WO2004113125A1

WO2004113125A1 - Outer mirror

Info

Publication number: WO2004113125A1
Application number: PCT/JP2004/003224
Authority: WO
Inventors: Masahiro Motomiya; Masaaki Matsuura
Original assignee: Murakami Corporation
Priority date: 2003-06-18
Filing date: 2004-03-11
Publication date: 2004-12-29
Also published as: JP2005007998A

Abstract

An outer mirror (1), comprising a mirror base (10) fixed to the door body (Da) of a vehicle front-side door (D), a mirror housing (20) supported by the mirror base (10) from the underside while providing the clearance thereof from the front-side door (D) and horizontally rotatable relative to the generally vertical axis by operation from an operator’s seat, a rear view mirror (30) installed on the mirror housing (20), and an auxiliary mirror (40) installed on the vehicle body side face of the mirror housing (20) on the vehicle side to view the area of a vehicle body near a front wheel (T) on a front passenger’s seat side.

Description

Specification

Outer Mirror Technical Field

The present invention relates to an outer mirror fixed to a front side door of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to an outer mirror provided with a catching mirror for visually recognizing the vicinity of a front wheel on a passenger seat side of a vehicle from a driver seat. Background art

The driver of the car cannot directly see the area near the front wheels of his or her vehicle (especially near the front wheel on the passenger seat side), so he may lose his or her body when parking or when passing an oncoming vehicle in a narrow alley. It can be hurt, and a painful accident has occurred in which a child playing near the front wheel on the front passenger's seat starts the vehicle without noticing and the child is graveled.

In order to solve the powerful problem, a recent vehicle has a fender on the passenger side with a catching mirror protruding so that the driver's seat can see the blind spot near the front wheel on the passenger side. However, projecting the auxiliary mirror on the vehicle body may impair the overall design of the vehicle, and projecting auxiliary mirrors may create new blind spots. Has not been adopted.

In such a background, it has been proposed to use an outer mirror for rear view that protrudes to the side of the vehicle and attach an auxiliary mirror for viewing the vicinity of the front wheel on the passenger side. .

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the outer mirror disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-150674 has a triangular base Dd that covers a triangular corner of a front side door D of a vehicle. A mirror base 110 to be attached, a stay 111 that projects in an inverted U-shape from the upper end of this mirror base 110 to the side, and a mirror housing formed at the lower end of the tip of this stay 111 The mirror housing 130 is equipped with a rear-viewing mirror 130 on the rear side of the mirror housing 120, and an auxiliary mirror 140 for visually checking the vicinity of the front wheel from the driver's seat to the front passenger wheel is mounted on the mirror housing. 1 2 0 body side It is attached to the side.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the outer mirror disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 60-128388 is a triangular base covering the triangular corner of the front side door D in a car rain. The mirror base 210 is attached to the mirror base 210, and the mirror housing 220 is formed so as to protrude laterally from the mirror base 210. A mirror 230 for rear view is installed, and a catching mirror 240 is attached to the side of the mirror housing 220 on the vehicle body side, and a catching mirror is passed through the window 222 opened in the mirror housing 220. The driver's seat allows the driver's seat to see the image near the front wheel on the passenger's side shown in 240.

However, such a conventional outer mirror with an auxiliary mirror has the following problems.

(1) Since the triangle corner of the front side door D is closed by the triangle base D d and the mirror base 110, 210, the view from the inside of the vehicle is narrowed. Also, in order for the auxiliary mirrors 140, 240 fixed to the side of the mirror housings 120, 220 on the vehicle body side to be in the driver's view, the mirror housings 120, 220 must be used. The 220 must protrude greatly to the side of the vehicle.

(2) Since the auxiliary mirrors 140 and 240 are fixed to the vehicle body side surfaces of the mirror housings 120 and 220 and always face the vehicle body, the auxiliary mirrors 140 and 24 It is difficult to retrofit 0 or replace damaged mirrors 140 and 240. (3) The sunlight reflected by the auxiliary mirrors 140, 240 fixed to the side of the mirror housings 120, 220 on the side of the vehicle body is constantly reflected on the surface of the front side door D and seats in the vehicle. Since the irradiation is concentrated in one place, the part may be scorched or the coating may deteriorate.

(4) In the outer mirror with the assisting mirror described in JP-A-9-1550674, the direction of the auxiliary mirror 140 cannot be adjusted, so that the position of the eye position based on the difference in the driver's physique is determined. Can't handle the difference. In the outer mirror with an auxiliary mirror described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 60-128288, the direction of the auxiliary mirror 240 with respect to the mirror housing 220 can be adjusted, but the adjustment is manual. So you need to get out of the driver's seat many times to adjust the orientation of the auxiliary mirror 240, etc. It requires extremely troublesome work.

(5) The stays 1 1 1 and the upper frame 2 2 2 are protruding above the auxiliary mirrors 1 4 0 and 2 4 0, and water drops adhering to the stays 1 1 1 and the upper frame 2 2 2 are supported during rainy weather. The image reflected on the mirrors 140 and 240 is extremely difficult to see because it hangs down on the mirrors 140 and 240.

(6) Even if the auxiliary mirrors 140 and 240 are coated with a photocatalytic film, the auxiliary mirrors 140 and 240 are shaded by the stays 111 and the upper frame 222 above them. However, the function of the photocatalyst film may not be sufficiently exhibited.

Therefore, although an auxiliary mirror for visually confirming the vicinity of the front wheel on the passenger seat side from the driver's seat is provided, the field of view from the inside of the vehicle is not narrowed, and the protruding length of the mirror housing can be suppressed. It is easy to retrofit and replace, without scorching specific parts inside and outside of the car, the direction of the auxiliary mirror can be easily adjusted according to the driver's eye position, and the image reflected on the auxiliary mirror There has been a demand for an outer mirror that is easy to see and that can sufficiently exhibit the function of the photocatalytic film of the auxiliary mirror. Disclosure of the invention

The present invention provides a mirror base fixed to a door body of a front side door of a vehicle, and is supported from below by the mirror base while leaving a gap between the front side door and a substantially vertical axis when operated from a driver's seat A mirror housing that is horizontally rotatable with respect to the mirror housing, a rear view mirror mounted on the mirror housing, and a mirror housing mounted on a vehicle body side surface of the mirror housing so as to allow the driver's seat to visually recognize the vicinity of the front wheel on the front wheel side. The present invention relates to an outer mirror including an auxiliary mirror.

In such an outer mirror, since the mirror base is fixed to the door body of the front side door, the triangular corner portion is not closed, and a wide view from inside the vehicle can be secured. In addition, by fixing the mirror base to the door body behind the triangular corner, the auxiliary mirror on the side of the mirror housing on the vehicle body side can be seen by the driver while suppressing the amount of protrusion of the mirror housing. It becomes possible.

In addition, the mirror housing is horizontally rotatable about the vertical axis in the retracting / returning direction. Therefore, if the mirror housing is retracted, the auxiliary mirror faces forward of the vehicle body, This makes it easier to retrofit or replace the stirrer.

Also, since the mirror housing is rotatable and the direction of the auxiliary mirror is different between the retracted position and the return position (use position), the sunlight reflected by the auxiliary mirror does not concentrate on one place and is irradiated. The auxiliary mirror can prevent scorching and paint deterioration of a specific portion.

If the driver's eye position is different and the image of the necessary area is not shown on the auxiliary mirror, the orientation of the auxiliary mirror can be adjusted by rotating the mirror housing. This adjustment operation can be performed from the driver's seat, which is extremely convenient.

In addition, the mirror housing is supported from below by the mirror base, and there is no obstacle such as a stay above the auxiliary mirror mounted on the side of the mirror housing on the vehicle body side. There is no dripping of water drops from above, and the image reflected on the auxiliary mirror is clear. In addition, there is a gap between the mirror housing and the front side door, and when traveling, running wind passes through the gap, and water droplets on the surface of the auxiliary mirror and the surface of the window of the front side door are also blown off. The reflected image becomes easier to see.

In addition, the auxiliary mirror faces forward when the mirror housing is retracted, and the headlights of other vehicles approaching from the front during parking are reflected by the auxiliary mirror, making it easier for other vehicles to notice. However, the risk of being hit by another vehicle during parking is reduced.

In the outer mirror according to the present invention, it is preferable that the auxiliary mirror has a vertically long shape.

Here, the “vertical shape” means that the height (vertical length) of the image of the auxiliary mirror projected on a plane orthogonal to the perpendicular drawn to the centroid of the auxiliary mirror is the width (length in the horizontal direction) Also means big. The height and width of the auxiliary mirror depend on the length in the front-rear direction and the length in the left-right direction of the area near the front passenger-side front wheel projected on the auxiliary mirror. Therefore, since the auxiliary mirror has a vertically long shape, the area near the front wheel on the passenger's side can be projected at a relatively long distance in the front-rear direction, and the auxiliary mirror with a limited area can sufficiently support the required area. Can be par. Further, it is preferable that the auxiliary mirror is directed forward.

Here, the term “forward-facing” of the auxiliary mirror means an orientation in which at least a part of the mirror surface of the auxiliary mirror is visible from the front of the vehicle. When the auxiliary mirror is directed forward as described above, the driver can surely see the area near the front wheel on the passenger side regardless of the difference in the eye position.

Further, it is preferable that the auxiliary mirror is a wide-angle curved mirror having a radius of curvature of 100 Omm or more and 100 Omm or less.

If the auxiliary mirror is a wide-angle curved mirror as described above, the area near the front wheel on the passenger side can be widely projected by the auxiliary mirror having a limited area. The mirror surface of this wide-angle curved mirror has a shape obtained by cutting off a part of a spherical surface. If the radius of curvature is smaller than 100 mm, the distortion of the image reflected on the auxiliary mirror is too large to make it difficult to see. If the radius of curvature is 100 Omm or more and 100 Omm or less, the distortion of the image reflected on the auxiliary mirror is small, and a large area can be projected.

