Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – Retractable vehicle mirror
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-28
2002-05-21
Robinson, Mark A. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
Retractable vehicle mirror
C359S877000, C248S478000, C248S900000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06390630
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an outside rear view mirror.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such an outside rear view mirror is known from DE-OS 198 33 672 A1. In the known outside rear view mirror, both a power-driven displacement and a manual folding of the mirror are possible. During the manual folding in and against the direction of travel, a toothed gear disengages from the holding means on the mirror foot, whereby the mirror head is shifted relative to the mirror foot along the swivel axis. In the disengaged state, there is no longer a positive engagement connection between the toothed gear and the mirror foot, but instead a frictional engagement, which is sufficient to swivel the mirror head relative to the mirror foot by the power drive. If the outside rear view mirror is to be moved back into its starting position by the power drive, the holding means must be synchronized. This can only happen when the mirror head meets an obstacle. The folding path limiter represents this obstacle. The mirror head must therefore first be moved into the park position, where the mirror meets the folding path limiter. Only in this stop position can the toothed gear be twisted relative to the mirror foot and thus be synchronized. Only then can the mirror head be swivelled back into the driving position. This procedure takes a relatively long time, and may possibly be misunderstood by the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus the object of the present invention is to design an outside rear view mirror so that a rapid synchronization of the holding means is possible when the mirror is folded manually, without unnecessary swivel movements.
This object is achieved, according to the invention, when the mirror head is folded manually, the drive is actuated in order to swivel the mirror head back into the driving position. An obstacle has been created by the stopper and counter-stopper, which obstacle acts in the driving position and not only at the folding path limiter. When the drive is actuated, the mirror head stops its swivel movement at this obstacle, whereby the holding means are again synchronized until they again engage. It is therefore only necessary to displace the mirror electrically from the folded position into the driving position. Because of the short displacement paths, the entire procedure can be accomplished relatively quickly. Since the stops in the driving position only act in a raised position, they do not hinder the use of the mirror or its folding function.
The simplest construction is achieved by arranging the holding means in the mirror foot and on a toothed gear associated with the drive. In normal operation, the toothed gear is then a quasi component of the mirror foot.
It has proved good to construct the holding means in the form of holding cams and holding recesses whose flanks are inclined. These are simple to manufacture and the force required to disengage them can be defined by the selection of the angle of inclination.
A further influence on the force required to disengage them is exerted by a spring with which the toothed gear is held on the mirror foot. The toothed gear is preferably arranged thereby between the mirror foot and mirror head, co-axially with the swivel axis, whereby it meshes with the gear of the drive.
In the disengaged state, the toothed gear and the mirror head are raised relative to the mirror foot, by which means the is disengaged state can be recognized simply electronically via a touch contact. Furthermore this makes it possible to construct the stopper in a simple manner so that it can act only in the manually folded state.
The stopper and the counter-stopper can be arranged opposite one another in the driving position. As a result, the disengagement procedure is not hindered as a rule, in particular because the holding means on the toothed gear and the mirror foot are not constructed in the form of steps as a rule, so that a swivel movement is also performed during the disengagement procedure.
It is preferred to construct the stoppers and counter-stoppers with inclined stopper faces so that the engagement procedure can be performed in a sliding manner. This is further promoted if the angle of inclination of the stopper faces corresponds to the angles of inclination of the holding recesses and holding cams.
It is possible for the holding means also to disengage during a manual folding movement against the direction of travel; it is then important that the stoppers and counter-stoppers do not stand in the way of this disengaging movement, in order to prevent damage to the drive or the mirror. It is therefore provided that in the engaged state of the holding means, the smallest distance between the stopper and the counter-stopper in the axial direction is less than the maximum lift that the mirror head performs versus the mirror foot as it disengages. It is further provided that in the engaged state of the holding means, the smallest distance between the stopper and the counter-stopper in the axial direction is greater than the width of the stopper or the width of the counter-stopper respectively in the swivel direction on the side opposite to the counter-stopper or the stopper, respectively.
In order to prevent damage to the drive or the mirror by the stoppers and counter-stoppers, the stoppers and/or counter-stoppers can also be constructed with predetermined breaking points or as flexible components. There is then only a danger of damage if the mirror is in an intermediate position between the driving and park position and an external force acts on the mirror head.
In order to achieve a more uniform distribution of the occurring forces, several stoppers are provided, preferably two.
A very simple construction of the stoppers or counter-stoppers is achieved in that the counter-stopper on the mirror foot is formed by a washer holding down the pressure spring, which washer is fixed to a link pipe forming part of the swivel joint so that it is unable to twist. It is particularly suitable to construct the washer in the shape of a pot, whereby the counter-stoppers are arranged at the edge of the pot.
Another possible method for preventing damage to the drive or the mirror during manual folding consists in that a friction coupling is arranged between the mirror foot and the toothed gear, whereby the friction coupling only becomes active when the mirror is being folded manually against the direction of travel. In the direction of travel, stops are provided between the mirror head and the mirror foot that allow the drive to twist in a manner that is free from play, in order to minimize vibrations of the mirror. These stops are inclined towards the swivel direction, in order to enable an “over-engagement”.
It is preferred that the toothed gear be connected flat via at least one friction face to a holding ring provided with the holding means, essentially annular, and arranged co-axially with the swivel axis, whereby the holding ring is arranged between the toothed gear and the mirror foot and the holding means on the holding ring and the mirror foot are shaped so that the disengaging moment is considerably smaller when an external force (F
IF
) acts in the direction of travel than when an external force (F
GF
) acts against the direction of travel, and the friction moment between the toothed gear and the holding ring is greater than the disengaging moment between the holding ring and the mirror foot when an external force (F
IF
) acts in the direction of travel, but smaller than the disengaging moment between the holding ring and the mirror foot when an external force (F
GF
) acts against the direction of travel. Due to the high friction force between the toothed gear and the holding ring, the outside rear view mirror with a power drive behaves like the previously known outside rear view mirror. When an external force (F
IF
) acts on the mirror head in the direction of travel, the holding means of the holding ring connected by friction to the toothed gear disengage from the holding means of the mirror foot, because the holding means a
Bühler Motor GmbH
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Robinson Mark A.
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