Mounting construction for an outside mirror unit

• US 8,534,636 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MCi (Mirror Controls International) Netherlands B.V. (Flex, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: MCi (Mirror Controls International) Netherlands B.V. (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brouwer, Stefan Frits, Van Stiphout, Paulus Gerardus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): STERLING, AMY JO
• Application Number:
  US12/682,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20100224753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 248/466, 248/475, 248/488, 248/479, 296/1.11
• US Class Current: 248/476
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

Mounting construction for mounting an adjustment instrument to a carrier for an outside mirror unit, comprising first mounting parts on the adjustment instrument and second mounting parts on the carrier, which mounting parts guide the adjustment instrument from a first position to a second position in a direction along the carrier, the mounting parts cooperating with each other in the second position to fix movement of the adjustment instrument relative to the carrier in a direction transverse to the carrier, while in the first position the adjustment instrument and the carrier are clear of each other.

Claims

1. A mounting construction for mounting a mirror adjustment instrument to a planar surface of a carrier in an outside mirror unit, comprising a mirror cap surrounding and encasing the carrier, said mirror adjustment instrument being arranged for tilting a reflection surface mounted thereon about a horizontal and vertical axis with regard to the mirror cap, said mirror cap surrounding and encasing the mirror adjustment instrument, said mounting construction comprising first mounting parts on the mirror adjustment instrument for adjusting a reflecting surface mounted on the mirror adjustment instrument and second mounting parts on the planar surface of the carrier surrounded by and encased by the mirror cap, which mounting parts guide the mirror adjustment instrument from a first position to a second position in a direction along the planar surface of the carrier surrounded by and encased by the mirror cap by rotation about an axis transverse to the carrier, the mounting parts cooperating with each other in the second position to fix movement of the mirror adjustment instrument relative to the carrier surrounded by and encased by the mirror cap such that the mirror adjustment instrument is immovable from the carrier in a direction transverse to the planar surface of the carrier surrounded by and encased by the mirror cap, while in the first position the mirror adjustment instrument and the carrier are clear of each other and the mirror adjustment instrument is movable in the direction transverse to the carrier surrounded by the mirror cap.

2. The mounting construction according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the mounting parts comprises a run-on surface.

3. The mounting construction according to claim 1, wherein the mirror adjustment instrument is moved from the first position to the second position through a translation movement.

4. The mounting construction according to claim 1, wherein the mirror adjustment instrument is provided with at least one projection which in the second position cooperates with a projection on the carrier.

5. The mounting construction according to claim 4, wherein the two cooperating projections in the second position prevent an axial displacement along an axis A of the mirror adjustment instrument, said axis A extending substantially transverse to the plane of the carrier.

6. The mounting construction according to claim 1, wherein the displacement of the minor adjustment instrument from the first position to the second position brings about an electrical connection between the mirror adjustment instrument and the carrier.

7. The mounting construction according to claim 1, wherein displacement of the mirror adjustment instrument from the first position to the second position locks a plug element fitted to the mirror adjustment instrument in its position.

10. The mounting construction according to claim 1, wherein the mirror adjustment instrument comprises driving mechanisms, said mounting construction further comprising a plug element fitted to the adjustment instrument for supplying the driving mechanisms with energy, said plug element being surrounded by and encased by the minor cap.

11. The mounting construction according to claim 10, comprising locking means for locking the plug element against radial displacement away from the mirror adjustment instrument in the second position.

12. The mounting construction according to claim 11, wherein said locking means are arranged for locking the plug element against radial displacement away from the mirror adjustment instrument in the second position through rotation of the mirror adjustment instrument from the first position to the second position.

13. The mounting construction according to claim 12, wherein in the locking means comprise a projection having a surface, said plug element having a surface, wherein in the second position the surface of the projection cooperates with the surface of the plug element for locking the plug element against radial displacement away from the minor adjustment instrument.

14. The mounting construction according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface is mounted on the minor adjustment instrument substantially parallel to the planar surface of the carrier.

20. The mounting construction of claim 1, further comprising a reflecting surface mounted on the mirror adjustment instrument with an outer edge of the reflecting surface after mounting on the mirror adjustment instrument being so closely adjacent to the inside of the mirror cap that the mirror adjustment instrument cannot move from the second position along the planar surface of the carrier after said mounting.

8. An outside mirror unit comprising a mirror cap, a mirror comprising a reflecting surface, said mirror cap surrounding and encasing a carrier having a planar surface, a mirror adjustment instrument placed between the reflecting surface and the carrier for tilting the reflecting surface about a horizontal and vertical axis with regard to the mirror cap, and a mounting construction for mounting the mirror adjustment instrument to the planar surface of the carrier, the mounting construction comprising cooperating parts on the mirror adjustment instrument and the planar surface of the carrier, the mounting parts cooperating by rotation about an axis transverse to the carrier between a first position and a second position in a direction along the planar surface of the carrier, the mounting construction being rotated in a position in which the parts on the mirror adjustment instrument and the carrier cooperate, in which position the adjustment instrument is fixed with respect to the carrier in a direction transverse to the carrier.

9. The outside minor unit according to claim 8, wherein the minor is enclosed by the mirror cap in circumferential direction with an outer edge of the mirror being so closely adjacent to an inside of the mirror cap that the mirror adjustment member cannot from the second position to the first position such that the adjustment instrument can move in a direction transverse to the carrier.

15. The outside minor unit according to claim 8, wherein the mirror adjustment instrument comprises driving mechanisms, said mounting construction further comprising a plug element fitted to the adjustment instrument for supplying the driving mechanisms with energy, said plug element being surrounded by and encased by the minor cap.

16. The outside mirror unit according to claim 15, comprising locking means for locking the plug element against radial displacement away from the mirror adjustment instrument in the position in which the parts on the minor adjustment instrument and the carrier cooperate.

17. The outside minor unit according to claim 16, wherein the locking means comprise a projection having a surface, said plug element having a surface, wherein in the position in which the parts on the minor adjustment instrument and the carrier cooperate, the surface of the projection cooperates with the surface of the plug element for locking the plug element against radial displacement away from the mirror adjustment instrument.

18. The outside mirror unit according to claim 8, wherein the reflecting surface is mounted on the minor adjustment instrument substantially parallel to the planar surface of the carrier.

19. The mounting construction according to claim 8, wherein the minor adjustment instrument is moved from the first position to the second position through a translation movement.