Abstract:
A mirror carrier plate assembly is slidably engageable along a sliding direction by a holding plate of a mirror housing for securing the mirror carrier plate assembly to the housing. The holding plate has two opposite sides. The mirror carrier plate assembly includes a substantially planar mirror carrier plate having a first surface for receiving a mirror and a second surface opposite the first surface, and at least two sets of projecting clips extending from the second surface of the mirror carrier plate and configured to receive and matingly retain the opposite sides of the holding plate. The sets are disposed substantially along the sliding direction. At least one of the sets of projecting clips is disposed on the mirror carrier plate along a first curved line so that a first portion of the one set is disposed further from a line extending in the sliding direction than a second portion of the one set. Related rear view mirror assemblies are also disclosed.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/835,158, filed Apr. 4, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,451. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is generally concerned with a replaceable mirror for motor vehicles and is more particularly concerned with a replaceable mirror having a slidable mirror carrier plate. 
     A rear view mirror arrangement of this type is known from EP 0 609 508 A1. In the case of this rear view mirror arrangement, a sliding connection between a holding plate for a removable installation of a rear view mirror in a housing and the mirror carrying plates is carried out by a clamp lock device. The latter can function in practice in that the holding plate is provided with projections in the area of two, oppositely disposed, parallel side edges which, during clamping, can be pushed parallel to the plane of the plate into complementary shaped depressions on the back of the mirror carrier plate. 
     This previously known sliding arrangement is characterized by a stable mounting and good withdrawal of the mirror carrier plate away from the holding plate. However, this design is complex in its molding technology, since connection projections are to be provided on the holding plate as well as the complementary shaped rear depressions on the mirror carrying plate. Moreover, in the sliding of the mirror carrier plate onto the holding plate, though seemingly simple of itself, in practice the projections on the holding plate must be intuitively maneuvered into the complementary shaped depressions of the rear area of the mirror carrier plate. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Basing consideration on the problems recited above, it is an object of the invention to improve the sliding connection between the holding plate and the mirror carrying plate, so that the manufacture and the manipulation work for the mirror arrangement is reduced. 
     This purpose will be achieved by means of the present invention. In accord with the invention, on the one hand there may be provided at least one open insert channel, groove-like in shape and aligned along the holding plate plane, into which a complementary anchoring piece on the mirror carrier plate can slide, parallel to the plane of the holding plate, during replacement closure. On the other hand, a mirror carrier plate may be provided as a slide-in connection possessing a trapezoidal periphery. This has inwardly-turned clips correspondingly trapezoidally arranged, parallel to the plane of the holding plate. These clips, during a motion of sliding in along the plane of the holding plate, embrace receiving clips curved outwardly on the rim of the holding plate which has a periphery complementary to the above. 
     To achieve a solid connection between the holding plate and the mirror carrier plate, both of the above outlined preferred methods of slide connection for the rear view mirror arrangements can be realized, however, only one of the two methods of sliding together at a time is possible. In addition it must be mentioned, that the functional assignment of the individual designs of the slide-connection in accord with the invention as to holding plate or mirror carrier plate, can be reversed. 
     In the case of the two provided sliding connection methods in accord with the invention, either is of advantage, in that in spite of a very short slide movement, a stable and in the case of commercial vehicles, an enduring fastening of the mirror carrier plate, and thereby the mirror glass, on the holding plate is achieved. This is more supported by the trapezoidal “wedge” action of the securement fittings, which calls forth a precise securement positioning of the mirror carrier plate on the holding plate at the full stop point of the sliding final position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Preferred arrangements, additional features, details and advantages of the invention are to be gained from the dependent claims and the following descriptions, in which following embodiments and with the aid of the enclosed drawings all of which are explained in greater detail. The following shows in: 
     FIG. 1 an external mirror in accord with the invention in plan view, 
     FIG. 2 a side view of the mirror in accord with FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 a plan view of a holding plate and a mirror carrier plate in combined position according the arrow direction of FIG. 2, 
     FIG. 4 a section through the plate arrangement along the Section Line IV—IV in accord with FIG. 3, 
     FIG. 5 a plan view of a holding and mirror carrier plate in combined position in a second embodiment, 
     FIG. 6 a presentation analogous to FIG. 5 in a third embodiment of the sliding arrangement, 
     FIG. 7 a section in accord with section line VII—VII of FIG. 6, 
     FIG. 8 a presentation analogous to FIG. 5 in a fourth embodiment of the sliding arrangement, 
     FIG. 9 a section along the section line IX—IX of FIG. 8, 
     FIG. 10 a presentation analogous to FIG. 5 in a fifth embodiment of the sliding arrangement, and 
     FIG. 11 a section along the section line XI—XI in accord with FIG.  10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment of the invention can be used on another embodiment to yield yet another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include such modifications and variations. 
