JPH04201749A - Rear view mirror device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately catch a position and movement of rear another vehicle so as to improve safety at running time by controlling a motor for changing an angle of a rear view mirror based on a detection result detecting means of a running condition of a vehicle and a detection signal from this detecting means. CONSTITUTION:This rear view mirror 1 is rotated in right/left directions with vertical directional shaft serving as the center by a motor 2 to adjust an angle and also as necessary the angle can be adjusted in a vertical direction about a horizontal directional shaft. The motor 2 is controlled based on signals from a handle steering angle detecting means 5, car speed detecting means 7, acceleration sensor 9 and an automatic/manual changeover switch 4, input to a control circuit 3. That is, the rear view mirror 1 is controlled so as to change a direction in an opposite side to the direction of a vehicle relating to the vehicle direction calculated based on each output signal.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention relates to a rear view mirror for a vehicle, and is particularly designed to provide optimum rear visibility depending on the driving conditions of the vehicle. The present invention relates to a rear view mirror device.

(Prior art) Vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with rear-viewing mirrors (door mirrors, fender mirrors, etc.) in order to grasp the situation of other vehicles behind them from the side of the vehicle while driving and to ensure safety while driving. This makes it possible to constantly monitor the rear of the vehicle on both sides.

The angle of this rearview mirror is adjustable so that it is easy to see the rear view from the driver's seat, and is configured so that it can be set to the optimal angle to suit the driver's physique and driving posture. This setting can be done manually or indirectly by remote control from the driver's seat.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, since conventional rear view mirrors are set in a fixed state while driving, there is no problem in checking the left and right rear when driving straight, but when turning right or left. When you turn the steering wheel and change lanes, the view of the rear reflected in the rearview mirror changes accordingly.
This makes it impossible to check the rear side.

Therefore, when making a right or left turn, motorcycles or other vehicles running parallel to your army may enter the dead zone, making it difficult to detect them, or when changing lanes, you may not be able to detect other vehicles running parallel to you.
It becomes difficult to confirm safety using the rear view mirror. In the case of vehicles that can be adjusted by remote control, the angle of the rear view mirror can be adjusted at any time, but it is virtually impossible to adjust the angle when turning right or left or changing lanes.

Some vehicles are equipped with multiple sets of rear-viewing mirrors, so that even if the direction of the vehicle changes, one of the rear-viewing mirrors can be used to check what's behind the vehicle, but this increases the number of mirrors. As a result, the driver's line of sight moves more frequently, which again poses a problem in terms of driving safety.

This invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and the angle of the rear view mirror is automatically adjusted according to changes in the direction of travel of the vehicle, so that the situation behind the vehicle is always monitored regardless of the direction of the vehicle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rear monitoring mirror device that can accurately grasp the information and significantly improve safety.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a motor for changing the angle of a rear view mirror attached to a vehicle, a detection means for detecting running conditions of the vehicle, and a detection means for detecting running conditions of the vehicle. (Function) When the course of the vehicle changes, the vehicle detects a change in the direction of the vehicle by detecting a change in the direction of the vehicle. The detection signal is input to the control circuit and the motor rotates a predetermined amount, and the angle of the rearview mirror is automatically adjusted to correspond to changes in the vehicle's direction, so that the rearview mirror always monitors the situation behind the vehicle. It can be reflected for the driver to see.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The rear monitoring mirror 1 according to the present invention is rotated left and right around a vertical axis by a motor 2 to adjust its angle. Note that, if necessary, in addition to the left and right directions, the angle can also be adjusted in the vertical direction around the horizontal axis.

This rear monitoring mirror 1 is configured so that when the direction of the vehicle changes quickly, the angle of the rear monitoring mirror 1 is quickly adjusted by a control circuit 3 that controls the rotation of the motor 2, so that the direction of the vehicle changes slowly. In this case, the angle adjustment of the rear monitoring mirror 1 is controlled to change slowly accordingly. That is, the speed at which the angle of the rear monitoring mirror l changes is determined by the voltage applied to the motor 2 or the number of pulses.

These voltages and pulse numbers are output from the control circuit 3.

