Vehicle mirror adjustment gear train
First Claim
1. A mirror adjustment system comprising:
- a pair of adjustment members, each including a surface formed with gear teeth extending along one face, such that said adjustment members each function as a rack;
a gear train for each of said adjustment members, comprising;
a pinion gear engaged with said teeth of said adjustment member, said pinion gear being connected to be driven by a motor to move said adjustment member;
a clutch drive gear adapted to be rotated by said motor, said clutch drive gear including a friction face engaged with a clutch disk, said clutch disk being fixed to rotate with said pinion gear; and
a bias force holding said clutch drive gear friction face in contact with said clutch disk such that upon rotation of said clutch drive gear by said motor, said clutch disk and said pinion gear are driven to rotate, but when resistance to rotation overcomes said bias force, one of said clutch drive gear and said clutch disk can rotate relative to the other.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved gear train for the adjustment structure in a mirror includes a slip clutch disk connection that allows a pinion gear to rotate relative to an intermediate gear reduction. The pinion gear is engaged to rotate a rack, and the rack is connected to the mirror to adjust the position of the mirror. The rack is spring biased into engagement with the pinion, thus insuring that the two move with each other quietly and smoothly. The rack can be biased into engagement with the pinion gear, since it need not be able to slip relative to the pinion gear, as was the case in the prior art. The clutch disk allows the pinion gear to move with the rack when the mirror is manually adjusted. The inventive clutch disk is relatively simple, including a clutch drive gear rotatably journaled on a drive shaft. The drive shaft is fixed to rotate with the pinion gear. A spring biases a friction face of the clutch drive gear into engagement with the clutch disk, which also rotates with the pinion gear. Since the pinion gear may slip relative to the clutch drive gear, but will always move with the rack, a memory feedback position control can sense the rotational position of the pinion gear and provide an accurate indication of the actual position of the rack, and hence the mirror.
66 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A mirror adjustment system comprising:
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a pair of adjustment members, each including a surface formed with gear teeth extending along one face, such that said adjustment members each function as a rack; a gear train for each of said adjustment members, comprising; a pinion gear engaged with said teeth of said adjustment member, said pinion gear being connected to be driven by a motor to move said adjustment member; a clutch drive gear adapted to be rotated by said motor, said clutch drive gear including a friction face engaged with a clutch disk, said clutch disk being fixed to rotate with said pinion gear; and a bias force holding said clutch drive gear friction face in contact with said clutch disk such that upon rotation of said clutch drive gear by said motor, said clutch disk and said pinion gear are driven to rotate, but when resistance to rotation overcomes said bias force, one of said clutch drive gear and said clutch disk can rotate relative to the other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An adjustment system for adjusting the position of a mirror comprising:
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a pair of adjustment members, said adjustment members having gear teeth extending along a generally planer face such that each of said adjustment members functions as a rack; each adjustment member associated with a gear train, each gear train including; a pinion gear having gear teeth engaged with said gear teeth on said adjustment member, said pinion gear being connected to be rotated by a motor, there being a slip connection between said pinion gear and said motor such that said pinion gear can rotate relative to said motor when a bias force is overcome; and a spring bias force biasing said adjustment member gear teeth into engagement with said pinion gear. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An mirror adjustment system comprising:
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a pair of adjustment members, each adjustment member including a surface formed with gear teeth extending in a plane, such that said adjustment members each function as a rack; each adjustment member associated with a gear train, each gear train comprising; a pinion gear engaged with said teeth of said adjustment member, said pinion gear being connected to be rotated by a motor to move said adjustment member, a spring force biasing said adjustment member into said pinion gear; a clutch drive gear adapted to be rotated by said motor, said clutch drive gear including a friction face engaged with a clutch disk, said dutch disk being fixed to rotate with said pinion gear; and a bias force holding said clutch drive gear friction face in contact with said clutch disk such that upon rotation of said dutch drive gear by said motor, said clutch disk and said pinion gear are driven to rotate, but when resistance to rotation overcomes said bias force, one of said clutch drive gear and said dutch disk can rotate relative to the other. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification