Folding structure for rearview mirror

Abstract

A folding structure of a rearview mirror includes: a cover; a motor unit in the cover; and a shaft unit coupled to the motor unit. The shaft unit may receive a driving force from the motor unit and rotate the cover relative to the base. The shaft includes a check ring coupled to the cover, and the check ring supports a load generated when the cover moves up and down.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a folding structure for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a folding structure for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror in which the mirror, allowing the driver to check lane changes and obstacles behind, folds downward when the vehicle is parked and unfolds upward when the vehicle is in motion. The mirror is raised and lowered via gear engagement to fold and unfold, and this raising and lowering function has the effect of adjusting the mirror clearance to prevent airflow noise and friction noise generated therefrom. Background Technology

[0002] The vehicle is equipped with an interior rearview mirror installed in the center of the front area inside the vehicle, allowing the driver to detect other vehicles and the driving environment behind the vehicle. Side rearview mirrors are installed on the left and / or right sides of the front of the vehicle, allowing the driver to detect other vehicles and the driving environment on the left and right rear sides of the vehicle.

[0003] Side mirrors are reflectors installed at the front of a vehicle on the driver's side door and the front passenger side door. Specifically, side mirrors are used to detect the position of other vehicles and the distance between the driver's vehicle and other vehicles following it, so as to allow the driver to safely change lanes, for example, by ensuring visibility relative to the rear, and / or to assist in parking by checking for obstacles behind the driver.

[0004] However, because the vehicle's side mirrors have a mounting structure that protrudes and extends from the outer surface of the driver's side door and the front passenger side door, if the vehicle is parked in a parking facility that accommodates a large number of vehicles at the same time, or if the vehicle is parked in a narrow place, such as an alley, the protruding side mirrors may come into contact with parked vehicles close to the main vehicle, or may come into contact with the body of a pedestrian or another vehicle, and may therefore be damaged or destroyed.

[0005] Therefore, recently, devices for automatically unfolding and folding vehicle side mirrors have been developed, such as side mirror folding devices, and these side mirror folding devices are used as a measure to prevent the side mirrors from being damaged or destroyed due to external contact.

[0006] This folding device can selectively unfold and fold the side mirrors by operating a switch installed on the driver's side, and can also automatically unfold the side mirrors when the vehicle is started and automatically fold the side mirrors when the vehicle is turned off.

[0007] like Figure 1A and Figure 1BAs shown, this electrically folding structure 10 of the side rearview mirror 20 may include: a cover 1 disposed in the side rearview mirror 20; a drive motor 2 disposed on one side of the cover 1 and having a drive gear 2-a; a shaft 3 disposed on the other side of the cover 1; a clutch mechanism 4 having a clutch gear 4-a connected to the shaft 3; and a first reduction gear 5 and a second reduction gear 6 connecting the drive gear 2-a to the clutch gear 4-a. In the electrically folding structure 10 of the side rearview mirror 20, when the drive gear 2 rotates, the shaft 3 rotates by transmitting driving force to the drive gear 2-a, the first reduction gear 5 and the second reduction gear 6, and the clutch gear 4, and the side rearview mirror 20 rotates to tilt by rotating the shaft 3.

[0008] The electrically folding structure 10 achieves rotational movement through gear engagement, but it has the problem that the rearview mirror housing cannot be adjusted upwards and downwards. Furthermore, according to the structure of conventional rearview mirrors (e.g., side mirrors) used in vehicles, a specified gap is formed between the upper surface of the head located at the lower end of the axis of the electrically folding structure 10 and the lower surface of the base unit. When driving the vehicle in the extended state of the side mirror, this gap causes airflow noise due to friction with the air, and this gap also presents the problem of requiring manual adjustment of the rearview mirror housing and generating frictional noise during operation.

[0009] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the background technology of this disclosure, and therefore may contain information that does not form part of the prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The following overview presents a simplified overview of some features. This overview is not exhaustive and is not intended to identify key or critical elements.

[0011] Systems, apparatus, and methods for a folding structure for a rearview mirror are described. The folding structure of the rearview mirror may include: a cover; a motor; and a shaft coupled to the motor and configured to rotate the cover relative to a base based on a driving force from the motor. The shaft may include a retaining ring coupled to the cover, the retaining ring being configured to withstand loads generated when the cover moves up and down based on its rotation relative to the base.

