Mirror housing with electrical connector

• US 5,971,553 A
• Filed: 02/16/1999
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Durnwald, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spyrou, Cassandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US09/250,716
• Time in Patent Office: 252 Days
• Field of Search: 359/871, 359/872, 359/874, 359/877, 359/878, 359/604, 359/601, 359/602, 248/468, 248/495, 248/496, 362/83.1, 362/71, 362/144
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/631 for engagement only
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/743 integral with the housing

Abstract

An interior rearview mirror is provided for vehicles having electrically operated components requiring connection to a power source with a blind assembly. The mirror includes a mirror housing having a back wall that defines an opening adapted to closely receive an electrical power source connector for operating components in the mirror. An electrical component connector in the housing is aligned with the opening and has substantially parallel sidewalls with a cross-sectional shape configured and adapted to stably engage the power source connector when the power source connector is attached to the component connector. The housing includes a protruding ridge that juts outwardly and protrudes from an exterior surface of the wall on one or more sides of the opening. The ridge includes angled inner surfaces forming a comer leading toward the opening. The ridge forms an enlarged target shaped to provide a feel to an installing person that facilitates assembly by directing the power source connector toward the component connector during a blind assembly.

Claims

1. An interior rearview mirror for vehicles having an electrically operated component requiring connection to a power source, the power source including a quick attach electrical power source connector having a predetermined cross-sectional shape, comprising:

a mirror housing to hold various mirror components including an electrical component connector for powering the mirror components, the mirror housing including a wall having marginal material that defines an opening to closely receive the power source connector, the electrical component connector defining a connector socket in the housing aligned with the opening and has substantially parallel sidewalls with a cross-sectional shape configured and stably engages the electrical power source connector, the housing including at least one protrusion that juts outwardly from an exterior surface of the wall on at least one side of the opening, the protrusion being configured to act as a target to direct the power source connector toward the electrical connector socket during blind assembly where visual access is denied, thus facilitating assembly, and

wherein the protrusion includes an outwardly flared and angled surface on an inner side adjacent the connector socket, and forms a relatively well defined ramp in order to align said power source connector.

2. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the flared and angled surface forms a ramp leading toward the connector socket.

3. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 2, wherein the flared and angled surface includes an angled linear section integrally formed as part of the marginal material that forms a chute that leads into the connector socket.

4. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the protrusion includes protruding ridge sections formed along at least two sides of the connector socket.

5. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 4, wherein the protruding ridge sections are located on adjacent sides of the connector socket and form a corner inclined toward the connector socket.

6. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 5, wherein the protruding ridge sections are located on three sides of the connector socket.

7. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the protrusion includes inner surfaces angled toward the electrical connector socket, with the inner surfaces increasing a target area of the connector socket by at least about 10 percent.

8. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the protrusion includes a protruding corner section located at a corner formed by the connector socket.

9. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the protrusion comprises a vertical rib that extends along a side of an opening defined by the connector socket.

10. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 9, including an access recess formed in the wall along a particular side of the opening, the access recess being shaped to allow access to a finger-release tab on one of the electrical component connector and the power source connector.

11. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 9, wherein the wall includes angled surfaces that extend from the rib toward the opening.

12. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein a height of the protrusion is at least about 2 mm higher than an outer surface of the wall.

13. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein a width of an area defined by the protrusion is at least about 2 mm greater than a width of an area defined by the connector socket.

14. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the protrusion is integrally formed from the marginal material of the wall.

15. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the wall comprises a back wall of the housing.

16. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 15, wherein the back wall includes curvilinear contoured surfaces adjacent an opening defined by the connector socket.

17. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the electrical component connector is a separate component that is mounted to the mirror housing in the mirror housing.

18. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 17, including a PC board mounted in the housing, and wherein the electrical component connector is mounted directly to the PC board.

19. In an interior rearview mirror for vehicles, where the interior rearview mirror has a mirror housing adapted to hold at least one electrically powered mirror component, and further has an electrical component connector configured for connection to an electrical power source connector having a predetermined cross-sectional shape, an improvement comprising:

the mirror housing including a component connector socket and further a wall defining an opening to receive the power source connector, and further including a protrusion proximate the opening that is configured to direct the power source connector toward the component connector socket during blind assembly of the power source connector to the component connector socket where visual access is denied, thus facilitating assembly, and

wherein the protrusion includes an outwardly flared and angled surface on an inner side adjacent the connector socket, and forms a relatively well defined ramp in order to align said power source connector.

20. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 19, wherein the protrusion extends outwardly from the mirror housing.

21. The interior rearview mirror defined in claim 20, where the protrusion defines an enlarged target with angled sides adapted to direct the power source connector toward the opening during assembly of the power source connector to the component connector.

22. A method of assembling an interior rearview mirror comprising steps of:

providing a mirror assembly including a housing with a wall and an electrical component connector located at an opening in the wall, the mirror assembly having a connector socket and further an outwardly extending protrusion formed on the wall that indicates a position of the electrical component connector; and

electrically connecting the mirror assembly to a vehicle including extending an electrical power source connector blindly and without visual recognition into the electrical component connector while using the protrusion as a target indicator, and

providing the protrusion including an outwardly flared and angled surface on an inner side adjacent the connector socket, and forming a relatively well defined corner in order to align said power source connector.

23. The method defined in claim 22, wherein the step of providing a mirror assembly includes providing at least one angled surface on the protrusion to provide an enlarged target, and wherein the step of attaching includes ramping the electrical power source connector along the angled surface into the electrical component connector.