WO2005080137A1

WO2005080137A1 - Outer mirror

Info

Publication number: WO2005080137A1
Application number: PCT/JP2004/002105
Authority: WO
Inventors: Masahiro Motomiya; Makoto Wada
Original assignee: Murakami Corporation
Priority date: 2004-02-24
Filing date: 2004-02-24
Publication date: 2005-09-01
Also published as: JPWO2005080137A1; JP4242421B2

Abstract

An outer mirror (1), comprising a mirror housing (2) having an opening part (8) at the lower surface part (2b) thereof, a cover (10) closing the opening part (8), a built-in part (20) fixed to the cover (10), and a bracket (12) fixed to the cover (10) and holding the mirror housing (2) to the cover (10), wherein the cover (10) is fixed to the mirror housing (2) by the bottom mounting part (12a) and the front mounting part (12d) of the bracket (12). Thus, the mirror housing (2) allowing the easy installation and removal of the built-in part (20) into and from the mirror housing (2), having an installation structure for the built-in part (20), and preventing the built-in part (20) from being misaligned and from being rattled can be provided.

Description

Specification

Outer Mirror Technical Field

The present invention relates to an outer mirror such as an automobile side mirror or a door mirror.

Background art

Outer mirrors installed on the front side of vehicles such as automobiles, especially on the passenger seat side.For example, in the case of door mirrors, blind spots occur in the area near the front wheel side just below it, causing poor visibility. Easy to be. Therefore, conventionally, for example, a camera having a configuration in which a small camera is installed facing downward in a mirror housing is well known (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-159998). Further, there is disclosed an outer mirror device in which a camera body installed on an inner surface side of a mirror housing can capture a clear image through a transparent cover (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-26671). No.). The camera body is attached to the support frame, and the cover is fixed to the mirror housing.

In this way, the conventional outer mirror enables a small power camera to capture an image of the lower side and the side of the vehicle, thereby enhancing the visibility of the surrounding area.

However, there are the following problems with the means for attaching the camera body to the support frame and fixing the cover to the mirror housing.

1. Since the camera body or the cover is constantly subjected to internal stress due to the variation in the positional tolerance between the support frame and the mirror housing, the accumulation of the internal stress may cause breakage such as cracking or breakage. As a result, misalignment occurred in the axis of the camera.

2. The camera body is screwed on one side only to improve the assemblability. However, such a cantilevered support structure is vulnerable to external force (vibration), causing the camera to be out of center. Image distortion occurs. As a result, if the relative position between the support frame and the mirror housing shifts, a step is generated between the cover and the outer peripheral surface of the mirror housing. This step adversely affects wind noise and design (appearance). In addition, stress concentrates on the screw stop of the support frame, which may cause cracking. was there. When removing, the resin claws were damaged and could not be reassembled, and there was also a problem with maintainability.

3. On the other hand, if the cover is fixed directly to the mirror housing, the back side of the mirror housing cannot be fixed from the space where the tool (driver) can be inserted, and the cantilever support only fixes the front side (opening part). Since stable fixing is not possible, there is a problem that cracks occur easily due to the influence of external force.

In addition, such a problem applies not only to the camera body but also to built-in products built in the foot mirror, the thermometer, and the like.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve these problems, and facilitates assembling and removing the built-in product in the mirror housing, and also provides a built-in mounting structure that does not cause backlash. It is an object to provide an outer mirror having the same. Disclosure of the invention

The invention according to claim 1 includes a mirror housing 2 having an opening 8 in a lower surface 2 b, a cover 10 for closing the opening 8, and a built-in component 20 fixed to the cover 10. An outer mirror 1 comprising: a bracket 12 fixed to the cover 10 and holding the mirror housing 2 with the cover 10. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the built-in component is fixed to the cover, and the cover is fixed to the mirror housing by the bracket, so that the internal stress due to the variation in the positional tolerance between the support frame and the mirror housing is reduced. No accumulation or torsional stress. That is, there is no danger of destruction such as cracking or breakage due to accumulation of internal stress. Furthermore, since the built-in components can be fixed directly to the cover in a stable posture, they are strong against external forces, and the axis of the built-in components does not shake easily.

The built-in products refer to foot lighting equipment and thermometers in addition to the camera body.

An invention according to claim 2 is the outer mirror 11 according to claim 1, wherein the bracket 12 is provided with a rear mounting portion 12a and a front mounting portion 12d. A hole 12 g is formed in the front mounting portion 12 d, and the hole 12 g is arranged to face the opening 2 a of the mirror housing 2. According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the hole 12g formed in the front mounting portion 12d of the bracket 12 is arranged facing the open portion 2a of the mirror housing 2, The work of assembling the cover integrated with the built-in product and the brackets 1 and 2 to the mirror housing 2 becomes easy.

