IP Library Granted Patent US 8,950,878
Granted Patent B2
US 8,950,878 · App. 13/807,976 · Granted Feb 10, 2015

Vehicle door mirror

Inventors: Kenji Kenmochi (Miyazaki, JP); Tomoyuki Kukita (Miyazaki, JP)
Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
B60R1/06B60R1/074
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,950,878
App. No.
13/807,976
Granted
Feb 10, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle door mirror is provided in which an upward facing support seat and a support shaft rising from the support seat are fixedly provided on a side door side of a vehicle, a click mechanism is provided between opposing faces of the support seat and a bearing part provided on a bracket and pivotably supported on the support shaft, a coil spring is provided between a spring receiving member fixed to the support shaft and a flat spring receiving face formed on the bearing part, and a lubricant reservoir is formed on the spring receiving face. The lubricant reservoir has at least a first groove that continues so that one end is disposed closer to the center of the support shaft than the other end. Thus, a lubricant is always stably supplied to an area of the coil spring that is in sliding contact with the spring receiving face.

Claims (10)

1. A vehicle door mirror in which an upward facing support seat ( 10 ) and a support shaft ( 11 ) rising from the support seat ( 10 ) are fixedly provided on a side door ( 5 ) side of a vehicle (V), a click mechanism ( 13 ) is provided between opposing faces of the support seat ( 10 ) and a bearing part ( 12 ) provided on a bracket ( 8 ) supporting a mirror and pivotably supported on a base of the support shaft ( 11 ), the click mechanism ( 13 ) imparting a click feel to pivoting of the bracket ( 8 ), a coil spring ( 16 ) is provided in a compressed state between a spring receiving member ( 14 ) fixed to the support shaft ( 11 ) and a flat spring receiving face ( 15 ) formed on a face, on the opposite side to the support seat ( 10 ), of the bearing part ( 12 ), the coil spring ( 16 ) pressing the bearing part ( 12 ) toward the support seat ( 10 ) side, and a lubricant reservoir ( 31 ) for storing a lubricant is formed on the spring receiving face ( 15 ), characterized in that the lubricant reservoir ( 31 ) has at least a first groove ( 32 ) that continues so that one end thereof is disposed closer to the center of the support shaft ( 11 ) than the other end.

2. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 1 , wherein the first groove ( 32 ) is formed so that a virtual line extending radially from the center of the support shaft ( 11 ) diagonally intersects an intermediate part of the first groove ( 32 ).

3. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 2 , wherein the first groove ( 32 ) is formed into a curved shape.

4. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 1 , wherein the lubricant reservoir ( 31 ) is formed from a plurality of the first grooves ( 32 ) disposed at intervals in a peripheral direction of the spring receiving face ( 15 ), and an annular second groove ( 33 ) that said other ends of the first grooves ( 32 ) communicate with in common, and the second groove ( 33 ) is formed on an outer peripheral part of the spring receiving face ( 15 ) so as to be positioned further outside than an outer periphery of the coil spring ( 16 ).

5. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 1 , wherein a tubular spring housing part ( 23 ) is provided on the bracket ( 8 ), the spring housing part ( 23 ) being connected to an outer peripheral edge of the spring receiving face ( 15 ) at right angles and housing the coil spring ( 16 ), and a drain hole ( 34 ) for draining water within the spring housing part ( 23 ) is provided at a location, closest to the ground, of the spring housing part ( 23 ) in a state in which the bracket ( 8 ) is supported on the support shaft ( 11 ).

6. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 4 , wherein a tubular spring housing part ( 23 ) is provided on the bracket ( 8 ), the spring housing part ( 23 ) being connected to an outer peripheral edge of the spring receiving face ( 15 ) at right angles and housing the coil spring ( 16 ), and a drain hole ( 34 ) for draining water within the spring housing part ( 23 ) is provided at a location, closest to the ground, of the spring housing part ( 23 ) in a state in which the bracket ( 8 ) is supported on the support shaft ( 11 ).

7. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 2 , wherein a tubular spring housing part ( 23 ) is provided on the bracket ( 8 ), the spring housing part ( 23 ) being connected to an outer peripheral edge of the spring receiving face ( 15 ) at right angles and housing the coil spring ( 16 ), and a drain hole ( 34 ) for draining water within the spring housing part ( 23 ) is provided at a location, closest to the ground, of the spring housing part ( 23 ) in a state in which the bracket ( 8 ) is supported on the support shaft ( 11 ).

8. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 3 , wherein a tubular spring housing part ( 23 ) is provided on the bracket ( 8 ), the spring housing part ( 23 ) being connected to an outer peripheral edge of the spring receiving face ( 15 ) at right angles and housing the coil spring ( 16 ), and a drain hole ( 34 ) for draining water within the spring housing part ( 23 ) is provided at a location, closest to the ground, of the spring housing part ( 23 ) in a state in which the bracket ( 8 ) is supported on the support shaft ( 11 ).

9. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 2 , wherein the lubricant reservoir ( 31 ) is formed from a plurality of the first grooves ( 32 ) disposed at intervals in a peripheral direction of the spring receiving face ( 15 ), and an annular second groove ( 33 ) that said other ends of the first grooves ( 32 ) communicate with in common, and the second groove ( 33 ) is formed on an outer peripheral part of the spring receiving face ( 15 ) so as to be positioned further outside than an outer periphery of the coil spring ( 16 ).

10. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 3 , wherein the lubricant reservoir ( 31 ) is formed from a plurality of the first grooves ( 32 ) disposed at intervals in a peripheral direction of the spring receiving face ( 15 ), and an annular second groove ( 33 ) that said other ends of the first grooves ( 32 ) communicate with in common, and the second groove ( 33 ) is formed on an outer peripheral part of the spring receiving face ( 15 ) so as to be positioned further outside than an outer periphery of the coil spring ( 16 ).

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 26, 2023
From: HONDA LOCK MFG. CO., LTD. A/K/A KABUSHIKI KAISHA HONDA LOCK
To: MINEBEA ACCESSSOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 064142/0965 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2013
From: KENMOCHI, KENJI; KUKITA, TOMOYUKI
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA HONDA LOCK
Reel/Frame 029968/0721 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2010-158414 · Jul 13, 2010 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130194685A1 · Aug 1, 2013