JP2021054131A - Blind area support device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a blind area support device capable of increasing strength of a pillar cover and reducing the number of components.SOLUTION: A blind area support device 20 projects an image of an object existing in a blind area incapable of being seen from a viewer because it is blocked by a shield. The blind area support device 20 comprises a pillar cover 30 that is provided on a pillar of a vehicle and in which an opening 35 is formed, and louvers 31, 32, 33 and 34 that are longitudinally provided at predetermined intervals in the opening 35 of the pillar cover 30 so as to block predetermined-direction light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a blind spot assisting device for visually recognizing an image in an area blocked by a shield.

In a general vehicle, pillars (shields) constituting the vehicle body are provided on the left and right sides of the windshield and the left and right sides of the rear glass. The driver (viewer) cannot directly see the area on the extension line of the line segment connecting the driver's eyes and the pillars. The area that the driver cannot see because the pillars block the view is called the blind spot. That is, the driver cannot directly see the image located in the blind spot. A blind spot assisting device may be attached to the vehicle or the like so that the driver can visually recognize the image located in the blind spot. There is a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a prior art relating to such a blind spot assisting device.

The blind spot assisting device of Patent Document 1 is provided on a pillar of a vehicle. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A, an opening 102 is formed in the pillar cover 101 of the pillar 100. A blind spot assisting device 110, which is a subunit shown in FIG. 1 (b), is attached to the opening 102.

The blind spot assisting device 110 is provided with a semi-transmissive mirror 111 that reflects an image at the end portion to transmit a part of the light and reflects the rest of the light to the outside of the vehicle, and the semi-transmissive mirror 111 along the surface of the outside of the vehicle. A mirror 112 (plane mirror) that reflects the light reflected by the semi-transmissive mirror 111 toward the semi-transmissive mirror, and a first case 113 and a second case 114 that support the semi-transmissive mirror 111 and the mirror 112. Have.

A spacer 115 is arranged between the semitransparent mirror 111 and the mirror 112, and the second case 114 is fastened to the first case 113 by the fastening member 116. The first case 113 is provided with a plurality of louvers 117 in the vertical direction. The semi-transmissive mirror 111 is provided so as to transmit light for displaying an image located outside the vehicle toward the driver. Since the louver 117 blocks the light from the predetermined direction (windshield side), the driver can see only the image transmitted through the semitransparent mirror 111 and can see the image in the blind spot region.

International Publication No. 2018/021004

By the way, since the opening 102 of the pillar cover 101 has a large opening for fitting the blind spot assisting device 110 which is a subunit, the strength of the pillar cover 101 at this opening is reduced. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the strength of the pillar cover 101. Further, since the number of parts of the blind spot assisting device 110 is large, there is room for improvement in this respect as well.

An object of the present invention is to provide a blind spot assisting device capable of improving the strength of a pillar cover and reducing the number of parts.

The invention according to claim 1 is a blind spot assisting device that projects an image of an object in a blind spot region that is blocked by a shield and cannot be seen by the viewer.
A pillar cover provided in a pillar of a vehicle and having an opening formed therein, and a louver provided in the opening of the pillar cover vertically at a predetermined interval to block light in a predetermined direction. A blind spot assist device is provided.

In the invention according to claim 2, preferably, the pillar cover integrally includes a case constituting a housing portion of the blind spot assisting device.

In the invention according to claim 3, ribs are preferably provided at the inner corner portion between the pillar cover and the case.

In the invention according to claim 1, the blind spot assisting device includes a pillar cover provided on a pillar of a vehicle and having an opening formed therein. Since the opening of the pillar cover is provided with louvers that block light in a predetermined direction in a vertical direction at predetermined intervals, the louver can reinforce the opening and improve the strength of the pillar cover. Further, by providing the louver integrally with the pillar cover, parts for reinforcing the opening are not required, and the number of parts can be reduced.

In the invention according to claim 2, since the pillar cover integrally includes a case constituting the housing portion of the blind spot assisting device, it is not necessary to separately provide a case for supporting the mirror or the like, and the number of parts is reduced. be able to. Furthermore, by providing the case on the back surface side of the outer periphery of the opening of the pillar cover, the portion corresponding to the wall portion of the case acts as a reinforcing rib, so that the strength of the pillar cover alone can be further improved. ..

In the invention according to claim 3, since the ribs are provided at the inner corners of the pillar cover and the case, the strength of the pillar cover can be further improved without affecting the appearance.

