Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
DESCRIPTION ~ 4 1 7
The invention refers to an outside rear-view mirror for a vehicle,
having a pedestal and a mirror housing which is adapted to assume a
normal position relative to the pedestal and to rock forwardly an~
rearwardly, the mirror housing having a rim close to the pedestal
which abuts a substentially flat margin of a base plate of the
pedestal under the action of a spring anchored to the pedestal and
mounted to an inner portion of the mirror housing, the rearward and
substantially straight section of the rim forming a rear rocking
axis when cooperating with the margin, and the rim further
surrounding an opening of the mirror housing through which the
spring or a transfer member connected to the spring and the pedestal
may extend~
German Offenlegungsschrift 32 20 893 discloses an outside rear-view
mirror comprising a mirror housing which has a substantially
rectangular cross section and which has a base wall being only
slightly curved and~being fully exposed to the wind caused when
driving the vehicle. Therefore, the mirror housing has a great
working surface upon which the wind may act, particularly when the
veh;cle runs fast. When the outs;de rear-view mirror is mounted to
the car body, the m;rror hous;ng projects laterally to a substant;al
extent and therefore the des;gn of the outs;de rear-v;ew m;rror does
not f;t optimumly into the styling of modern cars.
Another drawback of known outside rear-view mirrors resides in a
substantial lateral space which is necessary for forward rocking of
the mirror housing in case a streamlined mirror housing, in its normal
position, extends obliquely to the rear from the car body.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an outside
rear-view mirror which has a streamlined shape and fits into the
form of the car body and still needs little space for rocking
towards the car bodyn
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According to the invention there is provided an outside rear view
mirror for a vehicle having a pedestal and a mirror housing which is
adapted to assume a normal position and to rock forwardly and
rearwardly relative to the pedestal. The mirror housing has, close
to the pedestal, a rim which abuts a substantially flat margin of
the base plate of the pedestal under the action of a spring anchored
to the pedestal and engaging an inner portion of the mirror housing~
A rearward section of the rim which extends substentiallY straight
forms a rear rocking axis when cooperating with the margin. The rim
surrounds an opening of the mirror housing through which the spring
or a transfer member extends which is connected to the spring and
the pedestal. Into the front portion of the ba`se plate a recess is
formed such that the front portion of the mirror housing acljacent to
the pedestal dips into the recess when the mirror housing rocks
forwardLy. This allows a design of the outside rear-view mirror in a
form which swings outwardly in a light bow extending from a mounting
plate of the pedestal which is fastened to the car body, and
appearing as being well fit into the design of the car body.
Moreover, the w;nd resistance of the mirror housing is reduced and a
step between the rear-view mirror and the car body as well as
between the pedestal and the mirror housing is avoided.
Nevertheless, the forward rocking movement of the m;rror housing
needs only reduced space.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a front open
rolling bearing is formed at the front section of the base plate for
cooperation with a fitting strip formed from the m;rror housing
inwardly the rim~ Thereby, the rim of the mirror housing is
protected from being damaged by the pedestal when the mirror housing
rocks. Specifically, two spaced forks are mounted to the base plate
for accomodating the fi~ting strip similar to a shaft which may
escape from the forks when the mirror housing rocks rearwardly.
In oder to provide for a positive end position for the forwardly
rocking mirror housing, according to another preferred embodiment of
the invention, a shoulder is provided on the base plate against
which the rim abuts for stoppins further forward movement of the
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mirror housing when rocking. Preferably, a stud is formed from the
mirror housing which, insted of the rim, abuts the shoulder.
Particularly, the shoulder may be realized by a transverse wall
exentending inwardly from the base plate, the transverse wall also
forming the rearward end of the recess.
A good design of the outside rear-view mirror is obtained if the
recess is covered by the mirror housing when the mirror housing
assumes its normal position. The recess preferably may be limited
internally by a concave wall which merges in the lateral wall.
The spring for returning the mirror housing from the end position to
the normal position thereof is, according to a preferred embodiment
of the invention, coupled to a flexible web formed from spring steel
e.g. one end of which is anchored to the base plate by a hook. The
opposite end of the spring abuts the inner surface of an end wall of
the mirror housing adjacent to the pedestal.
