Murakami Corporation

Murakami Kaimeido Co., Ltd.

Toru Okamoto

Toshihiro Mochizuki

Naoto Iwanabe

Michiaki Hattori

Norikazu Hattori

In a device for detecting mirror position, there is provided a resistor substrate being located coaxially with a nut adjuster for adjusting an angle of incline of a mirror, and a contact member so as to nip the resistor substrate. The contact member slides in line corresponding to the movement of the nut adjuster while the resistor substrate is fixed to a housing. Thus, as the nut adjuster slides, the contact member slides against the resistor substrate, which results the change of a contact position of the contact member and a long resistance R1. Consequently, since a voltage level generated at the contact member changes, the angle of incline of the mirror can be determined by detecting this voltage level. Inasmuch as the contact member and the resistor substrate are housed within a sliding block, there is no need for much space to locate the various parts in, and thus the whole device can be configured in a compact manner. In addition, the fact that the resistance R1 is connected to the direct-current power source via resistances R2 and R3 means that the measured voltage level is acquired in the form of an intermediate value of the direct-current power source voltage. Subsequently, it is possible to reduce the influence of noise and other factors so that the mirror angle can be detected with a high degree of accuracy.

Mirror position detection device

The control device controls an electrically powered foldable rearview mirror in which a mirror body is reversibly rotatable around a shaft by an electric motor contained in the mirror body and in which the mirror body rotation is stopped in a predetermined erected position and folded position by rotation stop devices. The control device for controlling mirror rotation includes a switching circuit for switching the power supply connections to the motor to rotate the mirror body in one of two direction, a relay circuit for supplying and cutting off power to the motor and a relay control circuit connected to the relay circuit and the motor. The relay control circuit includes a resistance and a semiconductor device for switching the relay control circuit connected in parallel with the resistance to perform a switching operation when the motor driving electric current is increased due to a stoppage of the mirror body rotation which causes the voltage drop across the resistance to exceed a threshold voltage of the semiconductor device and to open or release the relay cutting off current to the motor.

Growing community of inventors

Fujieda, Japan

Toru Okamoto