The invention according to claim 3 is the outer mirror according to claim 2, wherein the hole (12g) formed in the front mounting portion (12d) of the bracket (12). Is a long hole, and a back inclined surface 12 k is provided near the back surface 12 h of the long hole.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the hole 12 g is made into a long hole, and the back inclined surface 12 k is provided near the back surface 12 h of the long hole, so that the bracket Tightening force F1 by the set screw when fixing the cover to the cover generates pulling force F2 as its component, causing a gap, and the slot can be fixed without any trouble even if the gap occurs .

The invention according to claim 4 is the outer mirror 1 according to claim 3, wherein the rear mounting portion 12a of the bracket 12 has an upper surface mounted on the back of the cover 10. When the front surface abuts against the surface 10 h and the lower surface abuts against the rear mounting seat 2 c of the mirror housing 2 and the front mounting portion 12 d of the bracket 12 is fixed to the cover 10, the cover The rear mounting surface 10h of the mirror housing 2 and the rear mounting seat 2c of the mirror housing 2 are fitted as wedges, and the rear mounting portion 12a of the cover 10 is fixed to the mirror housing 2. It is characterized by being performed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a wedge is inserted into a gap formed by the rear mounting surface 10h of the cover 10 and the rear mounting seat 2c of the mirror housing 2. The cover 10 is fixed to the mirror housing 2 by the wedge effect of the bracket 12. Furthermore, when the set screw 10d is tightened on the front side, the bracket 12 is bent and deformed, and the built-in component is pulled upward by the elastic force, and as a result, the backlash can be fixed so that no backlash occurs. Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a rear view of an outer mirror according to the present invention as viewed from the rear of a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a mounting position of the outer mirror on a vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the outer mirror shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an assembled state of the camera body.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG. (A) is an explanatory view showing a state in which a camera body (built-in product) integrated with a cover is inserted through an opening. (B) is explanatory drawing which shows the attitude | position of the bracket before fixing with a set screw. (C) is an enlarged view of part e shown in (b). (D) is an explanatory view showing a state after the bracket is fixed by the set screw. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a rear view of the outer mirror according to the present invention as viewed from behind a vehicle M. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an attachment position of the outer mirror to the vehicle M. In FIG. 2, arrow X indicates the traveling direction of vehicle M, front door D1 indicates a driver-side door, and front door D2 indicates a passenger-side door.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the outer mirror shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer mirror 1 includes a mirror housing 2 having an opening 8 on a lower surface 2 b, a cover 10 for closing the opening 8, and a built-in component fixed to the cover 10. 20 and a bracket 12 fixed to the cover 10 and holding the mirror housing 2 with the cover 10.

The mirror housing 2 is made of a synthetic resin, and a mirror 3 is provided in an opening 2 a on the front side in the mirror housing 2. The mirror 3 is attached to a support frame 4 attached to the mirror housing 2 with a set screw or the like so as to be detachable and angle-adjustable via a not-shown actuator. A plate-like support member 5 having elasticity is extended from the body frame 4 to the body. The cover 10 is colored black except for the center thereof, and the light-shielding portion 10a is formed by molding a substantially cylindrical ring. The center of the cover 10 is transparent. The light-shielding portion 10a. Forms a sealed space around the front end of the camera body 20, which is one of the built-in products 20, for example, around the lens 23 of the CCD small camera 22. The light-shielding portion 10a prevents excess light from entering the lens 23 and prevents dust and water from entering the periphery of the lens 23 of the small CCD camera, thereby sharpening the captured image. In addition to preventing image deterioration due to blurred captured images due to lens contamination.

The built-in product 20 means, for example, a camera body, a foot illuminator, a thermometer, and the like. The camera body 20 is attached to the cover 10. The conventional camera body is fixed to the support member 5, but the camera body 20 of the present invention is fixed to the upper surface of the light-shielding portion 10a of the cover 10. A seal groove is formed on the upper end surface of the light shielding portion 10a, and a seal 11 is mounted in the seal groove.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the mirror housing 2 and the mirror 3 have been removed and the camera body 20 has been assembled. As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 10 is provided with a total of six mounting holes 10 _gl and ~ 10 g ₆ , of which a total of four mounting holes 10 gi ~ l 0 g ₄ The setscrew 10c, 10c ... are screwed into the camera body 20, and the camera body 20 is fixed. By the set screws 10c, 10c, the camera body 20 is supported at both ends by the cover 10 in a side view as shown in the sectional view of FIG. Further, the above-mentioned camera body 20 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and has a built-in CCD small force camera 22. At the tip of the CCD miniature camera 22, for example, a lens 23 (see FIG. 3) composed of a wide-angle lens or a fish-eye lens is provided, and the lens 23 is turned downward toward the opening 8. The camera body 20 is arranged and held in the mirror housing 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bracket 12 has a substantially rectangular ring shape, and is provided with a rear mounting portion 12a and a front mounting portion 12d. Two mounting surfaces 12 e and 12 f are formed on the front mounting part 12 d at positions corresponding to the bosses 10 e and 10 e of the cover 10, each of which is a mounting hole. A slot 12 g is provided. In the vicinity of the backing surface 12h (see FIG. 5 (c)) of the elongated hole 12g, a back inclined surface 12k is provided respectively.

The rear mounting part 12a is provided on the opposite side of the front mounting part 12d, and the rear mounting part 12a is located at the position corresponding to the guide bosses 10f, 10f of the cover 10. Inclined surface 1 2 b, 1 2c is formed.

The bracket 12 is slightly elastically deformed so that no excessive tightening force is applied. Then, it is slightly elastically deformed to absorb variations in shape tolerance. Furthermore, the bending deformation of this elastic deformation enhances the clamping effect. The material of the bracket 12 is preferably a high-molecular compound such as a strong and lightweight plastic.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the front side refers to the front side (right side in the figure) located below the open portion 2a of the mirror housing 2, and the rear side refers to the rear side (left side in the figure). Say. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB shown in FIG. 4. (a) is an explanatory view showing a state in which the camera body (built-in product) 20 integrated with the cover is inserted through the opening 8. It is.

(b) is explanatory drawing which shows the attitude | position of the bracket before fixing with a set screw. (c) is an enlarged view of part e shown in (b). (D) is an explanatory view showing the state after the bracket has been fixed by the set screw. In FIGS. 5 (b), 5 (c) and 5 (d), the camera body 20 is not shown for convenience of explanation. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the camera body 20 integrated with the cover 10 is inserted through the opening 8. At this time, the edge of the cover 10 contacts the lower surface of the rear mounting seat 2c of the mirror housing 2 and the lower surface of the front mounting seat 2d. Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the bracket 12 is dropped from above the camera body 20. Then, the rear inclined surface 1 2 b, 12 c of the rear mounting portion 12 a of the bracket 12 2 Force is temporarily attached to the rear mounting surface 10 h provided on the back side of each guide boss 10 f of the cover 10 f. Engaged. On the other hand, as shown in the enlarged view of part e in Fig. 5 (c), the front mounting part 12d of the bracket 12 is attached to the backing surface 12h provided on the backing surface 12h of the elongated hole 12g. The shoulder of the boss 10e of the cover 10 rests on the slope 12k at the time. Since the mounting hole of the mounting portion 12 d of the bracket 12 is a long hole 12 g, the screwing of the set screw 10 c does not interfere.

Once the set screw 10d is screwed into the long hole 12g of the front mounting part 12d, the set screw 1 2k is actuated by the action of the rear inclined surface 12k as shown in Fig. 5 (c). A pull-in force F2 is generated as a component of the tightening force F1 of 0 d. Therefore, the shoulder of the boss 10 e slides on the inclined back surface 12 k, the bracket 12 is pulled in so as to slip rightward in the figure, and the back mounting portion 12 a is behind the cover 10. A wedge fits between the mounting surface 10h and the rear mounting seat 2c of the mirror housing 2, and the rear side of the cover 10 is the mirror housing. The cover 10 is fixed to the mirror housing 2 in a state where the cover 10 is attracted to the rear mounting seat 2 c of the mirror 2. On the other hand, the front mounting portion 1 2 d of the bracket 12 holds the front mounting seat 2 d of the mirror housing 2 together with the front edge of the cover 10, and sets the cover 1 by the set screws 10 d and 10 d. The boss of 0 is fixed to 1 0 e. By fixing the front mounting part 12 d of the bracket 12 with the set screws 10 d and 10 d in this way, the rear mounting part 12 a of the bracket 12 can be The front and rear sides of the cover 10 can be fixed to the mirror housing 2 at the same time because the front and rear sides of the cover 10 are configured to fit between the seat 2c and the back mounting surface 10h of the cover 10. Subsequently, an assembling procedure for assembling the camera body 20 which is a built-in product to the mirror housing 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, as an external setup, a seal 11 is attached to a seal groove formed on an upper end surface of the light shielding portion 10 a of the cover 10, and a camera body 20 is mounted on an upper surface of the seal 11. Press the flange 10b and fix it with four set screws 10c, 10c…. As a result, the cover 10 and the camera body 20 become a body. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the integrated cover 10 and camera body 20 are inserted through the opening 8 in the lower surface 2b of the mirror housing 2. Also, when inserting the camera through the opening 8, insert the ring-shaped bracket 12 (see FIG. 4) into the camera body 20 and drop it down to the cover 10.

