CHANNELED MIRROR MOUNT
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An interior rearview assembly comprising:
- a mount configured to be connected to a vehicle;
a rearview housing having a rearview element therein; and
a two-ball connector comprising a center hollow tubular section, a first pivot ball at a first end of the center hollow tubular section and a second pivot ball at a second end of the center hollow tubular section, the two-ball connector being configured to be located between the mount and the rearview housing for allowing the rearview housing to be pivoted relative to the mount along two points of rotation, with a first point of rotation being located within the first pivot ball and a second point of rotation being located within the second pivot ball;
the two-ball connector having a wiring passage therethrough, with the wiring passage having a divider to separate at least a portion of the wiring passage into a closed first wiring passage area and a second closed wiring passage area, and with the first closed wiring passage area and the second closed wiring passage area being separated by the divider;
wherein the first closed wiring passage is configured to completely surround wiring and the second closed wiring passage is configured to completely surround wiring.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interior rearview assembly comprising a mount, a rearview housing having a rearview element therein and a connector being configured to be located between the mount and the rearview mirror housing.
19 Citations
56 Claims
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1. An interior rearview assembly comprising:
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a mount configured to be connected to a vehicle; a rearview housing having a rearview element therein; and a two-ball connector comprising a center hollow tubular section, a first pivot ball at a first end of the center hollow tubular section and a second pivot ball at a second end of the center hollow tubular section, the two-ball connector being configured to be located between the mount and the rearview housing for allowing the rearview housing to be pivoted relative to the mount along two points of rotation, with a first point of rotation being located within the first pivot ball and a second point of rotation being located within the second pivot ball; the two-ball connector having a wiring passage therethrough, with the wiring passage having a divider to separate at least a portion of the wiring passage into a closed first wiring passage area and a second closed wiring passage area, and with the first closed wiring passage area and the second closed wiring passage area being separated by the divider; wherein the first closed wiring passage is configured to completely surround wiring and the second closed wiring passage is configured to completely surround wiring. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An interior rearview assembly comprising:
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a mount configured to be connected to a vehicle; a rearview housing having a rearview element therein; and a connector comprising a center hollow tubular section, a first end and a second end, the connector being configured to be located between the mount and the rearview housing for allowing the rearview housing to be pivoted relative to the mount along two points of rotation, with a first point of rotation being located within the first end and a second point of rotation being located within the second end; the connector having wiring passage therethrough with the wiring passage having a divider integral with the connector to separate at least a portion of the wiring passage into a first closed wiring passage area and a second closed wiring passage area with the first wiring passage area and the second wiring passage area being separated by the divider; the connector being formed of at least two separate parts comprising a first part and a second part; wherein when the at least two separate parts are spaced, the wiring passage is open for allowing the laying of wiring therein and when the at least two separate parts are engaged, the wiring passage is closed to maintain the wiring with the wiring passage of the center hollow tubular section. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of assembling an interior rearview assembly comprising:
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providing a mount configured to be connected to a vehicle; providing a rearview housing having a rearview element therein; and providing a two-ball connector comprising a center hollow tubular section, a first pivot ball at a first end of the center hollow tubular section and a second pivot ball at a second end of the center hollow tubular section; locating the two-ball connector being between the mount and the rearview housing for allowing the rearview housing to be pivoted relative to the mount along two points of rotation, with a first point of rotation being located within the first pivot ball and a second point of rotation being located within the second pivot ball; providing the two-ball connector with a wiring passage therethrough, with the wiring passage having a divider; separating at least a portion of the wiring passage into a closed first wiring passage area and a second closed wiring passage area with a divider; placing first wiring into the first closed wiring passage area, with the first closed wiring passage surrounding the first wiring; and placing second wiring into the second closed wiring passage area, with the second closed wiring passage surrounding the second wiring. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of assembling an interior rearview assembly comprising:
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providing a mount configured to be connected to a vehicle; providing a rearview housing having a rearview element therein; and providing a connector comprising a center hollow tubular section, a first end and a second end; locating the connector being between the mount and the rearview housing for allowing the rearview housing to be pivoted relative to the mount along two points of rotation, with a first point of rotation being located within the first end and a second point of rotation being located within the second end; providing the connector with wiring passage therethrough, with the wiring passage having a divider integral with the connector; separating at least a portion of the wiring passage into a first wiring passage area and a second wiring passage area with a divider; forming the connector from at least two separate parts comprising a first part and a second part; placing first wiring into the first wiring passage area by placing the first wiring onto the first part and engaging the first part with the second part; and placing second wiring into the second wiring passage area by placing the second wiring onto the first part and engaging the first part with the second part; wherein when the at least two separate parts are engaged, the wiring passage is closed to maintain the wiring with the wiring passage of the connector. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. An interior rearview assembly comprising:
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a rearview housing having a rearview element therein; and a connector assembly configured to be connected to a vehicle, the connector assembly comprising a hollow tubular section and a first end, the connector being configured to be connected to the rearview housing for allowing the rearview housing to be pivoted relative to the connector assembly along a point of rotation, with a first point of rotation being located within the first end; the connector assembly having a wiring passage therethrough; the connector assembly being formed of at least two separate parts comprising a first part and a second part, the two part forming the wiring passage; wherein when the at least two separate parts are spaced in a spaced position, the wiring passage is open for allowing the laying of wiring therein, and when the at least two separate parts are engaged in an engaged position, the wiring passage is closed to maintain the wiring within the wiring passage of the hollow tubular section; wherein the wiring passage has an entrance and an exit whereby the wiring is configured to extend through the entrance and the exit when the at least two separate parts are in the engaged position, the wiring passage forming a passage line between an entrance center of the entrance and an exit center of the exit; and wherein the at least two separate parts include mutual complementary engagement features configured to be engaged to thereby close the wiring passage when the at least two separate parts are moved from the spaced position to the engaged position along a movement line perpendicular to the passage line. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of assembling an interior rearview assembly comprising:
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providing a rearview housing having a rearview element therein; providing a connector assembly configured to be connected to a vehicle, the connector assembly comprising a hollow tubular section and a first end; connecting the connector assembly to the rearview housing for allowing the rearview housing to be pivoted relative to the connector assembly along a point of rotation, with the point of rotation being located within the first end; providing the connector with a wiring passage therethrough, the wiring passage having an entrance and an exit, the wiring passage forming a passage line between an entrance center of the entrance and an exit center of the exit; forming the connector assembly from at least two separate parts comprising a first part and a second part; placing wiring into the wiring passage area by placing wiring onto the first part; providing the at least two separate parts with mutual complementary engagement features; closing the wiring passage by engaging the at least two separate parts along a movement line perpendicular to the passage line whereby the wiring extends through the entrance and exit of the wiring passage; and engaging the mutual complementary engagement to close the wiring passage as the at least two separate parts are moved along the movement line; wherein when the at least two separate parts are engaged, the wiring passage is closed to maintain the wiring within the wiring passage of the connector. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. An interior rearview assembly comprising:
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a mount configured to be connected to a vehicle; a rearview housing having a rearview element therein; and a single-ball connector comprising a center hollow tubular section, a pivot ball at a first end of the center hollow tubular section and a mounting plate at a second end of the center hollow tubular section, the single-ball connector being configured to be located between the mount and the rearview housing for allowing the rearview housing to be pivoted relative to the mount along a single point of rotation, with a first point of rotation being located within the pivot ball, and with the single-ball connector being fixed in position relative to the rearview housing. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification