JP2012025234A - Blind area visibility aid system for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a blind area visibility aid system for a vehicle which enhances safety of driving by increasing visibility of a driver around a vehicle thereby preventing an obstacle from being caught in the vehicle upon vehicle starting.SOLUTION: The blind area visibility aid system for the vehicle makes a driver recognize presence of an obstacle outside the vehicle, and includes a front under mirror 23 which includes a mirror 23b for front recognition reflecting a front-under part of the outside of the vehicle and disposed in the upper part of a front passenger seat side front pillar 24 in a vehicle compartment and a mirror 23a for side recognition reflecting a side-under part of the outside of the vehicle and disposed on a front passenger seat side roof 25 in the vehicle compartment.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle blind spot assist system that reduces the range of blind spots when viewed directly from a driver's seat and prevents an obstacle from being caught when the vehicle starts.

  In general, the vehicle can see the wider situation outside from the driver's seat, the lower outside of the door on the passenger seat side and the lower front side of the bonnet (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle front") as seen from the driver's seat, etc. It is preferable to reduce the blind spot due to.

  Therefore, conventionally, as a means for reducing blind spots due to the lower outside of the door on the passenger side and the front of the vehicle as viewed from the driver's seat, the front pillar on the passenger side (sometimes referred to as an A pillar) Vehicle blind spot auxiliary device provided with a front underview mirror having a front view auxiliary mirror that projects a blind spot on the front side of the door and a side blind mirror that projects a blind spot on the passenger seat side. Has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing a blind spot visual recognition auxiliary device disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. The blind spot visual recognition device shown in FIG. 15 includes a vehicle speed sensor (not shown) that detects the speed of the vehicle in order to reduce the range that becomes a blind spot during low-speed traveling, and a signal from the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. In the same way as the forward-viewing auxiliary mirror part 101 with a liquid crystal shutter formed by a convex mirror directed to the front lower side so that the lower front part of the vehicle, which is a blind spot from the driver's seat, can be projected. Front under mirror 103 provided with a side-viewing auxiliary mirror portion 102 with a liquid crystal shutter formed by a convex mirror directed to the outside lower side so that the outside lower side of the vehicle door that becomes a blind spot can be projected from the driver's seat. Are provided in the upper part of the front pillar 104 within the width in the front-rear direction of the front pillar 104. Therefore, the front-viewing auxiliary mirror unit 101 and the side-viewing auxiliary mirror unit 102 are each elongated vertically along the front pillar 104, and the width of each auxiliary mirror unit 101, 102 in the front-rear direction is that of the front pillar 104. It is about half the width W. Moreover, in the outside visual recognition apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the vehicle speed is detected by a vehicle speed sensor, but it does not have a function of detecting an obstacle outside the vehicle.

JP 2006-232221 A

  However, in the above-described conventional blind spot visual aid device, the front-viewing auxiliary mirror part and the side-viewing auxiliary mirror part are provided at approximately half the width of the front pillar, so the range that can be mirrored is narrow. Also, there is a problem that the display area is small and difficult to see. For this reason, even if an obstacle is projected on each auxiliary mirror, it is difficult for the driver to notice instantly and there is a risk of oversight.

  In particular, the conventional blind spot visual aid device does not have a function of detecting an obstacle outside the vehicle, and therefore, for example, squats down from the driver's seat to the lower front part of the vehicle and the lower outside of the vehicle door. Even if there is an obstacle such as an infant or an object, the driver is not able to notice instantly when there is no clear image on the mirror surface, such as when the surroundings are dark, and there is a risk of oversight.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and improves the driver's visibility around the vehicle, prevents an obstacle from being caught when starting the vehicle, and improves driving safety. An object of the present invention is to provide a blind spot assist system for a vehicle.

  In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle blind spot assist system according to the present invention is a vehicle blind spot assist system that allows a driver to recognize the presence of an obstacle outside the vehicle, and is provided above the passenger seat side pillar in the vehicle interior. A front-viewing mirror disposed on the front passenger side of the vehicle interior and a side-viewing mirror disposed on the passenger seat side roof in the vehicle interior and capturing the side-downside of the vehicle exterior. An under mirror was provided.

