Vehicle rear view mirror assembly

• US 6,981,774 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Original Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Inventors: Duroux, Bernard, Dumont, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cherry, Euncha P.
• Application Number:
  US10/755,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20040196578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 359871-877
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing

Abstract

The invention concerns a vehicle rear view mirror, notably for an automobile, comprising a casing that contains an entrance sealed by a mirror, first drive means for pivoting the mirror on a first axis, second drive means for pivoting said mirror on a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and control means for selectively actuating the first and second drive means, the control means comprising a single rotating drive motor device.

Claims

1. A vehicle rear view mirror comprising:

a casing that contains an entrance sealed by a mirror;

a first drive means for pivoting said mirror on a first axis, wherein said first drive means has a first cylindrical member rotatably mounted and having a first ramp defining a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in diametrically opposite positions;

a second drive means for pivoting said mirror on a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, wherein said second drive means has a second cylindrical member rotatably mounted and containing a second ramp defining a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in two diametrically opposite positions;

an electric motor for selectively driving said first and second drive means in rotation;

two first followers bearing on said first ramp in said first drive means at two locations situated in diametrically opposite positions and moving along said first ramp when said first cylindrical member is driven in rotation by said electric motor; and

two second followers bearing on said second ramp of said second drive means and two locations situated in diametrically opposite positions, said two second followers extending in a direction perpendicular to that of said first followers, wherein said second followers move along said second ramp when said second cylindrical member is driven in rotation by said electric motor.

2. Rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein the followers further comprise rollers resting on the ramps and carried by clamps projecting on the back face of the mirror.

3. Rear view mirror according to claim 2, wherein the clamps projecting on the back face of the mirror extend in an annular space arranged between the first and second cylindrical members.

4. Rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein the first and second cylindrical members are coaxial.

5. Rear view mirror according to claim 4, further comprising an axial opening on the first cylindrical member containing a first part having a cross section the same dimensions as those of an axial opening of the second cylindrical member, and a second part of said axial opening of said first cylindrical member having a cross section dimension larger than those of the first part and in which the second cylindrical member is received.

6. Rear view mirror according to claim 5, further comprising angularly equidistant teeth having a radial face formed in the interior surface of the first part of the axial opening of the first member and in the interior surface of the axial opening of the second member, the teeth of the first member having an orientation opposite that of the teeth of the second member.

7. Rear view mirror according to claim 5, wherein the first ramp is arranged in the interior surface of the second part of the axial opening of the first cylindrical member, while the second ramp is arranged in the exterior peripheral surface of the second cylindrical member.

8. Rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein the first and second drive means and the control means are housed in a cylindrical receptacle situated inside the casing and containing a back provided with openings through which the clamps, projecting on the rear face of the mirror, extend.

9. Rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein the first and second cylindrical members are preferably identical and placed coaxially one after the other in opposite positions.

10. Rear view mirror according to claim 9, further comprising angularly equidistant teeth having a radial face formed in the interior surface of the openings of the first and second cylindrical members.

11. Rear view mirror according to claim 9, wherein the first and second ramps made in the exterior peripheral surfaces of the first and second cylindrical members each define a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in two diametrically opposite positions, followers bearing on said ramps respectively in two locations situated in diametrically opposite positions and moving along them when the cylindrical members are driven in rotation by the electric motor.

12. Rear view mirror according to claim 11, wherein the followers are carried by clamps projecting on the back face of the mirror and extending along exterior peripheral surfaces of the first and second cylindrical members, following an axial direction.

13. A vehicle rear view mirror comprising;

a casing that contains an entrance sealed by a mirror;

a first drive means for pivoting said mirror on a first axis;

a second drive means for pivoting said mirror on a second axis perpendicular to said first axis;

an electric motor for selectively driving said first and second drive means in rotation, having a first drive means with a first cylindrical member rotatably mounted and containing a first ramp defining a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in two diametrically opposite positions and two first followers bearing on the first ramp in two locations situated in diametrically opposite positions and moving along the first ramp when the first cylindrical member is driven in rotation by the electrical motor; and

a coupling device connected to the electric motor, wherein said coupling device is inserted in an opening formed in said first cylindrical member, and contains on its lateral surface first pawls oriented in one direction and a plurality of teeth formed on said first cylindrical member when the electric motor drives the coupling device in rotation in one direction.

14. A vehicle rear view mirror comprising:

a casing that contains an entrance sealed by a mirror;

a first drive means for pivoting the mirror on a first axis;

a second drive means for pivoting said mirror on a second axis perpendicular to the first axis;

an electric motor for selectively driving the first and second drive means in rotation wherein the first drive means has a first cylindrical member rotatably mounted and containing a first ramp defining a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in two diametrically opposite positions and two first followers bearing on the first ramp in two locations situations in diametrically opposite positions and moving along said first ramp when the first cylindrical member is driven in rotation by the electric motor;

a circuit mounted to said electric motor, said circuit having a current inverter enabling said electric motor to operate bi-directionally, wherein the circuit of the motor includes a potentiometer containing a conductive track and a sliding contact, the conductive track being situated on the face of a fixed support adjacent said first cylindrical member, while the sliding contact is respectively integral with said cylindrical member, several positions of the sliding contact corresponding to selected adjustment positions of the mirror being memorized.

15. A vehicle rear view mirror comprising:

a casing that contains an entrance sealed by a mirror;

a first drive arrangement for pivoting said mirror on a first axis, wherein said first drive arrangement has a cylindrical member rotatably mounted and having a first ramp defining a closed loop having a high point and a low point situated in diametrically opposite positions;

a second drive arrangement for pivoting said mirror on a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, wherein said second drive arrangement has a second cylindrical member rotatably mounted and containing a second ramp defining a closed loop having a high and a low point situated in two diametrically opposite positions;

an electric motor for selectively driving said first and second drive arrangements in rotation;

two followers bearing on said first ramp in said first drive arrangement at two locations situated and diametrically opposite positions and moving along said first ramp when said cylindrical member is driven in rotation by said electrical motor; and

an axial opening on the first cylindrical member containing a first part having a cross-section the same dimensions as those of an axial opening of the second cylindrical member, and a second part of said axial opening of said first cylindrical member having a cross-section dimension larger than those of the first part and in which the second cylindrical member is received.