Further, it is preferable that the auxiliary mirror is a surface mirror.

As described above, when the auxiliary mirror is a front mirror, the reflectance of light is higher than when the rear mirror is used, so that a clear image can be projected. In addition, when a rear-surface mirror is used, interference between front-surface reflection and rear-surface reflection occurs on a transparent substrate, and the image may be blurred or doubled. In this case, the image is not blurred and double images are prevented.

Further, it is preferable that a photocatalytic film is coated on the auxiliary mirror.

When the auxiliary mirror is coated with the photocatalytic film as described above, the auxiliary mirror is less likely to be fogged by light. The mirror housing is supported from below by a mirror base, and there is no obstacle such as a stay above the auxiliary mirror mounted on the side of the mirror housing on the vehicle body side, so light is likely to hit the auxiliary mirror. The function of the photocatalyst film is fully exhibited. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an outer mirror according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outer mirror of FIG. 1 as viewed from a driver's seat.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the outer mirror as viewed from the front.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the outer mirror as viewed from above.

FIG. 5) is a plan view showing the correspondence between the driver and the road surface near the front wheels on the passenger seat side.

FIG. 5 (b) is a partial plan view showing a state where the mirror housing is stored.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the correspondence between the driver and the road surface near the front wheel on the passenger seat side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an outer mirror according to another embodiment as viewed from a driver's seat. FIG. 8 is a control block diagram relating to the rotation speed and the rotation angle of the mirror housing.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of an outer mirror with an auxiliary mirror described in JP-A-9-155074.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of an aura mirror with an auxiliary mirror described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 60-128388. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the terms such as “front and rear”, “left and right”, and “up and down” are all based on vehicles.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outer mirror 1 according to this embodiment is a so-called door mirror attached to the blonde side door D of the vehicle, and includes a mirror base 10 fixed to a door body Da of the front side door D. And a mirror housing 20 supported from below by a mirror base 10 with a gap between the front side door D and the window Db. As shown in FIG. 2, a rear view mirror 30 is mounted on the rear side of the mirror housing 20. On the vehicle body side of the mirror housing 20, front wheels T from the driver's seat to the front passenger's seat are provided. An auxiliary mirror 40 is installed to visually recognize the nearby road surface.

As shown in these figures, since the mirror base 10 is fixed to the door body Da of the front side door D, the triangular corner Dc is not closed, and the triangular corner Dc is not closed. A window glass is placed on Dc to ensure a wide view from inside the vehicle. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, the mirror base 10 is fixed to the door body Da slightly behind the triangular corner Dc, so that the mirror base is mounted so as to cover the triangular corner. Even if the amount of protrusion of the mirror housing 20 to the side of the vehicle body is not so large as compared with the outer mirror with the auxiliary mirror, the auxiliary mirror 40 on the vehicle body side surface of the mirror housing 20 can be seen by the driver. It has become. Further, the mirror housing 20 is mounted so as to be horizontally rotatable with respect to a shaft (substantially vertical axis not shown) which is erected and fixed on the upper end of the mirror base 10. By operating an electric actuator (not shown) from the driver's seat, an electric retractable outer mirror 1 is configured that can store the mirror housing 20 or return it to a return position (use position). .

An auxiliary mirror 40 is fitted and fixed to a side surface of the mirror housing 20 on the vehicle body side. A projection 20a is formed on the front side of the auxiliary mirror 40 in the vehicle body side surface of the mirror housing 20. The convex portion 20a prevents raindrops from directly adhering to the auxiliary mirror 140 during traveling in rainy weather, and plays a role of improving the visibility of the auxiliary mirror 40.

The auxiliary mirror 40 is oriented slightly downward as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (that is, in such a direction that at least a part of the mirror surface of the auxiliary mirror 40 can be seen from directly below), and FIG. And a slightly forward direction as shown in Fig. 4 (that is, the direction in which at least a part of the mirror surface of the auxiliary mirror — 40 is visible from the front, in other words, the vehicle The auxiliary mirror 40 facing in parallel with the vehicle body is rotated by _α ° in a counterclockwise direction), and is fixed to the side surface of the mirror housing 20 on the vehicle body side. By the way, the auxiliary mirror 40 reflects the sky when facing upward, the road surface when facing downward, the front of the vehicle when facing forward, and the rear of the vehicle when facing backward. Therefore, by pointing the assistance mirror 40 downward and forward, the driver can indirectly visually recognize the road surface near the front wheel の on the passenger seat side by the image reflected on the assistance mirror 40. In particular, if the auxiliary mirror 40 is forward-facing, regardless of the slight difference in the position of the driver's eyes, and even if the auxiliary mirror 40 is not a wide-angle curved mirror but a flat mirror, the driver will see It is possible to clearly see the area near the front wheel Τ it can.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the capture mirror 40 has a vertically long shape in which the height L1 is larger than the width W1. The height L 1 and the width W 1 of the auxiliary mirror 40 are, as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 6, respectively, in the area near the front wheel T on the passenger seat side reflected on the auxiliary mirror 40. Depends on the longitudinal length L 2 and the lateral length W 2. Then, considering the children who play near the front wheel T on the passenger seat side and the convenience of parking along the curb E1 on both sides of the car, the length W of the area in the left-right direction W It is desirable to dispose the auxiliary mirror 40 so that the length L2 in the front-rear direction is longer than that of 2. Therefore, since the capture mirror 40 has a vertically long shape, the area near the front wheel T on the passenger seat side can be projected at a relatively long distance in the front-rear direction, which is necessary for the auxiliary mirror 40 having a limited area. You will be able to fully bar the area.

