WO2006040802A1

WO2006040802A1 - Mirror surface angle adjuster

Info

Publication number: WO2006040802A1
Application number: PCT/JP2004/014950
Authority: WO
Inventors: Akira Fukai; Hisaya Suzuki
Original assignee: Murakami Corporation
Priority date: 2004-10-08
Filing date: 2004-10-08
Publication date: 2006-04-20
Also published as: JP4579252B2; JPWO2006040802A1

Abstract

A mirror surface angle adjuster having a gear receiving section (131) capable of realizing reduction in size of an actuator (A). The mirror surface angle adjuster comprises a pivot plate (H) fixed to the rear side of a mirror (M) and the actuator (A) for holding the pivot plate (H), wherein the actuator (A) comprises a rod (A3) for pushing/pulling the pivot plate (H), a motor (A6) for providing the rod (A3) with a driving force, a worm wheel (A71) for transmitting the driving force of the motor (A6) to the rod (A3), and a housing (A1) in which a circular arc-like gear receiving section (131) for supporting the worm wheel (A71) is formed. Since the volume of the gear receiving section (131) can be reduced in the mirror surface angle adjuster, the actuator (A) can be reduced in size.

Description

Specification

Mirror surface angle adjustment device

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a specular angle adjustment device.

Background art

[0002] For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-161123, a rear-viewing outer mirror provided on the side of an automobile has a mirror surface angle adjusting device that holds the mirror in a tiltable manner. Built in.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 14, the mirror surface angle adjusting device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-161123 is attached to the rear surface (front surface of the vehicle) of the mirror M, and via a mirror holder Mh. A pivot plate He for holding the mirror M and an actuator Ac for holding the pivot plate He in a tiltable manner are provided.

The actuator Ac includes an annular receiving portion P having an inner peripheral surface formed into a spherical surface, and a rod Q for pushing and pulling the pivot plate He, and as shown in FIG. 15, the actuator A c Inside, the motor R for providing the driving force to the rod Q, and the worm wheel S and the worm T for transmitting the driving force of the motor R to the rod Q are equipped.

In addition, the pivot plate He shown in FIG. 14 includes an annular sliding portion P ′ that is slidably held by the receiving portion P, and a pair of engaging portions that engage the tip of each rod Q ( (Not shown).

[0006] Then, when the rod Q is advanced and retracted by controlling the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the motor, the pivot plate He tilts with respect to the actuator Ac.

By the way, in this mirror surface angle adjusting device, as shown in FIG. 15, an annular (cylindrical) gear receiving portion U 1 that supports the worm wheel S is formed in the housing U of the actuator Ac. .

[0008] However, since this gear receiving portion U1 has a complete annular shape (cylindrical shape) with no defects, the degree of freedom in layout is low. While trying to reduce the size of the Actuator Ac, each component of the Actuator Ac There is a possibility that the layout of the seed parts may be restricted. In other words, if the gear receiving portion U1 having such a configuration is employed, there is a limit to the reduction in size of the actuator Ac.

Disclosure of the invention

[0009] Therefore, the present inventor has advanced research and development to deal with the above-described problems of the prior art, and has come up with the present invention. That is, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a mirror surface angle adjusting device including a gear receiving portion that can achieve downsizing of an actuator.

More specifically, a specular angle adjusting device as one aspect of the present invention is a specular angle adjusting device having a pivot plate attached to the back side of a mirror and an actuator that holds the pivot plate. The actuating hawk The rod that pushes and pulls the pivot plate, the motor that provides driving force to the rod, the worm wheel that transmits the driving force of the motor to the rod, and the arc that supports the worm wheel And a housing in which a gear receiving portion is formed.

In short, the specular angle adjustment device as one aspect of the present invention has the greatest feature when the gear receiving portion that supports the worm wheel is formed in an arc shape. When the gear receiving portion is formed in an arc shape in this way, the volume of the gear receiving portion can be reduced compared to the case where the gear receiving portion is formed in a complete annular shape without a missing portion, and thus the degree of freedom in layout. As a result, the housing can be downsized, and thus the actuator can be downsized. Here, the gear receiving portion is a portion that supports at least one of the outer peripheral surface and the end surface of the worm wheel. In other words, the gear receiving portion is a portion that supports at least one of a radial load and a thrust load acting on the worm wheel. Here, the pivot plate holds the mirror and is attached directly to the rear surface of the mirror or indirectly through a mirror holder or the like.

[0012] It should be noted that the center angle of the gear receiving portion is preferably larger than 180 degrees and smaller than 360 degrees. This makes it possible to stably support the worm wheel, and as a result, it is possible to suppress “blurring” that occurs when the worm wheel rotates.

[0013] In addition, it is desirable that at least two portions of the worm wheel that are opposed to each other with the rotation shaft interposed therebetween are supported by the gear receiving portion. Even in this way, warm It becomes possible to support the wheel stably, and as a result, it is possible to suppress “blurring” that occurs when the worm wheel rotates.

