Optical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10347133-B2
Application number	US-201815886148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2018
Priority date	Feb 3, 2017
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

An optical device displaying an image of a blind spot includes a blind spot-side outward mirror disposed on a blind spot-side of a line of sight with respect to an obstacle; a blind spot-side inward mirror disposed to face the blind spot-side outward minor; an eye point-side inward mirror disposed on an eye point-side of the line of sight with respect to the obstacle; and an eye point-side outward minor disposed to face the eye point-side inward mirror. Each of the blind spot-side inward mirror and the eye point-side inward mirror has a plurality of reflection surfaces, and the reflection surfaces are arranged in parallel with each other and arranged at positions where the reflection surfaces partially overlap with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical device displaying an image of a blind spot where a line of sight is blocked by an obstacle, the optical device comprising:
a blind spot-side outward mirror disposed on a blind spot-side of the line of sight with respect to the obstacle, and reflecting incident light from the blind spot-side, in a direction crossing the line of sight and away from the obstacle;
a blind spot-side inward mirror disposed so as to face the blind spot-side outward mirror, and reflecting the light that is reflected by the blind spot-side outward mirror, toward an eye point-side of the line of sight;
an eye point-side inward mirror disposed on the eye point-side of the line of sight with respect to the obstacle, and reflecting the light that is reflected by the blind spot-side inward mirror, in a direction crossing the line of sight and approaching the obstacle; and
an eye point-side outward mirror disposed so as to face the eye point-side inward mirror, and reflecting the light that is reflected by the eye point-side inward mirror, toward the eye point-side of the line of sight along the line of sight, wherein
each of the blind spot-side inward mirror and the eye point-side inward mirror has a plurality of reflection surfaces, and the reflection surfaces are arranged in parallel with each other and arranged at positions where the reflection surfaces partially overlap with each other when seen from the blind spot-side or the eye point-side.

2. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein:
a reflection surface of the blind spot-side outward mirror is inclined toward the eye point-side of the line of sight at a first angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the line of sight and away from the obstacle;
each of the reflection surfaces provided in the blind spot-side inward mirror is inclined toward the blind spot-side of the line of sight at the first angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the line of sight and approaching the obstacle;
each of the reflection surfaces provided in the eye point-side inward mirror is inclined toward the eye point-side of the line of sight at the first angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the line of sight and approaching the obstacle;
a reflection surface of the eye point-side outward mirror is inclined toward the blind spot-side of the line of sight at the first angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the line of sight and away from the obstacle;
an arrangement direction of the reflection surfaces of the blind spot-side inward mirror is inclined toward the eye point-side of the line of sight at a second angle that is larger than the first angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the line of sight and away from the obstacle; and
an arrangement direction of the reflection surfaces of the eye point-side inward mirror is inclined toward the blind spot-side of the line of sight at the second angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the line of sight and away from the obstacle.

3. The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the first angle is 45°, and the second angle is an angle that is larger than 45° and smaller than 90°.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takagi Mayu
• Hase Kohei

Classifications

• B60R1/10

  Front-view mirror arrangements; {(specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002)}; Periscope arrangements {, i.e. optical devices using combinations of mirrors, lenses, prisms or the like (specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; for viewing traffic-lights B60R1/005); Other mirror arrangements giving a view from above or under the vehicle} · CPC title

• B60R2001/1215

  with information displays · CPC title

• B60R1/007

  specially adapted for covering the lateral blind spot not covered by the usual rear-view mirror · CPC title

• G08G1/167 Primary

  Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection · CPC title

• G06K9/00805

  Physics · mapped topic