GB2510707A

GB2510707A - Rearview mirror assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2510707A
Application number: GB1400706.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shashank Vasudevan; Munirathnam Ramachandran
Original assignee: Daimler AG
Current assignee: Mercedes Benz Group AG
Priority date: 2014-01-16
Filing date: 2014-01-16
Publication date: 2014-08-13
Also published as: GB201400706D0

Abstract

A rearview mirror assembly 12 for a vehicle comprises a mirror 24 mounted to a support member (16, Fig. 5) and a holding device 34 configured to hold the support member 16. The holding device 34 has a pair of recesses (38, Fig. 4) corresponding with a pair of wings 28 provided on the support member. The wings 28 protrude from a shaft 26 of the support member. In a locking position of the support member the wings 28 engage behind portions of the holding device 34. By rotating the shaft 26 the wings 28 are movable into a mounting position in which they can be passed through the recesses 38.

Description

Rearview Assembly and Vehicle The invention relates to a rearview assembly for a vehicle. The rearview assembly comprises a rearview device mounted to a support member and a holding device configured to hold the support member. The holding device has at least one recess corresponding with at least one protrusion provided at the support member. The invention further relates to a vehicle with such a rearview assembly.

Document US 3 596 867 A describes the attachment of a rearview mirror in a vehicle. A support arm of the rearview mirror is fixed to a plate, from which a pin provided with a head projects. By means of the pin the plate is mounted to another plate which is attached to a ceiling of the vehicle. The plate which is mounted to the ceiling of the vehicle has a recess and bar springs at the edges of the recess. Upon introduction of the pin into the recess, the bar springs engage a constricted portion of the pin below the head of the pin. Thus, the support arm of the rearview mirror is mounted to the ceiling of the vehicle.

Document US 5 788 205 A describes a rearview mirror mount wherein a clip is introduced into an opening formed in a sheet metal of a roof structure of a vehicle. The clip holds a support arm, to which the rearview mirror is mounted.

However, mounting these rearview mirrors to the vehicle is rather laborious.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rearview assembly and a vehicle of the initially mentioned kind, which provides for a particularly easy assembly process.

This object is solved by a rearview assembly having the features of claim 1 and by a vehicle having the features of claim 7. Advantageous configurations with convenient further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

In the rearview assembly according to the invention the at least one protrusion protrudes from a shalt of the support member. In a locking position of the support member the at least one protrusion engages behind a portion of the holding device, wherein this portion is located adjacent to the at least one recess. By rotating the shalt the at least one protrusion can be moved into a mounting position in which the at least one protrusion can be passed through the at least one recess. Thus, by rotating the shaft about its central axis the support member can be brought into the locking position in which the at least one protrusion is locked by the portion of the holding device. This rearview assembly facilitates the assembly procedure when the support member is mounted to the holding device.

During assembly the support member simply needs to be pushed into the holding device with the at least one protrusion being aligned with the at least one recess. As soon as the at least one protrusion has passed behind the portion of the holding device twisting the shalt or rotating it about its longitudinal axis brings the support member into its locking position in which the at least one protrusion engages behind the portion of the holding device, which is located adjacent to the at least one recess. Thus, a secure joint of the support member and the holding device is made.

In an advantageous embodiment ol the invention a side of the at least one protrusion, which laces the portion of the holding device has at least one ridge. In the locking position of the support member the at least one ridge fits into a corresponding groove which is provided in the portion of the holding device. With the ridge fitting into the groove the support member can not accidently be moved into the mounting position. Also, an operator mounting the support member to the holding device can feel and hear the ridge engaging in the groove and, thus, particularly well determine whether the correct locking position of the support member has been reached or not.

The at least one protrusion can in particular be configured as a wing of substantially circle sector shape and the at least one recess as a substantially circle sector shaped opening in the holding device. Thus, a particularly large protrusion can be brought into engagement behind the portion of the holding device by rotating the shaft into the locking position of the support member.

Preferably the rearview device is mounted to the support member by means of a ball joint engaging a socket. Such as ball joint assembly provides an advantageously high degree of Ireedom in moving the rearview device relative to the support member.

It hat further proven advantageous if the shaft comprises a through hole in which at least one wire and/or at least one data line connected to the rearview device is arranged. Thus, electrical energy for various applications included in the rearview device can be provided to the latter.

This is in particular advantageous, if the rearview device comprises a display. However, the rearview device can alternatively or additionally comprise a mirror. If the mirror is eliminated, this reduces the number of parts to be utilized within the rearview device and as a consequence the cost of the rearviow device.

The vehicle according to the invention has a rearview assembly according to the invention. Herein the holding device is mounted to a roof element of the vehicle. As the rearview assembly is not mounted to a windscreen of the vehicle, this improves the visibility for a driver of the vehicle. In particular the diagonal visibility for the driver can be improved by this measure. Also, the elimination of a rearview mirror toot from the windscreen leads to more space which is available next to the windscreen.

The roof element can in particular be designed as a roof console cover. Such a roof element allows in a particularly easy way to integrate the holding device.

The advantages and preferred embodiments described with respect to the rearview assembly also apply to the vehicle and vice versa.

The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of figures and/or shown in the figures alone are usable not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, implementations not explicitly shown in the figures or explained, but which result and can be generated by separated feature combinations of the explained implementations are also to be considered encompassed and disclosed by the invention.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention are apparent form the claims, the following description of preferred embodiments as well as based on the drawings.

Therein show: Fig. 1 a rearview assembly mounted to a roof console cover, wherein the rearview assembly comprises a support member with a shaft, the shaft being introduced into a holding device integrated within the roof console cover; Fig. 2 the rearview assembly according to Fig. 1 in a perspective view; Fig. 3 another perspective view of components of the rearview assembly shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a holding device in the form of a female connector of the rearview assembly according to Fig. 2; Fig. 5 the support member with the shaft and a ball joint in another perspective view; and Fig. 6 a housing of a rearview device of the rearview assembly comprising a socket for the ball joint.

Fig. 1 shows a roof console cover 10 as it is present in a cabin of a vehicle. A rearview assembly 12, which is shown in greater detail in Fig. 2, is mounted to the roof console cover 10.

The rearview assembly 12 comprises a rearview device 14 (see Fig. 6) which is mounted to a support member 16 (see Fig. 5) by means of a ball joint 18 which is part of the support member 16. The ball joint 18 is introduced in an opening 20 provided in a socket 22. The socket 22 is arranged on a housing 24 of the rearview device 14 (see Fig. 6).

The support member 16 in the form of a male connector comprises a shaft 26 from which two protrusions in the form of wings 28 extend in a radial direction. The wings 28 which have the shape of circle sectors, thus, protrude perpendicular to a center axis A about which the shaft 26 may be rotated (see Fig. 5). Between the wings 28 and the ball joint 18 a plate 30 is arranged which is also oriented perpendicular to the center axis A. A holding device 32 (see Fig. 4) in the form of a female member or female connector of the rearview assembly 12 is integrated into the roof console cover 10 or fixed to the roof console cover 10. The holding device 32, which is shown in greater detail in Fig. 4, comprises two blocks 34 or portions, which delimit an opening 36 arranged in a center between the two blocks 34. A dimension of the opening 36 corresponds to the outer dimension of the shaft 26 of the support member 16. The two blocks 34 further delimit two recesses 38 the dimension of which correspond to the dimension of the wings 28 of the support member 16.

If the wings 28 are oriented as shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 26 can be pushed through the opening 36 between the two blocks 34, and the two wings 28 pass through the recesses 38. In a next step the shaft 26 is rotated about its center axis A and the wings 28 engage behind the two blocks 34. Thus, the support member 16 is brought into a locking position, in which the support member 16 can not be removed from the holding device 32.

