JPS5924016B2 - External back mirror unit - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an exterior rearview mirror whose casing can be orientated directly from the interior of the vehicle to which it is mounted.

More particularly, the present invention relates to an external safety rearview mirror unit whose casing is folded along the body of a vehicle when subjected to an impact.

Numerous mirror units with collapsible casings are known, in which adjustment is not made by orienting the casing, but by means of cables, cables, or a more or less complicated method. This is accomplished by orienting the mirror itself using a linkage or other electrical means.

Most of these rearview mirror units generally have complex devices for controlling orientation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an external rearview mirror with a foldable casing, in which the adjustment device is simple, strong and as a result reliable and economical, and in which the control device for the rearview mirror unit is installed in the vehicle. The objective is to propose an external rearview mirror designed to fit into the triangular window directly in front of the door.

A rearview mirror unit according to the invention has a casing that is adapted to fold in the event of an impact and that is oriented from inside the vehicle. Equipped with a U-shaped yoke,
The branches of these yokes are articulated with each other for relative angular movement about a first axis 2-21, said second yoke being substantially in line with said first axis 2-21. articulated to the vehicle for angular movement about a perpendicular second axis X-X1, and comprising an engagement device;
The engaging device transmits the rotation of the first yoke relative to the vehicle and around the first axis 2-21 to the casing when engaged, and when an impact is received, causes the casing to move toward the first yoke. the first axis 2 relative to the yoke;
-2. a tubular control device which is disengaged so as to rotate around the second axis X-X1, and which is disposed coaxially with the second axis X-X1 and extends inside the vehicle; a device for pivotally connecting the tubular control device to the second yoke to cause the second yoke to undergo a smaller angular movement; one end accessible from inside the vehicle and the other end engaging an operating nut; a threaded member extending coaxially through the tubular control device such that the operating nut has a protrusion that engages a substantially vertical hole in the yoke body connecting the two branches of the first yoke. and such that rotation of the threaded member causes angular movement of the first yoke and angular movement of the tubular control device causes angular movement of the second yoke. It has characteristics in points.

According to the invention, an external rearview mirror with a folding casing comprises a first U-shaped yoke whose branches are articulated about a substantially vertical folding axis; a second wedge-shaped yoke supported and pivotable about a substantially horizontal articulation axis of a second U-shaped yoke on the vehicle; and a device for pivotally connecting a casing to said first yoke; The casing and the first yoke can be separated by the impact effect of these devices, and the rotation of the two yokes about their respective joint axes can be controlled independently from inside the vehicle. It is equipped with a device to control the

According to the present invention, the first axis Z-Z□ is the second axis X-X1
First and second U-shaped yokes are used to orthogonal to the yoke.

The reason is that in order to minimize the length of the mirror protruding from the vehicle, the first axis 2- 2. This is because the vehicle must be brought close to the vehicle.

The length of the protrusion can be minimized if it is located at a distance from the side of the vehicle that is half the distance between the front and rear surfaces of the mirror casing (thickness of the casing).

In addition, in order to obtain maximum mounting stability, the second yoke support plate should be arranged symmetrically with respect to the tubular control device mounting hole in the vehicle body, so that the axis of the hole coincides with the second axis X-X1. It is preferable to do as follows.

Further, from the viewpoint of the style of the rearview mirror unit, it is preferable that the mirror casing is arranged symmetrically with respect to the support plate.

These benefits can be obtained in accordance with the invention by using U-shaped first and second yokes to orthogonal the first axis 2-21 and the second axis X-X1.

Also according to the invention, the adjustment of the angular movement about the first axis 2-21 and the second' axis X-X1 is effected by a mechanism having a reduction ratio.

By using such a mechanism, it is possible to easily and precisely adjust the orientation of the casing, and to prevent displacement of the casing due to vehicle vibration, wind force, etc.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rearview mirror unit of the present invention includes a casing 1 that includes a mirror holder and a mirror 2, and the casings are joined together by two screws or bolts 5 and 6 that are aligned with each other. Around a substantially vertical folding axis 2-21 two parallel lateral clamping arms 3,
Articulated on one side using 4.

A U-shaped yoke I is arranged between the clamping arms 3 and 4, the two branches 8 and 9 of which are articulated around two screws 5 and 6, respectively, and whose main body 1o is Town 2-2
It has a hole 11 oriented parallel to 1.

The casing 1, the yoke I and the screws 5 and 6 are supported by a second likewise U-shaped yoke 12, whose two parallel branches 13 and 14 straddle the clamping arms 3 and 4 of the casing. Also, axis 2-2. 2 that constitutes
It is articulated around two screws 5 and 6.

The main body 15 of the yoke 12 is held against a support plate 16 fastened on the vehicle body 17, between which there is a protective sheet 18 made of textile, rubber or plastic material.
is intervening.

A substantially horizontal tubular control device 19 (FIG. 2) includes plates 16,
It passes through the seat 18 and the vehicle body 17 and enters the interior of the vehicle.

The end of the control device 19 on the outside of the vehicle has a coaxial centering shoulder 20, while the other end on the inside is fastened to and receives the nut 21 to be fixed, and the shoulder 20 and A nut 21 axially fixes the control device 19 relative to the plate 16 and the vehicle body 17 and allows the tubular control device to be pivoted about its substantially horizontal axis X--X; Rotation is controlled manually from inside the vehicle by means of a knurled button 22 screwed onto and secured to the threaded end of the control device 19.

The main body 15 of the yoke 12 has a hole 23 which serves to mount and center said yoke on a coaxial shoulder 20, the end face of said shoulder having an eccentric stud 24 which is connected to the support plate. It engages a substantially vertical hole 25 in a lever 26 articulated around a pin 27 fixed to the lever 16 .

This pin 27 is connected to the axis X-X in the main body 15 of the yoke 12,
It passes through a hole 28 in the form of an arc centered at , and has a boss at its free end, which
It serves to hold the lever 26 against which it is applied.

Lever 26 steps down the force necessary to swing yoke 12 about axis x-X1.
The end of the pin 27 opposite to the hole 25 engages with a hole 29 provided in the yoke 12.

A rod 30 threaded at both ends is received and held axially within the tubular control device 19, passing coaxially through the tubular control device, the rod also having a knurled button 22. passing through and extending into the interior of the vehicle,
There the rod receives a second knurled button 31 screwed onto its end, and on the opposite side the rod 30 passes through a hole 32 in the form of an arc of a circle, which hole passes through the lever 26.
and has the center of the arc at the pin 27 of the lever.

Said frame extends between the two branches 8 and 9 of the yoke I and is arrested against axial movement within the tubular control device 19, for example by means of a stop device (not shown).

The operating nut 33 is screwed onto a portion of the rod 30 between the two branches of the yoke 7.

Said operating nut has a lateral projection 34, the free end of which engages in the hole 11 in the main body of the yoke I.

The two contact surfaces of the upper transverse clamping arm 3 of the casing and the upper branch 8 of the yoke 7 are provided with sockets located opposite each other, in which a ball 3 is inserted.
5 is included.

This lano hole limits the preferred orientation of the casing 1 with respect to the yoke 7, and the said orientation is located substantially perpendicular and horizontal to the vehicle body 1γ in the normal position, and the selected preferred orientation is The normal working position orientation of the mirror unit, ie the mirror faces rearward and is substantially perpendicular to the axis of movement of the vehicle.

In order to maintain the state in which the ball 35 engages in the holes provided opposite each other in the plane of the lateral clamping arm 3 and the branch 8, these surfaces are connected to the lower branch 9 of the yoke 7 and the casing. Bel Bill (Bel) compressed between the horizontal tightening arms 4 at the bottom of
The yoke I is held in resilient contact using washers 36 (FIGS. 2 and 3), which push the yoke I back against the transverse clamping arm 3 in the upper part of the casing.

The structure thus obtained with the aid of the ball 35 and the elastic washer 36 constitutes a snap-locking device providing a pivoting connection to the yoke 7 about the axis Z--Z of the casing 1.

This snap engagement is such that the ball and the hole are disengaged when an impact is applied to the casing.

In normal use, the rearview mirror unit of the present invention functions as follows.

If the user wishes to orient the mirror of the rear-view mirror unit in a substantially horizontal plane, he only has to turn the knurled button 31, and the rotation is made by moving the operating nut 33 onto the rod 30. The lateral projections 34 of said block, moving along and engaging the holes 11 in the yoke I, cause the yoke to pivot about a substantially vertical axis Z-21.

Due to the snap-lock connection, the yoke I moves together with the casing 1 of the rear-view mirror unit, so that the casing pivots about said axis Z-Z□.

When the user turns the knurled button 22 and associated tubular control device 19, the lever 26 pivots about its pin 27 under the action of an eccentric stud 24 engaged in a vertical hole 25; This rotation of the lever causes a step-down (deceleration) action of the yoke 12, which pivots back and forth about the axis X--X, and similarly pivots the casing of the rearview mirror unit.

It should be noted that the adjustment of the mirror's ``left, right'' or ``up, down'' movement can be done independently without interfering with each other.

This is because the bore 11 has elongated dimensions, so that the yoke I can be pivoted about the axis X-X0 without having to pivot the operating nut 33.

However, even a small gap is sufficient. This is because the rotation of the yoke 7 is approximately 20 degrees, and when the yoke is rotated, the operating nut 33 is displaced only very slightly in the axial direction.

Furthermore, due to the articulation of the casing 1 on the vehicle body and the adjustment mechanism according to the invention, said casing can be folded along the vehicle body in the event of an impact.

In fact, if the casing due to the fact that the yoke I is held by a lateral projection 34 on the operating nut 33
When the casing is subjected to a pressing transverse impact to rotate it about the axis Z-Zl, the balls 35 emerge from their sockets and push the yoke 7 back downwards, thereby compressing the elastic washer 36.

Since the lateral tightening arm 3 of the casing is designed to rotate freely, the casing can be bent along the vehicle body.

After receiving an impact, the mirror can be easily returned to its preferred orientation by re-engaging the balls 35 in their sockets, thus ensuring correct positioning.

Due to this snap-locking structure, the casing 1 can be inserted into the operating nut 3 without causing damage or even displacement of the yoke 7.
3 can be completely folded back without adjusting, and this can be done completely safely.

This is because the adjustment to the normal position is automatic.

Additionally, the step-down action provided by the nut-screw system and lever 26 has a certain degree of impact on the articulation joint.
Despite the fixed tightening action, it is possible to easily adjust the orientation of the casing, and this method prevents extremely free rotation of the casing and also prevents it from rotating due to the vibrations generated by the vehicle. prevent it from naturally coming out of its adjusted position.

Similarly, the bending force due to the wind force acting on the case is considerably higher when the vehicle is moving rapidly, but
If a nut system is used, a large step-down ratio can be obtained by forming threads with a small pitch on the shaft 30 and the operating nut 33.

It is clear that the articulation of the casing and the mechanism for adjusting the orientation of the casing are protected by bellows or sleeves of rubber or plastic material, said sleeves or bellows protecting said mechanisms etc. from weather and external dust. protect from

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various design modifications that change only details are included in the present invention.

Therefore, the step-down of the "upward and downward motions" can be obtained, in addition to using levers, for example by means of meshing reduction gears or otherwise by means of a planetary reduction gear unit housed in the large knurling button 22. can.

Figures 4 and 5 show other embodiments of a device for obtaining "up and down" movements (up and down movements) by rotating a knob.

Reference numeral 31 in FIGS. 4 and 5 partially indicates the second yoke which is rotatable about the axis X--X.

This is accomplished by a knob 38 splined onto a ceramic tubular control device 39 on the rotating side of the yoke 37.

Passing through the tubular control device is a stem or rod 40 that supports the orientation of the rearview mirror in a substantially horizontal plane.

4 and 5 do not show a device for controlling the orientation in the horizontal plane, but these devices are, for example,
This is the same as shown in Figure 3.

The tubular control device 39 is a tubular extension 37a of the yoke 3γ.
The extension is rotatable within a fixed bearing 41.

The end of the tubular control device 39 opposite the knob 38 is connected to a lever 44.
It comprises an eccentric body 42 constituted by a disc placed in a circular slot 43 made in .

A fixing pin 46 integral with the bearing slides in a slot 45 made in one end of the lever 44.

A pin 48 integral with the yoke 37 slides within another slot 47 provided at the other end of the lever 44.

