Ichikoh Industries, Ltd.

Misato Industries Co., Ltd.

Ikuo Sakata

Yuji Sho

Tsuyoshi Miki

George Kato

Katsuyuki Izumi

A visibility assembly includes a base, a shaft, and the visibility assembly. The visibility assembly includes a housing, a visibility unit, and an electric retraction unit. The electric retraction unit includes a shaft, casings, a motor and a deceleration mechanism, and a holding member. The casings are configured of a member higher in stiffness than the holding member. The holding member is configured of an elastic member. The visibility assembly is able to rotate smoothly.

Electric retraction unit, electrically retractable peripheral visibility device for vehicle

The present invention includes a shaft, a gear case, a cover, a motor, and a rotational force transmission mechanism. The gear case has an upright wall. The cover has a fitting wall and a cover wall. The upright wall and the fitting wall are provided with a fitting member. The fitting member includes a fitting protruding unit, and an elastically deformable fitting piece having a fitting opening unit. As a result, the present invention can sufficiently reduce the number of parts and can surely prevent the cover from rattling.

Electric storage unit for vehicle outside mirror device, and vehicle outside mirror device

To provide an electric retractable vehicle periphery viewing device, that can improve fuel efficiency due to air resistance and that can prevent a damage or the like in the event of a collision of an obstacle when the device is in use, the electric retractable vehicle periphery viewing device of the present invention includes a base (), a shaft () and a viewing assembly (). The viewing assembly () includes a housing (U), (D), a viewing unit (), and an electric retracting unit (). The electric retracting unit () includes a casing (U), (D), a motor (M), a speed reduction mechanism (), a clutch mechanism (), and a rotational force transmission mechanism (). The motor (M), the speed reduction mechanism (), the clutch mechanism (), and the rotational force transmission mechanism () are arranged in a direction intersecting with an axial direction of the shaft ().

Electric retractable vehicle periphery viewing device

It is important to eliminate or reduce dispersion in clutch torque of a clutch mechanism for each product to its required minimum. According to the present invention, a clutch memberthat is manufactured separately from a gear memberof a clutch gearis formed of a resin member. As a result, there is no need to apply a treatment of eliminating surface roughness or a surface hardening treatment in the clutch member, and therefore, no dispersion occurs in surface roughness or surface hardening of a clutch protrusive portionof the clutch memberthat is made of a resin member, and the dispersion in clutch torque can be eliminated or can be reduced to its required minimum.

Vehicle outside mirror device

According to the present invention, with regard to a plurality of notch portions, a plurality of tilt faces are provided for a respective one of the notch portions. As a result, the present invention is capable of lowering a facial pressure of a respective one of a plurality of tilt faces of one notch portion more remarkably than a facial pressure of one tilt face of one notch portion. As a result, the present invention is capable of reducing a frictional wear and tear of a tilt face without a need to use any other component.

According to the present invention, a stopper member lock mechanism is configured to lock a stopper member from rotating in a direction from a forward tilt location to a use location with respect to a shaft when the mirror assembly that is positioned in the forward tilt location is restored to the use location and to release the locked state of the stopper member when the mirror assembly is restored from the forward tilt location to the use location. As a result, it is capable of causing the mirror assembly to be precisely positioned in the use location without any positional shift when the mirror assembly that has rotated from the use location to the forward tilt location for the sake of buffering is rotated and restored from the forward tilt location to the use location.

The present invention has: a first worm gearthat is rotatably borne on a gear caseand a bearing member, the first worm gear being coupled to an output shaftof a motor; and a helical gear that is geared with the first worn gear. In the gear caseand the first worm gear, an engagement recessed portionand an engagement protrusive portionconfigured to engage with each other are provided. At the engagement protrusive portionof the bearing member, a first press-in fixing protrusive portionconfigured to be pressed-in and fixed to an engagement recessed portionof the gear caseis provided. As a result, according to the present invention, a rotational center Oof the first worm gearis positioned at the normal rotational center.

