BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The construction designed to carry out the invention will hereinafter be described, together with other features thereof. The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a mirror assembly mounted to a vehicle according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the vehicle mirror assembly with a front portion of the housing removed to show the interior support structure and stabilizing units according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the vehicle mirror assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 shows a front elevation view of the vehicle mirror assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 4
a shows a cross-section view of a portion of the vehicle mirror assembly indicated in FIG. 4; and,
FIG. 5 shows a cross-section view of the bushing mounted in a fixed arrangement on the stationary mounting rod.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to the drawings, the invention will now be described in more detail. Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle mirror assembly, designated generally as 10, is shown mounted to a vehicle 12 illustrated as a large commercial vehicle, which is the primary intended application for the present invention. Vehicle mirror assembly 10 is shown with a housing, designated generally as 14, supporting a reflective mirrored element 16 positioned to allow a driver of vehicle 12 to view areas along the side of the vehicle. Referring to FIG. 4a, housing 14 includes a rear cover 14a, and a front cover 14b. When assembled together, rear and front covers 14a and 14b, respectively, define an interior cavity, designated generally as 18.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a carrier plate 20 is disposed in interior cavity 18 of housing 14 for providing an internal support structure to carry housing 14 and provide the necessary structural integrity and rigidity to support reflective mirrored element 16 on the exterior of vehicle 12. A stationary mounting rod 22 extends longitudinally through carrier plate 20. Carrier plate 20 is constructed and arranged to rotate about rod 22. Mounting rod 22 includes a first end portion 22a extending from a top cover 24 of housing 14, and a second end portion 22b extending from a bottom cover 26 of housing 14 for mounting to a support arm 28 (FIG. 1) adapted to attach to vehicle 12. As shown in FIG. 1, upper and lower support arms 28 are tubular members affixed to vehicle 12 that have a flattened end portion 28a receiving first and second end portion 22a and 22b in a fixed arrangement to prevent against rotation of stationary mounting rod 22 in flattened end portions 28a. This mounting arrangement is provided by way of example only, and other mounting components and arrangements known to those skilled in the art may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 3, in a preferred embodiment, a motor 30 is fixed to carrier plate 20 and operatively connected to mounting rod 22. In this arrangement, housing 14 is carried by carrier plate 20, and carrier plate 20 is carried by motor 30, which is mounted to rod 22, so that carrier plate 20 and housing 14 rotate around stationary mounting rod 22 to position reflective mirrored element 16 as the driver desires. In an alternative embodiment, motor 30 may be eliminated to provide for manual rotation of housing 14 about stationary mounting rod 22. In either embodiment, the same concerns for mirror shaking resulting from wear and tear that creates loose connections, or from preexisting loose connections are present. In particular when using motor 30, however, is the fact that play between gears in motor 30 leads to shaking of the entire mirror assembly 10 when subject to typical road vibrations.
The present invention seeks to resist such mirror shaking by incorporating a stabilizing unit, designated generally as 32, interconnecting stationary mounting rod 22 and carrier plate 20 for resisting rotation of carrier plate 20 to reduce mirror shaking. Stabilizing unit 32 includes a bushing 34 carried by mounting rod 22 in a fixed arrangement so that there is no rotation between bushing 34 and mounting rod 22. As shown in FIG. 5, to help prevent rotation of bushing 34 on mounting rod 22, the rod is pressed to provide a bulge around which bushing 34 is friction fit or molded to hold bushing 34 in place. The bushing can also be attached by pins, adhesive or other well known means, as long as there is no free play between the bushing and the rod to eliminate any potential for vibration and shaking of the mirror assembly.