  In the conventional front under mirror, the auxiliary mirror part for front viewing and the mirror part for side viewing are provided on the upper part of the front pillar at a width approximately half the width of the front pillar, so the range that can be reflected on the mirror surface is narrow, In addition, there is a problem that the display area is small and difficult to see. According to this configuration, the side-viewing mirror is disposed on the passenger-side roof in the vehicle interior, and the front-viewing mirror is disposed on the upper side of the passenger-side pillar. The installation space is not so limited. For this reason, the area of a mirror surface can be expanded and a display range can be enlarged. Therefore, the visibility is improved, and for example, the problem of overlooking an obstacle in the mirror surface when starting the vehicle can be solved, and the obstacle is not involved when starting the vehicle. Further, since the front under mirror is provided in the vehicle compartment, it does not adversely affect the appearance of the vehicle. In addition, collisions with pedestrians can be prevented. Further, since it is an indoor installation type, the waterproof structure and the mounting structure to the vehicle can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced and the weight can be reduced.

  In the above configuration, a configuration can be adopted in which the curvature radius of the mirror surface of the front viewing mirror is substantially the same as the curvature radius of the mirror surface of the side viewing mirror and the curvature radius is formed to be approximately 200 mm.

  According to this configuration, the curvature of the convex mirror on the mirror surface of the side-viewing mirror and the curvature of the convex mirror on the mirror surface of the front-viewing mirror are substantially the same, so the distance feeling of the scenery outside the vehicle obtained from both mirrors is substantially the same. Become. Furthermore, since the radius of curvature is set to about 200 mm, a subject image with little distortion can be visually recognized.

  In the above configuration, a configuration in which the mirror surface of the front viewing mirror and the mirror surface of the side viewing mirror are tiltably attached to the vehicle body via a ball joint can be employed.

  According to this configuration, the mirror surface of the front viewing mirror and the mirror surface of the side viewing mirror are rotated by the ball joint portion, so that the eye point of each mirror surface can be easily adjusted according to the driver. Visibility can be obtained.

  The said structure WHEREIN: The structure formed by providing the notch part which cut the part into which the front side unnecessary part of the said vehicle is reflected in the said mirror for front visual recognition can be employ | adopted.

  According to this configuration, the forward-viewing mirror is originally in a state where a part of the upper left portion where the front unnecessary portion of the vehicle is reflected is notched in advance, so that the driver needs the forward-viewing mirror. Only information will be reflected.

  According to the present invention, the display area can be increased by increasing the area of the mirror surface in the side-viewing mirror and the area of the mirror surface in the front-viewing mirror, thereby improving the visibility. As a result, for example, problems such as overlooking obstacles in the mirror surface when starting the vehicle can be solved, and accidents such as entanglement of obstacles when starting the vehicle are eliminated, and driving safety is improved. Can do.

1 is a plan view of a vehicle on which a vehicle blind spot assist system according to the present invention is mounted. It is a block diagram regarding the control system of the blind spot auxiliary system for vehicles same as the above. It is a figure which shows the principal part structure in the interior of a vehicle provided with a front under mirror. It is a front view of the mirror part for side visual recognition in a vehicle room same as the above. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the mirror part for side visual recognition shown in FIG. It is a front view of the mirror part for front vision in a vehicle room same as the above. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the mirror part for front visual recognition shown in FIG. The door mirror mounted in the vehicle same as the above is shown, (a) is an example of a mirror image during normal use, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of a mirror image when the mirror surface is directed downward. It is sectional drawing which shows one modification of the mirror part for side visual recognition. It is sectional drawing which shows one modification of the mirror part for front visual recognition. It is a figure which shows an example which provided the warning lamp around the mirror for side visual recognition. It is a figure which shows an example which provided the warning lamp around the mirror for front visual recognition. It is a figure which shows an example of the vehicle interior which provided the conventional blind spot visual recognition auxiliary device.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same number is assigned to the same element throughout the description of the embodiment.

  1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle on which a vehicle blind spot assist system according to the present invention is mounted, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram relating to a control system of the vehicle blind spot assist system. FIG. 3 is a view showing a vehicle interior provided with a front under mirror.

  1 to 3, the vehicle 10 equipped with the vehicle blind spot assist system according to the present invention is a specification for a country where the destination is left-side travel, the driver seat is on the right side, and the passenger seat is on the left side. It is. Accordingly, hereinafter, the “left side” indicates the passenger seat side.

  The vehicle 10 includes door mirrors 12a and 12b that are attached to the upper portions of the left and right doors 11a and 11b, respectively, and project the rear of the vehicle. The door mirrors 12a and 12b each have a built-in power unit 13 (see FIG. 2). When the power unit 13 is remotely operated from the driver's seat, the angle of the mirror surface can be freely adjusted. At least the left door mirror 12a adjusts the angle of the mirror surface 39 (see FIG. 10) via the power unit 13 by an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) 14 shown in FIG. It is possible to project a visual field range C in which the vicinity of the rear wheel of the vehicle 10 that is a blind spot from the normal driver's seat can be seen, and when the outer periphery of the vehicle 10 is dark, the lower left portion of the vehicle 10 is displayed. A paddle lamp 15 (see FIG. 2) that can be illuminated is provided.