Further, since the catching mirror 40 is a wide-angle curved mirror, the area near the front wheel T on the passenger seat side can be widely projected by the limited-size auxiliary mirror 40. The mirror surface of this wide-angle curved mirror has a shape obtained by cutting out a part of a spherical surface. At this time, if the radius of curvature of the auxiliary mirror 40 is smaller than 100 mm, the distortion of the image reflected on the auxiliary mirror 40 becomes too large to make it difficult to see, and the radius of curvature of the auxiliary mirror 40 becomes 100 mm. If it is larger than this, it becomes closer to a plane mirror and the characteristics of the wide-angle mirror become thinner. Here, the radius of curvature of the auxiliary mirror 40 is set to be 10 Omm or more and 100 Omm or less, and the auxiliary mirror is used. It is designed to be able to project a large area while minimizing the distortion of the image shown in 40.

The auxiliary mirror 40 is a front mirror having a reflective layer provided on the surface of the substrate, and has a higher light reflectance than a rear mirror having a reflective layer provided on the rear side of the transparent substrate. The area near the front wheel T can be clearly displayed. In addition, when a rear-surface mirror is used, interference between front-surface reflection and rear-surface reflection occurs on the transparent substrate, and the image may be blurred or doubled. In this way, the image is not blurred and double images are prevented.

Further, the auxiliary mirror 40 is coated with a photocatalytic film, and when light hits the surface of the auxiliary mirror 40, organic matter on the surface of the auxiliary mirror 40 is decomposed by an oxidation reduction reaction. It is removed and water droplets are also diffused in a film form. Therefore, the auxiliary mirror 40 is less cloudy and has high visibility. Since the mirror housing 20 is supported from below by the mirror base 10 and there is no obstacle such as a stay above the auxiliary mirror 40 attached to the side surface of the mirror housing 20 on the vehicle body side, The light easily hits the mirror 40, and the function of the photocatalytic film is sufficiently exhibited.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a mark 31 indicating a vehicle body position is provided on the surface of the auxiliary mirror 40. With this configuration, even when the vehicle body is not directly reflected on the auxiliary mirror 40, the driver can accurately grasp the position of the vehicle body. In addition, it is desirable that the mark 31 indicates the outside of the vehicle by several cm to several tens cm. For example, when moving the car body to the curb E1 (see Fig. 5 (a)), move the car body so that the image E of the curb E1 reflected on the auxiliary mirror 140 and the mark 31 overlap. In this case, there is actually a gap of several cm to several tens of cm between the curb E1 and the vehicle body.

If the mark 31 is made to emit light by using a fluorescent paint, a light emitting diode, or the like, the driver can surely see the mark 31 even at a nighttime place. As a result, the position of the vehicle body can be accurately grasped even at night or in a dark place.

In addition, in the mark 31 shown in FIG. 7, the part denoted by reference numeral 31a indicates a side line of the vehicle body, and the part denoted by reference numeral 31b indicates the front line (pumper line) of the vehicle body. It is shown.

Of course, the mark 31 is not limited to a line drawing, but may be a figure or a symbol such as a circle, a star, or an arrow. Further, the surface of the auxiliary mirror 40 may be color-coded and used as a “mark”.

By the way, since the gap between the mirror housing 20 and the vehicle body is narrow, it is extremely difficult to retrofit or replace the auxiliary mirror 40 on the vehicle body side surface of the mirror housing 20 as it is. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the auxiliary mirror 40 can be easily turned by rotating the auxiliary mirror 40 by approximately 90 ° by storing the mirror housing 20 and directing the auxiliary mirror 40 forward. Can be retrofitted or exchanged Become so.

In addition, as shown in the figure, when the mirror housing 20 is retracted, the auxiliary mirror 40 faces the front of the vehicle body, and the headlight of another vehicle approaching from the front is reflected by the auxiliary mirror 40. Therefore, the driver of another vehicle approaching from the front can easily notice the presence of this parked vehicle. Therefore, by storing the mirror housing 20, the danger of being hit by another vehicle during parking is reduced.

In addition, since the direction of the auxiliary mirror 40 is different between the storage position of the mirror housing 20 and the return position (use position), the sunlight reflected by the auxiliary mirror 40 is concentrated at one place and is hardly irradiated. As compared with the case where the mirror housing 20 is fixed (is not rotatable), scorching of a specific portion due to the reflected light of the auxiliary mirror 40 and painting inferiority can be avoided.

In addition, since the mirror housing 20 is supported from below by the mirror base 10 and there is no obstacle such as a stay above the auxiliary mirror 40 mounted on the side of the mirror housing 20 on the vehicle body side, traveling in rainy weather There is no drip of water drops from above onto the auxiliary mirror 40, and the image reflected on the auxiliary mirror 40 is clear. In addition, there is a gap between the mirror housing 20 and the front side door D, and the traveling wind passes through the gap during traveling, whereby the surface of the auxiliary mirror 40 and the window Db of the front side door D are provided. The water droplets on the surface of the camera are also blown away, so the image reflected on the auxiliary mirror 40 is easy to see. In addition, a convex portion 20a is formed on the front side of the auxiliary mirror 140 on the vehicle body side surface of the mirror housing 20, and raindrops are formed on the auxiliary mirror 40 during traveling in rainy weather by the convex portion 20a. Since the direct attachment is prevented, the visibility of the auxiliary mirror 40 is further improved.

If the correct area is not reflected on the auxiliary mirror 40 due to the difference in the eye position based on the difference in the physique of the driver, it is necessary to finely adjust the direction of the auxiliary mirror 40. Such fine adjustment of the direction of the assisting mirror 40 can be performed, for example, using a motor that horizontally rotates the mirror housing 20 with respect to the mirror base 10. In other words, the mechanism for turning the mirror housing 20 right and left is used to finely adjust the direction of the auxiliary mirror 40 in the left-right direction. However, since the rotation of the mirror housing 20 is performed at a relatively high speed, if this mechanism is applied to fine adjustment of the direction of the auxiliary mirror 40 as it is, the adjustment speed of the auxiliary mirror 40 is too fast, and fine adjustment is performed. It may be difficult to do so. Therefore, a housing rotation speed varying means that makes the rotation speed of the mirror housing 20 different between when the mirror housing 20 is stored (or when it is returned) and when the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40 in the left-right direction is finely adjusted. 50 (FIG. 8), specifically, the rotation speed of the mirror housing 20 when adjusting the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40 in the left-right direction is determined by adjusting the rotation speed of the mirror housing 20 when the mirror housing 20 is retracted. By making the rotation speed smaller than that at the time of (or at the time of return), fine adjustment of the direction of the auxiliary mirror 40 can be facilitated.

In addition, the angle of the mirror housing 20 in the left-right direction just before the storage is detected. The housing angle detection and storage means 60 (FIG. 8) for storing the stored mirror housing 20 are provided. If the mirror housing 20 is returned so that the angle of 20 is maintained just before the storage, the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40 does not have to be adjusted each time the mirror is returned. Will be improved. A specific example of these configurations will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a control block diagram relating to the rotation speed and rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 (not shown in FIG. 8). The storage / return switch SW 1 is a switch for storing and returning the mirror housing 20, and is usually composed of a single-pole / single-throw switch. The auxiliary mirror angle adjusting switch SW2 is connected to the left and right directions of the auxiliary mirror 40 (PI direction in Fig. 5 (b) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the storage direction) and P2 direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the return direction). ) Is a switch for adjusting the angle of this switch. This switch is ON only while the switch is being operated, and is an automatic reset switch that automatically turns OFF when the finger is released from the switch ( In Fig. 8, both the storage direction switch SW2a and the return direction switch SW2b are OFF. Both the storage / return switch SW 1 and the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch SW 2 are arranged around the driver's seat. The auxiliary mirror angle adjustment The adjusting switch SW2 includes a switch for adjusting the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40 in the vertical direction, but is omitted in FIG.

All signals passing through the storage / return switch SW1 and the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch SW2 are output to the switch input determination circuit 21. Symbols R1, R2, and R3 denote current adjusting resistors.

[Switch input judgment circuit 2 1]

The switch input determination circuit 21 receives a signal input via at least one of the storage / return switch SW 1 and the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch SW 2, and sends the signal to the motor drive circuit 23 in the storage direction. The signal S1 or the return direction signal S2 is output. When the storage / return switch SW1 changes, the storage direction side signal S1 or the return direction side signal S2 is output for the set operation time (for example, 5 seconds), and the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch SW2 is output. When the signal is input via the switch, only when the auxiliary mirror one-angle adjustment switch SW 2 is ON, that is, the storage direction switch SW 2 a and the return direction switch SW 2 b are operated. Only when is the storage direction signal S1 or the return direction signal S2 output. Only when the auxiliary mirror angle adjusting switch SW 2 is ON, the angle adjusting signal S 3 is output to the motor applied voltage adjusting circuit 22 A or the motor applied current adjusting circuit 22 B. [Motor applied voltage adjustment circuit 22 A, motor applied current adjustment circuit 22 B]

