GB2285611A - Exterior mirror positioning system - Google Patents

Exterior mirror positioning system Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2285611A
GB2285611A GB9400562A GB9400562A GB2285611A GB 2285611 A GB2285611 A GB 2285611A GB 9400562 A GB9400562 A GB 9400562A GB 9400562 A GB9400562 A GB 9400562A GB 2285611 A GB2285611 A GB 2285611A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
mirror
vehicle
piston
rear view
pressure medium
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9400562A
Other versions
GB9400562D0 (en
Inventor
David Ernest Biddlecombe
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ford Motor Co
Original Assignee
Ford Motor Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ford Motor Co filed Critical Ford Motor Co
Priority to GB9400562A priority Critical patent/GB2285611A/en
Publication of GB9400562D0 publication Critical patent/GB9400562D0/en
Publication of GB2285611A publication Critical patent/GB2285611A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60S1/00—Cleaning of vehicles
    • B60S1/02—Cleaning windscreens, windows or optical devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R1/00—Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
    • B60R1/02—Rear-view mirror arrangements
    • B60R1/06—Rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior
    • B60R1/0602—Rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior comprising means for cleaning or deicing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R1/00—Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
    • B60R1/02—Rear-view mirror arrangements
    • B60R1/06—Rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior
    • B60R1/062—Rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior with remote control for adjusting position
    • B60R1/0625—Rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior with remote control for adjusting position by hydraulically or pneumatically powered actuators
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60S—SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60S1/00—Cleaning of vehicles
    • B60S1/02—Cleaning windscreens, windows or optical devices
    • B60S1/46—Cleaning windscreens, windows or optical devices using liquid; Windscreen washers
    • B60S1/48—Liquid supply therefor

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Rear-View Mirror Devices That Are Mounted On The Exterior Of The Vehicle (AREA)
  • Mechanical Light Control Or Optical Switches (AREA)

Abstract

A motor vehicle has an adjustable externally mounted rear view mirror in which the mirror adjusting system comprises a piston/cylinder unit 16, 18 connected to the mirror 20 and a control system 14 for supplying a pressure medium to the piston/cylinder unit 16, 18 to adjust the position of the rear view mirror. The pressure medium may be drawn from the windscreen washer reservoir. A high frequency vibration may be imposed on the hydraulic system to cause the mirror to vibrate and repel water droplets. <IMAGE>

Description

EXTERIOR MIRROR POSITIONING SYSTEM The present invention relates to a system for use in a motor vehicle to position an exterior rear view mirror.
It is desirable to be able to change the position of exterior rear view mirrors from the driver's seat in order to optimise rear visibility. This function is normally performed using manual (mechanical) adjusting levers or an electrical power drive.
The present invention seeks to provide an alternative and less expensive way of achieving the same functions.
According to the present invention, a motor vehicle having an adjustable externally mounted rear view mirror comprises a piston/cylinder unit connected to the mirror and a control system for supplying a pressure medium to the piston/cylinder unit to adjust the position of the rear view mirror.
Thus, in place of mechanical or electrical control systems, the present invention proposes using a hydraulic or pneumatic system to control mirror position.
Conveniently, the mirror may be mounted on a conventional ring gimbal mounting allowing pivoting about mutually orthogonal axes. i.e. in both an up/down and left/right plane.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, water from a reservoir employed for windscreen washer liquid is used to move the mirror. Furthermore, by suitable use of valves, the pump used for the windscreen washers may also be employed for mirror movement, thereby making for a considerable cost saving.
An advantage of the use of a hydraulic system is that the mirror is held firmly in its position when the valves are closed If desired, one may impose a high frequency vibration on the pressure in the hydraulic system to cause the mirror to vibrate and repel water droplets on the surface of the mirror.
The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a schematic view of a hydraulic mirror positioning system, and Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the control valve mechanism of the system shown in Figure 1.
In the illustrated embodiment, a windscreen washer bottle 10 is used as a fluid reservoir and a washer pump 12 is used to provide pressure required to move the exterior mirrors. It is however alternatively possible to use an independent hydraulic system for this purpose.
The pressurised fluid passes through a driver controlled valve 14 before being passed to the piston/cylinder units 16 and 18 that control movement of the mirror 20. The pistons are spring loaded and will pump out fluid if the fluid pressure is removed and the cylinder vented to a lower pressure. The piston/cylinder unit 16 is used to control pivoting about a horizontal axis while the other unit 18 controls pivoting about a vertical axis. The system pressure and open cross sections of the control valve are designed to limit the displacement rate of the mirror.
The driver operated control valve 14 that regulates fluid flow around the system is shown in more detail in Figure 2. A simple mechanical control represented by arrows in the drawing is used to move eight separate valves 14a to 14h in the mechanism.
The valves 14a and 14c control up and down movement, while valves 14b and 14d control left to right movement.
The pairs of valves 14e, 14g and 14f, 14h operate select the mirror on the driver's side or on the passenger's side.
If the passenger's side mirror is to be controlled then the valves 14e and 14f are closed while the valves 14g and 14h are opened, for example by manual movement of a spool.
Normally the valves 14a to 14d are closed and water can flow neither to nor from any of the piston/cylinder units that position the mirrors. To lower a mirror, the valve 14a is opened and the valve 14c is closed. This allows water from the pump 12 to flow to the unit 16 to move the piston against its spring and rotate the mirror 20. To raise the mirror, the valve 14a is closed and the valve 14c is opened.
Fluid from the unit 16 can now return to the reservoir 10 under the action of the spring in the unit 16 and the movement of the piston will lower the mirror. In a similar way, the valves 14b and 14d control the left to right movement of the selected mirror by allowing fluid to flow to and from the piston/cylinder unit 18.
The link between the control valve 14 and the mirror actuation pistons may be made using sealed hydraulic lines.
The actuation pressure is provided as above with a transfer piston allowing pressure changes in the control circuit to be reflected in the mirror drive linkage. This system removes the requirement for bleeding air from the lines and will continue to operate at sub zero temperatures. A Bowden cable could alternatively be used as a linkage between the control valve and mirror.
Mirror heating may be provided by normal screen de-mist hot air, this being vented either through the end of the instrument panel and into the mirror housing or through a 3 'core' cable containing the two mirror hydraulic lines and the hot air.
An ultrasonic mirror clearing effect may be provided by a single actuator such as a piezo electric diaphragm 22 shown in dotted lines at in Figure 2. The displacement caused by the operation of this diaphragm is communicated via channels to each of the mirror actuation hydraulic lines. The lines are sealed from the piezo oscillator hydraulic circuit by diaphragms 22a to 22d that also serve to couple the fluid displacement to the mirrors.

