GB2267262A

GB2267262A - A rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2267262A
Application number: GB9310239A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alberto Gramaglia
Original assignee: Gilardini SpA
Current assignee: Marelli Europe SpA
Priority date: 1992-05-26
Filing date: 1993-05-18
Publication date: 1993-12-01
Also published as: IT1257192B; ITTO920445A1; ITTO920445A0; DE4317327A1; GB9310239D0

Abstract

A rear view mirror assembly (1) for a motor vehicle comprises a mirror unit (2) having a hollow outer body (6) and a reflective sheet (8), a support arm (3) adapted to be fixed to the vehicle bodywork and an articulation device (5) interposed between the support arm (3) and the body (6) of the mirror unit (2) to enable the latter (2) to rotate about a substantially vertical axis (A); the articulation device (5) includes a first element (15) and a second element (16), one fixed to the arm (3) and the other to the body (6) and coupled coaxially together so as to be free to rotate relative to each other, and a radially-slidable third element (30) carried by one (15) of the said first and second elements (15, 16) and adapted to engage at least one corresponding seat (45, 46, 47) formed in the other (16) of the said first and second elements (15, 16). <IMAGE>

Description

2267262- A REAR VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE The present invention

relates to a rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle.

Rear view mirror assemblies for vehicles are known which include, essentially, a rear view mirror unit, a support arm adapted to be fixed to the vehicle bodywork, and an articulation device interposed between the support arm and an outer body of the mirror unit. Such articulation devices generally define one or more preferred stable angular positions of the mirror unit and also allow the mirror unit to be folded back completely against the bodywork in the case of knocks, in compliance with regulations in force.

Known articulation devices generally include two superposed disc elements, fixed respectively to the arm and to the body of the mirror unit. These elements are rotatable relative to each other about a common axis which constitutes the axis of rotation of the mirror unit and are held in contact with each other by a spring; the preferred angular positions of the mirror assembly are achieved by the mutual engagement of facing engagement means between the disc elements, constituted, for example, by projections on the face of one disc member and corresponding seats formed in the other.

2 The articulation devices described brief ly above have several disadvantages.

First of all, their axial bulk is rather large which means that the assembly as a whole is rather bulky and has a negative effect on the style of the assembly itself.

In addition, such devices are rather complex and expensive and do not lend themselves to automated assembly.

Finally, the presence of the facing engagement means between the disc elements of the device means that the movement of the mirror unit relative to its support includes an axial component due to the engagement and disengagement of the engagement means. This component is undesirable in that it requires that suitable clearances should be provided between the body of the mirror unit and the support arm, which clearances are aesthetically disagreeable and allow external agents (water, dust) into the body of the mirror assembly.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle which does not have the disadvantages of known rear view mirror assemblies as specified above.

3 This object is achieved by the present invention in that it relates to a rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle,' of the type comprising: a mirror unit having a hollow outer body and a reflective sheet housed in the body; a support arm adapted to be fixed to the bodywork of the vehicle; and articulation means interposed between the support arm and the body of the mirror unit to enable the latter to rotate about a substantially vertical axis; the articulation means including a first element and a second element fixed, one to the support arm and the other to the body and coupled together so as to be free to rotate relative to each other, and engagement means is for achieving mutual engagement between the elements for defining at least one preferred relative angular position, characterised in that the first and second elements are substantially cylindrical and in that the first element is housed within the second element; the mutual engagement means including a third element carried by one of the first and second elements and slidable radially, the third element being adapted to engage at least one corresponding seat formed in the other of the first and second elements.

For a better understanding of the present invention a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described purely 4 by non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partially-sectioned plan view of a rear view mirror assembly formed in accordance with the present invention, with parts removed for clarity; Figure 2 is a section taken on the plane of the line II-II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section taken on the plane of the line III-III in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a section similar to that of Figure 2 of a variant of the assembly of Figure 1.

With reference to Figure 1, an external rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle is generally indicated 1.

The assembly 1 comprises, essentially a mirror unit 2, a support arm 3 fixed to a plate 4 adapted to be fixed to an outer side portion of the vehicle bodywork, and an articulation device 5 interposed between the arm 3 and the mirror unit 2 to enable the latter to rotate about a substantially vertical axis A.

More particularly, the mirror unit 2 includes a hollow outer body 6 having an aperture 7 housing a reflective sheet 8. This sheet 8 is conveniently supported by an electrically controlled device 9 which enables its orientation to be adjusted. The device 9 is supported by a vertical plate 10 housed within the body 6 and f ixed thereto by means of screws 14; this device, of known type, is not described in detail since it does not form part of the present invention.

The articulation device 5 (Figure 2 and 3) includes essentially a first hollow cylindrical element 15 with its axis vertical and coincident with the axis A and a second hollow cylindrical element 16 coaxial with the f irst element 15 and housing the latter so that it is freely rotatable.

The elements 15 and 16 are integral respectively with the arm 3 and the plate 10 fixed to the body 6 of the mirror unit 2. More particularly, the element 15 projects is axially upwardly from a horizontal wall 17 integral with the arm 3 and defining its base; the element 16, a generatrix of which is integral with an end edge of the plate 10, is closed axially by an upper wall 18.

The elements 15 and 16 are connected together by a screw 19 which clamps them together axially on the axis A; this screw 19 includes a shaft 20 which passes through a through-hole 21 in the wall 18 and is screwed into a bush 22 projecting axially upwardly from the base wall 17 of the first element 15, and a head 24 housed in a recessed seat 25 in the wall 18 itself.

The first element 15 and the bush 22 together define a 6 chamber 26 which houses an annular spacer 27. The spacer 27, which has a ribbed structure defined by a plurality of coaxial walls 28, is formed with a radial seat 29 in which there is slidable a pawl 30 (Figures 1 and 3) which extends through the entire height of the chamber 26 and has a tapered, wedge-shaped portion 34 projecting partly from the seat 29. The tapered portion 34 is bounded laterally by two flat surfaces 35 which converge and are connected together.

The pawl 30 is bounded, radially inwardly of the seat 29, by a concave cylindrical surface 36. At the opposite axial ends of this surface 36 are two end grooves 37 which cooperate with respective central portions of a pair of C-shaped springs 38. These springs 38 are housed in a peripheral region of the chamber 26 at the opposite axial ends of the spacer 27 and are constituted essentially by resilient rings formed from piano wire cut along their generatrices.

The spacer 27 has a radially-projecting rib 39 (Figure 1) in a portion diametrally opposite the seat 29 and extending axially so as to project beyond the opposite axial ends of the spacer itself. This rib engages a corresponding radial seat 40 in the first element 15 in order to prevent the spacer 27 from rotating relative thereto and is interposed between the free ends of the springs 38 so as to prevent the springs from rotating 7 relative to the spacer 27.

The dimensions of the springs 38 are such that they exert a radially outward resilient force on the pawl 30 to hold it within a radial throughaperture 44 formed in the first element 15 with its lateral surfaces 35 in contact with respective lateral surfaces of the said seat 44 which have the same relative inclinations. An edge of the portion 34 of the pawl 30 thus projects radially from the first element 15 and can engage selectively in a plurality of seats 45, 46, 47 formed in the inner surface of the second element 16.

These seats are arranged so as to provide a plurality of is preferred angular positions for the mirror unit 2; conveniently there are three of these seats: the central one (45) defines a normal position of use of the mirror unit, illustrated in Figure 1, in which the reflective sheet 8, in the central position of adjustment of the device 9, is inclined slightly rearwardly of the direction of forward movement of the vehicle; the other two seats (46,47) define respectively a position which is slightly forwardly inclined and a position folded fully backwardly in line with the side of the vehicle.

The operation of the assembly 1, as will already be partly evident from the above, is as follows.

8 When the pawl engages one of the seats in the second element 16, normally, the central seat 45, the mirror unit 2 is fixed to the arm 3. In the case of a knock or manual operation of the body 6 of the mirror unit 2, a torque acts on the second element 16 and hence, due to the inclination of the lateral surfaces 35 of the pawl 30, induces a radial force, forcing the pawl 30 inwardly of the seat 29.

