HYBRID EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY

• US 20120087025A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Hein, Peter, Serve, Gregor
• Application Number:
  US13/240,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120087025A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle

Abstract

A hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly for motor vehicles is described, including a mirror base and an exterior rear view mirror. The mirror base and the exterior rear view mirror are hinged together, so that the exterior rear view mirror can be pivoted about a hinge axis in relation to the mirror base from an operating position into a folding position and vice versa. The hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly allows the provision of either hand-operated or electromotively operated pivoting of the exterior rear view mirror about the hinge axis in relation to the mirror base, by using one and the same mirror base. For this purpose, the mirror base comprises means for acceptance, optionally, of an axis forming the hinge axis, or of a pivot drive including the hinge axis, whereby the axis is provided for hand-operated pivoting and the pivot drive is provided for electromotively operated pivoting.

Claims

1. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly for motor vehicles including a

mirror base and an exterior rear view mirror, whereby:

the mirror base and the exterior rear view mirror are hinged together, so that the exterior rear view mirror can be pivoted about a hinge axis in relation to the mirror base from an operating position into a folding position and vice versa, and

the hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly allows the provision of either hand-operated or electromotively operated pivoting of the exterior rear view mirror about the hinge axis in relation to the mirror base, by using one and the same mirror base,

wherein

the mirror base comprising means for optional acceptance of an axis forming the hinge axis, or of a pivot drive including the hinge axis, whereby the axis is provided for hand-operated pivoting and the pivot drive is provided for electromotively operated pivoting.

2. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the exterior rear view mirror includes a base bracket, whereby

for hand-operated pivoting, a first base bracket is provided, which has means to accept an axis forming the hinge axis, and

a second base bracket is provided for electromotively operated pivoting, which has means to accept a pivot drive including the hinge axis.

3. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the exterior rear view mirror comprises a base bracket, which comprises means for optional acceptance of an axis forming the hinge axis, or of a pivot drive including the hinge axis, whereby the axis is provided for hand-operated pivoting and the pivot drive is provided for electromotively operated pivoting.

4. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that,

in the case of a design with hand-operated pivoting, the axis is connected at least to the mirror base or to the exterior rear view mirror in such a way that it can be rotated about the hinge axis.

5. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that,

the mirror base and the exterior rear view mirror have joint sockets which are assigned to one another, on which the hinge axis stands vertically.

6. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that

the joint socket of the mirror base and/or of the exterior rear view mirror comprise at least one part of the means for optional acceptance of an axis forming the hinge axis, or of a pivot drive including the hinge axis.

7. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that,

the means of optional acceptance of the axis forming the hinge axis on the mirror base include a central bearing opening for the axis, arranged in the joint socket of the mirror base, and the means for acceptance of the axis, forming the hinge axis, on the exterior rear view mirror, include a central bearing opening arranged in the joint socket of the exterior rear view mirror, whereby the axis provided for hand-operated pivoting permeates both bearing openings in the joint sockets of the mirror base and of the exterior rear view mirror.

8. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that,

the pivot drive includes a first part, which is connected to a second part in such a way that it can pivot about the hinge axis, as well as an electric drive for electromotively operated pivoting of the parts in relation to one another about the hinge axis, whereby, when electromotively operated pivoting is provided, the first part of the pivot drive is non-rotatably accommodated on the mirror base and the second part is non-rotatably accommodated on the exterior rear view mirror.

9. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that,

the pivot drive includes a coupling between the first part and the second part, which in the case of external force effect, cancels a torque-locking linking of the electric drive required for electromotively activated pivoting of both parts in relation to one another, and restores the torque-locking linking for renewed electromotive drive.

10. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that,

the second part of the pivot drive accommodated on the exterior rear view mirror includes the joint socket of the exterior rear view mirror assigned to the joint socket of the mirror base.

11. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that,

the means for optional acceptance of the pivot drive including the hinge axis on the mirror base include a recess, arranged in the joint socket of the mirror base, with means for fastening at least one section of the pivot drive in the recess.

12. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that,

the means for fastening at least one section of the pivot drive in the recess include a locking connection, which is preferably produced by introduction of the at least one section into the relevant recess, followed by rotating the section about the hinge axis, and which is preferably ensured by a bolted connection and/or adhesive connection.

13. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that,

the axis provided for hand-operated pivoting, here forming the hinge axis, includes a tubular rivet.

14. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that,

the tubular rivet is spring loaded.

15. Hybrid exterior rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that,

the mirror base and/or the exterior rear view mirror can have corresponding stops, which define at least one final position in pivoting of the exterior rear view mirror in relation to the mirror base.