  Next, a block diagram relating to the control system shown in FIG. 2 will be described. The control system shown in FIG. 2 is mounted on the vehicle 10. The ECU 14 is a microcomputer for comprehensively controlling the vehicle 10, and the front sensors connected to the ECU 14. 16, a side sensor 17, a rear sensor 18, a vehicle speed sensor 19, a brightness detection sensor 20, a warning sound device 21, a front under mirror warning light 22 (hereinafter referred to as “warning light 22”), and the like. ing.

  The front sensor 16 detects an obstacle such as an infant or an object crouching in the visual field range A in the lower front part, which is a blind spot from the normal driver's seat of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1, and the detected signal Is a sensor that transmits to the ECU 14.

  The side sensor 17 detects an obstruction such as an infant or an object crouching in the visual field range B in the lower side which is a blind spot from the normal driver's seat of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. It is a sensor which transmits the signal which carried out to ECU14.

  The rear sensor 18 detects an obstacle such as an infant or an object crouching in the visual field range C in the lower rear side, which is a blind spot from the normal driver's seat of the vehicle 10, and uses the detected signal as an ECU 14. Is a sensor that transmits to

  The vehicle speed sensor 19 is a sensor that detects the vehicle speed based on the rotational speed of the wheel or the engine speed, and transmits the detected signal to the ECU 14.

  The brightness detection sensor 20 is a sensor that detects the brightness around the outside of the vehicle and transmits the detected signal to the ECU 14.

  The warning sound device 21 is a device that generates a warning sound. For example, when the front sensor 16, the side sensor 17, and the rear sensor 18 detect an obstacle, the warning sound device 21 receives a signal from the ECU 14 or the like and receives an electronic sound or the like. A warning sound is generated to notify the driver of the presence of an obstacle.

  The warning light 22 is a device that generates warning light. For example, when the front sensor 16, the side sensor 17, and the rear sensor 18 detect an obstacle, the warning light 22 emits light in response to a signal from the ECU 14 or the like. Inform the person of the obstacle. The warning lamp 22 is a lamp that uses an LED or the like as a light source, and is provided in a mirror surface or a peripheral portion of a mirror surface of a front under mirror 23 (see FIG. 3) described later provided in the vehicle interior.

  Next, the front under mirror 23 disposed in the passenger compartment will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the front under mirror 23 is provided on the upper left side in the vehicle interior, and includes a side-viewing mirror 23 a provided on the roof 25 and a front-viewing mirror 23 b provided on the top of the front pillar 24. It is comprised by.

  4 to 6, the side-viewing mirror 23a includes a mirror surface 26 provided on the front surface side, and a mirror holder 27 attached to the roof trim cover 25a of the roof 25 by fixing and supporting the mirror surface 26. It becomes. The side-viewing mirror 23a includes a stopper piece 28 and an elastic locking claw member 29 provided on the back side of the mirror holder 27 in engagement holes 30 and 30 formed on the roof trim cover 25a side. It is attached to the roof 25 together. Further, the warning light 22 is disposed in a space between the roof trim cover 25a and the mirror surface 26 at a position near the end of the mirror surface 26.

  Further, the mirror surface 26 of the side-viewing mirror 23a is a convex mirror and is formed as a half mirror. Further, the mirror surface 26 is directed downward on the left side, and in particular, can project the lower side portion outside the vehicle on the passenger seat side, that is, the visual field range B shown in FIG. 1, and the mirror surface 26 is formed of a half mirror. Therefore, when the warning light 22 is not lit, the warning light 22 is hidden and is hardly visible from the driver's seat in the mirror surface 26. However, when the warning light 22 is lit, the lit light passes through the mirror surface 26. It can be seen through the driver's seat.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the front viewing mirror 23 b includes a mirror surface 31 provided on the front surface side and a mirror holder 32 fixedly supported on the mirror surface 31 and attached to the pillar trim cover 24 a of the front pillar 24. Become. The front viewing mirror 23b engages the stopper piece 33 and the elastic locking claw member 34 provided on the back side of the mirror holder 32 with the engagement holes 35 and 35 formed on the pillar trim cover 24a side, respectively. Are attached to the front pillar 24. Further, in the space between the pillar trim cover 24 a and the mirror surface 31, the warning light 22 is disposed corresponding to a location near the end of the mirror surface 31, that is, a window hole 32 a provided in the mirror holder 32. Yes.

