Electrically adjustable vehicle rear view mirror
First Claim
1. In a mirror assembly having a motor driven adjustable mirror and a housing for a motor and drive transmission, wherein two mirror adjusting screws are axially movable relative to and through rotation of two driven gears and the gears are selectively driven by an electric motor and by a motor driven worm that extends generally axially from a drive shaft of the motor and that is selectively movable into engagement with one or the other of said gears, said motor, worm and gears being within the housing, the improvement comprising mounting means securing the motor against movement relative to the locations of the gears with the axis of the motor drive shaft oriented in a direction that extends between the two gears, a universal coupling between the motor drive shaft and worm that is axially short relative to the worm length permitting the worm to be moved angularly about a location on the motor drive shaft rotational axis, toward and away from the gears, and movable means coupled to the worm to move the worm angularly about said location relative to the motor.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An assembly, specifically a mirror assembly for a motor vehicle, in part angularly adjustable by an electric motor and drive mechanism. A fixed motor drives a worm that is angularly movable through a flexible coupling into selective engagement with one of two nuts to drive adjusting screws that cause a mirror element to pivot about one of two mutually perpendicular axes. The screws and pivot structure for the mirror are integrally formed as part of a mirror supporting plate. The nuts are yieldably coupled to the threads of the adjusting screws to permit slippage between the two when forces exceed the wormed driving force. Operating noise is reduced by a vibration-damping motor mounting and by structure limiting worm engagement with the nuts. Projections are carried by the mirror supporting plate resiliently biased against a fixed support to reduce vibration.
48 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. In a mirror assembly having a motor driven adjustable mirror and a housing for a motor and drive transmission, wherein two mirror adjusting screws are axially movable relative to and through rotation of two driven gears and the gears are selectively driven by an electric motor and by a motor driven worm that extends generally axially from a drive shaft of the motor and that is selectively movable into engagement with one or the other of said gears, said motor, worm and gears being within the housing, the improvement comprising mounting means securing the motor against movement relative to the locations of the gears with the axis of the motor drive shaft oriented in a direction that extends between the two gears, a universal coupling between the motor drive shaft and worm that is axially short relative to the worm length permitting the worm to be moved angularly about a location on the motor drive shaft rotational axis, toward and away from the gears, and movable means coupled to the worm to move the worm angularly about said location relative to the motor.
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7. An adjustable mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a fixed support, a mirror element with a reflective face, means adjustably securing the mirror element to the support at a location behind the face for pivotal movement of the element relative to the support, and means carried with the mirror element adjacent the perimeter thereof, projecting rearwardly of the face, being substantially non-resilient in said projecting direction, and yieldably biased into slidable contact with said fixed support rearwardly of the mirror element face to damp vibration of the mirror element relative to the support. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An electric powered assembly for angularly adjusting a vehicle-carried accessory, comprising:
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a support, a motor mount secured to the support, a motor carried in fixed position by the mount, an accessory carrier pivotally connected to the mount, an accessory secured to the carrier and having an operative face, two worm nuts carried by the mount for rotation, two screws connected to the accessory carrier and threadedly engaged with the nuts for relative movement, a worm between the two nuts connected to and extending generally axially of a drive shaft of the motor, a short universal coupling between the drive shaft and the worm, which permits the worm to be moved angularly about a location on the axis of the drive shaft, a member engaging the distal end of the worm through a bearing surface and movable to move the worm angularly about said location, means to limit the extent of movement of said member and the extent of engagement between the worm and each nut, means carried by the mount energizable to move said member between positions that engage the worm with each nut, and means carried with the accessory adjacent the perimeter thereof, projecting rearwardly of the carrier and operative face, being substantially non-resilient in said projecting direction, and yieldably biased into slidable contact with said support to damp vibration of the accessory relative to the support. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. In an adjustable mirror assembly, the combination of:
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a support, a motor mount secured to the support, a motor carried in fixed position by the mount, a mirror element backing pivotally connected to the mount at a location generally centrally of the backing, a mirror element secured to the backing and having a reflective face, two worm nuts carried by the mount for rotation, two screws connected to the mirror backing and threadedly engaged with the nuts for relative movement, a worm between the two nuts connected to and extending generally axially of a drive shaft of the motor, a short universal coupling between the drive shaft and the worm, which permits the worm to be moved angularly about a pivot axis perpendicular to and passing through the axis of the drive shaft, a member pivotable about said pivot axis for moving the worm angularly into engagement with one or the other of said nuts, said member extending along the length of the worm, engaging the distal end of the worm through a bearing surface, means to limit the extent of pivoting of said member about the pivot axis and the extent of engagement between the worm and each nut, means carried by the mount energizable to pivot said member between positions that engage the worm with each nut, and means carried with the mirror element adjacent the perimeter thereof, projecting rearwardly of the mirror face, being substantially non-resilient in said projecting direction, and yieldably biased into slidable contact with said support to damp vibration of the mirror element relative to the support. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification