Powered telescoping trailer tow mirror

• US 6,877,868 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Original Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Inventors: Olijnyk, Mark Leonid, Flynn, Daniel Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US10/488,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/877, 359/881, 248/479, 248/480, 248/486
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/078 easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing

Abstract

A vehicle external review-view mirror assembly having an extension and retraction mechanism for a telescopic arm support that connects a mirror head to a mirror mounting bracket is disclosed. The assembly comprises: a hollow outer arm extending from the bracket, an inner arm mounted to the head and extending into the outer arm for relative sliding movement out of and into the outer arm; a driving wheel rotatably mounted to the inner arm or the head; a driven wheel rotatably mounted to the inner arm and positioned within the outer arm at a location spaced apart from the driven wheel; and a toothed belt extending between the driving wheel and the driven wheel for power transmission between them. A pair of laterally spaced apart contact rollers are mounted coaxially with the driven wheel, the pair of contact rollers engaging spaced apart bearing surfaces depending from the outer arm.

Claims

1. A vehicle external review-view mirror assembly having an extension and retraction mechanism for a telescopic arm support that connects a mirror head to a mirror mounting bracket, the assembly comprising:

a hollow outer arm extending from the bracket;

an inner arm mounted to the head and extending into the outer arm for relative sliding movement out of and into the outer arm;

a driving wheel rotatably mounted to the inner arm or the head;

a driven wheel rotatably mounted to the inner arm and positioned within the outer arm at a location spaced apart from the driving wheel;

a looped transmission member extending between the driving wheel and the driven wheel for power transmission between them;

a pair of laterally spaced apart contact rollers mounted coaxially with the driven wheel, the pair of contact rollers engaging spaced apart bearing surfaces depending from or integral with the outer arm; and

a power transmission arrangement for transmitting power from the driven wheel to the outer arm,

wherein rotation of the driving wheel drives the driven wheel through the looped transmission member which causes the outer arm to move telescopically with respect to the inner arm.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power transmission arrangement for transmitting power comprises:

a rack substantially within and depending from the outer arm; and

at least one final drive pinion coaxially mounted to and driven by the driven wheel,

wherein the pinion meshes with the rack for power transmission thereto.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the driving wheel is a driving sprocket, the driven wheel is a driven sprocket and the looped transmission member is a toothed belt.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 comprising a pair of final drive pinions arranged one on each side of the driven sprocket.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein each contact roller has an outside diameter substantially equal to that of the pitch circle diameter of the pinions and wherein the spaced apart bearing surfaces are arranged and constructed such that the contact rollers control the extent to which the pinions mesh with the rack.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the driven sprocket, the pinions and the contact rollers are formed from a single combination wheel.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the combination wheel is rotatably mounted to a carrier, the carrier being mounted to the inner arm and biased towards the bearing surfaces by a spring.

8. A vehicle external review-view mirror assembly having an extension and retraction mechanism for a pair of telescopic arm supports that connect a mirror head to a mirror mounting bracket, the assembly comprising:

a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel hollow outer arms extending from the bracket;

a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel inner arms mounted to the head and extending into respective outer arms for relative sliding movement out of and into respective outer arms;

a drive motor mounted to the head;

a drive shaft mounted to the head and extending between the inner arms;

a pair of spaced apart driving wheels mounted to the drive shaft at opposite ends thereof and positioned substantially in line with respective inner arms; and

a pair of arm drive mechanisms extending from respective drive wheels into respective outer arms, each arm drive mechanism having a looped transmission member extending into its respective outer arm to a driven wheel,

wherein the drive motor drives the outer arms to move telescopically with respect to their respective inner arms.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein each arm drive mechanism further comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart contact rollers mounted coaxially with the driven wheel, the pair of contact rollers engaging spaced apart bearing surfaces depending from or integral with its respective outer arm.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein each arm drive mechanism further comprises:

a rack substantially within and depending from its respective outer arm; and

at least one final drive pinion coaxially mounted to and driven by the driven wheel,

wherein the pinion meshes with the rack for power transmission thereto.

11. An assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein each driving wheel is a driving sprocket, each driven wheel is a driven sprocket and each looped transmission member is a toothed belt.

12. An assembly as claimed in claim 11 wherein each arm drive mechanism comprises a pair of final drive pinions arranged one on each side of the driven sprocket.

13. An assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein each pair of contact rollers each has an outside diameter substantially equal to that of the pitch circle diameter of the pinions and wherein the spaced apart bearing surfaces are arranged and constructed such that the contact rollers control the extent to which the pinions mesh with the racks.

14. An assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein the driven sprocket, the pinions and the contact rollers for each arm drive mechanism are formed from a single combination wheel.

15. An assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein each combination wheel is rotatably mounted to a carrier, the carrier being mounted to its respective inner arm and biased towards its respective bearing surfaces by a spring.

16. An assembly as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a clutch operably positioned between the drive motor and the drive shaft, the clutch limiting the torque that can be transmitted between the drive motor and the drive shaft.

17. An assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein the clutch is a cone clutch.