Normally, the mirror housing surrounds laterally a mirror glass
bonded to a mirror support plate. An adjustment device is coupled to
the mirror support plate and includes tranfer members extending
through the pedestal for being manipulated in the interior of the
car to the effect that the position of the mirror glass may be
adjusted by the driver to a desired optimum position. For such an
outside rear-view mirror having a mirror glass, the position of
which is mechanically adjustable by corresponding manipulation in
the interior of the car the invention preferably provides for a
sl;de which is guided along the back side of the mirror support
plate and connected to a light spring and to one of the transfer
members of the adjustment device. Thereby~ the position of the
mirror glass as adjusted in the normal position of the mirror
housing is maintained even during the rocking movements of the
mirror housing.
According to another improvement of the invention, two spaced pairs
of spaced gripping cams extend from the base plate and a pair of
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spaced blocks project from the end wall of the mirror housingj each
block being opposite to one of the pairs of gripping cams. Thus,
when the mirror housing assumes its normal position, each block is
cought between the associated pair of gripping cams. Thereby the
mirror housing resumes its proper normal position after having
rocked in a safer and easier manner. In order to ensure also a
vertically proper normal position of the mirror housing, the upper
gripping cams are preferably connected by a lower ridge and the
lower gripping cams are connected by an upper ridge. The blocks then
may abut each ridge from above and below, respectively~
PresentLy preferred embodiments of the inventjon are described in
detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings
which show:
Fig. 1: A cross section through an outside rear-view mirror
havirig a mirror housing, the normal position of which is
represented in extended lines and the forward end
position of which is shwown partially in phantom lines;
Fig. 2: a detail x from Fig. 1 in enlarged scale;
Fig. 3: another embodiment of an outside rear-view mirror;
Fig. 4: a schematical plan view of the base plate of the rear-
view mirror accoding to Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5: a cross section along the line V-V of Fig. 4;
Accoding to Figures 1 and 2 the outside rear-view mirror has a
pedestal 1 and a mirror housing 2 held against to the pedestal. The
pedestal 1 includes a mounting plate 11 and a base plate 12 which is
connected to the mounting plate 11 by lateral walls 13, 14. The
mounting plate 11 and the base plate 12 extending substantially
parallel to the mounting plate surround together with the lateral
walls 13 and 14 a hollow space within not shown enforcing walls and
rips may extend. The front side wall 13 extends from the front end
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of mounting pLate 11 outwardly and rearwardly towards the base plate
12 in a slight bow.
The designations "forward" and "rearward" as used herein refer to
the forward driving direction of a car according the arrow 4 to
which one of the outside rear-view mirrors as desribed herein is mounted.
A wall 15 projects from the rearward end of the base plate 12 and
includes a rearwardly standing foot which forms the pedestal portion
of an open rolling bearing as the rearward rocking axis for a
rearward rocking of the mirror housing 2~
A bolt 16 is fixed to the base plate 12 which extends parallel
thereto according to the presently described embodiment of the
invention, for being grasped by an hook 41.
The mirror housirig 2 fiormed from hard plastic has a rearward opening
which is surrounded by a substantially rectangular frame 21 and whih
allows viewing of a mirror glass 30. The mirror housing 2 includes a
mounting device for the mirror glass 30 which includes a support
plate 31~ The support p~ate 31 ;s fastened on a plurality of posts
22, 23 projecting from the inner surface of the base 25 of the
mirror housing~ A ball 32 of an articulation link projects from the
support plate 31 opposite to the posts 22, 23 upon which a ball
pocket 33 is clamped. The ball pocket is formed from a mirror glass
support plate 34 upon which the mirror glass 30 is bonded.
The end of the mirror housing 2 proximate to the pedestal 1 termi-
nates in a continuous rim 24, 26 having a spherically thickened end
according to F;go 2~ The rearward portion 24 of the rim extends
substantially straight and perpendicular to the drawing plane of
Figs. 1 and 2 and rests within a shallow groove formed in the foot
of wall 15 when the mirror housing 2 assumes its normal position.
