Electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly

• US 5,226,034 A
• Filed: 12/03/1991
• Issued: 07/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Sekino, Takao, Nagayama, Yoshirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAFER, RICKY D
• Application Number:
  US07/800,514
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/876, 359/877, 74/89.11, 74/89.12, 74/89.15, 74/89.16, 248/480, 248/481, 248/484, 248/485, 248/486, 248/487, 248/900
• US Class Current: 359/873
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18584 Shaft shorter than nut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18776 Rectilinear rack

Abstract

The electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly has a pair of plungers to tilt the mirror body supporting the mirror horizontally and vertically, respectively, within certain pivoting angles. The mirror assembly has a sliding mechanism including another motor to axially slide at least one of these plungers beyond said certain pivoting angles of the mirror body. The sliding mechanism is so arranged as to have no influence on the adjustment of the mirror angle within the certain pivoting angles of the mirror body. Thus, the mirror posture can be changed quickly from the mirror angle adjusted within the certain pivoting angle for ordinary car driving to the mirror angle with which the mirror is tilted further downward, and also the initially adjusted mirror angle can be restored accurately.

Claims

1. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror;

a mirror body supporting said mirror;

a casing having a ball-and-socket joint which supports said mirror body pivotably;

a pair of plungers coupled with said mirror body and so disposed within said casing as to be moved forward and backward by a pair of motors, respectively, by means of reduction gear trains, respectively, to tilt said mirror body horizontally and vertically within certain pivoting angles; and

a sliding mechanism having another motor to slide at least one of said plungers axially and thus tilt said mirror body beyond one of said certain pivoting angles;

wherein said one of said plungers is formed like a tube having a female thread formed on the inner circumference thereof and also at least a protrusion extending radially from the outer circumference,

wherein said one of said plungers includes a hollow driving cylinder, said driving cylinder having formed on the outer circumference thereof a last-stage gear of said reduction gear train, and a guide recess formed on the inner circumference thereof to axially guide said protrusion of said plunger,

wherein said sliding mechanism includes

a slider provided at one end thereof with a male thread member which is in mesh with the female thread of said one of said plungers, and having a rack on an outer surface thereof,

another reduction gear train including a pinion which is in mesh with said rack, and

said another motor drives said another reduction gear train, and

wherein a positional relationship between said one of said plungers and said one end of said slider remains unchanged at times when said another motor slides said sliding mechanism.

2. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly, comprising:

a mirror;

a mirror body supporting said mirror;

a casing having a ball-and-socket joint which supports said mirror body pivotably;

a pair of plungers coupled with said mirror body and so disposed within said casing as to be moved forward and backward by a pair of motors, respectively, by means of reduction gear trains, respectively, to tilt said mirror body horizontally and vertically within certain pivoting angles;

at least one of said plungers being formed like a tube and having a female thread formed on the inner circumference thereof;

at least one hollow driving cylinder disposed concentrically with said one of said plungers and rotated by one of said pair of motors by means of one of said reduction gear trains, said driving cylinder having a means of permitting said one of said plungers to slide relative to said driving cylinder and blocking said one of said plungers against rotation;

at least one slider disposed concentrically with said one of said plungers and having a male thread member which is in mesh with the female thread of said one of said plungers and having a rack formed on the outer surface thereof;

another reduction gear train including a pinion which is in mesh with said rack; and

at least one other motor drives said another reduction gear train, whereby it is possible to slide said slider axially by means of said other motor to quickly tilt said mirror axially beyond one of said certain pivoting angles in order to check a rear wheel of a car.

3. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said driving cylinder has formed on the inner circumference thereof at least one recess extending axially and in which a portion of said one of said plungers is engaged, said recess permitting said one of said plungers to slide relative to said driving cylinder and blocking said one of said plungers against rotation.

4. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said one of said plungers, driving cylinder, and slider form together a telescopic structure.

5. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said slider comprises two slidable members of a telescopic structure, one of which has said male thread member in mesh with the female thread of said one of said plungers while the other has said rack formed on the outer surface thereof, said two slidable members being coupled to each other by means of a friction clutch.

6. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said friction clutch is adapted to be released when said mirror is tilted to a maximum angle beyond one of said certain pivoting angles.

7. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

a means of controlling the running of said other motor, said controlling means being adapted to tilt said mirror between a predetermined angle within one of said certain pivoting angles and a maximum angle beyond said one of said certain pivoting angles.

8. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein said controlling means includes a control circuit responsive to the sliding distance of said slider to stop said other motor from running.

9. An electrically remote-controlled type mirror assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said one of said plungers tilts said mirror body vertically.