     The external mirror presented in FIGS. 1,  2  for a commercial motor vehicle is constructed as a double mirror. It possesses a holder in the form of a double armed support  1  for the fastening of the mirror on a schematically indicated body part  2  of a commercial vehicle. The double support arm  1  is affixed to the vehicle body by a bracket  3  which is swingable about vertical axis  4 . 
     In an aerodynamic shaped mirror housing  5  a back plate  6  is arranged which is fastened by means of an attachment means  7  on the two holding pins  8 ,  9  on the free end of the double arm support  1 . The housing  5  is supported directly on this back plate  6 . At appropriate points the back plate  6  can show designed cutouts, which are not further detailed, to reduce weight. 
     Two mirror panes,  10 ,  11  are each swivelably secured to the back plate  6  by movable supporting hemispheres  12 ,  13  respectively. The lower mirror pane exhibits only a lightly convex main mirror pane, the upper mirror pane  11  is a smaller wide angle mirror. 
     The lower mirror  10  is served by two adjustment means,  14 ,  15  in the form of electrical motor-drive sets which are coupled to the mirror  10  by means of a stepless crank drive  14 ,  15  which will not be further described. By means of the adjustment aggregates  14 ,  15 , the mirror  10  can be adjusted through two adjustment axes  17 ,  18 . 
     The holding apparatus  7  is designed as a clamping mechanism, the clamp abutment  19  thereof being integral with the back plate  6  and serving also for the holding pins  8 ,  9 . The abutment  19  is installed on the free end of a square projection  21  extending out of plane  20  of the back plate  6 . By means of a fastening screw (not shown) a clamping jaw is lockingly bindable to the clamp abutment  19 , whereby the back plate  6  is firmly affixed with the holding pins  8 ,  9  of the support arms  1  when the clamping closure of the clamping device takes place. Further detail on this point is obtainable in the introduction in EP -609 508 A1. 
     In the assembly drawing shown in FIG. 2, the projection  21  penetrates through a not shown housing opening, which is found in angular base  28  of a housing recess  30  on the outer housing side  29 . The clamp abutment  19  and the clamping jaw of the clamping apparatus  7  are also on the outside of the housing  29  and installed in this housing recess  30 , thereby being easily accessible for a mounting of both mirror and support arm  1 . 
     For the installation of the two swivelable support hemispheres  12 ,  13 , the description will be that of the under support hemisphere  12  for the lower mirror  10 . The upper swivelable support hemisphere is correspondingly the same. 
     The swivelable bearing  12  is designed as a spherical ball joint installed on the back plate  6 , wherein the bearing shell  32  of the ball joint is integral with the back plate  6 . The bearing shell  32  is then installed at the free end of a ring-shaped projection  33  protruding from the plate plane  20  of the mirror back plate  6 . Centrally, the bearing shell  32  exhibits as an integral part a horizontally projecting, threaded sheath  34  in which a fastening screw  35  is threadedly engaged for a not further shown abutment flap which surmounts the threaded sheath  34 . A compression spring is supported therefrom which acts upon a spherical segment shaped forcing element  38  in the direction of the bearing shell  32  of the swivelling support  12 . 
     Between the pressing element  38  and the bearing shell  32  runs a hemispherical counter shell  39  for the mirror  10 , and which is molded on a flat holding plate  40 . This counter shell  39  shows a central opening  41 , through which the threaded sheath  34  moves when in use. On the holding plate  40  a mirror carrier plate  42  is releasably fastened, to which the mirror  10  is permanently affixed by adhesive. 