[0014] The housing is formed with an annular receiving portion disposed so as to surround the rod, and the pivot plate is slidably abutted on the receiving portion; And an engaging portion with which the tip of the rod engages. That is, the rod of the actuator that pushes and pulls the pivot plate may be disposed inside the receiving portion that supports the pivot plate.

[0015] In this case, the load acting on the mirror mainly acts on the receiving part. Therefore, when the connecting part of the rod and the pivot plate is loose, or when the rod itself has a dimensional error or a mounting error. However, the mirror can be stably held. Further, since the annular sliding portion formed on the pivot plate is in contact with the annular receiving portion formed on the housing, this contact partial force water and dust do not enter. For the periphery of the rod arranged inside the receiving part, it is possible to omit or prevent simplification of water stoppage measures. Here, “annular” includes incomplete “ring” which is discontinuous by a slit or the like which is not interrupted in the circumferential direction but only by a complete “ring”. .

[0016] Further, the housing force may be in the shape of a bowl, and the receiving portion may be formed on an edge of the housing.

[0017] Since the stability of the mirror increases in proportion to the size of the receiving part, the viewpoint power of downsizing the mirror surface angle adjusting device, where it is desirable to enlarge the receiving part as much as possible, It is desirable to make the housing as small as possible. However, if the housing is shaped like a bowl and a receiving part is formed at the edge of the housing, the size of the housing can be maximized even if the housing is downsized. Since the receiving part is formed with limited use, it is very reasonable. In other words, according to this mirror surface angle adjusting device, it is possible to reduce the size of the housing while ensuring the size of the receiving portion that can stably hold the mirror (that is, the pivot plate), and thus the mirror surface angle adjustment. It becomes possible to reduce the size of the apparatus.

[0018] Further, the housing having a bowl shape is formed on the inner side of the annular region, a bottom portion having an annular region, an annular peripheral wall portion formed along an outer peripheral edge of the annular region. The receiving portion is formed on the peripheral wall portion, and the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion of the pivot plate is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion, Gear receiving part force It may be formed in the island-like part.

[0019] By doing this, an annular gap (groove) is formed between the peripheral wall portion and the island-shaped portion, so that the protruding end portion of the sliding portion of the pivot plate is inserted deep into the nosing. be able to. That is, according to this mirror surface angle adjusting device, the movable range of the pivot plate can be increased as compared with the case where there is no annular gap (groove), or the movable range of the pivot plate is reduced to the annular gap (groove). If the same setting is used, the housing can be reduced in size, and the mirror angle adjustment device can be reduced in size.

[0020] The aspects and advantages of the present invention described above, as well as other effects and further features, will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Will be more obvious.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a mirror angle adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the pivot plate.

3] (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 2, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X2--X2 in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the actuator.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a housing constituting the actuator, wherein (a) is a perspective view with a part broken away, and (b) is a partially enlarged view of (a).

FIG. 6 is a front view of a housing that constitutes the actuator.

[FIG. 7] (a) is a sectional view taken along the line X3-X3 in FIG. 6, and (b) is a sectional view taken along the line X4--X4 in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view for explaining the arrangement of grooves.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a cover and pressing means constituting the actuator.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rod and a worm wheel that constitute the actuator.

[FIG. 11] (a) is a sectional view of the gear receiving portion of the housing and the gear holding portion of the cover, and (b) is a sectional view of the rod and the worm wheel.

[FIG. 12] (a) and (b) illustrate the operation of the specular angle adjustment device according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing for doing.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the housing, and is a schematic diagram for explaining a modification of the gear receiving portion.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a mirror surface angle adjusting device according to the prior art.

15 is an exploded perspective view showing the inside of the actuator of the mirror surface angle adjusting apparatus shown in FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the following embodiment, the case where a mirror surface angle adjustment apparatus is incorporated in the outer mirror for rear view provided in the side part of a motor vehicle is illustrated. In addition, “front and rear”, “left and right”, and “up and down” in this specification are based on the state in which the outer mirror is attached to the side of the automobile.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mirror surface angle adjusting device according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to the back surface side (front side in the present embodiment) of the mirror M, and the mirror M is attached via a mirror holder (not shown). A pivot plate H for holding and an actuator A for holding the pivot plate H are provided. The actuator A is fixed to the mirror housing MH (see FIG. 14) or the support frame SF (see FIG. 14) integrally attached to the mirror housing MH.

[0024] (Pivot plate)

The pivot plate H includes an annular accommodating portion HI formed at the center thereof, an inner annular portion H2 surrounding the accommodating portion H1, an outer annular portion H3 surrounding the inner annular portion H2, and the outer annular portion. A plurality of mirror mounting portions H4, H4,... Projecting outside the H3, a plurality of connecting rods H5, H5,... That connect the housing portion HI and the inner annular portion H2, and an inner annular portion H2 and an outer annular portion H3. A plurality of connecting ribs H6, H6,...

