Mirror assembly powered into rearwardly folded position against reversing spring bias

• US 5,477,390 A
• Filed: 08/16/1993
• Issued: 12/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LOWE Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: LOWE Engineering Company
• Inventors: Boddy, Ian, Rawlings, Donald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US08/106,650
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/874, 359/877
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle

Abstract

A rearview mirror assembly comprising a fixed support structure, a movable mirror housing structure having a mirror unit adjustable mounted therein, and a spring-biased mounting assembly mounting the movable structure on the fixed structure (1) for spring-biased movement into a normal operating position wherein said movable structure extends laterally outwardly from the exterior of the vehicle where it is susceptible to the application of unwanted forwardly directed forces or unwanted rearwardly directed forces, (2) for movement forwardly through a forward range of movement out of said operative position in response to the application of unwanted forwardly directed force so that upon release of the force the spring bias is operable to return the movable structure to its operative position and (3) for movement rearwardly through a rearward range of movement out of the operating position in response to the application of an unwanted rearwardly directed force sufficient to overcome the spring bias which spring bias decreases to zero as the distance of rearward movement of the movable structure out of the operative position increases to an intermediate point within the rearward range of movement and thereafter reverses to bias the movable structure into a rearwardly folded limiting position. A power-driven assembly is provided for applying a yieldable force pattern to the movable structure to overcome the spring bias within the rearward range of movement so as to selectively move the movable structure between the operative and rearwardly folded limiting positions.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror assembly for mounting on the exterior of a motor vehicle so as to be viewed by the driver within the vehicle, said rearview mirror comprising

a fixed support structure adapted to be fixed to the exterior of the vehicle,

a movable mirror housing structure,

a spring-biased mounting assembly mounting said movable structure on said fixed structure (1) for spring-biased movement into a normal operating position wherein said movable structure extends laterally outwardly from the exterior of the vehicle where it is susceptible to the application of unwanted forwardly directed forces or unwanted rearwardly directed forces, (2) for movement forwardly through a forward range of movement out of said operative position in response to the application to said movable structure of an unwanted forwardly directed force sufficient to overcome the spring bias of said movable structure into said operative position which spring bias increases as the distance of forward movement of the movable structure out of said operating position within said forward range of movement increases so that upon release of the application of the unwanted forwardly directed force while the movable structure is within said forward range of movement the spring bias is operable to return said movable structure to said operative position and (3) for movement rearwardly through a rearward range of movement out of said operating position in response to the application to said movable structure of an unwanted rearwardly directed force sufficient to overcome the spring bias of said movable structure into said operative position which spring bias decreases to zero as the distance of rearward movement of the movable structure out of said operative position reaches an intermediate point within said rearward range of movement and thereafter reverses to bias said movable structure into a rearwardly folded limiting position,

a mirror unit mounted with respect to said movable structure for movement into any position within a range of movement positions suitable to accommodate different drivers,

a power driven assembly operatively connected with said movable structure for permitting the aforesaid forward movement of said movable structure within said forward range of movement and for applying a yieldable force pattern to said movable structure sufficient to overcome the spring bias within the rearward range of movement so as to selectively move said movable structure between said operative and rearwardly folded limiting positions while enabling said movable structure to be moved rearwardly from said operative position within the rearward range of movement by the application of an unwanted rearwardly directed force to said movable structure sufficient to overcome the yieldable force pattern of said power-driven assembly.

2. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 including a manually controlled mechanism operatively connected with said mirror unit for effecting movement of said mirror unit with respect to said movable structure in response to a remote manual movement by the driver from within the vehicle.

3. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said mirror unit movement effecting mechanism is a power pack assembly fixed to said movable structure including electrically controlled electrical motors, said power pack assembly and said mirror unit having cooperating snap-in connections for mounting said mirror unit on said power pack assembly and for effecting movement of said mirror unit from said power pack assembly by the operation of said electrical motors.

4. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring-biased mounting assembly includes a mounting arm pivotally connected with said fixed structure for movement with respect thereto about a first generally vertically extending axis toward and away from a stop position with respect to said fixed structure,

said movable structure being pivotally connected with said arm for movement with respect thereto about a second axis extending generally parallel with said first axis toward and away from a stop position with respect to said arm,

said spring biased mounting assembly also including a cam surface on said fixed structure, a cam follower on said movable structure and a spring system connected between said fixed structure and said movable structure in such a way that when said movable structure is in said operative position the spring is operable to bias (1) said movable structure into its stop position with respect to said arm, (2) said arm into its stop position with respect to said fixed structure, and (3) said cam follower into engagement with said cam surface.

5. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said power-driven assembly includes an arcuate gear rack fixed to said mounting arm, said gear rack being arcuate about the second axis and having gear teeth on a concave side thereof, said power-driven assembly including a reversible electric motor and power transmission components cooperatively mounted in housing parts fixed with respect to said movable structure.

6. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said power transmission components includes one or more drive pinions having gear teeth disposed in meshing engagement with the gear teeth on the concave side of said arcuate gear rack.

7. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said power transmission components includes a yieldable clutch between said electric motor and said drive pinions.

8. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said clutch includes a clutch disk member fixed to a shaft to which said drive pinions are fixed, a clutch pinion member mounted on said shaft for rotational and axial movement with respect thereto, a spring assembly resiliently biasing said clutch pinion member axially toward said clutch disk member and a plurality of balls carried by one of said clutch members and normally engageable within ball-receiving depressions in the other of said clutch members so as to drivingly interconnect the two clutch members for rotation together but yieldingly disengageable from said ball-receiving depressions to allow relative rotation to occur between said clutch members.

9. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein said power transmission components include a worm gear driven by said reversible electric motor, a worm gear pinion mounted on another shaft parallel with said first mentioned shaft and disposed in meshing relation to said worm gear, and a clutch driving pinion gear fixed to said another shaft disposed in meshing relation with said clutch pinion member.

10. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein the forward range of movement of said movable structure is accomplished by the pivotal movement of said mounting arm about said first pivotal axis while said movable structure is retained in its stop position with respect to said arm and the cam follower is disengaged from said cam surface.

11. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein the rearward range of movement is accomplished by pivoting the movable structure about said second axis while the engagement of the cam follower along the cam surface causes the arm to pivot about the first pivotal axis to thereby move the second axis on opposite sides of a plane passing through the effective points of connection of said spring with said fixed and movable structures.

12. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said spring system is connected with said fixed structure (1) laterally outwardly and rearwardly of said first axis, (2) laterally outwardly and forwardly of said second axis when said movable structure is in said operative position, and (3) laterally inwardly and rearwardly of said second pivotal axis when said movable structure is in said rearwardly folded limiting position.

13. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said fixed and movable structures are unfinished exteriorly and separate fixed and movable cover members are provided to define an exterior configuration and finish for said fixed and movable structures respectively,

said separate fixed and movable cover members being constructed so as to be mounted in covering relation to said fixed and movable structures respectively while said movable structure is mounted on said fixed structure,

said separate fixed and movable cover members being fixedly secured to said fixed and movable structures respectively after being mounted in covering relation thereto so as to present a finished exterior surface which substantially completely covers said fixed and movable structures when said movable structure is in said operative position with respect to said fixed structure while permitting movement of said movable structure out of said operative position with respect to said fixed structure.

14. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said movable cover member is in the form of a thin wall shell having upper, lower, forward and laterally outward merging wall portions defining a finished convexly curved exterior surface and a mounting strap fixedly interconnected between the rearward laterally inward corners of said upper and lower wall portions so as to define (1) with rearward edges of said upper, lower and laterally outward wall portions a rearward opening through which said mirror unit is disposed and (2) with laterally inward edges of said upper, lower and forward wall portions a laterally inward opening through which said movable mirror housing structure is received.

15. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said movable cover member is fixedly secured to said movable structure by fasteners extending between said mounting strap and an abutting portion of said movable structure.

16. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 15 wherein said fixed cover member is in the form of an irregular tubular wall having a laterally outward peripheral edge disposed in closely spaced relation with the laterally inward edges defining the laterally inward opening of said movable cover member when said movable structure is in said operative position.

17. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 13 including a manually controlled mechanism operatively connected with said mirror unit for effecting movement of said mirror unit with respect to said movable structure in response to a remote manual movement by the driver within the vehicle.

18. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 17 wherein said mirror unit movement effecting mechanism is a power pack assembly fixed to said movable structure including electrically controlled electrical motors, said power pack assembly and said mirror unit having cooperating snap-in connections for mounting said mirror unit on said power pack assembly and for effecting movement of said mirror unit from said power pack assembly by the operation of said electrical motors.

19. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said fixed and movable structures are unfinished exteriorly and separate fixed and movable cover members are provided to define an exterior configuration and finish for said fixed and movable structures respectively,

said separate fixed and movable cover members being constructed so as to be mounted in covering relation to said fixed and movable structures respectively while said movable structure is mounted on said fixed structure,

said separate fixed and movable cover members being fixedly secured to said fixed and movable structures respectively after being mounted in covering relation thereto so as to present a finished exterior surface which substantially completely covers said fixed and movable structures when said movable structure is in said operative position with respect to said fixed structure while permitting movement of said movable structure out of said operative position with respect to said fixed structure.

20. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 19 wherein said movable cover member is in the form of a thin wall shell having upper, lower, forward and laterally outward merging wall portions defining a finished convexly curved exterior surface and a mounting strap fixedly interconnected between the rearward laterally inward corners of said upper and lower wall portions so as to define (1) with rearward edges of said upper, lower and laterally outward wall portions a rearward opening through which said mirror unit is disposed and (2) with laterally inward edges of said upper, lower and forward wall portions a laterally inward opening through which said movable mirror housing structure is received.

21. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 20 wherein said movable cover member is fixedly secured to said movable structure by fasteners extending between said mounting strap and an abutting portion of said movable structure.

22. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 21 wherein said fixed cover member is in the form of an irregular tubular wall having a laterally outward peripheral edge disposed in closely spaced relation with the laterally inward edges defining the laterally inward opening of said movable cover member when said movable structure is in said operative position.