     As becomes further plain from FIGS. 1,  2 , the housing  5  is two pieced, comprised of a main piece  43  and a framing  44  which conforms to the surrounding sides of the mirrors  10 ,  11 . The framing  44  exhibits in this function an outer lying peripheral area  45  as well as the peripheries of the mirrors  10 ,  11 , and said framing  44  is further provided with offset, flanking, inner lying wall sections  46 . Of these, there protrudes in the direction of the back plate  6 , integral, molded bracing members  47 , which, between the ends thereof, respectively a holding tab  48  is found running parallel to the back plate  6 . With these retaining tabs  48  the framing  44  is integrally affixed to the molded fastening means of the back plate  6 . 
     The releasable fastening of each mirror carrier plate  42  to the extended holding plate  40  which is integral with the counter bearing shell hemisphere  39  of the swivelable mirror support  12 ,  13 , is described for additional embodiments in more detail with the help of drawings FIG. 3 to FIG.  11 . 
     FIGS. 3,  4  show a first basic type of the releasable sliding connection between the holding plate  40  and the mirror carrier plate  42  of the present fastening. 
     The holding plate  40 , in plan view is designed trapezoidal with a bottom base side  49 , a top side  50  parallel thereto and two sides  51  and  52 . Centrally located, as shown in FIG.  3  and FIG. 4 once again is apparent the counter bearing shell  39  with the opening  41  for the swivelling support  12 . The sides  49  to  52  of the holding plate  40  are complementary to a designed general marking of  53  for a wedge shaped peripheral area on the mirror carrier plate  42 . This peripheral area  53  is bordered by three support pieces,  54 ,  55 , and  56 , which, as is plain on FIG. 3, are continuous around the two sides plus the short top base to realize a partial trapizoidal collar  57 . The wedge-type design of the peripheral area, that is, the support pieces  54  and  55  arises from the slanted arrangement of the two support pieces  54 ,  55 , which form the indicated wedge angle k. From the inside  58  of the two side support pieces  54 ,  55  there projects respectively at about half the height and toward the inside, fastening projection clips with a spatial interval of “d” running in a plane P 2 . The gripping projection clips  59  lie at a distance from the actual mirror carrier plate which represents about half the thickness of the holding plate  40 . 
     For assembly of the mirror carrier plate  42 , with the mirror  10  on the holding plate  40 , the mirror carrier plate  42 , in accord with the assembly end positioning as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, is set above on the holding plate  40  and subsequently pushed in the direction indicated by the slip direction “S”. After being so slipped together, the sides  51 ,  52  and the upper base short side  50  of the holding plate  40  lie on the corresponding side positions  54 ,  55 , and  56  of the mirror carrier plate, whereby simultaneously the clip projections  59  grip the named sides  51 ,  52  of the holding plate. 
     The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 differs from that in accord with FIGS. 3 and 4, principally in that the straight sides  51 ,  52  of the holding plate  40  are curved outwardly. In complementary manner thereto, the side support pieces  54 ,  55  have also a correspondingly curved outline. The holding projections  59  are not only available on the sides  54 ,  55 , but also on the base side  56 . The interval offsetting them “d” is greatly reduced as compared to the previous embodiment. 
     The assembly method for the embodiment in accord with FIG. 5, is little changed from that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     With the aid of FIGS. 6 and 7, the second fundamental slip connection design in accord with the invention which is to be described. Basically, in this case the matter proceeds from a groove shaped reception channel  60  in the holding plate  40 , which is formed by a sprayed on, angular projection tab  37  which is integral with the holding plate  40 . Each receiving channel  60  is in the direction of the plate plane P 1 , open toward the top and serves for the reception of a complementary anchoring piece  62 , which is oriented downward in the opposite direction from the open side of the reception channel  60  and is formed by an angular projection on the mirror carrier plate. 
     As is made plain by FIGS. 6 and 7, there are, in the case of the embodiment there shown, six groove characterized reception pieces  60  about the counter bearing shell  39  and along the right angled arranged sides  63 ,  64 ,  65 ,  66  of the holding plate  40  on the rear side of the holding plate  40  facing away from the mirror carrier plate  42 . Two of the receiving channels lie in the area of the upper side  63 , two in the area of the lower side  64  and two at half the distance between the counter bearing shell  39  and the vertical sides  65 ,  66 . So that the four last named reception channels  60  are accessible for the respective complementary angular projections  61  of the mirror carrier plate  42 , in front of the open side of these reception grooves is often a penetration  67  is made in the holding plate  40  through which the respective angular projection lockingly protrudes. 
