Exterior mirror with indexing and control pivoting

• US 5,703,731 A
• Filed: 03/07/1996
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LOWE Engineering Company
• Original Assignee: LOWE Engineering Company
• Inventors: Foote, Keith D., Boddy, Ian, Potts, Matthew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US08/612,068
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/877, 248/549, 248/479, 248/483, 248/900, 318/445, 318/446, 318/468, 318/469, 318/484
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/90 Movable or disengageable on impact or overload

Abstract

A vehicle mirror assembly comprising a housing assembly, a mirror unit, a support assembly to support the housing assembly thereon, a power operated pivot assembly between the support assembly and the housing assembly to enable the housing assembly to be pivoted with respect to the support assembly about a generally upright axis (1) between an operative position and a folded position in response to the power operation of the pivot assembly and (2) from the operative position thereof in either direction in response to an unwanted impact blow applied in either direction thereto. A spring biased pivotal control system is disposed between a movable tubular member of the pivot assembly and the support assembly to provide a control resistance to pivotal movement of the movable tubular member and hence the housing assembly connected thereto. A spring biased indexing system is disposed between a motion transmitting member and the movable tubular member to (1) transmit the movement of the motion transmitting member under power to the movable tubular member to thereby move the housing assembly between the operative and folded positions with the control system providing a control resistance and (2) allow the movable tubular member to be moved from the operative position relative to the motion transmitting member in response to an unwanted impact blow applied to the housing assembly in either direction to move the housing assembly from the operative position with the indexing system providing an indexing resistance to such movement which is independent of the control resistance.

Claims

1. A vehicle mirror assembly comprising

a housing assembly,

a mirror unit mounted on said housing assembly,

a support assembly constructed and arranged to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle and to support said housing assembly thereon in an operative position extending laterally outwardly from the vehicle so that said mirror unit serves as an exterior rear view mirror for the driver of the vehicle,

a power operated pivot assembly within said housing assembly constructed and arranged to enable said housing assembly to be pivoted with respect to said support assembly about a generally upright axis (1) between the operative position thereof and a folded position with respect to the vehicle in response to the power operation of said pivot assembly and (2) from the operative position thereof in either direction in response to an unwanted impact blow applied in either direction thereto,

said power operated pivot assembly including an electric motor and a speed reduction motion transmitting assembly between an output shaft of said electric motor and said housing assembly and an outer fixed tubular member fixed to said support assembly,

said speed reduction motion transmitting assembly including a motion transmitting member connected to move in response to a desired rotational movement of said output shaft and a movable tubular member positioned concentric with said axis connected to move with said housing assembly,

a spring biased pivotal control system mounted within said outer fixed tubular member between said movable tubular member and said outer fixed tubular member and constructed and arranged to provide a control resistance to pivotal movement of said movable tubular member about said axis and hence the housing assembly connected thereto which control resistance (1) does not exceed a predetermined value when said housing assembly is moved in either direction between said operative and folded positions and (2) exceeds said predetermined value when said housing assembly is moved into said operative position in a direction away from said folded position and away from said operative position in response to an unwanted impact blow applied to said housing assembly in a direction away from said folded position and

a spring biased indexing system between said motion transmitting member and said movable tubular member constructed and arranged to (1) transmit the movement of said motion transmitting member in response to a desired rotation of said output shaft to said movable tubular member to thereby move said housing assembly between said operative and folded positions with said control system providing a control resistance to such movement which does not exceed said predetermined value in response to the desired rotation of said motor shaft and (2) allow said movable tubular member to be moved with said housing assembly from the operative position thereof relative to said motion transmitting member in response to an unwanted impact blow applied to said housing assembly (1) in a direction to move said housing assembly from said operative position toward said folded position with said indexing system providing an indexing resistance to such movement which is independent of the control resistance provided by said control system and (2) in a direction to move said housing assembly beyond the operative position thereof away from said folded position with said indexing system providing an indexing resistance which is independent of the control resistance provided by said control system.

2. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring biased pivotal control system includes spring biased control structure movably carried by one of said tubular members, said control structure being spring biased to engage another of said tubular members to provide a control resistance which (1) remains constant at said predetermined value when said housing assembly is moved in any way in either direction between said operative and folded positions, (2) exceeds said predetermined value when said housing assembly is moved in any way into said operative position in a direction away from said folded position or into said folded position in a direction away from said operative position and (3) increasingly exceeds said predetermined value to a predetermined higher value and thereafter remains constant at said predetermined higher value when said housing assembly is moved away from the operative position thereof in a direction away from said folded position in response to an impact blow imparted to said housing assembly in a direction away from said folded position.

3. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said control structure comprises a control ring mounted on an exterior periphery of said movable tubular member for pivotal movement therewith and axial movement with respect thereto, said control ring being spring biased by a wave spring washer surrounding the exterior periphery of said movable tubular member between said control ring and a generally radially outwardly extending surface formed in the periphery of said movable tubular member.

4. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said outer fixed tubular member includes a plurality of angularly spaced axial projections having arcuate extents defined by opposite inclined surfaces and downwardly facing surfaces extending between adjacent inclined surfaces of adjacent projections, said control ring including a plurality of angularly spaced recesses having arcuate extents greater than said projections defined by opposite inclined surfaces and upwardly facing surfaces extending between adjacent inclined surfaces of adjacent recesses for slidably engaging the downwardly facing surfaces of said outer fixed tubular member when said housing assembly is moved between the operative and folded positions thereof, one inclined surface of each of said projections engaging one inclined surface of each recess when said housing assembly is moved into said operative position in a direction away from said folded position, another inclined surface of each projection engaging another inclined surface of each recess when said housing assembly is moved into said folded position in a direction away from said operative position, said projections engaging the upwardly facing surfaces of said control ring when said housing assembly has moved away from the operative position thereof in a direction away from the folded position after the interengaged inclined surfaces of said ring and said projections have moved in sliding relation to one another out of engagement with one another.

5. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said motion transmitting member comprise a ring gear positioned concentrically with said axis and mounted for rotational movement about said axis with respect to said movable tubular member.

6. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said spring biased indexing system includes indexing structure movably carried by one of said movable tubular members and said ring gear, said indexing structure being spring biased to engage another one of said movable tubular member and said ring gear.

7. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said indexing structure comprises an indexing ring mounted on an interior periphery of said movable tubular member for pivotal movement therewith and axial movement with respect thereto, said indexing ring being spring biased by a compression coil spring surrounded by said movable tubular member between said indexing ring and a generally radially outwardly extending surface formed in the interior periphery of said movable tubular member.

8. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said ring gear includes teeth on the interior periphery thereof and a plurality of angularly spaced indexing projections extending upwardly therefrom, said indexing ring including a plurality of angularly spaced indexing recesses for receiving said indexing projections, said indexing recesses being interconnected with surfaces for slidably engaging said indexing projections when not received in said indexing recesses.

9. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein said power operated pivot assembly includes an inner fixed tubular member to which said electric motor is fixedly mounted, said inner fixed tubular member being fixed to said support assembly within said movable tubular member and said electric motor being constructed and arranged to be operated by electrical power in a manner to generate flux for which said inner fixed and movable tubular members constitute a flux yoke.

10. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said speed reduction motion transmitting assembly includes a stub shaft mounted between said support assembly and a lower end portion of said inner fixed tubular member for rotation about an axis parallel with said upright axis and an elongated shaft mounted with respect to said support assembly for rotation about an axis disposed within a plane perpendicular to the plane passing through the parallel upright axis and axis of rotation of said stub shaft, a first spiral gear fixed to said output shaft in meshing relation with a first cooperating gear fixed to said elongated shaft, a second spiral gear fixed to said elongated shaft in meshing relation with a second cooperating gear on said stub shaft and a drive gear fixed to said stub shaft in meshing relation with said ring gear.

11. A Vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said power operated pivot assembly includes an inner fixed tubular member to which said electric motor is fixedly mounted, said inner fixed tubular member being fixed to said support assembly within said movable tubular member and said electric motor being constructed and arranged to be operated by electrical power in a manner to generate flux for which said inner fixed and movable tubular members constitute a flux yoke.

12. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said speed reduction motion transmitting assembly includes a stub shaft mounted between said support assembly and a lower end portion of said inner fixed tubular member for rotation about an axis parallel with said upright axis and an elongated shaft mounted with respect to said support assembly for rotation about an axis disposed within a plane perpendicular to the plane passing through the parallel axes, a first spiral gear fixed to said output shaft in meshing relation with a first cooperating gear fixed to said elongated shaft, a second spiral gear fixed to said elongated shaft in meshing relation with a second cooperating gear on said stub shaft and a drive gear fixed to said stub shaft in meshing relation with said ring gear.

13. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said motion transmitting member comprises a ring gear positioned concentrically with said axis and mounted for rotational movement about said axis with respect to said movable tubular member.

14. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said spring biased indexing system includes indexing structure movably carried by one of said movable tubular members and said ring gear, said indexing structure being spring biased to engage another one of said movable tubular member and said ring gear.

15. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 14 wherein said indexing structure comprises an indexing ring mounted on an interior periphery of said movable tubular member for pivotal movement therewith and axial movement with respect thereto, said indexing ring being spring biased by a compression coil spring surrounded by said movable tubular member between said indexing ring and a generally radially outwardly extending surface formed in the interior periphery of said movable tubular member.

16. A vehicle mirror assembly as defined in claim 15 wherein said ring gear includes teeth on the interior periphery thereof and a plurality of angularly spaced indexing projections extending upwardly therefrom, said indexing ring including a plurality of angularly spaced indexing recesses for receiving said indexing projections, said indexing recesses being interconnected with surfaces for slidably engaging said indexing projections when not received in said indexing recesses.