Remote control rear-view mirror

• US 4,197,762 A
• Filed: 04/04/1978
• Issued: 04/15/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Murakami Kaimedio Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Murakami Kaimedio Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamana, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US05/893,413
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 74/501 M, 248/476, 248/479, 248/222.3, 350/288, 403/321, 403/322, 403/348, 403/343
• US Class Current: 74/502.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/068 using cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/59 Manually releaseable latch type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7005 Lugged member, rotary engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20432 for moving a mirror

Abstract

A remote control rear-view mirror assembly has a bracket mountable on an automotive vehicle and a housing supported on the bracket, in which housing a mirror holder is mounted for universal swiveling movement. The bracket has a shaft extending through a housing bottom plate into the housing and having a plurality of radial cam projections angularly spaced from each other. A fastening means in the housing, having a ring disposed around the shaft has a plurality of cam projections angularly spaced from each other and extending radially inwardly from the annular ring. The cam projections engage each other with the housing bottom plate fastened tightly between the fastening means and the bracket. A cable attachment adapter mounted on the mirror holder has three radial grooves angularly spaced 120 degrees apart from each other. Three control wire elements have ferrules on one end each retained in one of the grooves, the ferrules being prevented from moving out of position by an annular flange on the mirror holder. The mirror holder has a peripheral rim resiliently urged against the peripheral edge of a mirror carried by the mirror holder, the peripheral rim including a flange disposed around and over the peripheral mirror edge. A plurality of resilient arms integral with the mirror holder have projections urged against the mirror to enable the peripheral mirror edge to be held against the peripheral rim flange.

Claims

1. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount;

(b) a housing secured to said housing mount;

(c) a mirror holder;

(d) separable cable attachment means detachably mounted on said mirror holder and having a plurality of grooves therein disposed at angularly spaced points, and extending radially from a fixed pivot point, said cable attachment means having holes each of which communicates with one of said grooves;

(e) means mounted in said housing and supporting said cable attachment means for universal pivotal movement about said fixed pivot point;

(f) an actuator;

(g) a plurality of control cables each connected at one end to said actuator;

(h) a plurality of ferrules secured to the other end of said control cables, each ferrule having a portion with a diameter greater than the width of said grooves and said diameter being less than that of said holes, said ferrules being disposed in said grooves; and

(i) means on said mirror holder retaining said ferrules in said grooves.

2. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount including a flange with a shaft extending therefrom, said shaft having first cam means with a first cam surface;

(b) a housing having a bottom plate disposed on said mount with said shaft and said first cam means extending therethrough, said bottom plate having a recess in which said housing mount flange is seated;

(c) fastener means including a ring having second cam means with a second cam surface, said ring extending around said shaft and engaging said bottom plate, said second cam means being disposed between said first cam means and said bottom plate with said first and second cam surfaces engaging each other;

(d) means locking said fastener means to said housing;

(e) a mirror holder;

(f) means mounted in said housing and supporting said mirror holder for universal pivotal movement about a fixed pivot point;

(g) an actuator; and

(h) a plurality of control cables connecting said actuator to said mirror holder at a plurality of points angularly spaced around said fixed pivot point.

3. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount with a shaft extending therefrom, a shoulder on said housing mount extending around said shaft, said shaft having first cam means with a first cam surface;

(b) a housing having a bottom plate disposed on said mount and having an opening, said shaft and said first cam means extending through said opening, said shoulder being fixedly fitted in said opening;

(c) fastener means including a ring having second cam means with a second cam surface, said ring extending around said shaft and engaging said bottom plate, said second cam means being disposed between said first cam means and said bottom plate with said first and second cam surfaces engaging each other;

(d) means locking said fastener means to said housing;

(e) a mirror holder;

(f) means mounted in said housing and supporting said mirror holder for universal pivotal movement about a fixed pivot point;

(g) an actuator; and

(h) a plurality of control cables connecting said actuator to said mirror holder at a plurality of points angularly spaced around said fixed pivot point.

4. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly according to claim 3, including a pair of projections on said shoulder, said pair of projections being diametrically oppositely disposed with respect to said shaft, said bottom plate having a pair of notches communicating with said opening and receiving said pair of projections, respectively.

5. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount with a shaft extending therefrom, said shaft having first cam means with a first cam surface;

(b) a housing having a bottom plate disposed on said mount with said shaft and said first cam means extending therethrough;

(c) fastener means including a ring having second cam means with a second cam surface, said ring extending around said shaft and engaging said bottom plate, said second cam means being disposed between said first cam means and said bottom plate with said first and second cam surfaces engaging each other, said fastener means including a lever extending from said ring;

(d) locking means extending through said housing bottom plate threadedly into said lever of said fastener means;

(e) a mirror holder;

(f) means mounted in said housing and supporting said mirror holder for universal pivotal movement about a fixed pivot point;

(g) an actuator; and

(h) a plurality of control cables connecting said actuator to said mirror holder at a plurality of points angularly spaced around said fixed pivot point.

6. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly according to claim 5, said supporting means having a channel in which a portion of said lever is disposed, said locking means extending through said lever portion threadedly into said supporting means.

7. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount with a shaft extending therefrom, said shaft having first cam means with a first cam surface;

(b) a housing having a bottom plate disposed on said mount with said shaft and said first cam means extending therethrough;

(c) fastener means including a ring having second cam means with a second cam surface, said ring extending around said shaft and engaging said bottom plate, said second cam means being disposed between said first cam means and said bottom plate with said first and second cam surface engaging each other;

(d) means locking said fastener means to said housing;

(e) a mirror holder;

(f) means mounted in said housing and supporting said mirror holder for universal pivotal movement about a fixed pivot point;

(g) an actuator;

(h) a plurality of control cables for connecting said actuator to said mirror holder at a plurality of points angularly spaced around said fixed pivot point;

(i) cable attachment means mounted on said mirror holder and having a plurality of grooves therein that correspond in position to said angularly spaced points, each of said control cables having on one end a ferrule including a portion having a diameter greater than the width of one of said grooves and retained therein, said grooves extending in radial relation to said fixed pivot point, there being holes in said cable attachment means, each said hole communicating with one of said grooves and being greater in diameter than said ferrule; and

(j) said mirror holder having means preventing said ferrules from being displaced from said grooves toward said holes, said displacement preventing means comprising an annular flange on said mirror holder, said annular flange being held in abutting engagement with said cable attachment means and having portions each lying across one of said grooves and located between the ferrule disposed therein and the hole communicating therewith.

8. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount with a shaft extending therefrom, said shaft having first cam means with a first cam surface;

(b) a housing having a bottom plate disposed on said mount with said shaft and said first cam means extending therethrough;

(c) fastener means including a ring having second cam means with a second cam surface, said ring extending around said shaft and engaging said bottom plate, said second cam means being disposed between said first cam means and said bottom plate with said first and second cam surfaces engaging each other;

(d) means locking said fastener means to said housing;

(e) a mirror holder;

(f) means mounted in said housing and supporting said mirror holder for universal pivotal movement about a fixed pivot point;

(g) an actuator;

(h) a plurality of control cables for connecting said actuator to said mirror holder at a plurality of points angularly spaced around said fixed pivot point;

(i) cable attachment means mounted on said mirror holder and having a plurality of grooves therein that correspond in position to said angularly spaced points, each of said control cables having on one end a ferrule including a portion having a diameter greater than the width of one of said grooves and retained therein, said grooves extending in radial relation to said fixed pivot point, there being holes in said cable attachment means, each said hole communicating with oe of said grooves and being greater in diameter than said ferrule; and

(j) said mirror holder having means retaining a portion of said cable attachment means by preventing said ferrules from being displaced from said grooves toward said holes, there being a threaded fastener extending through one of said holes threadedly into said mirror holder.

9. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount;

(b) a housing secured to said housing mount;

(c) a mirror holder;

(d) cable attachment means mounted on said mirror holder and having a plurality of grooves therein disposed at angularly spaced points, and extending radially from a fixed pivot point, said cable attachment means having holes each of which communicates with one of said grooves;

(e) means mounted in said housing and supporting said cable attachment means for universal pivotal movement about said fixed pivot point;

(f) an actuator;

(g) a plurality of control cables each connected at one end to said actuator;

(h) a plurality of ferrules secured to the other end of said control cables, each ferrule having a portion with a diameter greater than the width of said grooves and said diameter being less than that of said holes, said ferrules being disposed in said grooves; and

(i) means on said mirror holder retaining said ferrules in said grooves, said retaining means comprising an annular flange on said mirror holder, said annular flange being held in abutting engagement with said cable attachment means and having portions each lying across one of said grooves and located between the ferrule disposed therein and the hole communicating therewith.

10. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount;

(b) a housing secured to said housing mount;

(c) a mirror holder;

(d) cable attachment means mounted on said mirror holder and having a plurality of grooves therein disposed at angularly spaced points, and extending radially from a fixed pivot point, said cable attachment means having holes each of which communicates with one of said grooves;

(e) means mounted in said housing and supporting said cable attachment means for universal pivotal movement about said fixed pivot point;

(f) an actuator;

(g) a plurality of control cables each connected at one end to said actuator;

(h) a plurality of ferrules secured to the other end of said control cables, each ferrule having a portion with a diameter greater than the width of said grooves and said diameter being less than that of said holes, said ferrules being disposed in said grooves;

(i) means on said mirror holder retaining said ferrules in said grooves;

(j) means on said mirror holder retaining a porton of said cable attachment means; and

(k) a threaded fastener extending through one of said holes threadedly into said mirror holder.

11. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount with a shaft extending therefrom, said shaft having first cam means with a first cam surface;

(b) a housing having a bottom plate disposed on said mount with said shaft and said first cam means extending therethrough;

(c) fastener means disposed entirely within said housing and including a ring having a second cam means with a second cam surface, said ring extending around said shaft and engaging said bottom plate, said second cam means being disposed between said first cam means and said bottom plate with said first and second cam surfaces engaging each other;

(d) means locking said fastener means to said housing;

(e) a mirror holder;

(f) means mounted in said housing and detachably supporting said mirror holder for universal pivotal movement about a fixed pivot point, said fastener ring being accessible for movement only when said mirror holder has been detached;

(g) an actuator; and

(h) a plurality of control cables connecting said actuator to said mirror holder at a plurality of points angularly spaced around said fixed pivot point.

12. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly according to claim 11 including bar means longitudinally slidably disposed in a slot in said supporting means, said bar means having a ball on one end thereof, and said mirror holder having a socket in which said ball is fitted.

13. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly according to claim 11, including separate cable attachment means detachably mounted on said mirror holder and having a depression that positionally corresponds to said fixed pivot point, said detachable supporting means having a hemispherical member for relative pivoting seated in said depression, and said plurality of control cables being connected to said cable attachment means.

14. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly according to claim 11, including separate cable attachment means detachably mounted on said mirror holder and having a plurality of grooves therein that correspond in position to said angularly spaced points, each of said control cables having on one end a ferrule including a portion having a diameter greater than the width of one of said grooves and retained therein, said grooves extending in radial relation to said fixed pivot point, there being holes in said cable attachment means each of which communicates with one of said grooves and is greater in diameter than said ferrule, and said mirror holder having means preventing said ferrules from being displaced from said grooves toward said holes.

15. A remote control rear-view mirror assembly, comprising:

(a) a mounting bracket having a housing mount;

(b) a housing interfitting with said housing mount;

(c) fastener means clamping said housing to said housing mount;

(d) a mirror holder having a socket at an edge thereof;

(e) means fixedly mounted in said housing and supporting said mirror holder for universal pivotal movement about a central fixed pivot point;

(f) an actuator;

(g) a plurality of control cables connecting said actuator to said mirror holder at a plurality of points angularly spaced around said fixed pivot point;

(h) bar means longitudinally slidably disposed and guided in a slot in said fixed supporting means; and

(i) a ball on one end of said bar means pivotally fitted into said socket.