Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 09/420,117, filed Oct. 18, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,003, and Ser. No. 08/978,593, filed Nov. 25, 1997, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,222. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention concerns exterior mirrors for vehicles, and especially an exterior mirror including a housing, a mirror or glass support and mirror element or glass body formed in separate modules which are connected to each other by plug type or locking connectors. In addition, the invention relates to the inclusion of energy supply wires or electrical conductors for electrically driven components which are integrated in the modules and/or in the plug type and locking connectors. 
     Prior known rearview mirror assemblies, and especially exterior rearview mirror assemblies have required the careful assembly of various components in a piece-meal and time consuming fashion. The present invention considerably simplifies the former style of conventional motor vehicle exterior mirrors typically used on passenger cars, vans, or motor trucks. In addition, because the exterior mirror is a vehicle part which projects from the vehicle body and thus forms the extreme lateral extension of a vehicle, the present invention also expands the functionality of the exterior mirror and takes advantage of its position on the vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention discloses a housing, a mirror or glass support and a mirror element or glass body for an exterior rearview mirror for vehicles which are separately formed modules linked together by plug type and locking connectors. Consequently, the logistic expense for manufacturing the wide variety and continuously growing diversity of exterior mirrors for varying vehicles is considerably reduced. 
     In the event the exterior mirror has a built-in, adjustable mechanism or actuator for the mirror or glass element or body, it is preferred that the actuator be included as an additional separate module which can be plugged into or locked with the mirror support and mirror element. 
     Furthermore, it is preferred to imprint electrical strip conductors on the mirror or glass support and to provide suitable electric contact pins on the actuator mechanism for contact with the strip conductors through connection with the mirror support. A preferred version of the invention provides for integrated electric heating in the mirror glass body module with terminal lugs which make contact with the strip conductors when in connection with the mirror or glass support. Moreover, the housing is preferably made of two separate parts, for example, an upper and lower part which, when assembled, can be locked together enclosing the mirror or glass support. For purposes of good torsional stability, it is also preferred that the mirror or glass support and/or housing parts be in a clam-shell shape. The mirror glass support includes an electric plug type connector whose contacts are connected with the strip conductors at a position close to the mirror base. 
     In other forms of the invention, a light module is attached to the front exterior mirror. Such a module or light module can encompass particular functions such as turn, stop and position signals, or can be built as a multi-functional element which combines the previously mentioned signals, i.e., incorporates all of these ways of giving signals in a single light module. 
     In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing is composed of a lower and upper parts. The lower part includes as an appropriate support module adapted to the mirror or glass body and/or the mirror or glass support, to the adjustable driving mechanism or actuator for the mirror or glass support and/or mirror or glass body, to the light module, as well as to the housing upper part. The housing lower part includes a support module and, thus, is the module which establishes the connection to and support on the vehicle and the necessary electrical units. Preferably, the housing lower part, on the side closest to the vehicle, has an articulated pivot or link which also includes the appropriate electrical contacts. These can be placed on the lateral forepart of the articulated link or pivot or on its cover or bottom area. Preferably, the electrical contacts are sliding contacts. 
     In addition, the light module itself is placed on the far side of the housing lower part from the vehicle and is located on the exterior of the housing so that it is flexible and adaptable as a module and not an integrated component. To this end, the housing upper part has a protruding tongue overlapping the light module on the side farthest from the vehicle. From a purely optical point of view, the overall exterior mirror then appears as one single unit. The light module is also provided with necessary electrical contacts such that the light module can be fitted to the housing lower part support module by means of a dovetail joint. The electrical contacts are arranged and shaped on the light module so that they will accommodate or be included in the dovetail joint. 
     The articulated link or pivot of the housing lower part has a vertical bore or hole for receiving a pivot pin allowing the entire exterior mirror to be rotatable and pivotable. On the side of the housing upper part which is closest to the vehicle, a cap is placed on the articulated link or pivot, or at least partially containing that link or pivot. The cap extends over the articulated link or pivot of the housing lower part. The cap also includes an axial bore or hole, coaxially aligned with the bore hole of the articulated link or pivot so as to create optical unity when viewed from the exterior. 
     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 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of the modular exterior rearview mirror assembly of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the modular exterior rearview mirror assembly of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, a first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.  1 . The housing is composed of an upper part  1  and a lower part  2  made of highly shock resistant synthetic material and designed as a clam shell. Upper part  1  has the shape of a somewhat elongated, reversed U and terminates in a curved lower surface  3  provided with connectors or stop links. On the end facing the position of the vehicle on which the mirror is intended to be mounted, upper part  1  has a roughly circular opening  4  which partially receives the mirror base end extremity of mirror or glass support  10  when assembled. On the rear side with respect to the direction of motion, housing part  1  is provided with a half opening  5  which locks the mirror or glass body  20  in the upper area after assembly. In addition, a fork  6  is shaped from the upper housing part  1 , displaced inwardly in relation to the half opening  5 , and receives in between an adjustable mechanism or actuator  30  for mirror or glass body  20 . 