  Further, the mirror surface 31 of the front viewing mirror 23b is a convex mirror and is formed as a half mirror. Further, the mirror surface 31 is directed forward and downward, and in particular, can project the lower front portion outside the vehicle, that is, the visual field range A shown in FIG. 1, and the mirror surface 31 is formed of a half mirror. When is not lit, the warning light 22 is hidden and is hardly visible from the driver's seat in the mirror surface 31, but when the warning light 22 is lit, the lit light passes through the mirror surface 31 for driving. It can be seen from the seat.

  The front-viewing mirror 23b is formed in a non-rectangular shape in front view by cutting out a part 36 in the upper left portion and narrowing the upper left portion. This is to prevent the front-side unnecessary object such as the end of the bonnet from appearing in the upper left corner when the front-viewing mirror 23b shows the front lower part, and the driver to misidentify the front-side unnecessary object as an obstacle. This is a notch for preventing unnecessary unwanted objects such as the end of the bonnet from appearing in the upper left part. Therefore, by setting the left upper part 36 of the front viewing mirror 23b in a notched state, the driver obtains only necessary information through the mirror surface 31 of the front viewing mirror 23b and improves visibility. Can do.

  Further, the curvature of the convex mirror on the mirror surface 26 of the side viewing mirror 23a and the curvature of the convex mirror on the mirror surface 31 of the front viewing mirror 23b are substantially the same. That is, when the curvatures of both mirrors 23a and 23b are substantially the same, the scenery outside the vehicle looks the same and a sense of distance is easily obtained. Further, according to experiments, the radius of curvature is about 200 mm, and the balance between the viewing range and the visibility is the best, and at the curvature radii before and after that, the captured subject image is distorted and the visibility is lowered. all right.

  Next, in a vehicle equipped with the vehicle blind spot assist system configured as described above, a method for confirming the visual field ranges A, B, and C shown in FIG. Will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the front under mirror 23 is provided at the upper left side in the passenger compartment, and is viewed from the side facing the lower side (viewing range B) outside the passenger seat side vehicle provided on the roof 25. The driver 23 sits in the driver's seat because it is composed of the front mirror 24a and the front-viewing mirror 23b directed to the lower side (viewing range A) outside the passenger seat side vehicle provided at the upper part of the front pillar 24. By looking at the side-viewing mirror 23a and the front-viewing mirror 23b in a state where they are in a closed state, the visual field range A and the visual field range B that are blind spots can be visually recognized directly from the driver's seat.

  Further, when an infant or the like is crouching in the visual field range C in addition to the visual field range A and the visual field range B that are blind spots when viewed directly from the driver's seat, the front sensor 16, depending on the position of the squatting, Either the side sensor 17 or the rear sensor 18 detects that there is an obstacle, and transmits the signal to the ECU 14.

  The ECU 14 that has received the “obstacle” signal from the front sensor 16, the side sensor 17, and the rear sensor 18 sends a signal to the warning sound device 21 to generate a warning sound from the warning sound device 21. When the signal from the front sensor 16 is received, the warning lamp 22 in the front viewing mirror 23b is turned on. When the signal from the side sensor 17 is received, the warning lamp 22 in the side viewing mirror 23a is turned on. When a signal is received from the rear sensor 18, the warning lights 22 in the front viewing mirror 23b and the side viewing mirror 23a are blinked. Thereby, by knowing the lighting state of the warning light 22, the driver recognizes in the driver's seat which part of the vehicle 10 is obstructed, and by looking at the corresponding mirrors 23a, 23b and the door mirror 12a, Obstacles can be easily known.

  Further, when the ECU 14 receives a signal “There is an obstacle” from the rear sensor 18, the ECU 14 controls the power unit 13 of the door mirror 12 a so that the mirror surface 36 is directed substantially in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. The normal use visual field mode is switched to a mode in which the visual field range C in which the vicinity of the rear wheel of the vehicle 10 can be seen with the mirror surface 36 facing downward as shown in FIG. At the same time, the brightness outside the vehicle is recognized from the signal transmitted from the brightness detection sensor 20, and when the outside of the vehicle is in a dark place, the paddle lamp 15 of the door mirror 12a is turned on to visually recognize an obstacle in the visual field range C. To make it easier.

