Mechanically adjustable rear-view mirror

• US 4,991,950 A
• Filed: 09/07/1988
• Issued: 02/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mekra Rangau Plastics GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Mekra Rangau Plastics GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Lang, Heinrich, Seiboth, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAFER, RICKY D
• Application Number:
  US07/243,102
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 350/637, 350/632, 350/633, 350/634, 350/636, 350/606, 248/481, 248/483, 248/479, 248/484, 248/487
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0612 by electrically actuated means

Abstract

A mechanically adjustable rear-view mirror has a mounting unit (7) to attach it to a truck. A servomotor unit (20) is mounted between a base plate (18) attached to the mounting unit and a support plate (19) running roughly parallel to the base plate. The base plate is firmly attached to a housing (1) containing the mirror (3). The servomotor unit (20) contains two servomotors (31, 32) which are attached to the support plate (19) and connected to the base plate (18) via actuators (37, 38) and universal joints (41, 42). In addition, a bearing support (43) which is also connected to the base plate (18) by a universal joint (44) is attached to the support plate (19). A pair of universal joints (41, 44 or 42, 44) form a pivot axis for the opposite servomotor (31, 32). This construction is simple, is easy to install and is very stable.

Claims

1. A mechanically adjustable rear-view mirror for motor vehicles, comprising a housing (1) holding a mirror glass (3), a mounting unit (7) for securely fixing to the vehicle, a base plate (18, 18'"'"') which is fixed relative to the mounting unit (7) and with a servomotor unit (20, 20'"'"') mounted between the base plate (18, 18'"'"') and the housing (1), said servomotor unit comprising two servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"') with actuators by which the housing (1) is pivoted around two pivot axes (45,

     46) which lie practically perpendicular to one another, wherein a support plate (19, 19'"'"') immediately next to the mirror glass (3) in the housing (1) is securely mounted relative to the housing (1), the servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"') are mounted to said support plate (19, 19'"'"') between said support plate and the base plate (18, 18'"'"'), the actuators of the servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"') are each connected to the base plate (18, 18'"'"') by a universal joint (41,

     42), a bearing support (43,

     55) is mounted on the support plate (19, 19'"'"') and is connected to the base plate (18;

18'"'"') by means of a universal joint (44;

     58), and the universal joint (44;

     58) of the bearing support (43;

     55) and one universal joint (41,

     42) of each servomotor (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"') form the pivot axes (46,

     45) of the other servomotor (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"').

2. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 1, wherein the universal joints (41, 42, 44;

58) are formed as universal ball joints.

3. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing (1) has exterior side panels (24, 25) one of which is steep relative to the mirror (3), and the other one is flatter;

whereby a pivot axis (46) runs roughly parallel to the exterior side panels (24,

     25), the servomotor (31;

31'"'"') needed to pivot around the other pivot axis (45) being mounted between the pivot axis (46) and the steeper exterior side panel (24).

4. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base plate (18;

18'"'"'), the support plate (19;

19'"'"'), the servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"') and the bearing support (43;

     55) form a removable unit with the housing (1).

5. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 4, wherein there is a sealing sleeve (27) is located between the base plate (18;

18'"'"') and the mounting unit (7) which is fixed to an opening (29) in the housing (1).

6. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 1, Wherein the servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"') comprise an electric motor (33) followed by a reduction unit (34) having adjustment linkages formed by one eccentric drive (37) on which is attached the actuator (38).

7. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 1, wherein the universal joint (58) connecting the support plate (19'"'"') to the base plate (18'"'"') via the bearing support (55) is elastically pre-tensioned.

8. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 7, wherein the universal joint (58) has an at least partially spherical bearing body (57) attached to the bearing support (55) against which a backing shell (59) of the base plate (18'"'"') on the one side and a bearing cap (60) are held together by elastic tension.

9. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 1, wherein the servomotors (31'"'"', 32'"'"') are connected to the adjusting links by friction clutches.

10. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 1, wherein said glass (13) is held by a glass mounting (2) contained in a housing.

11. A mechanically adjustable rear-view mirror for motor vehicles, comprising a housing (1) holding a mirror glass (3), a mounting unit (7) for securely fixing said housing to the vehicle, a base plate (18;

18'"'"') which is fixed relative to the mounting unit (7) and with a servomotor unit (20;

20'"'"') mounted between the base plate (18;

18") and the housing (1), said servomotor unit comprising two servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"') with actuators by which the housing (1) is pivoted around two pivot axis (45,

     46) which lie practically perpendicular to one another, wherein a support plate (19, 19'"'"') immediately next to the mirror glass (3) in the housing (1) is securely mounted relative to the housing (1), the servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"' 32'"'"') are mounted to said support plate (19, 19'"'"') between said support plate and the base plate (18, 18'"'"'), the actuators of the servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"' 32'"'"') are each connected to the base plate (18, 18'"'"') by a universal joint (41,

     42), a bearing support (43,

     55) is mounted on the support plate (19, 19'"'"') and is connected to the base plate (18, 18'"'"') by means of a universal joint (44,

     58), and the universal joint (44,

     58) of the bearing support (43,

     55) and one universal joint (41,

     42) of each servomotor (31, 32;

31'"'"' 32'"'"') form the pivot axis (46,

     45) of the other servomotor (31, 32;

31'"'"', 32'"'"'); and

wherein the universal joint (58) connecting the support plate (19'"'"') to the base plate (18'"'"') via the bearing support (55) is elastically pre-tensioned.

12. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 11, wherein the universal joints (41, 42, 44, 58) are formed as universal ball joints.

13. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 11, wherein the housing (1) has exterior side panels (24, 25) one of which is steep relative to the mirror (3), and the other one is flatter;

whereby a pivot axis (46) runs roughly parallel to the exterior side panels (24,

     25), the servomotor (31, 31'"'"') needed to pivot around the other pivot axis (45) being mounted between the pivot axis (46) and the steeper exterior side panel (24).

14. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 11, wherein the base plate (18, 18'"'"'), the support plate (19, 19'"'"'), the servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"' 32'"'"') and the bearing support (43,

     55) form a removable unit with the housing (1).

15. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 11, wherein there is a sealing sleeve (27) located between the base plate (18, 18'"'"') and the mounting unit (7) which is fixed to an opening (29) in the housing (1).

16. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 11, wherein the servomotors (31, 32;

31'"'"' 32'"'"') comprise an electric motor (33) followed by a reduction u nit (34) having adjustment linkages formed by one eccentric drive (37) on which is attached the actuator (38).

17. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 11, wherein the universal joint (58) has an at least partially spherical bearing body (57) attached to the bearing support (55) against which a backing shell (59) of the base plate (18'"'"') on the one side and a bearing cap (60) are held together by elastic tension.

18. A rear-view mirror in accordance with claim 11, wherein the servomotors (31'"'"', 32'"'"') are connected to the adjusting links by friction clutches.