[0025] The accommodating portion HI has a spherical shape, and its inner peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface. A support cap A41, which will be described later, is inserted into the housing portion HI.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the inner annular portion H2 is formed with a plurality of first through holes H21, H21,... Having a circular shape and two second through holes H22, H22 having a rectangular shape. Yes. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 3 (b), which is a sectional view taken along the line X2-X2, an engaging portion H23 having an inner surface formed into a spherical surface is formed on the back side (front side) of the second through hole H22.

[0027] The outer annular portion H3 includes an annular sliding portion H31 and an overhanging portion H32 surrounding the sliding portion H31, as shown in FIG. And.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the sliding portion H31 has a spherical shape, and its outer peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface. On the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion H31, a plurality of grooves 311, 311,... Are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. Each groove 311 is formed at a position facing the connecting rib H6. This groove 311 stores a lubricant such as grease.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the overhanging portion H32 has a substantially inverted L-shaped cross section and is formed between the outer surface of the sliding portion H31. An accommodation groove H33 is formed in the inner wall.

[0030] The mirror mounting portion H4 shown in FIG. 1 is a portion with which a hook (not shown) formed on the back side of the mirror holder (not shown) or the back side of the mirror M is engaged. H3

Projected on the outer peripheral surface of 2.

[0031] The connecting rod H5 is arranged so as to partition an annular space between the accommodating portion HI and the inner annular portion H2, and together with the accommodating portion HI and the inner annular portion H2, a fan-shaped opening H51 (see FIG. 2).

[0032] The connecting rib H6 is disposed so as to cut an annular space between the inner annular portion H2 and the outer annular portion H3. As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the connecting rib H6 has a substantially triangular shape, and its end (front end) extends to the end (front end) of the sliding portion H31.

[0033] The pivot plate H can be formed of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene (PP), or polyacetal (POM). In this case, the housing part Hl, the inner annular part H2, the outer annular part H3, the mirror mounting part H4, the connecting rod H5 and the connecting rib H6 can be formed integrally.

[0034] (actuator)

As shown in FIG. 1, the actuator A includes a housing A1 having a bowl shape, a cover A2 fixed to the housing A1, a pair of rods A3 and A3 for pushing and pulling the pivot plate H, and a pivot plate H. Pressing means A4 that presses against the housing A1 side and the pivot press A pair of position sensors A5, A5 provided for measuring the inclination of the motor H. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a pair of motors A6, A6, which provide driving force to the rods A3, A3. A6 and a pair of gears A7 and A7 for transmitting the driving force of the motors A6 and A6 to the rods A3 and A3.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the housing A1 is formed on the bottom part Al, an annular peripheral wall part A12 formed on the outer peripheral edge of the bottom part All, and an inner peripheral side of the bottom part All. Island-shaped portion A13.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 6, the bottom part Al l is formed in an annular area 1 la arranged so as to surround the island-like part A13, and on the inner peripheral side of the annular area 1 la. A pair of gear installation regions l ib and l ib formed to erode A13 and a plurality of cover installation regions 11c, 11c,. Here, of the pair of gear installation areas l ib and l ib, one gear installation area 11 b is formed at the lowermost part of the annular area 11 a, and the other gear installation area l ib is one of the gear installation areas It is formed obliquely above region l ib. Each gear installation region l ib has an arc at the outer edge, and a male threaded portion 111 projects from the center (see (a) of FIG. 5). A mounting hole 112 is formed in the center of each cover installation area 11c. The mounting hole 112 is formed at a position corresponding to the first through hole H21 of the pivot plate H shown in FIG.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5A, the peripheral wall portion A12 is formed along the outer peripheral edge of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion All. , 122. Hereinafter, the annular region 121 on the rear side is referred to as “receiving portion 121”, and the annular region 122 on the front side is referred to as “lubricant reservoir 122”. In other words, an annular receiving portion 121 is formed at the rear edge of the Uzing A1.

[0038] The receiving part 121 is a part that supports the sliding part H31 (see FIG. 1) of the pivot plate H in a tiltable manner, and has a spherical shape, and is shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. As shown, the inner peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface. 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X3-X3 in FIG. 6, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X4-X4 in FIG. Here, the radius of the spherical surface constituting the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion 121 is the radius of the spherical surface constituting the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion H31 of the pivot plate H (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). It is virtually equal. That is, the receiving part 121 is the sliding part H3 of the pivot plate H. 1 (see (a) and (b) of Fig. 3) is slidably brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface. Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), on the inner peripheral surface of the receiving part 121, a plurality of grooves 121a, 121a,... Are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the lubricant reservoir 122. ing. A lubricant such as grease is stored in the groove 121a. As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 8, each groove 121a of the receiving portion 121 is located between the grooves 311 and 311 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the sliding portion H31. That is, each groove 121a on the support surface of the receiving portion 121 is formed at a position shifted from each groove 311 on the sliding surface of the sliding portion H31.

