Vehicular low-profile exterior mirror actuator

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a mirror head accommodating a mirror reflective element;
• a mounting base configured for mounting the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at a side of a vehicle;
• wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, the mirror head is movable relative to the mounting base between at least (i) an extended position where the mirror head is extended outward from the side of the vehicle so that the mirror reflective element is positioned to provide a rearward view at the side of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) a folded position where the mirror head is moved inward from the extended position toward the side of the vehicle;
• an actuator, wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, the actuator is electrically operable to move the mirror head relative to the mounting base between the folded position and the extended position;
• wherein the actuator comprises a base portion and a pivot tube that extends from the base portion, and wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, the base portion is disposed at the mounting base;
• wherein the pivot tube extends through an output gear of the actuator and a housing of the actuator;
• wherein the mirror head and the housing, when the actuator is electrically operated to move the mirror head between the extended position and the folded position, move together and in tandem about a longitudinal axis of the pivot tube of the actuator;
• wherein, when the actuator is electrically operated to move the mirror head between the extended position and the folded position, (i) the output gear is rotatably fixed relative to the base portion and (ii) the housing pivots about the output gear;
• wherein the actuator comprises a biasing element that releasably retains the actuator in at least one detent state of the actuator, and wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, the biasing element is disposed between an upper end of the pivot tube and an engagement surface of the housing, and wherein a washer is disposed between the upper end of the pivot tube and the biasing element;
• wherein a portion of the housing is disposed at least partially between the upper end of the pivot tube and the engagement surface of the housing, and wherein the biasing element is disposed radially inboard of the portion of the housing relative to the longitudinal axis of the pivot tube, and wherein the portion of the housing and the biasing element are disposed radially inboard of at least a portion of the output gear relative to the longitudinal axis of the pivot tube;
• and
• wherein an interference feature extends radially inward from the portion of the housing toward the pivot tube, and wherein the washer engages the interference feature to axially fix the washer relative to the housing.

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a mirror head accommodating a mirror reflective element;
• a mounting base configured for mounting the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at a side of a vehicle;
• wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, the mirror head is movable relative to the mounting base between at least (i) an extended position where the mirror head is extended outward from the side of the vehicle so that the mirror reflective element is positioned to provide a rearward view at the side of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) a folded position where the mirror head is moved inward from the extended position toward the side of the vehicle;
• an actuator, wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, the actuator is electrically operable to move the mirror head relative to the mounting base between the folded position and the extended position;
• wherein the actuator comprises a base portion and a pivot tube that extends from the base portion, and wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, the base portion is disposed at the mounting base;
• wherein the pivot tube extends through an output gear of the actuator and a housing of the actuator;
• wherein the mirror head and the housing, when the actuator is electrically operated to move the mirror head between the extended position and the folded position, move together and in tandem about a longitudinal axis of the pivot tube of the actuator;
• wherein, when the actuator is electrically operated to move the mirror head between the extended position and the folded position, (i) the output gear is rotatably fixed relative to the base portion and (ii) the housing pivots about the output gear;
• wherein the actuator comprises a biasing element that releasably retains the actuator in at least one detent state of the actuator, and wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, the biasing element is disposed between an upper end of the pivot tube and an engagement surface of the housing;
• wherein the base portion comprises a detent plate, and wherein the detent plate comprises a plurality of detents that, when the actuator is in the at least one detent state of the actuator, engage a corresponding plurality of detents of the housing;
• wherein, when the mirror head is manually moved between the extended position and the folded position, the output gear and the detent plate move together and in tandem with the mirror head and the housing about the longitudinal axis of the pivot tube;
• and
• wherein a portion of the housing is disposed at least partially between the upper end of the pivot tube and the engagement surface of the housing, and wherein the biasing element is disposed radially inboard of the portion of the housing relative to the longitudinal axis of the pivot tube, and wherein the portion of the housing and the biasing element are disposed radially inboard of at least a portion of the output gear relative to the longitudinal axis of the pivot tube.