Adjustment arrangement for rear view mirrors

• US 6,154,328 A
• Filed: 07/23/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Welsch, Frank, Oehlerking, Conrad
• Primary Examiner(s): Spyrou, Cassandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US09/121,287
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 359/877, 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/876, 359/843, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators

Abstract

An adjustment arrangement for at least two rear view mirrors of a vehicle has servo motors for positioning rear view mirrors by a pivoting and/or tilting mechanism, an actuating device for generating control signals for the common activation of the servo motors and a signal transmission device for transmitting signals between the actuating device and the servo motors. To carry out common adjustment of at least two mirrors with a mechanically simple system, the adjusting arrangement is configured so that the same control signal can be fed to the appropriate servo motors for the mirrors by the signal transmission device. During the adjustment action, the movements of the mirrors are in a predetermined relationship with one another.

Claims

1. An adjusting arrangement for adjusting a plurality of vehicle rear view mirrors comprising:

a plurality of rear view mirrors including a driver'"'"'s side mirror and a passenger'"'"'s side mirror;

mirror positioning means including a plurality of servo motors for positioning the mirrors by at least one of pivoting and tilting mechanisms;

actuating means for generating servo signals for joint activation of the servo motors;

selector switch means associated with the actuating means having a first operative mode to permit joint adjustment of at least two mirrors and a second operative mode to permit separate adjustment of only one of the mirrors;

signal transmission means for transmitting signals between the actuating means and the servo motors to produce adjustment of the mirrors; and

a two position mirror selector switch in the selector switch means which is switchable between only two selected operative positions;

one of the two selected positions permitting proportional joint adjustment of the plurality of mirrors;

the other of the two selected positions permitting separate adjustment of only one side mirror without permitting adjustment of any other mirror.

2. An adjusting arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of mirrors are adjustable in a 1:

1 ratio by operation of the servo motors.

3. An adjustment arrangement according to, claim 1 wherein the plurality of servo motors include two servo motors of like structure and further including a worm or gear transmission mechanism for each of the servo motors, the two transmissions having transmission ratios with a substantially proportionally relationship with each other.

4. An adjusting arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the selector switch is combined in one unit with a key switch in the actuating means.

5. An adjusting arrangement according to claim 1 including a first sensor for detecting the position of the driver'"'"'s seat and supplying a corresponding signal to the signal transmission means.

6. An adjusting device according to claim 5 including a second sensor for detecting the inclination of a backrest of the driver'"'"'s seat and supplying a corresponding signal to the signal transmission means.