Motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement and motor vehicle with such arrangement as well as method for sealing a motor vehicle exterior mirror

Abstract

Motor vehicle exterior mirror assembly (10) comprising a motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) and a mirror base (16) which is connectable to a body (12) or a vehicle component (18) connected to the body (12) of a motor vehicle (100), wherein the motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) has a mirror housing (32) with a receptacle for a circumferential seal (20) with which the motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) can be sealed against the body (12) or the vehicle component (18) connected to the body (12) against the ingress of liquid and / or dirt, wherein the circumferential seal (20) is materially connected to at least one sealing element (24) which extends radially inwards into a surface (40) enclosed by the circumferential seal (20) and seals against the mirror base (16), characterized in that the radially inwards extending sealing element (24) has several sealing tongues (26) or sealing lamellae (28),wherein the multiple sealing tongues (26) or sealing lamellae (28) have different lengths and / or different widths in order to adapt the contour of the sealing element (24) to the geometry of the mirror base (16).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement, a motor vehicle with such a motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement and a method for sealing a motor vehicle exterior mirror on a motor vehicle according to the preamble of the independent claims.

[0002] Motor vehicles are typically equipped with two exterior mirrors to allow drivers to observe traffic behind them, for example, when changing lanes. Furthermore, exterior mirrors are used to monitor the surroundings when reversing, especially when a direct line of sight is obstructed by the rear window. Due to their exposed position relative to the vehicle's body, exterior mirrors are subject to wind noise while driving, which can cause wind noise and vibrations. These noises and vibrations can be transmitted to the vehicle's body via the mirror's mounting points, making them more noticeable to the passengers. These noises are perceived as unpleasant and reduce driving comfort.

[0003] To meet high quality requirements in the automotive industry, it is known to close or seal cavities in the body or body parts, or in sections of the body or body parts, to prevent the ingress of dirt or moisture. It is also known to close an opening in the body intended for the passage of a wiring harness, so that no dirt or moisture can pass through these openings.

[0004] To attach an exterior mirror to the body or body part of a motor vehicle, it may be necessary to seal the mirror base and, if applicable, the mirror base cover against the vehicle. It is known to seal at least part of the surface of the mirror base that contacts the body with a molded foam.

[0005] To prevent scratching of the bodywork or body part during the installation of an exterior mirror, the mirror base cover can be provided with a rubber-like, elastic underlay which remains between the bodywork or body part and the mirror base and / or the mirror base cover when fully installed.

[0006] However, a disadvantage is that this means additional assembly effort due to an extra component, which increases manufacturing and assembly costs. Furthermore, every additional assembly part carries the risk of being installed incorrectly or lost during assembly, so that the intended function is not fulfilled, or not fully fulfilled.

[0007] From EP 2 415 641 B1, a seal for part of an external rearview mirror assembly against a body panel of a motor vehicle is known, wherein the seal is provided to cover at least one portion of at least one surface of a mirror base or mirror base cover that contacts the body. The seal is connected to the mirror base or mirror base cover in a captive manner by means of at least one tab. The tab forms a hinge-like articulated connection which includes at least one hinge axis adjacent to the at least one surface that contacts the body. The seal can be folded about the at least one hinge axis onto the portion of the surface that is to be covered. Furthermore, EP 2 415 641 B1 describes an external rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle which includes such a seal.

[0008] JP 2001 / 233 126 A discloses a sealing fastening mechanism on a mirror base for a vehicle, which can prevent the seal from falling off the mirror base, even when an external force is exerted on the circumference of the seal in a direction away from the mirror base. For this purpose, a sealing mounting mechanism is provided on a mirror base of a motor vehicle, to which a mirror body of an exterior mirror is attached. Furthermore, a seal is provided which is equipped with an annular flange that is arranged on the mounting side of the mirror base on the vehicle and engages with the mirror base.

[0009] JP 2009 - 262 634 A describes an exterior mirror device for a vehicle that is capable of preventing or limiting damage to the exterior of the vehicle body.

[0010] From JP 2013 - 001 192 A, a sealing structure for the mounting part of a vehicle door mirror is known, in which a sealing rubber is arranged between the outer trim of a front door and the mirror base of the door mirror to be attached to the outer trim. A space open towards the outer trim is formed in the mirror base.

[0011] JP 2016-107 809 A discloses an exterior mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising a base attached to the vehicle body, a shaft attached to the base, and a mirror housing rotatably mounted on the shaft. A stand integrated with the shaft is housed within a housing section that communicates with an interior of the base. A seal, which closes a gap between the stand and the housing section, is attached to an outer surface of the stand.