The remaining portion of the rim abuts a continuous substantially
flat marging 17 of the base plate 12 such that the outer contour of
the mirror housing 2 continues the contour of the lateral walls 13
14 of pedestal 1 without any step.
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The mirror housing 2 is held against the pedestal 1 by a pressure
spring 35, the end 36 of which close to the pedestal bears on a
projection 37 of the mirror housing 2 which is formed in the
interior thereof in proximity of the pedestal 1. The end 38 of
pressur spring 35 facing away from the pedestal 1 is fixed to a spring
steel web 39 which extends through the interior of the pressure spring
35 and through a lengthly guiding piece 40 formed at the projection
37. The end of the web proximate to -the pedestal is hung into a
solid hook 41 grasping pivotably the bolt 16~ The pressure spring 35
extends below the support plate 31 and is held in position by
limiting tabs 42, 43 projecting from the support plate 31. The
pressure spring is embedded within a flexible plastic tube 44.
Within an end wall of the mirror housing 2 proximate to the
pedestal 1 an opening is provided so as to allow passage of the
spring steel web 39 and not shown elements of an adjustment device
for the mirror glass 30 which may be manipulated in the interior of
the car for adjus;ting the position of the mirror glass 30~
The mirror housing 2 is extended forwardly such that its depth
increases from the outer frame 2'1 to the pedestal 1 so that the
mirror housing 2 has a depth which is proximate to the pedestal 1
substantially greater than the depth at the outer end of the mirror
housing away fram the pedestal. Thereby, the front portion of mirror
housing 2, i.e. substantially the base 25 of the mirror housing runs
towards the car body by including therewith an acute angle and
assumes a streamlined form. Thus~ the base 25 of the mirror housing
has a highly convex form in the vicinity of the pedestal 1 with
respect to mirror housings commonly known. Also the front portion 26
of the rim has such convex form. In order to maintain the mirror
housing as close as possible at the car body, a recess 50 is formed
in the forward portion of the base plate 12 into which the forward
section 28 of the base 25 at ~he associated portion 26 of the rim
may dip when rocking. The recess 50 is limited laterally by the
remaining margin 17 upon which the rim 24, 26 o-f the mirror housing
2 rests under the action of the pressure spring 35 when the mirror
housing assumes its normal position. Inwardly~ the recess 50 is
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limited by a concave wall 18 of a form which resembles substantially
a section of an ellipsoid. Rearwardly, the recess 50 is bordered by
a transverse wall 19 extending transversely to the base plate 12 and
into which the wall 18 merges. Thereby, a pocket 20 is formed at the
transition of transverse wall 19 to the concave wall 18 which has an
acurate form.
According to Fig. 2, the spherically thickened end of portion 26 of
the rim abuts subs~antially by a line contact to the margin 17
along recess 50 when the mirror housing assumes its normal position.
In case of impact upon the mirror housing 2 in forward driving
direction 4, the mirror housing 2 rocks forwar~ly against the action
of the pressure spring 35, and the rim 26 slips rearwardly away from
margin 17 and dips into the recess 50 until portion 26 is caught
within the pocket 20~ The mirror housing 2 then assumes the forward
rocked end position as shown in the upper section of Fig. 1. When
the impact termir;ates, the mirror housing 2 returns to its normal
position by the action of the pressure spring 35.
The second embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 3 thru 5 is
similar to the above de$çribed outside rear-view mirror in its
substantial features. Thus, pedestal 51 has a base plate 62 spaced
outwardly with respect to a mounting side 61 which is connected to
the base plate 62 through curved lateral walls 63, 64. The space
surrounded by the lateral walls 63, 64 and the base plate 62 is
penetrated by a concave wall 68, the forward, upper and lower rim
thereof terminates within the rim of the side wall 63 and the
rearward end thereof continues in a lateral wall 69 extending
transversely to base plate 62. The walls 68, 69 surround a recess
100 which is covered by mirror housing 52 when the latter assumes
the normal position and into which the rim 76 of the mirror housing
proximate to the pedestal 51 dips when the mirror hous;ng 52 rocks.
