JPS5826202Y2 - Prism back mirror device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automobile mirror device, particularly a prismatic rearview mirror device.

Conventional prismatic rearview mirror devices include a toggle type actuator, which can be adjusted to either daytime or nighttime positions as desired.

Conventional toggle actuators include a molded body having a pair of mandrels, such as those described in U.S. Pat.
918,799, snaps into position within a generally cylindrical mouth in the actuator support of the mirror case.

In conventional mirror devices, if a load above a certain value is applied to the toggle actuator, for example by a person hitting the toggle actuator, the toggle actuator will fly off its external support and the mirror material will come off. It is known that it can be damaged or damaged.

In order to comply with new safety regulations in many countries, manufacturers of rearview mirror devices are required to provide such devices with toggle actuators that are more resistant to such ejection under applied loads. .

In order to comply with these regulations, the manufacture and assembly of prismatic rearview mirror devices has become complicated in order to keep the toggle actuator from flying out in the event of an impact.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a prismatic rearview mirror device consisting of a small number of components and therefore easy to manufacture, in which the toggle actuator is more resistant to expulsion when a load is applied. has.

According to the present invention, a prismatic rearview mirror device is obtained,
The device comprises a molded thermoplastic case having a back portion and an upright, substantially continuous sidewall integral with the back portion, which together define a cavity for receiving a prismatic mirror material; a toggle-type actuator mounted within the case between the back and the mirror material for biasing the case and the mirror material relative to an external support to select its daytime and nighttime positions; the toggle-type actuator includes a molded body having a pair of projections located on either side of the body and integrally molded therewith; said toggle actuator further includes a device for coupling the device to an external support, said toggle actuator further comprising a device for coupling said device to an external support, said toggle actuator engaging respective complementary retention ports in respective side plates of said case integrally molded with the back of said case; The engagement of the protrusion with the retaining port is such that it resists ejection when a load is applied to the actuator.

Preferably, the protrusion is angled relative to the body of the toggle actuator to facilitate engagement of the protrusion in a hole in the side plate of the case during assembly.

The toggle actuator may be made of any suitable metal or plastic material, but a plastic material such as polypropylene is preferred.

The invention will be understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only.

Referring to the attached drawings, there is shown a prismatic rearview mirror device generally designated 10, which includes a case 11 molded from polypropylene, a mirror material 12,
and a polypropylene toggle type actuator 13.

Mirror material 12 is a prismatic mirror whose front and rear surfaces are each generally planar but not parallel to each other.

The case 11 has a back part 14 and an integral continuous upright side wall 15, said back part 14 and side walls 15 together defining a cavity 16 adapted to receive the mirror material 12;
The side walls 15 generally conform to the contours of the mirror material 12.

Furthermore, the case 11 is shaped to accommodate the inclined shape of the prismatic mirror material 12.

The mirror support material 17 is molded integrally with the back part 14 of the case 11, and the support material 17 and the mirror material 1 are spaced apart from the back part 14.
It holds 2.

The support material 17 is adapted to conform to the shape of the prismatic mirror material 12.

A continuous peripheral edge 18 is provided on the top surface 19 of the sidewall 15 to retain the mirror material 12 within the cavity 16.

Furthermore, the back part 14 of the case 11 has a pair of side panels 2 that stand upright.
0 and two pairs of toggle actuator supporting members 21a and 21b integrally molded therewith and aligned in the vertical direction.

Each flank plate 20 has a holding port 22 .

Support material 21a. 21b and the holding port 22 are the toggle actuator 1
3.

Toggle actuator 13 is a one-piece actuator molded from polypropylene and has a front face 23 and a rear face 24.

The actuator 13 has a body portion 25 having an integral axle 26 at its upper end 27, the axle 26 adapted to engage the actuator support 21a.

The actuator 13 further includes a flip tab 28 having an integral stem 29 adapted to engage a support 21b thereof, the stem 29 being connected to the toggle body 25 by a conventional moving hinge 30. has been done.

Tab 28 serves to toggle actuator 13.

Further, the body portion 25 has a pair of side protrusions 31 forming a minus line and adapted to engage with the retaining openings 22 of the flank plate 20 .

The end face of the protrusion 31 forms an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the front surface 23 of the main body portion 25 of the actuator 13 to facilitate assembly of the actuator 13 in the case 11.

The rear surface 24 of the actuator 13 has a ball socket 34 that is attached to the body 25 of the actuator 13.

The ball receiver 34 is adapted to receive a support 32 having an integral ball 33.

Support 32 provides a means for connecting mirror device 10 to an external support (not shown).

Support material 32 may be made of zinc or other suitable metal or plastic material.

Preferably, the support member 32 is inserted into the ball receiver 34 after the mirror member 12 and the actuator 13 are assembled into the case 11.

To assemble the actuator 13 into the case 11, the mandrel 26
is firmly fitted into the support member 21a.

The protrusion 31 and the mandrel 29 are then snapped into position into the retaining port 22 and the support member 21b, respectively.

The support 32 and ball receiver 34 protrude through a circular opening 35 in the back 14 of the case 11, so that the support 32 can be connected to an external support in use.

The tab 28 projects from the case 11 by a tab opening 36 that includes a portion of the back 14 and a portion of one side wall 15 of the case 11 .

Finally, to complete the device 10, the mirror material 12 is snapped into position and held by the peripheral edge 18.

In use, tab 28 may be operated in a conventional manner to adjust device 10 from a daytime position to a nighttime position as desired.

The operation of toggle actuator 13 is described in US Pat.
It is roughly the same as that described in No. 99.

The device 10 is such that loads applied thereto will not cause the toggle actuator 13 to be ejected from its supporting position, resulting in movement and/or breakage of the mirror material 12.

Due to the relatively simple construction and ease of assembly of the case 11 and the actuator 13, a significant reduction in production costs compared to those incurred in the manufacture of conventional prismatic rearview mirror devices can also be achieved. It will be recognized again.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but may be modified and/or modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows one of the prism type rearview mirror devices according to the present invention.
2 is a half-sectional end view of the device of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front side of the toggle type actuator for the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, and FIG. Figure 4 shows a side view of the toggle actuator shown in Figure 3; 11... Case, 12... Mirror material,
13... Toggle type actuator, 14... Back, 15... Side wall, 16... Blank space, 2
0... Side flank plate, 21a, 21b... Actuator support material, 22... Holding port, 25...
・Main body part, 26... Integral mandrel, 28...
・・・Repellent tab, 31 ・・・Protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A prismatic rearview mirror device comprising: a molded thermoplastic case having a back portion defining a cavity for receiving prismatic mirror material; and an upright, generally continuous side wall integral with the back portion; a toggle-type actuator mounted between the back of the case and the mirror material for biasing the material relative to the external support and selecting its daytime and nighttime positions; a molded body portion including a main body portion and a flip tab, each of the main body portion and flip tab having an integral mandrel engageable to a respective actuator support; provided on a pair of spaced apart flank plates in the case integrally molded with the back; the main body further has a pair of protrusions provided on both sides thereof, each protrusion extending from the pair of flank plates; , the toggle-type actuator further includes a device for coupling the device to an external support, and the engagement of the protrusion and the retaining port is such that the toggle-type actuator further includes a device for coupling the device to an external support; A prismatic rearview mirror device characterized in that an actuator resists ejection when a load is applied.