Abstract:
A housing member for an actuator assembly for adjusting the orientation of a mirror element in a mirror assembly provides integral weather seals and noise dampeners. The weather seals and noise dampeners are injection molded with or onto a base wall of the housing member to thereby form seals and dampeners that have superior adhesion or mechanical retention to the housing member and, therefore, are not subject to degradation from noise. In addition, the integral seals and dampeners reduce the time and cost of assembling and servicing the actuator assembly. The housing member includes a base wall, and a sidewall which connects to the base wall and extends around the perimeter of the base wall. The side wall includes connectors for securing the first housing to the second housing. A gasket material is injection molded around the passage to thereby seal the passage, which forms an annular lip on the inner surface of the base wall and extends through the base wall to form a flexible diaphragm on the outer surface of the base wall. The flexible diaphragm includes a first opening molded around the passage and a second opening for receiving and sealingly engaging a positioning member, wherein the second opening moves in and out of the passage with the positioning member when the positioning member extends out or withdraws into the actuator.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an electrically-operated mirror actuator assembly which is used in vehicles for remote adjustment of a reflective mirror element in a rearview mirror assembly, especially an exterior rearview mirror assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to the housing for the mirror actuator assembly in which weather seals and motor noise dampeners are integrally formed with the housing, preferably by injection molding.  
           [0002]    Today most adjustable exterior rearview mirror assemblies include a mirror actuator assembly. The mirror actuator assembly is powered by a 12-volt supply from the vehicle or vehicle ignition system and is supported and housed in the mirror assembly casing. The actuator assembly comprises an actuator housing and one or more motors with appropriate gearing, which are supported in the actuator housing. Conventional actuator housings typically include upper and lower housing members, with the actuator motor and gearing supported in the lower housing member. The actuator motor drives the gearing, which in turn drives a positioning member. During operation, actuator motors tend to generate noise that can be heard by the operator and passengers of the vehicle. Since the trend in automobile design is to reduce noise so that the operator and passengers can enjoy a peaceful ride, noise dampeners are employed to reduce the motor noise. Heretofore, these noise dampeners have been manually inserted into and affixed to the housing; therefore, their installation is labor intensive, which increases the cost of the actuator assemblies.  
           [0003]    The positioning member of the actuator assembly is drivingly coupled to the gearing and projects through the upper housing member through openings formed in the housing to engage the back of a mirror element backing plate. The mirror backing plate is pivotally mounted to the upper housing member by a ball mount or semi-spherical structure which engages a corresponding pivot structure provided on the upper housing member of the actuator assembly. In this manner, the mirror element and mirror backing plate pivot as a unit about the pivot structure in response to the movement of the positioning member, which is driven to extend and withdraw in and out of the actuator housing by the actuator motor and gearing.  
           [0004]    Since actuator assemblies are used in exterior rearview mirror assemblies they are exposed to numerous elements, such as rain and road spray, which could adversely affect their operation and functionality. Consequently, conventional actuators used in exterior rearview mirrors include weather seals, which are needed to seal the openings in the housing, for example, the openings in the upper housing through which the mirror positioning member extends and the connection between the upper and lower housing members. These weather seals prevent moisture and debris, which are typically encountered during use of the vehicle, from entering the actuator housing. The positioning member opening of the upper housing is typically sealed with a flexible boot. Boots typically include a first open end engaging the upper housing member over the mirror positioning member opening and a second open end engaging the positioning member wherein the second open end moves in and out of the opening in the upper housing member in response to the movement of the positioning member. These boots require manual installation and must be accurately seated on the upper housing member in order to assure proper sealing.  
           [0005]    Conventional perimeter or gasket seals comprise a die cut gasket which is positioned between the upper and lower housing members. Die cut gaskets are labor intensive. First, the gasket cutting is subject to tight tolerance control—otherwise, there may be fit-up problems in the assembly line. Furthermore, they require careful alignment between the housing members to assure the integrity of the seal. Heretofore, all these seals have required manual insertion into the mirror actuator assembly and careful alignment in their respective openings to assure proper sealing. Hence, these seals add considerable cost to the manufacture and assembly process.  
