Rearview device with movable head assembly

Abstract

The present application relates to a rearview device having a movable head assembly. Systems and methods for a rearview device having a movable head assembly are provided herein. The rearview device includes a housing frame. An outer housing is coupled to the housing frame. The outer housing includes a housing upper portion and a housing lower portion connected to the housing upper portion. The rearview device also includes a backplate. An attachment mechanism is configured to secure the housing frame, the housing lower portion, and the backplate together. A reflective element is coupled to the backplate and is configured to move with the backplate, the housing upper portion, the housing lower portion, and the housing frame.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 727,838, filed December 4, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. field

[0002] This disclosure relates to a rearview device with a movable head assembly for use in motor vehicles. background

[0003] Rearview devices, such as rearview mirrors, are attached to the exterior of a motor vehicle and are used to provide the driver or passengers with an observation of objects or the environment behind the vehicle. Some rearview devices include reflective elements, such as mirrors, which are surrounded by peripheral components such as bezels. In such rearview mirrors, the peripheral components may occupy a portion of the rearview device that would otherwise be used to provide the driver or passengers with an observation of objects behind the vehicle. Furthermore, the peripheral components may increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the rearview device, resulting in poorer aerodynamic performance of the vehicle and thus reduced efficiency. It may be advantageous to provide a rearview device having a surface substantially occupied by reflective elements, wherein the reflective elements extend to the outer edge of the surface. Overview

[0004] This document provides a system and method for a rearview device with a movable head assembly. The rearview device includes a housing frame. An outer housing is coupled to the housing frame. The outer housing includes an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion connected to the upper housing portion. The rearview device also includes a back plate. An attachment mechanism is configured to secure the housing frame, the lower housing portion, and the back plate together. A reflective element is coupled to the back plate and configured to move together with the back plate, the upper housing portion, the lower housing portion, and the housing frame. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0005] Figure 1A A cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly according to some embodiments is shown, the movable head assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion.

[0006] Figure 1B A cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly is shown, according to some embodiments.

[0007] Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly is shown, according to some embodiments.

[0008] Figure 2BA cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly according to some embodiments is shown, the movable head assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion.

[0009] Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly according to some embodiments is shown, the movable head assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion.

[0010] Figure 3B A cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly, according to some embodiments, is shown. Detailed description

[0011] The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein. Therefore, those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the systems, apparatus, and / or methods described herein. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may have been omitted.

[0012] It should be understood that the language and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered restrictive. For example, the use of singular terms (such as "a(a)") is not intended to limit the number of items. Furthermore, the use of related terms, such as, but not limited to, "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "upper," "lower," "downward," "upward," and "side," is used in the description for clarity and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the appended claims. Moreover, it should be understood that any of these features may be used alone or in combination with other features. Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent or will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are included within this description, fall within the scope of the invention, and are protected by the appended claims.

[0013] The following description relates to embodiments of a movable head assembly for an external rearview device for a motor vehicle. For example, the movable head assembly can be used to adjust the driver's field of vision from the rearview device by moving a reflective element (e.g., a mirror glass) together with the entire mirror housing. The movable head assembly embodiments described herein can be used, for example, with rearview devices described in U.S. Patent No. 11,794,649 entitled "Rearview Device with Moveable Head Assembly and Method of Assembling Same" and / or U.S. Patent No. 12,134,350 entitled "Rear View Device with Actuator and Gasket Sealing Head Mover," both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0014] Figure 1A A cross-sectional view is shown of a first embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly according to some embodiments, the movable head assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion. Figure 1A In the example shown, the movable head assembly 100 includes: a housing frame 102, an outer housing including an upper housing portion (or scalp) 104 and a lower housing portion 106, a reflective element 108 (e.g., a mirror glass), and a back plate 110. The reflective element 108 may be attached to the back plate 110, for example, by a pressure-sensitive adhesive. In some embodiments, a heating element may also be included between the reflective element 108 and the back plate 110. The heating element can be used, for example, to prevent condensation and / or icing on the surface of the reflective element 108. One or more of the housing frame 102, the upper housing portion 104, the lower housing portion 106, and the back plate 110 may include a polymer substrate, such as a durable plastic.