  Therefore, in the conventional front under mirror, the front-viewing auxiliary mirror part and the side-viewing mirror part are provided at approximately half the width of the front pillar at the upper part of the front pillar. However, according to the vehicle 10 equipped with the vehicle blind spot assist system shown in the present embodiment, the side-viewing mirror 23a is provided with an assistant in the vehicle compartment. Since it is provided on the seat side roof 25 and the front viewing mirror 23b is provided above the front pillar 24 on the passenger seat side, the installation space is not so limited. For this reason, the area of the mirror surfaces 26 and 31 can be expanded and the display range can be enlarged. As a result, the visibility can be improved, for example, the problem of overlooking the obstacles in the mirror surfaces 26 and 31 when starting the vehicle can be solved, the obstacles can be prevented from being involved when starting the vehicle, and the driving safety. Improves. Further, since the front under mirror 23 is provided in the vehicle compartment, it does not adversely affect the appearance of the vehicle. In addition, collisions with pedestrians can be prevented. Further, since it is an indoor installation type, the waterproof structure and the mounting structure to the vehicle can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced and the weight can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, the side-viewing mirror 23a is fixed to the roof 25 so that the angle cannot be adjusted, and the front-viewing mirror 23b is fixed to the front pillar 24 so that the angle cannot be adjusted. In the case of the mirror 23a, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, between the roof panel 36 and the mirror holder 27a that fixes and supports the mirror surface 26, one end is fixed to the roof panel 36 and the other end is mirrored. A ball joint 37 fixed to the holder 27a is provided. Then, the mirror surface 26 of the side-viewing mirror 23a is rotated together with the mirror holder 27A to manually adjust the tilt, and the eye point of the mirror surface 26 is adjusted according to the driver so as to obtain the optimum field of view. Is possible.

  Also in the case of the front viewing mirror 23b, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, one end side is fixed to the front pillar panel 38 side between the front pillar panel 38 and the mirror holder 32A that fixes and supports the mirror surface 31. In addition, a ball joint 37 is provided in which the other end is fixed to the mirror holder 32A. Then, the mirror surface 31 rudder rudder of the front viewing mirror 23b is rotated together with the mirror holder 32a to manually adjust the tilt, and the eye point of the mirror surface 31 is adjusted according to the driver so as to obtain the optimum field of view. Is also possible.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the mirror surface 26 of the side-viewing mirror 23a and the mirror surface 31 of the front-viewing mirror 23b were each made into a half mirror, and the structure which has arrange | positioned the warning lamp 22 on the back side of each mirror 23a, 23b was disclosed. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, a warning lamp 22 is provided on the outer periphery of the side-viewing mirror 23a, and for example, a warning lamp 22 is provided on the outer periphery of the front-viewing mirror 23a, as shown in FIG. It may be structured.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, it cannot be overemphasized that the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiments. Further, it is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

10 Vehicle 12a, 12b Door mirror 13 Power unit 14 Electronic control unit (ECU)
15 Paddle Lamp 16 Front Sensor 17 Side Sensor 18 Rear Sensor 20 Brightness Detection Sensor 21 Warning Sound Device 22 Front Under Mirror Warning Light 23 Front Under Mirror 23a Side Visual Mirror 23b Front Visual Mirror 24 Front Pillar 25 Roof 26 Mirror surface 31 Mirror surface

Also in the case of the front viewing mirror 23b, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, one end side is fixed to the front pillar panel 38 side between the front pillar panel 38 and the mirror holder 32A that fixes and supports the mirror surface 31. In addition, a ball joint 37 is provided in which the other end is fixed to the mirror holder 32A. Then, the mirror surface 31 of the front viewing mirror 23b can be rotated together with the mirror holder 32a to manually adjust the tilt, and the eye point of the mirror surface 31 can be adjusted according to the driver to obtain the optimum field of view. It is.

Claims (4)

A blind spot assist system for a vehicle that allows a driver to recognize the presence of an obstacle outside the vehicle,
A front-viewing mirror that is disposed at the upper part of the passenger side pillar in the vehicle interior and captures the front lower side outside the vehicle, and a side that is disposed on the passenger seat side roof in the vehicle interior and that projects the lateral lower side outside the vehicle A vehicle blind spot assisting system comprising a front under mirror provided with a side-viewing mirror.   The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the curvature radius of the mirror surface of the front viewing mirror is substantially the same as the curvature radius of the mirror surface of the side viewing mirror, and the curvature radius is formed to be approximately 200 mm. Blind spot assist system.   The blind spot for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mirror surface of the front viewing mirror and the mirror surface of the side viewing mirror are attached to a vehicle body side via a ball joint so as to be tiltable. Auxiliary system.   The vehicle blind spot assisting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front viewing mirror is provided with a notch portion in which a portion where the front unnecessary portion of the vehicle is reflected is cut.

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