Interior mirror with a drive mechanism for adjusting a wedge mirror glass

• US 7,258,455 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Donnelly GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Magna Donnelly GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Fuchs, Hans-Joachim, Weimer, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thong Q
• Application Number:
  US11/113,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 359601-614, 359838-881
• US Class Current: 359/606
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/087 with remote or automatic control means

Abstract

An interior mirror (01) for a motor vehicle having a carrier arm (06) which can be mounted in the vehicle and having an adjustment mechanism (04) which is adjustably mounted on the carrying arm (06), whereby a wedge mirror glass (03) is directly or indirectly mounted on the adjustment mechanism (04) and whereby the wedge mirror glass (03) is adjustable between a normal position and an anti-glare position by operation of the adjustment mechanism (04) and whereby a drive mechanism (05) is provided for operation of the adjustment mechanism (04). At least one elastic tension element (31) is provided in the interior mirror (01); with this tension element, the adjustment mechanism (04) is put under elastic tension in the normal position and/or in the anti-glare position.

Claims

1. An interior mirror for a vehicle, the interior mirror comprising:

a carrying arm which can be mounted in the vehicle;

an adjustment mechanism which is adjustably mounted on the carrying arm;

a wedge mirror glass directly or indirectly mounted on the adjustment mechanism, the wedge mirror glass being adjustable between a normal position and an anti-glare position by operation of the adjustment mechanism;

elastic tension element in the interior mirror, the elastic tension element placing the adjustment mechanism under elastic tension in the normal position and/or in the anti-glare position; and

a drive mechanism provided for operation of said adjustment mechanism, said drive mechanism comprising a mechanical gear, wherein a free-wheeling device within said gear uncouples said adjustment mechanism from said drive mechanism, whereby said elastic tension drives said adjustment mechanism independently of the adjustment of the drive mechanism after said adjustment mechanism passes a dead center located along an actuator travel path.

2. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein the tension element is formed by a spring element.

3. The interior mirror according to claim 2, wherein the spring element is designed in the manner of a torsion spring or a bracing spring.

4. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein the normal position is defined by a first end stop and the anti-glare position as defined by a second end stop whereby the tension element puts the adjustment mechanism under tension against the first end stop or the second end stop.

5. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism comprises an electric drive motor.

6. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein the tension element exerts a tension force on the adjustment mechanism along the entire actuator travel of the adjustment mechanism between the normal position and the anti-glare position, whereby the tension force of the tension element changes the direction of force at a dead center which is located along the actuator travel path between the normal position and the anti-glare position.

7. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is mounted on a carrier element which can be mounted as a separate special equipment element with coupling to a gear of the adjustment mechanism.

8. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism is triggered by a switch element which can be operated by the driver of the vehicle.

9. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein a switch element can be operated by a non-contact method.

10. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein a switch element is arranged on the interior mirror.

11. The interior mirror according to claim 1, wherein a switch element is arranged on the steering wheel of the vehicle.

12. An interior mirror for a vehicle, the interior mirror comprising:

a carrying arm which can be mounted in the vehicle;

an adjustment mechanism which is adjustably mounted on the carrying arm;

a wedge mirror glass directly or indirectly mounted on the adjustment mechanism, the wedge mirror glass being adjustable between a normal position and an anti-glare position by operation of the adjustment mechanism;

elastic tension element in the interior mirror, the elastic tension element placing the adjustment mechanism under elastic tension in the normal position and/or in the anti-glare position; and

a drive mechanism provided for operation of said adjustment mechanism, said drive mechanism comprising a mechanical gear, wherein a free-wheeling device within said gear uncouples said adjustment mechanism from said drive mechanism, whereby said elastic tension drives said adjustment mechanism independently of the adjustment of the drive mechanism after said adjustment mechanism passes a dead center located along an actuator travel path, said free-wheeling device being designed as a claw clutch.

13. An interior mirror for a vehicle, the interior mirror comprising:

a carrying arm which can be mounted in the vehicle;

an adjustment mechanism which is adjustably mounted on the carrying arm;

a wedge mirror glass directly or indirectly mounted on the adjustment mechanism, the wedge mirror glass being adjustable between a normal position and an anti-glare position by operation of the adjustment mechanism;

elastic tension element in the interior mirror, the elastic tension element placing the adjustment mechanism under elastic tension in the normal position and/or in the anti-glare position; and

a drive mechanism provided for operation of said adjustment mechanism, said drive mechanism comprising a mechanical gear, wherein a free-wheeling device within said gear uncouples said adjustment mechanism from said drive mechanism, whereby said elastic tension drives said adjustment mechanism independently of the adjustment of the drive mechanism after said adjustment mechanism passes a dead center located along an actuator travel path, said free-wheeling device being designed as a slip clutch.

14. An interior mirror for a vehicle, the interior mirror comprising:

a carrying arm which can be mounted in the vehicle;

an adjustment mechanism which is adjustably mounted on the carrying arm;

a wedge mirror glass directly or indirectly mounted on the adjustment mechanism, the wedge mirror glass being adjustable between a normal position and an anti-glare position by operation of the adjustment mechanism;

elastic tension element in the interior mirror, the elastic tension element placing the adjustment mechanism under elastic tension in the normal position and/or in the anti-glare position; and

a drive mechanism provided for operation of said adjustment mechanism, said drive mechanism comprising a mechanical gear, wherein a free-wheeling device within said gear uncouples said adjustment mechanism from said drive mechanism, whereby said elastic tension drives said adjustment mechanism independently of the adjustment of the drive mechanism after said adjustment mechanism passes a dead center located along an actuator travel path, said free-wheeling device being formed by a drive screw mounted such that said free-wheeling device is axially displaceable on a drive shaft between two stop elements.

15. An interior mirror for a vehicle, the interior mirror comprising:

a carrying arm which can be mounted in the vehicle;

an adjustment mechanism which is adjustably mounted on the carrying arm;

a wedge mirror glass directly or indirectly mounted on the adjustment mechanism, the wedge mirror glass being adjustable between a normal position and an anti-glare position by operation of the adjustment mechanism;

a drive mechanism provided for operation of the adjustment mechanism, said drive mechanism comprising a timing element, whereby said timing element shuts down said drive mechanism for a certain period of time after triggering said drive mechanism; and

elastic tension element in the interior mirror, the elastic tension element placing the adjustment mechanism under elastic tension in the normal position and/or in the anti-glare position.