Adjustable rear-view mirror with a releasable mirror plate

• US 5,615,054 A
• Filed: 05/19/1994
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mekra Rangau Plastics GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Mekra Rangau Plastics GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Lang, Heinrich, Seiboth, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLUND, TERRY LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/245,952
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 359/872, 359/876, 359/877, 359/841, 359/844, 359/849, 359/864, 359/865, 359/871, 359/850, 359/855
• US Class Current: 359/844
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0605 specially adapted for mounting on trucks, e.g. by C-shaped support means

Abstract

An adjustable rear-view mirror arrangement for vehicles has a housing, a bearing arrangement arranged in the housing with a retaining plate in particular integrally united with the bearing arrangement for the adjustable positioning of a rear-view mirror and a mirror supporting plate fastenable to the retaining plate for the mounting of a mirror glass and arranged in a housing opening. In the vicinity of two opposite parallel lateral edges, the retaining plate is provided with joining projections, which for being fastened to the mirror supporting plate, are insertable by clamping into rear-recessed portions of complementary shape on the mirror supporting plate in parallel to the plate plane.

Claims

1. An adjustable rear-view mirror arrangement for motor vehicles comprising

a housing (5) with a housing opening (72);

a bearing arrangement (12,

     13) arranged in the housing (5);

a retaining plate (40) united with the bearing arrangement and provided with two lateral edges (55,

     56) opposite to each other and a plate plane (P);

a mirror supporting plate (42) releasably fastenable to said retaining plate (40); and

a mirror glass (10,

     11) mounted on said mirror supporting plate (42) and arranged in said housing opening (72),

wherein adjacent to said lateral edges (55,

     56), the retaining plate (40) is provided with joining projections (57a, b, c, d), which for being fastened to the mirror supporting plate (42), are insertable in a direction of insertion by clamping (E) into rear-recessed portions (58a, b, c, d) of complementary shape on the mirror supporting plate (42) substantially in parallel to said plate plane (P).

2. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the joining projections (57a, b, c, d) are formed in one piece on the retaining plate (40) and located on the latter'"'"'s lateral edges (55, 56) in the plate plane (P).

3. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the clamping is provided for securing the mirror supporting plate (42) on the retaining plate (40) in the final position of mounting.

4. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the clamping is formed by a locking projection (69) projecting from an inside (63) of the mirror supporting plate (42) and backing a transverse lateral edge (70), directed opposite the direction of insertion (E), of the retaining plate (40) in the final position of mounting.

5. A rear-view mirror arrangement comprising:

a housing (5) with a housing opening (72);

a bearing arrangement (12,

     13) arranged in the housing (5);

a retaining plate (40) united with the bearing arrangement and provided with two lateral edges (55,

     56) opposite to each other and a plate plane (P);

a mirror supporting plate (42) releasably fastenable to said retaining plate (40); and

a mirror glass (10,

     11) mounted on said mirror supporting plate (42) and arranged in said housing opening (72),

wherein adjacent to said lateral edges (55,

     56), the retaining plate (40) is provided with joining projections (57a, b, c, d), which for being fastened to the mirror supporting plate (42), are insertable in a direction of insertion (E) by clamping into rear-recessed portions (58a, b, c, d) of complementary shape on the mirror supporting plate (42) substantially in parallel to said plate plane (P), wherein on both sides of the retaining plate (40), the mirror supporting plate (42) is provided with ridges (60,61) projecting inwards and extending parallel to the direction of insertion (E) of the joining projections (57a, b, c, d) from which ridges (60,

     61) retaining projections (59a, b, c, d) project in a direction towards each other forming the rear-recessed portions (58a, b, c, d).

6. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 5, wherein on a side opposite the retaining projections (59a, b, c, d), the rear-recessed portions (58a, b, c, d) are defined by continuous supporting ribs (62) extending parallel to the direction of insertion (E) on an inside (63) of the mirror supporting plate (42).

7. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the joining projections (57a, b, c, d) and the retaining projections (59a, b, c, d) are of about equal length referred to the direction of insertion (E).

8. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 5, wherein referred to the direction of insertion (E), a free distance (a) between the retaining projections (59a, b, c, d) slightly exceeds the length of the joining projections (57a, b, c, d).

9. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the ridges (60, 61) extending parallel to the direction of insertion (E) are united at their ends by transverse ridges (65, 66) to form an encircling frame part.

10. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 5, wherein on the insides facing away from the rear-recessed portions (58b, c), insertion lugs (67, 68) are arranged on the retaining projections (59b, c) for the guidance of the plates (40, 42) relative to each other when the mirror supporting plate (42) is placed on the retaining plate (40).

11. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the joining projections (57a, b, c, d) are formed in one piece on the retaining plate (40) and located on the latter'"'"'s lateral edges (55, 56) in the plate plane (P).

12. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the clamping is formed by a locking projection (69) projecting from an inside (63) of the mirror supporting plate (42) and backing a transverse lateral edge (70), directed opposite the direction of insertion (E), of the retaining plate (40) in the final position of mounting.

17. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the clamping is provided for securing the mirror supporting plate (42) on the retaining plate (40) in the final position of mounting.

13. A rear-view mirror arrangement comprising:

a housing (5) with a housing opening (72);

a bearing arrangement (12,

     13) arranged in the housing (5);

a retaining plate (40) united with the bearing arrangement and provided with two lateral edges (55,

     56) opposite to each other and a plate plane (P);

a mirror supporting plate (42) releasably fastenable to said retaining plate (40); and

a mirror glass (10,

     11) mounted on said mirror supporting plate (42) and arranged in said housing opening (72).

wherein adjacent to said lateral edges (55,

     56), the retaining plate (40) is provided with joining projections (57a, b, c, d), which for being fastened to the mirror supporting plate (42), are insertable in a direction of insertion (E) by clamping into rear-recessed portions (58a, b, c, d) of complementary shape on the mirror supporting plate (42) substantially in parallel to said plate plane (P) on the one hand, in a rear-view position of the bearing arrangement (12,

     13), an external edge (71) of the mirror supporting plate (42) is encircled by an edge (46) of the housing forming the housing opening (72) while leaving a spacing gap (73) such that a complete release of a sliding engagement of the mirror supporting plate (42) with the retaining plate (40) is impossible, and in that on the other hand, in an extremely tilted position of mounting of the bearing arrangement (12,

     13), the mirror supporting plate (42) is removable out of the housing opening (72) by the releasing of the sliding engagement with the retaining plate (40) and insertable therein by the production of the sliding engagement.

14. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 13 wherein the joining projections (57a, b, c, d) are formed in one piece on the retaining plate (40) and located on the latter'"'"'s lateral edges (55, 56) in the plate plane (P).

15. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 13 wherein on both sides of the retaining plate (40), the mirror supporting plate (42) is provided with ridges (60, 61) projecting inwards and extending parallel to the direction of insertion (E) of the joining projections (57a, b, c, d), from which ridges (60, 61) retaining projections (59a, b, c, d) project in a direction towards each other forming the rear-recessed portions (58a, b, c, d).

16. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 13 wherein the clamping formed by a locking projection (69) projecting from an inside (63) of the mirror supporting plate (42) and backing a transverse lateral edge (70), directed opposite the direction of insertion (E), of the retaining plate (40) in the final position of mounting.

18. The rear-view mirror arrangement according to claim 13 wherein the clamping is provided for securing the mirror supporting plate (42) on the retaining plate (40) in the final position of mounting.