Rotation of knob 38 in one direction or the other causes eccentric 42 to rotate.

This rotation causes the lever 44 to rotate about the fixed bin 46 in one direction or the other.

Slot 47 actuates pin 48 and thus yoke 31
Rotate.

The angle of rotation of the lever 44 is much smaller than the angle of rotation of the corresponding eccentric 42, so that precise adjustment of the position of the lever 44 is possible by rotation of the knob 38.

Furthermore, if the casing 1 of the mirror is fitted with a case part and/or a back part (which can be large in shape and/or asymmetrical), the aerodynamic effects exerted on these Misalignment is prevented.

Also, by using a reduction drive mechanism, the components can be made smaller or made of materials with relatively low breaking strength, and the mechanical gaps between the components can be reduced, allowing for precise adjustment. Become.

6 to 8 show other embodiments of the apparatus for obtaining the "heaven-to-earth" motion (top, T rotational motion).

In these figures, the second yoke 50 is partially shown.

Said yoke 50 is rotatable about the body 51 which is fixed on the body 52 of the motor vehicle by means of nuts 53 which tighten the body 52 against the shoulders of the body 51.

The second yoke 50 has an inner edge 55 that can slide in a circular groove 56 provided between the fuselage 51 and the vehicle body 52 and has a joint 57.
is placed between the second yoke 50 and the vehicle body 52.

The fuselage 51 is axially drilled with a circular passage in which a stem 58 controls the orientation of the rearview mirror.
can rotate freely.

The body 51 has a cylindrical extension 59 on the inside, on which a knob 60 mounted by a clip 61 can freely rotate.

the knob 60 is a tubular control device cooperating with a toothed rack 63;
That is, it has a threaded member 62.

The toothed rack 63 is constituted by a protrusion (FIG. 8) arranged in a direction parallel to the axis of the stem 58 and sliding in a guide passage 64 made in the body 51.

The protrusion of the toothed rack 63 includes at its outer end two protrusions 65 arranged laterally on either side of said protrusion.

These two projections form two cams, the working surfaces 66 of which are substantially aligned and have suitable surfaces.

Said active surface 66 cooperates with a projecting rim 67 provided on the yoke 50.

When the knob 60 is rotated in one direction or the opposite direction, the toothed rack 63 is rotated parallel to the plane of the paper of FIG. It can move axially in the direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, the toothed rack 63 has two protrusions 65 with sloping surfaces that act as a cam at the tip thereof, and these are in contact with the protruding rim 67 of the second yoke 50 as shown, so that the toothed rack 63 is If the rack 63 moves to the left, the protruding rim 66 is pushed by the inclined working surface 66 of the lower protrusion 65 in FIG. 50 can be rotated slightly about its central axis (same as the axis of stem 58) in FIG.

By reversing the direction of rotation of the barrel/7", the toothed rack 63 can be moved to the right in the figure in the direction of its axis; in this case, the working surface 6 of the upper projection 65 in FIG.
6 acts to push up the protruding rim 67 of the second yoke 50 by a cam action, and for this reason, the second yoke 50 moves in the opposite direction to the central axis shown by the dashed line in FIG. 6 (the axis of the stem 58). (same as ) can be rotated slightly around the

Due to the substantially continuous contact of the projection 65 with the cooperating rim 67, the required angular displacement is small (±5° to
10°), so there is no particular gap.