[0012] From DE 10 2018 218 499 A1, an external rearview mirror arrangement for a vehicle is known, comprising a mirror base that includes a mounting section and a housing, and a mirror head that is pivotably mounted on the mirror base or on the mounting section. The mirror head comprises a mirror housing and a reflective element that is adjustable on the mirror housing.

[0013] The invention is based on the objective of improving the acoustic behavior, in particular the aeroacoustics of a motor vehicle exterior mirror, and overcoming the disadvantages known from the prior art.

[0014] The problem is solved by a motor vehicle exterior mirror assembly comprising a motor vehicle exterior mirror and a mirror base which can be connected to a motor vehicle body or a vehicle component connected to the body, in particular a door or a fender. The motor vehicle exterior mirror has a mirror housing with a receptacle for a circumferential seal, which seals the motor vehicle exterior mirror against the ingress of liquid and / or dirt from the motor vehicle body or the vehicle component connected to the body. According to the invention, the circumferential seal is materially bonded to at least one sealing element which extends radially inwards into a surface enclosed by the circumferential seal and seals against the mirror base.

[0015] The seal at the mirror base dampens the noise generated by the mirror's movement in the airflow around it. In particular, it prevents structure-borne noise from being transmitted to the vehicle body or components connected to it, thus improving acoustic comfort in the vehicle's interior. The material-bonded connection of the sealing element creates an efficient aeroacoustic seal at the mirror base. Furthermore, the one-piece design of the seal and sealing element reduces manufacturing costs and assembly effort. No additional components are required, thereby minimizing or eliminating the risk of assembly errors or lost parts.

[0016] The noise generated by a vehicle's exterior mirror is caused by the airflow around the mirror. This airflow, through gaps and joints in the mirror's design that are not sealed, produces aeroacoustic noise. The circumferential seal with its sealing element, which extends radially inwards into an area enclosed by the seal and seals against the mirror base, interrupts the airflow, thus reducing or completely eliminating the aeroacoustic excitation. Furthermore, the seal dampens the transmission of structure-borne noise to the vehicle's passenger compartment.

[0017] Advantageous improvements and further developments of the motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement are possible from the additional features listed in the dependent claims.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the circumferential seal has a greater material thickness than the radially inwardly extending sealing element. This allows for a comparatively dimensionally stable circumferential seal with a high sealing effect, thus providing optimal protection for the mirror base against moisture and dirt ingress. Furthermore, the sealing element can be designed to be correspondingly thin-walled and flexible to ensure optimal contact between the sealing element and the mirror base.

[0019] According to the invention, the radially inwardly extending sealing element has several sealing tongues or sealing lamellae. The flexibility of the sealing element can be further increased by having multiple sealing tongues or sealing lamellae, thereby enabling the sealing element to adapt even better to the shape of the mirror base and to ensure an aeroacoustic seal there.

[0020] According to the invention, the multiple sealing tongues or sealing lamellae have different lengths and / or widths to adapt the contour of the sealing element to the geometry of the mirror base. To reduce material usage and adapt the sealing tongues or sealing lamellae to the geometry of the mirror base, it is advantageous if these sealing tongues or sealing lamellae have different widths and / or lengths depending on the design of the mirror base. Furthermore, this avoids material accumulations or folds in the sealing element, which would lead to increased assembly forces.

[0021] In a further improvement of the invention, the sealing tongues or sealing lamellae are provided to have linear or point contact with the mirror base. Linear contact between the sealing lamella and the mirror base offers a particularly robust seal at the mirror base. However, for more complex geometries at the mirror base, it can be advantageous to design the contour to be sealed with correspondingly small components, so that the contact surfaces can be very short and, if necessary, only point-like. The more complex the geometry of the mirror base, the smaller the sealing lamellae must be to achieve an efficient seal and the associated improvement in aeroacoustics.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, it is advantageous for the sealing tongues or sealing lamellae to form a labyrinth seal with the mirror base. A labyrinth seal surrounding the mirror base further enhances the sealing effect and thus improves the aeroacoustic performance of the vehicle's exterior mirror assembly.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment of the motor vehicle exterior mirror assembly, the radially inwardly extending sealing element and the circumferential seal are made of a polymer material and manufactured using an injection molding process. This makes it possible to create a one-piece seal in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner, which also incorporates a sealing element for improved aeroacoustics. Furthermore, a polymer material, especially an elastomer, exhibits favorable sealing properties for sealing the mirror base.

