AUTOMOTIVE SIDE VIEW MIRROR ATTACHMENT ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20130062496A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Niessen, Bert, Meyer, Michael, Olbricht, Helmut, Thiessen, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,079,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/475.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14631 Coating reinforcements fibre reinforcements B29C45/0005
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3005 Body finishings
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/006 Side-view mirrors, e.g. V-shaped mirrors located at the front or rear part of the vehicle combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08; side-view periscopes B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

An automotive side view mirror attachment assembly includes a polymeric outer shell having a metal reinforcement member coupled thereto, wherein the polymeric outer shell forms form closures about connecting features of the metal reinforcement member, so as to provide an operably coupling between the polymeric outer shell and the metal reinforcing member that is secured by independent connection locations that are effective to support an external mirror assembly in multiple dimensions.

Claims

1. An external mirror mounting assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

an outer shell including a vehicle attachment portion and a mirror retaining bracket portion disposed in a substantially L-shaped configuration, each portion having one or more connectors;

a metal reinforcement element at least partially covered by the shell, the reinforcement element including one or more connecting sites having connecting surfaces; and

wherein the connectors provide form closures disposed about the connecting surfaces of the connecting sites.

2. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more connecting sites include apertures having conical shaped connecting surfaces.

3. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the one or more connectors include integrally formed protrusions comprised of polymeric material which are disposed through and fill the apertures disposed on the metal reinforcement element.

4. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more connecting sites include embossed features having 3-dimensional connecting surfaces.

5. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 4, wherein:

the one or more connectors include integrally formed polymeric strips which surround the embossed features disposed on the metal reinforcement element and lie closely to the 3-dimensional connecting surfaces of the embossed features.

6. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the metal reinforcement element includes a first surface and a second surface disposed in a generally L-shaped configuration, the first surface coupled to a portion of the vehicle attachment providing reinforcement thereto, and the second surface coupled to a portion of the mirror retaining bracket portion providing reinforcement thereto.

8. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 1, including:

reinforcement ribs disposed on the metal reinforcement element.

9. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 1, including:

reinforcement ribs disposed on the outer shell and adjacent to the metal reinforcement element.

7. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 7, wherein:

the outer shell supports an external mirror assembly mounted on the mirror retaining bracket portion.

10. An external mirror mounting assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a metal reinforcement core having one or more connecting sites having 3-dimensional connecting surfaces;

a polymeric shell coupled to and at least partially covering the core and including one or more connectors, the polymeric shell having a vehicle connecting side and an external mirror support bracket side; and

wherein the connectors define form closures about the connecting surfaces effective in three dimensions.

11. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 10, including:

a transition portion disposed between the vehicle connecting side and the external mirror support bracket and generally disposed along an X-axis, wherein the polymeric shell further includes a generally L-shaped configuration with the vehicle connecting side generally disposed along a Z-axis, and the external mirror support bracket generally disposed along a Y-axis.

12. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 11, wherein:

the metal reinforcement core comprises a first portion generally disposed along the Z-axis and coupled to the vehicle connecting side of the polymeric shell, and a second portion generally disposed along a Y-axis and coupled to the external mirror support bracket of the polymeric shell.

13. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 12, wherein:

wherein the metal reinforcement core is disposed on the transition portion of the polymeric shell, and further wherein the metal reinforcement core supports the mounting assembly from flexure vibration about an X-axis.

14. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 11, wherein:

the one or more connecting sites include mutually separate apertures having conical shaped connecting surfaces, and further wherein the one or more connectors include integrally formed protrusions comprised of polymeric material which are disposed through and fill the apertures disposed on the metal reinforcement core, the protrusions lying closely to the conical shaped connecting surfaces to provide support about the 3 dimensions of the connecting surface.

15. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 14, wherein:

the form closures are formed between the polymeric shell and the metal reinforcement core by an injection molding process to couple the connectors to the connecting sites of the metal reinforcement core.

16. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 11, wherein:

the one or more connecting sites include mutually separate embossed features extending outwardly from the metal reinforcement core, and further wherein the one or more connectors include integrally formed polymeric strips which surround the embossed features disposed on the metal reinforcement core and lie closely to the 3-dimensional connecting surfaces of the embossed features.

17. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 16, wherein:

the form closures are formed between the polymeric shell and the metal reinforcement core by an injection molding process to couple the connectors to the connecting sites of the metal reinforcement core.

18. The external mirror mounting assembly of claim 11, wherein:

the one or more connecting sites include ridges disposed about a periphery of the metal reinforcement core.

19. A method of making a hybrid external mirror mounting assembly for a vehicle, the method comprising:

forming a sheet metal reinforcement core;

forming one or more connecting sites on the core having connecting surfaces;

inserting the core into an injection molding mold;

forming a polymeric body by injection molding a polymer material onto the core in the injection molding mold to partially cover the core and enrobe the connecting surfaces with the polymer material to surround and cover the connecting surfaces; and

allowing the polymer material to harden to create localized form closures about the connecting sites of the core and form a hybrid external mirror mounting assembly.