Displacement adjustment device

• US 5,931,438 A
• Filed: 07/07/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: IKU Holding Montfoort BV
• Inventors: Brouwer, Stefan Frits
• Primary Examiner(s): Berger, Derek J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NORNBERG, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US08/817,631
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 248/476, 248/477, 248/480, 248/481, 248/466, 248/292.12, 74/89.14, 74/89.15, 74/411.5, 74/459, 74/425, 359/841, 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/875, 359/876, 359/877, 188/77 W, 464/30, 464/40
• US Class Current: 248/481
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19712 Threadless
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1973 Shaft thread is spirally wound wire

Abstract

A displacement adjustment device (100) for at least partly converting a rotation into a translation, comprising: a rotation input member (114) which is bearing-mounted so as to be rotatable but axially secured relative to a frame said rotation input member (114) being provided with a hollow (116) extending axially therethrough; a bar (11) positioned in the hollow (116) and having its outside surface provided with a screw thread (17), means (12) being prvided for preventing rotation of said bar (11) relative to a frame; and a coupling gear wheel (120) arranged for rotation in the rotation input member (114), wherein the axis of rotation of the coupling gear wheel (120) is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation input member (114), wherein the coupling gear wheel (120) has teeth (121) engaging with the screw thread (17) of the bar (11) and, wherein the rotation bearing of the coupling gear wheel (120) comprises a slip coupling (130) relative to the rotation input member (114). An example of an application of such a device is in a mirror adjusting instrument of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A displacement adjustment device for converting a rotation into a translation, comprising:

a frame;

a rotation input member which is mounted so as to be rotatable but axially secured relative to the frame, said rotation input member being provided with a hollow extending axially therethrough;

a bar positioned in the hollow and having its outside surface provided with a screw thread, means being provided for preventing rotation of said bar relative to the frame; and

a coupling gear wheel arranged for rotation in the rotation input member, wherein the axis of rotation of the coupling gear wheel is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotation input member, wherein the coupling gear wheel has teeth engaging with the screw thread of the bar, and wherein the coupling gear wheel includes a slip coupling relative to the rotation input member.

2. A displacement adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation input member is a gear wheel or a worm wheel, with a gear ring suitable for drive by means of a worm coupled to a driven shaft of an electromotor.

3. The displacement adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein said slip coupling comprises a wrap spring.

4. The displacement adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the outside surface of the rotation input member is provided with spherical portions.

5. The displacement adjustment device according to claim 2, wherein said gear ring has a partly spherical shape.

6. The rotation input member for use in a displacement adjustment device according to claim 1, said rotation input member being a gear wheel or a worm wheel and comprising a gear ring which is suitable for cooperation with a worm;

said rotation input member being provided with a hollow axially extending therethrough;

and wherein a coupling gear wheel is rotatably arranged in the rotation input member, wherein the axis of rotation of the coupling gear wheel is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotation input member, wherein the coupling gear wheel has teeth extending into the hollow, and wherein the coupling gear wheel includes a slip coupling relative to the rotation input member.

7. A rotation input member according to claim 6, wherein said slip coupling comprises a wrap spring.

8. A rotation input member according to claim 6 wherein the outside surface of the rotation input member is provided with spherical portions, and wherein said gear ring has a partly spherical shape.

9. A displacement adjustment device for converting a rotation into a translation, comprising:

a frame;

a rotation input member which is mounted so as to be rotatable but axially secured relative to the frame, said rotation input member being provided with a hollow extending axially therethrough;

a bar positioned in the hollow and having its outside surface provided with a screw thread, means being provided for preventing rotation of said bar relative to the rotation input member; and

a coupling gear wheel arranged for rotation in the frame or a part fixed thereto, wherein the axis of rotation of the coupling gear wheel is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the bar, wherein the coupling gear wheel has teeth engaging with the screw thread of the bar, and wherein the coupling gear wheel includes a slip coupling relative to the frame or the part fixed thereto.

10. The displacement adjustment device according to claim 9, wherein the rotation input member is a gear wheel or a worm wheel, with a gear ring suitable for drive, by means of a worm coupled to a driven shaft of an electromotor.

11. A displacement adjustment device according to claim 9 wherein said slip coupling comprises a wrap spring.

12. A displacement adjustment device for converting a rotation into a translation, comprising:

a frame;

a rotation input member which is mounted so as to be rotatable but axially secured relative to the frame, which rotation input member is provided with a cylindrical hollow extending axially therethrough and having an internal screw thread;

a bar positioned in the hollow and comprising means for preventing rotation of said bar relative to the frame; and

a coupling gear wheel rotatably provided on the bar, wherein the axis of rotation of the coupling gear wheel is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotation input member, wherein the coupling gear wheel has teeth engaging with the screw thread of the rotation input member, and wherein the coupling gear wheel includes a slip coupling relative to the bar.

13. The displacement adjustment device according to claim 12, wherein the rotation input member is a gear wheel or a worm wheel, with a gear ring suitable for drive, by means of a worm coupled to a driven shaft of an electromotor.

14. The displacement adjustment device according to claim 12, wherein said slip coupling comprises a wrap spring.

15. The displacement adjustment device according to claim 12, wherein the bar is shaped as a body bent in the shape of a U having legs and, wherein the coupling gear wheel is mounted in the outer ends of said legs and, wherein legs and are pretensioned towards each other so that they exert a pinching force on the side faces of the coupling gear wheel to define said slip coupling.

16. The displacement adjustment device according to claim 12, wherein two coupling wheels and are provided on the bar, wherein the respective axis of rotation of each of said coupling gear wheels and is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotation input member, wherein each coupling gear wheel has respective teeth which engage with the screw thread of the rotation input member diametrically opposite each other, wherein each of said coupling gear wheels and includes a slip coupling relative to the bar, and wherein said two coupling gear wheels and abut against each other.