     For the assembly of the mirror carrier plate  42  onto the holding plate  40 , the angular projections  61  of the mirror carrier plate  42  with their anchoring pieces  62  are brought in front of the receiving channels  60  and the mirror carrier plate is pushed in the direction “S”. Thereby, the anchoring pieces  62  lockingly engage in the respective receiving channels  60  and there, preferably in place, are releasably fastened. 
     The embodiment of the manner of connection between holding plate  40  and the mirror carrier plate  42  shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 presents practically a combination of the designs indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4 and FIGS. 6 and 7. 
     Once again a trapezoidal holding plate  40  is provided which works in conjunction with a corresponding, wedge-like periphery  53 , formed from trapezoidal support collar  57  on the mirror carrier plate  42 . Further on the lower end of the holding plate  40 , two receiving channels  60  analogous to two lower receiving channels  60  on the square holding plate  40  as in FIG. 6 are provided, in which once again the corresponding anchoring pieces  62  of the mirror carrier plate fit. 
     As to the remainder, for coinciding construction pieces the identical reference numbers have been used, so that a further detailed description of the embodiments shown in FIG.  8  and FIG. 9 would be redundant. These are evident without any additional comments from the description of FIGS. 3,  4 ,  6 , and  7 . 
     Finally in FIG. 10 is a further alternative for the basic fastening construction as presented in the FIGS. 6 and 7. In this case a right angled holding plate  40  is provided, on the lower side of which a receiving channel  60 ′ extends over the entire width. The latter is again formed from a sprayed-on angular projection  37 ′ and lies, contrary to the previously described embodiments, on the side of the holding plate  40  facing the mirror carrier plate  42 . On the mirror carrier plate  42 , again an angular projection  61 ′ is molded on, which extends to the receiving channel  60 ′ a complementary anchorage piece  62 ′. 
     Over the top side  63  of the holding plate  40 , which side is oppositely disposed to the receiving channel  60 ′, is a complementary, molding like counter piece  68  which is slidable over the holding plate  40  and which was formed from a corresponding angular offset  69 . The mirror carrier plate  42  is further provided with a rib  69 ′ upon which the upper rim area of side  63  is supported, as shown in the assembly drawing, FIG.  11 . 
     For the placement of the mirror carrier plate  42 , this is again placed on the holding plate  40  aligned in the sliding direction S at the measured width of the anchoring piece  62 ′ below and, of course, the corresponding width of the counter piece  68  above and then pushed in said sliding direction S downward. When this is done, the anchoring piece  62 ′ enters the corresponding receiving channel  60 ′ in a tight fit. At the same time, the counter piece  68  moves to engage behind the upper side area  63  of the holding plate  40  whereby a stable connection between the two plates  40 ,  42  is created. 
     The relative displacement between the holding plate  40  and the mirror carrier plate  42  is, in general, greater than the remaining offset opening  73  between the outer edge  71  of the mirror carrier plate  42  and the housing opening  72  which latter follows the peripheral zone  46  about the mirrors (FIGS.  1  and  2 ). On this account, in a normal rear view positioning of the mirror, as it is shown in FIG. 2 for the lower main mirror  10 , the mirror carrier plate  42  is so encompassed by the housing  5  that a complete release of the sliding contact between the mirror carrier plate  42  and the holding plate  40  is impossible. Before the sliding contact between said plates  40 ,  42  is released, the mirror carrier plate  42  impinges on the corresponding wall section  46  of the housing. 
     Only if the component group of the mirror carrier plate  42  and the holding plate  40  with the aid of the swiveling supports  12 ,  13 , is tilted in an extremely pitched assembly position, as is indicated by the position of the auxiliary mirror  11  in FIG. 2, can the mirror carrier plate  42  be completely pushed out of the final mounted position as shown in the dotted lines of FIG.  3  and lifted from the holding plate  40 . The extraction of the mirror carrier plate  42  and its replacement is thus only possible in such an extremely tilted position. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. It is intended that the present invention include such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.