Extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly for vehicles

• US 6,582,087 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hoek, Steven G., van de Ven, Michiel P., Whitehead, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikder, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US10/150,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/843, 359/871, 359/872, 359/874, 359/875, 359/877, 359/865, 359/881, 248/472, 248/537, 248/478, 248/479, 248/484
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/078 easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing

Abstract

An extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mounting bracket, a mirror subassembly, and a support which is supported by the mounting bracket. The mirror subassembly is supported by the support and is mounted for selective movement along the support arm to one of a plurality of viewing positions. The mirror subassembly includes a housing, a reflective element, and an actuator which supports the reflective element on a forward facing wall of the housing. The rearview mirror assembly further includes a clamping assembly which provides a force to urge frictional engagement between the housing and the support to limit movement of the mirror subassembly along the support. In preferred form, the support extends into the housing and frictionally engages an exterior surface of the forward facing wall.

Claims

1. An extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror subassembly having a mirror casing, a reflective element, and a positioning device, said positioning device supporting said reflective element generally in said mirror casing; and

a unitary support adapted to mount said mirror subassembly to a vehicle, said unitary support supporting said mirror subassembly for movement along said unitary support in a direction of extension, said unitary support extending from the vehicle in a laterally outward direction and extending into said mirror subassembly and being urged into frictional engagement with said mirror subassembly to limit movement of said mirror subassembly along said unitary support, said mirror subassembly sliding along said unitary support to one or more extended positions in said direction of extension when a force is applied to said mirror subassembly in said direction of extension of sufficient magnitude to overcome said frictional engagement between said unitary support and said mirror subassembly, and said unitary support being urged into frictional engagement with said mirror subassembly with a magnitude sufficient to provide a substantially rigid and stable mounting arrangement and yet of a magnitude to permit manual adjustment of said mirror subassembly along said unitary support.