Vehicle exterior rear view mirror

• US 20010013981A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 08/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Original Assignee: Britax Geco SA
• Inventors: Duroux, Bernard, Courtois, Serge
• Granted Patent: US 6,616,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle

Abstract

A rear view mirror for a vehicle has a reflective member mounted for angular movement about a pivot axis perpendicular to a plane containing both a first line and a second line. The first line bisects the angle between an incident ray and a reflection of said incident ray extending to a first end of the major axis of a vertical section through the eyellipse, and the second line bisects the angle between said incident ray and a reflection of said incident ray extending to a second end of said major axis.

Claims

1. An exterior rear view mirror for a vehicle comprising pivotal coupling means, a reflective member mounted on said pivotal coupling means which allows angular movement of the reflective member about a pivot axis perpendicular to a plane containing both a first line and a second line, wherein the first line bisects the angle between an incident ray and a reflection of said incident ray extending to a first end of the major axis of a vertical section through the eyellipse, and the second line bisects the angle between said incident ray and a reflection of said incident ray extending to a second end of said major axis.

2. A rear vie, mirror according to

claim 1

, wherein said incident ray extends from a predetermined point in the required field of view.

3. A rear view mirror according to

claim 2

, wherein said predetermined point in the required field of view is the bottom corner of the required field of view closest to the vehicle.

4. A rear view mirror according to

claim 1

, for use on the driver'"'"'s side of a vehicle, wherein the pivot axis is inclined to the longitudinal central plane of the vehicle body 90 at an angle of 28°

and to a transverse plane at an angle of 15°

.

5. A rear view mirror according to

claim 1

, for use on the passenger'"'"'s side of a vehicle, wherein the pivot axis is inclined to the longitudinal central plane of the vehicle body 90 at an angle of 27°

and to a transverse plane at an angle of 20°

.

6. A rear view mirror according to

claim 1

, further comprising drive means coupled to the reflective member at a first location spaced from the first axis and arranged to cause angular movement of the reflective member about the first axis, and stop means arranged to abut against the reflective member at a second location spaced from both the first location and the first axis, the pivotal coupling means being resiliently coupled to the case so as to allow angular movement of the reflective member about a second axis inclined to the first axis during continued operation of the drive means following abutment of the reflective member against the stop means.

7. A rear view mirror according to

claim 6

, for use on the driver'"'"'s side of a vehicle, wherein the pivot axis is inclined to the longitudinal central plane of the vehicle body 90 at an angle of 28°

and to a transverse plane at an angle of 15°

.

8. A rear view mirror according to

claim 6

, for use on the passenger'"'"'s side of a vehicle, wherein the pivot axis is inclined to the longitudinal central plane of the vehicle body 90 at an angle of 27°

and to a transverse plane at an angle of 20°

.

9. A rear view mirror according to

claim 2

, further comprising drive means coupled to the reflective member at a first location spaced from the first axis and arranged to cause angular movement of the reflective member about the first axis, and stop means arranged to abut against the reflective member at a second location spaced from both the first location and the first axis, the pivotal coupling means being resiliently coupled to the case so as to allow angular movement of the reflective member about a second axis inclined to the first axis during continued operation of the drive means following abutment of the reflective member against the stop means.

10. A rear view mirror according to

claim 3

, further comprising drive means coupled to the reflective member at a first location spaced from the first axis and arranged to cause angular movement of the reflective member about the first axis, and stop means arranged to abut against the reflective member at a second location spaced from both the first location and the first axis, the pivotal coupling means being resiliently coupled to the case so as to allow angular movement of the reflective member about a second axis inclined to the first axis during continued operation of the drive means following abutment of the reflective member against the stop means.

11. A rear view mirror according to

claim 1

, wherein the reflective member is mounted in a mirror case which is mounted by the pivotal coupling means on a bracket adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body.

12. A rear view mirror according to

claim 11

, for use on the driver'"'"'s side of a vehicle, wherein the pivot axis is inclined to the longitudinal central plane of the vehicle body 90 at an angle of 28°

and to a transverse plane at an angle of 15°

.

13. A rear view mirror according to

claim 11

, for use on the passenger'"'"'s side of a vehicle, wherein the pivot axis is inclined to the longitudinal central plane of the vehicle body 90 at an angle of 27°

and to a transverse plane at an angle of 20°

.

14. A rear view mirror according to

claim 11

, further comprising an electric motor mounted in the mirror case, and a worm wheel driven by said electric motor, the worm wheel being journaled in sprung bearings so as to be resiliently biased into engagement with a pinion which is coupled to the bracket.

15. A rear view mirror according to

claim 2

, wherein the reflective member is mounted in a mirror case which is mounted by the pivotal coupling means on a bracket adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body.

16. A rear view mirror according to

claim 15

, further comprising an electric motor mounted in the mirror case, and a worm wheel driven by said electric motor, the worm wheel being journaled in sprung bearings so as to be resiliently biased into engagement with a pinion which is coupled to the bracket.

17. A rear view mirror according to

claim 3

, wherein the reflective member is mounted in a mirror case which is mounted by the pivotal coupling means on a bracket adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body.

18. A rear view mirror according to

claim 17

, further comprising an electric motor mounted in the mirror case, and a worm wheel driven by said electric motor, the worm wheel being journaled in sprung bearings so as to be resiliently biased into engagement with a pinion which is coupled to the bracket.

19. An exterior rear view mirror for a vehicle, comprising a mirror case, a reflective member, pivotal coupling means mounting the reflective member in the mirror case so as to allowing angular movement of the reflective member relative to the case, drive means coupled to the reflective member at a first location spaced from the first axis and arranged to cause angular movement of the reflective member about the first axis, and stop means arranged to abut against the reflective member at a second location spaced from both the first location and the first axis, the pivotal coupling means being resiliently coupled to the case so as to allow angular movement of the reflective member about a second axis inclined to the first axis during continued operation of the drive means following abutment of the reflective member against the stop means.

20. An exterior rear view mirror for a vehicle, comprising a bracket adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body, a mirror case mounted on the bracket for angular movement relative thereto, a reflective member mounted in the mirror case, an electric motor in the mirror case, and a worm wheel driven by said electric motor, the worm wheel being journaled in sprung bearings so as to be resiliently biased into engagement with a pinion which is coupled to the bracket.