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Power fold mechanism for vehicle mirrors

  • US 7,172,298 B2
  • Filed: 09/28/2005
  • Issued: 02/06/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A power-folding vehicle mirror assembly, comprising:

  • a base mountable to a vehicle;

    a mirror head assembly rotatably mounted to the base for rearward rotational movement from a drive position to a park position;

    a first clutch body mounted to and rotationally fixed with respect to the base;

    a second clutch body biased towards engagement with the first clutch body by a spring;

    a sun gear mounted to and rotatably fixed with respect to the base, wherein said sun gear is mounted to or integral with the second clutch body for rotation;

    a planetary gear mounted to the mirror head assembly for rotation about a second axis, the planetary gear meshing with the sun gear;

    a motor operably connected to the planetary gear thereby providing a gear train for driving the mirror head assembly around the sun gear, the gear train being non-back-drivable;

    at least one drive train detent recess and projection pair forming a drive train detent system, the projection extending from the first clutch body and the recess within the second clutch body, the projection comprising a back-to-back ramp pair, one of the ramps of the pair providing a rearward rotation detent and the other of the ramps of the pair providing a forward rotation detent, the recess bounded by a rearward rotation recess end face and a forward rotation recess end face, the recess oversized relative to the corresponding projection such that rotational slip can occur with changes in rotational direction of the first clutch body with respect to the second clutch body; and

    a head assembly to base detent system operably interposed between the head assembly and the base,wherein the mirror head is manually moveable and motor driven between;

    a drive position in which rearward rotation of the head assembly is restrained by the drive train detent system and forward rotation is restrained by the head assembly to base detent system;

    a park position in which forward rotation of the head assembly is restrained by the drive train detent system and rearward rotation is restrained by the head assembly to base detent system;

    an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion at least partially enclosing said motor, said sun gear, said first clutch and said second clutch, wherein said upper housing and said lower housing rotate with said mirror head; and

    a drive pin extending through said upper housing and said lower housing wherein said drive pin contacts one or more stops during rotation of said mirror head.

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