GB1566816A

GB1566816A - External rear view mirror for vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB1566816A
Application number: GB3371177A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-08-18
Filing date: 1977-08-11
Publication date: 1980-05-08
Also published as: IT1085634B; CH607959A5; DE2637556A1; FR2362027B2; DE2637556C3; DE2637556B2; SE7709288A0; ES461666A2; DD132254A2; BE857864R; FR2362027A2

Abstract

The exterior rear-view mirror described in the main patent, in which a mirror glass support is fastened on a base part by means of an intermediate part in such a way that it can be adjusted by hand to an optimum rear view position, was to be further developed in such a way that it can also be equipped with a mirror glass support which can be adjusted remotely electrically by means of control switches or feed cables without fundamental changes to the base part or the intermediate part. An electrically insulating support part (37, 41) is therefore now attached in each case inside the longitudinal guides (33, 22) provided on the intermediate part and on the base part (3 and 2); both support parts are provided at regular intervals with contacts (39, 43) serving for the connection to feed cables and discharge cables (44 and 40). <IMAGE>

Description

(54) EXTERNAL REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR VEHICLES (71) I YORCK TALBOT, of 1000 Berlin 62, Ebersstrasse 80, German Federal Republic, a citizen of the German Federal Republic do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to an external rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle, and constitutes an improvement in or a modification of the invention disclosed in United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 1 479 978, claim 1 of which is as follows: An external rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle, the mirror assembly comprising a housing provided with means to retain a mirror, a foot provided with means securable to the body of such vehicle, an intermediate body connecting the housing to the foot, mutually interengaging mounting elements respectively provided on the foot and on the intermediate body, and detent means adapted to normally retain the intermediate body in a predetermined position on the foot but to allow movement of the intermediate body relative to the foot under impact, at least one of the mounting elements being elongate and being adapted to define with the other mounting element a guide path extending longitudinally of the one mounn.ng elementthe one mounting element resiliently permitting the intermediate body to be disengaged from the foot by an impact directed transversely to the guide path, and the qiXtermediate body being slidable under impact relatively to the foot in both directions along the guide path.

The external rear view mirror assembly according to Specification No. 1 479 978, which is capable of fulfilling European Community rear view mirror guidelines, especially the three-ball pendulum impact test prescribed in these, is set up so that its mirror glass carrier adjustably carried by the intermediate part can be set by the driver by hand to the optimum rear view position relative to the vehicle.

The trend towards ever greater convenience for the driver and also to a second external rear view mirror, on a side of the vehicle where adjustment from the driver's seat may be difficult. has led to increasing popularity, at least for vehicles in the luxury class, of electrically adjustable external rear view mirrors which are remotely-controllable by means of control switches located in the interior of the vehicle. With these electrically remote-controlled external rear view mirrors, the actual mirror glass carrier is displaced into the optimum rear view position, relative to an intermediate part carrying this carrier, by means of an electrical motor or electromagnetic displacing unit and this displacing unit is supplied with current from the battery of the vehicle by way of the control switch and by way of feed-in cables which are led through the vehicle body and through the carrying parts of the external rear view mirror.

In German (Fed. Rep.) Utility Model 1 984 928. there is disclosed a rear view mirror in which additional separable electrical contacts are provided between the foot or pedestal part fastened to the vehicle and the upper part, which is entirely detachable from the pedestal part and carries an electrical current consumer.

In addition, there is disclosed in German (Fed. Rep.) Patent Specification 20 42 103 (Talbot) a rear view mirror with a holding device, the pedestal part and the upper part of which, the latter carrying an electrical current consumer, are connected with one another by means of a locking device permitting detachment of one part from the other under impact effect and electrically connected by means of separable contacts, the interengaging parts of the locking device serving at the same time as electrical contacts.

These known solutions of the currentconducting connections between a pedestal part and an upper part. the latter detachable from the former under impact effect and carrying an electrical current consumer, would not come into question in the case of an external rear view mirror which is constructed according to the Patent Specification No. 1 479 978 but provided with a mirror glass carrier that is remotely controllable electrically instead of displaceable manually.

