Lightweight rearview mirror assembly

• US 6,669,348 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Inventors: Popp, Albrecht, Lang, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US10/043,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20020109927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 359/871, 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/841, 359/850, 359/877, 359/854, 359/857, 248/479, 248/481, 248/482
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0605 specially adapted for mounting on trucks, e.g. by C-shaped support means

Abstract

A rearview mirror assembly blowmolded carrier for vehicles and method of blowmolding the carrier are provided. The mirror assembly has a blowmolded carrier with a hollow space and a recess to affix a mirror element.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a blank to be melted;

heating the blank to form a molten blank;

forcing air into the molten blank to form a blowmolded carrier having a hollow space therein and a unitary wall;

cooling the blowmolded carrier to achieve form stability; and

attaching a mirror element to the blowmolded carrier to form the rearview mirror assembly.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the wall to have a recess thereon to attach a mirror to the blowmolded carrier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the forming of the carrier, the hollow space, and recess are performed in the same step.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the blank with varying thicknesses to achieve varying thicknesses in the carrier wall.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming the wall with multiple layers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the blank is plastic.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirror element comprises a mirror and an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the mirror, the method further comprising attaching the adjusting mechanism to the blowmolded carrier and attaching the mirror to the adjusting mechanism.

8. A method of manufacturing a carrier for an external vehicle device, comprising the steps of:

providing a plastic blank to be melted;

heating the blank to form a molten blank;

forcing air into the molten blank to form a blowmolded carrier having a hollow space therein and a unitary wall;

installing a stiffening frame in the space affixed to the blowmolded carrier;

cooling the blowmolded carrier to achieve form stability;

injecting a fill material in the space to encapsulate the stiffening frame; and

affixing the device to the blowmolded carrier to form the external vehicle device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming of the blowmolded carrier and the hollow space are performed in the same step.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of providing the blank with varying thicknesses to achieve varying thicknesses in the carrier wall.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the fill material is gradient plastic foam and further comprising the step of injecting the foam at a vibratory reducing location within the carrier.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of forming a dividing wall and a bubble space within the hollow space.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of injecting the bubble space with the fill material.