[0039] Lubricant reservoir 122 shown in FIG. 5 (a) also has a spherical shape, and its inner circumferential surface is formed into a spherical surface. Its inner diameter is larger than the inner diameter of receiving part 121. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a step is formed at the boundary between the receiving portion 121 and the lubricant reservoir 122. The lubricant reservoir 122 is coated with a lubricant such as grease, and the lubricant applied to the lubricant reservoir 122 is applied every time the pivot plate H (see FIG. 1) tilts (ie, , Each time the sliding part H31 slides on the inner peripheral surface of the receiving part 121), each groove 121a of the receiving part 121 and each groove 311, 311 of the sliding part H31 (see FIG. 1). (See Fig. 1)) (that is, after being stored once) or directly from the lubricant reservoir 122 to the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion 121 and the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion H31. The smooth tilting motion of plate H will be maintained.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the island-shaped portion A13 swells to the rear side of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion All, and its outer peripheral edge (outer peripheral surface) 13a has a peripheral wall portion A12. And facing each other with a gap (groove). That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the island-shaped portion A13 is formed on the inner side of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion Al l, and the outer peripheral edge 13a and the peripheral wall portion A12 of the island-shaped portion A13 Are opposed to each other across the annular region 11a.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the island-shaped portion A13 includes a pair of gear receiving portions 131, 131 formed corresponding to the pair of male screw portions 111, 111, and two Motor housing part 132 that accommodates motors A6 and A6 (see Fig. 2), a pair of sensor mounting parts 133 and 133 formed on both sides of the motor housing part 132, and each gear receiving part 131. And a plurality of supporting wall portions 134, 134,.

[0042] The gear receiving portion 131 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion of a worm wheel A71 (see FIG. 4) described later. This is a portion to be supported, and is formed around the male thread 111 as shown in FIG. 5 (b). In the present embodiment, the gear receiving portion 131 has a substantially C shape (arc shape) and is formed on the inner peripheral side of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion All. By rubbing in this way, the volume of the gear receiving portion 131 can be reduced as compared with the case where the gear receiving portion 131 has no missing portion and is formed in an annular shape, resulting in a higher degree of freedom in layout. As a result, the housing A1 can be downsized. Furthermore, even if water or the like enters the inside of the actuator A, the gear receiving portion 131 is not formed in a complete annular shape, and the opening (defect portion) is an annular region of the bottom portion Al. Since it faces 11a, water or the like does not accumulate in the inner peripheral portion of the gear receiving portion 131 (that is, around the male screw portion 111).

[0043] The configuration of the gear receiving portion 131 will be described in more detail. The gear receiving portion 131 includes a first arcuate surface 131a facing the outer peripheral surface of the male screw portion 111, and the male screw portion 111 on the outer peripheral side thereof. A second arc surface 131b facing the outer peripheral surface, and a third arc surface 131c formed between the first arc surface 131a and the second arc surface 131b are provided. The center angle of each arcuate surface 131a, 131b, 131c (that is, the center angle Θ of gear receiving portion 131 (see FIG. 6)) is preferably larger than 180 degrees and smaller than 360 degrees. This makes it possible to stably support the outer peripheral surface of the worm wheel A71 (that is, the radial load acting on the worm wheel A71), and as a result, occurs when the worm wheel A71 (see FIG. 4) rotates. It is possible to suppress “blurring” in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the motor accommodating portion 132 is formed so that the central partial force of the island-shaped portion A13 extends to a portion reaching the upper right portion. In the present embodiment, the frame portion 132a having a substantially rectangular shape is formed. And a plurality of ribs 132b, 132b,... Formed inside the frame portion 132a. The upper side of the frame portion 132a is formed in an arc shape along the outer peripheral edge 13a of the island-shaped portion A13, and a notch 132c through which a worm A72, which will be described later, is passed is formed at the lower side of the frame portion 132a. Is formed. The rib 132b is formed to match the outer shape of the motor A6 (see FIG. 4). In addition, terminal holes 132d are formed at three power locations in the upper portion of the motor housing portion 132. If the terminal hole 132d is provided at the top of the nosing A1, even if water enters the inside of the actuator A, the terminal of the motor A6 (see Fig. 4) may be immersed in the water. Absent. [0045] The sensor mounting portion 133 shown in FIG. 5 (a) is a part that accommodates various parts constituting the position sensor A5 (see FIG. 1), and is formed in a cylindrical shape in this embodiment. . As shown in FIG. 6, one of the pair of sensor mounting parts 133, 133, one sensor mounting part 133 is formed on the uppermost part of the island-shaped part A13, and the other sensor mounting part 133 is one side. The sensor mounting portion 133 is formed obliquely below. Here, the line segment connecting the male screw part 111 facing up and down with the motor housing part 132 sandwiched between the sensor mounting part 133 and the male thread part 111 facing the left and right across the motor housing part 132 is attached to the sensor. It is in a relationship perpendicular to the line connecting part 133.

[0046] The support wall part 134 is a part that supports a cover A2 (see FIG. 4) described later. In this embodiment, the support wall part 134 is formed at each of the large and small points! Speak.

