External rearview mirror for vehicles, especially for motor vehicles

• US 5,943,176 A
• Filed: 03/07/1997
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Mertens, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US08/813,617
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/875, 359/876, 359/877, 248/477, 248/478, 248/479, 248/480, 248/481, 248/483
• US Class Current: 359/872
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

An external rearview mirror for motor vehicles includes a support having a spherical inner support surface and a mirror holder pivotably connected to the support. At least one guide element for supporting the mirror holder in a selected position relative to the support is provided. The at least one guide element has a curved outer surface resting at the spherical inner support surface. At least one spring for securing face-to-face the curved outer surface of the at least one guide element at the spherical inner support surface is provided.

Claims

1. An external rearview mirror for motor vehicles, said rearview mirror comprising:

a support having a spherical inner support surface;

a mirror holder pivotably connected to said support;

at least one guide element for supporting said mirror holder in a selected position relative to said support;

said at least one guide element having a curved outer surface resting at said spherical inner support surface;

at least one spring for securing face-to-face said curved outer surface of said at least one guide element at said spherical inner support surface;

said at least one guide element having an inner side and said at least one spring resting directly at said inner side of said at least one guide element;

spring stays connecting said mirror holder and said support to one another, said spring stays forming an universal joint arrangement between said mirror holder and said support.

2. A rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said at least one guide element rests elastically deformed at said spherical inner support surface.

3. A rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said at least one spring is an annular spring.

4. A rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said at least one spring is secured at said support.

5. A rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said mirror holder has a circular contour.

6. A rearview mirror according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of said guide elements are distributed over a circumference of said mirror holder and wherein the curved outer surfaces of said guide elements rest at said spherical inner support surface.

7. A rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said at least one guide element comprises at least one transverse stay for connecting said at least one guide element to said mirror holder.

8. A rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said support has a receiving member and wherein said mirror holder has at least one bearing part secured in said receiving member.

9. A rearview mirror according to claim 8, wherein said mirror holder has a support part and wherein said spring stays are connected to said support part and to said at least one bearing part.

10. A rearview mirror according to claim 9, wherein said spring stays are arranged at an angular spacing of 90°

to one another.

11. A rearview mirror for motor vehicles, said rearview mirror comprising:

a support having a spherical inner support surface;

a mirror holder pivotably connected to said support;

at least one guide element for supporting said mirror holder in a selected position relative to said support;

said at least one guide element having a curved outer surface resting at said spherical inner support surface;

at least one spring for securing face-to-face said curved outer surface of said at least one guide element at said spherical inner support surface;

said support having a receiving member and said mirror holder having at least one bearing part secured in said receiving member;

said mirror holder having a support part and including spring stays for connecting said support part to said at least one bearing part;

a ring having an exterior wall and an interior wall, wherein two of said spring stays are connected diametrically opposed to one another to said exterior wall and connects said ring to said support part and wherein two of said spring stays are connected diametrically opposed to one another to said interior wall and connects said ring to said at least one bearing part.

12. A rearview mirror according to claim 11, wherein said spring stays are arranged at an angular spacing of 90°

to one another.