Mirror adjustment unit with electric accessory

• US 8,672,495 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• 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: van Stiphout, Paulus Gerardus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERRY, EUNCHA P
• Application Number:
  US13/126,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20110317298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 359871-878
• US Class Current: 359/872
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators

Abstract

A mirror adjustment unit for a rearview mirror of a motor vehicle includes a mirror adjustment mechanism and a mirror support. The mirror support is couplable to the mirror adjustment mechanism, and includes at least one electric accessory. The mirror adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of prong-shaped electrically conductive elements configured to electrically connect the electric accessory of the mirror support with at least one of the conductive elements of the mirror adjustment mechanism by plug connection.

Claims

1. A mirror adjustment unit for a rearview mirror of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a mirror adjustment mechanism;

a mirror support configured to be coupled to the mirror adjustment mechanism, the mirror support including at least one electric accessory; and

a projecting element, said projecting element provided generally parallel to a plane of the mirror support and parallel to a longitudinal axis of a plug connection,

wherein the mirror adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of prong-shaped electrically conductive elements configured to electrically connect, by the plug connection, the electric accessory of the mirror support with at least one of the conductive elements of the mirror adjustment mechanism.

2. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements is substantially uninsulated.

3. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements are electrically separate from each other.

4. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements comprise a predetermined bending point.

5. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein the plug connection comprises a click connection, a rotation connection, a translation connection, or combinations of one or more of the foregoing connections.

6. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements include a plug connection configured to form an electrical connection with a power supply.

7. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein the mirror adjustment mechanism comprises the power supply.

8. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 6, wherein the power supply is provided by an onboard network of the motor vehicle.

11. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, including a first relative position of the mirror support and the mirror adjustment mechanism in which the electric accessory is not connected to at least one of the conductive elements, and a second relative position of the mirror support and the mirror adjustment mechanism in which the electrical accessory is connected to at least one of the conducive elements.

12. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 11, wherein at least one of the mirror support and the mirror adjustment mechanism is configured to slide between a first position corresponding to the first relative position and a second position corresponding to the second relative position.

13. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein the projecting element extends from the mirror support.

14. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein the projecting element extends from the electric accessory.

15. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 14, wherein the projecting element extends into the plug connection.

16. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 1, wherein the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements are configured to communicate digital signals to the electric accessory for information display.

9. A mirror adjustment mechanism comprising:

a plurality of prong-shaped electrically conductive elements,

wherein the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements include a free-standing plug element, and the free-standing plug element is configured to electrically connect, by plug connection, the electrically conductive elements with a mirror support with at least one electric accessory.

17. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 9, wherein the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements are substantially uninsulated.

18. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 9, wherein the projecting element includes at least two projecting elements extending from the electric accessory, the projecting elements extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the plug connection.

10. A method for electrically connecting a mirror adjustment mechanism comprising:

providing a number of prong-shaped electrically conductive elements and a mirror support comprising at least one electric accessory, the prong-shaped electrically conductive element configured for plug connection; and

connecting the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements with the electric accessory by sliding the mirror support relative to the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements.

19. A mirror adjustment unit for a rearview mirror of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a mirror adjustment mechanism; and

a mirror support configured to be coupled to the mirror adjustment mechanism, the mirror support including at least one electric accessory,

wherein the mirror adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of prong-shaped electrically conductive elements configured to electrically connect, by plug connection, the electric accessory of the mirror support with at least one of the conductive elements of the mirror adjustment mechanism;

wherein the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements comprise a predetermined bending point and the prong-shaped electrically conductive elements are uninsulated at the predetermined bending point.

20. The mirror adjustment unit of claim 19, including a projecting element extending from the electric accessory, the projecting element extending into the plug connection generally parallel to a plane of the mirror support and a longitudinal axis of the plug connection.