Claims (6)

1. A motor vehicle having an adjustable externally mounted rear view mirror comprises a piston/cylinder unit connected to the mirror and a control system for supplying a pressure medium to the piston/cylinder unit to adjust the position of the rear view mirror.
2. A vehicle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mirror us mounted on a ring gimbal mounting allowing pivoting about mutually orthogonal axes.
3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the pressure medium for moving the mirror is water drawn from a reservoir employed in the vehicle for washing the vehicle windscreen.
4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein a pump used in the vehicle for washing the windscreen is employed to pressurise the pressure medium employed for mirror movement.
5. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means are provided for superimposing a high frequency vibration on the pressure in the hydraulic system to cause the mirror to vibrate and repel water droplets on the surface of the mirror.
6. A motor vehicle having an adjustable exterior mounted rear view mirror constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GB9400562A 1994-01-13 1994-01-13 Exterior mirror positioning system Withdrawn GB2285611A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9400562A GB2285611A (en) 1994-01-13 1994-01-13 Exterior mirror positioning system

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9400562A GB2285611A (en) 1994-01-13 1994-01-13 Exterior mirror positioning system

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9400562D0 GB9400562D0 (en) 1994-03-09
GB2285611A true GB2285611A (en) 1995-07-19

Family

ID=10748730

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9400562A Withdrawn GB2285611A (en) 1994-01-13 1994-01-13 Exterior mirror positioning system

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2285611A (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106219192A (en) * 2016-08-29 2016-12-14 常州特斯克车镜有限公司 The controller of rearview mirror transmitting device

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1437253A (en) * 1972-08-09 1976-05-26 Brose Verwaltung Mirrors for use as outside rear-view mirrors for vehicles
EP0152219A2 (en) * 1984-02-03 1985-08-21 B.S.G. Overseas Limited Hydraulic remote control system
GB2178384A (en) * 1985-06-19 1987-02-11 Mittelhaeuser Bernhard Rear-view mirror for motor vehicles
GB2202590A (en) * 1987-02-24 1988-09-28 Drg Uk Ltd Hydraulic actuator and driving mirror assembly incorporating it
US4911545A (en) * 1988-06-16 1990-03-27 Miller George A Extendible and pivotable mirrors for vehicles
EP0392722A2 (en) * 1989-04-13 1990-10-17 Britax (Geco) S.A. Pneumatic remote control system

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1437253A (en) * 1972-08-09 1976-05-26 Brose Verwaltung Mirrors for use as outside rear-view mirrors for vehicles
EP0152219A2 (en) * 1984-02-03 1985-08-21 B.S.G. Overseas Limited Hydraulic remote control system
GB2178384A (en) * 1985-06-19 1987-02-11 Mittelhaeuser Bernhard Rear-view mirror for motor vehicles
GB2202590A (en) * 1987-02-24 1988-09-28 Drg Uk Ltd Hydraulic actuator and driving mirror assembly incorporating it
US4911545A (en) * 1988-06-16 1990-03-27 Miller George A Extendible and pivotable mirrors for vehicles
EP0392722A2 (en) * 1989-04-13 1990-10-17 Britax (Geco) S.A. Pneumatic remote control system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9400562D0 (en) 1994-03-09

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)