Power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly

• US 20040246608A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• 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: Wellington, Jason Kingsley, Dickson, James Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/078 easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing

Abstract

A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly (10) comprising a bracket (12) mountable to a vehicle, a mirror head (15), telescopically mounted to the bracket (12), a mirror (16) mounted to the head (15), a power telescope motor mechanism (30) for telescopically moving the head (15) with respect to the bracket (12), a position controller for controlling the extent to which the mirror head (15) extends with respect to the vehicle, a switch operable by a driver of the vehicle, the switch providing a signal to the position controller, and an input means for providing the position controller with a set point, wherein upon actuation of the switch, the head (15) telescopically moves with respect to the bracket (12) from a retracted position to a partially extended position determined by the set point. In an other embodiment, a spotter mirror, and a spotter mirror motor mechanism for adjusting the orientation of the spotter mirror with respect to the mirror head is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly comprising:

a bracket mountable to a vehicle;

a mirror head telescopically mounted to the bracket;

a mirror mounted to the head;

a power telescope motor mechanism for telescopically moving the head with respect to the bracket;

a position controller for controlling the extent to which the mirror head extends with respect to the vehicle;

a switch operable by a driver of the vehicle, the switch providing a signal to the position controller; and

an input means for providing the position controller with a set point,

wherein upon actuation of the switch, the head telescopically moves with respect to the bracket from a retracted position to a partially extended position determined by the set point.

2. A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly claimed in claim 1 further comprising a position sensor for sensing the telescopic position of the mirror head with respect to the mirror bracket.

3. A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a compensating controller, the compensating controller controlling the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head in response to the telescopic position of the head as sensed by the position sensor.

4. A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the angle between the normal axis of the mirror and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle increases as the mirror head extends away from the mirror bracket.

5. A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the increase is such that a continually acceptable field of view is presented to the driver without the need for manual adjustment of the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head.

6. A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly comprising:

a bracket mountable to a vehicle;

a head telescopically mounted to the bracket;

a mirror pivotally mounted to the head;

a mirror adjusting motor mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head;

a power telescope motor mechanism for telescopically moving the head with respect to the bracket between a retracted position and an extended position;

a switch operable by a driver of the vehicle, the switch providing a signal to actuate the power telescope motor mechanism;

a position sensor for sensing the telescopic position of the mirror head with respect to the mirror bracket; and

a compensating controller, the compensating controller controlling the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head in response to the telescopic position of the head as sensed by the position sensor.

7. A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the angle between the normal axis of the mirror and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle increases as the mirror head extends away from the mirror bracket.

8. A power telescoping vehicle mirror assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the increase is such that a continually acceptable field of view is presented to the driver without the need for manual adjustment of the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head.

9. A vehicle external mirror assembly comprising:

a bracket mountable to a vehicle;

a mirror head mounted to the bracket;

a main mirror mounted to the head;

a spotter mirror mounted to the head, the spotter mirror having a wider field of view than the main mirror; and

a spotter mirror motor mechanism for adjusting the orientation of the spotter mirror with respect to the head.

10. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 9 further comprising control apparatus wherein, if the vehicle is placed in a reversed gear, the orientation of the spotter mirror is automatically adjusted to assume an orientation that provides a different field of view for reversing.

11. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in either claim 10 further comprising:

a power telescope motor mechanism for telescopically moving the head with respect to the bracket;

a position controller for controlling the extent to which the mirror head extends with respect to the vehicle;

a switch operable by a driver of the vehicle, the switch providing a signal to the position controller; and

an input means for providing the position controller with a set point,

wherein upon actuation of the switch, the head telescopically moves with respect to the bracket from a retracted position to a partially extended position determined by the set point.

12. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a position sensor for sensing the telescopic position of the mirror head with respect to the mirror bracket.

13. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a compensating controller, the compensating controller controlling the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head in response to the telescopic position of the head as sensed by the position sensor.

14. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein the angle between the normal axis of the mirror and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle increases as the mirror head extends away from the mirror bracket.

15. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein the increase is such that a continually acceptable field of view is presented to the driver without the need for manual adjustment of the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head.

16. A vehicle external mirror assembly comprising:

a bracket mountable to a vehicle;

a mirror head mounted to the bracket;

a main mirror mounted to the head;

a spotter mirror mounted to the head, the spotter mirror having a wider field of view than the main mirror;

a spotter mirror motor mechanism for adjusting the orientation of the spotter mirror with respect to the head;

a power telescope motor mechanism for telescopically moving the head with respect to the bracket;

a position controller for controlling the extent to which the mirror head extends with respect to the vehicle;

a switch operable by a driver of the vehicle, the switch providing a signal to the position controller; and

an input means for providing the position controller with a set point,

wherein upon actuation of the switch, the head telescopically moves with respect to the bracket from a retracted position to a partially extended position determined by the set point.

17. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 16 further comprising a position sensor for sensing the telescopic position of the mirror head with respect to the mirror bracket.

18. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a compensating controller, the compensating controller controlling the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head in response to the telescopic position of the head as sensed by the position sensor.

19. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein the angle between the normal axis of the mirror and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle increases as the mirror head extends away from the mirror bracket.

20. A vehicle external mirror assembly as claimed in claim 19 wherein the increase is such that a continually acceptable field of view is presented to the driver without the need for manual adjustment of the angular position of the mirror with respect to the head.