GB2139973A

GB2139973A - External rear-view mirror

Info

Publication number: GB2139973A
Application number: GB08313804A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Richard Condon
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1983-05-18
Filing date: 1983-05-18
Publication date: 1984-11-21
Also published as: GB8313804D0; GB2139973B

Abstract

A rear-view mirror for a vehicle can move about two axes at right angles to one another. A housing 30 for the mirror glass 46 is mounted at the end of an arm 12, and the bearing surfaces 26 for accommodating the movement about one axis are separate from the surfaces (42,44) for accommodating movement about the other axis. All the bearing surfaces are contained within the housing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION External rear-view mirror This invention relates to a door-mounted external rear-view mirror for a vehicle.

To facilitate description, reference is made in this specification to various directions or orientations, e.g. horizontal, vertical, forward, outward. These references all refer to directions of orientations which will be adopted when the mirror is fitted to a vehicle, but the invention is not limited to a mirror when fitted on a vehicle, and the appended claims cover a mirror alone.

According to the present invention, there is provided an external rear-view mirror for door mounting on a vehicle, the mirror having a mount to be secured to a vehicle door, a mirror glass in a housing and an arm connecting the housing to the mount, the arm and the housing being connected by a first joint which allows relative movement about an axis which, when the mirror is mounted on a vehicle is generally vertical and by a second joint which allows relative movement about an axis which, when the mirror is mounted on a vehicle, is generally horizontal and at an angle to the centre line of the vehicle, the first and second joints having separate bearing surfaces, all of which are within the housing.

The arm preferably enters the housing between the upper and lower edges of the housing.

A single spring may be used to provide a friction lock on all joint bearing surfaces.

The arm is preferably unhanded, so that it can be fitted to either the driver's or the passenger's side of a vehicle.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa horizontal section through a rear-view mirror according to the invention; Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the mirror of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a view of the back of the mirror, i.e.

looking from the front of the vehicle.

The mirror has a mount 10 which will be fitted in any convenient way to a vehicle door, for example in the front corner of a window opening. An arm 12 is secured to the mount, to project forward and outward from the mount. The connection between the arm 12 and the mount 10 can best be seen from Figure 2.

The mount 10 has a splined turret 14, and the arm 12 has a correspondingly splined recess 16. A study 18 depends from the arm. In assembly, the stud passes through a bore in the mount, and the splined turret and recess engage one another. At this stage, the desired angle between the arm and the mount is set. A spring 20 is compressed between a washer 22 and a surface of the mount and is held in place by a locknut 24. The presence of this spring allows the arm 12 to be knocked against the side of the vehicle, to avoid injury in an accident. The mechanism between the arm and the mount which allows this is conventional and is not shown in detail.

The outer end of the arm 12 has a convex cylindrical surface 26 with a vertical axis. A plug 28 which is secured to the mirror housing 30 has a corresponding concave surface. A pivot arm 32 is journalled on the vertical axis of the surface 26, projects through a bore in the centre of the plug 28 and is held in place by a pin 34. The pin 34 lies against a washer 36 and another washer 40. The washer 40 presses against a flange 42 which is part of the mirror housing 30 and sandwiches the flange between itself and a step 44 on the plug 28.

The housing 30, which houses a mirror glass 46, can move about the vertical pivot axis 48 when the concave surface of the plut 26 moves against the convex surface of the arm 12. The spring 38 through the washer 36, the pin 34 and the pivot arm 32 keeps these surfaces pressed against one another, so that friction holds the mirror housing in any position to which it has been moved. Figure 2 shows the large contact areas of these surfaces which result in good stability of the mirror housing in any particular position, and freedom from vibration. This vertical movement is limited by the pivot arm 32 coming up against the edge of an arcuate recess 50 in the arm 12.

The housing 30 can also move about a horizontal axis defined by the centre line of the pivot arm 32.

The flange 42 which is moulded into the housing 30 has a circular step 44 on the plug 28. The height of the step 44 is less than the thickness of the flange 42, so that the spring 38 can press the washer 40 against the flange, and the flange against the plug 28. The friction between the flange and the plug and between the flange and the washer keep the housing in the position to which it has been adjusted. The movement about this axis is limited by abutment between the arm 12 and the edges of an aperture 52 through which the arm enters the housing.

Figure 3 shows the general arrangement of the mirror housing and arm. It will be seen from this figure that all the bearing surfaces are contained within the housing, and that the arm 12 is able to enterthe housing midway down one side. The arm 12 as described is unhanded, i.e. the same arm can be used on both sides of a vehicle, thus reducing stocking and tooling costs.

1. An external rear-view mirror for door mounting on a vehicle, the mirror having a mount to be secured to a vehicle door, a mirror glass in a housing and an arm connecting the housing to the mount, the arm and the housing being connected by a first joint which allows relative movement about an axis which, when the mirror is mounted on a vehicle is generally vertical and by a second joint which allows relative movement about an axis which, when the mirror is mounted on a vehicle, is generally horizontal and at an angle to the centre line of the vehicle, the first and second joints having separate bearing surfaces, all of which are within the housing.

2. A mirror as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the arm enters the housing between the upper and lower edges of the housing.

3. A mirror as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2,

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION External rear-view mirror This invention relates to a door-mounted external rear-view mirror for a vehicle. To facilitate description, reference is made in this specification to various directions or orientations, e.g. horizontal, vertical, forward, outward. These references all refer to directions of orientations which will be adopted when the mirror is fitted to a vehicle, but the invention is not limited to a mirror when fitted on a vehicle, and the appended claims cover a mirror alone. According to the present invention, there is provided an external rear-view mirror for door mounting on a vehicle, the mirror having a mount to be secured to a vehicle door, a mirror glass in a housing and an arm connecting the housing to the mount, the arm and the housing being connected by a first joint which allows relative movement about an axis which, when the mirror is mounted on a vehicle is generally vertical and by a second joint which allows relative movement about an axis which, when the mirror is mounted on a vehicle, is generally horizontal and at an angle to the centre line of the vehicle, the first and second joints having separate bearing surfaces, all of which are within the housing. The arm preferably enters the housing between the upper and lower edges of the housing. A single spring may be used to provide a friction lock on all joint bearing surfaces. The arm is preferably unhanded, so that it can be fitted to either the driver's or the passenger's side of a vehicle. The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa horizontal section through a rear-view mirror according to the invention; Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the mirror of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a view of the back of the mirror, i.e. looking from the front of the vehicle. The mirror has a mount 10 which will be fitted in any convenient way to a vehicle door, for example in the front corner of a window opening. An arm 12 is secured to the mount, to project forward and outward from the mount. The connection between the arm 12 and the mount 10 can best be seen from Figure 2. The mount 10 has a splined turret 14, and the arm 12 has a correspondingly splined recess 16. A study 18 depends from the arm. In assembly, the stud passes through a bore in the mount, and the splined turret and recess engage one another. At this stage, the desired angle between the arm and the mount is set. A spring 20 is compressed between a washer 22 and a surface of the mount and is held in place by a locknut 24. The presence of this spring allows the arm 12 to be knocked against the side of the vehicle, to avoid injury in an accident. The mechanism between the arm and the mount which allows this is conventional and is not shown in detail. The outer end of the arm 12 has a convex cylindrical surface 26 with a vertical axis. A plug 28 which is secured to the mirror housing 30 has a corresponding concave surface. A pivot arm 32 is journalled on the vertical axis of the surface 26, projects through a bore in the centre of the plug 28 and is held in place by a pin 34. The pin 34 lies against a washer 36 and another washer 40. The washer 40 presses against a flange 42 which is part of the mirror housing 30 and sandwiches the flange between itself and a step 44 on the plug 28. The housing 30, which houses a mirror glass 46, can move about the vertical pivot axis 48 when the concave surface of the plut 26 moves against the convex surface of the arm 12. The spring 38 through the washer 36, the pin 34 and the pivot arm 32 keeps these surfaces pressed against one another, so that friction holds the mirror housing in any position to which it has been moved. Figure 2 shows the large contact areas of these surfaces which result in good stability of the mirror housing in any particular position, and freedom from vibration. This vertical movement is limited by the pivot arm 32 coming up against the edge of an arcuate recess 50 in the arm 12. The housing 30 can also move about a horizontal axis defined by the centre line of the pivot arm 32. The flange 42 which is moulded into the housing 30 has a circular step 44 on the plug 28. The height of the step 44 is less than the thickness of the flange 42, so that the spring 38 can press the washer 40 against the flange, and the flange against the plug 28. The friction between the flange and the plug and between the flange and the washer keep the housing in the position to which it has been adjusted. The movement about this axis is limited by abutment between the arm 12 and the edges of an aperture 52 through which the arm enters the housing. Figure 3 shows the general arrangement of the mirror housing and arm. It will be seen from this figure that all the bearing surfaces are contained within the housing, and that the arm 12 is able to enterthe housing midway down one side. The arm 12 as described is unhanded, i.e. the same arm can be used on both sides of a vehicle, thus reducing stocking and tooling costs. CLAIMS

3. A mirror as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein a single spring provides a friction lock on all bearing surfaces.

4. A mirror as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the arm is unhanded.

5. A mirror as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the arm ends in a convex part cylindrical surface, and the housing includes a plug with a matching concave and part-cylindrical surface, said convex and concave surfaces forming the bearing surfaces for the first joint.

6. A mirror as claimed in Claim 5, wherein a stepped surface on the plug and an apertured flange on the mirror housing form the bearing surfaces for the second joint.

7. An external rear view mirror substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.