           [0006]    In some actuators, the gasket seal is eliminated. To eliminate the gasket seal, these actuator housings include a tongue and groove connection, with one of the upper and lower housing members including the groove, and the other member including the tongue. However to achieve the desired sealing characteristics, the tongue requires a knife edge on the perimeter of the respective housing member. These knife edge perimeters are difficult to tool and mold because the upper and lower housing members are subject to tight tolerance control—again, the need for proper fit-up in the assembly line.  
           [0007]    Consequently, there is a need for an actuator housing that requires fewer manual steps to assemble and yet provides seals to protect the actuator housing from the elements and, optionally, dampeners to reduce the motor noise characteristics of the actuator assembly. Furthermore, there is a need for an actuator assembly that produces less noise.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved actuator housing member, especially suited for use in an exterior mirror assembly that is subject to noise and exposure to numerous elements, which includes integral seals and noise dampeners that seal the actuator housing from the elements while providing dampening to the actuator motors. Additionally, the integral seal and dampeners reduce the number of manual steps in the assembly process and in the reassembly process when the actuator assembly is in need of service or repair, saving time and cost.  
           [0009]    In one form of the invention, an upper housing member for an electrically-operated actuator assembly includes a base wall having a passage for receiving a mirror positioning member and a side wall, which connects to the base wall and extends around the perimeter of the base wall. The side wall includes at least one connector for securing the upper housing to a lower housing of the actuator assembly. A gasket material is injection molded around the passage to form an annular lip on an inner surface of the base wall and extends through the base wall to form a flexible diaphragm adjacent the outer surface of the base wall. The flexible diaphragm includes a first opening, which is injection molded to the base wall around the passage, and a second opening for receiving and sealingly engaging the positioning member, wherein portions of the flexible diaphragm which define the second opening move in and out of the passage with the positioning member when the gearing in the actuator drives the positioning member to extend out or withdraw into the actuator assembly.  
           [0010]    In one aspect, the lip is connected to the flexible diaphragm in one or more locations. Furthermore, the base wall may include at least one aperture adjacent the passage, with the lip being connected to the flexible diaphragm through the aperture.  
           [0011]    In another aspect, the flexible diaphragm includes a collar for engaging the positioning member, the second open end being defined by a throughbore in the collar. Preferably, the inner surface of the collar conforms to the shape of the positioning member to thereby provide increased sealing contact between the collar and the positioning member.  
           [0012]    According to another aspect of the invention, an upper housing member for an electrically-operated actuator similarly includes a base wall having a passage for receiving a mirror positioning rod and a side wall which connects to and extends around the base wall. The side wall includes at least one connector for securing the upper housing member to a lower housing member of the actuator. Gasket material is injection molded onto the base wall to form one or more noise dampeners. The dampeners extend from the inner surface of the base wall to provide dampening to a motor supported in the lower housing member when the upper housing member is secured to the lower housing member.  
           [0013]    In other aspects, the base wall includes a depression or groove into which the gasket material is injected. In form, the base includes a plurality of openings extending therethrough. The gasket material of the noise dampener is injection molded on the base wall over the openings so that the gasket material extends through the base wall in the openings to form leads and enlarged ends, which mechanically lock the noise dampener on the base wall of the first housing member.  
           [0014]    According to yet another aspect of this invention, an upper housing member includes a base wall with a passage for receiving a mirror positioning member and a side wall, which connects to the base wall and extends around the perimeter of the base wall. The side wall includes a shoulder on which gasket material is injection molded to form a gasket seal for sealing the upper housing member to a lower housing member of the actuator when the upper housing member is secured to the lower housing member.  
           [0015]    In yet another aspect, the upper housing member further includes an injection molded flexible diaphragm for sealing the passage in the base wall. In another aspect, the base wall includes one or more noise dampeners injection molded thereon.  
           [0016]    Accordingly, the present invention provides for a simplified actuator assembly by injection molding gasket material with or onto the upper housing member, thus providing an integrally formed boot, noise dampener, and/or gasket seal in the upper housing member of the actuator assembly. The integral gasket components eliminate the need for manual insertion of the components and the need for die cutting a gasket seal and the attendant problems with positioning the gasket seal between the upper and lower housing members. Consequently, the integral seal and noise dampening components reduce material waste and labor. The seals and dampeners also reduce noise. Moreover, the integral seals and dampeners provide a modular actuator assembly that is easily serviceable. 
