Quick-attach mirror mounting structure facilitating assembly

• US 7,784,953 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Rumsey, Wayne, Carter, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WUJCIAK, ALFRED J
• Application Number:
  US10/408,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20040195486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,703 Days
• Field of Search: 248/481, 248/483, 248/477, 248/475.1, 248/478, 403/56, 403/76, 403/90, 403/122, 403/1, 403/33, 403/138, 403/144, 359/830, 359/871, 359/872, 359/880, 359/881
• US Class Current: 359/880
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus includes a mirror head assembly including a rearwardly-extending ball section, and a mirror support assembly including a tube having a larger-diameter mid-section and a smaller-diameter tapered end section. A socket on the mirror support assembly, when in the end section, captures the ball section with friction to permit angular adjustment but with enough friction to maintain a selected angular position. A spring biases the socket from the mid-section into the end section, but is compressible so that assembly is possible by pressing the ball section against the socket, causing the socket to move from the end section into the mid-section where the ball section snaps into the socket. It is conceived that the ball section and socket components can be reversed, and also that the mirror support assembly can include a two-ball mount, with a ball-and-socket connection at each end.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mirror head assembly;

a mirror support assembly; and

a ball-and-socket connection including a ball section on one of the mirror head assembly and the mirror support assembly, and including a tube and a socket on the other of the mirror head assembly and the mirror support assembly;

the tube having an open end large enough for the ball section to fit through;

the socket being shaped to capture the ball section when in a home position in the tube, but being shiftable to a release position in the tube where the socket has room to spread to receive the ball section as the ball section is moved through the open end; and

a holding device shaped to hold the socket in the home position.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the tube has an end section with a reduced diameter.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein the end section is frustoconically-shaped.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein the holding device is a spring.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein the spring biases the socket into the end section, and wherein the spring is compressible and also the socket is configured to expand when shifted out of end section.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5, wherein the spring comprises a coil spring positioned within the tube.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the mirror support assembly includes a mount, the tube and the socket.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein the mount includes a second ball section and the mirror support assembly includes a second socket shaped to capture the second ball section when in a second home position in the tube, the second socket being shiftable to a second release position in the tube where the second socket has room to spread to receive the second ball section.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8, wherein the tube includes a second frustoconically-shaped end section.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the mirror head assembly includes an internal structural component that supports the ball section and to which the ball section is mechanically attached.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the mirror head assembly includes an internal frame and wherein the ball section is supported on the internal frame.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the tube is made from aluminum alloy material.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the tube includes an annular lip flange extending inwardly from the open end of the tube.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the socket includes fingers defining an opening configured to accept the ball section therethrough and into the socket, the fingers having inwardly tapered ends tapering towards the opening;

and wherein the ball section abuts the inwardly tapered ends of the fingers to move the fingers outward as the ball section is moved through the opening and into the socket.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the tapered ends of the fingers are arcuate.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the tapered ends of the fingers define a portion of a sphere.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a mirror head assembly including a ball section; and

a mirror support assembly including a tube having a mid-section with a larger diameter and an end section with a smaller diameter and defining an open end;

the mirror support assembly further including a socket that, when in the end section, is shaped to capture the ball section with friction to maintain a selected angular position but that permits angular adjustment when the friction is overcome;

the mirror support assembly including a spring biasing the socket from the mid-section into the end section, but the spring being compressible so that by pressing the ball section against the socket, the socket can be moved from the end section into the mid-section permitting the ball section to move through the open end and snap into the socket;

wherein the mirror support assembly includes a mount, the tube, the spring, and the socket; and

wherein the mount includes a second ball section and the mirror support assembly includes a second socket shaped to capture the second ball section when in a second home position in the tube, the second socket being shiftable to a second release position in the tube where the second socket has room to spread to receive the second ball section.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the end section is frustoconically-shaped.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the mirror head assembly includes a structural component having the ball section mechanically attached thereto.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the mirror head assembly includes an internal frame and wherein the ball section is supported on the internal frame.

21. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the tube comprises an aluminum alloy material.

22. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the socket includes fingers defining an opening configured to accept the ball section therethrough and into the socket, the fingers having inwardly tapered ends tapering towards the opening;

and wherein the ball section abuts the inwardly tapered ends of the fingers to move the fingers outward as the ball section is moved through the opening and into the socket.

