Seal and exterior rear view mirror assembly

• US 8,746,904 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Andreas, Koenig, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chwasz, Jade R
• Application Number:
  US13/181,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20120014007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/78 adjacent to corner pieces, mirror supports or quarter windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0404 Outside rear view mirror support
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

A seal of an exterior rear view mirror assembly relative to a body part of a motor vehicle is described, which is formed as one piece, and comprises a sealing pad and a sealing grommet integrally molded on the sealing pad. The sealing pad covers at least one section of the surface of a minor base of the exterior rear view minor assembly lying on the bodywork side. The sealing grommet serves for sealing at least one feed-through opening, which is provided on the bodywork side for feed-through of the cable harness of the exterior rear view minor assembly. The sealing grommet is formed as an open hollow body on the free end, which is turned away from the sealing pad. A passage opening is provided for the cable harness at the intersection of the symmetry axis of the hollow body with the sealing pad.

Claims

1. Seal of an exterior rear view mirror assembly relative to a body part of a motor vehicle,

wherein

the seal being formed as one piece, and comprising a sealing pad and a sealing grommet integrally molded onto the sealing pad, whereby the sealing pad covers at least a section of a surface of a mirror base of the exterior rear view mirror assembly lying on a bodywork side, and the sealing grommet serves to seal at least one feed-through opening provided on the bodywork side for feed-through of a cable harness of the exterior rear view mirror assembly, whereby the sealing grommet is arranged as an open body on the free end turned away from the sealing pad, and a passage opening for the cable harness is provided on the intersection of the symmetry axis of the hollow body with the sealing pad, and that corresponding fixing elements for fixing the seal on the mirror base are provided on the sealing pad as well as on the surface of the mirror base lying on the bodywork side, the sealing grommet including at least one mounting tab on its free end, which is turned away from the sealing pad, which can be gripped from a side turned away from the mirror base through at least one feed-through opening on the bodywork side, to be sealed by means of the sealing grommet, in order to pull the sealing grommet through the feed-through opening.

2. Seal according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

the sealing grommet stands along enough on the sealing pad, in order to encase a cable harness, passing through a closed cavity, which passes through a first-feed through opening, stemming from a first side, into the cavity, and emerges from the cavity through a second feed-through opening on another, second side, with simultaneous sealing of at least two successive feed-through openings along the cable harness at least along the whole passage through the cavity.

3. Seal according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

the sealing grommet comprises at least a final internal diameter, which is smaller than a smallest external diameter of the cable harness and/or comprises at least a largest external diameter, which is larger than an internal diameter of the feed-through opening, which is provided for feed-through of the cable harness on the bodywork side.

4. Seal according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

the sealing grommet has an extended funnel shape, seen from the sealing pad.

5. Seal according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

the corresponding fixing elements include at least one groove arranged on the mirror base or on the sealing pad, running in the surface of the mirror base lying on the bodywork side, as well as at least one spring arranged on the sealing pad or the mirror base, which spring can be inserted in a form-fit manner into the at least one groove, whereby the groove comprises at least one rearward engagement acting in a direction which is locally normal to the surface, and the groove with rearward engagement and the spring comprise corresponding geometries, so that the spring is prevented from being pulled out of the groove normal to the surface.

6. Seal according to claim 5,

characterized in that,

the groove and spring slot together in a dove-tail manner.

7. Seal according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

the corresponding fixing elements comprise at least one extension arranged on the sealing pad on its side turned away from the sealing grommet, as well as at least one receiving opening arranged in the section, covered by the sealing pad, of the surface of the mirror base lying on the bodywork side, and assigned to the extension, whereby, seen from the sealing pad, the extension comprises at least a first portion with cross-sectional dimensions, which correspond to the receiving opening, as well as a second portion with a thickening, which passes through the receiving opening under elastic deformation, and subsequently the elastic deformation assumes a frictionally engaged or form-fit connection at least with a section, surrounding the receiving opening, of the surface of the mirror base lying on the bodywork side.

8. Seal according to claim 7,

characterized in that,

the extension is provided on its free end, which is turned away from the sealing pad and turned towards the mirror base, with at least one assembly fitting, which can be seized from the side of the mirror base turned away from the sealing pad through the receiving opening on the mirror base, in order to pull the extension through the receiving opening under elastic deformation of the thickening, for fixing the seal on the mirror base.

9. Seal according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

at least one lip protruding in the direction of the mirror base is provided on the sealing pad, which is adapted in its geometry to at least one recess, and/or at least one edge of the surface of the mirror base lying on the bodywork side, turned towards the sealing pad.

10. Seal according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

that mounting tabs, grooves and/or springs, extensions, assembly fittings, lips are integrally molded on the seal.

11. Seal according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

the seal preferably consists of a material, or material mix, which is elastically malleable in at least one direction.

12. Seal according to claim 11,

characterized in that,

the material or material mix is foamed, at least in the region of the sealing pad.

13. Exterior rear view minor assembly for a motor vehicle defining a bodywork side, the exterior rear view mirror comprising:

a mirror base defining a surface;

wherein

a seal being formed as one piece, and comprising a sealing pad and a sealing grommet integrally molded onto the sealing pad, whereby the sealing pad covers at least a section of the surface of the mirror base of the exterior rear view minor assembly lying on the bodywork side, and the sealing grommet serves to seal at least one feed-through opening provided on the bodywork side for feed-through of a cable harness of the exterior rear view minor assembly, whereby the sealing grommet is arranged as an open body on the free end turned away from the sealing pad, and a passage opening for the cable harness is provided on the intersection of the symmetry axis of the hollow body with the sealing pad, and that corresponding fixing elements for fixing the seal on the minor base are provided on the sealing pad as well as on the surface of the minor base lying on the bodywork side, the sealing grommet including at least one mounting tab on its free end, which is turned away from the sealing pad, which can be gripped from a side turned away from the mirror base through at least one feed-through opening on the bodywork side, to be sealed by means of the sealing grommet, in order to pull the sealing grommet through the feed-through opening.