[0024] It is particularly advantageous if the sealing element and the surrounding gasket are made of two different polymer materials, with the sealing element being bonded to the surrounding gasket using a two-component injection molding process. Alternatively, the surrounding gasket can also be subsequently injection-molded onto the sealing element using a two-component injection molding process and bonded to it. A two-component injection molding process allows the use of two different plastics, enabling the structure of the gasket and the sealing element to be ideally adapted to the tasks of sealing and noise reduction. Furthermore, such a two-component injection molding process is relatively simple and cost-effective to implement, allowing the sealing component, including the surrounding gasket and the sealing element, to be manufactured inexpensively.

[0025] Another aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle with such a motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement.

[0026] The invention further comprises a method for sealing a motor vehicle exterior mirror to the mirror base of a motor vehicle. The mirror base is connected to the body of the motor vehicle or to a vehicle component connected to the body, in particular a door or a fender. The motor vehicle exterior mirror has a mirror housing with a receptacle for a circumferential seal, which seals the motor vehicle exterior mirror against the body or the vehicle component connected to the body, preventing the ingress of liquid and / or dirt. The circumferential seal is materially bonded to at least one sealing element, which extends radially inward into a surface enclosed by the circumferential seal, and the mirror base is sealed by the sealing element.The sealing element, which extends radially inwards, has several sealing tongues or sealing lamellae, whereby the contour of the sealing element is adapted to the geometry of the mirror base by the several sealing tongues or sealing lamellae of different lengths and / or different widths.

[0027] This method allows for efficient aeroacoustic sealing at the mirror base with low costs and minimal installation effort. This minimizes noise inside the vehicle and increases driving comfort.

[0028] Unless otherwise stated in individual cases, the various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be advantageously combined with one another.

[0029] The invention is explained below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a motor vehicle with a body and an exterior mirror, Fig. 2 a preferred embodiment of a motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement according to the invention with a circumferential seal and a sealing element extending radially inwards from this seal, Fig. 3 that in Fig. 2 Sealing element shown after mounting on a mirror base of a motor vehicle exterior mirror, Fig. 4 an alternative embodiment of a motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement according to the invention with a circumferential seal and a sealing element extending radially inwards from this seal.

[0030] Fig. Figure 1 shows a motor vehicle 100 with a body 12 and further vehicle components 18 connected to the body 12, in particular doors 44, fenders 46 and a hood 48 connected to the body 12. A motor vehicle exterior mirror assembly 10 is provided on the door 44 of the motor vehicle 100, comprising a motor vehicle exterior mirror 14 which is attached to this door 44 by means of a mirror base 16. The motor vehicle exterior mirror 14 has a mirror housing 32 which is connected to the mirror base 16 via a connection point 30.

[0031] During a journey of the motor vehicle 100, the motor vehicle's exterior mirror 14 is exposed to the airflow, which can cause wind noise that is perceived as unpleasant by the occupants of the motor vehicle 100.

[0032] In Fig. Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement 10 according to the invention, comprising a motor vehicle exterior mirror 14 and a mirror base 16, which is connected to the body 12 or to a further vehicle component 18 connected to the body 12, in particular a door 44, a fender 46 or a hood 48. The motor vehicle exterior mirror 14 has a mirror housing 32 with a receptacle 34 for a circumferential seal 20, with which the motor vehicle exterior mirror 14 seals against the body 12 or the vehicle component 18 connected to the body 12 against the ingress of liquid, in particular rainwater, snow, hail or splash water, and against the ingress of dust and / or dirt.The circumferential seal 20 is materially bonded to at least one sealing element 24, the sealing element 24 extending radially inwards from the circumferential seal 20 into a surface 40 enclosed by the circumferential seal 20 and sealing the mirror base 16. The sealing element 24 has several sealing tongues 26, each separated from the other by slots. The sealing tongues 26 have different lengths and widths to adapt their geometry to the geometry of the mirror base 16. In a preferred embodiment, the circumferential seal 20 has a greater material thickness than the sealing element 24. This makes the circumferential seal 20 comparatively rigid, allowing it to be easily inserted into the receptacle 22 on the mirror housing 32.The sealing element 24 is particularly flexible due to its reduced material thickness, allowing the sealing tongues 26 to be easily attached to the mirror base 16. Alternatively or additionally to sealing tongues 26, the sealing element 24 can also have sealing lamellae 28 or be designed as a sealing membrane 38, which is preferably slotted to increase the flexibility of the sealing membrane 38 and to allow its contour to adapt to the geometry of the mirror base 16.

