Rear-view unit for motor-vehicles

• US 5,196,965 A
• Filed: 09/20/1991
• Issued: 03/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Mekra Rangau Plastics GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Lang, Heinrich, Seiboth, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RYAN, JAY
• Application Number:
  US07/764,502
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/843, 359/844, 359/876, 359/877
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators

Abstract

A rear-view unit for motor-vehicles, in particular commercial vehicles, has at least one external rear-view mirror with a housing and at least one mirror glass pivotably arranged in the housing. Electric servomotors are provided to pivot the mirror glasses about a positioning axis. Furthermore, heatings for the mirror glass may be available. Switches are provided to actuate the servomotors and the heating. So as to reduce the wiring and to ensure the subsequent equipment of adjustable mirror glasses with servomotors, the switches are connected to a transmitting unit and the servomotors are connected to a receiving unit of a multiplex system arranged in the housing.

Claims

1. A rear-view unit for motor-vehicles with at least one external rear-view mirror (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) comprising a housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c),

at least one pivotable mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c) provided with a heating element (13, 14;

14a, 14b;

13c, 14c),

at least one electric servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b;

9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) for pivoting at least the mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c) about a positioning axis (5, 6, 7, 8a;

7a, 8a, 8b, 5c, 6c, 7c, 8c);

a mirror switch (24, 24ab, 24c) remote from said housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) to connect said at least one servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b;

9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) with a current supply (21, 21ab, 21c) via at least one electric line (18, 19;

18a, 19a, 18b, 19b;

18c, 19c);

said mirror switch (24, 24ab, 24c) is connected to said transmitting unit (17, 17ab, 17c) and said at least one servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) is connected to said receiving unit (20;

20a, 20b;

20c);

said heating element is connected to a receiving unit (20;

20a, 20b;

20c) of a multiplex system arranged in said housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c);

an on-off switch (23, 23ab, 23c) for said heating element (13, 14;

14a, 14b;

13c, 14c) connected to a transmitting unit (17, 17ab, 17c);

and wherein said at least one electric line (18, 19;

18a, 19a, 18b, 19b;

18c, 19c) is in the form of a data bus between said transmitting unit 17, 17ab, 17c) and said receiving unit (20;

20a;

20b;

20c).

2. A rear-view unit according to claim 1, wherein two servomotors (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b;

9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) are provided for each mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c), which are connected to the receiving unit (20;

20a, 20b;

20c).

3. A rear-view unit according to claim 1, wherein at least two external rear-view mirrors (1a, 1b) are provided with a receiving unit (20a, 20b) each and are connected with a common transmitting unit (17ab) via data busses (18a, 19a, 18b, 19b).

4. A rear-view unit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one servomotor (9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) is connected with a rotary position indicator (28, 29, 30, 31), which is connected to said receiving unit (20c), and wherein said transmitting unit (17c) is provided with at least one storage location triggerable by way of a storage location key (32, 33, 34) and a storage switch (35) to store and repeatedly trigger a predeterminable position of said at least one mirror glass (3c, 4c).

5. A rear-view unit according to claim 1, wherein at maximum two electric lines (18, 19;

18a, 19a, 18b;

19b;

18c, 19c) are provided, the first being a ground line (18, 18a, 18b, 18c) and the second being a supply line (19, 19a, 19b, 19c) and that the multiplex signal is transmittable via one of the two lines.

6. A rear-view unit according to claim 1 for a truck (36) with a trailer (semi-trailer 37), wherein said transmitting unit (17c) of said multiplex system is associated with an angle detection equipment detecting an angle (W) between longitudinal axes (L_Z, L_A) parallel to the direction of travel of said truck (36) and trailer (semi-trailer 37), by means of which equipment the position of said at least one mirror glass (3c, 4c) is automatically adjustable corresponding to said angle (W) via said multiplex system.

7. A rear-view unit for motor-vehicles with at least one external rear-view mirror (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) comprising a housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c),

at least one pivotable mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c),

at least one electric servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b;

9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) for pivoting at least the mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c) about a positioning axis (5, 6, 7, 8;

7a, 8a, 8b;

5c, 6c, 7c, 8c),

a mirror switch (24, 24ab, 24c) remote from said housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) to connect said at least one servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a12b;

9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) with a current supply (21, 21ab, 21c) via at least one electric line (18, 19;

18a, 19a, 18b, 19b;

18c, 19c),

said mirror switch (24, 24ab, 24c) connected to a transmitting unit (17, 17ab, 17c) and said at least one servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) is connected to a receiving unit (20;

20a, 20b;

20c) of a multiplex system arranged in said housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c,

at least one lamp (15, 15c) arranged on said housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) and is connected to said receiving unit (20, 20c) and wherein an on-off switch (22, 22c) for said lamp (15, 15c) is connected to said transmitting unit (17, 17c) and wherein said at least one electric line (18, 19;

18a, 19a, 18b, 19b;

18c, 19c) is in the form of a data bus between said transmitting unit (17, 17ab, 17c) and said receiving unit (20;

20a;

20b;

20c).

8. A rear-view unit according to claim 7, wherein at least two external rear-view mirrors (1a, 1b) are provided with a receiving unit (20a, 20b) each and are connected with a common transmitting unit (17ab) via data busses (18a, 19a, 18b, 19b).