[0012] Alternatively, the rearview mirror folding structure may include: a motor; a shaft including one or more grooves in a first direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft; and a cover surrounding and concentric with the shaft, the cover including one or more first protrusions insertable into the one or more grooves. The shaft may be configured to rotate relative to the base of the rearview mirror via the motor to place the rearview mirror in a folded or unfolded state. The sides of the one or more grooves may be inclined relative to the first direction and a second direction parallel to the circumference of the shaft. The one or more first protrusions may be inserted into the one or more grooves in the unfolded state, and when the shaft rotates from the unfolded state to the folded state, the one or more first protrusions move along the sides of the one or more grooves in a direction that raises the cover relative to the base.

[0013] These and other features and advantages are described in more detail below. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The above and other features of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to certain embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the drawings are given by way of illustration only and therefore do not limit the disclosure, and in the drawings:

[0015] Figure 1A This shows a view of a standard side rearview mirror;

[0016] Figure 1B This is a perspective view showing the electrically folding structure of a conventional side rearview mirror;

[0017] Figure 2A This is a perspective view of a vehicle exterior rearview mirror assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2B This is a view showing the fastening structure between the motor unit and the shaft unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2C This is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a motor unit and a shaft unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3A This is a view showing the fastening relationship between the first protrusion of the cover and the stepped and inclined portions of the shaft unit when the exterior rearview mirror is in the unfolded state according to this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3B This is a cross-sectional view showing the overlap between the rearview mirror housing and the seam seal when the exterior rearview mirror is in the unfolded state according to this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3C This is a cross-sectional view showing the connection relationship between the shaft unit and the stop ring when the exterior rearview mirror is in the deployed state according to this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4A This is a view showing the fastening relationship between the first protrusion of the cover and the stepped and inclined portions of the shaft unit when the exterior rearview mirror is in the folded state according to this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4B This is a cross-sectional view showing the rearview mirror housings and seam seals spaced apart from each other when the exterior rearview mirrors are in a folded state, according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 4C This is a cross-sectional view showing the connection relationship between the shaft unit and the stop ring when the exterior rearview mirror is in the deployed state according to this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5A This is an enlarged view showing the connection state of the driven gear and shaft unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0027] Figure 5B This is a view illustrating the configuration of a stop ring according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and present slightly simplified representations of the various features illustrating the basic principles of this disclosure. Specific design features of this disclosure (including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes) will be determined in part by the specific intended application and environment of use.

[0029] In the accompanying drawings, throughout several figures, the same reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] In the following, reference will be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and embodiments may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided so that the description of the present disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0031] Furthermore, in the following description of the embodiments, it will be understood that the suffixes “part,” “unit,” “module,” etc., indicate a unit / element for processing at least one function or operation, and can be implemented as software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0032] Furthermore, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, singular expressions may also be intended to include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0033] In the specification and claims of this disclosure, directions such as up, down, left and right, front, and back are not intended to be limited to any particular direction, and are used for ease of interpretation based on the relative positions of components or as defined in the drawings. The directions described herein are based on this, unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0034] In the following description, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description with reference to the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be indicated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0035] Figure 2A This is a perspective view of a vehicle exterior rearview mirror assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2B This is a view showing the fastening structure between a motor unit 100 (e.g., a motor) and a shaft unit 200 (e.g., a shaft) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2C This is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a motor unit 100 and a shaft unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] This disclosure relates to a folding structure for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror 1, and provides a technique for raising the rearview mirror housing 10 in the height direction (e.g., in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rearview mirror (alternately referred to as the first direction)) of the vehicle exterior rearview mirror 1 rotatable relative to a base unit 20 (e.g., a base).

[0037] The exterior rearview mirror 1 can be configured to rotate the mirror housing 10, causing the cover 300 and the mirror housing 10 to rotate as a whole relative to the base unit 20 fixed to the vehicle body, and to fold and unfold. For example, the cover 300 and the mirror housing 10 can rotate around... Figure 2A The line AA shown rotates as a whole, and the rearview mirror housing 10 can rotate around the displacement unit 200, which is positioned / located / configured to be fixed to the base unit 20, in response to the driving force of the motor unit 100 mounted in the cover 300.

[0038] The exterior rearview mirror 1 can be configured such that the cover 300 and the rearview mirror housing 10 can be rotated as a whole. The rearview mirror housing 10 can be manufactured to rotate about a displacement unit 200 that is positioned / configured to be fixed to the base unit 20 in response to the driving force of the motor unit 100 mounted in the cover 300.

[0039] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the cover 300 may be fixedly located inside the rearview mirror housing 10 to integrally include the motor unit 100 and the shaft unit 200. The motor unit 100 may include a motor 110 fixedly located inside the rearview mirror housing 10 and a transmission unit 120 configured to transmit the driving force of the motor 110 to the shaft unit 200. When the motor 110 is in operation (e.g., based on the operation of the motor 110), the transmission unit 120 may receive the driving force from the motor 110. The transmission unit 120 may include: a first worm 121 configured to be formed on the rotating shaft of the motor 110; a first worm wheel 122 engaging with the first worm 121; and a second worm 123 coaxially positioned with the first worm wheel 122 and configured to have the same rotational speed as the first worm wheel 122.

[0040] The second worm gear 123 can engage / is capable of engaging with the driven gear 210, which is configured to surround the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 201. The driven gear 210 can be constrained by the shaft 201, such that the motor unit 100 including the second worm gear 123 and the cover 300 rotate and move along the driven gear 210.

[0041] The elastic member 130 may be located at one end of the rotation shaft of the second worm 123 to provide elastic force in the axial direction. One end of the elastic member 130 may be connected to the end of the rotation shaft of the second worm 123 where the first worm wheel 122 is located, and the other end of the elastic member 130 may be bolted to the cover 300 for fixation. That is, the elastic member 130 of this disclosure may be configured to press the rotation shaft of the second worm 122 in one direction, such that the second worm 123 can maintain its position engaged with the driven gear 210.

[0042] The transmission unit 120 can adjust the position of the second worm 123 engaged with the driven gear 210, and therefore, the transmission unit 120 can adjust the position of the second worm 123 even when the cover 300 is rotated or an external impact is applied to the inside of the cover 300.

[0043] The stop ring 220 can be configured such that the vertical guide protrusion 221 can move along the groove 303 to have a predetermined clearance in the height direction of the shaft 201. Furthermore, the driven gear 210 can be coupled to the stop ring 220 such that the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 can restrain each other. The connection between the stop ring 220 and the driven gear 210 can be maintained via the pressing member 230.

[0044] Alternatively, the stop ring 220 may be located on the inner surface of the cover 300. The driven gear 210 may be located on the stop ring 220. A pressing member 230 may be disposed between the upper surface of the driven gear 210 and the inner surface of the upper end of the cover 300. The pressing member 230 provides a spring force to press the driven gear 210 downward in the height direction. Therefore, if the cover 300 rises, the pressing member 230 provides a spring force on the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 in the height direction, causing the stop ring 220 and the driven gear 210 to move integrally with the cover 300 along the shaft 201.

[0045] Driven gear 210 may include a position adjustment protrusion 211 that protrudes from its surface facing the stop ring 220. The stop ring 220 may include a position adjustment recess 222 into which the position adjustment protrusion 211 of the driven gear 210 is inserted. Therefore, the stop ring 220 and the driven gear 210 can be integrally constrained by the shaft 201, such that rotation of the stop ring 220 and the driven gear 210 is limited by inserting the position adjustment protrusion 211 into the position adjustment recess 222.

[0046] Alternatively, because the elastic force of the pressing member 230 can be applied to the driven gear 210, the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 can move as a whole when the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 move in the height direction of the shaft 210. Furthermore, because the vertical guide protrusion 221 of the stop ring 220 is constrained by the shaft 201, and therefore the rotation of the stop ring 220 relative to the shaft 201 is restricted, the rotation of the driven gear 20 engaged with the stop ring 220 can be restricted by the shaft 201. As an example, when the cover 300 is raised or lowered, the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 can move as a whole in the height direction relative to the shaft 201 by the elastic force of the pressing member 230. The vertical guide protrusion 221 of the stop ring 220 can be inserted into a recess 202 formed in the surface of the shaft 201, such that the rotation of the stop ring 220 and the driven gear 210 is restricted by the shaft 201.

[0047] Therefore, even if the driving force of the motor unit 100 is applied to the driven gear 210, the driven gear 210 can be fixed to the shaft 210 by / via the stop ring 220, and the second worm 123 can rotate along the outer peripheral surface of the driven gear 210 as a whole with the cover 300.

[0048] If the driving force of the motor unit 100 is applied to the shaft unit 200, the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 connected to the central axis of the shaft unit 200 can rotate along one or more grooves of the shaft unit 200, each groove including a stepped portion 204 and an inclined portion 203.

[0049] In response to (e.g., based on, according to) the driving force of the motor 110, the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 of this disclosure is rotatable along the stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft 201. The first protrusion 310 is movable in the height direction from the stepped portion 204 to the inclined portion 203. For example, the cover 300 located inside the rearview mirror housing 10 may be coupled to the base unit 20.

[0050] In one embodiment, if the exterior rearview mirror 1 is switched to a folded state, the cover 300 can be configured such that the first protrusion 310 rises along the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200, thereby providing the effect of preventing frictional noise between the seam seal 21 of the base unit 20 and the rearview mirror housing 10.

[0051] Conversely, when the exterior rearview mirror 1 is in the unfolded state, the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 can be inserted into the step portion 204, and thus the height of the cover 300 is relatively reduced. Therefore, the cover 300 can be moved to a height at which the rearview mirror housing 10 and the seam seal 21 interfere with each other, thereby providing the effect of reducing airflow noise generated in the gap between the rearview mirror housing 10 and the base unit 20.

[0052] Reference Figure 3A Specifically, the cover 300 of this disclosure may include a first protrusion 310 and a second protrusion 320. One surface of the first protrusion 310 (e.g., a first surface, a convex surface) may protrude toward the stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200 to pass through them. In this case, at least one first protrusion 310 may be configured to rotate while / repeatedly passing through the stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200. Furthermore, the second protrusion 320 of the cover 300 of this disclosure has a surface that may protrude toward the stop ring 220, such that the cover 300 rotates about the shaft 201.

[0053] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, shaft unit 200 may include a shaft 201 configured to form a central (e.g., rotational) axis. A stepped portion 204 and an inclined portion 203 may be configured to allow vertical movement (e.g., along the central / rotational axis) and / or constrain such vertical movement. The shaft 201 of this disclosure includes three portions separated from each other using at least one step as a boundary in the height direction: a high portion, a middle portion, and a low portion, and the diameter of the shaft 201 increases from the high portion to the low portion. Furthermore, the stepped portion 204 of the shaft unit 200 may be provided in the form of a recess, and the inclined portion 203 may be provided diagonally from the stepped portion 204. The stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200 may be configured as portions traversed by a first protrusion 310 (e.g., the first protrusion slides into the stepped portion 204 and slides upward out of the inclined portion 203). The stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200 disclosed herein can be arranged alternately, and the inclined portion 203 can be set at a specified angle in the rotation direction of the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300, so that the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 can rotate flexibly along the inclined portion 203.

[0054] In addition, refer to Figure 4A The height at which the cover 300 is raised or lowered in this disclosure can be the vertical height d3 from the stepped portion 204 of the shaft unit 200 to the inclined portion 203.

[0055] The recess 202 may be formed in the outer peripheral surface of the middle portion of the shaft 201 of this disclosure. As described herein, the vertical guide protrusion 221 of the stop ring 220 is inserted into the recess 202 of the shaft 201 of the shaft unit 200, thereby restricting the rotation of the stop ring 220.

[0056] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the shaft unit 200 may include a pressing member 230 located between the upper surface of the driven gear 210 and the inner surface of the upper end of the cover 300. The pressing member 230 may provide a spring force to press the driven gear 210 downward in the height direction. Therefore, the pressing member 230 may provide a spring force in the height direction of the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220, allowing the cover 300 to rotate about the shaft 201.

[0057] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the driven gear 210 of the shaft unit 200 can be coupled to the shaft 201 and has teeth formed along the outer peripheral surface of the driven gear 210. The driven gear 210 may include a position adjustment protrusion 211 that protrudes from the surface of the driven gear 210 facing the stop ring 220. The teeth of the driven gear 210 can engage / are engageable with the second worm gear 123 to rotate the transmission unit 120.

[0058] Because the elastic force of the pressing member is applied to the driven gear 210, the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 can move as a whole when the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 move in the height direction of the shaft 201. Furthermore, because the vertical guide protrusion 221 of the stop ring 220 is constrained by the shaft 201 and the rotation of the stop ring 220 relative to the shaft 201 is restricted, the rotation of the driven gear 210 fastened to the stop ring 220 can also be constrained by the shaft 201. As an example, when the cover 300 is raised or lowered, the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 can move as a whole in the height direction relative to the shaft 201 by / via the elastic force of the pressing member 230, and the vertical guide protrusion 221 of the stop ring 220 can be inserted into the recess 202 formed in the surface of the shaft 201, thereby allowing the rotation of the stop ring 220 and the driven gear 210 to be restricted by the shaft 201.

