Machine element or mechanism – Gearing – Directly cooperating gears
Patent
1995-11-12
1998-10-20
Bonck, Rodney H.
Machine element or mechanism
Gearing
Directly cooperating gears
74606R, 248479, 248549, 248900, 359872, B60R 102, G02B 7182
Patent
active
058230548
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a movement actuator including first and second actuator parts that are rotatably mounted relative to one another, and an electromotor and a transmission system coupled between the electromotor and the two actuator parts for rotating the actuator parts relative to one another.
Such an actuator is known, for instance from Dutch patent application 89.02300. This known actuator is intended to be mounted in the interior of a mirror housing/support combination of a rear-view mirror to be secured to the side of a vehicle. In appearance, the mirror housing/support combination forms one whole, with the mirror support secured to the vehicle, and the mirror housing, with the rear-view mirror arranged therein, being pivotable relative to the mirror support. In the operational position of the mirror housing, wherein the mirror surface makes an angle of almost 90.degree. with the side of the vehicle, a driver of the vehicle is capable of viewing the road section located alongside and behind the vehicle by means of the mirror. The mirror housing projects with respect to the side of the vehicle, and the above-mentioned pivotal movement offers the possibility of folding the mirror housing into a rearwardly folded position, if desired, so as to remove or at least reduce this projection, thereby reducing the total width of the combination of the vehicle and the mirror housing, which offers advantages, for instance when the vehicle is parked where there is only little parking space, or to prevent damage caused by passing vehicles or pedestrians, because in the event of a collision, the mirror housing will yield rather than break off. As a matter of fact, for reasons of safety, in many countries it is required by law that vehicle mirrors be pivotable relative to the vehicle in question.
When the vehicle is provided with a mirror folding-in mechanism as described hereinabove, which will generally be the case with the more luxurious vehicles, this folding-in cannot only be performed by hand, but the driver is moreover given the possibility of folding in the mirror housing from his seat by operating the electromotor.
In order to be able to effect the above, the transmission system should have a fairly great transmission ratio, allowing a relatively small motor, which can then be driven at a fairly high speed, to produce a fairly great couple. Further, the transmission system should resist rotation resulting from a couple exerted on the output. For this purpose, the system disclosed in the above-mentioned publication has a planetary gear reduction system having a transmission ratio of 3,000, having an input gear wheel mounted on the output shaft of the motor, the rotation axis of the motor being in alignment with the pivot axis of the actuator. Such a planetary gear reduction system has a relatively large number of parts and occupies substantial space. In addition, this planetary gear reduction system has a fairly long, solid output shaft, in alignment with the motor. Hence, the known system has a fairly great axial length, which renders it difficult to use the known system in a mirror housing of limited inside space.
A further drawback of the known system is that electric conductors, such as those intended for controlling the motor, have to extend outside the actuator. On the one hand, this is a drawback when it is used in a mirror housing of limited inside space, on the other hand this is a drawback with respect to the pivotal movement of the housing relative to the vehicle.
A movement actuator as descibed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,594,987 is intended for use in the interior of a hoist mechanism. In this known construction, a worm wheel has a smaller diameter than worms, and the worms have a relatively great diameter and are in direct mesh with a gear wheel to be driven. This involves various drawbacks.
The relatively small diameter of the worm wheel results in a relatively small transmission ratio. To be able to produce a specific force (couple) all the same, the motor that is used
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patent: 1405359 (1922-01-01), Troupe
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patent: 1751650 (1930-03-01), Nieman
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patent: 5080492 (1992-01-01), Platzer, Jr.
patent: 5384660 (1995-01-01), Oishi
patent: 5432641 (1995-07-01), Mochizuki
patent: 5467230 (1995-11-01), Boddy et al.
Bonck Rodney H.
Grabow Troy
IKU Holding Montfoort B.V.
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