It is a figure explaining the pillar cover and blind spot auxiliary apparatus of the prior art. It is a schematic diagram near the driver's seat of the vehicle equipped with the blind spot assist device according to the present invention. It is an exploded perspective view of the blind spot auxiliary device of this invention. It is a front view of the pillar cover of this invention. It is a rear perspective view of the pillar cover of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the explanation, the left and right refer to the left and right with respect to the occupant (viewer) in the vehicle, and the front and rear mean the front and rear with reference to the traveling direction of the vehicle. In the figure, Le is left, Ri is right, Fr is front, Rr is rear, Up is up, and Dn is down.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the schematic view near the driver's seat, the vehicle 10 such as an automobile has left and right pillars (hereinafter referred to as front pillars) 11 and 11 at the front portion of the vehicle body, and the left and right front pillars 11 and 11, It has a windshield 12 provided between 11 and left and right side glasses 13 and 13 provided at the rear ends of the left and right front pillars 11 and 11.

A steering wheel 15 and a seat (not shown) are arranged in the front part of the passenger compartment 14 located behind the windshield 12. Hereinafter, a right-hand drive vehicle will be illustrated as an example of the vehicle 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a left-hand drive vehicle may be used.

A viewer (mainly a driver) in the passenger compartment 14 can directly see the scenery outside the vehicle through the windshield 12 and the left and right side glasses 13 and 13. However, in the area of the vehicle 10 where the left and right front pillars 11 and 11 are arranged, the field of view of the viewer is obstructed and the outside scenery cannot be directly seen. That is, a blind spot area is created. The left and right front pillars 11 and 11 correspond to shields.

The blind spot assisting device 20 according to the present invention is mounted on the vehicle 10 and is fixed to the front pillar 11 forming a part of the vehicle body. More specifically, the blind spot assisting device 20 is configured to include a part of the pillar cover 30, which is an element of the front pillar 11. The blind spot assisting device 20 projects an image of an object in a blind spot region that is blocked by a shield (front pillar) 11 and cannot be seen by the viewer. Here, the object includes a living thing such as a human being, an animal, and a plant as well as a fixed object.

By visually observing the blind spot assisting device 20, the driver can visually recognize the image of the object that has passed through the blind spot assisting device 20, thereby visually recognizing the image of the object in the area blocked by the front pillar 11. Can be done.

The blind spot assisting device 20 may be fixed to a so-called front pillar (A pillar) 11 located in front of the occupant, or may be fixed to another pillar such as a B pillar or a C pillar.

The blind spot assisting device 20 is arranged so as to face the front pillar 11 when viewed from the viewer. That is, the blind spot assisting device 20 includes at least one of the left and right front pillars 11 and 11 and a pillar cover 30 on the vehicle interior 14 side.

Hereinafter, the blind spot assisting device 20 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the blind spot assisting device 20 is vertically provided at a predetermined interval between a pillar cover 30 provided in the front pillar 11 of the vehicle 10 and an opening 35 formed therein and the opening 35 of the pillar cover 30. It includes louvers 31, 32, 33, 34 which are provided in a direction and block light in a predetermined direction (from the windshield 12 side), and a first case 36 integrally formed on the pillar cover 30.

Further, the blind spot assisting device 20 includes a semitransparent mirror 21, a mirror 22, cover glasses 23 and 24, a second case 25, and a fastening member 26. The transflective mirror 21 and the mirror 22 have a flat plate shape. The second case 25 is U-shaped in a side view, and an insertion portion 27 for inserting the fastening member 26 is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the pillar cover 30 is made of resin, and the louvers 31, 32, 33, 34 and the first case 36 constituting the housing portion of the blind spot assisting device 20 are integrally formed. I have. The plurality of louvers 31, 32, 33, 34 are provided so as to connect and support the upper edge portion 35a and the lower edge portion 35b of the opening 35 and in parallel at predetermined intervals.

The first case 36 is formed by a wall portion 36a that rises from the back surface 38 of the pillar cover 30, and a fixing portion 37 is provided at the end of the wall portion 36a. Case 25 of 2 is fastened. In the prior art shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the first case 113 was separate from the pillar cover 101, but in the present invention, the first case 36 is integrally provided on the pillar cover 30. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced.

Further, the back surface 38 of the pillar cover 30 is provided so that the first case 36 projects. Ribs 41, 42, and 43 are provided at the inner corners of the back surface 38 of the pillar cover 30 and the first case 36. The ribs 41, 42, 43 have a triangular shape, and when the pillar cover 30 is formed by injection molding, for example, the ribs 41, 42, 43 can be easily integrally formed. A large rib 39 is provided on the back surface 38 of the pillar cover 30 along the back surface 38.

Further, the semi-transmissive mirror 21 is a so-called magic mirror that is located on the viewer side and incidents light representing an image of an object, reflects a part of the light, and transmits the rest. The semitransparent mirror 21 has a plate shape and is formed as follows, for example. The first example is formed by depositing a metal such as aluminum on the surface of a base material made of a translucent resin material to form a semi-transmissive reflective layer having a desired reflectance. The second example is formed by coating the surface of the base material with a dielectric multilayer film to form a semi-transmissive reflective layer having a desired reflectance.