       
    
    
       [0017]    These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an actuator assembly of the present invention supported in an exterior rearview mirror assembly;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the actuator assembly and a mirror element and backing plate with a partial cut-away;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the actuator assembly of FIG. 1 when inverted;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a cover of the actuator assembly;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 4;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 4;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 4;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view showing the interior of the cover of the actuator assembly including a pair of noise dampeners;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cover taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 8;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 9 of a second embodiment of the noise dampener;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the noise dampener but taken in the direction of line XI-XI of FIG. 8;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of a second embodiment of the cover of the actuator assembly illustrating the cover interior with an integral perimeter seal;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 of a fourth embodiment of the cover;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the integral perimeter seal of FIGS. 12 and 13;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV of FIG. 8 illustrating a method of mechanically locking the diaphragm to the cover;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 15 illustrating a second method of mechanically locking the diaphragm to the cover; and  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 15 illustrating a third method of mechanically locking the diaphragm to the cover. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0035]    Referring to FIG. 1, the actuator assembly  10  of the present invention is shown mounted in a casing  11  of a vehicle exterior rearview mirror assembly  12 . Casing  11  houses a mirror element  13  with a backing plate  14  and actuator assembly  10 , which engages the back surface of backing plate  14  to adjust the orientation of mirror element  13  and backing plate  14 . Actuator assembly  10  adjusts the orientation of mirror element  13  through motor driven, telescoping, positioning members  15  and  16 , which push and pull on the back of backing plate  14 , as will be more fully described below.  
         [0036]    As best seen in FIG. 2, actuator assembly  10  includes an actuator housing  18 . Actuator housing  18  preferably includes a split construction housing having a first or base housing member  19  and a second or upper housing member  20  which is secured in casing  11  by fasteners, such as screws or bolts, that extend through boss structures  17  provided on upper housing member  20 . Actuator housing  18  may also comprise a single molded member having a living hinge that divides the member into two sections, which fold to form an enclosure, for example a clam shell housing. As will be more fully explained, actuator housing  18  includes molded seals and noise dampeners. The seals and dampeners are thermoplastic elastomeric gasket material and injection molded with housing  18 . Preferably, the housing members are molded from a non-conductive material such as resinous plastic. More preferably, housing members  19  and  20  comprise a glass-filled polypropylene, which results in chemical bonding between the gasket material and the housing and aids in the adhesion between the softer gasket material and the harder, more rigid housing substrate. The seals and dampeners may be similarly mechanically bonded with housing members  19  and  20 , in which case housing members  19  and  20  are preferably a suitable thermoplastic resin, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrenes (ABS) or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or other suitable melt processable resins. ABS is available under the tradename of MAGNUM from Dow Chemical of Midland, Mich.  
         [0037]    With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, first or base housing member  19  includes a base wall  21  and a side wall  22  that extends around the perimeter of the base wall  21  to form a base compartment  23 . Second housing member  20  similarly includes a base wall  24  and a side wall  25  that extends around the perimeter of base wall  24  to form a cover. Side wall  25  preferably includes a plurality of inverted U-shaped connectors  26  that engage corresponding tabs or detents  27  provided on the exterior of side wall  22  of base housing member  19  to releasably secure second housing member  20  to first housing member  19 . Base compartment  23  houses a pair of reversible electric motors  28  and  29  which are supported on base wall  21  of base housing member  19  and are held in place by resilient arms (not shown) that extend from the base wall  21  in a snap fit arrangement. As best seen in FIG. 3, the shafts  28   a  and  29   a  of reversible electric motors  28  and  29  include worm gears  30   a  and  30   b  for driving gearing or gear assemblies  32  and  34 , also housed and supported for rotational movement in base compartment  23 . Gear assemblies  32  and  34 , in turn, drive telescoping positioning members  15  and  16  to adjust the orientation of mirror element  13  and backing plate  14  housed in mirror assembly  12 . Preferably, motors  28 ,  29  are sold under the model number FC-260RD or FK-130RH available from Mabuchi Motor, New York, N.Y.  
         [0038]    Gear assemblies  32  and  34  are supported on and journaled in cylindrical receptacles  41  and  42  formed in first housing member  19  (FIG. 5). Receptacles  41  and  42  include annular walls  43  and  44  which extend into annular recesses  46  and  48  formed on the bottom surfaces of the gears of gear assemblies  32  and  34  to rotatably support gear assemblies  32  and  34  in base compartment  23  (FIGS. 2, 3 and  7 ). Each gear assembly  32 ,  34  includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced projecting arms  32   a ,  34   a  with an internal thread  33  (FIG. 7) formed at each of their respective distal ends for engaging and meshing with threads on positioning members  15  and  16 . Each plurality of projecting arms  32   a ,  34   a  define cylindrical passages  32   b ,  34   b  therebetween which extend through the gears of gear assemblies  32  and  34 , respectively, to receive telescoping positioning members  15  and  16  (FIGS. 2 and 3). The positioning members extend into sockets  50   a  (FIG. 2) provided on the back surface of backing plate  14  and are held against rotation by pins  36   b ,  38   b  which extend transversely through the distal ends of the respective positioning members  15  and  16 . When gear assembly  32  is driven, projecting arm  32   a  rotates with gear assembly  32  to drive non-rotational positioning member  15  to telescope in or out of passage  32   b , depending the direction of the gear&#39;s rotation. Similarly, when gear assembly  34  is driven projecting arm  34   a  drives positioning member  16  to telescope in or out of passage  34   b . Gear assemblies  32  and  34  are each held in place by annular walls  47   a  and  47   b  which extend from base wall  24  of upper housing member  20  and lightly engage or have end surfaces which are slightly spaced from gear assemblies  32 ,  34  (FIGS. 7 and 13). As positioning members  15 ,  16  telescope in and out of passages  32   b ,  34   b , end portions of the positioning members extend and retract through passages  49   a  and  49   b  defined by annular walls  47   a  and  47   b  provided in second housing member  20  to push and pull on the back surface  50  of backing plate  14  of mirror element  13  (FIG. 2).  
         [0039]    As shown in FIG. 2, second housing member  20  includes a pivot assembly  54  which cooperates with mirror backing plate  14  to fix the mirror element&#39;s point or center of rotation. Pivot assembly  54  includes a socket member  56  formed integrally on housing  20  that cooperates with a truncated, semi-spherical flange  57  formed on back surface  50  of mirror backing plate  14  (FIG. 2). The socket member  56  includes a semi-spherical recess  58  with a central collar  59  and a semi-spherical insert  60  that is rotationally fixed to the semi-spherical recess  58  by a pivot screw  62  and pivot spring  64 . As best seen in FIG. 2, pivot screw  62  extends through pivot spring  64  and insert  60  and into a threaded boss structure  65  that projects through passage  65   a  in recess  58  (FIG. 3). Semi-spherical flange  57  is interposed and slidably captured between insert  60  and recess  58  such that mirror backing plate  14  is free to pivot about pivot assembly  54  on semi-spherical flange  57 . When positioning member  15  extends, mirror backing plate  14  and mirror element  13  pivot on pivot structure  54  about axis W. Similarly, when pivoting member  16  extends, mirror backing plate  14  and mirror element  13  pivot on pivotal structure  54  about axis X. Note that when positioning member  15  extends or retracts, the orientation of axis W is changed but remains along plane Y. Similarly, when positioning member  16  extends or contracts, axis X moves up and down along plane Z. Consequently, the orientation of mirror element  13  can be changed to an infinite number of positions between the bounds of the fully extended and fully retracted positions of the positioning members and any combination thereof  
         [0040]    In order to seal openings  49   a  and  49   b , second housing member  20  includes a pair of weather sealing diaphragms or boots  68  and  70 . As previously mentioned, diaphragms  68  and  70  are preferably injection molded with the second housing member  20 . The method of molding may include insert molding or two-shot molding. Insert molding, also known as over-molding, includes the steps of first molding the second housing member  20  in a first molding apparatus and then transferring the molded second housing member  20  to a second molding apparatus in which the gasket material is molded onto the surface of the housing member  20 . On the other hand, in two-shot molding, the molding apparatus includes two injection barrels. The two-shot molding apparatus molds the second housing member in a first part of the molding apparatus and then either indexes the mold holding the molded second housing member to the next barrel to inject the gasket material or rotates the mold holding the second housing member so that the gasket material can be injected from the second barrel. The advantage of the two-shot molding process is that the molding apparatus is compact and, therefore, reduces the space requirements. Furthermore, the two-shot molding process tends to have a higher precision than the conventional insert molding. Moreover, the two-shot molding process provides significant time saving during manufacture and reduces the assembly time. A suitable two-shot molding apparatus is available from Arburg, Millington, Conn.  
