Vehicle exterior mirror

• US 6,371,619 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Original Assignee: Britax Wingard Limited
• Inventors: Rehill, Graham, Assinder, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US09/523,002
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/871, 359/872, 359/877, 248/475.1, 248/478, 248/479, 248/483, 248/488, 248/900, 248/477
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/90 Movable or disengageable on impact or overload

Abstract

A vehicle door mirror having a housing. The housing connects to a vehicle door via a stem. An intermediate member is inserted between the housing and the vehicle door to effect relatively smooth abutment between the intermediate member and each of the housing and the vehicle door. The cylindrical stem extends from the housing through the intermediate member and through the vehicle door. The stem includes primary engagement members to engage with complementary engagement members formed in a mounting hole of the door. The engagement members prevent removal from the mounting hole when the stem is in a predetermined orientation. A spring is compressed between the housing and the stem to cause retraction of the stem inward of the housing. Such inward movement urges the primary engagement members into engagement with the complementary engagement members.

Claims

1. A vehicle door mirror comprising:

a housing;

an intermediate member having an abutment surface adapted to abut against a complementary surface of a vehicle door;

a cylindrical stem having a first end mounted to the housing for axial movement relative thereto, the stem having a second end projecting through a hole in the abutment surface so as to engage in a mounting hole in the door and having radial first primary engagement members adapted to engage with first complementary engagement members on the periphery of the mounting hole so as to prevent removal of the stem from the mounting hole when the stem is in a predetermined orientation with respect to the mounting hole; and

a spring compressed between the housing and the stem to cause retraction of the stem inwardly of the housing, thereby urging the first primary and first complementary engagement members into engagement.

2. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 1 wherein the first end of the stem has second primary engagement members, the second primary engagement members adapted to engage with second complementary engagement members formed on the housing to hold the stem in a protracted position against the action of the spring, wherein angular movement of the housing relative to the door after engagement of the first primary and first complementary engagement members causes disengagement of the second primary and complementary engagement members.

3. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 2 further comprising:

a first electrical connector having interlocking formations adapted to engage with the periphery of the mounting hole; and

a second electrical connector mounted on the second end of the stem and adapted to engage the first electrical connector to cause disengagement of the interlocking formations from the periphery of the mounting hole to enable the stem to be inserted therein.

4. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 2 further comprising a first set of electrical contacts arranged on the first primary engagement members and adapted to engage a second set of electrical contacts arranged on the first complementary engagement members.

5. The vehicle door mirror of claim 2 wherein the stem couples the housing to the intermediate member, wherein a detent in the housing maintains the housing in its normal orientation relative to the intermediate member, and wherein the detent is biased into its engaged position by the spring so that the housing is displaceable relative to the intermediate member in the event of impact.

6. The vehicle door mirror of claim 2 wherein the second primary engagement members are defined by a flange projecting from the stem having cut-out sections formed therein, and the second complementary engagement members are formed by a flange projecting from the housing having cut-out section formed therein.

7. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 1 further comprising:

a first electrical connector having interlocking formations adapted to engage with the periphery of the mounting hole; and

a second electrical connector mounted on the second end of the stem and adapted to engage the first electrical connector to cause disengagement of the interlocking formations from the periphery of the mounting hole to enable the stem to be inserted therein.

8. The vehicle door mirror according to claim 1 further comprising a first set of electrical contacts arranged on the first primary engagement members and adapted to engage a second set of electrical contacts arranged on the first complementary engagement members.

9. The vehicle door mirror of claim 1 wherein the stem couples the housing to the intermediate member, wherein a detent in the housing maintains the housing in its normal orientation relative to the intermediate member, and wherein the detent is biased into its engaged position by the spring so that the housing is displaceable relative to the intermediate member in the event of impact.

10. The vehicle door mirror of claim 1 wherein the first primary engagement members have a bayonet shape, and the first complementary engagement members defined by a cut-out in the periphery of the mounting hole.

