Abstract:
Exterior rearview mirror for vehicles, preferably for motor vehicles. The exterior rearview mirror has a mirror base with a bracket. Supported on the mirror base is a mirror head with a bracket that can be folded about one axis in the direction of travel and one axis opposite the direction of travel. In order to design the exterior rearview mirror to ensure foldability of the mirror head in a simple manner, the brackets on the mirror-head side and mirror-base side are each equipped with joint parts that are detachably connected to one another to form the two pivot/fold axes for the mirror head. As a result, the exterior rearview mirror is economical to manufacture and also to assemble. Due to the small number of components and its lack of susceptibility to problems, the exterior rearview mirror is especially suitable for use in motor vehicles.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2004 032 997.4 filed Jul. 8, 2004. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention concerns an exterior rearview mirror for vehicles, preferably for motor vehicles. 
   In exterior rearview mirrors of motor vehicles, the mirror head can be folded relative to the mirror base about one upright axis in the vehicle&#39;s direction of travel and one such axis opposite the direction of travel when an appropriate force acts on the mirror head. In order to allow this foldability, an intermediate link is arranged between the mirror base and mirror head, permitting the mirror head to fold in both directions relative to the mirror base. The intermediate link must be manufactured and assembled separately, increasing the cost of the exterior rearview mirror. 
   The object of the invention is to design an exterior rearview mirror such that the foldability of the mirror head is ensured in a simple manner. 
   This object is attained in accordance with the invention in an exterior rearview mirror. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In the inventive exterior rearview mirror, no separate intermediate link is provided between the mirror base and mirror head. The brackets on the mirror-head side and mirror-base side are each equipped with joint parts that cooperate with one another and form the respective pivot/fold axis for the mirror head. As a result, the inventive exterior rearview mirror is economical to manufacture and also to assemble. Moreover, the inventive exterior rearview mirror is characterized by a small number of components, by which means the susceptibility of the exterior rearview mirror to problems can be kept low. 
   Additional features of the invention are apparent from the other claims, the description, and the drawings. 
   Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is explained in detail on the basis of an example embodiment shown in the drawings. The drawings show: 
       FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a bracket of a mirror head of an inventive exterior rearview mirror, 
       FIG. 2 , another perspective view of the bracket of the mirror head from  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 3 , the bracket of the mirror head of the inventive exterior rearview mirror in top view, 
       FIG. 4 , a perspective view of the articulation region of the bracket of the mirror base of the inventive exterior rearview mirror, 
       FIG. 5 , a side view of the bracket of the mirror base from  FIG. 4 , 
       FIG. 6 , a front view of the brackets of the mirror base and mirror head of the inventive exterior rearview mirror, joined together, 
       FIG. 7 , a section along the line A-A in  FIG. 6 , 
       FIG. 8 , a section along the line B-B in  FIG. 6 , 
       FIG. 9 , a perspective view of the bracket of the mirror head of the inventive exterior rearview mirror, folded toward the back relative to the direction of travel, 
       FIG. 10 , a section along the line A-A in  FIG. 9 , 
       FIG. 11 , a section along the line B-B in  FIG. 9 , 
       FIG. 12 , a perspective view of the bracket of the mirror head of the inventive exterior rearview mirror, folded toward the back relative to the direction of travel, 
       FIG. 13 , a perspective view of the bracket of the mirror head of the inventive exterior rearview mirror, folded toward the front relative to the direction of travel, 
       FIG. 14 , a section along the line A-A in  FIG. 13 , 
       FIG. 15 , a section along the line B-B in  FIG. 13 , 
       FIG. 16 , a perspective view of the bracket of the mirror head of the inventive exterior rearview mirror, folded toward the front relative to the direction of travel. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In the drawings, only the brackets  1  and  2  of the mirror head  3  and mirror base  4  of the exterior rearview mirror are shown. The brackets  1 ,  2  are located in a known way in housings that are not shown for reasons of clarity. Arranged in a known manner on the bracket  1  of the mirror head  3  are the mirror glass bracket with the mirror glass, an actuating drive for the mirror glass bracket if present, and additional components accommodated in the mirror head, such as a heater, a turn signal repeater lamp, a perimeter light, a camera, a sensor for automatic darkening of an EC mirror glass, a compass, a microphone, and the like. 