         [0041]    As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, diaphragms  68  and  70  comprise annular boots. Boots  68  and  70  each include an outer annular wall  72 ,  73 , a flexible wall  74 ,  75 , and a central sealing collar  76 ,  77 , with each collar  76 ,  77  including a cylindrical wall  80 ,  82 . First open ends  68   a  and  70   a  of boots  68 ,  70 , respectively, which are defined by the open ends of the respective outer annular walls  72 ,  73 , extends around annular wall  47   a ,  47   b  of passages  49   a ,  49   b , respectively, to thereby seal the openings formed by passages  49   a  and  49   b  through upper housing member  20 . The second open ends  68   b  and  70   b  of boots  68 ,  70 , defined by the open ends of collars  76 ,  77 , extend around the necks  15   a ,  16   a  of positioning members  15  and  16 , respectively, to thereby seal and engage positioning members  15  and  16 . Flexible walls  74 ,  75  permit second open ends  68   b  and  70   b  to move between a retracted position within the annular walls  47   a  and  47   b , respectively, to an extended position beyond annular walls  47   a  and  47   b  thereby maintaining a fluid tight seal between upper housing member  20  and the position members  15  and  16 .  
         [0042]    As shown in FIG. 7, cylindrical walls  80  and  82  of collars  76  and  77  preferably include profiled inner surfaces  84  and  86 , respectively, which match the outer surface of the necks  15   a  and  16   a  of positioning members  15  and  16  to increase the contact surface and, thereby, provide an increased sealing surface on positioning members  15  and  16 . Sealing collars  76  and  77  project inwardly toward the interior of housing  18  from the inner perimeters  74   a  and  75   a  of flexible walls  74  and  75 . In this manner, as positioning members  15  and  16  extend in and out of actuator housing  32 , sealing collars  76  and  77  flex in and out of opening  49   a  and  49   b  of upper housing member  20  while fully engaged with positioning members  15  and  16  to assure a continuous seal with the positioning members  15  and  16 . As best seen in FIG. 8, diaphragms  68  and  70  also include annular lips  90  and  92 , respectively, which extend around annular walls  47   a  and  47   b , respectively, of housing  20  on the inner surface  24   a  of base wall  24 . Annular lips  90  and  92  each include transverse connectors  94  and  96  which extend through elongate openings  24   b , provided in base wall  24  of second housing member  20 , to outer annular walls  72  and  73 . Transverse connectors  94  and  96 , in combination with annular lips  90  and  92 , provide further anchoring of diaphragms  68  and  70  to housing member  20 .  
         [0043]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 8, a pair of motor noise dampeners  98  and  100  are provided, which are injection molded with or onto the inner surface  24   a  of base wall  24  of second housing member  20 . Dampeners  98  and  100  are positioned to align with motors  28  and  29  in the completed assembly when upper and lower housing members  19  and  20  are secured together. Dampeners  98  and  100  press against motors  28  and  29  when upper and lower housing members  19  and  20  are secured together and, therefore, dampen the noise from the motors. Preferably, dampeners  98  and  100  are injection molded with second housing member  20  and may be mechanically interlocked or chemically adhered to the base wall  24  of housing member  20 .  