[0047] The housing A1 may be formed of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, acrylonitrile 'butadiene' styrene resin (ABS resin), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT resin), polyamide (PA), or the like. it can. In this case, the bottom part All, the peripheral wall part A12, and the island-like part A13 can be formed integrally.

[0048] The motor housing portion 132, each sensor mounting portion 133, and each support wall portion 134 shown in (a) of FIG. 5 need only be formed on the inner peripheral side of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion All. It is not always necessary to form the island-like portion A13. That is, it is not necessary to form the motor housing portion 132, each sensor attachment portion 133, and each support wall portion 134 in a portion that is raised above the bottom portion All.

[0049] The cover A2 shown in FIG. 4 includes a main body A21 that covers the island-shaped part A13 (see FIG. 5A) of the housing A1, and a plurality of legs A22, A22 formed around the main body A21. , ...

[0050] The main body A21 includes a pair of gear holding portions 211 and 211 formed corresponding to the gear receiving portions 131 and 131 (see FIG. 5A), and a motor cover portion 212 that closes the motor housing portion 132. And a pair of ring portions 213 and 213 formed corresponding to the sensor mounting portions 133 and 133, a boss 214 protruding from the rear surface of the motor cover portion 212, and a boss 214 which is arranged to surround the boss 214. There are four pieces of Succino 215, 215, ...

[0051] The gear holding portion 211 is a portion that mainly holds a worm wheel A71 to be described later. Therefore, the worm wheel A71 is held in a state where it cannot be pulled out in the direction of the central axis and is rotatable around the central axis. The gear holding portion 211 is formed with a circular opening portion 211a. As shown in FIG. 11A, the peripheral portion of the opening portion 21 la on the housing A1 side is more than the opening portion 21 la. An annular step 21 lb with a large diameter is formed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a cover-side motor housing portion 212a is recessed on the housing A1 side of the motor cover portion 212 so as to correspond to the motor housing portion 132. When the motor housing part 132 is covered, a substantially watertight space is formed.

[0053] The ring portion 213 shown in FIG. 4 is formed on the outer edge portion of the main body portion A21, and is mounted on the sensor mounting portion 133 when the cover A2 is assembled to the nosing A1 (see FIG. 1). .

[0054] The boss 214 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and as shown in Fig. 9, a screw A43 for holding the servo cap A41 is screwed therein.

[0055] The stopper 215 shown in FIG. 4 is a part that restricts the pivot plate H (see FIG. 1) from rotating in the circumferential direction of the receiving portion 121. When the pivot plate H is assembled to the actuator A, The protruding end portion enters the opening H51 (see FIG. 2) of the pivot plate H. As shown in FIG. 1, the stopper 215 is surrounded by the receiving portion 121 in a state where the cover A2 is assembled to the housing A1. As described above, when the stopper 215 is formed on the inner peripheral side of the housing A1, the internal space of the housing A1 can be used effectively, and the mirror angle adjustment device can be downsized. .

[0056] The leg A22 shown in FIG. 4 is formed at a position corresponding to the cover installation region 11c of the housing A1 (see FIGS. 5A and 6). The leg portion A22 includes a peripheral wall 222 having a substantially C shape, and as shown in FIG. 9, a screw hole 222 leading to the mounting hole 112 of the housing A1 is formed at the bottom thereof. In order to fix the cover A2 to the nosing A1, a screw (not shown) is inserted from the rear side into the screw hole 222 of the cover A2 and the mounting hole 112 of the housing A1, and the shaft portion of the screw protruding forward is shown in FIG. A nut not shown can be screwed together. Since the position of the mounting hole 112 of the housing A1 and the position of the first through hole H21 of the pivot plate H correspond to each other, a tool (not shown) is inserted into the leg A22 from the first through hole H21. You can do it.

[0057] The cover A2 is made of, for example, polyethylene, acrylonitrile 'butadiene' styrene It can be molded from synthetic resin such as fat (ABS resin), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT resin), polyamide (PA). In this case, the main body A21 and the leg A22 can be formed integrally.

[0058] The rod A3 shown in Fig. 1 moves back and forth in the front-rear direction and pushes and pulls the pivot plate H. As shown in Fig. 10, the rod A3 is formed at the cylindrical portion A31 and at the tip of the cylindrical portion A31. A pivot A 32 and a pair of flanges A33 and A33 projecting from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion A31 are provided.

[0059] The cylindrical portion A31 has a cylindrical shape, and is wrapped around the male screw portion 111 of the housing A1, as shown in FIG. 11 (b). The base end of the cylindrical portion A31 is divided into a plurality of small pieces by a plurality of slits (see FIG. 10), and a claw that engages with the thread of the male threaded portion 111 on the inner peripheral surface of the small piece. Part 312 is formed. Therefore, when the cylindrical portion A31 is rotated around the central axis of the male threaded portion 111, the pivot A32 that moves forward along the axial direction of the male threaded portion 111 will retreat.