11. A vehicle door assembly comprising:

a vehicle door;

a housing having a detent;

an intermediate member having an abutment surface adapted to abut against a complementary surface of the vehicle door;

a cylindrical stem having a first end mounted to the housing for axial movement relative thereto, the stem having a second end projecting through a hole in the abutment surface so as to engage in a mounting hole in the vehicle door and having radial first primary engagement members adapted to engage with first complementary engagement members on the periphery of the mounting hole so as to prevent removal of the stem from the mounting hole when the stem is in a predetermined orientation with respect to the mounting hole, and wherein the first end of the stem has second primary engagement members, the second primary engagement members adapted to engage with second complementary engagement members formed on the housing to hold the stem in a protracted position, wherein angular movement of the housing relative to the door after engagement of the first primary and first complementary engagement members causes disengagement of the second primary and complementary engagement members; and

a spring compressed between the housing and the stem to cause retraction of the stem inwardly of the housing, thereby urging the first primary and first complementary engagement members into engagement,

wherein the stem couples the housing to the intermediate member and the detent in the housing maintains the housing in its normal orientation relative to the intermediate member, and wherein the detent is biased into its engaged position by the spring so that the housing is displaceable relative to the intermediate member in the event of impact.

12. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 11 further comprising:

a first electrical connector having interlocking formations adapted to engage with the periphery of the mounting hole; and

a second electrical connector mounted on the second end of the stem and adapted to engage the first electrical connector to cause disengagement of the interlocking formations from the periphery of the mounting hole to enable the stem to be inserted therein.

13. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 11 further comprising a first set of electrical contacts arranged on the first primary engagement members and adapted to engage a second set of electrical contacts arranged on the first complementary engagement members.

14. The vehicle door mirror of claim 11 wherein the first primary engagement members have a bayonet shape, and the first complementary engagement members defined by a cut-out in the periphery of the mounting hole.

15. The vehicle door mirror of claim 11 wherein the second primary engagement members are defined by a flange projecting from the stem having cut-out sections formed therein, and the second complementary engagement members are formed by a flange projecting from the housing having cut-out section formed therein.

16. A vehicle door mirror comprising:

a housing having a detent;

an intermediate member having an abutment surface adapted to abut against a complementary surface of a vehicle door;

a cylindrical stem having a first end mounted to the housing for axial movement relative thereto, the stem having a second end projecting through a hole in the abutment surface so as to engage in a mounting hole in the vehicle door and having radial first primary engagement members adapted to engage with first complementary engagement members on the periphery of the mounting hole so as to prevent removal of the stem from the mounting hole when the stem is in a predetermined orientation with respect to the mounting hole, and wherein the first end of the stem has second primary engagement members, the second primary engagement members adapted to engage with second complementary engagement members formed on the housing to hold the stem in a protracted position against the action of the spring, wherein angular movement of the housing relative to the door after engagement of the first primary and first complementary engagement members causes disengagement of the second primary engagement members; and

a spring compressed between the housing and the stem to cause retraction of the stem inwardly of the housing, thereby urging the first primary and first complementary engagement members into engagement,

wherein the stem couples the housing to the intermediate member and the detent in the housing maintains the housing in its normal orientation relative to the intermediate member, and wherein the detent is biased into its engaged position by the spring so that the housing is displaceable relative to the intermediate member in the event of impact.

17. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 16 further comprising:

a first electrical connector having interlocking formations adapted to engage with the periphery of the mounting hole; and

a second electrical connector mounted on the second end of the stem and adapted to engage the first electrical connector to cause disengagement of the interlocking formations from the periphery of the mounting hole to enable the stem to be inserted therein.

18. The vehicle door mirror of claim 17 wherein the first primary engagement members have a bayonet shape, and the first complementary engagement members defined by a cut-out in the periphery of the mounting hole and wherein the second primary engagement members are defined by a flange projecting from the stem having cut-out sections formed therein, and the second complementary engagement members are formed by a