GB2547654A

GB2547654A - Mirror control assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2547654A
Application number: GB1603100.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Conway Thomas
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2016-02-23
Filing date: 2016-02-23
Publication date: 2017-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 2036-02-23
Also published as: GB2547654B; GB201603100D0

Abstract

The invention provides a control assembly that reconfigures a mirror tilt control according to an orientation of a mirror, the control assembly comprising: an orientation control 2 adapted to be rotatable between a first position (4, fig 1) and a second position 6, thereby to cause rotation of at least one vehicle mirror between a landscape position and a portrait position (indicated by 8 and 10, fig1); and a tilt control 12 for tilting the at least one vehicle mirror; at least one selector switch 14 & 16 for selecting a first or a second vehicle mirror for tilting; wherein the tilt control 12 is arranged to rotate in unison with the orientation control (4); and the control assembly comprises at least one signal inverter 22, 24, for inverting at least one signal from the tilt control when the second selector switch 14, 16, is selected.

Description

MIRROR CONTROL ASSEMBLY

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a control assembly that reconfigures a mirror tilt control according to an orientation of a mirror. Aspects of the invention relate to apparatus, systems and methods for changing the orientation of vehicle side mirrors between landscape and portrait orientations and to adjusting the tilt angle of the mirrors intuitively whichever orientation the mirrors may be in. Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle comprising a control assembly for mirror orientation.

BACKGROUND

Many vehicles have wing mirrors that can be folded in toward the vehicle by the driver, either electronically or manually. This is useful when driving through narrow gaps, as folding the mirrors in toward the vehicle reduces the overall width of the vehicle. However, when the mirrors are folded in, they can no longer be used to perform their usual function, i.e. to see what is behind the vehicle, which is clearly disadvantageous for the driver.

When aiming to reduce the overall width of the vehicle, it is also an option to rotate wing mirrors, for example as in US 6,672,726 B1. This option provides the advantage that the mirrors can still be used to perform their usual function. Most vehicles have rectangular wing mirrors that are in landscape format (i.e. the longer side is horizontal) the majority of the time. When travelling through narrow spaces, the mirrors can be rotated through 90° so that they are in portrait format, i.e. the longer side is vertical. This reduces the width of the vehicle while retaining some rearward vision.

Typically, known wing mirrors include switch assemblies and motors to facilitate the horizontal and vertical movement of the mirrors. To effect this movement, switch assemblies are used, which are controlled by the vehicle's driver. By pressing on one or more buttons located in the interior of the vehicle, the driver controls the switch assemblies which in turn control the motors that effect movement or adjustment of the mirrors. However, once the wing mirrors have been rotated, known switch assemblies do not compensate for this movement and are generally not intuitive for the driver to use to adjust the position of the mirrors.

It is against this background that the present invention has been devised.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses, systems and methods for changing the orientation of vehicle side (wing) mirrors between landscape and portrait orientations and to adjusting the angle / tilt of the wing mirrors whichever orientation the mirrors may be in. A particular benefit of the invention is that the angle of the side mirrors with respect to the driver can be adjusted in both the portrait and landscape formats and that the mirror controls are automatically reconfigured so that the tilt commands for adjusting ’up/down’, ‘left/right’ positions of the mirror operate intuitively and in the expected manner in both formats.

Also, since the mirrors are rotated, as opposed to being folded in toward the vehicle, the mirrors can be used to check rearward vision both when in landscape and in portrait orientations, thus enhancing safety.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a control assembly that reconfigures a mirror tilt control according to an orientation of a mirror. The control assembly comprises an orientation control arranged to be rotatable between a first position and a second position, thereby to cause rotation of at least one vehicle mirror between a landscape position and a portrait position, respectively; a tilt control for tilting the at least one vehicle mirror; and at least one selector switch for selecting a vehicle mirror for tilting. The tilt control is arranged to rotate with the orientation control. The control assembly comprises at least one signal inverter for inverting at least one signal from the tilt control when the orientation control is in the second position. Thus, when a vehicle mirror is in a portrait configuration, one or more signal inverters may be active to invert control signals to the motors responsible for tilting the mirror, such that left/right and up/down control signals are inverted.