[0060] The pivot A32 has a spherical outer surface and engages with an engaging portion H23 of the pivot plate H shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the pivot A32 engages with the engaging portion H23 in a state where it cannot be removed, but its outer surface is slidably in contact with the inner surface of the engaging portion H23.

[0061] In the present embodiment, when the rod A3 arranged at the lower part of the housing A1 is moved back and forth among the pair of rods A3 and A3 shown in Fig. 1, the pivot plate H (that is, the mirror M) Tilts up and down around the receiving part HI, and when the other rod A3 is moved forward and backward, the pivot plate H (that is, the mirror M) tilts left and right around the receiving part HI. .

[0062] The pressing means A4 shown in FIG. 1 urges the pivot plate H to the front side (that is, the actuator A side) and connects the pivot plate H to the actuator A while maintaining the urged state. A support cap A41 that is inserted into the receiving portion HI of the pivot plate H, a biasing member A42 that applies a pressing force to the support cap A41, a screw A43 that is screwed to the boss 214 of the actuator A, and a screw. And a washer A44 wrapped around the A43.

[0063] The support cap A41 has a spherical shape, and its outer peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface. The Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the radius of the spherical surface constituting the outer peripheral surface of the support cap A41 is substantially equal to the radius of the spherical surface constituting the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating portion H1 of the pivot plate H. ing. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the support cap A41 is slidably brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating portion HI of the pivot plate H.

[0064] The urging member A42 is mounted between the support cap A41 and the washer A44 in a compressed state, and presses the support cap A41 toward the actuator A by its restoring force. In this embodiment, the force using the coil panel as the urging member A42 is not limited to this. Needless to say!

[0065] The washer A44 is formed in a size and shape substantially equal to the rear end face of the support cap A41. As a result, the support cap A41 is prevented from being detached from the housing portion HI.

[0066] The configuration of the pressing means A4 is not limited to the illustrated configuration as long as the support cap A41 can be pressed to the actuator A side. For example, a dish panel may be used as the force urging member A42 (not shown). In this case, the pan panel is placed at the position of the washer A44.

The position sensor A5 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged for the purpose of detecting the tilt of the pivot plate H, and is attached to the sensor attachment portion 133 in this embodiment. The structure / type of the position sensor A5 is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, the position sensor A5 is provided with a contact. This contact is attached to the sensor mounting part 133 while being biased to the pivot plate H side, and its tip always contacts the front side (back side) of the pivot plate H, and the pivot plate H is tilted. Follow and follow. Then, by measuring the advance / retreat amount (protrusion amount) of this contact, it is possible to detect the state (degree of inclination) of the pivot plate H.

A motor A6 shown in FIG. 4 includes a motor main body A61 and a pair of male terminals A62 and A62 protruding from the motor main body A61. The pair of male terminals A62, A62 are connected to the adapter A63. The adapter A63 is interposed between a pair of motors A6 and A6 arranged in parallel and a terminal plate A64 attached to the front side of the housing A1, and is connected to the pair of motors A6 and A6. A total of four female terminals 631 to which a total of four male terminals A62 of the pair of motors A6, A6 can be connected are formed on the facing surfaces, and the motor housing 13 On the surface facing 2, three female terminals (not shown) corresponding to the terminal holes 132 d (see FIG. 5A) are formed. One of the two female terminals 631, 631 to which the male terminals A62, A62 of one motor A6 are connected, and the two female terminals 631, to which the male terminals A62, A62 of the other motor A6 are connected. One of 631 is short-circuited inside adapter A63.

[0069] The gear A7 shown in FIG. 4 is configured to include a worm wheel A71 mounted around the male screw portion 111 of the housing A1 and a worm A72 attached to the output shaft of the motor A6. The worm A72 meshes with the gear portion 711 (see FIG. 10) of the worm wheel A71 and transmits the rotational force of the motor A6 to the worm wheel A71.

[0070] The worm wheel A71 transmits the rotational force of the motor A6 transmitted from the worm A72 to the rod A3, and can accommodate the rod A3 between its inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the male threaded portion 111. It is attached to the male thread part 111 with a sufficient clearance.

[0071] The configuration of the worm wheel A71 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 10, the worm wheel A71 includes an annular gear portion 711 having teeth formed on the outer peripheral surface, and an inner portion of the gear portion 711. An outer cylindrical portion 712 formed on the peripheral surface side, an inner cylindrical portion 713 formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the outer cylindrical portion 712, and an engagement formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the inner cylindrical portion 713 With stop 714.

[0072] The outer cylindrical portion 712 has a front end portion and a rear end portion protruding from the gear portion 711 (see (b) of FIG. 11), and an outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion is formed into a cylindrical surface. . Note that the cylindrical surface of the front end portion of the outer cylindrical portion 712 is slidably abutted on the second arc surface 131b of the gear receiving portion 131 of the housing A1 shown in FIG. 11 (a) and (b)), the entire cylindrical surface of the rear end portion is slidably brought into contact with the annular step portion 21 lb of the cover A2 shown in FIG. 11 (a).

