Rear view mirror assembly for vehicles, especially commercial vehicles

• US 20050052764A1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Inventors: Lang, Heinrich, Seiboth, Wolfgang, Centmayer, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,044,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/02 Rear-view mirror arrangements periscope arrangements B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0612 by electrically actuated means

Abstract

A rearview mirror arrangement for vehicles, in particular for utility vehicles, is disclosed which includes a mirror carrier plate 1 on which a mirror pane 11 is affixed, an adjusting unit 2 that can be attached directly to a vehicle-mounted, mirror support 4. A platform unit 22 capable of motorized rotation 23, 24 relative to a base unit 21 about at least one axis, is attached directly to the adjusting unit and a housing 3. The mirror carrier plate, as well as the housing, is thus attached directly to the platform unit and rotates with the platform unit.

Claims

1. An adjustable rearview mirror arrangement for vehicles wherein the mirror arrangement is attached to a vehicle-mounted mirror support, said mirror arrangement comprising:

a mirror carrier plate;

a mirror pane carried by said carrier plate;

an adjusting unit for adjusting the mirror pane relative to the vehicle having a base for attachment directly to said mirror support;

a platform unit operatively connected to said adjustment unit for rotation relative to said base;

a drive motor carried by said platform unit operatively connected to said adjustment unit for rotating said platform unit about at least one axis;

said mirror carrier plate and mirror pane being carried by said platform unit; and

a housing carried by said platform unit and said mirror carrier plate being carried by said platform unit so that said housing generally encloses said platform unit and said mirror carrier plate;

whereby said mirror pane may be adjusted by movement of the platform unit as rotated by said adjustment unit with said platform unit effectively isolating said mirror pane from housing vibrations.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said platform unit may be rotated about at least two axes relative to said base.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said base of said mirror adjusting unit can be attached to the support on the vehicle in any desired position to provide an initial mirror adjustment.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 including one of an interlocking connection and a frictional connection for attaching the base of said adjusting unit to said mirror support on the vehicle.

5. The arrangement of claim 3 including a counterpart cooperating with said base to attach said adjustment unit to said mirror support on the vehicle.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 including releasable fastening elements for securing said mirror carrier plate and said housing to said platform unit.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said mirror carrier plate and housing are attached by a non-releasable fastening means to the platform unit.

16. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said motor drive is geared to said adjustment shaft and includes two motors for rotating said mirror carrier platform about two axes for adjusting the position of said mirror.

8. An adjustable rearview mirror arrangement for vehicles wherein the mirror arrangement is attached to a vehicle-mounted mirror support, said mirror arrangement comprising:

a platform unit;

a mirror carrier plate detachably carried by said platform unit;

a mirror pane affixed to said carrier plate;

a mirror adjusting unit for adjusting the position of said mirror pane;

said mirror adjusting unit having a base for attachment to the vehicle-mounted mirror support about which said mirror pane is adjusted relative to the vehicle about at least one axis;

said platform unit operatively connected to said adjustment unit for rotation relative to said vehicle about said at least one axis; and

a housing detachably carried by said platform unit and said mirror carrier plate being carried by said platform unit so that said housing generally encloses said platform unit and said mirror carrier plate;

whereby said mirror pane may be adjusted by movement of the platform unit as rotated by said adjustment unit, and one of said mirror pane and said housing may be replaced without replacement of the other.

9. The arrangement of claim 8 including a motor drive carried by said platform unit for rotating said platform unit about at least two axes relative to said vehicle.

10. The arrangement of claim 9 wherein said motor drive is geared with said adjustment shaft.

11. The arrangement of claim 8 wherein said base of said mirror adjusting unit can be attached to the mirror support on the vehicle in any desired position to provide an initial mirror adjustment.

12. The arrangement of claim 11 including a counterpart cooperating with said base to attach said adjustment unit to said vehicle-mounted mirror support.

13. The arrangement of claim 8 including releasable fastening elements for securing said mirror carrier plate to said platform unit, and for securing said housing to said platform unit so that housing and mirror pane may be replaced.

14. The arrangement of claim 8 wherein said adjustment unit is connected directly to said platform unit.

17. The arrangement of claim 14 including an adjustable attachment for attaching said base of said mirror adjusting unit to the vehicle-mounted mirror support in desired position to provide an initial mirror adjustment wherein said adjusting unit provides for further mirror adjustment.

18. The arrangement of claim 14 wherein said platform unit is directly connected to said adjustment shaft.

19. The arrangement of claim 14 including first releasable fastening elements for detachably securing said mirror carrier plate to said platform unit, and second releasable fastening elements for detachably securing said housing to said platform unit so that one of said housing and mirror pane may be replaced without replacement of the other.

15. An adjustable rearview mirror arrangement for vehicles wherein the mirror arrangement is attached to a vehicle-mounted mirror support, said mirror arrangement comprising:

a platform unit;

a mirror carrier plate carried by said platform unit;

a mirror pane affixed to said carrier plate;

a mirror adjusting unit having a base for attachment to the vehicle-mounted mirror support;

said mirror adjusting unit having an adjustment shaft about which said mirror pane is adjusted relative to the vehicle about at least one axis said platform unit operatively connected to said adjustment shaft for rotation relative to said vehicle about said at least one axis; and

a motor drive carried by said platform unit operatively connected to said adjustment shaft for rotating said platform unit about at least one axis;

a housing carried by said platform unit generally enclosing said platform unit and said mirror carrier plate, and said platform unit effectively isolating said mirror carrier plate with mirror pane affixed to prevent transmission of vibrations from said housing to said mirror pane.

whereby said mirror pane may be adjusted by movement of the platform unit as rotated by said adjustment unit.