Mirror stabilizing construction

• US 6,264,338 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2000
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADAC Plastics Incorporated (ADAC Automotive, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADAC Plastics Incorporated (ADAC Automotive, Inc.)
• Inventors: MacFarland, Robert W., Young, Richard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US09/483,287
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 359/871, 359/872, 359/850, 359/838, 359/841, 359/843, 359/844, 359/845, 359/846, 359/865, 359/878, 359/223, 359/224, 359/225, 359/226, 359/555, 359/556
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

An outside rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle of the type in which the mirror glass is selectively movably relative to the mirror housing to achieve the desired rearview image. A viscous damper device is positioned within the mirror housing, interconnects the mirror housing and the mirror glass, and is operative to damp vibrational movement of the mirror glass relative to the mirror housing so as to present a steady mirror image to the operator.

Claims

1. An outside rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle including a housing adapted to be attached to the motor vehicle and including an annular rim circumscribing a cavity defined by the housing, and a mirror glass assembly positioned in the cavity within the housing rim and mounted for selective movement relative to the housing to selectively vary the position of the mirror glass assembly relative to the housing and thereby selectively vary the image perceived in the mirror glass assembly by a motor vehicle operator, characterized in that:

the mirror assembly further includes a damper device positioned within the cavity between the housing and the mirror glass assembly and operative to damp vibrational movement of the mirror glass assembly relative to the housing whereby to present a steady mirror image to the operator; and

the damper device comprises a first member, a second member defining a slide structure mounted for reciprocal sliding movement in the first member and thereby defining a chamber therebetween, and a viscous material trapped in and filling the chamber and dampening the reciprocal sliding movement of the slide structure in the first member, wherein said chamber is sealed, and one of said members is connected to said mirror glass assembly and the other of said members is connected to said housing to damp vibrational movement of the mirror glass assembly relative to the housing.

2. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

the second member comprises a piston defining said slide structure at one end thereof and secured at another end thereof to one of said housing and said mirror glass assembly; and

the first member comprises a cylinder positioned in the cavity, containing the viscous material, slidably receiving said one end of said piston, and secured at another end thereof to the other of said housing and said mirror glass assembly.

3. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

the first member comprises a first arm secured at a first end thereof to one of said housing and said mirror glass assembly and defining said chamber at a second end thereof; and

the second member comprises a second arm secured at a first end thereof to the other of said housing and said mirror glass assembly, pivotally connected at a second end thereof to the second end of the first arm, and carrying the vane structure at the second end thereof constituting said slide structure and rotatably received in said chamber.

4. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

the mirror glass assembly is mounted for pivotal movement relative to the housing about a pivot axis; and

the damper device extends between the housing and a location on the mirror glass assembly remote from the pivot axis.

5. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

the mirror glass assembly comprises a mirror glass and a backing plate supporting the mirror glass; and

the damper device extends between the housing and the backing plate.

10. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first member comprises a cylinder containing the viscous material, the second member comprises a vane mounted for rotary movement in the cylinder, and the viscous damper device further includes means operative to rotate the vane relative to the cylinder in response to vibrational movement of the mirror glass relative to the housing.

11. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 10 wherein the cylinder is fixedly secured to the housing within the cavity.

12. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 11 wherein the operative means comprises a pinion secured to the vane, a rack driving the pinion, and means moving the rack in response to vibrational movement of the mirror glass.

13. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 12 wherein:

the mirror is mounted for pivotal movement relative to the housing about a pivot axis; and

the moving means comprises a first link connecting one end of the rack to a point on the mirror assembly at one side of the pivot axis and a second link connecting another end of the rack to a point on the mirror assembly at another side of the pivot axis.

6. An outside rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:

a housing adapted to be attached to the motor vehicle and including an annular rim circumscribing a cavity defined by the housing;

a mirror glass positioned in the cavity within the housing rim;

a backing plate positioned in the cavity in backing relation to the mirror glass and mounted for selective movement relative to the housing to selectively vary the position of the mirror glass relative to the housing and thereby selectively vary the image perceived in the mirror glass by a motor vehicle operator; and

a viscous damper device positioned within the cavity between the housing and the backing plate and operative to damp vibrational movement of the mirror glass relative to the housing whereby to present a steady mirror image to the operator;

the damper device comprising a first member, a second member defining a slide structure mounted for reciprocal sliding movement in the first member and thereby defining a chamber therebetween, and a viscous material trapped in and filling the chamber and dampening the reciprocal sliding movement of the slide structure in the first member, wherein said chamber is sealed, and one of said members is connected to said backing plate and the other of said members is connected to said housing to damp vibrational movement of the mirror glass relative to the housing.

7. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 6 wherein:

the second member comprises a piston defining said slide structure at one end thereof and pivotally connected at another end thereof to one of said housing and said backing plate; and

the first member comprises a cylinder positioned in the cavity, containing the viscous material, slidably receiving said one end of said piston, and pivotally connected at another end thereof to the other of said housing and said backing plate.

8. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 7 wherein the cylinder is pivotally connected to the housing and the piston is pivotally connected to the backing plate.

9. An outside rearview mirror assembly according to claim 6 wherein:

the first member comprises a first arm pivotally connected at a first end thereof to one of said housing and said backing plate and defining said chamber at a second end thereof; and

the second member comprises a second arm pivotally connected at a first end thereof to the other of said housing and said backing plate, pivotally connected at a second end thereof to the second end of the first arm, and carrying a vane structure at the second end thereof constituting said slide structure and rotatably received in said chamber.

14. An outside rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle including a housing adapted to be attached to the motor vehicle and including an annular rim circumscribing a cavity defined by the housing rim and mounted for selective movement relative to the housing to selectively vary the position of the mirror glass assembly relative to the housing and thereby selectively vary the image perceived in the mirror glass assembly by a motor vehicle operator, characterized in that:

the mirror assembly further includes a damper device positioned within the cavity between the housing and the mirror glass assembly and operative to damp vibrational movement of the mirror glass assembly relative to the housing whereby to present a steady mirror image to the operator;

the damper device comprises a first member, a second member defining a slide structure mounted for reciprocal sliding movement in the first member and thereby defining a chamber therebetween, wherein said chamber is sealed, and a viscous material trapped in the chamber and dampening the reciprocal movement of the slide structure in the first memeber;

the second member comprises a piston defining said slide structure at one end thereof and secured at another end thereof to one of the said housing and said mirror glass assembly;

the first member comprises a cylinder positioned in the cavity, containing the viscous material, slidely receiving said one end of said piston, and secured at another end thereof to the other of said housing and said mirror glass assembly; and

the cylinder is securing the housing and the piston is securing to the mirror glass assembly. first member and thereby defining a chamber therebetween, wherein said chamber is sealed, and a viscous material trapped in the chamber and dampening the reciprocal movement of the slide structure in the first member;

the second member comprises a piston defining said slide structure at one end thereof and secured at another end thereof to one of the said housing and said mirror glass assembly;

the first member comprises a cylinder positioned in the cavity, containing the viscous material, slidably receiving said one end of said piston, and secured at another end thereof to the other of said housing and said mirror glass assembly; and

the cylinder is securing the housing and the piston is securing to the mirror glass assembly.