As shown in FIG. 10, the inner cylindrical portion 713 has a front end portion and a rear end portion protruding from the outer cylindrical portion 712, and an outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion is formed into a cylindrical surface. The inner cylinder portion 713 is divided into a plurality (four in this embodiment) of pieces 713b, 713b,... By a plurality of slits 713a, 713a,. In addition, the cylindrical surface of the front end portion of the inner cylindrical portion 713 has a half or more circumference of the nosing A1 shown in FIG. 5 (b). The first circular arc surface 131a of the gear receiving portion 131 is slidably contacted (see (a) and (b) of FIG. 11). It slidably contacts with the opening 21 la of the cover A2 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the slit 713a is formed continuously along the central axis direction of the inner cylindrical portion 713. Further, the flange A33 of the rod A3 is engaged with the slit 713a.

As shown in FIG. 10, the locking portion 714 is a ridge force projecting along the circumferential direction of the inner cylindrical portion 713 on the outer surface of the rear end portion of the inner cylindrical portion 713. As shown in (b), the gear holding portion 211 is locked to the periphery of the opening 21 la. This prevents the worm wheel A71 from being pulled out from the opening 21 la. Although illustration is omitted, a groove that is recessed along the circumferential direction of the inner cylinder portion 713 may be used as the locking portion 714. In this case, it is preferable that a protrusion that fits into the groove is formed on the opening 21 la of the gear holding portion 211.

[0075] In order to assemble the worm wheel A71 having such a configuration to the actuator A, the rear end portion is held by the gear holding portion 211 of the cover A2, and the cover A2 is moved to a predetermined position of the housing A1. Fix it. In order to engage the rear end portion of the worm wheel A71 with the gear holding portion 211 of the force bar A2, the rear end portion of the inner cylindrical portion 713 of the worm wheel A71 is elastically deformed inward while the gear holding portion 211 is opened. What is necessary is just to insert in the part 21 la and to lock the locking part 714 to the periphery of the opening 21 la of the gear holding part 211.

[0076] When such a worm wheel A71 mounting structure is adopted, the worm wheel A71 can be moved in the direction of the central axis (front and rear) simply by fitting the rear end of the worm wheel A71 into the gear holding portion 211 of the cover A2. Direction) and is held by the gear holder 211 so that it can slide and rotate around the central axis (circumferential direction). As a result, the assembly work of the actuator A can be simplified. In the present embodiment, at the front end portion of the worm wheel A71, at least half of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 713 abuts on the first circular arc surface 131a of the gear receiving portion 131 shown in FIG. Further, more than a half of the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 712 abuts on the second arc surface 131b of the gear receiving portion 131 shown in FIG.5 (b), so that the front end portion of the worm wheel A71 does not shake vertically and horizontally. .

Here, the operation of the actuator A will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. Not shown When the motor A6 is rotated in an appropriate direction by controlling the roller, etc., the rotational force of the motor A6 is transmitted to the worm wheel A71 via the worm A72, and the worm wheel A71 rotates around the male thread 111 of the housing A1. To do. When the worm wheel A71 rotates, the flange A33 (see Fig. 10) of the rod A3 is engaged with the slit 713a (see Fig. 10) of the worm hoist A71 in a relatively non-rotatable state. In conjunction with this rotation, rod A3 rotates around male thread 111. Furthermore, since the claw portion 3 12 (see FIG. 11) of the rod A3 is screwed into the thread of the male screw portion 111, the rod A3 rotates around the male screw portion 111 while the male screw portion 111 is rotating. As a result, the rod A3 pushes and pulls the pivot plate H back and forth, and the pivot plate H tilts with respect to the actuator A ((a in FIG. 12). ) And (b))

In the mirror surface angle adjusting apparatus configured as described above, the rods A 3 and A 3 of the actuator A that push and pull the pivot plate H are received by the pivot plate H so as to support the pivot plate H, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the load acting on the mirror M mainly acts on the receiving portion 121. Therefore, even if there is a loose joint between rod A3 and pivot plate H, or even if there is a dimensional error or mounting error in rod A3 itself, mirror M can be held stably. Further, since the annular sliding portion H31 formed on the pivot plate H always contacts the annular receiving portion 121 formed on the housing A1, the contact portion force water or dust may enter. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the arrangement that is arranged inside the receiving part 121 and can eliminate the water stop measures around the rod A3!

[0079] Since the stability of the mirror increases in proportion to the size of the receiving part 121, it is desirable to make the receiving part 121 as large as possible. From this point of view, it is desirable to make the housing A1 as small as possible. However, in this embodiment, the shape of the housing A1 is a bowl shape, and the edge of the housing A1 is used to maximize the size of the housing A1. Since the receiving part 121 is formed, it is possible to reduce the size of the housing A1 while ensuring the size of the receiving part 121 that can stably hold the pivot plate H, and thus the mirror angle adjustment device can be reduced in size. Can be realized. In addition, in this mirror surface angle adjusting device, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the gear receiving portion 131 of the housing A1 is formed in a substantially C shape (arc shape). Compared to the case where the gear portion is formed in a ring shape without a defective portion, the volume of the gear receiving portion 131 can be reduced, and as a result, the housing A1 can be downsized. Furthermore, even if water enters the inside of the actuator A, the gear receiving portion 131 is not formed in a complete annular shape, so that the inner peripheral portion thereof (that is, around the male screw portion 111) is not formed. There is no trap of water.