   The bracket  1  of the mirror head  3  has a connecting part  5  with which the bracket can be linked to a connecting part  6  ( FIG. 4 ) of the mirror base  4 . The brackets  1 ,  2  are joined together in a pivoting manner by their connecting parts  5 ,  6 .  FIGS. 6 through 8  show the two brackets  1 ,  2  in their initial position where the connecting parts  5 ,  6  are drawn firmly against one another by the force of at least one tension spring  7  ( FIG. 8 ). In this operating position, the mirror head  3  projects laterally from the vehicle. The bracket  2  of the mirror base  4  is affixed to the vehicle door in a known manner. The connecting part  5  of the bracket  1  has stiffening ribs  8  parallel to and spaced apart from one another, so the connecting part  5  has high strength and stiffness. The connecting part  5  is provided on two opposite sides with joint parts  9 ,  10  and  11 , which cooperate with joint parts  12 ,  13  of the bracket  2  ( FIG. 4 ). The two brackets  1 ,  2  are connected together in an articulated manner by the joint parts  9  through  13  such that the bracket  1 , and thus the mirror head  3 , can fold relative to the mirror base  4  both toward and away from the direction of travel of the vehicle. The joint parts  9  through  13  form two pivot axes  14  and  15  ( FIG. 7 ) located one behind the other and spaced apart in the direction of travel and oriented transverse to the direction of travel and approximately perpendicular to the ground. 
   When the mirror head  3  assumes its operating position ( FIG. 6 ), the joint parts  9  through  11  of the connecting part  5  and the joint parts  12 ,  13  of the connecting part  6  interlock ( FIG. 7 ), while the two brackets  1 ,  2  are pressed firmly against one another by the tension spring  7 . As  FIG. 8  shows, one end  16  of the tension spring  7  is hooked in a web  17  of the bracket  1  and the other spring end  18  is hooked in an eye  19  ( FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  8 ) of the connecting part  6 . The tension spring  7  rests over most of its length on a supporting part  20  of the bracket  1  ( FIG. 8 ). 
   The joint parts  9  through  11  are advantageously formed as one piece with the mirror-head-side bracket  1 . In the installed exterior rearview mirror, the joint parts  9  and  10  are located on the front side in the direction of travel and form part of the front pivot axis  14 . In principle, the joint parts  9 ,  10  are of identical design. They have a thickened connecting part  21  adjoining the bracket  1 , from which a web  22  projects. This web has a rounded free longitudinal edge  23 . The longitudinal edges  23  of the webs  22  lie in a common plane. 
   The webs  22  are parallel to and spaced apart from one another. The lateral surface  25  of the webs  22  facing the free longitudinal edge  24  of the connecting part  5  is uniformly curved. The lateral surfaces  25  of all webs  22  lie in a common, curved surface. 
   As is evident from  FIG. 7 , the curved lateral surfaces  25  transition with uniform curvature into the bottom  26  of a receptacle  27  ( FIG. 1 ), which accommodates the joint parts  12  of the connecting part  6  of the bracket  2  in a manner to be described later. The uniformly curved bottom  26  transitions into a uniformly curved side wall  28  of the receptacle  27  ( FIGS. 1 and 7 ). As a result of the design described, the receptacle  27  has a cross-section in the shape of a circular arc. 
   The side wall  28  transitions into a flat end face  29  that is designed as a narrow strip and extends over the entire length of the straight longitudinal edge  24  of the connecting part  5 . 
   The bearing-shell-shaped receptacle  27  is bounded at both ends by transverse webs  30  and  31  that are provided at a short distance from the joint parts  9  and  10  on the end faces. Adjoining the side of the transverse web  30  facing away from the adjacent joint part  9  is a longitudinal web  32 , which extends to the side wall  33  of the connecting part  5 . The longitudinal web  32  has a smaller separation from the longitudinal edge  24  of the connecting part  5  than do the webs  22  of the joint parts  9 ,  10 . Projecting laterally from the end face of the transverse web  31  is a projection  34 , which extends toward the connecting part  6  of the bracket  2 . 