In addition, this control circuit 3 is designed to allow automatic adjustment of the angle of the rear view mirror 1 or to discontinue automatic adjustment by selecting an automatic/manual changeover switch 4 (operated from the driver's seat). .

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the vehicle driving condition detecting means and the signals inputted to the control circuit 3 include a steering wheel turning angle signal 6 from the steering wheel turning angle detecting means 5 and a vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed detecting means 7. 8, an acceleration signal 10 from an acceleration sensor 9, and a signal 11 from the automatic/manual changeover switch 4 mentioned above. Among these, the steering wheel turning angle signal 6, vehicle speed signal 8, and acceleration signal 10 are all used to calculate the direction of the vehicle, and the control circuit 3 has a function of always calculating the direction of the vehicle based on these signals. . Then, in response to the obtained vehicle direction, a voltage is generated that causes the rear view mirror 1 to change its direction to the opposite side of the vehicle direction, and this voltage is applied to the motor 2, so that the rear view mirror 1 changes its direction to the opposite direction. Rotate it so that it always faces backwards in the direction of travel. In addition, by providing a function to prevent the angle of the rear monitoring mirror 1 from changing in the case where the direction changes momentarily,
This can be useful in preventing the vehicle from facing in the wrong direction due to a delay in changing the angle of the rear monitoring mirror 1 when the vehicle immediately returns to its original state.

With the above embodiment, the rear monitoring mirror 1 always faces in the direction in which other vehicles are moving behind the own vehicle, providing more accurate rear visibility than conventional mirrors with fixed angles. safety is significantly improved.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the acceleration sensor 9 in FIG. 1 is omitted. In this case, it is substituted by calculating from the vehicle speed signal 8 whether the vehicle is accelerating or decelerating. That is, by recording temporal changes in the vehicle speed signal 8 and determining the running state of the vehicle. According to this embodiment, it is also applicable to vehicles that are not equipped with the acceleration sensor 9.

FIG. 3 shows yet another embodiment, which includes only a steering wheel turning angle detecting means 5 as a means for detecting the direction of the vehicle. By changing the angle of the rear view mirror 1 based only on this steering wheel turning angle, it functions effectively particularly when turning left or right or checking the rear in a parking lot, and can ensure rear safety.

FIG. 4 shows still another embodiment, in which left and right wheel rotation speed detection means 12 are used as means for detecting the direction of the vehicle.
This is a case where the detection signal 13 is used. That is, when the vehicle changes direction, attention is paid to the fact that the rotational speeds of the left and right wheels are different, and the difference in the rotational speed of the front wheels becomes particularly large.

The direction of the vehicle is determined based on this rotational speed difference, and calculations are made to control the angle of the rear monitoring mirror 1. If necessary, the rotation speed of the rear wheels can also be included in the calculation.

FIG. 5 shows still another embodiment, in which a gyro 14 is used as means for detecting the direction of the vehicle.

By using this gyro 14, the direction of the vehicle can be determined only by the control circuit 3, and therefore all signals indicating the running state from the vehicle can be made unnecessary. According to this embodiment, structural changes to the vehicle can be made to a minimum, so it can be easily integrated into existing vehicles.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to detect the driving conditions of the vehicle and use the detected signal to set the angle of the rear view mirror to the optimum rearward checking posture for the driving condition (orientation) of the vehicle through the control circuit. As a result, there are no blind spots in the rear view when turning left or right or changing lanes, and it is possible to accurately grasp the position and movement of other vehicles on the sides and behind your own troops at all times, regardless of the driving condition. This can significantly improve driving safety.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 5 are circuit diagrams showing the same embodiment. 1... Rear view mirror, 2... Motor, 3... Control circuit, 4... Automatic/manual changeover switch, 5...
- Handle turning angle detection means, 7...Vehicle speed detection means, 9
... Acceleration sensor, 12... Wheel rotation speed detection means, 14... Gyro.

Claims (1)

[Claims] a motor for changing the angle of a rear view mirror attached to the vehicle; a detection means for detecting running conditions of the vehicle;
A rearview mirror device comprising: a control circuit that controls the motor using a detection signal from the detection means to adjust the angle of the rearview mirror.