Further, in this mirror surface angle adjusting device, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the island-shaped portion A13 is raised from the bottom portion Al 1 and the inner side of the annular region 1 la of the bottom portion Al 1 is raised. Therefore, an annular gap (groove) is formed between the peripheral wall portion A12 and the island-shaped portion A13 of the housing A1, and as a result, as shown in FIG. The tip of the sliding part H31 can be inserted deeply into the louver A1. That is, according to this mirror surface angle adjusting device, the movable range of the pivot plate H can be made larger than when there is no annular gap (groove), or the movable range of the pivot plate H can be made annular. If it is set to be the same as that without a gap (groove), it is possible to reduce the size of the housing A1, and in turn, it is possible to reduce the size of the mirror angle adjustment device.

In this mirror surface angle adjusting device, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), the mirror mounting portion H4 of the pivot plate H protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the overhang portion H32 and the overhang Since the annular receiving groove H33 is formed around the sliding part H31 by the part H32, when the pivot plate H is tilted, the protruding end portion of the receiving part 121 of the housing A1 enters the receiving groove H33 and attaches the mirror. No contact with part H4. That is, according to this mirror surface angle adjusting device, it is possible to increase the movable range of the pivot plate H compared to the case where there is no annular receiving groove H33, or the movable groove H33 If the same setting is used, the pivot plate H can be downsized, and consequently the mirror angle adjusting device can be downsized.

[0083] While exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications may be made to this embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Modifications and changes are possible. [0084] For example, in the embodiment described above, the force using a housing having a bowl-like shape is not limited to this. Absent. The pivot plate is not limited in its form as long as it has an annular sliding portion.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the mirror surface angle adjusting device having the configuration in which the sliding portion of the pivot plate enters the inside of the receiving portion of the actuator is exemplified, but the actuating device is provided inside the sliding portion of the pivot plate. Even if it is the structure which the receiving part of enters, it does not interfere. In other words, the mirror surface angle adjusting device may be configured such that the inner peripheral surface of the sliding portion of the pivot plate and the outer peripheral surface of the receiving portion of the actuator are in contact with each other.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the force exemplifying a configuration in which the substantially C-shaped gear receiving portion 131 (see FIG. 6) supports a half or more of the outer peripheral surface of the worm wheel A71 is limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a worm wheel A71 is formed by arcuate gear receiving portions 131 ′ and 131 ′ formed on island-like portions A13 ′ and A13 ′ facing each other with the male thread portion 111 interposed therebetween. It may be configured to support the outer peripheral surface (see FIG. 10). In this case, the outer peripheral surface of the worm wheel A71 is supported by the gear receiving portions 131 ′ and 131 ′ at at least two portions facing each other with the rotation axis (center axis) interposed therebetween. And even with such a gear receiving portion 131 ′, it is possible to reduce the volume of the housing A1 as compared with a gear receiving portion having no missing portion and a complete annular (cylindrical) shape. Miniaturization can be realized. In FIG. 13, illustration of the motor accommodating portion and the like is omitted.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] A pivot plate attached to the back side of the mirror,

A mirror surface angle adjusting device having an actuator for holding the pivot plate,

The actuating hawk A rod that pushes and pulls the pivot plate, a motor that provides driving force to the rod, a worm wheel that transmits the driving force of the motor to the rod, and an arcuate shape that supports the worm wheel A mirror surface angle adjusting device comprising: a housing in which a gear receiving portion is formed.

[2] The specular angle adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein a center angle of the gear receiving portion is larger than 180 degrees and smaller than 360 degrees.

[3] The specular angle adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the worm wheel is supported by the gear receiving portion at least two portions opposed to each other with a rotation axis therebetween.

[4] The housing is formed with an annular receiving portion arranged to surround the rod,

2. The pivot plate according to claim 1, wherein the pivot plate includes an annular sliding portion that slidably contacts the receiving portion, and an engaging portion that engages with a tip of the mouth. Item 4. The mirror surface angle adjusting device according to any one of Items 3 to 3.

[5] The housing has a bowl shape,

5. The mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 4, wherein the receiving portion is formed at an edge portion of the housing.

[6] The housing includes a bottom portion having an annular region, an annular peripheral wall portion formed along an outer peripheral edge of the annular region, and an island-shaped portion formed inside the annular region. And

The receiving portion is formed on the peripheral wall portion, and an outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion of the pivot plate is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion,

The mirror angle adjustment device according to claim 5, wherein the gear receiving portion is formed on the island-shaped portion.