Apparatus for pivoting a mirror assembly

• US 7,497,580 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Inventors: Popp, Albrecht, Lang, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Amari; Alessandro
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doak; Jennifer L.
• Application Number:
  US10/229,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,380 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/871, 359/877
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0612 by electrically actuated means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/165 Driving lever with adjustable pivot point

Abstract

A bearing apparatus for pivotally moving a carrying arm relative to an anchorage is provided. The carrying arm may carry a mirror for a vehicle, the anchorage mountable to the vehicle. The bearing apparatus has a bushing located between the carrying arm and the anchorage in which a pivot bearing apparatus is moveably disposed. In one embodiment the pivot bearing apparatus has a control component and a come-along part relationally disposed about a shaft and movably connected to the control component. When the shaft is rotated, the come-along part moves along the shaft to rotate the control component. In turn, the control component transfers its rotation to pivot the carrying arm.

Claims

1. A bearing apparatus for pivoting a carrying arm, the bearing apparatus comprising:

an anchorage having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end attached to a vehicle;

a bushing depending from the distal end, the carrying arm attached to the bushing; and

a pivot bearing assembly movably disposed in the bushing and configured to pivotably drive the carrying arm, wherein the pivot bearing assembly includes a shaft having a first end and a second end and a come-along part movably disposed about the shaft the first end in rotational communication with the carrying arm, the second end configured to be rotationally driven by a drive apparatus, wherein the shaft is configured to rotationally engage the come-along part, the come-along part configured to slidingly engage the bushing upon a rotation of the shaft.

2. The bearing apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the bushing is unitarily constructed with the carrying arm.

3. The bearing apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the shaft defines a threaded section and the come-along part defines a complementary threaded section, the threaded section and the complementary threaded section cooperable to translate the rotation of the shaft into a sliding movement of the come-along part.

4. The bearing apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising at least one lug depending from the come-along part and wherein the bushing defines at least one channel, the at least one lug configured to slidably seat in the at least one channel to guide the sliding movement of the come-along part.

5. The bearing apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising a control component defining at least one control passage, the control component disposed between the bushing and the come-along part such that the at least one lug extends through the at least one control passage into the at least one channel.

6. The bearing apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the at least one control passage is selected from the group consisting of a helical passage, a straight passage, an irregular passage, and combinations thereof.

7. The bearing apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the at least one control channel is selected from the group consisting of a helical channel, a straight channel, an irregular channel, and combinations thereof.

8. The bearing assembly as in claim 4, wherein the bearing assembly is removably retained in the bushing by a transfer cover pivotably disposed adjacent the bearing assembly, the transfer cover configured to transfer the rotation of the control component to pivot the carrying arm.

9. The bearing assembly as in claim 8, wherein the cover is removably connected to the control component and the carrying arm, the bushing affixed to the anchorage such that the cover pivots with the carrying arm.

10. The bearing assembly as in claim 8, wherein the cover is removably connected to the control component and the anchorage, the bushing affixed to the carrying arm such that the bushing pivots with the carrying arm.

11. The bearing assembly as in claim 8, further comprising a bearing rotationally disposed between a first end of the shaft and the cover to facilitate pivoting of the carrying arm.

12. The bearing assembly as in claim 11, wherein the shaft defines a projection and further comprising a positioning disk disposed about the shaft proximate the projection such that the control component is rotatably press-fit between the bearing and the positioning disk, the shaft aligned with the rotation axis.

13. The bearing apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the motion of the bearing assembly pivoting the carrying arm is selectively reversible.

14. The bearing apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a cap affixable to the bushing, the cap configured to support the pivot bearing assembly and restrict a range of motion of the carrying arm.

15. The bearing apparatus as in claim 14, further comprising an extension piece extending from the cap to restrict the motion of the carrying arm.