JP3022199B2 - Rearview mirror tilting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a folding mechanism for a rearview mirror mounted on the outside of a door, fender or the like of an automobile. More specifically, when the rearview mirror mounted on the outside of a door or the like collides with an obstacle or the like, or enters a garage, the rearview mirror is prevented from pivoting from the use position (neutral position) to about 90 ° and damaged. It is related to a tilting mechanism that can prevent
In particular, the present invention relates to a tilting mechanism having no shaft for avoiding rotation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automobile door mirror or the like having a structure in which a mirror body is tilted when a large external force is applied and returns to an original posture when the external force is eliminated,
It is also known as a tilting mirror. The mirror body can be tilted at an even greater angle to tilt it from the normal use position (neutral position) to the rear of the vehicle at a right angle, and the posture can be maintained as it is. Such mirrors are also known as so-called foldable mirrors, and have been increasingly used recently.

A typical example of a door mirror having such a folding mechanism is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-203854. The above folding mechanism is shown in FIGS.
It is configured as shown in FIG. That is, in the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a mirror main body, 21 denotes a mirror holder that supports the mirror main body, 22 denotes a support frame to which the mirror main body and the mirror holder that supports the mirror main body are fixed,
Reference numeral 23 denotes a base attached to the vehicle body, and reference numeral 24 denotes a support protruding from the base in a horizontal direction. Further, a plate 26 is fixed on the support portion 24, and a shaft 25 serving as a rotating shaft is erected.

[0004] A socket 27 into which the shaft 25 can be inserted is formed at an end of the support frame 22. A shaft 25 is passed through the socket 27, and a coil spring 28
And a washer 29 and a retaining ring 3 at the end of the shaft.
The spring 28 is contracted between the washer 29 and the support frame 22 by attaching 0. At a position where the support frame 22 and the plate 23 face each other, a ball holding hole 31 for holding a ball is provided on one side,
On the other side, a moderation engaging recess 32 for stopping the ball is provided, and usually three steel balls 33 are arranged between the ball holding hole 31 and the moderation engaging recess 32, and the coil spring 28 By supporting frame 2
2 and the plate 26 are urged to approach each other.

[0005] In the door mirror having the above structure, the steel ball 33 normally stops the support frame 22 in the normal use position in a state of being fitted into the ball holding hole 31, and when a large external force is applied to the support frame 22. The steel ball escapes from the moderation engaging recess 32 to allow the support frame to rotate.

[0006]

According to the above-mentioned conventional door mirror having a folding mechanism, a shaft 25 is erected on a base 23, a coil spring 28 is disposed, and a washer 29 and a snap ring are provided at the tip of the shaft. 30 and a coil spring 28 between the washer 29 and the support frame 22.
The shaft 25 is indispensable because the shaft 25 is contracted against its elasticity. However, using a shaft requires vertical dimensions (height direction). Therefore, the shape of the body attached via the support frame 22 is restricted in the vicinity of the shaft portion, and there is an inconvenience that it is difficult to give a free design.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to propose a mechanism which does not use a shaft in a door mirror having a tilting mechanism.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, according to an aspect of, the invention of claim 1 includes a click La <br/> pitch housing portion formed in the mirror base, is formed on the inner wall of the clutch housing portion Was
A concave portion, the concave portion being fitted in the clutch storage portion;
A first clutch member having a convex portion disposed so as to be capable of being disengaged from the first clutch member, a second clutch member having no convex portion, and a first clutch member fixed to the second clutch member. A guide pin which can be inserted into and removed from the second clutch member; a spring means for urging the two clutch members in a direction away from each other;
And a frame supporting the mirror main body attached to the clutch member .

The structure of the present invention will be described more specifically.
A support is protruded from a base attached to a vehicle body, and an upwardly-opened clutch housing for fitting two clutch members so as to be rotatable with respect to the base is formed on the support, and the clutch includes A first clutch member having a convex portion that fits into the concave portion, and a second clutch member having no convex portion, wherein a concave portion for preventing rotation of the clutch member is formed on the inner wall of the storage portion. Are disposed opposite to each other in the clutch storage portion, and a guide pin fixed to the clutch member is provided on one of the opposing surfaces of the two clutch members, and a tip of the guide pin is provided on the other surface. Forming an engagement hole through which the part can be inserted and removed,
Further, a spring means for biasing the two clutch members in a direction separating the guide pins is provided around the guide pin, and a frame for supporting a mirror body is attached to the second clutch member.

