Rear view mirror

• US 6,106,122 A
• Filed: 08/02/1999
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Britax Rainsfords Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Britax Rainsfords Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Fimeri, Garry Gordon Leslie, Gilbert, Robert William, Birgden, Ingmar Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US09/366,109
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/872, 359/873, 359/874, 359/877, 248/477, 248/478, 248/479, 248/480, 248/481, 248/900
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/90 Movable or disengageable on impact or overload

Abstract

A rear view mirror assembly comprising a bracket adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body, and a case, in which a reflective member is pivotally mounted. A lead screw is mounted in the bracket. A pair of arms projecting laterally from the reflective member beyond the periphery thereof and have ridge formations which engage with the lead screw so that rotation of the lead screw causes angular movement of the reflective member.

Claims

1. A rear view mirror assembly comprising a bracket portion adapted to be mounted on a vehicle body, a case extending outwardly from said bracket portion, a reflective member having a surface plane and being mounted in said case for angular movement relative thereto between opposite end limit positions and having a midpoint position, a drive unit including a rotatable shaft having a longitudinal axis and being mounted in said bracket portion, with said axis oriented in a direction having a principal directional component that is at least 80% of said direction and extends perpendicular to said plane when said reflective member is in said midpoint position, a follower projecting laterally from said reflective member beyond said outer periphery thereof into engagement with said shaft, said shaft and follower being co-operatively shaped to convert rotary motion of the shaft into linear movement of the follower along the shaft so that rotation of the shaft imparts angular movement to said reflective member.

2. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said bracket portion and said case are separate members and said case is mounted on said bracket portion for displacement of the case relative to said bracket portion in response to a predetermined displacement force, and said follower is disengageable from said shaft when said case is displaced relative to said bracket portion.

3. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein said case includes a bar engageable by said follower to inhibit angular movement of the reflective member when the follower is disengaged from said shaft.

4. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a resilient device urging said follower into engagement with said shaft.

5. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said follower comprises a pair of arms between which said shaft is received.

6. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 5, including a U-shaped spring within which said arms are received to urge said arms towards one another.

7. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said reflective member is mounted for angular movement relative to said case about first and second orthogonal axes, said drive unit including a pair of rotatable shafts and said follower including a pair of arms engaging said shafts at locations spaced from one another, simultaneous rotation of said shafts in the same direction imparting angular movement to said reflective member about the first axis and simultaneous rotation thereof in opposite directions imparting angular movement to said reflective member about the second axis.

8. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 7, wherein said shafts have longitudinal axes that are parallel to one another.

9. A rear view mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said shaft comprises a lead screw and said follower has a ridge formation thereon engaging said lead screw.

10. A rear view mirror assembly having an attaching portion for attaching said mirror assembly externally of a vehicle, a mirror case extending outwardly from said attaching portion, a mirror having a surface plane and an outer periphery that includes a side peripheral portion, said mirror being mounted in said case for angular adjustment relative to said case and with said side peripheral portion located adjacent to said attaching portion for movement in an arcuate path during angular adjustment of said mirror, a drive unit mounted in said attaching portion for imparting angular movement to said mirror, said drive unit including a rotatable shaft having a longitudinal axis extending generally in the direction of said arcuate path, said mirror including a follower extending outwardly therefrom beyond said side peripheral portion into engagement with said shaft, and said shaft and said follower being co-operatively shaped to convert rotary motion of said shaft into motion of said follower along said shaft to impart angular movement to said mirror.

11. The mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the shaft longitudinal axis extends in a direction having a principal directional component that is at least 80% of said direction and extends perpendicular to the mirror surface plane when said mirror is in a midpoint position.

12. The mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said attaching portion and said case comprise a unitary assembly.

13. The mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said attaching portion and said case are separate members and said case is connected with said attaching portion for providing swinging movement of said case relative to said attaching portion.

14. The mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein said follower is separable from said shaft upon swinging movement of said case relative to said attachment portion.

15. The mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein said case includes a keeper engageable by said follower upon separation thereof from said shaft to inhibit angular movement of said mirror relative to said case.

16. The mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said mirror is mounted in said case for angular adjustment relative thereto about a pair of orthogonal axes, said drive unit including a pair of spaced-apart rotatable shafts and said follower including a pair of spaced-apart arms engaging said shafts, said shafts and arms being cooperatively formed to convert rotation of said shafts into movement of said arms along said shafts, rotation of said shafts in the same direction imparting angular movement of said mirror about one of said orthogonal axes, and rotation of said shafts in opposite directions imparting angular movement to said mirror about the other of said orthogonal axes.

17. A rear view mirror assembly having a mounting base for mounting said assembly externally of a vehicle, a mirror case attached to said mounting base and having a mirror mounted therein for selective angular movement relative thereto, said mirror case being releasably swingable relative to said mounting base when a force is applied thereto in directions from the front or rear of the vehicle, a drive unit mounted in said mounting base, said drive unit including an elongated rotatable drive shaft extending transversely of said mirror and having a longitudinal axis, a follower on said mirror drivingly engaging said shaft and movable along said shaft during rotation of said shaft to effect angular adjustment of said mirror, a separable connection between said follower and said shaft that separates upon swinging movement of said case relative to said mounting base, and said separable connection being separable in a direction that extends transversely of said longitudinal axis.

18. The mirror assembly of claim 17, wherein said case includes a keeper engageable by said follower upon separation thereof from said shaft to inhibit movement of said mirror relative to said case.

19. The mirror assembly of claim 17, wherein said follower is movable out of engagement with said shaft upon swinging movement of said mirror case to define said separable connection.

20. The mirror assembly of claim 17, wherein said mirror has an outer periphery that includes a side peripheral portion located adjacent said drive shaft, said side peripheral portion being movable in an arcuate path during angular movement of said mirror, and said longitudinal axis of said shaft extending in the general direction of said arcuate path.

21. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said longitudinal axis of said shaft is substantially parallel to a line that is tangental to said arcuate path.