 expands the field of view to the right and the upper and lower sides. The driver's leftmost line of sight passes through the left side of the right half concave lens 2 and is directed to the front, and almost no deflection occurs. As the angle of the line of sight gradually moves to the right, the line of sight passing through the right half concave lens 2 also deflects to the right. The greater the angle of the line of sight moving to the right, the greater the deflection. The principle is shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, the field of view in front of the right half concave lens 2 and the deflected field of view to the right are within the driver's field of view, and part of the deflected field of view to the right is the blind area of the left A-pillar 3. The bendable shaped part 9 can be bent arbitrarily to adjust the lens structure to the best viewing angle for the driver. Alternatively, the lens frame 8 can be provided with an electrically driven steering function. After parking the vehicle, the side of the lens frame 8 faces the front of the vehicle to avoid being scratched by other vehicles. After starting the vehicle, the lens frame 8 automatically resets.

[0045] Similarly, as shown in Fig. 13, in one embodiment, the lens structure has two opposite surfaces of plane and concave sphere, and the cross section of the upper and lower sides is thick on the left and thin on the right, and the cross section of the left and right sides is thick on the edge and thin in the middle, i.e. a left half concave lens 1, with the plane facing right and front and the concave sphere facing the driver, installed on the outer side of the right door frame of the front row of the vehicle near the right A-pillar 4, and the left half concave lens 1 has an external lens frame 8, the lens frame 8 is rotatably connected with a vertical rod 11, and the other end of the vertical rod 11 is rotatably connected with the rearview mirror base. The principle is shown in Fig. 2. The driver can see the blind area in front of the left half concave lens 1 and blocked by the right A-pillar 4. The above-mentioned vertical rod 11 can also be replaced by a base, and the other end of the base is integrated with the rearview mirror base. Alternatively, the vertical rod 11 can be replaced by a pillar or a support, and the other end of the pillar or the support is fixedly or rotatably connected with the rearview mirror base. Alternatively, the other end of the pillar or the support is rotatably or fixedly connected with the base, and the base is fixed to other parts of the vehicle body. The lens frame 8 is rotatably connected with the vertical rod 11, the pillar or the support, so that the driver can adjust the lens structure to the best viewing angle.

[0046] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, when the left half-concave lens 1 of the lens structure is installed on the inner surface of the front windshield glass near the left A-pillar 3, the lens structure is externally mounted with a mirror frame 8, the mirror frame 8 is rotationally connected 14 with a base 13 passing through the A-pillar trim panel, and the other end of the base 13 is fixed to the inner surface of the A-pillar trim panel. Because the mirror frame is rotationally connected with the base, it is convenient for the driver to adjust to the best viewing angle, and when the driver does not need the lens structure, it can be manually adjusted to the inside of the A-pillar, and the field of view of the front windshield glass returns to the original state, so as to facilitate the drivers who have not yet adapted.

[0047] Optionally, the half-concave lens in all the above embodiments can be replaced by a half-Fresnel lens 15, preferably if it is a single-sided half-Fresnel lens, the side with a number of jagged grooves 16 is towards the driver, and the flat side is towards the left or right front.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that: the above only describes some embodiments of the present application, and is not used to limit the present application, although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, for those skilled in the art, the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments can still be modified or partially modified, or some technical features can be replaced or modified or removed or increased, any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, removal, increase, etc. within the spirit and principles of the present application, should be included in the protection scope of the present application, including but not limited to the mounting position, orientation, mounting and fixing method of the lens structure.

Claims

1. A lens structure, characterized by, Half-concave lens made of material with preset transparency, one side is concave spherical surface, the other side is plane; or concave spherical surface; or convex spherical surface, when a light beam with the same size as the lens structure vertically passes through the lens structure, the light beam is enlarged, if the outward deflection direction of the enlarged light beam is divided into four directions of up, down, left and right, then the outward deflection amplitude of one direction is smaller than that of the other three directions.

2. A lens structure, characterized by, Half-Fresnel lens structure made of material with preset transparency and image reduction function, one side or both sides are a plurality of sawtooth grooves, the grooves are a plurality of concentric circular arcs from small to large, when a light beam with the same size as the lens structure vertically passes through the lens structure, the light beam is enlarged, if the outward deflection direction of the enlarged light beam is divided into four directions of up, down, left and right, then the outward deflection amplitude of one direction is smaller than that of the other three directions.

3. The lens structure according to claims 1-2, characterized in that, It can be cut into any shape as needed.

4. The lens structure according to claims 1-3, characterized in that, The direction with smaller outward deflection amplitude has no angle limit and can be any angle of 360 degrees.

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