Mirror angle adjusting device for automotive rearview mirror assembly

• US 5,793,543 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Matsuyama Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Matsuyama Seisakusho
• Inventors: Kimura, Sakae, Hamada, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US08/476,055
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 359/875, 359/872, 359/882, 359/841, 359/873, 359/874, 359/876, 362/135, 362/139, 362/419, 362/422, 362/425, 362/427, 362/66, 248/479
• US Class Current: 359/875
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/066 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

A mirror angle adjusting device for use with an automotive rearview mirror assembly has a base member adapted to be fixed to an automobile body, a mirror housing assembly angularly movably coupled to the base member, a mirror holder tiltably supported on the mirror housing assembly and holding a rearview mirror, a control lever assembly for remotely controlling angular adjustment of the rearview mirror, and a coupling assembly for coupling the mirror holder and the control lever assembly. The coupling assembly includes a rotatable shaft mechanism having at least one shaft rotatable about an axis thereof in response to operation of the control lever assembly, an arm swingable about the shaft in response to rotation of the shaft for tilting the mirror holder, and a clutch assembly for selectively disconnecting the control lever assembly from the mirror holder, the clutch assembly including a cam on the shaft and a flat spring assembly between the arm and the shaft for resiliently engaging the cam.

Claims

1. A mirror angle adjusting device for use with an automotive rearview mirror assembly, comprising:

a base member adapted to be fixed to an automobile body;

a mirror housing assembly coupled to said base member so as to be movable angularly about said base member,

a mirror holder tiltably supported on said mirror housing assembly and holding a rearview mirror;

control lever means for remotely controlling angular adjustment of said rearview mirror; and

coupling means for coupling said mirror holder and said control lever means;

said coupling means comprising a rotatable shaft mechanism having at least one shaft rotatable about an axis thereof in response to operation of said control lever means, an arm swingable about said shaft in response to rotation of said shaft for tilting said mirror holder, and a clutch means for selectively disconnecting said control lever means from said mirror holder, said clutch means comprising a cam on said shaft, and flat spring means between said arm and said shaft for resiliently engaging said cam,

said shaft having at least one flat engaging surface on an outer circumference of said shaft to define said cam,

said arm having a flat base and a hole through which said shaft is rotatably inserted,

said flat spring means comprising at least one rod-shaped spring extending along said flat base in a longitudinal direction thereof and resiliently engaging said flat base with said engaging surface.

2. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said shaft has a pair of diametrically opposed flat engaging surfaces as said cam on an outer circumference thereof, said flat spring means comprising a pair of rod-shaped springs extending in a longitudinal direction on opposite sides of said shaft with each engaging a flat surface on opposite sides of said shaft in resilient engagement.

3. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said mirror housing assembly comprises:

a bracket coupled to a back of said mirror holder through a pivot member so that said mirror holder is tiltably supported on said bracket, said bracket being angularly movably held in engagement with an upstanding fixed shaft on said base member; and

a mirror housing coupled to said bracket;

said bracket and said base member having respective surfaces abutting against each other and having convex and concave members, respectively, which are engageable with each other.

4. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 3, further comprising resilient means for resiliently allowing said bracket to move away from said base member to cause said convex and concave members to disengage from each other when said mirror housing is turned by an external force to change an angular position thereof with respect to said base member, and for biasing said convex and concave members to engage each other again after said mirror housing is released from said external force.

5. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 4, wherein said arm has a distal end pivotally coupled to the back of said mirror holder, said arm having an arcuate slot extending in a predetermined angular range about the axis of said shaft, said bracket having an upstanding tapered engaging pin extending substantially parallel to said shaft and slidably engaging in said arcuate slot, the arrangement being such that when said mirror housing is turned by the external force to change the angular position thereof with respect to said base member, said tapered engaging pin engages a peripheral edge of said arcuate slot to secure said bracket and said arm to each other upon movement of said bracket away from said base member to cause said convex and concave members to disengage from each other.

6. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said arm supports on the distal end thereof a slider having a ball-shaped pivot member and a spherical recess receiving said ball-shaped pivot member, said mirror holder having a space defined therein, and wherein said slider is slidably disposed in said space in order to absorb a displacement of said arm with respect to said mirror holder when said mirror holder is tilted in response to swinging movement of said arm.

7. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said control lever means comprises a cylindrical member rotatably disposed on said base member;

and a control lever operatively coupled to said cylindrical member, said coupling means comprises first link means for operatively coupling said shaft to said cylindrical member to rotate said shaft in response to operation of said control lever to rotate said cylindrical member.

8. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 7, wherein said rotatable shaft mechanism comprises a tubular shaft as said at least one shaft, and a rod shaft disposed coaxially in said tubular shaft and rotatable independently of said tubular shaft, said control lever having a cylindrical end rotatably fitted in a cylindrical hole extending perpendicularly to an axis of said cylindrical member, said coupling means comprising second link means for operatively coupling said control lever to said rod shaft to rotate said rod shaft in response to rotation of said control lever.

9. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 7, wherein said rotatable shaft mechanism comprises a tubular shaft as said at least one shaft, and a rod shaft disposed coaxially in said tubular shaft and rotatable independently of said tubular shaft, said control lever being swingably supported on a support shaft extending perpendicularly to an axis of said cylindrical member, said coupling means comprising second link means for operatively coupling said control lever to said rod shaft to rotate said rod shaft in response to rotation of said control lever.

10. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said arm has a flat base having a hole through which said shaft is rotatably inserted, said shaft having a plurality of angularly spaced flat engaging surfaces as said cam on an outer circumference thereof, said flat spring means comprising at least one rod-shaped spring extending on said flat base in a longitudinal direction thereof, said rod-shaped spring comprising a bent central portion, two side portions extending from said central portion and held in resilient linear contact with at least two of said engaging surfaces, two main resilient portions extending from respective ends of said two side portions remote from said central portion, and engaging portions engaging said arm.

11. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 10, wherein said flat spring means comprises first and second rod-shaped springs superposed one on the other in an axial direction of said shaft.

12. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 11, wherein said engaging surfaces of said shaft include two pairs of diametrically opposite engaging surfaces such that said shaft has a substantially square cross section, said central portion of each of said first and second rod-shaped springs being bent into an L shape, said two side portions being first and second side portions with said central portion interposed between, said first and second side portions of said first rod-shaped spring being held in engagement with respective engaging surfaces of said shaft, said first and second side portions of said second rod-shaped spring being held in engagement with respective other engaging surfaces of said shaft.

13. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 12, wherein said first side portion of said first rod-shaped spring is placed over said first side portion of said second rod-shaped spring, and said second side portion of said first rod-shaped spring is placed beneath said second side portion of said second rod-shaped spring.

14. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said mirror housing assembly comprises a bracket coupled to a back of said mirror holder through a pivot member so that said mirror holder is tiltably supported on said bracket, said bracket being angularly movably held in engagement with an upstanding fixed shaft on said base member, and a mirror housing coupled to said bracket, said arm having a distal end positioned on said mirror holder such that said mirror holder is tiltable thereon, said mirror holder having a spherical recess displaced off said pivot member, said coupling means further comprising a pivot member having a first shaft portion slidably and rotatably fitted in a hole defined in said distal end of said arm, a second shaft portion bent at a right angle from said first shaft portion, and a ball mounted on a distal end of said second shaft portion and swingably fitted in said spherical recess.

15. A mirror angle adjusting device for use with an automotive rearview mirror assembly, comprising:

a base member adapted to be fixed to an automobile body;

a mirror housing assembly coupled to said base member so as to be movable angularly about said base member,

a rearview mirror,

a mirror holder tiltably supported on said mirror housing assembly and holding said rearview mirror;

control lever means for remotely controlling angular adjustment of said rearview mirror; and

coupling means for coupling said mirror holder and said control lever means;

said coupling means comprising first and second arms, coaxially disposed first and second shafts independently rotatable relative to one another in response to operation of said control lever means and capable of vertically and horizontally adjusting the angle of said rearview mirror via said first and second arms, and clutch means capable of disconnecting said control lever means from said mirror holder, said clutch means including at least one flat spring means for resiliently connecting one of said shafts with its corresponding arm.

16. A mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 15, wherein each of said first and second shafts has at least one pair of diametrically opposed cam surfaces on an outer circumference thereof, said flat spring means including at least one pair of regions held in resilient contact with said at least one pair of diametrically opposed cam surfaces in opposite directions.

17. A mirror angle adjusting device for use with an automotive rearview mirror assembly, comprising:

a base member adapted to be fixed to an automobile body;

a mirror housing assembly coupled to said base member so as to be movable angularly about said base member,

a rearview mirror;

a mirror holder tiltably supported on said mirror housing assembly and holding said rearview mirror;

control lever means for remotely controlling angular adjustment of said rearview mirror; and

coupling means for coupling said mirror holder and said control lever means;

coaxially disposed first and second shafts coupled to said control lever means for independent rotation thereby,

first and second arm each coupled to a different one of said first and second shafts to vertically and horizontally, respectively, control the angular movement of said mirror holder about a common horizontal and vertical axis, and clutch means including at least one flat spring means for resiliently connecting one of said shafts with its corresponding arm.