The mirror 22 faces the reflecting surface 21a of the semitransparent mirror 21 at intervals, and reflects the reflected light toward the semitransparent mirror 21. The mirror 22 is an aluminum-deposited mirror formed in a plate shape, for example, by depositing a metal such as aluminum on the surface of a base material made of the above-mentioned translucent resin material.

Next, the assembled state will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the semitransparent mirror 21, the cover glasses 23, 24, and the mirror 22 are arranged in this order in the first case 36 of the pillar cover 30, and the second case 25 is attached to the fastening member 26. It is fastened to the case 36 of 1.

Since the first case 36 is integrally formed on the pillar cover 30, there is no gap between the pillar cover 30 and the first case 36. Since the number of parts is reduced by integrally forming the first case 36 on the pillar cover 30, the number of assembly steps can be reduced.

On the other hand, in the prior art shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the pillar cover 101 is formed so as to cover the exterior of the main body of the blind spot assisting device 110, so that the pillar cover 101 and the first case 113 are two. It had a heavy structure. This means that unnecessary space is required for the required functions. Further, in the prior art, there is a small gap in the contact portion between the opening 102 of the pillar cover 101 and the main body of the blind spot assisting device 110, and an unnecessary line is visible on the appearance. Further, if the portion is misaligned, a step or a gap is generated, which causes a decrease in commercial value.

In this respect, in the present invention, since the first case 36 is integrally formed with the pillar cover 30, the double structure as in the prior art is not obtained, and the space for the pillar cover 30 to wrap the apparatus main body can be deleted. It is possible to obtain a shape that is connected and has a neat appearance.

The actions and effects of the blind spot assisting device 20 described above will be described. The blind spot assisting device 20 includes a pillar cover 30 provided on the front pillar 11 of the vehicle 10 and having an opening 35 formed therein. Since the opening 35 of the pillar cover 30 is provided with louvers 31, 32, 33, 34 that vertically block light in a predetermined direction at predetermined intervals, the louvers 31, 32, 33, 34 are the openings 35. Can be reinforced to improve the strength of the pillar cover 30. Further, by integrally providing the louvers 31, 32, 33, and 34 to the pillar cover 30, parts for reinforcing the opening 35 become unnecessary, and the number of parts can be reduced.

Further, since the pillar cover 30 integrally includes the first case 36 constituting the housing portion of the blind spot assisting device 20, it is not necessary to separately provide a case for supporting the mirror 22 and the like, and the number of parts is reduced. can do.

Further, by providing the first case 36 on the back surface 38 side of the outer periphery of the opening 35 of the pillar cover 30, the portion corresponding to the wall portion 36a of the first case 36 serves as a reinforcing rib, so that the pillar The strength of the cover 30 alone can be further improved.

Further, since ribs 41, 42, and 43 are provided in a triangular shape so as to connect the inner corner portions of the pillar cover 30 and the first case 36 so as to connect them, more pillars are provided without affecting the appearance. The strength of the cover 30 can be improved.

In the embodiment, the number of louvers 31, 32, 33, and 34 is set to 4, but the number is not limited to this, and the number of louvers such as 3, 5, and 6 is not limited.

Further, the shape of the opening 35 of the pillar cover 30 is substantially rectangular, but the shape is not limited to this, and a circular shape or the like may be used. Further, although the size of the blind spot assisting device 20 is slightly larger than the width of the front pillar 11 in the embodiment, the size may be set to fit in the width of the front pillar 11, and the size does not matter.

Further, the blind spot assisting device 20 according to the present invention may be applied to a two-wheeled vehicle or a three-wheeled vehicle in addition to a four-wheeled vehicle. Furthermore, it can be applied to vehicles other than vehicles, construction machinery, and the like.

That is, the present invention is not limited to the examples as long as the actions and effects of the present invention are exhibited.

The present invention is suitable for a blind spot assisting device for visually recognizing an image in an area blocked by a shield.

10 ... Vehicle, 11 ... Pillar (front pillar, shield), 20 ... Blind spot auxiliary device, 30 ... Pillar cover, 31, 32, 33, 34 ... Louver (light shielding plate), 35 ... Opening, 41, 42, 43 …rib.

Claims (3)

It is a blind spot auxiliary device that projects an image of an object in a blind spot area that is blocked by a shield and cannot be seen by the viewer.
A pillar cover provided in a pillar of a vehicle and having an opening formed therein, and a louver provided in the opening of the pillar cover vertically at a predetermined interval to block light in a predetermined direction. Blind spot auxiliary device. The blind spot assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the pillar cover integrally includes a case constituting a housing portion of the blind spot assisting device. The blind spot assisting device according to claim 2, wherein ribs are provided at an inner corner portion between the pillar cover and the case.

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