REMOTE-CONTROL REARVIEW MIRROR

Abstract: A rearview mirror for a motor vehicle comprises a housing (10) having a reflective member (12) mounted therein, a bracket (14) comprising a base portion adapted to be secured to a motor vehicle body, and a control lever (18) adapted to project into the interior of the vehicle to permit adjustment of the orientation of the housing (10) relative to the bracket (14). A hollow cylindrical formation (26) has a radially inwardly extending flange (28) at one end and a radially outwardly extending flange (24) at its other end connecting the cylindrical formation (26) to the base portion. An inner friction ring (30) is guided for angular movement relative to the bracket (14) about the axis of the cylindrical formation (26), is adapted to engage with the inwardly extending flange (28) and has a pair of diametrically opposed mutually aligned recesses (60, 62) in the surface facing away from said flange (28). An outer friction ring (32) is guided for angular movement relative to the bracket (14) about the axis of the cylindrical formation (26), is adapted to engage with the outwardly extending flange (24) and has a pair of diametrically opposed mutually aligned recesses (42, 44) in the surface facing away from said flange (24). A control member (54) is secured to the control lever (18) and has first and second projections (56, 58) arranged to engage in respective recesses (60, 62) in one of the friction rings (30). Third and fourth projections (38, 40) on the housing (10) are arranged to engage in respective recesses (42, 44) in the other of the friction rings (32); and resilient means are arranged to urge control member (54) towards the housing (10) thereby to urge each projection into engagement with its respective recess and each friction ring into engagement with its respective flange. At least one of the mutually engaging surfaces of each projection and the corresponding recess is of part-cylindrical cross-section oriented so that, when the projections (38, 40, 56, 58) are engaged in their respective recesses (42, 44, 60, 62), all such part-cylindrical surfaces have a common axis perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical formation (26), whereby the control member (54) and the housing (10) are simultaneously angularly movable both about said common axis and about the axis of the cylindrical formation (26).

Description: This invention relates to a rearview mirror for a vehicle of the type having a reflective member mounted therein, a bracket comprising a base portion adapted to be secured to the body of a motor vehicle and a control lever adapted to project into the interior of the vehicle to permit adjustment of the orientation of the housing relative to the bracket. According to the invention, a rearview mirror of the type described above comprises: a hollow cylindrical formation with a radially inwardly extending flange at one end and a radially outwardly extending flange at its other end connecting the cylindrical formation to the base portion; an inner friction ring guided for angular movement relative to the bracket about the axis of the cylindrical formation, adapted to engage with the inwardly extending flange and having a pair of diametrically opposed mutually aligned recesses in the surface facing away from said flange; an outer friction ring guided for angular movement relative to the bracket about the axis of the cylindrical formation, adapted to engage with the outwardly extending flange and having a pair of diametrically opposed mutually aligned recesses in the surface facing away from said flange; a control member secured to the control lever and having first and second projections arranged to engage in respective recesses in one of the friction rings; third and fourth projections on the housing arranged to engage in respective recesses in the other of the friction rings; and resilient means for urging the control member towards the housing thereby to urge each projection into engagement with its respective recess and each friction ring into engagement with its respective flange; at least one of the mutually engaging surfaces of each projection and the corresponding recess being of part-cylindrical cross-section oriented so that, when the projections are engaged in their respective recesses, all such part-cylindrical surfaces have a common axis perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical formation, whereby the control member and the housing are simultaneously angularly movable both about said common axis and about the axis of the cylindrical formation. In order to ensure maintenance of the required alignment of the axes of the part-cylindrical surfaces, at least one of the mirror housing and the control member is preferably coupled for simultaneous angular movement about the axis of the cylindrical formation to the friction ring the recesses of which are engaged by the projections on the other. For example, if the first and second projections engage in the recesses of the inner friction ring, such friction ring may have a central hole of non-circular cross-section in which engages a complementary non-circular formation on the housing. The means for resiliently coupling the control member to the housing may comprise a stem secured to the housing and projecting through the cylindrical formation and an opening in the control member, together with a compression spring engaging between the control member and a flange on the free end of the stem. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rearview mirror in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a partially broken away elevation view of the mirror shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partially broken away perspective view of the mechanism of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is a partially broken away exploded perspective view of the mechanism shown in Figure 3. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a rearview mirror assembly in accordance with the invention comprises a housing 10 containing a reflective member 12 and mounted on a bracket 14 which is adapted to be mounted on a motor vehicle with a face 16 abutting an adjacent vehicle body panel. An operating lever 18 projects through a slot 20 in the surface 16 and has a cranked handle 22 on its end. The slot 20 extends perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in Figure 2, i.e. horizontally. Turning now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the bracket 14 has a horizontally extending flange 24 containing a circular opening with a cylindrical formation 26 projecting upwardly from its periphery. The cylindrical formation 26 has an annular flange 28 extending radially inwardly from its upper edge. An inner friction ring 30 engages with the lower surface of the flange 28 inside the cylindrical formation 26. Similarly, an outer friction ring 32 engages with the upper surface of the flange 24 outside the cylindrical formation 26. A mounting insert 34 has an upwardly extending cylindrical flange 36 which is bonded to the interior of the housing 10. The insert 34 also has two downwardly extending projections 38 and 40, the bottoms of which are of semi-cylindrical cross-section with their axes aligned with one another. The projections 38 and 40 engage in respective correspondingly shaped recesses 42 and 44 in the upper surface of the outer friction ring 32. In addition, the insert 34 has a portion 46 of square cross-section which projects through the circular opening in the flange 28 and engages in a square opening 48 in the inner friction ring 30 so as to couple the friction ring 30 to the housing 10. A horizontal cylindrical stem 50 extends downwardly from the square portion 46 of the insert 34 and has a flange 52 (Figure 2) secured to its lower end. An annular control member 54, fast with the lever 18, surrounds the stem 52. The control member 54 carries two upwardly extending projections 56 and 58, the upper ends of which are of part-cylindrical shape and engage in correspondingly shaped recesses 60 and 62 in the inner friction ring 30. The orientation of th recesses 60 and 62 relative to the square opening 48 in the inner friction ring 30 is such that their common axis is coincident with the common axis of the cylindrical surfaces of the projections 38 and 40 on the mounting insert 34. A compression spring 64 (Figure 2) engages between the flange 52 on the stem 50 and the underside of the control member 54 so as to urge the projections 56 and 58 into the recesses 60 and 62, the friction ring 30 into engagement with the flange 28, the flange 24 into engagement with the outer friction ring 32 and the projections 38 and 40 into engagement with the recesses 42 and 44. When it is desired to adjust the horizontal orientation of the housing 10 relative to the mounting bracket 12, the handle 22 is used to move the lever 18 horizontally, as illustrated by the arrow 64 (Figure 3). The control member 64 pivots about the axis of the cylindrical stem 50, the projections 56 and 58 moving the inner friction ring 30, which, in turn, moves the mounting insert 34 via its square portion 46, so that the projections 38 and 40 move the outer friction ring 32. After completion of such movement, the housing 10 is held in its desired position by the friction between the friction rings 30 and 32 and their respective flanges 28 and 24, under the action of the compression spring 64. When it is desired to adjust the vertical orientation of the housing 10, the handle 22 is moved to pivot the control member 54 about the axis of the projections 56 and 58, as indicated by the arrow 66 in Figure 3. As already mentioned, this axis is also the axis of the cylindrical surfaces of the other two projections 38 and 40 on the mounting insert 34 and consequently this pivoting movement is transmitted to the insert 34 by engagement of the control member 54 with the cylindrical stem 50. When the required orientation has been achieved, it is maintained by the friction between the cylindrical surfaces of the four projections 38, 40, 56 and 58 and the corresponding recesses 42, 44, 60 and 62 in the two friction rings 30 and 32. In the event that the housing 10 is subject to impact tending to displace it horizontally relative to the bracket 14, the lever 18 first moves until it abuts against the end of the slot 20 (Figure 2). Further displacement of the housing 10 causes the projections 56 and 58 to disengage from their respective recesses 60 and 62 in the friction ring 30, allowing the insert 34 to turn relative to the control member 54, thus permitting the housing 10 to fold against the part of the vehicle body on which it is mounted. The other two projections 38 and 40 on the insert 34 remain in engagement with the recesses 42 and 44 in the outer friction ring 32 which thus continues to move with the housing 10. When the housing 10 is moved back manually, the projections 56 and 58 snap back into their respective recesses 60 and 62 in the inner friction ring 30.

Claims: 1. A rearview mirror for a motor vehicle comprising a housing (10) having a reflective member (12) mounted therein, a bracket (14) comprising a base portion adapted to be secured to a motor vehicle body, and a control lever (18) adapted to project into the interior of the vehicle to permit adjustment of the orientation of the housing (10) relative to the bracket (14), characterised by: a hollow cylindrical formation (26), with a radially inwardly extending flange (28) at one end and a radially outwardly extending flange (24) at its other end connecting the cylindrical formation (26) to the base portion; an inner friction ring (30) guided for angular movement relative to the bracket (14) about the axis of the cylindrical formation (26), adapted to engage with the inwardly extending flange (28) and having a pair of diametrically opposed mutually aligned recesses (60, 62) in the surface facing away from said flange (28); an outer friction ring (32) guided for angular movement relative to the bracket (14) about the axis of the cylindrical formation (26), adapted to engage with the outwardly extending flange (24) and having a pair of diametrically opposed mutually aligned recesses (42, 44) in the surface facing away from said flange (24); a control member (54) secured to the control lever (18) and having first and second projections (56, 58) arranged to engage in respective recesses (60, 62) in one of the friction rings (30); third and fourth projections (38, 40) on the housing (10) arranged to engage in respective recesses (42, 44) in the other of the friction rings (32); and resilient means for urging the control member (54) towards the housing (10) thereby to urge each projection into engagement with its respective recess and each friction ring into engagement with its respective flange; at least one of the mutually engaging surfaces of each projection and the corresponding recess being of part-cylindrical cross-section oriented so that, when the projections (38, 40, 56, 58) are engaged in their respective recesses (42, 44, 60, 62), all such part-cylindrical surfaces have a common axis perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical formation (26), whereby the control member (54) and the housing (10) are simultaneously angularly movable both about said common axis and about the axis of the cylindrical formation (26). 2. A rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein the bracket (14) is coupled for simultaneous angular movement about the axis of the cylindrical formation (26) to the friction ring (32) whose the recesses (42, 44) are engaged by the projections (38, 40) on the mirror housing (10). 3. A rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein of the mirror housing (10) is coupled for simultaneous angular movement about the axis of the cylindrical formation (26) to the friction ring (30) whose the recesses (60, 62) are engaged by the projections (56, 58) on the control member (54). 4. A rearview mirror according to claim 3, wherein the inner friction ring (30) has a central hole (48) of non-circular cross-section in which engages a complementary non-circular formation (46) on the housing (10). 5. A rearview mirror according to any preceding claim, wherein the means for resiliently coupling the control member (54) to the housing (10) comprises a stem (50) secured to the housing (10) and projecting through the cylindrical formation (26) and an opening in the control member (54), together with a compression spring (64) engaging between the control member (54) and a flange (52) on the free end of the stem (50).

Inventors: BOTTRILL, JOHN
Applicants: BRITAX (WINGARD) LIMITED
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B60R1
IPC codes: B60R1