The motor applied voltage adjustment circuit 22 A applies the motor applied voltage to the motor drive circuit 23 only when the judgment signal output from the switch input judgment circuit 21, that is, the angle adjustment signal S 3 is input. And outputs a signal S 4 relating to the descent of. When a motor application current adjustment circuit 22 B is configured instead of the motor application voltage adjustment circuit 22 A, the determination signal output from the switch input determination circuit 21, that is, the angle adjustment signal Only when S3 is input, a signal S4 relating to the limitation of the motor applied current is output to the motor drive circuit 23. The motor applied voltage adjusting circuit 22 A or the motor applied current adjusting circuit 22 B and the switch input determining circuit 21 constitute the housing rotation speed varying means 50 described above. [Motor drive circuit 2 3]

The motor drive circuit 23 rotates the mirror housing 20 toward the storage direction with respect to the motor M when the storage direction signal S1 is input while the signal S4 is not input. The rotation signal S5 is output only for the set operation time (5 seconds). As a result, the mirror housing 20 is locked at the predetermined storage position. Then, when the return direction side signal S2 is input in a state where the signal S4 is not input, the housing angle signal S6 is input from the housing angle detection and storage circuit 24, and the housing angle signal S6 is On the basis of this, a rotation signal S5 for rotating the mirror housing 20 in the return direction is output to the motor M. Re, housing angle detection · Memory circuit 2 4]

Housing angle detectionThe storage circuit 24 rotates by the rotation of the motor M when the signal S 4 is not input to the motor drive circuit 23 and the storage direction side signal S 1 is input. The rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 is detected and stored. The housing angle detection / memory circuit 24 is connected to the motor drive circuit 23 when the signal S 4 is not input to the motor drive circuit 23 and the return direction signal S 2 is input. On the other hand, a housing angle signal S6 corresponding to the stored rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 is output. The housing angle detection / storage circuit 24 constitutes the housing angle detection / storage means 60 described above.

Housing angle detection. As the storage means 60, for example, there is a method of detecting and storing the number of rotations of the motor M. In this case, for example, when the signal S 4 is not input to the motor driving circuit 23 and the housing angle detection and the storage direction side signal S 1 is input to the storage circuit 24, the housing angle detection is performed. · The storage circuit 24 detects and stores the number of rotations of the motor M rotated by the rotation signal S5. When the signal S 4 is not input to the motor drive circuit 23 and the return angle signal S 2 is input to the housing angle detection / memory circuit 24, the housing angle detection memory circuit 24 outputs a rotation speed signal corresponding to the stored rotation speed of the motor M to the motor drive circuit 23 as the housing angle signal S6. One In other words, the rotation speed of the motor M required when the mirror housing 20 is stored is fed back to the motor M as it is when returning.

As described above, if the configuration is such that the number of rotations of the motor M is detected, the rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 can be detected with a simple configuration. As the motor M, a DC brush motor, a stepping motor, a brushless motor, a servomotor, or the like can be applied.

However, on the other hand, the method of detecting and storing the number of rotations of the motor M has the following problems. Usually, in order to prevent the mirror housing 20 from being damaged when an external load is applied between the shaft and the speed reducer (not shown) such as when the mirror housing 20 collides with an obstacle, A clutch mechanism (not shown) for allowing the rotation of the mirror housing 20, that is, the mirror housing 20 by a predetermined angle with respect to the shaft, is provided. In such a case, if the clutch mechanism operates during the storage of the mirror housing 20, the rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 from the state immediately before the storage to the storage state and the rotation speed of the motor M There will be discrepancies in the relationship. That is, when the number of rotations of the motor M required at the time of storage is fed-packed at the time of return, the mirror housing 20 returns to a position different from the use position immediately before storage.

In order to solve such a problem, the detection of the rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 is performed by detecting an object to be detected provided on one of the fixed portion side fixed to the vehicle body and the mirror housing 20 side (see FIG. (Not shown) and a detector (not shown) provided on either side of the fixed portion side or the mirror housing 20 side and detecting the object to be detected. Even when the clutch mechanism is actuated, the data obtained from the detected object and the detected object always correspond in a proportional relationship to the rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 with respect to the fixed portion side. By feeding back this data when returning, the mirror housing 20 can be reliably returned to the use position immediately before storage.

Examples of the configuration of the detection target and the detection target include a rotary encoder. For example, a rotating slit plate (corresponding to an object to be detected, not shown) having a plurality of slits formed in a circumferential direction is attached to the shaft side as the fixed portion, A light-emitting / light-receiving element (corresponding to a detector, not shown) is mounted on the mirror housing 20 side corresponding to the rotating slit plate. Thus, when the mirror housing 20 rotates, the light emitting / light receiving element counts the number of slits that have passed, thereby constantly calculating the rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 that is rotating with respect to the shaft. Of course, even when the clutch mechanism operates, the number of passing slits associated with the rotation of the mirror housing 20 by the clutch mechanism is counted. Therefore, the rotary encoder always outputs a signal (number of pulses) proportional to the rotation angle of the mirror housing 20 with respect to the shaft.

The configuration examples of the detection target and the detection target are not limited to the rotary encoder, and a magnetic sensor and a resistance volume can be applied. Further, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a detection target is provided on the mirror housing ₂₀ side and a detection target is provided on the fixed portion side.