The clutch housing portion is a circular concave portion having an open upper surface formed integrally with the mirror base. The first clutch member and the second clutch member are rotatably concentric with the clutch housing portion. The inner wall of the clutch accommodating portion and the outer wall of the clutch member are brought into surface contact with each other by a spring means for urging the two clutch members in a separating direction.

Incidentally, the clearance dimension B between the first clutch member having the convex portion fitted into the clutch housing portion and the second clutch member having no convex portion is determined by the convexity of the first clutch member. The height dimension A of the portion is configured to have a relationship of B> A.

In order to prevent the two clutch members fitted in the clutch housing from lifting, a stopper ring is mounted on the clutch housing.

[0013]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are an exploded perspective view showing a specific structure of the tilting mechanism according to the present invention and an assembled sectional view thereof (AA in FIG. 1).
Along the line). FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a clutch member. 4 and 5 are behavior diagrams showing states of the clutch member when the rearview mirror is normally used (neutral position) and when the rearview mirror is tilted rearward (retracted position). Although the figure shows a door mirror mounted on the right side of the vehicle, it is easily understood that the mirror mounted on the left side has the same configuration.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a mirror base attached to a door of an automobile, and a horizontal support portion 2 projects from the base. The support portion 2 is provided with a clutch storage portion 3 which is opened upward for fitting a later-described clutch member so as to be rotatable with respect to the base. The clutch housing portion 3 is a circular concave portion having an open upper surface formed integrally with the mirror base. In addition, a concave portion 4 having a concave shape for preventing rotation of the clutch member is formed on an inner wall of the clutch storage portion. The position of the concave portion 4 corresponds to the normal use position (neutral position) of the mirror body of the rearview mirror.

On the other hand, a first clutch member 6A having a convex portion 5 having a concave shape fitted into the concave portion 4 and a second clutch member 6B having no convex portion oppose the clutch housing portion 3. It is arranged in a way. That is, the first clutch member 6A and the second clutch member 6B are rotatably and concentrically fitted in the clutch housing portion 3 having a circular shape whose upper surface is released. The inner wall of the clutch housing and the outer wall of the clutch member are in surface contact with each other by a spring means 7 for urging the two clutch members in a direction of separating the two clutch members. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the two clutch members taken out of the clutch storage unit 3. As can be seen from the drawing, a guide pin 8 fixed to the clutch member is provided on one of the opposing surfaces of the two clutch members (in the illustrated example, the second member 6B side), and the other surface is provided. On the first member 6A side, there is formed an engagement hole 9 through which the tip of the guide pin 8 can be inserted and removed. The guide pin 8 and the engagement hole 9 are both provided symmetrically with respect to the frame mounting portion 10 at the center of the second member.

As the spring means 7 for urging the first member 6A and the second member 6B away from each other, a coil spring is used in the illustrated embodiment. This coil spring 7
Is wound around the guide pin 8 which is driven and fixed to the second member 6B, and the tip of the spring is the first pin.
6A. As shown in FIG.
The first member 6A and the second member 6B are always connected to each other by a pair of guide pins 8,
When an external force (load) is applied to the two members in a direction to approach each other, the guide pin 8 slides in a direction protruding outside from the engagement hole 9 while resisting the elastic force of the coil spring 7. When the external force is removed, the force stored in the coil spring 7 acts to push back the two members in the direction of separating them.

FIG. 2 shows a first member 6A and a second member 6B.
Is shown in the clutch housing portion 3.
In order to prevent the first member 6A and the second member 6 from rising upward, a stopper ring 11 is mounted on the first member 6A and the second member 6 so as to cover the first member 6A and the second member 6, and is fixed by the clutch housing portion and the stopper screw 12. Further, a frame 13 supporting the mirror body is fixed on the frame mounting portion 10 of the second member 6B by a fixing screw 14. Although not shown in the figure, a convex portion 5 formed on the first member 6A is fitted into a concave portion 4 provided on the inner wall of the clutch housing portion 3. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 3, the height A of the convex portion, the first member 6A and the second member 6
The relationship with B and the gap size B is set to have a relationship of B> A.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 shows the normal use position of the rearview mirror (neutral position).
5 shows the state of the clutch in the storage position (when tilted rearward). In each of the drawings, the stopper ring 11 is omitted for convenience. 4 and 5, when an external force is applied to the frame 13, for example, when the mirror is manually retracted, the convex portion 5 formed on the first member 6A is provided on the inner wall of the clutch housing portion 3. A force is generated that attempts to separate from the recessed portion 4. That is, due to the rotational force generated in the frame 13, the first member 6A is pushed back inward in the drawing, that is, in a direction to approach the second member 6B. As a result, the convex portion 5 is disengaged from the concave portion 4, and accordingly, the frame 13
And the first clutch member 6A and the second clutch member 6
After rotating as shown in FIG. 5, B stops at the storage position or the like.
FIG. 5 shows a state in which the frame 13 is tilted rearward of the vehicle. However, the behavior of the clutch member is the same when the mirror collides with an obstacle or the like and tilts forward.