[0059] Figure 3A The fastening relationship between the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 and the stepped portion 204 and inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200 when the exterior rearview mirror 1 is in the deployed state, according to this disclosure, is shown. Figure 3B This is a cross-sectional view showing the overlap between the rearview mirror housing 10 and the seam seal 21 when the exterior rearview mirror 1 is in the unfolded state according to the present disclosure. Figure 3C This is a cross-sectional view showing the connection relationship between the shaft unit 200 and the stop ring 220 when the exterior rearview mirror 1 is in the deployed state according to this disclosure.

[0060] With the exterior rearview mirror 1 in the unfolded state, the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 can be configured to rotate / rotatably rotate along the stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200. The shaft unit 200 may include a driven gear 210 and a stop ring 220 sequentially located on the inner upper surface of the cover 300, and a pressing member 230 located between the upper end of the driven gear 210 and the inner surface of the upper end of the cover 300. The pressing member 230 can apply a spring force to the driven gear 210 toward the lower end of the shaft unit 200.

[0061] With the exterior rearview mirror 1 in its unfolded state, the rearview mirror housing 10 can be positioned such that the seam seal 21 located on the base unit 20 interferes with the lower end of the rearview mirror housing 10. For example... Figure 3B As shown, in the unfolded state of the exterior rearview mirror 1, the rearview mirror housing 10 and the base unit 20 can be set / positioned / configured to have a gap d2 between the lower end of the rearview mirror housing 10 and the base unit 20, and the upper end of the gap seal 21 overlaps the lower surface of the rearview mirror housing 10 with a gap d1.

[0062] like Figure 3CAs shown, a driven gear 210 and a retaining ring 220 may be provided, the rotation of which is restricted by the shaft 201. Pressing member 230 ( Figure 3C (Not shown) can provide a spring force to the driven gear 210 in the downward direction of the shaft 201. Furthermore, the position adjustment protrusion 211 of the driven gear 210 can be retained inserted into the position adjustment recess 222 of the stop ring 220, and the driven gear 210 and the stop ring 220 can move as a whole in the vertical direction (e.g., up and / or down) of the shaft 201 by / due to the spring force of the pressing member 230. Alternatively, in the deployed exterior rearview mirror 1, the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 can be located on the stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200.

[0063] With the exterior rearview mirror 1 in the unfolded state, the stop ring 220 and the driven gear 210 can be pressed together by the pressing member 230. In addition, the vertical guide protrusion 221 can be inserted into the recess 202, so that the cover 300 has a relatively low position.

[0064] Figure 4A This is a view showing the fastening relationship between the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 and the stepped portion 204 and inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200 when the exterior rearview mirror 1 is in the folded state, according to this disclosure. Figure 4B This is a cross-sectional view of the rearview mirror housing 10 and the seam seal when the exterior rearview mirror 1 is in the folded state, according to the present disclosure. Figure 4C This is a cross-sectional view showing the connection relationship between the rear axle unit 200 and the stop ring 220 after the rearview mirror housing 10 is raised when the exterior rearview mirror 1 is in the unfolded state, according to the present disclosure.

[0065] If the rearview mirror 1 is switched to the folded state, the cover 300 can be rotated by / via / based on the driving force of the motor unit 100. When the cover 300 rotates, the first protrusion 310 of the cover 300 can rotate along the stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200, and the cover 300 rises in height from the stepped portion 204 to the inclined portion 203. For example, the driving force of the motor 110 can be transmitted to the first worm 121 coaxially arranged with the motor 110, and then to the first worm wheel 122 and the second worm 123 coaxially arranged / configured with the first worm wheel 122. The driving force can cause the second worm 123 to rotate along the outer peripheral surface of the driven gear 210, which is positioned such that its rotation can be limited by the shaft 201. Therefore, if a driving force is applied, the cover 300 can rotate along the outer peripheral surface of the driven gear 210 and is constrained by the shaft 201. For example, the driven gear 210 includes a guide portion inserted into a recess formed parallel to the shaft 201, thereby allowing the driven gear 210 to move in the vertical direction of the shaft 201 in response to the movement of the cover 300 in the height direction.

[0066] Furthermore, the driven gear 210 includes a position adjustment protrusion 211 that inserts into a position adjustment recess 222 formed in the stop ring 220. Therefore, the position adjustment protrusion 211 can remain inserted into the position adjustment recess 222, and thus, the driven gear 210 can be set / positioned / configured to be constrained by the stop ring 220. Alternatively, because the vertical guide protrusion 221 of the stop ring 220 is inserted into the groove 202 of the shaft 201 to restrict the rotation of the stop ring 220, the second worm gear 123 rotates along the outer peripheral surface of the driven gear 210, and the second worm gear 123 rotates integrally with the cover 300 about the shaft 201. Furthermore, in the folded state of the exterior rearview mirror 1, the end of the recess of the stop ring 220 and the side surface of the upper end of the cover 300 can contact each other.

[0067] like Figure 4B As shown, in the folded state of the exterior rearview mirror 1, the rearview mirror housing 10 and the base unit 20 can be set / positioned / configured to have a gap d2' between the lower end of the rearview mirror housing 10 and the base unit 20, and the upper end of the gap seal 21 can be spaced apart from the lower surface of the rearview mirror housing 10 through the gap d1'.

[0068] like Figure 4C As shown, when the cover 300 rotates, the first protrusion 310 and the second protrusion 320 rotate as well. For example, when the cover 300 rotates under the driving force of the motor 110, the first protrusion 310 can move while passing through the stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 of the shaft unit 200. Therefore, the cover 300 moves along the height direction of the stepped portion 204 and the inclined portion 203 in response to the driving force of the motor 110.

[0069] The transmission unit 120 may be coupled to the motor 110 and / or configured to apply rotational force to a second worm 123 facing the driven gear 210. For example, the transmission unit 120 may be located between the motor unit 100 and the shaft unit 200 of the rearview mirror housing 10. The transmission unit 120 may include: a first worm 121, coaxially positioned with the motor 110; a first worm wheel 122, positioned perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the first worm 121; and a second worm 123, coaxially arranged with the first worm wheel 122 and engaging / possibly engaging with the driven gear 210.

[0070] Alternatively, the elastic member 130 may be located at one end of the rotation axis of the second worm 123 to provide elastic force in the axial direction. One end of the elastic member 130 is connected to the end of the rotation axis of the second worm 123 where the first worm wheel 122 is located, and the other end of the elastic member 130 is bolted to the cover 300 for fixation thereto. That is, the elastic member 130 of this disclosure is configured to press the rotation axis of the second worm 122 in one direction, such that the second worm 123 can maintain its position engaged with the driven gear 210.

[0071] As disclosed herein, the transmission unit 120 can adjust the position of the second worm gear 123 that engages with the driven gear 210, for example, even when rotation of the cover 300 or external impact is applied to the interior of the cover 300.

[0072] Figure 5A This is an enlarged view showing the connection state of the driven gear 210 and the shaft 201 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 5B This is a view showing the configuration of a stop ring 220 according to an example of this disclosure.

[0073] For example, the driven gear 210 may be forced to face / press against one end of each shaft recess 205 by an external force, and may move along the inclined portion formed at the end of each shaft recess 205 in the height direction of the shaft 201. Here, after reaching the top of the inclined portion formed at the end of each shaft recess (e.g., the driven gear is lifted out of the shaft recess 205), the driven gear 210 may separate from the position adjustment recess 222 formed in the stop ring 220. Therefore, the driven gear 210, separated from the shaft recess 205 and the position adjustment recess 222, can rotate freely about the shaft 201.

[0074] like Figure 5BThe stop ring 220 shown can be constrained such that its rotation is limited at the top relative to the driven gear 210 and the shaft 201. For example, the position adjustment protrusion 211 of the driven gear 210 can be inserted into the position adjustment recess 222 of the stop ring 220, and the vertical guide protrusion 221 of the stop ring 220 can be inserted into the recess 202 of the shaft 201, thereby limiting the rotation of the stop ring 220 and the driven gear 210 (e.g., relative to each other). Furthermore, the stop ring 220 may also include a third protrusion 223, which can be shaped into a recess along the direction of the second protrusion 320 of the cover 300. The second protrusion 320 of the cover 300 can be inserted into the recess of the stop ring 220 along the circumferential direction of the recess and can rotate. Furthermore, when the third protrusion 223 of the stop ring 220 contacts the side surface of the upper end of the cover 300, a folded state of the rearview mirror housing 10 can be achieved.

[0075] Alternatively, the two ends of the position adjustment recess 222 facing the position adjustment protrusion 211 of the driven gear 210 may include inclined ribs, so that the driven gear 210 can move along it in the height direction.

