Electrically adjustable exterior rear-view mirror

• US 6,612,707 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Hohe GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Hohe GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Kaspar, Rudolf, Polzer, Herwig
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US09/751,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/876, 359/877, 248/480
• US Class Current: 359/873
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0612 by electrically actuated means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

The invention relates to an exterior rear-view mirror comprising an adjustably held glass subassembly and at least one electrical drive motor (2), with the glass subassembly being adjustable via at least one adjustment mechanism arranged between the drive motor (2) and the glass subassembly. The adjustment mechanism comprises a drive shaft (7, 8) with an eccentrically shaped shaft section (9, 10) and a drive bar (12, 13) arranged between the glass subassembly and the eccentrically shaped shaft section (9, 10) of the drive shaft (7, 8). The drive shaft (7, 8) and the drive bar interact in such a way that a rotatory actuating movement of the drive shaft (7, 8) is converted to a linear actuating movement, acting on the glass subassembly, of the drive bar (12, 13) as a result of excursion of the eccentrically shaped shaft section (9, 10).

Claims

1. An exterior rear-view mirror comprising:

an adjustably held glass subassembly;

an electrical drive motor;

an adjustment mechanism arranged between said drive motor and said glass subassembly, said glass subassembly being adjustable via said adjustment mechanism, said adjustment mechanism comprising a drive shaft with an eccentrically shaped shaft section and a drive bar acting on said glass subassembly, said drive bar being arranged between said glass subassembly and said eccentrically shaped shaft section of said drive shaft, said drive shaft and said drive bar interacting to convert rotatory actuating movement of said drive shaft to a linear actuating movement of said drive bar as a result of movement of said eccentrically shaped shaft section;

another adjustment mechanism arranged between said drive motor and said glass subassembly, said glass subassembly being adjustable via said another adjustment mechanism, said another adjustment mechanism comprising another drive shaft with an eccentrically shaped shaft section and another drive bar acting on said glass subassembly, said another drive bar being arranged between said glass subassembly and said eccentrically shaped shaft section of said another drive shaft, said another drive shaft and said another drive bar interacting to convert rotatory actuating movement of said another drive shaft to a linear actuating movement of said another drive bar as a result of movement of said eccentrically shaped shaft section of said another drive shaft, said adjustment mechanism adjusting said subassembly about one of two different swivel axes and said another adjustment mechanism adjusting said subassembly about another of two different swivel axes, said motor being a single drive unit driving each of said adjustment mechanism and said another adjustment mechanism; and

a power takeoff mechanism arranged between said drive motor and said adjustment mechanism and said another adjustment mechanism, said power takeoff mechanism being configured such that, in one direction of rotation of said drive motor said actuating movement is essentially transferred exclusively to said adjustment mechanism, and in said opposite direction of rotation of said drive motor said actuating movement is essentially transferred exclusively to said another adjustment mechanism, wherein said power takeoff mechanism comprises a drive wheel having a shaft drivable by said drive motor, said drive wheel being engaged in a non-positive way via two friction wheels arranged on said drive shafts of said adjustment mechanisms, with said shaft of said drive wheel and said axes of rotation of said two drive shafts essentially being aligned parallel to each other, and with said drive shafts in a region of said friction wheels, held in diagonally arranged elongated holes, wherein said holes together form an incomplete V-shaped arrangement, whereby it possible for axis spacing between said shaft of said drive wheel and said drive shafts in the area of said friction wheels to be variable.

2. The exterior rear-view mirror according to claim 1, wherein said drive shaft has a crankshaft portion with a driving crank provided at a driven side of said crankshaft, said drive bar being rotatably engaged at said driving crank.

3. The exterior rear-view mirror according to claim 1, wherein said drive motor is rotationally unidirectional in operation.

4. The exterior rear-view mirror according to claim 1, wherein a dihedral angle of said V-shaped arrangement of said elongated holes is between 20°

and 40°

.

5. The exterior rear-view mirror according to claim 1, wherein running faces of at least one of said drive wheels and said friction wheels are made from an elastic material.