In the case of the known mirror according to the German Utility Model 1 984 928, the upper part detaches from the socket under impact effect not only after a longer displacement or spring travel but also abruptly and without transition.

while in the case of the known mirror according to the German Patent Specification 20 49 103 (Talbot), the intermediate part carrying the displaceable mirror glass carrier is indeed longitudinally displaceable and finally detachably connected with the pedestal part remaining on the vehicle, but a lateral separation of this intermediate part from the pedestal part. as is necessary with the so-called 450 all pendulum test impact according to European Community guidelines and as is possible in the case of the mirror according to the Patent Specification No. 1 479 978. is not permitted. On the other hand. it is also proposed in Specification No. 20 42 103. in the case of a rear view mirror with an upper part which receives an electrical current consumer and is detachably connected under impact effect with a pedestal part by means of a locking device. to incorporate into the separable parts of the locking device contacts which lockingly interengage and currentconductingly connect the upper part with the pedestal part. However. according to Specification No. 20 42 103. this locking device shall intentionally permit a longitudinal displacement of the upper part. together with current consumer, on the pedestal part and finally the entire detachment from the latter only when the vehicle is travelling with engine power.

Although from the point of view of the accident safety, this detachment, possible only on the vehicle travelling with engine power, of the upper part from the pedestal appears adequate, European Community rear view mirror guidelines have been so interpreted by the testing safety authorities that the above mentioned detachability must be possible at any time, thus with the stationary as well as with the travelling vehicle.

From these guidelines there thus arises the task of further developing the external rear view mirror according to Patent Specification No. 1479 978 into an external rear view mirror with an electrically controlled adjustment facility, preferably so that: a) the intermediate body, carrying an electrical current consumer, can be mounted on the foot to be displaceable longitudinally, laterally tilt able and finally entirely detachable at predetermined impact effect, b) separable contacts conducting current from the foot to the intermediate body do not obstruct the functions defined under (a) of the electrically remote-controlled mirror but ensure a secure current supply free of loose contacts, and c) these separable contacts can also be developed to serve as a detent device, interengaging only slightly in a normal setting of the intermediate body on the foot, without interfering with the functions of the mirror defined under (a).

According to the present invention there is provided an external rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising a foot securable to the body of such vehicle, a housing provided with means to retain a mirror, an intermediate body carrying the housing and adapted to be retained in a predetermined position on the foot, two mutually interengaging guides respectively arranged at two mutually facing sides of the foot and intermediate body and so connecting the intermediate body to the foot as to permit the intermediate body together with the housing to be displaced relative to the foot in a given direction out of said position, at least one of the guides being of channelled cross-section and resiliently permitting the intermediate body to be disengaged from the foot by an impact directed transversely to the given direction, and a respective electrically insulating contact carrier being fixedly arranged in the guide of the foot and in the guide of the intermediate body and provided with at least one electrical contact, the contact or contacts of each contact carrier being co-operable with the contact or contacts of the respective other contact carrier, being displaced relative thereto on displacement of the intermediate body relative to the foot in the given direction, and being separated therefrom on disengagement of the intermediate body from the foot.

This arrangement enables the external rear view mirror assembly disclosed in Patent Specification No.1 479 978 to be alternatively equipped with a mirror glass carrier remotely controllable electrically by means of control switches and feed-in cables without basic alterations to the foot or intermediate body.

Preferably, the electrically insulating carriers are fastened by means of rivet or screw elements against longitudinal co-displacement within the longitudinally displaceable interengaging longitudinal guides, at least one of which is resilient in transverse direction and which are arranged at the lower side of the intermediate body and the upper side of the foot. Expediently, the lower carrier part, fastened within the longitudinal guide of the foot, carries contacts arranged at a certain spacing behind one another in longitudinal direction for the connection of feed-in cables and the upper carrier part, fastened with the longitudinal guide of the intermediate body, carries contacts arranged at the same spacing behind one another in longitudinal direction for the connection of feed-out cables.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an external rear view mirror assembly embodying the invention, the intermediate body of the assembly, illustrated broken away at the righthand side, holding an electrically remotely displaceable mirror glass carrier, here omitted because generally known; Figure 2 is a cross-section, on the line A-B of Figure 1, of the assembly of Figure 1, the forward mounting screw being omitted for the sake of clarity; Figure 3 is a plan view of the upper contact carrier of the assembly; Figure 4 is a side view, to an enlarged scale, of one of the fastening screws fastening the upper contact carrier in the assembly; and Figure 5 is a cross-section, to an enlarged scale, of a modified lower contact carrier.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figures 1 to 4 an external rear view mirror assembly developed from the mirror assembly descnbed in Patent Specification No. 1 479 978 and consisting of a foot or pedestal part 2, which is fastened to a vehicle body 1 by means of screws 10 and a seal 5 and has a stepped longitudinal guide 22 at its upper side, and an intermediate part 3, which, in a portion thereof beyond the portion broken away, carries an electrically remotely controllable mirror glass carrier. In a chamber 16 of the intermediate part 3, a relatively long-limbed channel section or hollow profile 33, which is resilient in transverse direction and which at the lower side projects as a longitudinal guide out of the intermediate part 3, is fastened by means of screws 9. In the sense of the mirror assembly of Specification No. 1 479 978, this longitudinally extending profile 33 and the longitudinal guide 22 at the upper side of the pedestal part 2 so interengage that the intermediate part 3 can be displaced longitudinally or tilted laterally relative to the pedestal part 2 under certain impact effect until it is entirely detached from the pedestal part.

A lower contact carrier 41, which has a projection 47 extending through the bottom of the pedestal part 2 and apertures 45 in the body 1 and in the seal 5, and in four axial bores - arranged at a certain spacing behind one another - of which are mounted four contacts 43 with feed-in cables 44 soldered or pressed in, is supported by its narrow longitudinal edges within the longitudinal guide of the pedestal part 2. The lower contact carrier 41 can be secured by means of an additional screw 42 (as in Figure 1) or by means of at least one of the screws 10 within the pedestal part 2. The latter can be covered by an additional overlapping, generally bell-shaped hollow seal 55.

Within the chamber 16 of the intermediate part 3, the hollow profile 33 serving for the longitudinal guidance thereof at the lower side is fastened by means of a pressure strip 35 bearing on an inner side and screws 9 passing through this strip. As shown in Figure 4, these screws 9, which engage in threaded bores inside the intermediate part 3 and are turned out of rod, have a relatively long head, which is subdivided by means of a wide and deeply cut annular groove 34 into a cylindrical flange bearing on the pressure strip 35 in the profile 33 and a cross-slotted frusto-conical head 46.

By means of these screws, there is retained within the profile 33 an upper contact carrier 37, which has flat and somewhat enlarged fork ends 38 so engaged in the annular grooves 34 of the screws 9 that the carrier 37 is slightly tiltable laterally as well as displaceable in height within the profile 33 against the resistance of a spring element, for example a narrow rubber strip 36, but not longitudinally displaceable. As in the case of the lower contact carrier 41 in the pedestal part 2, four axial bores, which are arranged at the same certain spacing behind one another and into each of which is embedded a respective contact 39 with a feed-out cable 40 soldered or pressed in, are provided in the upper contact carrier 37. As is evident from Figure 2, the upper contact carrier 37 tapers down underneath its fork ends 38 to a width only slightly exceeding the diameter of the contacts 39.

The mode of suspension of the upper contact carrier 37, slightly tiltable laterally as well as displaceable in height, and the cross-section there of narrowing downwardly, is apparant from Figure 2.

