External rear-view mirror for commerical vehicles

• US 5,621,577 A
• Filed: 10/06/1993
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Mekra Rangau Plastics GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Lang, Heinrich, Seiboth, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US08/132,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 359/850, 359/855, 359/865, 359/872, 359/874, 359/876, 359/877, 359/881, 248/479, 248/480, 248/481, 248/484, 248/485, 248/488, 248/900
• US Class Current: 359/872
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0605 specially adapted for mounting on trucks, e.g. by C-shaped support means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0612 by electrically actuated means

Abstract

An external rear-view mirror for trucks has a housing, in which at least one adjustable mirror glass and an electrically or manually actuatable positioning aggregate for pivoting the mirror glass relative to the housing are arranged. Furthermore, a clamping device is provided to secure a support arm. In order to keep the vibrations of the mirror glass as little as possible, a support plate is provided in the housing and is directly secured to the clamping device. The at least one positioning aggregate, on which the mirror glass is in turn arranged, is secured to the support plate on the other side. The housing is only connected with the support plate; it has no supporting function.

Claims

1. An external rear-view mirror for commercial vehicles comprising:

a holder (54) for securing the mirror to the commercial vehicle,

a separate support plate (51, 51'"'"') arranged in a housing (67), said support plate (51, 51'"'"') is directly secured to the holder (54) by means of a clamping device (53) and said housing (67) is held on said support plate (51, 51'"'"'),

at least one mirror glass (52), which is pivotably disposed on the support plate (51, 51'"'"') and which is arranged on the housing (67), and

at least one positioning aggregate (60,

     61), which is arranged on the support plate (51,51'"'"') and which is connected with the at least one mirror glass (52) for its pivoting wherein the clamping device (53) comprises a clamping thrust bearing (55) for the holder (54) and a clamping member (56), the clamping thrust bearing (55) for the holder (54) being formed in one piece with the support plate (51, 51'"'"') and the clamping member (56) being non-positively connectable with the clamping thrust bearing (55), and

wherein the clamping device (53) has two clamping thrust bearings (55) integrally formed with the support plate (51, 51'"'"'), the clamping member (56) of which clamping thrust bearing (55) is non-positively connectable with the clamping thrust bearing (55).

2. An external rear-view mirror according to claim 1, wherein a housing member (68) laterally defining the pivoting range of the mirror glass (52) by a wall (70) extending in the way of a frame is arranged on the support plate (51, 51'"'"') and is secured to the support plate (51, 51'"'"') with a base (69) supporting the wall (70) from the side facing away from the mirror glass (52), the clamping device (53) on the support plate (51, 51'"'"') passing through an opening (72) in the base (69) and being arranged on the rear of the base (69) facing away from the mirror glass (52).

3. An external rear-view mirror according to claim 2, wherein on its rear facing away from the mirror glass (52) the base (69) of the housing member (68) is provided with a conduit-like recess (78) for the at least partial accommodation of the holder (54).

4. An external rear-view mirror according to claim 2, wherein on its rear facing away from the mirror glass (52) the base (69) of the housing member (68) is provided with a cable duct (79) for a control cable, which duct (79) proceeding from the portion of the base adjacent to the clamping device (55, 56) leads to an electric plug connector (81) arranged thereon.

5. An external rear-view mirror according to claim 1, wherein a cover (73) for covering the at least one clamping device (53) and the base (69) of the housing member (68) is connected to, in particular locked onto the housing member (68) from the side facing away from the mirror glass (52).

6. An external rear-view mirror according to claim 1, wherein the clamping thrust bearings (55) are respectively arranged at a free end of projection (58) projecting from the support plate (51, 51'"'"').

7. An external rear-view mirror according to claim 1 wherein both the clamping thrust bearings (55) are arranged on the side of the support plate (51, 51'"'"') facing away from the mirror glass (52).

8. An external rear-view mirror for commercial vehicles comprising

a holder (54) for securing the mirror to the commercial vehicle,

a support plate (51, 51'"'"') arranged in a housing (67), which is secured to the holder (54) by means of a clamping device (53) and on which the housing (67) is held,

at least one mirror glass (52), which is pivotably disposed on the support plate (51, 51'"'"') and which is arranged on the housing (67), and

at least one positioning aggregate (60, 61), which is arranged on the support plate (51, 51'"'"') and which is connected with the at least one mirror glass (52) for its pivoting,

wherein the clamping device (53) comprises a clamping thrust bearing (55) for the holder (54) and a clamping member (56), the clamping thrust bearing (55) for the holder (54) being formed in one piece with the support plate (51, 51'"'"') and the clamping member (56) being non-positively connectable with the clamping thrust bearing (55), and

wherein a housing member (68) laterally defining the pivoting range of the mirror glass (52) by a wall (70) extending in the way of a frame is arranged on the support plate (51, 51'"'"') and is secured to the support plate (51, 51'"'"') with a base (69) supporting the wall (70) from the side facing away from the mirror glass (52), the clamping device (53) on the support plate (51, 51'"'"') passing through an opening (72) in the base (69) and being arranged on the rear of the base (69) facing away from the mirror glass (52), and

wherein on its rear facing away from the mirror glass (52) the base (69) of the housing member (68) is provided with a cable duct (79) for a control cable, which duct (79) proceeding from the portion of the base adjacent to the clamping device (53) leads to an electric plug connector (81) arranged thereon.

9. An external rear-view mirror according to claim 8, wherein a cover (73) for covering the clamping device (53) and the base (69) of the housing member (68) is connected to, in particular locked onto, the housing member (68) from the side facing away from the mirror glass (52).

10. An external rear-view mirror according to claim 8, wherein on its rear facing away from the mirror glass (52) the base (69) of the housing member (68) is provided with a conduit-like recess (78) for the at least partial accommodation of the holder (54).