         [0044]    As best seen in FIG. 8, dampeners  98  and  100  are “dog bone” shaped with each dampener having circular ends  102 ,  104  and a transverse elongate section  106  which extends between circular ends  102  and  104 . The shape of dampeners  98  and  100  may vary—the “dog bone” shape illustrated in the figures is just one example and not intended to limit the scope of protection. Preferably, base wall  24  includes a pair of recesses or depressions  108  on its inner surface  24   a  into which dampeners  98  and  100  are injected.  
         [0045]    Depressions  108  may comprise channel shaped depressions  109  as shown in FIG. 9. Alternatively, base wall  24  may include depressions  108 ′, which comprise beveled grooves having reverse beveled sides  110  and  112  forming a reverse chamfer, which provides mechanical locking of the dampeners  98  and  100  to base wall  24  (FIG. 10). It should be understood that where a beveled groove is provided on base wall  24 , dampeners  98  and  100  may be inserted into depression  108 ′ using mechanical means rather than molding.  
         [0046]    In yet another embodiment, base wall  24  may include a plurality of apertures or openings  114  which extend from the inner surface  24   a  to the outer surface  24   c  of base wall  24 . When dampeners  98  and  100  are injection molded onto the inner surface  24   a  of base wall  24  of second housing member  20  over apertures  114 , the gasket material forming the dampeners  98  and  100  extends through apertures  114  to outer surface  24   c  of base wall  24  and forms a plurality of leads or prongs  116  and enlarged ends  118 . In this manner, when the gasket material is cured, dampeners  98  and  100  are mechanically locked or anchored to base  24  by prongs  116  and enlarged ends  118 .  
         [0047]    The gasket material forming boots or diaphragms  68  and  70  and motor pads  98  and  100  is preferably a thermoplastic elastomer, such as Kraton (TPE) G2705 which is available from GLS Corp., Kerry, Ill. Other suitable gasket materials are TPR (Thermoplastic Rubber) or TPU (Thermoplastic Urethane). As described previously, second housing member  20  may comprise a glass-filled polypropylene material or the like, in which case the gasket material forming the seals and dampeners will chemically bond and adhere to base wall  24 . Alternatively, the boots and diaphragms may be mechanically locked with base wall  24  in a similar manner to noise dampeners  98  and  100 .  
         [0048]    Referring to FIGS.  15 - 17 , base wall  24  may include a recess or depression  70   a ,  70   a ′ formed on upper surface  24   a  of base wall  24  into which the gasket material forming diaphragms  68  and  70  may be injection molded. Similar to depressions  108 , the depressions may comprise channel shaped-grooves ( 70   a ) with beveled side walls to mechanically hold the diaphragm  68 ,  70  on base wall  24 . Alternatively, base wall  24  may include a plurality of apertures  70   b  that extend through base wall  24  so that when the gasket material is injection molded onto base wall  24 , the gasket material flows through apertures  70   b  to form prongs  70   c  that extend through to lip  92  on the inner surface of base wall  24 . The recess, beveled groove, and the prongs mechanically lock or anchor diaphragms  68  and  70  to base wall  24 . When diaphragms  68  and  70  are mechanically locked to base wall  24 , the material of the housing members may comprise ABS or PBT.  
         [0049]    When injection molding boots  68  and  70  and dampeners  98  and  100 , a hot runner system may be used. In hot runner systems a single injection point or multiple injection points may be provided which direct the gasket material to the molding locations of the diaphragms and dampeners. Each molding location may include a designated gate in which case the need for crossovers or feeders is eliminated. However, where the number of molding locations exceeds the number of gates, then cross-overs are needed. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of molded structures ( 68 ,  70 ,  98 ,  100 ) exceeds the number of gates provided in the hot-runner system and, therefore, cross-overs  119   a  and  119   b  are needed to direct the flow of the gasket material between the adjoining molded structures. As best seen in FIG. 8, two crossovers  119   a  and  119   b  are provided to direct the flow of the gasket material either from boot  68 ,  70  to dampener  98 ,  100  or from dampener  98 ,  100  to boot  68 ,  70  depending on the location of the gate. As explained above, these cross overs  119   a  and  119   b  may be eliminated where the number of gates equals the number of molded structures. It can also be appreciated that a third cross-over is needed where only a single gate is provided in the hot-runner system.  
