United Technologies Automotive Inc.

United Technologies Automotive Systems Inc.

Sheller-Globe Corporation

William M Perry

Kerry L Helmer

Michael D Faloon

Arthur W Hess

Kerry Helmer

Rick J Kirin

Paul G Gerndt

An improved gear train for the adjustment structure in a mirror includes a slip clutch disk connection that allows a pinion gear to rotate relative to an intermediate gear reduction. The pinion gear is engaged to rotate a rack, and the rack is connected to the mirror to adjust the position of the mirror. The rack is spring biased into engagement with the pinion, thus insuring that the two move with each other quietly and smoothly. The rack can be biased into engagement with the pinion gear, since it need not be able to slip relative to the pinion gear, as was the case in the prior art. The clutch disk allows the pinion gear to move with the rack when the mirror is manually adjusted. The inventive clutch disk is relatively simple, including a clutch drive gear rotatably journaled on a drive shaft. The drive shaft is fixed to rotate with the pinion gear. A spring biases a friction face of the clutch drive gear into engagement with the clutch disk, which also rotates with the pinion gear. Since the pinion gear may slip relative to the clutch drive gear, but will always move with the rack, a memory feedback position control can sense the rotational position of the pinion gear and provide an accurate indication of the actual position of the rack, and hence the mirror.

Vehicle mirror adjustment gear train

An exterior side-mounted rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror shell having a sleeve mounted on a pivot cup. The pivot cup is selectively rotatable about the central axis of a post fixed to a vehicle. The assembly has complementary interlocking structure located at the base of the pivot cup and adjacent the base of the post. In combination with a spring and retainer which holds the spring against the pivot cup, these complementary structures allow for the selective rotation of the pivot cup about the post. The shell is mounted to the pivot cup in a non-rotatable fashion, by simply sliding the sleeve onto the pivot cup. The method of assembling the mirror assembly is thus simplified.

Pivot mount for exterior side-mounted rearview mirror

An automotive exterior mirror assembly being comprised of a mirror which is held in place and adjusted through a hand set adjustment mechanism which, in turn, is fastened to a bracket; the bracket is attached to an aesthetically pleasing shell. The hand set adjustment mechanism is a low profile assembly, having all of its components mounted from one side. The components are a base, a pivot cup, a sleeve, a retainer, a spring, and a spring retainer. The hand set adjustment mechanism has a partially spherical base with a post centrally extending therefrom for compressibly mounting a pivot cup thereupon. The post extends between the inside of the base and the backside of the mirror casing.

Mirror assembly for the exterior of an automotive vehicle having a hand

A mirror with an information display includes a mirror glass having a display section. In one embodiment, the mirror glass has a pyrolitic coating on a front surface and an opaque backmasking on the rear surface. Semi-transparent material, such as light control film, is disposed on the rear surface of the mirror glass at the display section. The display section is normally highly reflective of ambient light, but transmits light from a light source disposed behind the mirror glass when the light source is activated. In an alternate embodiment, light is directed from a light source onto the mirror glass at an angle, such that the light can be viewed by an adjacent vehicle, but the light does not interfere with the driver's reflective view in the mirror glass. Light from a light source is directed toward the outboard side of the mirror apparatus but is not visible when viewed from the inboard side of the mirror apparatus by the driver. In other embodiments, the light is directed onto or adjacent the front surface of the mirror. Alternatively, the light may be visible to the driver but not to the adjacent vehicles.

Exterior mirror with information display

The present invention relates to a power pack for an exterior automotive mirror assembly having a central depression in its upper housing whereby a large diameter pivot cup can be used. The pivot cup, of this power pack, is separate from the mirror casing and is retained by a unique spring retainer.

Power pack for an automotive exterior mirror assembly

The present invention relates to a power pack for an exterior automotive mirror assembly having a central depression in its upper housing whereby a large diameter pivot cup can be used. The drive motors are arranged within the power pack housing such that the central depression partially extends below the top plane of the motors and an overall low profile for the power pack is maintained. The pivot cup, of this power pack, is separate from the mirror casing and is retained by a unique spring retainer.

An exterior rearview mirror assembly that is attached to the side wall of the door of a vehicle having a mirror shell housing mounted on the side wall and a mirror mounting bracket mounted in cantilever fashion on the side wall. The mirror mounting bracket preferably comprises a body having a triangular shape cross section with first and second side walls forming a cavity, the cavity opening to a third side. A plurality of truss walls are interposed between the first and second side walls of the mirror mounting bracket and are constructed and arranged to increase the damping characteristics and natural frequency of the mirror mounting bracket.

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Palestine, OH, United States of America

William M Perry