Outside rear view mirror with sealed chamber

• US 6,247,823 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2000
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Hohe GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Hohe GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Fuerst, Peter, Fuchs, Hans-Joachim, Buchalla, Harald, Schnellbach, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US09/597,678
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 359/871, 359/872, 359/873, 359/877, 359/878
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators

Abstract

An outside rear view mirror for a motor vehicle includes a mirror element, a housing and a mirror foot fastenable to the motor vehicle. At least one electrical function element, in particular a contacting element, is provided in the outside rear view mirror. In order in a simple manner to protect the function element (9, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31) from moisture and dirt, there is provided in the outside rear view mirror (1) a sealable chamber (5), in which the electrical function element (9, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31) may be disposed.

Claims

1. An outside rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, the rear view mirror comprising:

a carrier plate mountable in a mirror housing of said rearview mirror, said carrier plate having a surface and said carrier plate including a recess provided at said surface of said carrier plate, said recess having a closed bottom part and sides with an upper portion with an opening, said bottom and sides delimiting said recess at a base and at sides;

a lid, said lid being fastened in a sealing manner to said upper portion so as to close said opening in a sealing manner defining a sealed chamber;

at least one electrical function element, said at least one electrical functional element including at least one contacting element, said at least one electrical functional element being disposed in said recess of said carrier plate.

2. An outside rear view mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein a parting line between said lid and said bottom part is substantially annular in shape.

3. An outside rear view mirror as claimed in claim 2, wherein said structure includes at least one sealing element in the form of a sealing ring disposed in said parting line between said lid and said bottom part.

4. An outside rear view mirror as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

two at least slightly deformable sealing elements disposed in the parting line between said lid and said bottom part, wherein when the sealed chamber is closed, said two at least slightly deformable sealing elements applied sealingly one against the other, wherein between said two at least slightly deformable sealing elements at least one ribbon cable is installable from outside into the interior of the sealed chamber.

5. An outside rear view mirror as claimed claim 2, further comprising one of a labyrinth seal and a protective collar is provided in the parting line outside of the sealed chamber.

6. An outside rear view mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bottom part said sealed chamber is integrated integrally in a carrier plate of the outside rear view mirror, to which carrier plate various function elements of the outside rear view mirror are fastenable.

7. An outside rear view mirror as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fastening element for fixing a mirror element to a mirror-adjusting mechanism, wherein said lid of said sealed chamber is formed substantially by a side of a mirror-adjusting mechanism, which side lies opposite said fastening element.

8. An outside rear view mirror as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one plug-in contact contacting element and an opposing contacting element, said plug-in contact contacting element being disposed in such a way that, when said lid is mounted on said bottom part, said opposing contacting element is contactable wherein on said lid and in the interior of the bottom part in each case at least one contacting element, in particular a plug-in contact, is disposed in such a way that, when the lid is mounted on the bottom part, the opposing contacting elements are contactable.

9. An outside rear view mirror as claimed in claim 1, wherein disposed in the interior of the sealed chamber is an electronic component, which forms a nodal point of a data bus system in the motor vehicle and from which various function elements in the outside rear view mirror may be activated.