Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – Retractable vehicle mirror
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-11
2004-01-20
Shafer, Ricky D. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
Retractable vehicle mirror
C359S872000, C359S877000, C248S479000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06679610
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an electrically powered retractable door mirror for a vehicle and provides a secure and smooth support structure for a horizontal worm gear included in a reducer.
BACKGROUND ART
An electrically powered retractable door mirror for a vehicle is designed to be able to position a mirror body supporting a mirror at a returned position (a position in use, an upstanding position) or a stored position alternatively, driven by a motor and operated by remote control.
FIG. 2
is an exploded oblique perspective view of a general structure of an electrically powered retractable door mirror (used on the right-hand side of the vehicle). On the door of the vehicle, a base component (not shown) for installing a door mirror is installed. On a horizontal portion hanging over outside of the vehicle, a shaft
10
is installed and fixed vertically in a standing position. On a lower horizontal portion
10
a
of the shaft
10
, a washer
12
is installed.
On a frame body
14
, a mirror body (not shown) is installed. The frame body
14
, on the under surface of which a plate stopper
16
is installed, is installed in a way that the frame body can rotate on the shaft
10
freely. When the motor-driven frame body
14
(mirror body) is opening up from the stored position, at the given returned position step portions
16
a
,
16
a
of the lower end of the plate stopper
16
contact and engage with trapeziform stoppers
10
b
,
10
b
formed at the upper surface of the lower horizontal portion
10
a
of the shaft
10
, and the plate stopper
16
is stopped. By this, the frame body
14
stops in the returned position.
When the frame body
14
is closing down from the returned position driven by a motor, or when the frame body
14
is closing down from its returned position affected by external force applied to the mirror body from the vehicle's front to rear direction, at the given stored position a protruded portion
16
b
on the inner circumference of the plate stopper
16
contacts and is engaged with one side
10
ca
of a stopper
10
c
of the lower portion of the shaft
10
. Because of this, the frame body
14
stops at the stored position.
Additionally, if external force is applied to the mirror body from the vehicle's rear to front direction when the frame body
14
is in its returned position, the step portion
16
a
of the plate stopper
16
gets over trapeziform stoppers
10
b
,
10
b
on the lower horizontal portion
10
a
of the shaft
10
. As a result, the frame body
14
collapses toward the vehicle's front side. At this moment, at the given position, the protruded portion
16
b
on the inner circumference of the plate stopper
16
contacts and is engaged with the other side
10
cb
of the stopper
10
c
of the shaft
10
. By this, the frame body
14
stops in that position.
Inside a box
28
of the frame body
14
, (a gear
18
), a plate clutch
20
, a coil spring
22
and a washer
24
are housed by letting them through the shaft
10
one by one. In relation to the shaft
10
, the gear
18
is supported so as to be rotatable and move axially, and the plate clutch
20
is supported to be able to move axially but not to be rotatable. A plate
26
(fastener) inserted in a groove
10
d
formed near the upper end of the shaft
10
presses down the washer
24
to compress the coil spring
22
, causing the above-mentioned parts
10
,
12
, (
16
),
14
,
18
,
20
,
22
,
24
and
26
to be integrated.
Inside the box
28
, a shaft
30
is installed in a standing position. On the shaft
30
, a gear
32
, in which upper and lower gears are integrated, and a worm gear wheel
34
are supported so as to be able to rotate freely. Further inside the box
28
, a two-step worm gear comprising a horizontal worm gear
36
, a worm gear wheel
38
and a vertical worm gear
40
are housed. The horizontal worm gear
36
has a shaft arranged horizontally and supported on both ends by plate ends
42
,
44
(metal plates) that are held on wall surfaces facing each other inside the box
28
thus blocking axial movement of the horizontal shaft. The horizontal worm gear
36
engages with the worm gear wheel
34
.
On the horizontal worm gear
36
, the worm gear wheel
38
is coaxially fixed. The vertical worm gear
40
has a shaft arranged vertically with a ball steel
46
inlet in the lower end of the vertical worm gear
40
, and is supported axially by the ball steel
46
on a bush
48
embedded in the bottom inside the box
28
. The vertical worm gear
40
engages with the worm gear wheel
38
.
The opening end of the upper portion of the box
28
is covered by an outer plate
50
(lid) and the outer plate is fastened with screws
60
. The frame body
14
and the outer plate
50
comprise a frame
15
. On the upper surface of the outer plate
50
, a motor
52
is installed by being fastened with screws
62
. A rotating shaft
54
of the motor
52
is let into the box
28
through a hole
56
in the outer plate
50
.
Inside the box
28
, a washer
58
is let through the rotating shaft
54
of the motor
52
; the tip of the rotating shaft
54
is let through a hole at the upper end of the vertical worm gear
40
; and the rotating shaft
54
and the vertical worm gear
40
are interlinked. On the side of the casing of the motor
52
, a plate circuit sub-assembly
64
is installed on which the control circuit of the motor
52
is loaded. The outer plate
50
is covered by a seal cap
66
.
According to the above-mentioned configuration, when the motor
52
is driven, its rotation is transmitted to the vertical worm gear
40
, the worm gear wheel
38
, the horizontal worm gear
36
, the worm gear wheel
34
, the gear
32
, and to the gear
18
. At normal operation (no external force is applied), because the gear
18
engages with the non-rotatable plate clutch
20
at their convexo-concave portions formed on end surfaces facing each other, an axial rotation of the shaft
10
is blocked.
Consequently, the gear
32
goes around the gear
18
. By this, the frame body
14
rotates on the shaft
10
. When the motor
52
is started from the stored position, the frame body
14
reaches the returned position and step portions
16
a
,
16
a
of the plate stopper
16
are engaged with stoppers
10
b
,
10
b
of the shaft
10
, or when the motor
52
is started from the returned position, the frame body
14
reaches the stored position and the protruded portion
16
b
of the plate stopper
16
is engaged with one side
10
ca
of the stopper
10
c
of the shaft
10
, and the motor
52
is locked.
At this time, the control circuit on the plate circuit sub-assembly
64
detects that the motor is locked by detecting a change in driving current of the motor
52
(which is overcurrent) and stops the motor from driving (stop control by the gear lock method).
Additionally, if external force is applied to the mirror body from the vehicle's front to rear direction when the mirror body is in the returned position, resisting to the momentum acquired by the coil spring
22
, engagement of the gear
18
and the plate clutch
20
comes off. This enables the gear
18
to axially rotate on the shaft
10
. By the external force, the mirror body is closing down in the direction of the stored position, letting off the external force.
Additionally, if external force is applied to the mirror body from the vehicle's rear to front direction when the mirror body is in the returned position, engagement of the step portion
16
a
,
16
a
of the plate stopper
16
and the trapeziform stopper
10
b
,
10
b
comes off, and at the same time, engagement of the gear
18
and the plate clutch
20
comes off. This enables the gear
18
to axially rotate on the shaft
10
. The mirror body collapses toward the vehicle's front side by the external force, letting off the external force.
A conventional support structure of the horizontal worm gear
36
is shown in FIG.
3
. At the bottom inside the box
28
, protruded portions
68
,
70
are formed. At the upper end of the protruded portions
68
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Murakami Corporation
Shafer Ricky D.
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