Vehicle Door Mirror Radial Size Reduction via Nested Rotation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle door mirror designs face challenges in suppressing the increase in size in the rotation radial direction, which affects the compactness and mechanical strength of the viewing device.
Innovation Solution
A viewing device for a vehicle is designed with a support body, a viewer that is rotatably supported, a blocker to restrict rotation beyond a certain range, and a restricter positioned inner to the blocker to allow rotation only when a predetermined load is applied, thereby controlling the viewer's rotation and preventing excessive size increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a positioning protrusion is formed at the mounting portion to prevent rotation beyond a certain range, then the viewer rotation is controlled, but the size of the door mirror increases in the rotation radial direction
Solution Approach 1:
The restricter is positioned inside the blocker in the radial direction, with the restricter's outer surface overlapping the blocker's inner surface. This nested arrangement allows both the rotation control function and the size reduction to be achieved by placing components in a compact, space-efficient configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of extending the rotation control mechanism outward in the radial direction, the patent utilizes the axial dimension by positioning the restricter axially inside the blocker. This dimensional reorganization allows rotation control without increasing the radial footprint of the door mirror.
2Length of stationary object
If the restricter is positioned further toward the inner side in the radial direction than the blocker end, then the size increase is suppressed, but the rotation restriction mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The restricter and blocker are merged in the radial dimension by positioning them to overlap, creating a compact combined structure. This merging reduces the overall radial size while the functional differentiation between the two components maintains the rotation restriction capability without excessive complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the restricter engages with the viewer from one side in the axis direction, then rotation is restricted at predetermined positions, but movement in the rotation axis direction occurs during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The urger applies a preliminary urging force to the restricter in the axial direction, pre-positioning it to engage with the viewer. This preliminary action ensures that the restricter is ready to restrict rotation at predetermined positions while the urger simultaneously counteracts any unwanted axial movement during rotation, maintaining stability.
Data Source
AI summary
In a door mirror device for a vehicle, a stopper groove of a case and a stopper of a stand are provided so as to be superposed with a restricting ring in an axial direction of a support shaft of the stand. Therefore, in comparison with a structure in which the stopper groove of the case and the stopper of the stand are provided at the outer side in an axis-orthogonal direction (radial direction) of the support shaft of the stand relative to the restricting ring and an engaging ring, an increase in size of the case and stand to a side in the axis-orthogonal direction of the support shaft may be suppressed.