Fold rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles

• US 10,077,001 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Casals, Juan Linares, Vicioso, Jose Mendoza
• Primary Examiner(s): Tallman, Robert E
• Application Number:
  US15/275,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20170088054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 359838, 359841, 359843, 359844
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/062 with remote control for adjusting position B60R1/0607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/076 yieldable to excessive external force and provided with an indexed use position B60R1/0617, B60R1/074 take precedence

Abstract

A foldable rear-view mirror assembly comprises a base member to be mounted on a motor vehicle, a mirror housing, a motor component, drive means comprising a ring gear assembly engaging the motor component with the base member for rotation of the mirror housing thereto between mirror operative and folded conditions, and a spring element positioned substantially tangential to the ring gear assembly to cooperate therewith such that in a first direction of rotation the mirror housing is allowed to rotate to the base member and in a second reverse direction of rotation the mirror housing is prevented from being rotated relative to the base member, where the spring element resiliently abuts a stop surface formed in the ring gear assembly.

Claims

1. Foldable rear-view mirror assembly, the mirror assembly comprising:

a base member for being mounted on a motor vehicle;

a mirror housing;

a motor component;

drive means comprising a ring gear assembly and engaging the motor component with the base member for rotation of the mirror housing relative to the base member around a mirror rotation axis between a mirror operative condition and a mirror folded condition, and vice versa; and

a spring element positioned in a direction that is substantially tangential to the ring gear assembly in a direction of rotation and adapted to cooperate with the ring gear assembly, such that;

the mirror housing is allowed to rotate relative to the base member in a first direction of rotation; and

the mirror housing is prevented from being rotated relative to the base member in a second, reverse direction of rotation, where the spring element resiliently abuts a stop surface.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, where the spring element is adapted to resiliently deform as it slides against the ring gear assembly when the mirror housing is rotated relative to the base member in said first direction of rotation.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, where resilient deformation of the spring element is flexure.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, where the ring gear assembly is disposed coaxially with the mirror rotation axis.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a slide surface for at least partially receiving the spring element therein.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, where the slide surface is formed in the ring gear assembly.

7. The assembly according to claim 5, where the slide surface is formed in the mirror housing.

8. The assembly according to claim 5, where the stop surface is formed in the slide surface and arranged radially to the mirror rotation axis.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, where the stop surface is substantially perpendicular to the slide surface.

10. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a motor housing for receiving the motor component therein, the motor housing being attached to the mirror housing.

11. The assembly according to claim 1, where the spring element is a compression spring.

12. The assembly according to claim 1, where the spring element has a first end attached to the mirror housing and a second end received into the ring gear assembly.

13. The assembly according to claim 1, where the spring element has a first end attached to the ring gear assembly and a second end received into the mirror housing.

14. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a one-way clutch mechanism for allowing the gear wheel and the gear rim to be rotated together in one direction, and to be rotated relative to each other in a second, opposite direction.

15. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

(i) an illumination module;

(ii) an imaging device configured for imaging an image of the surroundings of the vehicle;

(iii) a mirror pane housed in the mirror housing and positioned so as to provide a substantially rear field of view to a vehicle driver when the mirror housing is positioned in the driving position;

(iv) an anti-glare mirror pane housed in the mirror housing and positioned so as to provide a substantially rear field of view to a vehicle driver when the mirror housing is positioned in the driving position;

(v) a mirror pane housed in the mirror housing and positioned so as to provide a substantially rear field of view to a vehicle driver when the mirror housing is positioned in the driving position comprising a heating element;

(vi) a spotter mirror housed in the mirror housing and positioned so as to substantially provide vision of a vehicle blind spot region to the vehicle driver when the mirror housing is positioned in the driving position;

(vii) an antenna for communicating with a radio-frequency reception system;

(viii) an actuation mechanism configured to provide orientation of the mirror pane to adjust the rear field of view of the vehicle driver; and

(ix) an outdoor temperature sensing device configured to sense an outdoor temperature of the vehicle.

16. The assembly according to claim 14, where the one-way clutch mechanism comprises a roller clutch.

17. The assembly according to claim 14, where the one-way clutch mechanism comprises a tooth clutch.

18. The assembly according to claim 1, where the assembly is a motor vehicle mirror assembly.