Patent ID: 8209816

Claim:
An exterior vehicle mirror assembly having a locking hinge, comprising: a first locking arm and a second locking arm pivotally arranged around a locking hinge axis such that they can be swiveled with respect to one another and can be fixed in at least one position relative to the other; said first locking arm having a pair of bearing surfaces arranged facing each other and have a first axial spacing between one another on said locking hinge axis; said second locking arm having a bearing block having a pair of bearing counter surfaces thereon and arranged to engage with said bearing surfaces of said first locking arm to create a hinged connection between said first and second locking arms, and said bearing counter surfaces having a second axial spacing between one another defined by said bearing block along the locking hinge axis; a first locking element having a first locking surface affixed on one of said bearing surfaces of said first locking arm, and a second locking surface affixed on one of said bearing counter surfaces of the bearing block engaging said first locking surface; a spring element biasing said first and said second locking surfaces together using a first spring action; and, wherein said first axial spacing between said bearing surfaces on said first locking arm in an un-stretched state is less than said second axial spacing between said bearing counter surfaces on said bearing block, so that there is a second spring force generated by elasticity of the first locking arm acting on said first and second locking surfaces which is superimposed on said first spring force.