If a sufficiently strong impact acts on the intermediate part 3 from the righthand side, then the intermediate part 3 would be tilted towards the lefthand side on the pedestal part 2 against the spring resistance of the profile 33, and thereby the righthand limb of this U-shaped profile 33 would be bent to the left in the direction of the upper contact carrier 37 until the righthand limb lifted out the longitudinal guide 22 of the pedestal part 2. whereafter the entire intermediate part 3 can detach from the pedestal part 2. In order not to make the intermediate part 3 and the pedestal part 2 too wide, substantial and heavy, while on the other hand still retaining wall thicknesses free of problems in terms of moulding technology, the chamber 16 in the intermediate part 3 and the profile 33 incorporated therein are preferably dimensioned to be relatively narrow in transverse direction. In consequence of its limitedly resilient suspension in the annular grooves 34 of the screws 9 and its downwardly narrowing cross-section. the upper contact carrier 37 can tilt so far within the profile 33, narrowing at the underside during the lateral lifting-out. that it neither obstructs the liftingout nor is damaged itself. This solution.

which is relatively favourable in terms of cost. has proved reliable in numerous ball-pendulum impact tests according to European Community guidelines and is applicable to already available intermediate parts 3, developed according to Patent Specification No. 1 479 978 as for example available mirror feet of die-cast zinc, without special changes thereto.

The simultaneously attained slight displaceability in height of the upper contact carrier 37 against the resistance of the rubber strip 36 also opens up the possibility of developing the end face of at least one of the four lower contacts 43 to be slightly convex and the end face of at least one of the upper contacts 39 to be slightly concave or vice versa and to let these two contacts 39 and 43 together form a detent, the contacts only lightly interengaging on attainment of the position of use of the intermediate part 3 pushed by hand into the pedestal part 2, so that they do not appreciably increase the displacement resistance of the intermediate part 3 on the pedestal part 2 and do not obstruct the lateral lifting-out of the intermediate part 3.

Furthermore, the invention envisages the possibility of securing the lower contact carrier part 3 within the longitudinal guide 2 of the foot or pedestal part 2 by means of at least one of the screws 10 which serve to fasten the pedestal part 2 to the vehicle body 1.

In the case of moulding of the lower contact carrier part 41 in slightly elastic synthetic material, this part can be provided with slotted spigots, tongues or flat grooves by which the part can resiliently snap into one or more corresponding apertures within the longitudinal guide 22 of the pedestal part 2.

A further possibility envisaged by the invention consists in subdividing the lower contact carrier part 41 into electrically insulating carrier bushes 41', which are independent of one another, are pressed into bores in the pedestal part 2 and each of which has an axial bore receiving a contact 43 and a feed-in cable 44 connected to this contact. If so desired, the contact carrier bushes 41' can have integral projections extending through round apertures in the seal 5 and in the vehicle body 1. Such carrier bushes 41', by comparison with the carrier part 41 of the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 and receiving all four lower contacts 43 at the same time. do not necessitate special mould construction costs. as they can be produced rationally and favourably in price from an appropriate tube of synthetic material on an automatic lathe.

Furthermore, at least the lower carrier part 41 for the contacts 43 can at the same time be developed to provide connecting or clamping of the feed-in cables 44 during mounting of the external rear view mirror on a vehicle, for example, the contacts 43 can be developed as cylinder head or grub screws which press on the de-insulated ends, knotted or splayed out in the manner of an umbrella, of the feed-in cables 44 introduced through the axial bores of the lower carrier part 41 and thus produce a secure electrical connection of the cables 44 with the contacts 43.

Figure 5 shows. by way of example, a modified lower contact carrier 43 serving at the same time as a cable clamp for the feed-in cables 44.

As already proposed, this lower contact carrier is here subdivided into electrically insulating carrier bushes 41', which are each provided with an axially stepped bore 50 and into the head of which is pressed, moulded or - as shown in Figure 5 - rivetted a contact 43 of metal. Engaging in the bore 50 of this carrier bush 41' is a clamping screw 48, which consists of insulating material and has a stepped axial bore 49 in which the de-insulated end of a feed-in cable 44 is plugged and relieved of tension by umbrella-like spreading-apart or knotting. When the clamping screw 48, for example provided with a knurled head. is tightened, a secure electrical connection of the cable 44 with the contact 43 is achieved.

The carrier bush 41' is pressed into a round bore in the foot or pedestal part 2 and bears thereagainst by its upper frusto-conical head.

In the same manner, a lower carrier part 41, carrying all four lower contacts 43 at the same time, can be provided with four downwardly open threaded bores 50, and four electrically insulating clamping screws 48, each with an axially stepped bore 49 receiving a feed-in cable 44, can be screwed into the threaded bores 50.

The development of a contact carrier part 41 or a contact carrier bush 41' as a connecting strip or connecting bush for the feed-in cables 44 has the advantage that long cables 44, which are already pressed together with or soldered to the contacts 43 and which as a precaution have been cut to be longer than is ultimately really necessary, do not necessarily have to be delivered with the external rear view mirror by the factory.

Rather, the auto electrical workshop can use cable from a reel.

Finally, the invention envisages the possibility of producing the lower carrier part 41 for the contacts 43 of the feed-in cables 44 with the pedestal part 2 and the longitudinal guide 22 thereof as an integral moulded part of high-strength insulating synthetic material, wherein a metallic reinforcing profile with apertures maintaining an adequate insulating spacing around the contacts 43 and the feed-in cables 44 can, if so desired, be moulded within this moulded part, such as in a manner already known from Patent Specification No. 1 479 978.

In the case of the embodiment of the external rear view mirror assembly shown in the drawings, the four contact pairs 39 and 43 are arranged at a certain spacing behind one another because of the rather restricted space conditions within the longitudinal guide 22 of the pedestal part 2 and within the profile 33.

When more space is available, in particular a greater width, two contact pairs each can be arranged beside one another, and the individual contacts can, if so desired, be developed to be long and narrow instead of round and formed as bent sheet metal parts.

Also, individual ones or all of the contacts can be developed to be resilient independently of one another or to be mounted resiliently in their carrier part.

The current-conducting connection of the pedestal part 2 mounted on the vehicle body 1 with the intermediate part 3 carrying an electrical current consumer, as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawings, can be used not only for external rear view mirrors with electrically remotely displaceable mirror glass carrier, but also for external rear view mirrors with another current consumer, for example a flashing light, a positional light and an electronic serial amplifier. Moreover, a greater or lesser number of contact pairs and feed-in cables then four can be provided.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. An external rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising a foot securable to the body of such vehicle, a housing provided with means to retain a mirror, an intermediate body carrying the housing and adapted to be retained in a predetermined position on the foot, two mutually interengaging guides respectively arranged at two mutually facing sides of the foot and intermediate body and so connecting the intermediate body to the foot as to permit the intermediate body together with the housing to be displaced relative to the foot in a given direction out of said position, at least one of the guides being of channelled cross-section and resiliently permitting the intermediate body to be disengaged from the foot by an impact directed transversely to the given direction, and a respective electrically insulating contact carrier being fixedly arranged in the guide of the foot and in the guide of the intermediate body and provided with at least one electrical contact, the contact or contacts of each contact carrier being co-operable with the contact or contacts of the respective other contact carrier, being displaced relative thereto on displacement of the intermediate body relative to the foot in the given direction, and being separated therefrom on disengagement of the intermediate body from the foot.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising two pluralities of such contacts, the contacts of each plurality being arranged in a line extending in the given direction and being spaced apart in correspondence with the spacing of the contacts of the respective other plurality.

3. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the contact carriers is retained in the respective guide by fastening elements.

4. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one guide of channelled cross-section is associated with the intermediate body and the contact arranged in that guide is mounted to be tiltable relative to the sides of the channel of the guide and displaceable towards and away from the base of the channel.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the contact carrier arranged in said one guide is retained by a plurality of grooved fastening elements. the contact carrier being engaged in the grooves of the fastening elements.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, comprising biased resilient means arranged between and bearing on the base of the channel of said one guide and an adjacent side of the respective contact carrier.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of pairs of such co-operable contacts, one of the contacts of at least one of the pairs being provided on a face thereof with a convexity receivable in a concavity in a face of the other contact of the respective pair to locate the intermediate body in said predetermined position on the foot.

14. An assembly as daimed-in claim 8, or any one of claims 9 to 13 when appended to claim 8, wherein the assembly further comprises a seal engaging the foot and provided with a respective aperture receiving the projecting portion of the or each contact carrier arranged in the guide of the foot.

15. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the foot, the respective guide and the contact carrier arranged therein

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

as a precaution have been cut to be longer than is ultimately really necessary, do not necessarily have to be delivered with the external rear view mirror by the factory.

Rather, the auto electrical workshop can use cable from a reel.

Finally, the invention envisages the possibility of producing the lower carrier part 41 for the contacts 43 of the feed-in cables 44 with the pedestal part 2 and the longitudinal guide 22 thereof as an integral moulded part of high-strength insulating synthetic material, wherein a metallic reinforcing profile with apertures maintaining an adequate insulating spacing around the contacts 43 and the feed-in cables 44 can, if so desired, be moulded within this moulded part, such as in a manner already known from Patent Specification No. 1 479 978.

In the case of the embodiment of the external rear view mirror assembly shown in the drawings, the four contact pairs 39 and 43 are arranged at a certain spacing behind one another because of the rather restricted space conditions within the longitudinal guide 22 of the pedestal part 2 and within the profile 33.

When more space is available, in particular a greater width, two contact pairs each can be arranged beside one another, and the individual contacts can, if so desired, be developed to be long and narrow instead of round and formed as bent sheet metal parts.

Also, individual ones or all of the contacts can be developed to be resilient independently of one another or to be mounted resiliently in their carrier part.

The current-conducting connection of the pedestal part 2 mounted on the vehicle body 1 with the intermediate part 3 carrying an electrical current consumer, as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawings, can be used not only for external rear view mirrors with electrically remotely displaceable mirror glass carrier, but also for external rear view mirrors with another current consumer, for example a flashing light, a positional light and an electronic serial amplifier. Moreover, a greater or lesser number of contact pairs and feed-in cables then four can be provided.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. An external rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising a foot securable to the body of such vehicle, a housing provided with means to retain a mirror, an intermediate body carrying the housing and adapted to be retained in a predetermined position on the foot, two mutually interengaging guides respectively arranged at two mutually facing sides of the foot and intermediate body and so connecting the intermediate body to the foot as to permit the intermediate body together with the housing to be displaced relative to the foot in a given direction out of said position, at least one of the guides being of channelled cross-section and resiliently permitting the intermediate body to be disengaged from the foot by an impact directed transversely to the given direction, and a respective electrically insulating contact carrier being fixedly arranged in the guide of the foot and in the guide of the intermediate body and provided with at least one electrical contact, the contact or contacts of each contact carrier being co-operable with the contact or contacts of the respective other contact carrier, being displaced relative thereto on displacement of the intermediate body relative to the foot in the given direction, and being separated therefrom on disengagement of the intermediate body from the foot.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, comprising two pluralities of such contacts, the contacts of each plurality being arranged in a line extending in the given direction and being spaced apart in correspondence with the spacing of the contacts of the respective other plurality.

3. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the contact carriers is retained in the respective guide by fastening elements.

4. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one guide of channelled cross-section is associated with the intermediate body and the contact arranged in that guide is mounted to be tiltable relative to the sides of the channel of the guide and displaceable towards and away from the base of the channel.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the contact carrier arranged in said one guide is retained by a plurality of grooved fastening elements. the contact carrier being engaged in the grooves of the fastening elements.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, comprising biased resilient means arranged between and bearing on the base of the channel of said one guide and an adjacent side of the respective contact carrier.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of pairs of such co-operable contacts, one of the contacts of at least one of the pairs being provided on a face thereof with a convexity receivable in a concavity in a face of the other contact of the respective pair to locate the intermediate body in said predetermined position on the foot.

14. An assembly as daimed-in claim 8, or any one of claims 9 to 13 when appended to claim 8, wherein the assembly further comprises a seal engaging the foot and provided with a respective aperture receiving the projecting portion of the or each contact carrier arranged in the guide of the foot.

15. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the foot, the respective guide and the contact carrier arranged therein

comprise an integral moulded component of electrically insulating material the component incorporating a metallic reinforcing element provided with apertures arranged to insulate the contacts from each other.

16. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims. comprising a mirror carrier mounted on the housing.

17. An external rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle. the assembly being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

18. An assembly as claimed in claim 16, the assembly being modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.