Electrically remote-controlled mirror assembly

• US 5,343,333 A
• Filed: 08/19/1992
• Issued: 08/30/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Kubo, Yoshihiro, Sekino, Takao, Nagayama, Yoshirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US07/931,486
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/876, 359/877
• US Class Current: 359/874
• 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 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/16 by rolling; by wrapping; Roller or ball contacts

Abstract

An electrically remote-controlled mirror assembly having a pair of plungers driven by first and second motors for tilting the mirror about the horizontal and vertical axes, respectively, and for quick-rear-viewing, there is provided a mirror driving mechanism by which the mirror can be tilted further through a predetermined angle beyond the predetermined range of angulation for the normal car moving to an angular position suitable for viewing the rear wheel of the car and thereafter returned to its initial predetermined angular position. The mirror driving mechanism comprises a nut member which axially guides at least one of the plungers, a rotary member having a drive shaft slidable with respect to but blocked against pivoting relative to the plunger and which is intended to move the plunger forward and backward for the purpose of the quick-rear-viewing, and a third motor to rotate the rotary member, and an electrical control means responsive to the rotation of the rotary member to control the stopping and rotational direction of the third motor. The electrical control means is composed of an electrically conductive ball so disposed as to roll on a predetermined track, and two pairs of electric contacts, one of the pair being disposed at a first position corresponding to one end of the rolling track of the ball and the other pair being disposed at a second position corresponding to the other end of the rolling track.

Claims

1. An electrically remote-controlled mirror assembly, comprising:

a mirror;

a mirror body supporting said mirror;

a casing having a ball-and-socket joint which supports said mirror pivotably;

a pair of plungers coupled with said mirror body and so disposed within said casing as to be moved forward and backward, respectively, by a pair of motors via reduction gear trains, each gear train comprising a plurality of gears, respectively, to tilt the mirror body horizontally and vertically within respective predetermined angles; and

at least one driving mechanism for moving at least one of the plungers forward and backward to tilt the mirror body horizontally and vertically beyond said predetermined angles;

said driving mechanism including;

an external thread formed on the circumference of one of said plungers;

a nut member so provided in said casing as to be blocked against rotation relative to said casing, and having an internal thread formed along the center line thereof which is engaged with said external thread of said plunger;

a rotary member provided in said casing, which is shaped in the form of a disk having upper and lower surfaces, and having a drive shaft provided on the upper surface thereof, which is slidable with respect to but blocked against pivoting relative to said plunger;

a motor for rotating said rotary member;

a control circuit means for stopping and changing rotational direction of said motor in response to the rotation of said rotary member;

said circuit means including;

an electrically conductive ball disposed between an internal surface of said casing and the lower surface of said rotary member so as to roll on a predetermined track; and

two pairs of electric contacts disposed on the internal surface of said casing, one of said pairs being disposed at a first position corresponding to one end of the rolling track of said ball, and the other pair being disposed at a second position corresponding to the other end of said rolling track of said ball.

2. An electrically remote-controlled mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said rotary member has a spiral recess formed on the lower surface thereof and said casing has provided on the internal surface thereof an elongated recess so radially formed as to be perpendicular to said spiral recess, said electrically conductive ball being arranged to roll in both said spiral and elongated recesses.

3. An electrically remote-controlled mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first and second positions of the two pairs of said electric contacts correspond to one and the other end, respectively, of said elongated recess.

4. An electrically remote-controlled mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein said spiral recess is of not less than a single turn.

5. An electrically remote-controlled mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said rotary member has formed on the lower surface thereof a concavity in which said electrically conductive ball can be fitted and roll and said casing has formed on the internal surface thereof a circular rolling track corresponding to the rolling track of said ball, the first and second positions of the two pairs of said electric contacts corresponding to one and the other end, respectively, of said circular rolling track.

6. An electrically remote-controlled mirror assembly, comprising:

a mirror;

a mirror body supporting said mirror;

a casing having a ball-and-socket joint which supports said mirror pivotably;

first and second plungers coupled with said mirror body and so disposed within said casing as to be moved forward and backward, respectively, to tilt the mirror body horizontally and vertically, respectively; and

first and second driving mechanisms, including first and second motors, respectively, for moving said first and second plungers to tilt the mirror body horizontally and vertically, respectively;

at least one of said first and second driving mechanisms comprising;

an external thread formed on the circumference of at least one of said plungers;

a nut member so provided in said casing as to be blocked against rotation relative to said casing, and having an internal thread provided along the center line of said plunger;

a drive cylinder provided rotatably in said casing, and having an internal thread engaging the external thread of said nut member, and adapted to be driven by one of said first and second motors;

a rotary member provided in said casing, which is shaped in the form of a disk having upper and lower surfaces, and having a drive shaft provided on the upper surface thereof, which is slidable with respect to but blocked against pivoting relative to said plunger;

a third motor for rotating said rotary member; and

electrical circuit means responsive to the rotation of said rotary member to control the stopping and changing of rotational direction of said third motor;

said circuit means including;

an electrically conductive ball disposed between an internal surface of said casing and the lower surface of said rotary member so as to roll on a predetermined track; and

two pairs of electric contacts disposed on the internal surface of said casing, one of said pairs being disposed at a first position corresponding to one end of said rolling track of said ball, and the other pair being disposed at a second position corresponding to the other end of said rolling track.