[0076] Therefore, when an external force greater than or equal to a set value is applied to the cover 300 and a rotational force is applied to the driven gear 210, the driven gear 210 can move along the inclined ribs formed at the ends of the position adjustment recesses 222 in the stop ring 220. Furthermore, the position adjustment protrusions 211 of the driven gear 210 can move in the height direction along an inclined end of each of the shaft recesses 205, and the driven gear 210 can separate from the stop ring 220 and the shaft 201 to rotate.

[0077] Therefore, this disclosure provides a structure in which, when an external force applied to the cover 300 is greater than or equal to a set value, the driven gear 210 separates from the shaft 201 and is in a rotatable state, thereby providing the effect of preventing damage to the folding structure.

[0078] This disclosure addresses problems related to the prior art, and its purpose is to provide a folding structure for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror that automatically moves the mirror housing up and down without generating frictional noise that occurs during manual operation, and reduces airflow noise generated in a specified gap between the upper surface of the head and the lower surface of the base unit.

[0079] The purposes of this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand from the following description, and even more clearly from the examples of this disclosure, other purposes not mentioned herein. Furthermore, the purposes of this disclosure can be achieved by the means and combinations thereof disclosed in the claims.

[0080] In one aspect, this disclosure provides a folding structure for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror, the folding structure comprising: a cover; a motor unit located within the cover; and a shaft unit coupled to the motor unit to receive driving force from the motor unit and to rotate the cover relative to a base unit, wherein the shaft unit includes a stop ring coupled to the cover, and the stop ring bears loads generated during up-and-down movement of the cover.

[0081] In an embodiment, the shaft unit may further include: at least one stepped portion for enabling the cover to move up and down; and a plurality of inclined portions formed at both ends of the at least one stepped portion.

[0082] In another embodiment, the inclined portion of the shaft unit may be configured to be inclined at a predetermined angle in the rotational direction of the cover.

[0083] In another embodiment, the cover may include at least one protrusion configured to project in the direction of the inclined portion of the shaft unit, and the at least one protrusion may rotate along the inclined portion of the shaft unit and at least one stepped portion.

[0084] In yet another embodiment, the cover may include a second protrusion, one surface of which protrudes toward the stop ring and the second protrusion is rotatable about an axis.

[0085] In another embodiment, the motor unit may include: a motor coupled to the housing; and a transmission unit configured to receive driving force from the motor and transmit the driving force to the shaft unit.

[0086] In another embodiment, the transmission unit may include: a first worm gear engaging with a first worm located on the rotating shaft of the motor; and a second worm coaxially positioned with the first worm gear and connected to the shaft unit.

[0087] In another embodiment, the shaft unit may further include a shaft connected to the base unit, a retaining ring connected to the shaft, a driven gear located on the shaft and engaging with the second worm, and a pressing member located between the driven gear and the cover.

[0088] In another embodiment, when a driving force from the second worm is applied to the driven gear, the driven gear can be constrained by the shaft unit, causing the motor unit and the housing to rotate about the shaft.

[0089] In another embodiment, the folding structure may further include an elastic member located between the second worm and the cover to provide elasticity in the axial direction of the second worm.

[0090] In another embodiment, the stop ring may include: a vertical guide protrusion that can be inserted into a groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft; and a position limiting recess configured such that a position adjusting protrusion of the driven gear can be inserted therein.

[0091] In another embodiment, the position adjustment protrusion can be inserted into the position adjustment recess of the stop ring, so that the driven gear is constrained by the shaft unit.

[0092] In another embodiment, a rearview mirror housing with a cover therein can be connected to a base unit, a slit seal can be configured to selectively contact the rearview mirror housing, and if the rearview mirror housing is raised, the rearview mirror housing can be set / positioned / configured to be spaced apart from the slit seal.

[0093] In another embodiment, the stop ring may have a third protrusion formed at its lower end, and the second protrusion of the cover may be inserted into the third protrusion and rotated.

[0094] In another embodiment, the rearview mirror housing can be folded when the third protrusion contacts the side surface of the upper end of the cover.

[0095] This disclosure can achieve at least the following effects through configuration, combination, and usage relationships consistent with the above embodiments.

[0096] This disclosure provides a folding structure for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror. This folding structure can reduce or increase the gap between the rearview mirror housing and the base unit when the rearview mirror is unfolded or folded, thereby preventing airflow noise and friction noise during vehicle operation.

