Remotely controlled mirrors

• US 4,202,603 A
• Filed: 05/11/1978
• Issued: 05/13/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyauchi, Shizuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US05/904,754
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 350/289
• US Class Current: 359/874
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1827 Motorised alignment

Abstract

A back plate carrying a mirror is mounted on a stationary base plate through a universal support to be rotatable and filtable. Two threaded rods are connected to the back plate through couplings that rotate and tilt the back plate. The threaded rods each have ends connected to worm wheels respectively which mesh worms driven by one or two reversible direct current motors. A spring having a single turn at the center is used. The single turn portion is secured to the base plate and the opposite legs are urged against the threaded rods act as nuts so as to move the threaded in the axial direction when they are rotated where two worms are driven by a single reversible direct current motor, the worms disposed on the opposite sides of the motor and selectively connected thereto through clutches which are controlled by a solenoid.

Claims

1. A remotely controlled mirror comprising a stationary base plate contained in a mirror housing;

a back plate provided at the back of a mirror and provided with a supporting mechanism that can tilt in any direction with respect to said base plate;

a pair of threaded rods with one ends rotatably and tiltably connected to said base plate;

spring means with one end thereof being supported by said base plate and engaging with the threads of said threaded rods while the other end being free, thereby controlling axial movements thereof;

means for limiting the axial movement of the spring means that is caused by the rotation of the threaded rods engaging with the spring member;

a pair of worm wheels respectively having openings for receiving the other ends of said threaded rods;

a pair of worms meshing said worm wheels respectively; and

a source of drive for selectively rotating said worms;

the openings of said worm wheels and the other ends of said threaded rods being constructed such that it is possible to transmit a torque there between but absorb stresses caused by the inclination of said mirror and acting between said worms and said worm wheels, and said threaded rods being rotated and moved in the axial direction with respect to said spring means by the torque applied thereto from said source of drive through said worm wheels.

2. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 1 wherein said spring means comprising a wire spring having a central portion would into a single turn which is used to secure the spring means to said base portion and intermediate portions engaging the threads of said threaded rods.

3. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a leaf spring which is bent into a generally U shape and provided with a tab at the base for securing spring means to said base plate, and the edges of the opposite ends of said leaf spring are bent into V shape cross-sectional configuration which engage the threads of said threaded rods.

4. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 1 wherein said source of drive comprises a pair of independent reversible direct current motors for selectively driving said worms.

5. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 1 wherein said source of drive comprises a single reversible direct current motor and a relatively long drive shaft extending from the motor and provided with a square portion at an intermediate portion, said worms are located on the opposite sides of said square portion, members for controlling the axial movement of said worms are mounted shafts on the outside of said worms, an axially slidable clutch member is mounted on said square portion, the end surfaces of said clutch member form clutches together with the opposing end surfaces of said worms, and wherein a solenoid is energized, said axially movable clutch member engages either one of said worms.

6. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 1 wherein said source of drive comprises a single reversible direct current motor, and a shaft coupled to said motor to be slidable in the axial direction, said shaft being provided with a flange at about the axial center, said worms being disposed on the opposite sides of said flange and supported not to be rotatable with respect to said base plate, said flange being provided with a number of openings around its periphery, the side surfaces of said worms facing said flange being provided a plurality of projections adapted to be received in said openings, and wherein said flange is operated by a plunger of a solenoid so that when said solenoid with the projections of either one of said worms.

7. A remotely controlled mirror comprising a stationary base plate contained in a mirror housing;

a back plate provided at the back of a mirror and provided with a supporting mechanism that can tilt in any direction with respect to said base plate;

a pair of threaded rods extending along the axes of rectangular coordinates having an origin at said supporting nechanism, one ends of said threaded rods being tiltably supported by said base plate;

a spring member having a central portion fixed to said base plate and a pair of legs adapted to engage the threads of said threaded rods for applying spring force thereto so as to control the axial movement of said threaded rods when they are rotated;

means for limiting the axial movement of the spring means that is caused by the rotation of the threaded rods engaging with the spring member;

two worm wheels respectively having openings to receive the other ends of said threaded rods;

worms respectively meshing said worm wheels, and a source of drive for selectively driving said worms, the openings of said worm wheels and said other ends of said threaded rods being shaped such that torques can be transmitted therebetween but can prevent creation of stress between said worm wheels and said other ends of said threaded rods when said mirror is inclined so that said threaded rods one rotated and moved in the axial direction by the rotation of said worm wheels.

8. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 7 wherein each of said threaded rods comprises a square portion, a threaded portion, a neck and a spherical portion formed in the order mentioned, said square portion is received in a square opening of said worm wheel, said spherical portion forms a universal joint together with a socket provided for said back plate, and said threaded portion being engaged by said spring member.

9. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 8 which further comprises a hair pin spring interposed between the side walls of said square opening of said worm wheel and the square portion of each threaded rod.

10. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 8 which further comprises a roller having falling down preventing pin and contained in the opening of each worm wheel and said roller is provided with a square opening for slidably receiving the square portion of each one of said threaded rods.

11. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 7 wherein each threaded rod comprises a square portion, a threaded portion, a neck, and a plurality of hooks which are arranged in the order mentioned, said square portion being loosely received in a square opening of each worm wheel, and each hook being received in a through opening of a rotary member rotatably received in a socket provided for said back plate.

12. A remotely controlled mirror accotding to claim 7 which further comprises supporting cylinders mounted on said base plate for supporting said worm wheels said supporting cylinders being provided with slots through which said spring member engages the threads of said threaded rods for constituting means for preventing axial movement thereof when the threaded rods are rotated.

13. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 12 wherein said means for preventing axial movement comprises holders secured to said base plate for holding the opposite ends of said spring member.

14. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 7 wherein there is provided a gap between each side wall of said worm wheels and each end of said threaded rods.

15. A remotely controlled mirror according to claim 7 wherein the inner walls of the opening of said worm wheels make line contacts with said threaded rods thus absorbing stresses therebetween.

16. A remotely controlled mirror comprising a stationary base plate contained in a mirror housing, a back plate provided at the back of a mirror and provided with a supporting mechanism that can tilt in any direction with respect to said base plate;

a pair of threaded rods with one ends rotatably and tiltably connected to said plate and extending along X and Y axes of rectangular coordinates having an origin at said supporting mechanism;

a spring member having a central portion secured to said base plate and the opposite ends engages the threads of said threaded rods thus applying a spring force thereto, means for preventing an axial movement of said threaded rods when they are rotated;

a pair of worm wheels respectively having openings for receiving the other ends of said threaded rods;

worms disposed at right angles and respectively meshing said worm wheels;

a movable clutch member selectively engageable with one of said worms for transmitting a torque thereto from a driving motor, and a solenoid for controlling the operation of said movable clutch member.