Vehicle rear view mirror assembly

• US 20040196578A1
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Original Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Inventors: Dumont, Daniel, Duroux, Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

The invention concerns a vehicle rear view mirror, notably for an automobile, comprising a casing that contains an entrance sealed by a mirror, first drive means for pivoting the mirror on a first axis, second drive means for pivoting said mirror on a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and control means for selectively actuating the first and second drive means, the control means comprising a single rotating drive motor device.

Claims

1. Vehicle rear view mirror, notably for an automobile, comprising:

a casing that contains an entrance sealed by a mirror;

a first drive means for pivoting the mirror on a first axis;

a second drive means for pivoting said mirror on a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and

an electric motor for selectively driving the first and second drive means in rotation, characterized in that the first drive means comprise a first cylindrical member rotary mounted and containing a first ramp defining a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in two diametrically opposite positions and two first followers bearing on the first ramp in two locations situated in diametrically opposite positions and moving along the said first ramp when the first cylindrical member is driven in rotation by the electric motor.

2. Rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein the second drive means further comprises a second cylindrical member rotary mounted and containing a second ramp defining a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in two diametrically opposite positions and two second followers bearing on the second ramp in two locations situated in diametrically opposite positions, said two second followers extend in a direction perpendicular to that of the first followers, wherein said two second followers move along said second ramp when the second cylindrical member is driven in rotation by the electric motor.

3. Rear view mirror according to claim 2, wherein the followers further comprise rollers resting on the ramps and carried by clamps projecting on the back face of the mirror.

4. Rear view mirror according to claim 2, wherein the first and second cylindrical members are coaxial.

5. Rear view mirror according to claim 4, further comprising the axial opening of the first cylindrical member contains a first part having in cross section the same dimensions as those of the axial opening of the second cylindrical member, and a second part having in cross section dimensions larger than those of the first part and in which the second cylindrical member is received.

6. Rear view mirror according to claim 5, further comprising angularly equidistant teeth having a radial face formed in the interior surface of the first part of the axial opening of the first member and in the interior surface of the axial opening of the second member, the teeth of the first member having an orientation opposite that of the teeth of the second member.

7. Rear view mirror according to claim 5, wherein the first ramp is arranged in the interior surface of the second part of the axial opening of the first cylindrical member, while the second ramp is arranged in the exterior peripheral surface of the second cylindrical member.

8. Rear view mirror according to claim 3, wherein the clamps projecting on the back face of the mirror extend in an annular space arranged between the first and second cylindrical members.

9. Rear view mirror according to claim 2, wherein the first and second cylindrical members are preferably identical and placed coaxially one after the other in opposite positions.

10. Rear view mirror according to claim 9, further comprising angularly equidistant teeth having a radial face formed in the interior surface of the openings of the first and second cylindrical members.

11. Rear view mirror according to claim 9, wherein the first and second ramps made in the exterior peripheral surfaces of the first and second cylindrical members each define a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in two diametrically opposite positions, followers bearing on said ramps respectively in two locations situated in diametrically opposite positions and moving along them when the cylindrical members are driven in rotation by the electric motor.

12. Rear view mirror according to claim 11, wherein the followers are carried by clamps projecting on the back face of the mirror and extending along exterior peripheral surfaces of the first and second cylindrical members, following an axial direction.

13. Rear view mirror according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling device connected to the electric motor, wherein said coupling device is inserted in the openings of the first and second cylindrical members and contains on its lateral surface first pawls oriented in one direction and second pawls oriented in the opposite direction, the first pawls engaging solely with the teeth of one of the annular members when the electric motor drives the coupling device in rotation in one direction, while the second pawls engage solely with the teeth of the other annular member when the electric motor drives the coupling device in rotation in the opposite direction.

14. Rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein the first and second drive means and the control means are housed in a cylindrical receptacle situated inside the casing and containing a back provided with openings through which the clamps, projecting on the rear face of the mirror, extend.

15. Rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is mounted in a circuit containing a current inverter enabling it to be turned in both directions.

16. Rear view mirror according to claim 15, wherein the circuit of the motor includes two potentiometers, each containing a conductive track and a sliding contact, the conductive tracks being situated on the opposite faces of a fixed support inserted between the first and second cylindrical members, while the sliding contacts are respectively integral with those members, several positions of the sliding contacts corresponding to selected adjustment positions of the mirror being memorized.