   The shell-shaped receptacle  27  is bounded on one side by the continuous side wall  28  and on the opposite side by the lateral surfaces  25  of the webs  22 , which are spaced apart one behind the other. A larger separation is provided between the webs  22  of the joint parts  9  and the webs of the joint parts  10  than is provided between the webs themselves. 
   The opposite joint part  11  of the connecting part  5  is designed as a bearing shell  37  that has a cross-section in the shape of a circular arc ( FIG. 7 ) and extends between two transverse webs  35  and  36  ( FIG. 1 ). The shell-shaped receptacle  37  widens uniformly toward its free end ( FIG. 7 ). In the receptacle  37 , as in the receptacle  27 , the axis of curvature of the bottom is the pivot axis  14  or  15 . The transverse webs  35 ,  36  have a smaller separation from one another than the transverse webs  30 ,  31 , which delimit the receptacle  27  in the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the bearing-shell-shaped receptacle  37  is shorter than the opposite receptacle  27 . The two receptacles  27 ,  37  are parallel to one another. The stiffening ribs  8  extend perpendicular to the axes of the receptacles  27 ,  37 , and the ends of the ribs adjoin, at right angles, the connecting parts  21  and the side wall  38  of the receptacle  37  facing the receptacle  27 . In this way, the joint parts  9 ,  10  and the side wall  38  of the receptacle  37  are well supported, so that forces arising in this area during folding of the mirror head  3  forward or backward in the direction of travel can be reliably absorbed. 
   The receptacle  27  of the connecting part  5  accommodates the joint parts  12  of the connecting part  6  of the mirror base  4 . As is evident from  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the joint parts  12  are composed of cylindrical bearing parts  39 , which extend between webs  40  projecting at an angle from the connecting part  6 . The bearing parts  39  have an outside surface  41  which lies along the circumferential surface of an imaginary cylinder. As  FIGS. 4 and 7  show, the bearing parts  39  have a slot  42  extending over their length, lending the bearing parts  39  a certain radial elasticity. 
   The connecting part  6  has, on its side opposite the bearing parts  39 , a bearing part  43  that extends between two webs  44 ,  45  projecting laterally from the bracket  2  and has a slot  46  extending along its length. This slot  46  lends the bearing part  43  a certain radial elasticity as well. 
   In the installed position, the bearing parts  39  engage in the receptacle  27  and the bearing part  43  engages in the receptacle  37 . The bearing parts  39 ,  43  are designed such that they are elastically slightly deformed radially upon placement in the receptacles  27 ,  37 , so that they rest against the inner wall of the receptacles  27 ,  37  under preloading. The tension spring  7  pulls the two connecting parts  5 ,  6  and the joint parts  9 - 11  and  12 ,  13  tightly against one another so that the mirror head  3  in its operating position is held reliably on the mirror base  4 . The end faces of the connecting parts  5 ,  6  that face one another are in area contact with one another. As  FIG. 7  shows, the webs  22  of the joint parts  9 ,  10  of the bracket  1  project into end recesses  47 , which are provided as shown in  FIG. 4  between the bearing parts  39  and a transverse wall  48  of the bracket  2 . The webs  40  between the bearing parts  39  lie in the area between adjacent webs  22  of the bearing parts  9 ,  10 . Since the webs  22  engage the recesses  47  of the connecting part  6 , the bearing parts  39  of the connecting part  6  can be enclosed over a circumferential angle of approximately 180°. 
   The bearing part  43  of the connecting part  6  is also enclosed by the wall of the receptacle  37  over approximately 180°. In the operating position of the mirror head  3  shown in  FIG. 7 , the slots  42 ,  46  in the bearing parts  39 ,  43  are arranged such that they are covered by the wall of the receptacles  27 ,  37 . The slots  42 ,  46  extend outward in opposite directions from one another. 