23. The apparatus defined in claim 22, wherein the tapered ends of the fingers are arcuate.

24. The apparatus defined in claim 22, wherein the tapered ends of the fingers define a portion of a sphere.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a mirror head assembly including a ball section; and

a mirror support assembly including a tube having a mid-section with a larger diameter and an end section with a smaller diameter and defining an open end;

the mirror support assembly further including a socket that, when in the end section, is shaped to capture the ball section with friction to maintain a selected angular position but that permits angular adjustment when the friction is overcome;

the mirror support assembly including a spring biasing the socket from the mid-section into the end section, but the spring being compressible so that by pressing the ball section against the socket, the socket can be moved from the end section into the mid-section permitting the ball section to move through the open end and snap into the socket;

wherein the end section is frustoconically-shaped; and

wherein the socket is configured to expand when shifted out of end section.

26. The apparatus defined in claim 25, wherein the spring comprises a coil spring positioned in the tube.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a mirror head assembly;

a mirror support assembly; and

a ball-and-socket connection connecting the mirror head assembly to the mirror support assembly, the connection including a ball section, a tube with an open end larger than the ball section, a spring within the tube, and a socket biased by the spring capturing the ball section in an end of the tube for angular adjustment, the socket and ball section being shiftable within the tube to move the socket away from the open end and the spring being compressible to a location where the socket is expandable to telescopingly receive the ball section for permitting assembly and disassembly.

28. The apparatus defined in claim 27, wherein the tube is made from an aluminum alloy.

29. The apparatus defined in claim 27, wherein the tube includes an annular lip flange extending inwardly from the open end of the tube.

30. The apparatus defined in claim 27, wherein the socket includes fingers defining an opening configured to accept the ball section therethrough and into the socket, the fingers having inwardly tapered ends tapering towards the opening;

and wherein the ball section abuts the inwardly tapered ends of the fingers to move the fingers outward as the ball section is moved through the opening and into the socket.

31. The apparatus defined in claim 30, wherein the tapered ends of the fingers are arcuate.

32. The apparatus defined in claim 30, wherein the tapered ends of the fingers define a portion of a sphere.

33. An apparatus comprising:

a mirror head assembly;

a mirror support assembly; and

a ball-and-socket connection connecting the mirror head assembly to the mirror support assembly, the connection including a ball section, a tube with an end section and an open end larger than the ball section, and a socket capturing the ball section in the end section of the tube for angular adjustment, the socket and ball section being shiftable within the tube to partially remove the socket from the end section so that fingers of the socket can flex radially to telescopingly receive the ball section during assembly.

34. The apparatus defined in claim 33, wherein the tube includes an annular lip flange extending inwardly from the open end of the tube.

35. The apparatus defined in claim 33, wherein the socket includes fingers defining an opening configured to accept the ball section therethrough and into the socket, the fingers having inwardly tapered ends tapering towards the opening;

and wherein the ball section abuts the inwardly tapered ends of the fingers to move the fingers outward as the ball section is moved through the opening and into the socket.

36. The apparatus defined in claim 35, wherein the tapered ends of the fingers are arcuate.

37. The apparatus defined in claim 35, wherein the tapered ends of the fingers define a portion of a sphere.

38. An apparatus comprising:

a mirror head assembly including a ball section; and

a mirror support assembly including a tube having a mid-section with a larger diameter and an end section with a smaller diameter and defining an open end;

the mirror support assembly further including a socket that, when in the end section, is shaped to capture the ball section with friction to maintain a selected angular position but that permits angular adjustment when the friction is overcome;

the mirror support assembly including a spring biasing the socket from the mid-section into the end section, but the spring being compressible so that by pressing the ball section against the socket, the socket can be moved from the end section into the mid-section permitting the ball section to move through the open end and snap into the socket;

wherein the tube includes an annular lip flange extending inwardly from the open end of the tube.

39. A method of assembly comprising steps of:

providing a mirror head assembly and a mirror support assembly, including a ball section on one of the mirror head assembly and the mirror support assembly, and including a tube and a socket on the other of the mirror head assembly and the mirror support assembly;

pressing the ball section against the socket to move the socket to a second position where the ball section can be moved inside the socket; and

moving the socket back to a closed home position where the ball section is retained in the socket with frictional engagement that allows angular adjustment but that provides sufficient force to maintain a selected angular position;

wherein the tube has an open end larger than the ball section but smaller than the socket; and

pressing the ball section against the socket includes pressing the ball section through the open end.

40. The method of assembly defined in claim 39, wherein the tube includes an annular lip flange extending inwardly from the open end of the tube.