Vehicle rearview mirror assembly
First Claim
1. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising, a casing, a mirror plate fixed on said casing, the mirror plate having a full reflectance mode and a partial reflectance mode, a mounting means disposed within said casing, means pivotally connecting the casing and the mounting means for pivotal movement of the casing and mirror plate as a unit relative to the mounting means, a rack and pinion actuation means coupling the casing to the mounting means, said rack and pinion actuation means including a rotatable shaft for engaging a portion of said casing and means for limiting pivotal movement of said casing relative to said mounting means, drive means including electric motor means for operating said rotatable shaft to pivot the casing and mirror plate as a unit between the full reflectance mode and partial reflectance mode relative to said mounting means.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A day/night vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprises a casing carrying a prismatic mirror, the casing being pivotally mounted on a mounting plate. Preferably, the casing and mirror are driven between a full reflectance position and partial reflectance position by a rack and pinion assembly having interengaging gear teeth extending between a d.c. motor operated drive shaft and a portion of the casing. Alternately, a friction coupling extends between the drive shaft and casing. A noise and vibration reducing coupling are provided in the drive shaft while appropriate glare sensing circuitry and/or switches control operation of the reversible motor and, thus, the reflectance position of the mirror.
404 Citations
41 Claims
- 1. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising, a casing, a mirror plate fixed on said casing, the mirror plate having a full reflectance mode and a partial reflectance mode, a mounting means disposed within said casing, means pivotally connecting the casing and the mounting means for pivotal movement of the casing and mirror plate as a unit relative to the mounting means, a rack and pinion actuation means coupling the casing to the mounting means, said rack and pinion actuation means including a rotatable shaft for engaging a portion of said casing and means for limiting pivotal movement of said casing relative to said mounting means, drive means including electric motor means for operating said rotatable shaft to pivot the casing and mirror plate as a unit between the full reflectance mode and partial reflectance mode relative to said mounting means.
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16. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising, a casing, a mirror plate fixed on said casing, the mirror plate having a full reflectance mode and a partial reflectance mode, a mounting means disposed within said casing, means pivotally connecting the casing and the mounting means for pivotal movement of the casing and mirror plate as a unit relative to the mounting means, a rack and pinion actuation means coupling the casing to the mounting means, drive means including electric motor means for operating the actuation means to pivot the casing and mirror plate as a unit between the full reflectance mode and partial reflectance mode relative to said mounting means;
- said electric motor means including a reversible d.c. motor;
said rack and pinion actuation means including a primary drive shaft cooperating with lugs on the mounting means, the primary drive shaft having first gear teeth means meshing with corresponding second gear teeth means on a flange attached to the casing. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- said electric motor means including a reversible d.c. motor;
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25. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising, a casing, a mirror plate fixed on said casing, the mirror plate having a full reflectance mode and a partial reflectance mode, a mounting means disposed within said casing, means pivotally connecting the casing and the mounting means for pivotal movement of the casing and mirror plate as a unit relative to the mounting means, a rack and pinion actuation means coupling the casing to the mounting means, drive means including electric motor means for operating the actuation means to pivot the casing and mirror plate as a unit between the full reflectance mode and partial reflectance mode relative to said mounting means;
- said electric motor means including a reversible d.c. motor;
electric circuit means for energising said reversible d.c. motor, said electric circuit means including switch means for deenergising said electric motor in the full reflectance and partial reflectance modes of the mirror;
said switch means including a rotary switch connected to said primary drive shaft.
- said electric motor means including a reversible d.c. motor;
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26. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a casing; a mirror fixed on said casing, said mirror having a full reflectance mode and a partial reflectance mode; mounting means disposed within said casing; means for pivotally connecting said casing and said mounting means for pivotal movement of said casing and said mirror as a unit relative to said mounting means; actuation means coupling said casing to said mounting means; electric drive means for operating said actuation means to pivot said casing and mirror as a unit between said full and said partial reflectance modes relative to said mounting means; said actuation means including primary and secondary drive shafts rotatably mounted in axial alignment with one another on said mounting means, said secondary drive shaft also being coupled to said electric drive means, said primary drive shaft including means for engaging a portion of said casing to pivot said casing and mirror as a unit, and resilient coupling means for connecting said secondary drive shaft to said primary drive shaft while reducing vibration and noise during operation by said electric drive means. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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- 27. The rearview mirror assembly of 26 wherein said coupling means comprises complementary engaging jaws on the adjacent ends of said primary and secondary drive shafts.
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31. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising;
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a casing; a mirror fixed on said casing, said mirror having a full reflectance mode and a partial reflectance mode; mounting means disposed within said casing; means for pivotally connecting said casing and said mounting means for pivotal movement of said casing and said mirror as a unit relative to said mounting means; actuation means coupling said casing to said mounting means; electric drive means for operating said actuation means to pivot said casing and mirror as a unit between said full reflectance mode and said partial reflectance mode relative to said mounting means; said actuation means including a primary drive shaft rotatably mounted on said mounting means and coupled to said electric drive means;
said electric drive means including a rotary switch connected to said primary drive shaft for deenergising said electric drive means in said full and partial reflectance modes.
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32. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising;
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a casing; a mirror fixed on said casing, said mirror having a full reflectance mode and a partial reflectance mode; mounting means disposed within said casing; means for pivotally connecting said casing and said mounting means for pivotal movement of said casing and said mirror as a unit relative to said mounting means; actuation means coupling said casing to said mounting means; electric drive means for operating said actuation means to pivot said casing and mirror as a unit between said full reflectance mode and said partial reflectance mode relative to said mounting means; said electric drive means including a leaf switch mounted on said casing;
said mounting means including abutment means engaging and maintaining a portion of said leaf switch in position for electrical contact by other portions of said leaf switch for deenergising said electric drive means in said full and partial reflectance modes. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a casing; a mirror fixed on said casing, said mirror having a full reflectance mode and a partial reflectance mode; mounting means disposed within said casing; means for pivotally connecting said casing and said mounting means for pivotal movement of said casing and said mirror as a unit relative to said mounting means; actuation means coupling said casing to said mounting means; drive means including electric motor means for operating said actuation means to pivot said casing and mirror as a unit between said full reflectance mode and said partial reflectance mode relative to said mounting means; said electric motor means including a reversible d.c. motor and electric circuit means for energising said motor, said electric circuit means including switch means for deenergising said motor in said full reflectance and said partial reflectance modes;
said motor being connected between first and second comparator circuits;
one input of each comparator circuit being connected to a common reference voltage, a second input to said first comparator circuit being connected to said switch means for deenergising said electric motor, and a second input of said second comparator circuit being connected to a signal supply means for changing the reflectance mode of said mirror. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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Specification