Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – With support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-20
2001-06-19
Sikder, Mohammad (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
With support
C359S872000, C359S873000, C359S877000, C359S878000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247823
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an outside rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror element, a housing and a mirror base or foot fastenable to the motor vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern outside rear view mirrors of motor vehicles are equipped with a plurality of electrical functions such as, for example, electric mirror adjusting mechanisms, mirror heating systems or lighting elements. Each as individual electric module, in order to function, has to be electrically cabled. For cabling, single core cables or a plurality of single-core cables combined into a cable harness are used. The cables, for their connection to the vehicle electrical system, are run from the interior of the vehicle into the outside mirror and are contacted there at the various modules.
Functioning of the electrical components in the outside rear view mirror is guaranteed only if moisture is prevented from penetrating into the various electrical function elements. Here, the points of contact where the single-core cables are contacted at the components are particularly at risk if moisture penetrates. As said points of contact are not produced until during assembly, special moisture protected isolating points have to be provided. It is customary to use, for said purpose, specially fashioned plug-in contacts which are protected by correspondingly fashioned protective sleeves, which additional protective sleeves and the more complicated assembly entail a considerable outlay.
A drawback of the known outside mirrors is therefore that the electrical function elements installed in the outside mirror may be protected from moisture or dirt penetration only with a high outlay.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an outside rear view mirror of the type described, which in a simple manner guarantees reliable protection of electrical function elements from moisture penetration.
According to the invention, there is provided in the outside rear view mirror a sealable chamber, in which at least one electrical function element may be disposed. By disposing the at least one electrical function in the sealable chamber of this present invention, the at least one electrical function is maintained dry, and is protected against environmental elements such as rain, water and debris due to road splash, water from car washes and the like. This means that all of the moisture sensitive function elements of the outside rear view mirror, such as electronic components or separable plug-in contacts, may be installed in the sealed chamber. By sealing the sealed chamber after the parts to be protected have been installed in the sealed chamber, the moisture protection of all function elements disposed in the sealed chamber is guaranteed at once, so that it is possible to dispense with protective measures, such as protective sleeves, for protecting the individual function elements. It is also optionally possible substantially to dispense with costly measures intended to prevent moisture penetration into the housing of the rear view mirror as a whole because the moisture protection for the endangered components may be guaranteed by the sealed chamber. It is also possible to dispense with the use of expensive moisture-protected isolating points for contacting of the individual function elements because the contacting is effected by means of points of contact which are adequately protected from moisture in the sealed chamber. Inside the outside rear view mirror the sealed chamber therefore provides a limited space, the interior of which may be protected from moisture by simple means and which may therefore protect a plurality of function elements simultaneously from moisture and dirt. Also and preferably, the sealed chamber is provided either as a removable module, or with an access port or lid allowing service access to the at least one electrical function when it is disposed within the sealed chamber.
According to the invention, the sealed chamber may in principle have any desired geometry and be composed of any desired number of parts. It is particularly advantageous when the scaled chamber comprises a bottom part and a lid fastenable to the latter, thus facilitating service access. Said lid may be designed in the manner of a plate or have a different, feasibly also three-dimensional geometry. During assembly of the outside rear view mirror, the function elements to be protected are installed in the bottom part and/or the lid and then the lid is fastened on the bottom part. The lid for its fastening may for example, in the case of detachable fastening, be fastened with screws or clipped into place with mechanical fasteners or, in the case of non-detachable fastening, be fastened by adhesion.
Dividing the sealed chamber into a bottom part and a lid gives rise to a parting line between bottom part and lid, where the two parts come to lie one against the other. For the configuration of bottom part and lid, it is particularly advantageous when the parting line arising therefrom is substantially annular in shape because an annular parting line allows sealing of the sealed chamber by simple means. To said end, the bottom part may for example be designed in the manner of a cylinder, which is closed at one end and the open end of which is closable by a circular cover plate. Depending on the electrical function elements to be installed, the sealed chamber may however have any other shape, in particular other cross sections, because rectangular cross sections, for example, offer particularly advantageous fastening options.
Particularly reliable moisture protection may be achieved when at least one sealing element, in particular a sealing ring, is disposed in the parting line between lid and bottom part. The provision of sealing elements by means of a dispenser is also conceivable.
To supply the electrical components in the outside rear view mirror from the vehicle electrical system, cables are run from the interior of the vehicle into the housing of the outside rear view mirror. When the separable contacting elements and/or the points of contact of other electrical function elements are disposed in the sealed chamber, the various electric cables have to be run from outside into the interior of the sealed chamber. In such case, the penetration of the cables through the housing of the sealed chamber naturally likewise has to guarantee adequate moisture protection. This may be achieved particularly easily when there are disposed in the parting line between lid and bottom part two at least slightly deformable sealing elements, which may be applied sealingly one against the other when the sealed chamber is closed. It is possible for such purpose to provide, for example, one sealing ring on the lid and one sealing ring opposite it on the bottom part. Between the two sealing elements a cable, in particular a ribbon cable, may then be laid from outside into the interior of the sealed chamber without impairing the imperviousness of the sealed chamber. As a material for the opposing seals a permanently elastic material, e.g. cross-linked silicone, and/or a permanently ductile material e.g. bitumen or silicone-impregnated fleece, may be used.
Upon mounting of the lid on the bottom part the opposing sealing elements are pressed against one another, wherein the viscosity of the two sealing elements is so selected that a cable situated between the seals is sealingly enclosed. In this manner, ribbon cables or even flexible printed-circuit boards may be sealed particularly well. Fixing the cables in the parting line between lid and bottom part moreover guarantees a defined cable routing, with the result that the assembly of other components in the outside rear view mirror is facilitated. For, by virtue of the defined cable routing, pinching of the cables between two other components may be ruled out. In principle, to guarantee the imperviousness of the sealed chamber so as to maintain its interior cavity substantially dry, it is sufficient for the parting line to be sealed w
Buchalla Harald
Fuchs Hans-Joachim
Fuerst Peter
Schnellbach Klaus
Donnelly Hohe GmbH & Co. KG
McGlew and Tuttle , P.C.
Sikder Mohammad
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