A vehicle outside mirror device includes a first rotation restraining mechanism and a second rotation restraining mechanism. As a result, the device is capable of restraining a rotation to a storage location and a rotation of a forward tilt location of a mirror assembly that is positioned in a use location. In this manner, the mirror assembly is rotated from the use location to the storage location by electrically driving an electrically driven storage unit, and then, even in a case where the mirror assembly has been restored from the storage location to the use location in a manually driven manner, in other words, even in a case where a clutch mechanism is disengaged, it becomes possible to lock the mirror assembly that is positioned in the use location.

A vehicle outside mirror device according to the present invention is provided with a base, a shaft, a spring, a mirror assembly, and a washer. An annular line contact portionis provided on an abutment faceof the washerthat abuts against an abutment faceof a mount portionof the mirror assembly. As a result, the vehicle outside mirror device according to the present invention can prevent generation of abnormal noise further reliably and a further long period of time by means of the annular line contact portion. In addition, an abutment planeof a rotation stop portion is provided at a shaft. A linear edgeof the rotation stop portion is provided at the washer. As a result, according to the vehicle outside mirror device of the present invention, the linear edgeof the rotation stop portion of the washeris abutted against the abutment planeof the rotation stop portion of the shaft, whereby the washeris fixed to the shaftand then generation of abnormal noise can be prevented further reliably and over a further long period.

In a conventional vehicle outside mirror device, there has been a problem that a frictional wear occurs. According to the present invention, an interposing memberis provided between a shaft holderand a gear caseAn electrically rotation range restricting mechanism is a mechanism in which an electrically driven rotation range of a mirror assemblyis restricted, and is comprised of abutment faceswhich are provided at the interposing memberand the shaft holderA buffering mechanism is a mechanism which causes the mirror assemblyto rotate for the sake of buffering, and is comprised of engagement portionswhich are provided at the interposing memberand the gear caseThe electrically driven rotation range restricting mechanism and the buffering mechanism are separated from each other. As a result, the present invention can prevent a frictional wear from occurring between the interposing memberand the shaft holderand between the interposing memberand the gear case

A mirror assembly is inclinably mounted on a resin shaft via a spring and a resin stopper.

Outside mirror apparatus for vehicle

A motor assembly includes a motor, a circuit board on which a control circuit to control the motor and a plug unit are mounted, and a supporting member which supports the motor and the circuit board. The motor is provided with a socket unit in which the plug unit is fitted. The supporting member has a board supporting portion to support the circuit board, a motor supporting portion to support the motor, and a supporting member engagement portion. The plug unit has a plug unit engagement portion which is engaged with the supporting member engagement portion. The plug unit engagement portion is engaged with the supporting member engagement portion when the plug unit is fitted in the socket unit.

Motor assembly usable for an outer motor of a vehicle

A method is disclosed for attaching an electric power outer mirror-housing device for a vehicle to the vehicle. The housing device includes a shaft carrying an outer mirror and a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism includes a motor, a worm gear, a helical gear inserted around the shaft slidable along an axial direction of the shaft, and a clutch holder engaged with the helical gear and adapted to transmit a turning force of the helical gear via the worm gear to the shaft. The method includes setting twisting directions of the helical and worm gears so that when the housing device is attached to a given portion of the vehicle, a turning force may be applied upon the shaft, in a direction opposed to a pressure of wind flowing from a front side to a rear side of the vehicle, by motion of the helical gear relative to the worm gear owing to vibration of the vehicle, and attaching the housing device to the above given portion of the vehicle.

Method for attaching an electric power outer mirror-housing device to a vehicle, such an electric power outer mirror-housing device in the vehicle and the vehicle attached with such electric power outer mirror-housing devices

A motorized retracting unit for a motorized retractable rearview mirror for a vehicle includes a shaft holder that has a main shaft, a gear case that is rotatably mounted on the main shaft, a plate, and a transmission mechanism that transmits driving power of a motor to the main shaft. The plate includes a plate member, a shaft supporting member that rotatably supports the main shaft, a motor mounting member on which the motor is mounted, and a flexible member that is provided between the shaft supporting member and the motor mounting member, enabling a relative movement of the shaft supporting member and the motor mounting member.

Growing community of inventors

Isehara, Japan

Ikuo Sakata