Exterior mirror with indexing and control pivoting
First Claim
1. A vehicle mirror assembly comprisinga housing assembly,a mirror unit mounted on said housing assembly,a support assembly constructed and arranged to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle and to support said housing assembly thereon in an operative position extending laterally outwardly from the vehicle so that said mirror unit serves as an exterior rear view mirror for the driver of the vehicle,a power operated pivot assembly within said housing assembly constructed and arranged to enable said housing assembly to be pivoted with respect to said support assembly about a generally upright axis (1) between the operative position thereof and a folded position with respect to the vehicle in response to the power operation of said pivot assembly and (2) from the operative position thereof in either direction in response to an unwanted impact blow applied in either direction thereto,said power operated pivot assembly including an electric motor and a speed reduction motion transmitting assembly between an output shaft of said electric motor and said housing assembly and an outer fixed tubular member fixed to said support assembly,said speed reduction motion transmitting assembly including a motion transmitting member connected to move in response to a desired rotational movement of said output shaft and a movable tubular member positioned concentric with said axis connected to move with said housing assembly,a spring biased pivotal control system mounted within said outer fixed tubular member between said movable tubular member and said outer fixed tubular member and constructed and arranged to provide a control resistance to pivotal movement of said movable tubular member about said axis and hence the housing assembly connected thereto which control resistance (1) does not exceed a predetermined value when said housing assembly is moved in either direction between said operative and folded positions and (2) exceeds said predetermined value when said housing assembly is moved into said operative position in a direction away from said folded position and away from said operative position in response to an unwanted impact blow applied to said housing assembly in a direction away from said folded position anda spring biased indexing system between said motion transmitting member and said movable tubular member constructed and arranged to (1) transmit the movement of said motion transmitting member in response to a desired rotation of said output shaft to said movable tubular member to thereby move said housing assembly between said operative and folded positions with said control system providing a control resistance to such movement which does not exceed said predetermined value in response to the desired rotation of said motor shaft and (2) allow said movable tubular member to be moved with said housing assembly from the operative position thereof relative to said motion transmitting member in response to an unwanted impact blow applied to said housing assembly (1) in a direction to move said housing assembly from said operative position toward said folded position with said indexing system providing an indexing resistance to such movement which is independent of the control resistance provided by said control system and (2) in a direction to move said housing assembly beyond the operative position thereof away from said folded position with said indexing system providing an indexing resistance which is independent of the control resistance provided by said control system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle mirror assembly comprising a housing assembly, a mirror unit, a support assembly to support the housing assembly thereon, a power operated pivot assembly between the support assembly and the housing assembly to enable the housing assembly to be pivoted with respect to the support assembly about a generally upright axis (1) between an operative position and a folded position in response to the power operation of the pivot assembly and (2) from the operative position thereof in either direction in response to an unwanted impact blow applied in either direction thereto. A spring biased pivotal control system is disposed between a movable tubular member of the pivot assembly and the support assembly to provide a control resistance to pivotal movement of the movable tubular member and hence the housing assembly connected thereto. A spring biased indexing system is disposed between a motion transmitting member and the movable tubular member to (1) transmit the movement of the motion transmitting member under power to the movable tubular member to thereby move the housing assembly between the operative and folded positions with the control system providing a control resistance and (2) allow the movable tubular member to be moved from the operative position relative to the motion transmitting member in response to an unwanted impact blow applied to the housing assembly in either direction to move the housing assembly from the operative position with the indexing system providing an indexing resistance to such movement which is independent of the control resistance.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A vehicle mirror assembly comprising
a housing assembly, a mirror unit mounted on said housing assembly, a support assembly constructed and arranged to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle and to support said housing assembly thereon in an operative position extending laterally outwardly from the vehicle so that said mirror unit serves as an exterior rear view mirror for the driver of the vehicle, a power operated pivot assembly within said housing assembly constructed and arranged to enable said housing assembly to be pivoted with respect to said support assembly about a generally upright axis (1) between the operative position thereof and a folded position with respect to the vehicle in response to the power operation of said pivot assembly and (2) from the operative position thereof in either direction in response to an unwanted impact blow applied in either direction thereto, said power operated pivot assembly including an electric motor and a speed reduction motion transmitting assembly between an output shaft of said electric motor and said housing assembly and an outer fixed tubular member fixed to said support assembly, said speed reduction motion transmitting assembly including a motion transmitting member connected to move in response to a desired rotational movement of said output shaft and a movable tubular member positioned concentric with said axis connected to move with said housing assembly, a spring biased pivotal control system mounted within said outer fixed tubular member between said movable tubular member and said outer fixed tubular member and constructed and arranged to provide a control resistance to pivotal movement of said movable tubular member about said axis and hence the housing assembly connected thereto which control resistance (1) does not exceed a predetermined value when said housing assembly is moved in either direction between said operative and folded positions and (2) exceeds said predetermined value when said housing assembly is moved into said operative position in a direction away from said folded position and away from said operative position in response to an unwanted impact blow applied to said housing assembly in a direction away from said folded position and a spring biased indexing system between said motion transmitting member and said movable tubular member constructed and arranged to (1) transmit the movement of said motion transmitting member in response to a desired rotation of said output shaft to said movable tubular member to thereby move said housing assembly between said operative and folded positions with said control system providing a control resistance to such movement which does not exceed said predetermined value in response to the desired rotation of said motor shaft and (2) allow said movable tubular member to be moved with said housing assembly from the operative position thereof relative to said motion transmitting member in response to an unwanted impact blow applied to said housing assembly (1) in a direction to move said housing assembly from said operative position toward said folded position with said indexing system providing an indexing resistance to such movement which is independent of the control resistance provided by said control system and (2) in a direction to move said housing assembly beyond the operative position thereof away from said folded position with said indexing system providing an indexing resistance which is independent of the control resistance provided by said control system.
Specification