[0097] Alternatively, this disclosure allows the driver to avoid manually moving the rearview mirror by moving the rearview mirror housing up and down to improve driver convenience, and reduces the protrusion distance of the rearview mirror by folding it down after parking to prevent contact with other vehicles even when parked.

[0098] The present disclosure as described above is not limited to the embodiments and drawings described herein. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various substitutions, changes, and modifications can be made that are not exemplified herein but are still within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0099] Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited by the detailed description of the above embodiments, but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents should be interpreted as including in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A folding structure for a rearview mirror, comprising: cover; Electric motor; as well as A shaft, connected to the motor and configured to rotate the cover relative to the base based on the driving force from the motor. The shaft includes a stop ring connected to the cover, the stop ring being configured to support loads generated when the cover moves up and down relative to the base.

2. The folding structure according to claim 1, wherein, The shaft also includes at least one stepped portion, the at least one stepped portion being configured to allow the cover to move up and down via inclined portions formed at both ends of the at least one stepped portion.

3. The folding structure according to claim 2, wherein, The inclined portion of the shaft is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle in the rotational direction of the cover.

4. The folding structure according to claim 2, wherein, The cover includes at least one protrusion in one of the at least one stepped portion configured to project outwards to the shaft, wherein the at least one protrusion is configured to move up and down along the inclined portion based on rotation of the cover.

5. The folding structure according to claim 1, wherein, The cover includes a plurality of second protrusions, each having a surface that protrudes toward the stop ring, wherein the cover is connected to the stop ring via the plurality of second protrusions.

6. The folding structure according to claim 1, wherein, The motor is connected to the cover, and the folding structure further includes: A transmission unit is configured to transmit the driving force to the shaft.

7. The folding structure according to claim 6, wherein, The transmission unit includes: A first worm gear engages with a first worm located on the rotatable shaft of the motor; and The second worm gear is coaxially positioned with the first worm wheel and connected to the shaft.

8. The folding structure according to claim 7, wherein, The shaft is connected to the base and the stop ring is connected to the shaft; the folding structure further includes: A driven gear, located on the shaft and engaging with the second worm; and The pressing component is located between the driven gear and the cover.

9. The folding structure according to claim 8, wherein, The second worm gear is configured to apply a driving force to the driven gear, such that the driven gear: Constrained by the axis, and The motor and the cover are rotated about the axis.

10. The folding structure of claim 7 further includes an elastic member located between the second worm and the cover and configured to provide elastic force in the axial direction of the second worm.

11. The folding structure according to claim 8, wherein, The stop ring includes: A vertical guide protrusion, which can be inserted into a recess formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft; and The position adjustment recess is configured to accommodate the position adjustment protrusion of the driven gear such that the position adjustment protrusion is inserted into the position adjustment recess.

12. The folding structure according to claim 11, wherein, The driven gear is inserted into the position adjustment recess of the stop ring via the position adjustment protrusion and is constrained by the shaft.

13. The folding structure according to claim 1, wherein, The cover is installed in a rearview mirror housing connected to the base, a slit seal is configured to selectively contact the rearview mirror housing, and when the cover is raised, the rearview mirror housing is spaced apart from the slit seal.

14. The folding structure according to claim 5, wherein, The stop ring includes a plurality of third protrusions projecting toward the cover, and the second protrusion of the cover is insertable between the plurality of third protrusions.

15. The folding structure according to claim 14, wherein, The third protrusion is configured to contact the side surface of the upper end of the cover when the rearview mirror is in the folded state.

16. A folding structure for a rearview mirror, comprising: Electric motor; A shaft, including one or more grooves in a first direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft; as well as A cover, surrounding and concentric with the axis, the cover including one or more first protrusions that can be inserted into the one or more recesses; The shaft is configured to rotate relative to the base of the rearview mirror via the motor, so that the rearview mirror is in a folded or unfolded state. Wherein, the side surfaces of the one or more grooves are inclined relative to the first direction and a second direction parallel to the circumferential direction of the axis; and In this configuration, the one or more first protrusions are inserted into the one or more grooves in the unfolded state, and when the shaft rotates from the unfolded state to the folded state, the one or more first protrusions move along the side of the one or more grooves in a direction that raises the cover relative to the base.

17. The folding structure according to claim 16, wherein, When the shaft rotates from the folded state to the unfolded state, the one or more first protrusions move along the side of the one or more grooves in a direction that lowers the cover relative to the base.

18. The folding structure according to claim 16, further comprising: A stop is configured to support the load generated when the cover is raised or lowered relative to the base.

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