The first member 6A and the second member 6B
Is preferably formed of a material having good slidability with respect to the clutch housing portion 3 into which these are fitted. For example, resin or metal die casting can be used.

[0020]

As is clear from the description of the above embodiment, the present invention can constitute a tilting mechanism without using a shaft at all. Since a shaft is not required, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in the vertical direction near the folding part is increased, and the body shape is not restricted by the shaft, so that the degree of freedom in the design of the body shape is increased. Also, the present invention does not use any steel balls for positioning. Since the clutch housing portion formed in the base and the first and second clutch members disposed and rotating in the clutch housing portion are slidable against each other, the collapsible unit is less tiltable. There is an effect that a mechanism can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a specific configuration of a folding mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an assembled sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a clutch member.

FIG. 4 is a behavior diagram showing a state of the clutch at a normal use position (neutral position) of the rearview mirror (a stopper ring 11 is omitted).

FIG. 5 is a behavior diagram showing a state of the clutch when the vehicle is tilted rearward (retracted position) (a stopper ring 11 is omitted).

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a conventionally known folding door mirror.

FIG. 7 is an assembled sectional view of a main part of the mirror of FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mirror base 2 Support part 3 Clutch storage part 4 Concave part 5 Convex part 6A 1st clutch member 6B 2nd clutch member 7 Spring means (coil spring) 8 Guide pin 9 Engagement hole 10 Frame mounting part 11 Stopper ring 12 Stop Screw 13 Frame 14 Stop screw

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] And clutches housing part 1. A formed on the mirror base, a recess formed on the inner wall of the clutch housing section,
Fitted in the clutch storage section,
A first clutch member having a convex portion disposed so as to be disengageable, a second clutch member having no convex portion,
A guide pin fixed to the first clutch member and capable of being inserted into and removed from the first clutch member;
A rearview mirror tilting mechanism comprising a spring means for urging in a direction away from each other and a frame supporting a mirror body attached to the second clutch member. 2. A support portion protrudes from a base attached to a vehicle body, and an upwardly open clutch storage portion is formed on the support portion so that two clutch members are rotatably fitted to the base. A first clutch member having a convex portion that fits into the concave portion and a first clutch member having a concave portion for preventing rotation of the clutch member are formed on the inner wall of the clutch storage portion, and a second clutch having no convex portion. And the clutch member of the two clutch members is disposed opposite to each other in the clutch storage portion, and on one of the opposing surfaces of the two clutch members,
A guide pin fixed to the clutch member is provided, an engagement hole through which the tip of the guide pin can be inserted and removed is formed on the other surface, and the two clutch members are separated around the guide pin in a direction in which the two clutch members are separated from each other. A folding mechanism for a rearview mirror, comprising: a spring means for biasing; and a support frame for supporting a mirror body is attached to the second clutch member. 3. The clutch accommodating portion is a circular concave portion having an open upper surface formed integrally with a mirror base. The clutch accommodating portion includes a first clutch member and a second clutch member.
3. The clutch member is rotatably fitted in a concentric manner, and the clutch housing portion and the clutch member are in surface contact with each other by a spring means for urging the two clutch members in a separating direction. The folding mechanism of the rearview mirror according to claim 1. 4. A gap dimension B between a first clutch member having a convex portion fitted in the clutch housing portion and a second clutch member having no convex portion is determined by the convexity of the first clutch member. 4. The folding mechanism for a rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein a relationship of B> A is satisfied with respect to a height dimension A of the portion. 5. The tilting mechanism for a rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein a ring for preventing the both clutch members from floating is mounted on the clutch storage portion.