GB1587645A - Rear view mirror assembly - Google Patents

Description

(54) REAR VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY (71) We, DONNELLY MIRRORS LIMITED, a Company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Ireland of Naas, County Kildare, Republic of Ireland do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to mirror assemblies for vehicles and in particular, to a prismatic rearview mirror assembly.

Conventional prismatic rearview mirror assemblies include a toggle-type actuator, which may be adjusted to either a day or a night position as required. Conventional toggle actuators comprise a moulded body provided with a pair of axles which are snapped in place in generally cylindrical apertures in actuator supports in the mirror case as described, for example, in U.K.

Patent Specification Nos. 1 27 736 and 1 433 098. With prior mirror assemblies it has been found that the application of a load to the toggle actuator above a given value, for example by a person striking the toggle actuator in a collision, has caused the toggle actuator to be ejected from the actuator supports with consequent ejection or breaking of the mirror element.

To meet new safety regulations in various countries, manufacturers of rearview mirrors assemblies have been required to provide such assemblies with toggle actuators which are ignore resistant to such ejection following the application of a load thereto.

To meet these regulations complications have been introduced into the manufacture and construction of prismatic rearview mirror assemblies, to provide for the retention of the toggle actuator on impact.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a prismatic rearview mirror assembly which includes few components with consequent ease of manufacture and wherein the toggle actuator is more resistant to ejection following the application of a load thereto.

According to the invention there is provided a prismatic rearview mirror assembly comprising a moulded thermoplastic case of generally rectangular dished configuration having a back portion and upstanding continuous side walls integral with the back portion which together define a cavity for the reception of a prismatic mirror element, and a toggle-type actuator mounted in the case between the back portion and the mirror element for shifting the case and mirror element with respect to an external support and allowing the selection of day and night positions thereof, the toggle-type actuator comprising a moulded body including a pair of lugs positioned one on either side of the actuator body and moulded integrally therewith, and each of the lugs being in engagement with a respective complementary retaining aperture in a respective web in the case, which web is transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis of the case and is moulded integrally with the back portion thereof, the toggle actuator being mounted in the case by a pair of axles each supported in partially cylindrical apertures in a respective pair of supports integral with the back portion of the case, the retaining apertures being located intermediate the two pairs of supports, the toggle actuator further including means for connection of the assembly to an external support, the engagement of the lugs in the apertures being such that the actuator is resistant to ejection when a load is applied thereto.

Preferably, the lugs are angled with respect to the body of the toggle actuator to facilitate engagement of the lugs with the apertures in the transverse webs of the case during assembly.

The toggle actuator may be comprised of any suitable metallic or plastics material; however, a plastics material such as polypropylene is preferred.

The invention will be understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a prismatic rearview mirror assembly according to the invention Fig. 2 is a half sectional end elevation of the assembly shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the front surface of a toggle-type actuator for use in the assembly of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a side view of the toggle actuator shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings there is provided a prismatic rearview mirror assembly, indicated generally at 10, said assembly 10 comprising a moulded polypropylene case 11, a mirror element 12 and a polypropylene toggle-type actuator 13. The mirror element 12 is a prismatic mirror wherein the front and back surfaces are each generally planar but are not parallel to each other.

The case 11 has a back portion 14 and continuous upstanding side walls 15 integral with said back portion 14, said back portion 14 and said side walls 15 together defining a cavity 16 adapted for reception of the mirror element 1 -2 and said side walls 15 generally conforming to the outline of the mirror element 12. Further, the case 11 is shaped so as to accommodate the inclined shape of the prismatic mirror element 12. Mirror supports 17 are provided moulded integrally with the back portion 14 of the case 11, said supports 17 maintaining said mirror element 12 in spaced apart relationship with said back portion 14. The supports 17 are adapted so as to accommodate the shape of the prismatic mirror element 12. A continuous peripheral lip 18 is provided on the side walls 15 at their upper surface 19, for retaining the mirror element 12 in its cavity 16.

The back portion 14 of the case 11 is further provided with a pair of upstanding transverse webs 20 and two pairs of lengthwise aligned toggle actuator supports 21a/21b, moulded integrally therewith. Each of said webs 20 is provided with a retaining aperture 22. The supports 21a/21b and the apertures 22 are adapted to receive the toggle actuator 13.

The toggle actuator 13 is a one-piece actuator moulded from polypropylene and having a front face 23 and a rear face 24.

Said actuator 13 has a main body portion 25 which has an integral axle 26 at its upper end 27 and which axle 26 is adapted for engagement with actuator supports 21a.

The actuator 13 further includes a flip tab 28 which has an axle 29 integral therewith which is adapted for engagement with actuator supports 20b and which axle 29 is linked to the main toggle body portion 25 by means of a conventional living hinge 30.

The tab 28 serves to operate the toggle action of the actuator 13. The main body portion 25 further has a pair of aligned side lugs 31 which are adapted for engagement in the apertures 22 in the webs 20. The rear surfaces of the lugs 31 are angled at approximately 45" with respect to the front face 23 of the main body portion 25 of the actuator 13 so as to facilitate assembly of said actuator 13 in the case 11.

The rear face 24 of the actuator 13 is provided with a ball socket 34 which is mounted in the main body portion 25 of said actuator 13. The ball socket 34 is adapted to receive a support member 32 which has an integral ball member 33. The support member 32 provides means for connecting the mirror assembly 10 to an external support (not shown). The support member 32 may be manufactured from zinc or any other suitable metallic or plastics material.

Preferably, the support member 32 is inserted in the ball socket 34 after assembly of the mirror element 12 and the actuator l3inthecasell.

To assemble the actuator 13 in the case 11, the axle 26 is snapped into supports 21a.

The lugs 31 and the axle 29 are then snapped into position in their apertures 22 and supports 21b, respectively. The support member 32 and the ball socket 34 project through a circular opening 35 in the back portion 14 of the case 11, so as to permit connection of said support member 32, in use, to the external support. The tab 28 projects from the case 11 by way of a tab opening 36 which includes a part of the back portion 14 and part of one side wall 15 of the case 11. Finally, to complete the assembly 10, the mirror element 12 is snapped in position and is retained by the peripheral lip 18.

In use, the tab 28 may be operated in conventional manner to adjust the assembly 10 from its day to its night postion, as required. The operation of the toggle actuator 13 is generally the same as that described in the aforementioned U.S.

Patent 3 918799.

The present assembly 10 is such that application of a load thereto, as hereinbefore described, does not cause ejection of the toggle actuator 13 from its supported position with consequent displacement and/or breakage of the mirror element 12.

It will also be appreciated that since the case 11 and the actuator 13 are of relatively simple construction and are easy to assemble together, a considerable reduction in production costs compared with those incurred in the manufacture of conventional prismatic rearview mirror assemblies, is achieved.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above which may be modified and/or varied without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the

Claims (7)

claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A prismatic rearivew mirror assembly comprising a moulded thermoplastic case of generally rectangular dished configuration having a back portion and upstanding sub stantially continuous side walls integral with the back portion which together define a cavity for the reception of a prismatic mirror element, and a toggle-type actuator mounted in the case between the back portion and the mirror element for shifting the case and mirror element with respect to an external support and allowing the selection of day and night positions thereof, the toggle type actuator comprising a moulded body including a pair of lugs positioned one on either side of the actuator body and moulded integrally therewith, and each of the lugs being in engagement with a respective complementary retaining aperture in a respective web in the case which web is transverse with respect to the longitudinal axis of the case and is moulded integrally with the back portion thereof, the toggle actuator being mounted in the case by a pair of axles each supported in partially cylindrical apertures in a respective pair of supports integral with the back portion of the case, the retaining apertures being located intermediate the two pairs of supports, the toggle actuator further including means for connection of the assembly to an external support, the engagement of the lugs in the retaining apertures being such that the actuator is resistant to ejection when a load is applied thereto.

2. A mirror assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the lugs are angled with respect to the actuator body to facilitate engagement of the lugs with the retaining apertures in the transverse webs.

3. A mirror assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for connection of the assembly to an external support comprises a support member connected by a ball and socket joint to the actuator body on the portion thereof facing the back portion of the case, access to the actuator body being provided by an aperture in the back portion of the case.

4. A mirror assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the actuator comprises a flip tab hinged to the actuator body, the flip tab including one of the axles and the actuator body including the other axle, which flip tab extends through an aperture at the side of the case for manual operation of the actuator.

5. A mirror assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the actuator is mounted in the case by a snap action.

6. A mirror assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the actuator is moulded from polypropylene.

7. A mirror assembly substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.