9. A rear-view unit according to claim 7 wherein at least one mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c) is provided with a heating element (13, 14;

14a, 14b;

13c, 14c), which is connected to the receiving unit (20;

20a, 20b;

20c), and wherein an on-off switch (23, 23ab, 23c) for said heating element (13, 14;

14a, 14b;

13c, 14c) is connected to said transmitting unit (17, 17ab, 17c).

10. A rear-view unit according to claim 7 wherein said at least one servomotor (9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) is connected with a rotary position indicator (28, 29, 30, 31), which is connected to said receiving unit (20c), and wherein said transmitting unit (17c) is provided with at least one storage location triggerable by way of a storage location key (32, 33, 34) and a storage switch (35) to store and repeatedly trigger a predeterminable position of said at least one mirror glass (3c, 4c).

11. A rear-view unit according to claim 7, wherein at maximum two electric lines (18, 19, 18a, 19a, 18b, 19b;

18c, 19c) are provided, the first being a ground line (18, 18a, 18b, 18c) and the second being a supply line (19, 19a, 19b, 19c) and that the multiplex signal is transmittable via one of the two lines.

12. A rear-view unit according to claim 7 for a truck (36) with a trailer (semi-trailer 37), wherein said transmitting unit (17c) of said multiplex system is associated with an angle detection equipment detecting an angle (W) between longitudinal axes (L_Z, L_A) parallel to the direction of travel of said truck (36) and trailer (semi-trailer 37), by means of which equipment the position of said at least one mirror glass (3c, 4c) is automatically adjustable corresponding to said angle (W) via said multiplex system.

13. A rear-view unit for a truck (36) with a trailer (semi-trailer 37) and with at least one external rear-view mirror (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) comprising a housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c),

at least one pivotable mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c)

at least one electric servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b;

9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) for pivoting at least the mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c) about a positioning axis (5, 6, 7, 8a;

7a, 8a, 8b, 5c, 6c, 7c, 8c);

a mirror switch (24, 24ab, 24c) remote from said housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) to connect said at least one servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b;

9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) with a current supply (21, 21ab, 21c) via at least one electric line (18, 19;

18a, 19a, 18b, 19b;

18c, 19c);

said mirror switch (24, 24ab, 24c) is connected to a transmitting unit (17, 17ab, 17c) and said at least one servomotor (9, 10, 11, 12;

11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) is connected to a receiving unit (20;

20a, 20b;

20c);

of a multiplex system arranged in said housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c),

said at least one electric line (18, 19;

18a, 19a, 18b, 19b;

18c, 19c) being in the form of a data bus between said transmitting unit 17, 17ab, 17c) and said receiving unit (20;

20a;

20b;

20c),

said transmitting unit (17c) of said multiplex system is associated with an angle detection equipment detecting an angle (W) between longitudinal axes L_Z, L_A) parallel to the direction of travel of said truck (36) and trailer (semi-trailer

     37), by means of which equipment the position of said at least one mirror glass (3c, 4c) is automatically adjustable corresponding to said angle (W) via said multiplex system;

said angle detection equipment comprises at least one angle transmitter responding to a change of angle between said truck (36) and said trailer (semi-trailer

     37) and an evaluation unit (38) to generate control signals for the adjustment of the mirror position, the input of which evaluation unit (38) is connected with said angle transmitter, and the output of which evaluation unit (38) is connected with said transmitting unit (17c), and

two distance sensors (46,

     47) each arranged in the vicinity of side walls (44,

     45) of said truck (36) facing away from one another are provided as angle transmitters, by means of each of which a signal can be generated for said evaluation unit (38), which signal corresponds to the respective distance between lateral regions of a front (48) of said trailer (semi-trailer

     37) in the vicinity of said side walls (44,

     45) and said distance sensors (46,

     47).

14. A rear-view unit according to claim 13, wherein said angle transmitter is an incremental transducer (39) by means of which an angle mark (40) on said trailer (semi-trailer 37) is detectable.

15. A rear-view unit according to claim 13 wherein at least two external rear-view mirrors (1a, 1b) are provided with a receiving unit (20a, 20b,) each and are connected with a common transmitting unit (17ab) via data busses (18a, 19a, 18b, 19b).

16. A rear-view unit according to claim 13, wherein at least one mirror glass (3, 4;

4a, 4b;

3c, 4c) is provided with a heating element (13, 14;

14a, 14b;

13c, 14c), which is connected to the receiving unit (20;

20a, 20b, 20c), and wherein an on-off switch (23, 23ab, 23c) for said heating element (13, 14;

14a, 14b;

13c, 14c) is connected to said transmitting unit (17, 17ab, 17c).

17. A rear-view unit according to claim 13, wherein at least one lamp (15, 15c) is arranged on said housing (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) and is connected to said receiving unit (20, 20c) and wherein an on-off switch (22, 22c) for said lamp (15, 15c) is connected to said transmitting unit (17, 17c).

18. A rear-view unit according to claim 13, wherein said at least one servomotor (9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) is connected with a rotary position indicator (28, 29, 30, 31), which is connected to said receiving unit (20c), and wherein said transmitting unit (17c) is provided with at least one storage location triggerable by way of a storage location key (32, 33, 34) and a storage switch (35) to store and repeatedly trigger a predeterminable position of said

19. A rear-view unit according to claim 13, wherein at maximum two electric lines (18, 19, 18a, 19a, 18b, 19b, 18c, 19c) are provided, the first being a ground line (18, 18a, 18b, 18c) and the second being a supply line (19, 19a, 19b, 19c) and that the multiplex signal is transmittable via one of the two lines.