   In  FIGS. 6-8 , the bracket  1  of the mirror head  3  is shown in the operating position of the exterior rearview mirror in which the mirror head projects laterally from the vehicle. The two connecting parts  5 ,  6  of the mirror head  3  and mirror base  4  rest against one another under the force of the tension spring  7 . The joint parts  9  through  11  and  12 ,  13  are interlocked in the manner described above. The force of the tension spring  7  is great enough that the mirror head  3  rests firmly against the mirror base  4 . The exterior rearview mirror is designed such that, in the event of an impact in or opposite to the direction of travel, the mirror head  3  can fold away relative to the mirror base  4  about the appropriate pivot axis  14  or  15 . 
     FIGS. 9 through 12  show the case in which the mirror head  3  has been folded away toward the back viewed in the vehicle&#39;s direction of travel about the joint axis  15  relative to the mirror base  4  by a suitable impact. In the process, the bracket  1  of the mirror head  3  pivots about the axis  15  relative to the bracket  2  of the mirror base  4 . The webs  22  and the receptacle  27  come away from the bearing parts  39 , since the receptacle  27  is open toward the connecting part  6  of the mirror base  2 , or in the direction of pivot. 
   Since the bearing part  43  is essentially cylindrical in design and the receptacle  37  has a corresponding outline, the bracket  1  can pivot about the axis  15  relative to the bracket  2  against the force of the tension spring  7  under the influence of the external force. 
   As soon as the influence of the external force ceases, the bracket  1  pivots back about the axis  15  into the operating position shown in  FIGS. 6-8  under the force of the tension spring  7 . During this pivoting motion, the receptacle  27  automatically encloses the bearing parts  39 . 
   If the mirror head  3  sustains a forward impact in the direction of travel, then it can fold away toward the front in the direction of travel about the axis  14  relative to the mirror base  4  ( FIGS. 13-16 ). During this folding motion, the receptacle  37  releases the bearing part  43 . Since the opposite bearing parts  39  and the receptacle  27  have cylindrical circumferential surfaces, the bracket  1  of the mirror head  3  can pivot with its receptacle  27  on the cylindrical outer surface  41  of the bearing parts  39  about the axis  14 . 
   As soon as the influence of the force ceases, the mirror head  3  folds back into its operating position under the force of the tension spring  7 . In this process, the bracket  1  of the mirror head  3  pivots about the axis  14  until the bearing part  43  of the mirror base  4  engages the receptacle  37  of the mirror head  3 . 
   In the region next to the transverse webs  35  and  36  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) that delimit the receptacle  37  are located projections  49 ,  50  ( FIG. 1 ) that engage in end recesses  51  of the connecting part  6  of the mirror base  4  ( FIGS. 4 and 14 ) in the operating position of the mirror head  3  ( FIGS. 6-8 ). The recesses  51  are located immediately behind the bearing part  43  at the side facing the opposite bearing parts  39 . 
   In the exterior rearview mirror described, no intermediate link, which would represent an additional component, is provided between the mirror head  3  and the mirror base  4 . The force of the tension spring  7  suffices to hold the mirror base  4  and the mirror head  3  securely together. Even when the mirror head  3  is folded away relative to the mirror base  4  either forward or backward in the direction of travel in the manner described, the spring force ensures that the mirror head  3  and the mirror base  4  are held together securely. This effect is also assisted by the fact that the spring force increases during the folding process so that the mirror head  3  and the mirror base  4  are joined firmly enough together even though these two parts are supported only in an axis guide  14  or  15 . Since no additional intermediate link is provided in the exterior rearview mirror, the result is simple and above all economical manufacture and assembly. Since the receptacles  27 ,  37  extend over almost the entire applicable width of the connecting part  5  of the bracket  1  of the mirror head  3 , the joint parts  12 ,  13  that engage these receptacles  27 ,  37  are reliably guided and held. As a result, the folding motion of the mirror head  3 , in particular, is also supported. At the same time, the described joint design also achieves a centering of the brackets  1  and  2  relative to one another so that the defined position is always reached after the mirror head  3  folds back into the operating position. 
   Since the receptacles  27 ,  37  and the associated mating joint parts  12 ,  13  are sufficiently long, they can be made of plastic with no problems. As a result, the exterior rearview mirror can be produced very economically. 
   The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.