Stabilizing unit 32 further includes a bearing surface on carrier plate 20 that engages bushing 34 in a sliding friction arrangement that allows rotation of carrier plate 20 around bushing 34. With further reference to FIG. 4a, in a preferred embodiment, the bearing surface is provided in the form of a bearing recess 36 which receives bushing 34 in complementary fashion to maximize surface contact between bushing 34 and bearing recess 36 for increased friction. In the preferred embodiment, bearing recess 36 is molded as part of carrier plate 20, but may also be a bolt on or other supplemental component. In a preferred embodiment, bearing recess 36 includes a concave bearing surface complementary to a convex bearing surface of bushing 34 so that a uniform sliding engagement is provided between bearing recess 36 and bushing 34. As best shown in FIG. 4a, preferably, bearing recess 36 receives approximately half of the circumference of bushing 34 for creating sliding friction between the bearing recess and bushing 34, as well as helping to provide a stable arrangement for rotating carrier plate 20 around mounting rod 22. Although the illustrated embodiment shows bushing 34 and bearing recess 36 as being cylindrical in form, they may alternatively be constructed in a spherical, conical or other shape that allows for revolution and rotation between these components.
Stabilizing unit 32 also includes a clamping member 38 carried by carrier plate 20 that engages bushing 34 to impart a clamping force biasing bushing 34 into and against bearing recess 36, as well as against clamping member 38. The clamping force provides and maintains a sliding friction resistance between bushing 34 and bearing recess 36, and between bushing 34 and clamping member 38, to resist rotation of carrier plate 20 until a predetermined rotational force is exerted by motor 30, or by hand, on carrier plate 20. In this arrangement, mirror shaking resulting from loose gearing in motor 30, or other loose connections resulting from wear and tear, and other vibrations that tend to cause rotation of the mirror assembly is reduced due to the sliding friction resistance. As with bearing recess 36, clamping member 38 has a concave bearing surface complementary to a convex bearing surface of bushing 34 so that a uniform sliding engagement is provided between clamping member 38 and bushing 34. Preferably, clamping member 38 receives approximately half of the circumference of bushing 34 for creating sliding friction between the clamping member and bushing 34, as well as further helping to stabilize and support the interconnection between the carrier plate 20 and mounting rod 22.
Preferably, a pair of stabilizing units 32 are provided for controlling mirror shaking. A first stabilizing unit is disposed proximate to top cover 24 of housing 14 in interior cavity 18, and a second stabilizing unit is disposed proximate to bottom cover 26 of housing 14 in interior cavity 18. Both stabilizing units cooperate to impart a predetermined rotation restraint force to resist mirror shaking. Alternatively, there could also be more than two stabilizing units, and the stabilizing units may be located at any position within the mirror housing.
Referring to FIG. 4a, a torque controller, designated generally as 40, is provided in a controlling arrangement with clamping member 38 for maintaining a predetermined minimum torque of clamping member 38 against bushing 34 to impart and maintain the desired clamping force necessary to establish a sufficient sliding friction restraint between bushing 34 and bearing recess 36. In the illustrated embodiment, clamping member 38 includes a first end portion 42 slidably carried on a first glide post 44 for allowing adjustment of clamping member 38 against bushing 34. A second end portion 46 is also slidably carried on a second glide post 48 for allowing adjustment of clamping member 38 against bushing 34.
To control the adjustable sliding arrangement of clamping member 38 against bushing 34, torque controller 40 includes a first securing member 50, in the form of a screw and washer, carried at a distal end of first glide post 44. Further, a second securing member 52, also in the form of a screw and washer, is carried at a distal end of second glide post 48 to prevent clamping member 38 from sliding off of first and second glide posts 44 and 48. Compression springs 54 are disposed around first and second glide posts 44 and 48 between first and second securing members 50 and 52 and first and second end portions 42 and 46 of clamping member 38 for maintaining a predetermined minimum torque of clamping member 38 against bushing 34 so that as wear and tear results from the sliding engagement between bushing 34, bearing recess 36 and clamping member 38, the clamping force is maintained by the compression springs. Preferably, the predetermined minimum torque of clamping member 38 against bushing 34 maintained by compression springs 54 is approximately 30 N·m.
In an alternative arrangement, instead of compression springs, a clamp could also be used that uses the elastic deformation of the clamp to bias against the bushing, which acts in the same manner as compression springs 54. Further, each stabilizing unit could alternatively use only one spring, but the force is more evenly distributed using dual compressing springs as detailed above.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.
Patent Application
20080049343