The dipped rim 76 is assignecd the reference numeral 76' in Fig. 3.
The base plate 62 includes an opening 60 aligned with an opening 59
in the monting side 61 of pedestal 51. Into the opening 59 a bearing
member 58 is fixedly inserted within which a ball 57 of a rod-like
manipulating member 56 for an adjusting device
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to be described of the mirror glass 80 is rotatably held. A hook 91
is pivotably held at the mounting side 61 adjacent the opening 60 by
means of a pin 92 grasped by a hook 91.
Two spaced forks 95, 96 are mounted to the base plate 62 adjacent
the forward end thereof at the transition to the lateral wall 69.
Fig. 3 shows the fork 96 in plan view below the plane of Fig. 3.
~oth forks 95, 96 extend substantially parallel with respect to each
other and terminate outside the base plate 62 and above the recess
100 such that a shaft 97 fixedly mounted within the mirror housing
is grasped by the forks 95, 96. Therefore, in case the mirror
housing 52 rocks forwardly from the normal pos,ition as shown in the
lower portion of Fig. 3, the shaft 97 caught by the forks 95, 96
form the forward bearing about which the mirror housing 52 rocks
into the forward end position as shown in the upper portion of Fig.
3. It is to be noted that recess 100 is covered by the mirror
housing when assu'ming the normal position.
The mirror housing 51 has an end plate 70 facing normally the
pedestal 62 and having two openings. A guiding piece 90 is provided
within the small one of both openings which is closer to the base 75
of the mirror housing 52 than the larger of said openings and is
centrally bored and upon which ~he end 86 of a pressure spring 85
rests which faces pedestal 62. A flexible steel web 88 extends
through the central bore 89 of guiding piece 90. One end of the web
88 is hung into the hook 91 and the opposite end of web 88 is
fixedly mounted to the end 84 of pressure spring 85 which faces away
from the base plate 62. The steel web 88 extends thus from the free
bent end of hook 91 through bore 89 into the interior of the
pressure spring 85 to the end 84 thereof~ The opening which receives
the guiding member 90 is placed in a position within the front wall
70 of the mirror housing with respect to the mounting pin 92 of hook
91 that the mirror housing 52 is automatically held in the rocked
end position by pressure spring 85.
The greater one of both openings 93 is provided in the end wall 70
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between the rearward rim 77 of the base 75 of the mirror housing and
the smaller opening such that sufficient space is left for
unhindered movement of the transfer members of the adjustment device
for the mirror glass 80 during rocking moverments of the mirror
housing 52. A pair of spaced guiding blocks project from the end
wall 70 besids the opening 93. In Fig. 3, only the guiding block 72
below the plane of said Fig. is illustrated. Each of both g~iding
blocks is caught inbetween a pair of upper grasping cams 73, 65
and a pair of lower grasping cams 74, 66 in the normal position of the
mirror housing 5Z. Thereby, the mirror housing 52, in its normal
position, obtains the safe and defined abutment against base plate
62 in forward driving direction 4 in addition ~o the shaft 97 caught
by the forks 95, 96. The upper grasping cam 73 is connected to the
upper grasping cam 65 by a lower rib 103 against which the upper not
shown guiding block abuts from above in the normal position of the
mirror housing 52~ The lower grasping cam 74 is connected to the
lower grasping cam 66 by an upper rib 104 against which the lower
guiding block 72 may abut from below in normal position of the mirror
housing 52. Thereby, the mirror housing 52 assumes a vertically
defined normal position~ Each of both rearward grasp;ng cams 73, 74
is provided with a slot 78, 99 at the rearward portions thereof into
which a gu;ding p;n dips which projects from the r;m 77 (shown ;s
only the lower gu;ding p;n 79)~
Dur;ng rearward rock;ng of the mirror housing 52 the spherically
formed r;m 77 rolls upon the rearward end 67 of base plate 62, the
guiding pins remaining caught within the slots 78, 99. This prevents
a slipping off downwardly or upwardly of the mirror housing 52 upon
rrcking rearwardly. When rocking rearwardly, the shaft 97 is freed
from the forks 95, 96 and the guiding blocks lift from their
position between the clamping cam pairs 65, 73 and 66, 74~
The mirror glass 81 is bonded to a mirror glass supporting plate
82. A ball cup 83 projects from the mirror glass supporting plate 82
from the surface thereof which faces away from the mirror glass 81.