Hereinafter, circuit operations when the mirror housing 20 is stored and restored, and when the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40 is adjusted will be described.

[When the mirror housing 20 is stored]

Assuming that the storage / return switch SW 1 is turned on when the driver operates the storage / return switch SW 1 to the storage side, the switch input determination circuit 21 detects the storage / return switch SW 1 In response to the change of the signal from the “: L signal to H signal”, the storage direction side signal S 1 is sent to the motor drive circuit 23 for the set operation time (for example, 5 seconds ) Is output. At the same time, the switch input determination circuit 21 outputs the storage direction side signal S 1 to the housing angle detection storage circuit 24. Of course, the L signal refers to a low voltage signal (usually a 0 V signal), and the H signal refers to a high voltage signal (usually a 5 V signal).

The motor driving circuit 23 outputs a rotation signal S5 to the motor M to rotate the mirror housing 20 toward the storage direction while the storage direction signal S1 is being input. As a result, the mirror housing 20 rotates in the storage direction and is locked at the predetermined storage position. The voltage value (or current value) applied to the motor M according to the rotation signal S5 at this time is a normal value. It will be stored with an extremely fast rotation speed. The housing angle detection / storage circuit 24 temporarily stores the rotation angle required until the mirror housing 20 is locked at the storage position. As described above, when a rotary encoder is used, the number of passing slits (number of pulses) of the rotating slit plate detected by the light emitting / receiving element is stored.

[When mirror housing 20 returns]

When the driver operates the storage / return switch SW1 to the reset side, the storage / return switch SW1 is turned off, and the switch input determination circuit 21 outputs the signal from the storage / return switch SW1 to the `` H signal In response to the change to the “L signal” state, the return direction signal S 2 is output to the motor drive circuit 23 for a set operation time (for example, 5 seconds). At the same time, the switch input determination circuit 21 outputs the return direction side signal S 2 to the housing angle detection and storage circuit 24.

The motor drive circuit 23 outputs a rotation signal S5 to the motor M to rotate the mirror housing 20 toward the return direction while the return direction signal S2 is being input. At this time, the housing angle detection and storage circuit 24 outputs a temporarily stored housing angle signal S 6 corresponding to the turning angle of the mirror housing 20 to the motor driving circuit 23, and When the housing 20 rotates by the same rotation angle, the output of the rotation signal S5 from the motor driving circuit 23 stops. That is, when the rotary encoder is used, when the rotary encoder detects a pulse number equivalent to the temporarily stored pulse number, the rotation signal S5 from the motor driving circuit 23 stops outputting. As a result, the mirror housing 20 returns to the same position as the position immediately before performing the storing operation, so that the mirror housing 20 maintains the angle adjusted immediately before the storing operation. Note that the voltage value (or current value) applied to the motor M along with the rotation signal S5 at the time of this return is also a normal value, and the mirror housing 20 returns with a relatively fast rotation speed. It is supposed to.

[When adjusting the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40] When the driver operates the storage direction switch SW 2 a of the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch SW 2, the switch input determination circuit 21 determines that the motor is driven only while the storage direction switch SW 2 a is in the ON state. In addition to outputting the storage direction side signal S1 to the application circuit 23, it outputs the angle adjustment signal S3 to the motor applied voltage adjustment circuit 22A or the motor applied current adjustment circuit 22B. At the same time, the motor applied voltage adjusting circuit 22 A or the motor applied current adjusting circuit 22 B outputs the motor applied voltage to the motor driving circuit 23 only when the angle adjusting signal S 3 is input. It outputs a signal S4 relating to the drop or the limitation of the motor applied current.

Then, a rotation signal S5 for rotating the mirror housing 20 in the storage direction is output from the motor driving circuit 23 to the motor M. At this time, based on the signal S4 input to the motor drive circuit 23, the voltage value (or current value) applied to the motor M becomes the voltage value (or the current value) when the storage / return switch SW1 is operated. (Current value), the rotation speed of the motor M decreases. Therefore, the mirror housing 20 rotates in the storage direction (P1 direction, FIG. 5 (b)) at a low rotation speed, and the driver can easily fine-adjust the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40. Become. When the driver releases his / her finger from the storage direction switch SW2a, the output of the storage direction signal S1 stops, so that the rotation of the motor M stops, and the mirror housing 20 (capture mirror 40) is fixed to a predetermined position. Is stopped at the position of.

Next, the same applies to the operation when the return direction switch SW2 is operated. That is, the switch input 车 lj constant circuit 21 outputs the return direction side signal S 2 to the motor drive circuit 23 only while the return direction switch SW 2 b is in the ON state. An angle adjustment signal S3 is output to the applied voltage adjusting circuit 22A or the motor applied current adjusting circuit 22B. The motor applied voltage adjustment circuit 22 A or the motor applied current adjustment circuit 22 B has the motor applied voltage drop with respect to the motor drive circuit 23 only when the angle adjustment signal S 3 is input, or Outputs the signal S4 related to the limitation of the motor applied current.