     Lower housing part  2  corresponds to the upper housing part  1 , resembles a tub, and has an upper periphery  7  which is provided with counterlocking devices or connectors which receive those on the upper part. Thus, upper housing part  1  is locked into place with the lower housing part  2  by means of locking devices provided in areas  3  and  7 . On the end closest to the vehicle, lower housing part  2  has an upward opening corresponding to opening  4  such that the base end or near extremity  12  of mirror or glass support  10  is caught between the upper housing part  1  and lower housing part  2  when these are connected. Lower housing part  2 , like upper housing part  1 , is made of highly shock resistant synthetic material and is also designed as a clam shell. Edge  5  of upper housing part  1  blends into edge  8  of lower housing part  2  encompassing the mirror or glass body  20  from below after assembly. 
     Mirror or glass support  10  is also made of strong, synthetic material and designed as a clam shell showing the shape of a kind of hollow plate. Through appropriate shapes in the interior of the upper housing part and lower housing parts, mirror or glass support  10  is contained inside the space surrounded by housing parts  1  and  2 . Several electric strip conductors  14 ,  16 ,  18  are imprinted on the synthetic material of mirror or glass support  10 . These are electrically connected with pins of a tip jack  15  provided in the extremity  12  of mirror support  10 . Each strip connector ends in a jack  11 ,  13 ,  17  shaped in the material of the glass support, each having an electric conductive strip inside. Furthermore, mirror support  10  has a central, somewhat elliptical opening  19  into which the appropriately shaped adjustable mechanism or actuator  30  for mirror or glass support  20  can be inserted and locked. The actuator has a somewhat elliptical housing receiving the electric regulating motors  31  for mirror or glass body  20 . The electrical connections of the driving motors are linked with contact pins  33 ,  37 ,  39  protruding sideways from the body of the actuator  30  such that, when assembling the actuator, they reach the openings in jacks  11 ,  13 ,  17  where they make an electrical connection with strip conductors  14 ,  16 ,  18 . 
     When the mirror or glass body is provided with integrated heating and/or is composed of an electrochromic mirror, electric contact pins  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  are lined up side-by-side on the back of the mirror or glass body. These are locked in jacks  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  on the front side of the housing of the adjustable mechanism or actuator  30 . Each of these jacks  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  contains an electric contact, which either leads to an additional connection on each contact pin  33 ,  37  or  39  or is looped through the housing of actuator  30  and makes contact with the same existing strip contactors when positioning the actuator housing in opening  19 . 
     The base side extremity of glass support  10  is vertically drilled for insertion of a pivot pin through bore hole  40 , whereby the folding and swiveling or pivoting axis  42  for the mirror subassembly, in relation to the mirror base, extends along the centerline of the bore hole  40 . 
     A second embodiment  50  of the exterior rearview mirror assembly is shown in FIG. 2. A housing lower part  52  forms the actual support module for all other adaptable modules well as housing upper part  53 . Housing lower part  52  includes a saddle part  62  on which is arranged, for example, adjustable driving mechanism or actuator  57  or mirror glass support  54  for the adjustment of the position of mirror or glass body  55 . On side  63  of saddle part  62 , facing the direction of oncoming traffic, and on side  64  facing the rear side which is opposite the oncoming traffic direction, shaped brackets  65  and  66  are provided on which housing upper part  53  partially rests. Brackets  65  and  66  can also be part of light module  56 . Brackets  65  and  66  are not overlapped by housing upper part  53  such that bracket  65 , for example, has on its forepart  67  a useful arrangement of signal giving light emitting diodes (LEDs)  68 . Light module  56  is placed on end  73  of the housing lower part  52  which is farthest from the vehicle. In order to insure electrical flow, light module  56  consists of contacts  76  schematically represented in FIG. 2, which are connected with appropriate counter contacts of housing lower part  52  designed as the support module. All types of connections assuring a simple and easy assembly should be considered. On end  60  of housing lower part  52  which is designed as the support module, a protruding articulated link  58  is provided at the side of saddle part  62 . Since housing lower part  52  establishes the actual connection with the vehicle, the appropriate electrical contacts  59  must also be provided here. For example, they can be located on the cover side  71 , bottom area  72 , or the lateral forepart  70  of articulated link  58 . 
     For practical reasons, contacts  59  are made as sliding contacts. In order to receive a pin, articulated link  58  is provided with a bore hole  77  through which runs a pivot axis  69 . Housing upper part  53  fits the lower housing part  52 , at least partially, in a saucer-type configuration. On end  61  closest to the vehicle, a cap shape  78  extends over articulated link or pivot  58  of housing lower part  52 . In the cap, an axial bore hole  79  is provided which fits coaxially with bore hole  77  of articulated link  58 . On end  74  farthest from the vehicle, a protruding tongue  75  extending to the light module  56  juts out from the housing main part. Light module  56  can be subdivided into various signal sectors  80 ,  81  as represented in FIG.  2 . 
     While several forms of the invention have been shown and described, other forms will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims which follow.

Technology Category: 7