It will be appreciated that the rotation of an orientation control to effect rotation of a vehicle side mirror may be clockwise or anticlockwise. In a right hand drive car, for example, a driver may find it intuitive to rotate an orientation control in an anti-clockwise direction in order to command the driver’s side mirror to rotate in the same anti-clockwise direction and thus move from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation. However, vehicles typically have at least two side mirrors (one on each side of the vehicle), and so rotation of a side mirror (such as the left-hand mirror in a right-hand drive car) may be in the opposite (e.g. clockwise) direction compared to the rotation of the orientation control. It is an advantage of the invention to link (e.g. couple) the tilt control to the orientation control, such that rotation of the orientation control causes a corresponding angle and degree of rotation of the tilt control. In this way, the tilt control functions from a tilt control automatically re-align with the orientation of the side mirror that rotated in a corresponding equivalent direction. However, with respect to a mirror on the opposite side of the vehicle, the tilt control functions may now be in anti-phase, i.e. 180° out of alignment. Beneficially, in the apparatuses, systems and method of aspects of the invention, tilt commands to such a mirror are therefore inverted, such that signals from a tilt control result in an intuitive, expected direction based on the orientation of the tilt control. In other words, up/down, left/right tilt command signals from a tilt control of the apparatuses and systems of the invention result in the expected up/down, left/right tilting motion at each side mirror whatever orientation the mirrors are in (and whatever orientation the tilt control is in).

In certain embodiments, the control assembly is arranged such that rotation of the orientation control between the first position and the second position causes rotation of a first and a second vehicle mirror between a landscape position and a portrait position. Optionally, the first and second mirrors rotate simultaneously. In other embodiments, however, the control assembly may be arranged such that a desired mirror is selected for rotation, such that the orientation control activates re-orientation of the selected mirror only.

Suitably, the tilt control effects movement of the first and second mirrors in at least two directions. The tilt control may be arranged to control at least one tilt motor for tilting of a selected vehicle mirror. In some aspects and embodiments the control assembly is coupled to a pair of tilt mirrors which control the tilting of a respective mirror in each of four directions, i.e. up, down, left and right. Thus, each motor is responsible for movement in one axis of rotation to control both up and down movement or left and right movement. In other embodiments four motors may be used to control mirror tilt orientation. Thus, the control assembly of the invention may comprise at least two motors communicatively coupled to the tilt control to effect tilting of a selected first or second vehicle mirror. The control assembly may therefore comprise four motors. Optionally, the control assembly comprises a first pair of motors and a second pair of motors, the first pair of motors communicatively coupled to the tilt control to effect tilting of a first vehicle mirror and the second pair of motors communicatively coupled to the tilt control to effect tilting of a second vehicle mirror.

The control assembly may be arranged such that movement of the tilt control causes a corresponding movement of the selected vehicle mirror, whichever orientation the mirrors or tilt controller are in.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the control assembly may be suitably arranged such that the at least one signal inverter is bypassed when the orientation control is in the first position, i.e. when the side mirrors are in a landscape orientation. Thus, the control assembly may be arranged such that the at least one signal inverter is bypassed for a first vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the second position and is arranged to invert signals (Al, Bl, Cl, Dl) from the tilt control to the first mirror when the orientation control is in the second position.

The control assembly may comprise a first selector switch for selecting a first vehicle mirror and a second selector switch for selecting a second vehicle mirror. However, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments, a single selector switch having at least two configurations may be employed: the single selector switch having a first position to select a first vehicle mirror and a second position to select a second vehicle mirror.

In some embodiments, the orientation control may be in the form of an annular ring, such that it can be conveniently rotated. The tilt control may conveniently be in the form of a joystick. The orientation control may be coupled to the tilt control, such that rotation of the orientation control causes a corresponding rotation of the tilt control. The orientation control and the tilt control may be physically coupled.

The control assembly may be housed in a housing: the housing being suitable for incorporating into a control panel of a vehicle. In this way, the components of the control assembly can be pre-assembled and maintained in a form suitable for simple incorporation into a vehicle.

In some embodiments, the orientation control may be a two-position switch for selecting either a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation of the first and second vehicle mirrors. The two positions of the switch may be selected by rotation of approximately 90°. In other embodiments the angle of rotation may be more or less than 90°.

In some embodiments, the control assembly comprises at least one rotor communicatively coupled to the orientation control to effect rotation of the at least one vehicle mirror between a landscape and a portrait orientation. The vehicle mirror may of course be arranged within a mirror housing of a vehicle, and the rotor may then be arranged to rotate the housing thereby to cause rotation of the mirror.

In some aspects and embodiments, the control assembly of the invention comprises a first and a second signal inverter, and the control assembly may be arranged such that when the orientation control is in the second position and the first vehicle mirror is selected for tilting: the first signal inverter is arranged to invert signals Bl and Dl from the tilt control to control vertical (up-down) tilting of a first vehicle mirror; and the second signal inverter is arranged to invert signals Al and Cl from the tilt control to control horizontal (left-right side) tilting of a first vehicle mirror.

Thus, the control assembly may be arranged such that: the at least one signal inverter is bypassed for a first vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the first position; the at least one signal inverter is not bypassed for a first vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the second position; the at least one signal inverter is bypassed for a second vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the first position; and the at least one signal inverter is bypassed for a second vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the second position; and wherein the at least one signal inverter is arranged to invert signals Bl and Dl and to invert signals AL and Cl from the tilt control to at least one motor to the first vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the second position.

In another aspect, the invention encompasses a vehicle comprising the control assembly or system. Any form of vehicle, such as cars, trucks/lorries, coaches/buses, and work vehicles is envisaged, whether having two, three, four, six, eight or more wheels. The vehicle may be a left-hand drive vehicle or a right-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, in some vehicles the driver’s seat may be positioned centrally in the driver’s compartment. A vehicle of the invention may comprise a first-side mirror and a second-side mirror. The first-side mirror may be arranged on a first (passenger) side of the vehicle and the second-side mirror may be arranged on a second (driver’s) side of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the vehicle may be a right-hand drive vehicle and the second-side mirror may be arranged on the right side of the vehicle; whereas in other embodiments the vehicle may be a left-hand drive vehicle and in such embodiments the second-side mirror may be arranged on the left side of the vehicle.

The vehicle may comprise first and second rotors. The first and second rotors may be coupled to first and second mirror housings, respectively, for rotating the first and second mirror housings between landscape and portrait orientations.

The vehicle may comprise a first pair of motors and a second pair of motors. The first pair of motors may be arranged to effect tilting of a first vehicle mirror and the second pair of motors arranged to effect tilting of a second vehicle mirror.

In certain embodiments the vehicle may comprise a control assembly for reconfiguring a mirror tilt control for a first-side mirror and a second-side mirror. The control assembly may be conveniently arranged in a control assembly housing in the driver’s compartment of the vehicle. The control assembly may be arranged to be within easy reach of a driver sat in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, such as on or adjacent an armrest. The control assembly may, for example, be arranged in the central region of the vehicle control panel, such as on the dashboard or between the driver’s and passenger seats. In other embodiments, the control apparatus may be arranged on the inside of the driver’s door panel. The housing of the control apparatus may comprise an orientation control as described herein, a tilt control as described herein, at least one selector switch as described herein, and at least one signal inverter as described herein.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a switch housing of a control assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an alternative switch housing of a control assembly according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a switch housing and left-hand and right-hand vehicle mirrors in a landscape position of a control assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a switch housing and left-hand and right-hand vehicle mirrors in a portrait position of a control assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a switch housing of a control assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, including schematic representations of signal paths from the tilt control to the mirror motors of the control assembly; and

Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a switch housing of a control assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, including schematic representations of signal paths from the tilt control to the mirror motors with signal inverters between the tilt control and the mirror motors of the control assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description and in the drawings, reference letters are used to collectively or non-specifically identify equivalent or essentially equivalent components. Where necessary, a specific component in a collection of equivalent or essentially equivalent components is identified by suffixing reference letters in subscript format.

Throughout the description, terms such as ‘upper’, ‘lower’, ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘left’, ‘right’ and so on relate to the orientation as shown in the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated, however, that the locator may be used in any suitable orientation.

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a switch housing including an orientation control or controller 2 (for example in the form of a rotatable annular body) adapted to be rotatable between a first position 4 and a second position 6, thereby to cause rotation of at least one vehicle mirror (not shown) between a landscape orientation / configuration and a portrait orientation / configuration, indicated by symbols 8 and 10, respectively; a tilt control or controller 12 (for example in the form of a joystick control) for tilting the at least one vehicle wing (or side) mirror (not shown); and selector switches 14, 16 for selecting a first or a second vehicle wing mirror (not shown) for tilting.

The user can direct the orientation control 2 toward either the landscape position symbol 8 or the portrait position symbol 10 by rotating the orientation control 2, and the orientation of the wing mirrors (not shown) will be adjusted accordingly. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the orientation control 2 is rotated by the user (by approximately 90°) in an anticlockwise direction so as command the rotation of the at least one vehicle wing mirror (not shown) between a landscape orientation 8 and a portrait orientation 10. For right-hand drive (RFID) vehicles, the intuitive direction of rotation of the driver’s side mirror is anticlockwise (i.e. to the user’s left), and so the portrait orientation 10 is depicted to the left of the landscape orientation 8. The switch housing of Figure 1 is therefore arranged such that it would be most suitable for use in a RFID vehicle.

According to the depicted embodiment, the tilt control 12 is arranged centrally with the orientation control 2 and is coupled to it so as to rotate in unison with the orientation control 2. The orientation control 2 may be coupled to the tilt control 12 by any suitable means, such as electronic or mechanical coupling.

Also, as depicted in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, there are two selector switches 14, 16, the first selector switch 14 for selecting a left-hand side vehicle wing mirror (not shown) for tilting and the second selector switch 16 for selecting a right-hand side vehicle wing mirror (not shown) for tilting. In a preferred embodiment, the selector switches 14, 16 have indicator lights to show which wing mirror is currently selected for tilting. The indicator light may be any desirable colour, of course, such as orange.

Once one of the wing mirrors (not shown) has been selected using either the first selector switch 14 or the second selector switch 16, the selected wing mirror can be tilted using the tilt control 12.

As depicted, the selector switches 14, 16 are adapted to be activated by depressing the relevant switch (or button) 14, 16. Flowever, any appropriate form of switch may alternatively be used, such as a rocker switch. Typically, the selector switches 14, 16 are arranged such that only one wing mirror (not shown) can be selected for tilting at a time.

Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of the switch housing of Figure 1 adapted for use preferably in a left-hand drive (LFID) vehicle. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the orientation control 2 is rotated by the user in a clockwise direction (i.e. to the operator’s right), rather than to the left, as this is the most intuitive direction for the user in a LFID vehicle. Accordingly, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the portrait orientation 10 is depicted to the right of the landscape orientation 8.

Figure 3 shows the switch housing of Figure 1 along with schematic representations of a left-hand side wing mirror 18 and a right-hand side wing mirror 20. In this embodiment, to adjust the angle of a wing mirror with respect to the vehicle, the user selects the appropriate switch (14 or 16) and tilts the selected wing mirror (18 or 20) using the tilt control 12.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the right-hand side wing mirror 20 is selected, as indicated by the indicator light in the selector switch 16. Flaving selected the right-hand side wing mirror 20, pushing the tilt control 12 toward A (i.e., in a forward direction as depicted) tilts the top of the selected wing mirror (20 in this case) away from the user; pushing the tilt control 12 toward C (i.e., in a backward direction as depicted) tilts the bottom of the selected wing mirror (20 in this case) away from the user; pushing the tilt control 12 toward D (i.e., in a left direction as depicted) tilts the left hand side of the selected wing mirror (20 in this case) away from the user; and pushing the tilt control 12 toward B (i.e., in a right direction as depicted) tilts the right hand side of the selected wing mirror (20 in this case) away from the user. The controls are therefore intuitive for the user, as they result in the expected outcomes for the movement of the right-hand side wing mirror 20. In other words, the movement of the mirror 20 follows or corresponds to that of the tilt control 2.

