Electrically controlled rear-view mirror with two coaxial rocking systems

• US 4,108,541 A
• Filed: 02/24/1977
• Issued: 08/22/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited
• Inventors: Eiraku, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US05/771,790
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 350/289, 350/6, 350/7, 248/487, 74/501 M
• US Class Current: 359/876
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

The electrically controlled rear-view mirror of this invention comprises a mirror unit with a mirror attached to the surface thereof, first and second rocking systems for continuously reciprocatively rocking the specular surface of said mirror with first and second axes at an angle to each other as the centers, respectively, at cycles different from each other, a single electric driving motor for stopping said mirror at a position substantially in the desired direction by driving and stopping both said rocking systems simultaneously.

Claims

1. An electrically controlled rear-view mirror comprising:

a mirror unit including a mirror having a specular surface attached to a surface thereof,

a first rocking system coupled to said mirror unit for continuously reciprocatively rocking said mirror unit or the specular surface of said mirror at a first cycle with a first axis as the center,

a second rocking system coupled to said mirror unit for continuously reciprocatively rocking said mirror unit or the specular surface of said mirror at a second cycle which is different from said first cycle and with a second axis as the center, said second axis being at an angle to said first axis,

a single electric driving means coupled to said first and second rocking systems for driving and stopping both of said first and second rocking systems simultaneously to stop said mirror at a position substantially in the desired direction,

a substrate carrying both said first and second rocking systems and said driving means, and

a center shaft mounted to said substrate, the longitudinal axis of said center shaft defining a central axis of said rear-view mirror,

said first rocking system including a substantially cylindrical inner rotor rotatably supported by said center shaft, the inner rotor having an inner inclined-plate coupled to said mirror and which is inclined at a first prescribed angle to a principal plane of said rear-view mirror, said principal plane being perpendicular to said central axis and being located in the vicinity of said inner inclined plate, and an outside-toothed gear on said inner rotor,

said second rocking system including a substantially cylindrical outer rotor coaxially and rotatably mounted on the outerside of said inner rotor, the outer rotor having an outer inclined-plate coupled to said mirror and which is inclined at a second prescribed angle to said principal plane, said first and second prescribed angles being different, and an inside-toothed gear on said outer rotor, and

said electric driving means being coupled to said toothed gears for turning said respective rotors to adjust the position of the mirror.

2. An electrically controlled rear-view mirror according to claim 1 wherein said center shaft has a forward portion in the vicinity of said substrate, and a rearward end in the vicinity of said inclined plates and principal plane, said outside-toothed gear of said inner rotor and said inside-toothed gear of said outer rotor being located at the forward end portions of said rotors which are adjacent said substrate.

3. An electrically controlled rear-view mirror according to claim 1 in which said central shaft has a forward portion adjacent said substrate and a backward end portion located in the vicinity of said inclined plates and said principal plane, and in which said mirror unit is pivotally connected to the backward end portion of said center shaft through a pivot bearing and through a plurality of tension springs stretched between said mirror unit and said substrate, said mirror unit having respective pairs of inner arms and outer arms for rocking with said first and second axes as the centers corresponding to the rotating positions of both of said inclined plates, said inner and outer arms extending forward toward said substrate and toward said inclined-plates from two respective separated positions in the directions of said first and second axes and contacting with said inner inclined plates and outer inclined plate, respectively, by the action of said tension springs.

4. An electrically controlled rear-view mirror according to claim 3 in which said electric driving means has an outside-toothed driving gear interposed between the outside-toothed gear on said inner rotor and the inside-toothed gear on said outer rotor and simultaneously engaging with both said gears, and an electric motor for driving said outside-toothed driving gear.

5. An electrically controlled rear-view mirror according to claim 4 in which said electric motor has a built-in reduction gear.

6. An electrically controlled rear-view mirror according to claim 4 in which said electric motor is a reversible motor.

7. An electrically controlled rear-view mirror according to claim 1 in which said first axis and second axis are perpendicular to each other.

8. An electrically controlled rear-view mirror according to claim 1 in which said electric driving means comprises gear means for simultaneously engaging both said outside-toothed gear on said inner rotor and said inside-toothed gear on said outer rotor, and an electric motor for driving said gear means.