The resulting radial movement of the pawl 30 along the guide 29 is opposed by the springs 38 which bend; if the knock or the manual operation is sufficient to disengage the pawl 30 from the seat 45 (46, 47), the second element 60 is freed to rotate relative to the first element 15 is and hence the mirror assembly 2 can rotate about the axis A while the pawl 30 slides against the inner surface of the element 16. Clearly, when the mirror unit 2 moves into one of the preferred positions defined by the seats 45, 46, 47, the respective seat is snap-engaged by the pawl 30 under the action of the springs 38. The wedge shape of the portion 34 of the pawl 30 and of the corresponding seats 45, 46, 47 facilitates this mutual engagement under the action of the springs 38 even when the relative angular position is not coincident with the theoretical position of engagement but is very close to it; a self- centring, self-positioning effect is thus provided for the mirror assembly 2.

9 With reference to Figure 4, a structural variant of the articulation device 5 is illustrated. In this variant, the screw 20 is replaced by a tubular member 50 housed in the hole 21 and in the bush 22 with its ends upset into the seat 25 in the wall 18 and into a similar seat 26 formed in the wall 17.

From an examination of the characteristics of the rear view mirror assembly 1 made in accordance with the terms of the present invention, the advantages which it achieves will be clear. Above all, by virtue of the coaxial arrangement of the elements 15 and 16 and the radial arrangement of their mutual engagement means, the articulation device 5 is particularly compact in an axial sense.

Moreover, the device 5 is particularly simple and cheap and its assembly may be automated easily.

Finally, the movement of the mirror unit 2 relative to the arm 3 is purely rotational without any vertical translational component.

Finally it is clear that modifications and variations may be made to the assembly 1 without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

For example, the device 5 which, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, is integrated partly with the body of the mirror assembly and partly with the support arm may be made as a pre-assemblable independent unit.

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Claims

CLAIMS 1. A rear view mirror assembly (1) for a motor vehicle, of the type

comprising: a mirror unit (2) having a hollow outer body (6) and a reflective sheet (8) housed in the body (6); a support arm (3) adapted to be fixed to the bodywork of the vehicle; and articulation means (5) interposed between the support arm (3) and the body (6) of the mirror unit (2) to enable the latter (2) to rotate about a substantially vertical axis; the articulation means (5) including a first element (15) and a second element (16) f ixed one to the support arm (3) and the other to the body (2) and coupled together so as to be free to rotate relative to each other, and means (30;45, 46,47) for achieving mutual engagement between the elements (15, 16) and for defining at least one preferred relative angular position, characterised in that the first and second elements (15,16) are substantially cylindrical and in that the 20 first element (15) is housed within the second element (16); the mutual engagement means including a third element (30) carried by one (15) of the first and second elements (15,16) and slidable radially, the third element (3) being adapted to engage at least one corresponding 25 seat (45,46,47) formed in the other (16) of the first and second elements (15,16).
2. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in 12 that it includes resilient means (38) biasing the third element (30) into the seat (45,46,47).
3. An assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the third element (30) is carried by the first element (15) and in that the seat (45,46,47) is formed in the second element.
4. An assembly according to any one of the preceding Claims. characterised in that the first element (15) is hollow.
5. An assembly according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, characterised in that the first element (15)houses an is annular body (27) fixed therein; the third element (30) being slidable in a radial seat (29) formed in the annular body (27) and projecting at least partly from the first element (15) through a through-aperture (44) in the first element (15).
6. An assembly according to Claim 5, characterised in that at least a portion (34) of the third element (30) projecting from the first element (15) is bounded laterally by a pair of converging wedge-like surfaces (35).
7. An assembly according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, characterised in that the resilient means (38) are housed 13 within the first element (15).
8. An assembly according to Claim 7, characterised in that the resilient means include at least one C-shaped flexure spring (38) having a central portion which cooperates with the third element (30).
9. An assembly according to Claim 8, characterised in that it includes a pair of the said C-shaped springs (38) located at opposite axial ends of the annular body (27).
10. An assembly according to any one of Claims 3 to 9, characterised in that the second element (16) has a plurality of internal seats (45,46,47) for coupling is selectively with the third element (16) to define a plurality of preferred positions of the mirror unit (2).
11. An assembly according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the first element (15) is fixed to the arm (3) and the second element (16) is fixed to the body (6) of the mirror assembly (2).
12. An assembly according to Claim 11, characterised in that the second element (16) is integral with a support plate (10) of a device (9) for adjusting the orientation of the reflective sheet (8), the plate (10) being housed fixedly in the said body.

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13. A rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle, - substantially as described and illustrated in the appended drawings.