Such devices also cannot be reversed and the knob 60
It is possible to obtain a significant reduction ratio between the movement of the yoke 50 and the movement of the yoke 50.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the adjustment mechanism of the rearview mirror unit, Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the axis x-Xi of the mechanism shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is the axis Y of the mechanism shown in Figure 1. 4 is a partial vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the device according to the invention; FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along line A-A of the device of FIG. 4; 6 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of another embodiment; FIG. 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 6 in the axial direction; FIG. FIG. 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the cooperative relationship between the toothed rack and the second yoke. 1...Casing, 2...Mirror, 3
, 4... Horizontal tightening arm, 1... No.-U
Shape yoke, 8, 9... branch, 10...
Main body, 11... Hole, 12... Second U-shaped yoke, 13, 14... Branch, 16...
・Support plate, 17... Vehicle body, 18... Seat, 19... Tubular control device, 20...
- Shoulder doctor 21...Natsuto, 22...
Button, 23... Hole, 24... Eccentric stud, 25... (L, 26... Lever,
27... Pin, 28... Arc-shaped hole, 30... Rod, 32... Hole, 33...
...Operating nut, 34... Lateral protrusion, 35
...Ball, 36...Belleville washer,
37...Yoke, 38...Knob, 39
...Tubular control device, 40 ... Rod, 42
... Eccentric body, 43 ... Circular slot, 4
4... Lever, 45... Groove, 46
...Fixing pin, 47...Joint, 48.
...Pin, 50...Yoke, 51...
...Body, 52...Main body, 57...
Joint, 58...Stem, 59...Cylindrical extension, 60...Knob, 61...Clip, 63...Toothed Ratsuhe 64...
・Guidance passage, 65... Protrusion, 66...
Cam action surface, 6γ...protruding rim.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rearview mirror unit having a casing 1 which is adapted to fold in the event of an impact and which is oriented from inside the vehicle, comprising a first U-shaped yoke γ and a second U-shaped yoke γ. U-shaped yokes 12.37°50, the branches of these yokes being articulated to each other for angular movement relative to the rotation of the first axis z-2, The two yokes 12,37.50 are articulated with respect to the vehicle for angular movement about a second axis X-X1 substantially perpendicular to said first axis 2-2, and Engagement device 3
5.36, said engagement device being relative to the vehicle when engaged and said first axis 2-2. The rotation of the first yoke I about the first axis 2-2. The second shaft 1-
Tubular control devices 19, 39, and 62 provided coaxially with Xl and extending inside the vehicle, and the tubular control device 1
The angular movement of the second yokes 12, 37 .
a device 26° 44.63 for pivotally connecting said tubular control device 19, 39, 62 to said second yoke so as to produce a smaller angular movement at one end thereof and accessible from inside the vehicle; a threaded member 30, 40.58 extending coaxially through said tubular control device 19, 39, 62 such that its other end engages an operating nut 33, said operating nut having two branches of said first yoke 70; It has a protrusion 34 engaging a substantially vertical hole 11 in the connecting yoke body 10, so that rotation of said threaded member 30, 40, 58 is caused by an angular movement of said first yoke 7. A rearview mirror unit characterized in that the angular movement of the tubular control device 19, 39, 62 causes the angular movement of the second yoke 12, 37, 50. 2. The rearview mirror unit according to scope 1 of the patent application, characterized in that the device connecting the tubular control device and the second yoke includes a step-down lever articulated to the vehicle. 3. The rearview mirror unit according to claim 1, wherein the device connecting the tubular control device and the second yoke includes a step-down gear train. 4. The rearview mirror unit according to claim 1, wherein the engaging device comprises a ball snap engaging device. 5. The casing has two parallel lateral clamping arms arranged to straddle opposite branches of the first yoke, the mutually facing surfaces of said clamping arms and adjacent branches of the yoke forming a ball. 4, comprising sockets arranged opposite each other to partially receive the surfaces, and an elastic device being provided to press said surfaces towards each other. Rearview mirror unit as described. 6. The lever is indirectly connected to a fixed shaft parallel to the axis of the tubular control device, and is driven and rotated by an eccentric body integrated with the tubular control device, and one end of the lever is connected to a pin integrated with the second yoke. 3. The rearview mirror unit according to claim 2, further comprising an elongated slot in which the rearview mirror unit can slide. I. The coupling device between the tubular control device and the second yoke comprises a thread provided on the tubular control device and teeth cooperating with the thread and movable in translation in a direction parallel to the axis of the tubular control device. a gear rack, a guide device for guiding the toothed rack, and a yoke integral with the toothed rack for rotating the yoke in one direction or the opposite direction in accordance with the movement of the toothed rack in the forward direction. Rearview mirror unit according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a cam device cooperating with a suitable abutment surface integral with the rearview mirror unit. 8. The rearview mirror unit according to claim I, wherein the cam device comprises two cams disposed on each side of the toothed rack, and the working surfaces of the cams are aligned in a straight line. 9. Rearview mirror unit according to claim 8, characterized in that the working surfaces of the two cams are both in continuous contact with suitable rims provided on the second yoke.