         [0050]    Referring to FIG. 12, a second embodiment of the second housing member  120  is shown. Second housing member  120  is of similar construction to housing  20 , except that housing  120  further includes an integral gasket seal  121 , which extends around the perimeter of second housing  120  inwardly of an outward sidewall  125 . Similar to boots  68 ,  70  and dampeners  98  and  100 , gasket seal  121  is preferably integrally molded with second housing  120 . As best seen in FIG. 14, the gasket material is injected and molded onto a landing or shoulder  125   a  of side wall  125  so that when second housing member  120  is secured to first housing member  19 , gasket seal  121  will seal the perimeter connection between the two housing members. Sidewall  125  includes an offset portion  125   b  which overlaps with an upwardly extending offset peripheral portion  22   b  of sidewall  22  of lower housing member  19  to provide a first outermost barrier to the elements. Preferably, side wall  22  of lower housing member  19  includes a horizontal offset  22   a  to allow a closer fit-up between the overlapping perimeters of sidewalls  125  and  22 . Again, integral gasket seal  121  may be molded separately from the other molded structures ( 68 ,  70 ,  98 ,  100 ) in which case no cross-overs or feeders are required. Where the hot runner system includes fewer gates than there are molded structures, as described in reference to diaphragms  68  and  70  and dampeners  98  and  100 , cross-overs, however, are required to permit the flow of the gasket material from the respective gate to the several molded structures, including the gasket seal  121 .  
         [0051]    In the illustrated embodiment, in FIGS. 13 and 14, cross-over  123  extends from diaphragm  70  to gasket seal  121 . Preferably, there are a plurality of cross-overs ( 123 ) between diaphragms  68  and  70  and the gasket seal  121  to assure that the gasket material flows along the entire perimeter of the second housing member  120  over the full length of seal  121 . Moreover, additional cross-overs  223   a  and  224   a  may extend between dampeners  98  and  100 , respectively, and gasket seal  121  to reduce the length of the flow path. It should be understood from the foregoing that the number of cross-overs depend on the number of gates and also depend on the hot runner system and the flow properties of the particular gasket material used.  
         [0052]    In the illustrated embodiment, in FIG. 13, gasket seal  121  is molded with the planar, upper surface of shoulder  125   a.  However, as best seen in FIG. 14, shoulder  125   a  may include a depression  125   c  to increase the contact surface and thereby improves adhesion between gasket seal  121  and second housing member  120 .  
         [0053]    Referring to FIG. 12, a third weather seal  221  may be provided around the distal end of collar  59  of socket member  56 . Seal  221  is similarly preferably injection molded with second housing member  20 . Gasket seal  221  abuts a shoulder  65   a  of boss structure  65  and therefore provides a seal for the ball and socket connection between mirror backing plate  14  and second housing member  120  (FIG. 6). Moreover, the gasket material forming seal  221  may be directed to collar  59  by cross-overs  223   b  and  224   b  extending from dampeners  98  and  100 , respectively, to the distal end of collar  59 .  
         [0054]    In addition to providing an improved seal, integral gasket seal  121  reduces the relative play between the upper and lower housing members  19  and  120 . Moreover, by having an integral gasket seal, upper and lower housing members  19  and  120  may be quickly assembled, disassembled, and re-assembled without the attendant problems and costs associated with die cut gaskets. The integral diaphragms similarly provide enhanced seals and, like the integral motor dampeners and gasket seal, reduce the assembly and disassemble time.  
         [0055]    Furthermore while several forms of the invention have been shown and described, other forms will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, some or all the molded structures ( 68 ,  70 ,  98 ,  100 ,  121 ,  221 ) may be chemically bonded to the respective surfaces on second housing members  20 ,  120 . Chemically bonding is achieved by selecting the material of the housing and gasket material such that when the gasket material is in a semi-molten state and is placed or flowed onto the housing, chemical adhesion between the two polymers forming the housing and the gasket material occurs. As described, housing  20 ,  120  may comprise glass-filled polypropylene, and the gasket material may comprise a thermoplastic elastic family material. Moreover, the shape of the boots, motor pads and gasket seal may vary. The embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings and described above are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims which follow.  
         [0056]    The embodiments of the invention in which we claim exclusive property or privilege are defined as: