Connecting structure for connecting motor for driving mirror main body of automobiles outside mirror assembly and power source

A connecting structure for connecting a motor for driving the mirror main body of an automobile outside mirror assembly such as an electric door mirror and a fender mirror and the power source of the motor to each other. A driving unit accommodating the motor is provided on the rear side of the mirror main body in the mirror visor. A power cord extends from a battery installed on an automobile main body into the mirror visor. A connector containing power terminals is mounted on the top portion of the power cord. The connection terminals of the motor project outward through the through-holes from a rear wall of a unit case of the driving unit to the rear side of the driving unit. The connector has through-holes for allowing the connection terminals to pass therethrough. The connection terminals are inserted through the through-holes and connected with the power terminals in the connector. Projecting walls formed on the connector and the unit case are fitted into each other with a waterproofing member provided therebetween. The power terminals contained in the connector are held to extend in the direction perpendicular to the connection terminals of the motor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a connecting structure for connecting a 
motor for driving the mirror main body of an automobile outside mirror 
assembly to the power source and, more particularly, to a structure for 
connecting the motor to the power source thereof through a connector. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Generally, a motor for driving the mirror main body of an automobile 
electric outside mirror assembly is accommodated in a mirror visor 
together with other mechanisms as a unit. A pair of positive and negative 
connection terminals of the motor is connected with a pair of connection 
cords extending from the power source mounted on the automobile main body. 
The known structures for electric connection of the motor and the power 
source thereof are described below. 
An example of a simple connection structure is described below. Each end of 
a pair of connection cords is soldered into each connection terminal of 
the motor. The other end of each cord extends outwardly from a unit case 
through a opening thereof and connected to each cord extending from the 
power source through a connector provided outside the unit case. 
According to another known construction, similarly to the above structure, 
each end of a pair of connection cords is soldered into each connection 
terminal of the motor. In addition, another pair of terminals is fixed to 
the outside of the unit case. The other end of each cord connected with 
the motor is soldered onto each terminal fixed to the outside of the unit 
case. Each connection terminal of a connector connected to the power 
source contacts each terminal fixed to the outside of the unit case. 
According to these known connection structures, the use of the connection 
cords leads to a high manufacturing cost and necessitates a soldering 
operation, which is troublesome. 
The following connection structures are proposed to solve these problems. 
A pair of connection terminals of the motor projects outwardly from the 
motor case and the top portion of each connection terminal projects 
outwardly from the unit case through an opening formed on the rear wall of 
the unit case so that the top portions of each connection terminal is 
positioned beyond the rear wall of the unit case. The top portion of each 
connection terminal is directly covered with a waterproofing member. A 
pair of connecting openings are formed in the waterproofing member. A pair 
of connection terminals of a connector connected with the power source is 
inserted through the openings so that each terminal of the motor and each 
terminal of the connector are connected to each other in a sort of linear 
structure. 
However, the waterproofing performance of this structure is not preferable 
because the connecting openings are formed on the waterproofing member 
which directly covers the connection terminals of the motor. In addition, 
since the top portions of the connection terminals of the motor are 
covered with the waterproofing member, i.e., since the top portions cannot 
be seen, it is necessary to detect the polarity of the connection 
terminals of the motor so as to appropriately connect each of the 
connection terminals of the motor and each of the connection terminals of 
the connector to each other. Furthermore, since the connection terminals 
of the connector and motor are connected in their axial direction to 
present a linear structure of terminals, and since such a linear structure 
of terminals extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the 
surface of the mirror, the mirror visor eventually results in a bulky 
size, particularly measured in a direction perpendicular to the surface of 
the mirror. Thus, it has been difficult to reduce the size of the mirror 
visor with the use of the prior art terminal connecting structure. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has been developed effectively to solve the above 
described problems. 
That is, the present invention provides a structure for connecting the 
power source and the driving motor of the mirror main body in an 
automobile outside mirror assembly to each other, namely, the structure 
for connecting a connector connected to the power source and a driving 
unit to each other without using a connection cord between them. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a terminal 
connecting structure, for connecting the driving motor and the power 
source to each other, which can be visually detected the polarity of 
connection terminals of the connectors in fixing the connector to the 
driving unit, is superior in waterproofing performance, and contributes to 
the formation of a small mirror visor. 
According to the present invention, there is provided the following 
connecting structure for connecting the motor included in the driving unit 
for driving the mirror main body of an automobile outside mirror assembly 
and the power source of the motor to each other. 
The connecting structure has a unit case for accommodating the driving 
unit. The unit is positioned on the rear side of the mirror main body. The 
motor has a pair of connection terminals extending therefrom. The unit 
case has first through-holes permitting the connection terminals to pass 
therethrough so as to project outwardly from the unit case. The driving 
unit is fixed to a connector accommodating generally elongated power 
terminals which are connected with the power source and in contact with 
the connection terminals of the motor. The unit case has a first 
projecting wall which projects rearwardly from the rear wall of the unit 
case so as to surround the first throughholes formed in the rear wall. The 
case of the connector has second through-holes for permitting the 
connection terminals to pass therethrough. The power terminals are 
extended in a direction perpendicular to the connection terminals. The 
connector case has a second projecting wall which surrounds the second 
through-holes to fit into/over the first projecting wall. A sealing member 
is provided between the first and second projecting walls for sealing a 
space which is defined between the first and second projecting walls. 
According to the present invention, in fixing the connector to the driving 
unit, each of the connection terminals, of the driving motor, projecting 
outwardly from the unit case is inserted through each of the second 
throughholes formed in the connector. Thus, each of the connection 
terminals is connected with each of the power terminals accommodated in 
the connector. In fixing the connector to the driving unit, the second 
projecting wall is fitted into the first projecting wall or the first 
projecting wall is fitted into the second projecting wall and a 
water-proofing is accomplished between the surfaces of the first and 
second projecting walls, i.e., the water-proofing member performs its 
function without contacting the connection terminals. Thus, this structure 
waterproofs the terminal connection structure more favorably than the 
structure in which connection terminals are directly covered with a 
water-proofing member. 
Further, since the connection terminals of the motor project from the unit 
case, the polarity of the connection terminals can be visually detected 
before the connector is attached to the driving unit. 
Generally, in this kind of terminal connecting structure, a driving unit is 
provided on the rear side of the mirror main body, and a connector is 
fixed to the driving unit on the rear side thereof. Therefore, the mirror 
assembly makes a mirror visor bulky. However, according to the present 
invention, since the terminals of the power source extend inside the 
connector in the direction perpendicular to the connection terminals of 
the motor, the size of the connector is small in a direction perpendicular 
to the surface of the mirror, which prevents the mirror visor from being 
bulky.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In this embodiment, a motor for driving a mirror main body (not shown) is 
denoted by reference numeral 3, and a motor case 3a as well as a part of 
the motor 3 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The motor 3 has a pair of 
connection terminals 4 and 5 approximately rectangular and projecting 
outward from one end surface of the case 3a. A connector 2 which is long 
and accommodates a pair of power terminals 6 and 7 is attached to one end 
portion of a cord 9 extending from the power source (not shown). When the 
connector 2 is fixed to the motor 3, the power terminals 6 and 7 and the 
connection terminals 4 and 5 of the motor 3 are connected to each other. 
In FIG. 3, the connector 2 is shown by a two-dot chain line. 
An automobile outside mirror assembly to which the power source connecting 
structure is applicable is a electric door mirror. The mirror main body 
(not shown) is tiltably supported in a mirror visor (not shown). A driving 
unit for a mirror main body is accommodated in a unit case 1. The unit 
case 1 is positioned on the rear side of the mirror main body accommodated 
in the mirror visor. The unit case 1 accommodates the motor 3 fixed to the 
rear wall 1f thereof. The pair of the connection terminals 4 and 5 of the 
motor 3 project from the motor case 3a, thus penetrating through the rear 
wall 1 of the unit case 1, thus contacting the power terminals 6 and 7. 
There are provided, through the rear wall 1f of the unit case 1, 
through-holes 1a and 1b for projecting the top portion of each of the 
connection terminals 4 and 5 of the motor 3 outwardly from the unit case 
1. Needless to say, the top portions of the connection terminals 4 and 5 
are positioned beyond the rear wall of the unit case 1. Holding portions 
1d and le projecting from the rear wall 1f of the unit case 1 hold each 
base portion of the connection terminals 4 and 5. The through-holes 1g and 
1h communicating with the through-holes 1a and 1b, respectively are formed 
through the holding portions 1d and 1e. The holding portions 1d and 1e are 
approximately trapezoidal in the longitudinal sectional view thereof. As 
shown in FIG. 2, a first projecting wall 1c approximately rectangular 
projects from the rear wall 1f, thus surrounding the holding portions 1d 
and 1e. 
There are provided, in the case 2d of the connector 2, through-holes 2a and 
2b for inserting the top portions of each of the connection terminals 4 
and 5 of the motor 3 into the case 2d. A second projecting wall 2c extends 
from the connector case 2d, thus surrounding the through-holes 2a and 2b. 
The holding portions 1d and 1e of the unit case 1 are fitted into the 
second projecting wall 2c which is fitted into the first projecting wall 
1c. The connector case 2d is illustrated in FIG. 2 with a two-dot chain 
line. 
A waterproofing member, or a sealing member 8 is provided between the 
peripheral surface of the second projecting wall 2c and the inner 
peripheral surface of the first projecting wall 1c. 
The insertion of the second projecting wall 2c into the first projecting 
wall 1c allows the connection terminals 4 and 5 of the motor 3 and the 
connection terminals 6 and 7 of the connector 2 to be connected to each 
other. Further, the sealing member 8 seals the space which is defined 
between the second projecting wall 2c and the first projecting wall 1c. 
Therefore, this structure enables a more favorable waterproofing technique 
as compared to known structures. 
The power terminals 6 and 7 of the connector 2 accommodated in the 
connector case 2d extend in the direction approximately perpendicular to 
the connection terminals 4 and 5, of the motor 3, to be inserted through 
the through-holes 2a and 2b, respectively. This structure eventually 
results in a reduction of the size of an assembly of the connector 2 and 
the driving unit, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the 
mirror. That is, the connector case 2d projects a short distance from the 
rear wall 1f of the unit case 1, thus resulting in a reduction of the size 
of the mirror visor. 
According to the terminal connecting structure of the embodiment, it is 
unnecessary to employ a connection cord required to be soldered. That is, 
the connection terminals 4 and 5 of the motor 3 can be brought into 
contact with the power terminals 6 and 7 by fitting the second projecting 
wall 2c of the connector case 2d into the first projecting wall 1c of the 
unit case 1 such that the connection terminals 4 and 5 of the motor 3 pass 
through the through-holes 2a and 2b of the connector case 2d. Thus, the 
motor 3 is connected to the power source. 
In the above-described embodiment, the second projecting wall 2c is fitted 
into the first projecting wall 1c, but instead, the terminal connecting 
structure may be modified by fitting the first projecting wall 1c into the 
second projecting wall 2c. 
Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with 
the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying 
drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are 
apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are 
to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as 
defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom.