Extandable exterior rearview mirror assembly

• US 20020021506A1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: van de Ven, Michiel Pieter, Whitehead, Peter John
• Granted Patent: US 6,726,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/078 easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/90 Movable or disengageable on impact or overload

Abstract

An extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror subassembly, a bracket which is adapted for mounting to a vehicle, and a support which mounts the mirror subassembly to the bracket. Support extends into the housing which is movable along the support. The housing includes a retracted position and at lease one outboard position, which define a direction of extension. The mirror assembly further includes a drive assembly which is supported in the housing and drivingly coupled to the support. The drive assembly selectively moves the housing along the support. The mirror assembly further includes a clutch mechanism which drivingly decouples the drive assembly from the support when a force of sufficient magnitude is applied to the housing in the direction of extension such that the housing can be manually moved along the support.

Claims

1. An electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror subassembly having a housing and a reflective element supported in said housing;

a bracket adapted for mounting to a vehicle;

a support mounting said mirror subassembly to said bracket, said support extending into said housing, said mirror subassembly being movable along said support and having a retracted position and at least one outboard position for said mirror subassembly and defining a direction of extension; and

a drive assembly supported in said housing and drivingly coupled to said support, said drive assembly selectively moving said mirror subassembly along said support.

2. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said support comprises a pair of support arms, said support arms extending into said housing of said mirror subassembly.

3. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein said support arms are interconnected by a member, said member being coupled to said drive assembly.

4. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 3, wherein said member is releasably coupled to said drive assembly.

5. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said drive assembly includes a motor and a belt, said belt being coupled to said support, said motor driving said belt to move said housing along said support.

6. The electrically extendable exterior mirror assembly according to claim 5, wherein said drive assembly further includes a drive pulley and an idler pulley, said belt extending around said drive pulley and said idler pulley, and said motor driving said drive pulley.

7. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 5, wherein said support comprises a pair of support arms, said support arms being interconnected by a member, said member being coupled to said belt.

8. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a clutch, said clutch drivingly decoupling said drive assembly from said support when a force of sufficient magnitude is applied to said mirror subassembly in said direction of extension such that said mirror subassembly can be manually moved along said support.

9. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said drive assembly includes a motor and a plurality of rollers, said motor driving said rollers to frictionally engage said support to move said housing along said support.

10. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein said drive assembly further includes a drive rod, said rollers being mounted on said drive rod, and said drive rod and said rollers extending into said support.

11. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein said support comprises a tubular member, said rollers engaging an inner surface of said tubular support to thereby move said housing along said support.

12. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of rollers are mounted on a drive rod, said motor driving said drive rod.

13. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 12, wherein said support includes a longitudinal axis, said driver moving said housing along said longitudinal axis of said support, and said rollers being positioned in an acute angular orientation with respect to said longitudinal axis of said support.

14. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein said support includes a pair of support arms, said rollers extending into a first of said arms.

15. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said drive assembly includes a lead screw and a motor, said lead screw extending through a portion of said support and being driven by said motor to move said housing on said support.

16. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 15, wherein said support includes a pair of support arms, said support arms being interconnected by a member, and said lead screw extending through said member.

17. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 16, wherein said member includes flexible thread engaging portions whereby said flexible thread engaging portions disengage from said lead screw when a force is applied to said housing in said direction of extension thus permitting manual adjustment of said housing along said support.

18. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said drive assembly includes a drive screw and motor driving said drive screw, said drive screw extending into said support and drivingly engaging an inner surface of said support.

19. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 18, wherein said inner surface includes a plurality of threads, said drive screw engaging said threads to thereby move said housing along said support.

20. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 19, wherein said drive screw includes a compressible end portion having a plurality of drive screw threads for engaging said threads of said support, and said compressible portion compressing and disengaging said from said threads of said support when a force is applied to said housing in said direction of extension defining said clutch mechanism.

21. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 19, wherein said drive screw comprises a first drive screw, said support comprising first and second support arms, said first drive screw extending into and drivingly engaging said first support arm, said drive assembly further comprising a second drive screw, and said second drive screw extending into and drivingly engaging said second support arm.

22. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said first drive screw and said second drive screw are drivingly coupled together.

23. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 22, wherein said first drive screw and said second drive screw are drivingly coupled by a timing belt.

24. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said support includes a tooth rack, said drive assembly including a motor and at least one movable piston driven by said motor to drivingly engage said tooth rack to selectively move said housing along said support.

25. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 24, wherein said piston is mounted on a shaft, said shaft being driven by said motor, and said shaft imparting motion to said piston and moving said piston in a cycloidal path to drivingly engage said tooth rack.

26. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 24, further includes a plurality of piston members and a corresponding plurality of drivers, said drivers selectively and sequentially moving said pistons into engagement with said tooth rack to move said housing along said support.

27. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 26, wherein said drivers comprise solenoids.

29. The electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly according to claim 28, wherein said driver assembly includes a motor and a belt, said belt drivingly coupled to said housing and said support, said motor driving said belt to move said mirror subassembly between said retracted position and said extended position.

28. An electrically extendable exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror subassembly having a housing and a reflective element supported in said housing;

a bracket adapted for mounting to a vehicle;

a support mounted to said bracket;

a link pivotally mounting said mirror subassembly to said support; and

a drive assembly supported in said housing, said drive assembly being drivingly coupled to said support and moving said housing between a retracted position and at least one extended position and defining a direction of extension, and said drive assembly including a clutch for decoupling said drive assembly from said support when a force is applied to said housing in said direction of extension to provide manual adjustment of the position of said housing.