Wear-proof detente for folding mirrors
AssigneeSchefenacker Vision Systems USA Inc.
InventorRyan Proctor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A folding assembly for a vehicle side mirror that employs specialized ramped détentes. The folding assembly includes a pivot tube and a pivot spring rotatably coupled to a case frame and rigidly coupled to a base frame. The base frame includes a series of ramped détentes that are seated within corresponding recesses in the case frame. The inside angle (β1) of the ramps of the détentes is steeper than the outside angle (β2) of the ramps of the détentes according to a predetermined formula so that when the case frame is rotated relative to the base frame, and the détentes move out of their recesses, the force of the rotation is distributed along the entire length of the ramp to increase the durability performance of the mirror and thus its longevity.
Claims17
A mirror assembly comprising:
- a mounting structure including a cylindrical mounting member (50) having a top surface (56), said top surface (56) including a plurality of détentes (58) having ramped side edges (60);
- and
- a foldable structure including an internal bore (38), said internal bore including a mounting portion that accepts the cylindrical mounting member (50), said mounting portion including a plurality of recesses having angled edges (64) that accept the détentes (58), said foldable structure being rotatable on the mounting member (50), wherein an angle β1 of the ramped edges of a short radius r1 end of each détente has a steeper angle than an angle β2 of the ramped edges (60) of a long radius r2 end of each détente.
A vehicle side mirror assembly comprising:
- a mounting bracket including a cylindrical mounting member (50) having a top surface, said top surface including three symmetrically disposed détentes (58) having ramped side edges;
- a foldable housing including an internal bore (38), said internal bore including a mounting portion that accepts the cylindrical mounting member (50), said mounting portion including three symmetrically disposed recesses (64) having angled edges that accept the détentes, said housing being rotatable on the mounting member;
- and
- a pivot tube (30) extending through the bore (38) and being partially positioned within the mounting member (50), said housing pivoting on the pivot tube (30), wherein an angle β1 of the ramped edges of a short radius r1 end of each détente (58) has a steeper angle than an angle β2 of the ramped edges of a long radius r2 end of each détente, and wherein the relationship of the angle of the ramped edges of the détentes is defined by β2=tan−1(r1/r2)tan(β1).
A method of folding a mirror assembly, said method comprising:
- providing a mounting bracket including a cylindrical mounting member (50) having a top surface (56), said top surface (56) including a plurality of détentes (58) having ramped side edges (64) wherein an angle β1 of the ramped edges of a short radius r1 end of each détente has a steeper angle than an angle β2 of the ramped edges of a long radius r2 end of each détente;
- providing a housing structure including an internal bore (38), said internal bore (38) including a mounting portion that accepts the cylindrical mounting member (50), said mounting portion including a plurality of recesses (64) having angled edges that accept the détentes;
- providing a pivot tube (36) extended through the bore (38) and being partially positioned within the mounting member;
- and
- rotating the housing structure on the pivot tube (36) and the mounting member so that the edges of the détentes (58) push against corresponding edges of the recesses along the entire length of the edges of the détentes (58).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.