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An articulation ball 87 is caught within the ball cup 83 which
projects from a plate 53. The plate 53 is screwed upon spaced posts
54, 55 which project from the base 7S of the mirror housing into the
interior thereof. A bearing fork 98 is provided on the plate 53 on
both sides of the articulation ball 87 within which a shaft 102 is
movably retained. The shaft 102 is mounted in parallel studs
projecting from the mirror glass supporting plate 82 towards plate
53. The shaft 102 exends transversely to the bearing fork 98~ A
similar bearing fork is provided parallel to bearing fork 98 on the
side of the articulation ball 87 opposite to the bearing fork 98.
Within said second bearing fork another shaft is movably retained
which is mcunted in corresponding studs on mirror glass supporting
plate 82. The common center line of both shafts extends through the
center point of the articulation wall 87 if it rests within the ball
cup 83, and the common center line extends vertically if the outside
rear-view is mounted to a car~
Thus, the posit;on of the mirror glass 81 is adjustable about two
perpendicular axes relative to the mirror housing 52 within a
predetermined angular range. These axes are the center line of shaft
102 extending subtantially parallel to the mirror glass supporting
plate 82 and a line which extends transversely to the center line of
shaft 1û2 and through the center point of articulation ball 87 and
parallel to the plane of Fig. 3, i.e a horizontal line if
the outside rear-view mirror is mounted to a car. Pivoting of the
mirror glass 81 about the last mentioned axis yields an upward or
downward adjustment of the mirror glass, and pivoting of the mirror
glass about the first mentioned axis yields an inward or outward
adjustment of the mirror glass.
Such adjustment of the positon of the mirror glass is achieved by a
cooperation of transfer members. To this end a rigid intermediate
member 105 is connected at one end to an end of rod 56 proximate to the
pedestal and at the other end to the mirror glass supporting plate
82 and may pivot about axes parallel to the center line of shaft
102. In the event rod 56 is manipulated from the interior of the car
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11 1 3 1 ~ 1 7
in direction of arrow S about the center point of ball 57, the mirror
80 tilts outwardly and a manipulation opposite to arrow 5 yields to an
inward tilting of mirror glass 81. A rotation of rod 56 about its
center line 94 results to upward or downward tilting of mirror glass
81, the shaft 102 moving within the bearing fork 98.
As shown in Fig. 3, the end of the intermediate member 105 within
the mirror housing is articulated to a slide 106 which is guided
within a slotted guiding part 107 along the rear surface of the
mirror glass supporting plate 82 such that the slide 106 may move
parallel to the rear side of the mirror glass supporting plate 82.
A light spring 108 coupled between the slide 106 and the mirror
glass supporting plate 82 holds the slide 106 at the inner terminal
position within the guiding part 107 when the mirror housing 52
assumes its normal position~ During forward or backward rocking of
the mirror housing 52 the slide 106 may be drawn along the mirror glass
mounting plate 82 against the action of the light spring 108 by the
intermediate member 105. The slide 106 is retained always by
the guiding part 107 so that the coupling of rod 56 through
intermediate member 1û5 to the mirror glass supporting plate 82 is
retained.
The forward rocking end position of the mirror housing 52 is defined
by abutment of the rim 76' to the lateral wall. AlternativelY, a
separate shoulder may be provided from the base plate 62 against
which the end wall 70 or a projection therefrom may abut for
defining said end position.
As to the drawing of Fig. 3 it is to be noted that the shown
section in the range of slot 78 and the bearing fork 98 lies deeper
within the shown rear-view mirror than the remaining portions of the
shown section.