There are grooves 40 in an upper surface of each one of the two blocks 34 of the holding device 32 (see Fig. 4). On a lower side of the wings 28, i.e. on the side which faces the plate 30, there are ridges 42 corresponding to the grooves 40. When the shaft 26 is rotated about its center axis A, the ridges 42 are fitted into the corresponding grooves 40 as the wings 28 come to lie against the upper surface 44 of the blocks 34. Thus, in order to fix the support member 16 to the holding device 32 a push and rotate operation is performed. The shaft 26 is first pushed through the opening 36 and then twisted in a way that the wings 28 engage behind the two blocks 34.

As the holding device 32 or female part of the rearview assembly 12 is integrated into the roof console cover 10, the rearview device 14 mounted to the support member 16 is fixed to the roof console cover 10. The male part or support member 16 has the ball joint 18 which fits the socket 22 of the rearview device 14. The rearview device 14 can have a mirror and/or a display arranged in the housing 24.

In order tor provide wire connections to the rearview device 14 there is a through hole 46 in the shaft 26 of the support member 16 (see Fig. 3).

For assembly the display device 14 is preferably first mounted to the support member 16 by introducing the ball joint 18 into the opening 20 provided in the socket 22. This sub-assembly is then pushed into the roof console cover 10 to which the holding device 32 is mounted. Then the support member 16 is twisted or rotated about the center axis A of the shaft 26 to lock the support member 16 with the holding device 32 or female member.

When the shaft 26 is passed trough the opening 36, the plate 30 serves as a stop. The support member 16 cannot be pushed further, as the plate 30 comes into contact with the blocks 34 of the holding device 32. Then the support member 16 can be rotated about its center axis A in order to bring the support member into its locking position.

As the rearview device 14 is fixed to a roof element in form of the roof console cover 10, the windscreen of the vehicle is free of a rearview mirror foot. This improves the visibility for the driver of the vehicle. Further the push and rotate operation to lock the support member 16 eases the assembly procedure.

List of reference signs roof console cover 12 rear view assembly 14 rear view device 16 support member 18 ball joint opening 22 socket 24 housing 26 shaft 28 wing plate 32 holding device 34 block 36 opening 36 recess groove 42 ridge 44 surface 46 through hole A center axis

Claims

Claims Rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising a rearview device (14) mounted to a support member (16) and an holding device (32) configured to hold the support member (16), wherein the holding device (32) has at least one recess (38) corresponding with at least one protrusion (28) provided at the support member (16), characterized in that the at least one protrusion (28) protrudes from a shaft (26) of the support member (16) and, in a locking position of the support member (16), engages behind a portion (34) of the holding device (32), the portion (34) being located adjacent to the at least one recess (38), wherein by rotating the shaft (26) the at least one protrusion (28) is movable into a mounting position in which the at least one protrusion (28) can be passed through the at least one recess (38).
2. Rearview assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that a side of the at least one protrusion (28), which faces the portion (34) of the holding device (32) has at least one ridge (42) which, in the locking position of the support member (16), fits into a corresponding groove (40) in the portion (34) of the holding device (32).
3. Rearview assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one protrusion (28) is configured as a wing of substantially circle sector shape and the at least one recess (38) as a substantially circle sector shaped opening in the holding device (32).
4. Rearview assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the rearview device (14) is mounted to the support member (16) by means of a ball joint (18) engaging a socket (22).
5. Rearview assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the shaft (26) has a through hole (46) in which at least one wire and/or data line connected to the rearview device (14) is arranged.
6. Rearview assembly according to any one of claims ito 5, characterized in that the rearview device (14) comprises a mirror and/or a display.
7. Vehicle with a rearview assembly (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the holding device (32) is mounted to a roof element (10) of the vehicle.
8. Vehicle assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that the roof element (10) is designed as a roof console cover.