Combined adjustable outside mirror with swing lock mechanism

• US 5,332,186 A
• Filed: 11/16/1992
• Issued: 07/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delbar Products, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delbar Products, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Lutz, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOTKOWSKI, KAREN
• Application Number:
  US07/977,095
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 248/549, 248/900, 248/289.1, 248/479, 248/477, 248/478, 359/841, 359/872, 359/874, 359/876
• US Class Current: 248/549
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/076 yieldable to excessive external force and provided with an indexed use position B60R1/0617, B60R1/074 take precedence

Abstract

A mirror swing lock mechanism comprises an arm mounted at one end to the outside surface of a vehicle and a mirror heat assembly. The head assembly includes a first planar surface supported on a second planar surface associated with said arms coacting detent elements are formed in said planar surfaces for locating said mirror head assembly in either a first laterally extended rear viewing position or a second non rearward viewing position generally folded against the vehicle surface.

Claims

1. A mirror swing lock mechanism of the type comprising an arm (16) adapted to be mounted at one end to the exterior surface (12) of a vehicle, said arm projecting from said vehicle surface and laterally spaced therefrom;

a mirror head assembly (18);

means (32) having an axis (42) for pivotally supporting the mirror head assembly upon the arm whereby the assembly may be rotated between a first non-rearward viewing position proximate said vehicle surface and a second rearward viewing position laterally spaced outwardly of the vehicle surface; and

a detent mechanism for retaining said mirror head assembly in either of said positions;

the improvement including;

(a) said mirror head assembly having a planar base portion (26);

(b) a first set of detent elements (50) integrally formed in said planar base portion and radially spaced about the axis (42) of the pivotal support means;

(c) a recess (54) formed in said arm;

(d) a deformable and compressible member (52) disposed in said recess and including a planar surface (53) adapted to be abuttingly disposed opposite the planar base portion (26) of the mirror head assembly and having a second set of detent elements (56) of complementary shapes and sizes to said first set of detent elements, said first and second detent elements coacting to locate the mirror head between its first and second positions;

(e) the means (32) for pivotally supporting the mirror head assembly extending through both the head assembly planar base portion (26) and the planar surface (53) of the deformable member;

(f) the pivotal support means (32) including spring means (38) biasing said head assembly base portion (26) against the planar surface (53) of the deformable member to provide the primary load bearing surfaces as the mirror head assembly is rotated between the first and second positions.

2. A mirror swing lock mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which each of the detent elements is of elongated shape with the length being generally radial relative to said axis of rotation and having a width generally one half the dimension of said length.

3. A mirror swing lock mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second detent elements are of complementary male and female shapes and are adapted to nest within one and other when the mirror head is in either its first or second position, said detent elements being spaced from each other in a direction generally perpendicular to the planar surfaces (26,53) of the mirror head assembly and the deformable and compressible member when the elements are fully nested within each other whereby the planar base portion (26) of the mirror head assembly and the planar surface (53) of the deformable member abuttingly engage to provide the predominant bearing support surfaces between the mirror head assembly and the arm.

4. A mirror swing lock mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein each detent element includes a pair of inclined surfaces (51, 57), with the angle of each inclined surface being in the range of 58°

to 62°

to the planar base portion (26) of the mirror head assembly.

5. A mirror swing lock mechanism of the type comprising an arm (16) adapted to be mounted at one end to the exterior surface (12) of a vehicle, said arm projecting from said vehicle surface and laterally spaced therefrom;

a mirror head assembly (18);

means (32) having an axis (42) for pivotally supporting the mirror head assembly upon the arm whereby assembly may be rotated between a first non-rearward viewing position proximate said vehicle surface and a second rearward viewing position laterally spaced outwardly of the vehicle surface; and

a detent mechanism for retaining said mirror head assembly in either of said positions;

the improvement including;

(a) said mirror head assembly being formed of a plastic material and having a planar base portion (26);

(b) a first set of detent elements (50) integrally formed in said planar base portion (26) and radially spaced about the axis of the pivotal support means;

(c) a recess (54) formed in said arm;

(d) a deformable and compressible member (52) formed of a non-cellular plastic material and disposed in said recess and including a planar surface (53) and having a second set of detent elements (56) of complementary shapes and sizes to said first set of detent elements, said first and second detent elements coacting to locate the mirror head between its first and second positions;

(e) the means (32) for pivotally supporting the mirror head assembly extending through both the head assembly planar base portion (260 and the planar surface (53) of the deformable member and including spring means (38) for resiliently biasing said planar surface (53) and said planar base portion (26) against each other to provide the primary load bearing surfaces as the mirror head assembly is rotated upon the arm between the first and second position.

6. A mirror swing lock mechanism as set forth in claim 5 wherein the first and second detent elements are of complementary male and female shapes and are adapted to nest within one and other when the mirror head is in either its first or second position, said detent elements being spaced from each other in a direction generally perpendicular to the planar surfaces (26, 53) of the mirror head assembly and the deformable and compressible member when the elements are fully nested within each other whereby the planar base portion (26) of the mirror head assembly and the planar surfaces (53) of the deformable member abuttingly engage to provide the predominant rotational bearing support surfaces between the mirror head assembly and the arm.

7. A mirror swing lock mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein each detent element includes a pair of outwardly flared inclined surfaces (51, 57), with the angle of each inclined surface being in the range of 58°

to 62°

to the planar base portion (26) of the mirror head assembly to enable the coacting detent elements to locate the mirror head assembly in either of its two positions.

8. A mirror swing lock mechanism as set forth in claim 7 in which each of the detent elements is of elongated shape with the length being generally radial relative to said axis of rotation and having a width generally one half the dimension of said length.