US 5,293,784 AGranted

Drive device for a vehicle rear-view mirror

AssigneeGebruder Buhler Nachfolger GmbH

InventorsRichard Guttenberger, Werner Seichter

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Abstract

The invention relates to a drive device for a vehicle rearview mirror, the positioning of which is achieved by means of a worm gear mounted by means of a coupling part in a single bearing, which is provided with an annular collar that engages in an upper annular slot of the coupling part. The intention is to improve the retaining force of the bearing. This is achieved according to the invention by providing that a cylindrical region provided with an upper and a lower guide surface adjoins the upper annular slot, the wall of the bearing surrounding the cylindrical region of the coupling part being disposed at a distance from the coupling part and guide surfaces corresponding to the guide surfaces of the coupling part being formed in the bearing, that the inside diameter of the annular collar is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the cylindrical region of the coupling part, and that the angle that the inner face of the annular collar forms with the cross-sectional plane of the coupling part is in the range between 30.degree. and 60.degree..

Claims11

Dependent claims

In a drive device for positioning the mirror holder of a vehicle rear-view mirror assembly,

a worn gear adapted to be engaged by the output shaft of a motor;
a housing;
a single bearing for supporting said worm gear in said housing comprising:
(i) a cylindrical portion comprising a cylindrical region extending from said housing, said cylindrical portion having a free end, an upper guide surface adjoining an end of said cylindrical region, and an annular inwardly extending collar at the free end of the cylindrical portion having a convex guide surface at the inner diameter thereof;
(ii) a second guide surface carried by said housing;
(iii) said worn gear having a coupling part attached thereto and including an annular slot having a concave annular surface,
(iv) said collar extending into said annular slot with the convex guide surface thereof journalling the concave annular surface of said annular slot of said coupling part;
(v) said coupling part extending beyond said annular slot and having a cylindrical part thereof substantially coextensive with said cylindrical region and spaced inwardly from said cylindrical region;
(vi) said coupling part having guide surfaces engaging said guide surfaces of said cylinder and said housing;
(vii) the inside diameter of the annular collar being slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the cylindrical part of the coupling part;
(viii) the angle between a tangent to the part of the convex guide surface of the annular collar which is closest to said guide surface and the plane transverse to the axis of the coupling part being between 30.degree. and 60.degree..

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.