As can be seen from this embodiment, tilting directions A, B, C and D are the same for both the left-hand side wing mirror 18 and the right-hand side wing mirror 20 when the wing mirrors 18, 20 are in the landscape orientation 10.

To adjust wing mirrors 18, 20 from a landscape orientation 10 to a portrait orientation 8, the user rotates the orientation control 2 (which rotates the tilt control 12 with it) by approximately 90° anticlockwise for RFID vehicles, or approximately 90° clockwise for LFID vehicles.

The embodiment in Figure 4 relates preferably to a RFID vehicle and so the orientation control 2 is rotated by approximately 90“anticlockwise to move the wing mirrors 18, 20 from a landscape orientation 10 to a portrait orientation 8.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the left-hand side wing mirror 18 rotates approximately 90“clockwise into a portrait position 8 and the right-hand side wing mirror 20 rotates approximately 90“anticlockwise into a portrait position 8.

As the tilt control 12 and the right-hand side wing mirror 20 rotate in the same direction and by the same angle of rotation (i.e., approximately 90° anticlockwise in the embodiment shown in Figure 4), the arrangement of the tilting directions A, B, C and D for the right-hand side wing mirror 20 remains the same. That is, pushing the tilt control 12 forward (whether towards position A in the landscape orientation or towards position B in the portrait orientation) effects tilting of the top of the right-hand side wing mirror 20 away from the user because point A of the right-hand side wing mirror 20 is uppermost in the landscape configuration whereas point B of the right-hand side wing mirror 20 is uppermost in the portrait 8 orientation. The same is true for all other tilting directions for the right-hand side wing mirror 20 and so the tilt control 12 movement selected by the user in all cases gives the expected movement of the mirror 20.

As the tilt control 12 and the left-hand side wing mirror 18 each rotate approximately 90° in opposite directions, the controls for the left-hand side wing mirror 18 would be inverted, i.e. pushing the tilt control 12 forward when the left-hand side mirror 18 is in the portrait orientation would tilt the top of the left-hand side wing mirror 18 towards the user rather than away from the user. The same is also true for all other movement directions for the left-hand side mirror in the portrait orientation. In other words, without any intervention, the tilt control 12 movement selected by the user would give the opposite movement of the mirror when the left-hand side wing mirror 18 is selected in a portrait 8 orientation, as the tilt control 12 and left-hand side wing mirror 18 are 180° out of alignment. This would be confusing for the user and so it is desirable to correct this misalignment. According to embodiments of the invention, this correction is achieved by using signal inverters 22, 24, which invert the signals sent to the left-hand side wing mirror 18 only when it is in a portrait orientation 8, as described in further detail below.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the left-hand side wing mirror 18 and the right-hand side wing mirror 20 are both in the landscape position. When either wing mirror 18, 20 is selected using the appropriate selector switch 14, 16, the corresponding wing mirror 18, 20 can be tilted using the tilt control 12.

When the user selects the left-hand side wing mirror 18 using the selector switch 14, the user can tilt the left-hand side wing mirror 18 using the tilt control 12. In particular, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, pushing the tilt control 12 toward A (i.e., in a forward direction as depicted) causes signal Al to be sent to the left wing mirror “A-C” motor 26 to activate the motor 26 to cause the top of the selected wing mirror 18 to tilt away from the user. Pulling the tilt control 12 toward C (i.e., in a downward direction as depicted) causes signal Cl to be sent to the left wing mirror “A-C” motor 26 to activate the motor 26 to cause the bottom of the selected wing mirror 18 to tilt away from the user. Alternatively, pushing the tilt control 12 toward D (i.e., in a left direction as depicted) causes signal DL to be sent to the left wing mirror “B-D” motor 28 to activate the motor 28 to cause the left side of the selected wing mirror 18 to tilt away from the user, and pushing the tilt control 12 toward B (i.e., in a right direction as depicted) causes signal Bl to be sent to the left wing mirror “B-D” motor 28 to cause the right side of the selected wing mirror 18 to tilt away from the user.

When the user selects the right-hand side wing mirror 20 using the selector switch 16, the user can then tilt the right-hand side wing mirror 20 using the tilt control 12. In particular, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, pushing the tilt control 12 toward A (i.e., in a forward direction as depicted) causes signal Ar to be sent to the right wing mirror “A-C” motor 30 to activate the motor 30 to cause the top of the selected wing mirror 20 to tilt away from the user. Pulling the tilt control 12 toward C (i.e., in a backward direction as depicted) causes signal Cr to be sent to the right wing mirror “A-C” motor 30 to activate the motor 30 to cause the bottom of the selected wing mirror 20 to tilt away from the user. Pushing the tilt control 12 toward D (i.e., in a left direction as depicted) causes signal DR to be sent to the right wing mirror “B-D” motor 32, causing the left side of the selected wing mirror 20 to tilt away from the user. Pushing the tilt control 12 toward B (i.e., in a right direction as depicted) causes signal Br to be sent to the right wing mirror “B-D” motor 32, causing the right side of the selected wing mirror 20 to tilt away from the user.

Turning to the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the left-hand side wing mirror 18 and the right-hand side wing mirror 20 are both in the portrait position and both the orientation control 2 and the tilt control 12 have been rotated by approximately 90° as compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 5. When either wing mirror 18, 20 is selected using the appropriate selector switch 14, 16, the corresponding wing mirror 18, 20 can be tilted using the tilt control 12 as described below.

For example, when the user selects the left-hand side wing mirror 18 using the selector switch 14, the user can tilt the left-hand side wing mirror 18 using the tilt control 12. When the portrait position 10 is selected, signals from the tilt control 12 to control the left wing mirror “A-C” motor 26 and the left wing mirror “B-D” motor 28 are first passed through signal inverters 22, 24, which change signals Al to Cl, Cl to AL, BL to DL and DL to BL, as shown. As a result, to the user, the left-hand wing mirror 18 moves in the direction expected as a result of a corresponding movement of the tilt control 12. Thus, the user does not have to alter his/her mental expectations of the way in which the left-hand side mirror 18 is to be controlled.

In particular, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, pushing the tilt control 12 toward B (i.e., in a forward/upward direction as depicted) causes signal Bl to be sent to the signal inverter 22, which inverts signal BL such that it becomes signal Dl, which is then sent to the left wing mirror “B-D” motor 28, causing the top of the selected wing mirror 18 to tilt away from the user.

Alternatively, pulling the tilt control 12 toward D (i.e., in a backward/downward direction as depicted) causes signal Dl to be sent to the signal inverter 22, which inverts signal Dl such that it becomes signal BL, which is then sent to the left wing mirror “B-D” motor 28, causing the bottom of the selected wing mirror 18 to tilt away from the user.

Similarly, pushing the tilt control 12 toward A (i.e., in a left direction as depicted) causes signal AL to be sent to the signal inverter 24, which inverts signal AL such that it becomes signal Cl, which is then sent to the left wing mirror “A-C” motor 26, causing the left side of the selected wing mirror 18 to tilt away from the user.

Pushing the tilt control 12 toward C (i.e., in a right direction as depicted) causes signal Cl to be sent to the signal inverter 24, which inverts signal Cl such that it becomes signal AL, which is then sent to the left wing mirror “A-C” motor 26, causing the right side of the selected wing mirror 18 to tilt away from the user.

When the user selects the right-hand side wing mirror 20 using the selector switch 16, the user can then tilt the right-hand side wing mirror 20 using the tilt control 12. In particular, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, pushing the tilt control 12 toward B (i.e., in a forward/upward direction as depicted) causes signal Br to be sent to the right wing mirror “B-D” motor 32, causing the top of the selected wing mirror 20 to tilt away from the user; pulling the tilt control 12 toward D (i.e., in a backward direction as depicted) causes signal Dr to be sent to the right wing mirror “B-D” motor 32, causing the bottom of the selected wing mirror 20 to tilt away from the user; pushing the tilt control 12 toward A (i.e., in a left direction as depicted) causes signal AR to be sent to the right wing mirror “A-C” motor 30, causing the left of the selected wing mirror 20 to tilt away from the user; and pushing the tilt control 12 toward C (i.e., in a right direction as depicted) causes signal Cr to be sent to the right wing mirror “A-C” motor 30, causing the right of the selected wing mirror 20 to tilt away from the user.

As can be seen from the embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the vehicle wing mirrors 18, 20 are in the landscape position 8, the signal inverters 22, 24 are bypassed, because all tilt commands sent to the mirror motors 26, 28, 30, 32 correspond, as expected, to the commands A, B, C and D, respectively. However, when the vehicle wing mirrors 18, 20 are in the portrait position 10, the signal inverters 22, 24 are brought into use for tilt commands to the left wing mirror “A-C” motor 26 and the left wing mirror “B-D” motor 28.

It will be appreciated, however, that for a LHD vehicle, the signal inverters 22, 24 are arranged between the tilt control 12 and the right wing mirror “A-C” motor 30 and between the tilt control 12 and the right wing mirror “B-D” motor 32. In addition, the signal inverters 22, 24 are adapted to take effect for tilt commands only when the right-hand side wing mirror 20 is in the portrait position 10 in such a LHD vehicle.

The tilt control 12 may be in the form of a joystick control or any other form of controller suitable for selecting directions A to D, as depicted in the figures. For example, the tilt control may be a four-direction rocker switch.

Similarly, the selector switches 14, 16 may take any appropriate form. For example, the selector switches 14, 16 may be combined into a single rocker switch, or a rotatable dial, depending on preferences. Whilst an indicator light may be effective in indicating which side mirror is selected for tilting, other forms of indicator are envisaged, such as the height or position of a switch.

Whereas the orientation control 2 is described throughout as being rotated by approximately 90° to rotate the left-hand side wing mirror 18 and the right-hand side wing mirror 20 between a landscape position 8 and a portrait position 10, it will be appreciated that any angle of rotation could be chosen to effect rotation of the wing mirrors 18, 20, provided that the selected angle of rotation of the orientation control 2 effects a simultaneous rotation of the tilt control 12 by approximately 90° in the appropriate direction. In some embodiments, the orientation control 2 may be biased so as to return to a central position after rotation to select mirror orientation.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the invention could be modified to take many alternative forms without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control assembly that reconfigures a mirror tilt control according to an orientation of a vehicle mirror, the control assembly comprising: an orientation control arranged to be rotatable between a first position and a second position, thereby to cause rotation of at least one vehicle mirror between a landscape position and a portrait position, respectively; a tilt control for tilting the at least one vehicle mirror; and at least one selector switch for selecting a vehicle mirror for tilting; wherein the tilt control is arranged to rotate in unison with the orientation control; and the control assembly comprises at least one signal inverter for inverting at least one signal from the tilt control when the orientation control is in the second position.

2. The control assembly of Claim 1, wherein the tilt control is arranged to control at least one tilt motor for tilting of a selected vehicle mirror.

3. The control assembly of Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the control assembly is arranged such that movement of the tilt control causes a corresponding movement of the selected vehicle mirror.

4. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly is arranged such that rotation of the orientation control between the first position and the second position causes rotation of a first and a second vehicle mirror between a landscape position and a portrait position.

5. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly is arranged such that rotation of the orientation control between the first position and the second position causes a first and a second vehicle mirror to rotate simultaneously between a landscape position and a portrait position.

6. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly is arranged such that the at least one signal inverter is bypassed when the orientation control is in the first position.

7. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly is arranged such that the at least one signal inverter is bypassed for a first vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the first position and is arranged to invert signals (AL, BL, Cl, Dl) from the tilt control to the first mirror when the orientation control is in the second position.

8. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly comprises a first selector switch for selecting a first vehicle mirror and a second selector switch for selecting a second vehicle mirror.

9. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the orientation control is an annular ring.

10. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the tilt control is a joystick.

11. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the orientation control is coupled to the tilt control.

12. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the orientation control is physically coupled to the tilt control.

13. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the orientation control, the tilt control, the at least one selector switch and the at least one signal inverter are provided in a control assembly housing.

14. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the orientation control is a two-position switch for selecting either a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation of the first and second vehicle mirrors.

15. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the orientation control is arranged as a two-position switch for selecting either a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation of the first and second vehicle mirrors by rotation of the switch by approximately 90°.

16. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly comprises at least one rotor communicatively coupled to the orientation control to effect rotation of the at least one vehicle mirror between a landscape and a portrait orientation.

17. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the tilt control effects movement of the first and second mirrors in at least two directions.

18. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly comprises at least two motors communicatively coupled to the tilt control to effect tilting of a selected first or second vehicle mirror.

19. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly comprises a first pair of motors and a second pair of motors, the first pair of motors communicatively coupled to the tilt control to effect tilting of a first vehicle mirror and the second pair of motors communicatively coupled to the tilt control to effect tilting of a second vehicle mirror.

20. The control assembly of any preceding claim, which comprises a first and a second signal inverter, and the control assembly is arranged such that when the orientation control is in the second position and the first vehicle mirror is selected for tilting: the first signal inverter is arranged to invert signals Bl and Dl from the tilt control to control vertical (up-down) tilting of a first vehicle mirror; and the second signal inverter is arranged to invert signals Al and Cl from the tilt control to control horizontal (left-right side) tilting of a first vehicle mirror.

21. The control assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the control assembly is arranged such that: the at least one signal inverter is bypassed for a first vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the first position, the at least one signal inverter is not bypassed for a first vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the second position, the at least one signal inverter is bypassed for a second vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the first position, and the at least one signal inverter is bypassed for a second vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the second position; and wherein the at least one signal inverter is arranged to invert signals Bl and DL and to invert signals Al and Cl from the tilt control to at least one motor to the first vehicle mirror when the orientation control is in the second position.

22. A vehicle comprising the control assembly of any of Claims 1 to 21.

23. The vehicle of Claim 22, which comprises a first-side mirror and a second-side mirror, wherein the first-side mirror is arranged on a first side of the vehicle and the second-side mirror is arranged on second (driver’s side) of the vehicle.

24. The vehicle of Claim 22 or Claim 23, which is a right-hand drive vehicle and the second-side mirror is arranged on the right-side of the vehicle.

25. The vehicle of any of Claims 22 to 24, which comprises first and second rotors, the first and second rotors coupled to first and second mirror housings, respectively, for rotating the first and second mirror housings between landscape and portrait orientations.

26. The vehicle of any of Claims 22 to 25, which comprises a first pair of motors and a second pair of motors, the first pair of motors arranged to effect tilting of a first vehicle mirror and the second pair of motors arranged to effect tilting of a second vehicle mirror.

27. The vehicle of any of Claims 22 to 26, which comprises a control assembly for reconfiguring a mirror tilt control for a first-side mirror and a second-side mirror, the control assembly arranged in a control assembly housing in the driver’s compartment of the vehicle.

28. The vehicle of Claim 27, wherein the control assembly comprises: an orientation control, a tilt control, at least one selector switch, and at least one signal inverter arranged within the control assembly housing.

29. A control assembly that reconfigures a mirror tilt control according to an orientation of a vehicle mirror, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.

30. A vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.