Then, a rotation signal S5 for rotating the mirror housing 20 in the return direction is output from the motor driving circuit 23 to the motor M. Also at this time, the voltage value (or current value) applied to the motor M is changed by operating the storage / return switch SW1. Since the voltage value (or current value) is lower than the current value, the rotation speed of the motor M is reduced. Therefore, the mirror housing 20 turns to the return direction side (P2 direction, FIG. 5 (b)) at a low turning speed, and the driver can easily finely adjust the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40. When the driver removes his / her finger from the return direction switch SW 2 b, the output of the return direction signal S 2 stops, so that the rotation of the motor M stops and the mirror housing 20 (auxiliary mirror 40) stops operating at a predetermined speed. Positioning is stopped at the position.

As can be seen from the above description, the storage / return switch SW1 for operating the storage and return of the mirror housing 20 and the capture mirror angle adjustment switch SW2 for adjusting the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40 are provided. In addition, in order to make the rotation speed of the mirror housing 20 different between when the mirror housing 20 is retracted (or when it is returned) and when the angle of the auxiliary mirror 40 in the left-right direction is adjusted, the retract / return switch SW 1 and a switch input determination circuit 21 for determining the signal of the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch SW 2, and a determination signal (the angle adjustment signal S 3) output from the switch input determination circuit 21. And a motor applied voltage adjusting circuit 22 A for adjusting the voltage value applied to the motor M or a motor applied current adjusting circuit 22 B for adjusting the current value applied to the motor M. With this configuration, a simple control circuit can be realized, and an economical angle adjustment system for the auxiliary mirror 40 can be constructed.

In the above embodiment, the storage / return switch SW1 and the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch SW2 are both provided.In some cases, the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch can be provided without providing the storage / return switch SW1. Only the SW 2 may be used to perform both the angle adjustment of the auxiliary mirror 140 and the operation of storing and returning the mirror housing 20. In this case, although not shown, a configuration is provided in which a switch input time determination circuit for determining the input time of the switch of the auxiliary mirror angle adjustment switch SW2 is provided instead of the switch input determination circuit 21.

In addition, when the mirror housing 20 is subjected to an external load such as a collision with an obstacle during storage, the clutch mechanism operates, and as a result, the mirror housing 20 is turned from the state immediately before storage to the storage state. As described above, there is a discrepancy in the relationship between the moving angle and the rotation speed of the motor M, and at the time of return, the mirror housing 20 may return to a position different from the use position immediately before storage. In order to solve such a problem, for example, when returning the mirror housing 20 in the stored state, regardless of whether the mirror housing 20 is at the storage origin or not, the mirror housing 20 is removed. If it is configured to rotate to the storage origin and then feed-pack the data stored in the housing angle detection and storage means 60 to the mirror housing 20 return operation, the mirror housing 20 must be stored. Since the return will be made with reference to the origin, the position will be the same as the position immediately before storing when the return is completed.

As described above, the embodiment of the outer mirror according to the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it can be said that appropriate changes can be made according to the gist of the invention. Not even. Industrial applicability

As described above, the outer mirror according to the present invention has an auxiliary mirror for visually confirming the vicinity of the front wheel on the passenger side of the vehicle from the driver's seat, but does not narrow the field of view from inside the vehicle, and the mirror housing protrudes. The length of the mirror can be reduced, and the auxiliary mirror can be retrofitted. It is easy to replace, and the specific parts inside and outside the vehicle are not scorched, and the direction of the auxiliary mirror can be easily adjusted according to the driver's eye position. It can be adjusted, and the image reflected on the auxiliary mirror is easy to see.

Claims

The scope of the claims

I. A mirror base fixed to the door body of the front side door of the vehicle, and is supported from below by the mirror base while leaving a gap between the front side door and a substantially vertical axis when operated from the driver's seat A mirror housing that can be rotated horizontally with respect to

A rear view mirror mounted on the mirror housing,

An auxiliary mirror mounted on the vehicle body side surface of the mirror housing to visually recognize the vicinity of the front wheel on the passenger side from the driver's seat;

An outer mirror, comprising:

2. The outer mirror according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary mirror has a vertically long shape.

3. The outer mirror according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the auxiliary mirror is directed forward.

4. The filter according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the auxiliary mirror is a wide-angle curved mirror having a radius of curvature of 100 Omm or more and 100 Omm or less. —No

5. The outer mirror according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary mirror is a wide-angle curved mirror having a radius of curvature of 100 Omm or more and 100 Omm or less.

6. The outer mirror according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the auxiliary mirror is a surface mirror.

7. The outer mirror according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary mirror is a surface mirror.

8. The outer mirror according to claim 5, wherein the auxiliary mirror is a surface mirror.

9. The outer mirror according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a photocatalytic film is coated on the trapping mirror.

10. The outer mirror according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary mirror is coated with a photocatalytic film.

II. The claim wherein the auxiliary mirror is coated with a photocatalytic film. An outer mirror according to box 5.

12. The outer mirror according to claim 7, wherein a photocatalytic film is coated on the auxiliary mirror.