Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – Retractable vehicle mirror
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-04
2004-10-05
Cherry, Euncha P. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
Retractable vehicle mirror
Reexamination Certificate
active
06799855
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an exterior rear view mirror of a motor vehicle.
It is known in the art to adjust exterior rear view mirrors from a position protruding from a motor vehicle in the direction toward the vehicle, for instance, to drive the vehicle through a car wash without damaging the exterior mirrors.
It is also known in the art to mount a mirror in an exterior rear view mirror housing in such a way that the position of the mirror can be adjusted via an electric drive. Electric power is supplied, for instance, via lead frame technology, in which the conductor tracks are embedded in a plastic plate. The conductors can be made, for instance, of copper.
To connect this network of copper tracks with a bus system of the motor vehicle, cables are soldered to the lead frame or the printed circuit board. After a joint has been mounted to the housing of the exterior rear view mirror, these cables must be guided through a passage in the joint and through the mirror base that is adjacent to the joint. To connect these cables with a terminal, e.g., a plug contact, which is arranged, for instance, in a cavity inside a vehicle door, matching connectors must be fastened to the cable ends.
This design has the drawback that it is time-consuming to solder the cables to the printed circuit board, to guide the cables through the mirror joint and the mirror base, and to connect the cable ends with a connector that must subsequently be inserted into a plug contact.
The object of the invention is to design an exterior rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, which is simple to mount.
In the exterior rear view mirror according to the invention, the cables to be soldered to the lead frame are replaced by an elongated structure that is an extension of the conductor tracks of the printed circuit board and that can easily be guided through the joint and base of the exterior rear view mirror.
To enable the exterior rear view mirror to be adjusted from its operating position to a position that is closer to the chassis of the motor vehicle, the conductor tracks serving as a cable substitute are torsionally soft, so that the conductor tracks are sufficiently flexible to permit the exterior rearview mirror to be adjusted.
In one advantageous embodiment, a torsionally soft design of the extension section of the printed circuit board is achieved by arranging the conductors in a meander shape, at least in the area of the adjustment motion of the exterior rear view mirror.
In another advantageous embodiment, the twistable conductors are wave-shaped. This design permits a reduction in the overall volume while affording the same torsional softness.
In another advantageous embodiment, the individual conductor tracks are insulated from one another by enclosing them with an insulating plastic, e.g., a flexible dipping varnish. In a further advantageous embodiment, the insulation is provided only at the reversal points, such that the insulation applied at these points simultaneously acts as a spacer.
In another advantageous embodiment, the ends of the conductor tracks are shaped as connectors.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4915493 (1990-04-01), Fisher et al.
patent: 5166825 (1992-11-01), Fujie et al.
patent: 6170957 (2001-01-01), Kaspar
patent: 19724725 (1999-02-01), None
patent: 19841551 (2000-04-01), None
patent: 00/70374 (2000-11-01), None
Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
Cherry Euncha P.
Crowell & Moring LLP
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