Adjusting System For A Rear View Element Of A Rear View Device For A Vehicle

• US 20170210296A1
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Jaeger, David, Wieczorek, Romeo, Hein, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 11,007,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0602 comprising means for cleaning or deicing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens

Abstract

An adjusting system for a rear view element of a rear view device for a vehicle, preferably a motor vehicle, comprises a drive housing with an electrical interface, a socket and a mounting plate for the rear view element. The socket is in particular in the form of a jack socket, having a first end attached to the drive housing and an opening accessible at a second end of the socket, which is located opposite the first end of the socket. The mounting plate for the rear view element comprises a pin, in particular in form of a jack plug, wherein at least part of the pin is suited to be inserted into the opening of the socket, and the pin is adapted to mechanically and electrically connect the mounting plate to the drive housing via the socket. Also, the adjusting system relates to a rear view device and to a method for manufacturing the rear view device.

Claims

1. An adjusting system for a rear view element of a rear view device for a vehicle, comprising:

a drive housing with an electrical interface and a socket, configured as a jack socket, having a first end attached to the drive housing and an opening accessible at a second end of the socket, which is located opposite the first end of the socket; and

a mounting plate for the rear view element comprising a pin configured to be part of a jack plug, wherein at least part of the pin is suited to be inserted into the opening of the socket, and the pin is adapted to mechanically and electrically connect the mounting plate to the drive housing via the socket.

2. The adjusting system of claim 1, wherein

a flared socket section is provided at or attached to the second end of the socket, in particular by means of a screw connection, with the flared socket section comprising at least one recess for allowing installation of the flared socket section with a mounting tool having a corresponding protrusion, and/or with the flared socket section having substantially the form of a trumpet, and/or with preferably the flared socket section enabling a rocking movement of the mounting plate.

3. The adjusting system of claim 1, wherein

the socket is arranged on a bottom plate of the drive housing and extends substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate, and/or the longitudinal axis of the socket is arranged on an adjustment axis of the mounting plate, and/or the socket extends through the drive housing.

4. The adjusting system of claim 1, wherein

a drive housing lid is provided, with the drive housing lid comprising at least one through hole for the socket, preferably the drive housing lid being held on the drive housing by a flared socket section provided at or attached to the second end of the socket.

5. The adjusting system of claim 1, wherein

the socket comprises at least one first socket contact in its opening and at least one second socket contact on its circumference which is electrically connected to the at least one first contact as well as the electrical interface, with preferably

the first socket contact being spring loaded and/or being arranged on an inlay in the socket opening, and/or

the second socket contact being spring loaded and/or being connectable to the electrical interface, and

the pin comprises at least one pin contact that is suited to connect to the at least one first socket contact,

wherein preferably the socket comprises at least two first and second socket contacts and the pin comprises at least two corresponding pin contacts.

6. The adjusting system of claim 5, wherein the socket comprises three first and second socket contacts and the pin comprises three corresponding pin contacts.

7. The adjusting system of claim 5, wherein the socket comprises five first and second socket contacts and the pin comprises five corresponding pin contacts.

8. The adjusting system of claim 1, wherein

a PCB board is provided within the drive housing and/or is electrically and mechanically connected to the socket, with preferably

the socket being soldered on the PCB board, or the socket being pressed in the PCB board, or the PCB board being molded with or to the socket, in particular by making usage of a hotmelt, and/or

the PCB board comprising the electrical interface for connecting the adjusting system to a bus, in particular a LIN Bus, or a control unit of the rear view device and/or the vehicle.

9. The adjusting system of claim 1, comprising

at least one bendable conductor to electrically and mechanically connect the mounting plate to the pin, preferably so that the mounting plate can pivot

at an angle of up to approximately 15°

with respect to the pin and/or

around the longitudinal axis of the pin and/or

on the flared socket section.

10. The adjusting system of claim 9, wherein

the at least one bendable conductor is suited to connect to the mounting plate by means of at least one rivet and/or by soldering, with preferably each bendable conductor being suited to connect to at least one pin contact of the pin, and/or

the at least one bendable conductor is at least in part encapsulated in a flexible and/or isolating material, in particular in form of a thermoplastic adhesive material, like a hotmelt or the like, with preferably a plurality of bendable conductors being at least in part encapsulated in the flexible isolating material, and/or

the at least one bendable conductor has a substantially L shaped form, and/or a plurality of bendable conductors being connected in an essentially crown-shaped manner around the at least one pin.

11. The adjusting system of claim 9, wherein

the mounting plate comprises or carries a heating element, which is electrically connected via the pin and the socket, with preferably the heating element being arranged on the mounting plate around the at least one pin, and/or

the mounting plate comprises or carries an electrochromic dimming element, which is electrically connected via the pin and the socket, and/or the mounting plate comprises or carries a display element, which is electrically connected via the pin and the socket, with display element preferably comprising or being comprised by a blind spot indicator.

12. The adjusting system of claim 1, comprising

at least one drive element, in particular in form of at least one electric motor, and/or guide means, preferably connected to the drive element, for adjusting the mounting plate.

13. The adjusting system of claim 1, comprising

a rear view element mounted on the mounting plate, wherein the rear view element comprises at least one mirror element and/or camera.

14. A rear view device for a vehicle, preferably for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one adjusting system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical interface enables an electrical connection of the adjusting system via a single cable to at least one unit of the rear view device and/or the vehicle.

15. The rear view device of claim 14, wherein the unit comprises a control unit, a powerfold unit, a turn signal unit, a paddle light unit and/or camera unit, and/or the cable comprises a plus line, a ground line, a bus line and at least one output line.

16. A method for manufacturing a rear view device of claim 14, including the steps of inserting the pin of the mounting plate into the opening of the socket of the drive housing for a simultaneous mechanical and electrical connection between the mounting plate and the drive housing.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of attaching the drive housing lid to the drive housing, in particular the bottom plate of the drive housing, by attaching the flared socket section to the socket prior to the insertion of the pin into the socket.