Mirror adjustment mechanism with electrical connection

• US 7,473,001 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MCi (Mirror Controls International) Netherlands B.V. (Flex, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: MCi (Mirror Controls International) Netherlands B.V. (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brand, Marius, Schalkwijk, Andreas Johannes Petrus
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer; Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US10/497,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/877, 359/881, 248/481, 248/479
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators

Abstract

The invention is directed to a mirror adjustment mechanism with an electrical connection having at least one pair of contact parts disposed movably relative to each other. The contact parts jointly form a sliding contact for maintaining electrical contact during pivotal motion of a mirror connector relative to a base frame, while one of the contact parts of the sliding contact is fixedly connected with the mirror connector.

Claims

1. A mirror adjustment mechanism for a wing mirror of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a base frame which can be fixedly connected with a motor vehicle,

a mirror connector adapted to support a mirror element,

a hinge construction, that provides more than one degree of rotational freedom and

an electrical connection between the base frame and the mirror connector, wherein the electrical connection includes at least one pair of contact parts disposed movably relative to each other, the contact parts jointly forming a sliding contact for maintaining the electrical connection during pivoting of the mirror connector relative to the base frame, and wherein one of the contact parts of the sliding contact is fixedly connected with the mirror connector and a part of the hinge construction is integrated into the mirror connector.

2. A mirror adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of contact parts of the sliding contact is larger than at least another of the pair of the contact parts.

3. A mirror adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the sliding contact is integrated into two parts of the hinge construction which are disposed movably relative to each other.

4. A mirror adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the hinge construction comprises a ball hinge with two hinge parts cooperating as a ball and a socket.