As shown in Fig. 5 (b), a bracket 12 is placed on the upper surface of the rear mounting seat 2c of the mirror housing 2, and the upper surface of the rear inclined surface 12b, 12c of the bracket 12 is The cover is temporarily engaged with the back mounting surface 10h of the guide boss 10f of the cover 10 with a small gap.

As shown in Fig. 5 (c), when the tightening force F1 is generated by the set screw 10d, the bracket 12 generates a retraction force F2 to the right, and moves forward (to the right in the figure). Move amount Move by s. Due to this movement, the V-shaped gap formed by the rear mounting surface 10h of the cover 10 and the rear mounting seat 2c of the mirror housing 2 becomes the rear inclined surface 1 2b, 1 2c of the bracket 12. The gap is filled with wedges (see Fig. 4) whose cross section is V-shaped and the angle is small, and as shown in Fig. 5 (d), clamping force is generated due to the generation of a wedge acting component (wedge effect). To form Wedge angle 0 It is well known that the component force F3, F4 of the retraction force F2 is larger than the original force when it is small, and also in the case of the present embodiment, the component force F3, F4 generates a force greater than the retraction force F2 perpendicular to each slope. The component force F3 acts on the rear mounting portion 12a of the bracket 12, and the component force F4 acts on the rear mounting seat 2c of the mirror housing 2. Then, the cover 10 is pulled upward by the component force F 3, and as a result, its edge comes into close contact with the back surface of the rear mounting seat 2 c of the mirror housing 2.

The wedge effect means that a small force generates a large force.

As a result, the cover 10 is fixed by the wedge effect of the bracket 12 on the rear side, and when the set screw 10d is tightened on the front side, the bracket 12 is bent and deformed, and the built-in parts are resilient by the elastic force. It can be fixed so that it does not rattle as a result of being pulled upward. Next, other effects of the present invention will be described. Since the camera body 20 is directly fixed to the cover 10, it is not affected by the deformation or distortion of the support frame 4 at all. As a result, the axial center of the CCD small camera 20 does not deviate, and the outer surface of the cover 10 and the outer surface of the mirror housing 2 are flush with each other, so that there is no step. Further, since the camera body 20 can be detachably held in the mirror housing 2, the camera body 20 can be easily replaced with the mirror housing 2. In addition, when the mirror housing 2 is damaged, the cover 10 integrated with the camera body 20 can be removed from the mirror housing 2 and the camera body 20 can be reused when replacing it with a new mirror housing. Become. In addition, there are no resin claws that can be damaged when detached. Further, since the camera body 20 can be held in the mirror housing 2, significant damage to the camera body 20 can be prevented. This makes it possible to absorb the vibrations propagating from the mirror housing 2 to the camera body 20 when the vehicle M is traveling, and to prevent the camera body 20 from being shaken when the vehicle is traveling.

The present invention can be variously modified and changed within the scope of the technical idea. For example, although the number of set screws 10 d of the bracket 12 is two, the number may be increased to three or four or more. Also, the bracket of the present invention is limited to only one model. In addition, the same bracket can be deployed for many vehicle types, which is effective in reducing the number of parts. Furthermore, not only cameras but also retrofits such as foot lights and thermometers can be fixed with the same bracket, which is effective in reducing the number of component types. Industrial applicability

According to the outer mirror of the present invention, the camera body, the foot illuminator, the thermometer, and the like, which are built-in components, can be fixed to the rear side by the wedge effect by fixing only the front side with the set screw. Can be easily attached and detached.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A mirror housing (2) having an opening (8) in the lower surface (2b); a cover (10) for closing the opening (8);

A built-in product (20) fixed to the cover (10);

A bracket (1 2) fixed to the cover (10) and holding the mirror housing (2) with the cover (10);

An outer mirror comprising:

2. The bracket (1 2) has a rear mounting part (1 2a) and a front mounting part (1 2d),

A hole (1 2 g) is formed in the front mounting portion (1 2 d),

The outer mirror according to claim 1, wherein the hole (12g) is arranged to face an opening (2a) of the mirror housing (2).

3. The hole (1 2 g) formed in the front mounting part (1 2 d) of the bracket (1 2) is a long hole, and near the backing surface (1 2 h) of the long hole, 3. The outer mirror according to claim 2, wherein a back inclined surface (12k) is provided.

4. The rear mounting portion (1 2a) of the bracket (1 2) has its upper surface in contact with the rear mounting surface (10 h) of the cover (10), and its lower surface has the mirror housing ( 2) abut the back mounting seat (2c) of

When the front mounting part (1 2 d) of the bracket (1 2) is fixed to the cover (10),

The cover (10) is fitted as a wedge between the back mounting surface (10h) of the cover (10) and the rear mounting seat (2c) of the mirror housing (2). 4. The outer mirror according to claim 3, wherein the mounting portion (12a) is fixed to the mirror housing (2).