[0033] In Fig. Figure 3 shows the circumferential seal 20 with the radially inwardly extending sealing element 24 after mounting on the mirror base 16 of a motor vehicle exterior mirror 14. A receptacle 22 is formed on the mirror base 16, which is at least indirectly connected to the body 12, to seal the connection point between the mirror base 16 and the mirror housing 32 against moisture, dirt, and dust. The sealing element 24 has several sealing tongues 26, which are adapted in shape and length to the geometry of the mirror base. In this way, a labyrinth seal 42 is formed on the mirror base 16. The contact of the sealing tongues with the mirror base 16 reduces the transmission of structure-borne noise from the mirror housing 32 or the motor vehicle exterior mirror 14 to the mirror base 16. This reduces wind noise in the interior of the motor vehicle 100 and increases passenger comfort.

[0034] Fig. Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of a motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement 10. The design is essentially the same as shown in Figure 4. Fig. As described in Figure 2, this embodiment represents a particularly simple and cost-effective solution in which the sealing element 24 is manufactured in one piece. This one-piece design allows for particularly simple and inexpensive production of the sealing arrangement with the circumferential sealing element 20 and the radially inwardly extending sealing element 24. However, this design makes mounting the seal on the mirror base 16 slightly more difficult, as the one-piece shape of the sealing element 24 does not conform as easily to the geometry of the mirror base 16. Furthermore, there is a risk that a large-area sealing element 24 could itself be set into vibration, generating additional noise that could counteract the desired damping effect for reducing aeroacoustic vibrations. Reference symbol list 10 Motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement 12 Bodywork 14 motor vehicle exterior mirrors 16 Mirror base 18 additional vehicle components 20 circumferential seals 22nd recording 24 sealing elements 26 Sealing tongue 28 sealing strip 30 junction point 32 mirror housings 34 retaining element 36 cavity 38 Sealing membrane 40 enclosed area 42 Labyrinth seal 44 Door 46 fenders 48 Hood 100 motor vehicles

Claims

[1] Motor vehicle exterior mirror assembly (10) comprising a motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) and a mirror base (16) which can be connected to a body (12) or a vehicle component (18) connected to the body (12) of a motor vehicle (100), wherein the motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) has a mirror housing (32) with a receptacle for a circumferential seal (20) with which the motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) can be sealed against the body (12) or the vehicle component (18) connected to the body (12) against the ingress of liquid and / or dirt, wherein the circumferential seal (20) is materially connected to at least one sealing element (24) which extends radially inwards into a surface (40) enclosed by the circumferential seal (20) and seals against the mirror base (16), characterized by, that the radially inward extending sealing element (24) has several sealing tongues (26) or sealing lamellae (28), wherein the several sealing tongues (26) or sealing lamellae (28) have different lengths and / or different widths in order to adapt the contour of the sealing element (24) to the geometry of the mirror base (16). [2] Motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the circumferential seal (20) has a greater material thickness than the sealing element (24) extending radially inwards. [3] Motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the sealing tongues (26) or sealing lamellae (28) have a linear or point-like contact with the mirror base (16). [4] Motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by, that the sealing tongues (26) or the sealing lamellae (28) form a labyrinth seal (42) with the mirror base (16). [5] Motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the radially inward extending sealing element (24) and the circumferential seal (20) are made of a polymer material and are manufactured using an injection casting process. [6] Motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement (10) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the sealing element (24) and the circumferential seal (20) consist of two different polymer materials, wherein the sealing element (24) is joined to the circumferential seal in a two-component injection molding process. [7] Motor vehicle (100) with a motor vehicle exterior mirror arrangement (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6. [8] Method for sealing a motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) to a mirror base (16) of a motor vehicle (100), wherein the mirror base (16) is connected to a body (12) of the motor vehicle (100) or to a vehicle component (18) connected to the body (12), wherein the motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) has a mirror housing (32) with a receptacle for a circumferential seal (20) with which the motor vehicle exterior mirror (14) can be sealed against the body (12) or the vehicle component (18) connected to the body (12) to prevent the ingress of liquid and / or dirt, wherein the circumferential seal (20) is materially bonded to at least one sealing element (24) which extends radially inwards into a surface (40) enclosed by the circumferential seal (20), wherein the mirror base (16) is sealed by the sealing element (24), characterized by, that the radially inward extending sealing element has several sealing tongues (26) or sealing lamellae (28), wherein the contour of the sealing element (24) is adapted to the geometry of the mirror base (16) by several sealing tongues (26) or sealing lamellae (28) of different lengths and / or different widths.

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