[0015] As shown, the lower housing portion 106 includes an attachment protrusion 112 that receives an attachment mechanism 114 (e.g., a screw or bolt) to attach the housing frame 102 and the back plate 110 to the lower housing portion 106. As shown, the housing frame 102 and the back plate 110 may include tabs or protrusions with holes through which the screw or bolt 114 can engage to attach to the attachment protrusion 112 in the lower housing portion 106. In other embodiments, snap-fit, clamps, or other attachment mechanisms may be used instead of bolts or screws to attach the housing frame 102 to the back plate 110 and the lower housing portion 106. The upper housing portion 104 is also attached to the lower housing portion 106 and the back plate 110, for example, using a snap-fit ​​connector (not shown). In this way, the back plate 110 and the reflective element 108 are fixed to the housing frame 102 together with the upper housing 104 and the lower housing 106, so that the reflective element 108 can move together with the housing frame 102 and the outer housings 104, 106.

[0016] In the illustrated embodiment, the upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106 serve as the frame (e.g., without a rim) of the reflective element 108, wherein the upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106 overlap with the edge of the reflective element 108 (when viewed from the rear of the vehicle). For example, the edge 116 of the upper housing portion 104 overlaps with the upper edge of the reflective element 108. Furthermore, the edge 124 of the lower housing portion 106 overlaps with the lower edge of the reflective element 108. Therefore, when viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106 may partially overlap with the reflective element 108. The upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106 may partially overlap with the reflective element 108, rather than the rim partially overlapping with the reflective element 108.

[0017] In addition to the upper and lower edges of the reflective element 108, the upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106 may partially overlap with the reflective element 108 at the sides of the rearview device 100, for example, such that in some embodiments, the upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106 combine to partially overlap with the reflective element 108 around its entire periphery. In some examples, the upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106 may include one or more separate components engaged via one or more fasteners and / or one or more snap-fit ​​connections. Figure 1A As shown, in some examples, a gap may exist between the reflective element 108 and the edge 116 of the upper portion 104 of the housing. Additionally, a gap may exist between the reflective element 108 and the edge 124 of the lower portion 106 of the housing.

[0018] like Figure 1AAs shown, the lateral portion 126 of the back panel 110 can extend toward the housing frame 102. The lateral portion 126 can overlap with a portion of the housing frame 102. Figure 1A As shown, the attachment mechanism 114 may extend through holes in the transverse portion 126 of the back plate 110 and holes in the portion of the housing frame 102 overlapping the transverse portion, into one or more attachment protrusions 112. A portion (e.g., a head) of the attachment mechanism 114 may abut against the surface of the transverse portion 126 of the back plate 110, thereby securing the back plate 110 and the lower housing portion 106 to the housing frame 102. In some examples, one or more of the attachment protrusions 112 may extend from the upper housing portion 104, and the attachment mechanism 114 may be configured to secure the back plate 110 and the upper housing portion 104 to the housing frame 102.

[0019] As described above, the reflective element 108 can be secured to the back panel 110 via an adhesive layer (e.g., a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer) between the back panel 110 and the reflective element 108. Therefore, the reflective element 108 can be sufficiently secured to the back panel 110 to remain attached to the rearview device 100 during operation of the motor vehicle, such as acceleration or deceleration. In some examples, the back panel 110 can be removed from the upper housing 104 and the lower housing 106, and the rearview device 100 is configured to receive a separate back panel. Therefore, the back panel 110 can be replaced with one or more separate back panels. As described above, in Figure 1A In the example shown, the upper housing 104 and the lower housing 106 serve as the frame of the reflective element 108 without the use of edging. Therefore, when viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the reflective element 108 can occupy most of the surface of the rearview device 100.

[0020] The rearview device 100 can be divided into an upper portion 118 and a lower portion 120, as indicated by the dotted line surrounding the rearview device. The upper portion 118 may include an upper housing portion 104, and the lower portion 120 may include a lower housing portion 106. Figure 1A As shown, the rearview device 100 may include an axis 122, about which the rearview device 100 is configured to tilt. For example, the axis 122 may extend laterally based on a view from behind the vehicle to which the rearview device 100 is attached (e.g., in...). Figure 1A The "x" depicted in the text crosses the page.

[0021] Additionally, the rearview device 100 can be configured to pivot about an axis extending vertically through it. This pivoting about the vertical axis can be performed simultaneously with the tilting of the rearview device 100 about a lateral axis 122. Therefore, the rearview device 100 can be configured to pivot, tilt, and / or rotate to provide a wide-range view of the exterior of the motor vehicle to the driver or passenger. As described above, the upper housing 104, lower housing 106, housing frame 102, and backplate 110 can be configured to move together. Therefore, the upper portion 118 and lower portion 120 can be configured to move together with the reflective element 108.

[0022] Figure 1B A cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly, according to some embodiments, is shown. Figure 1B In the example shown, the dashed lines depicting the upper portion 118 and the lower portion 120 are not shown. Figure 1B The rearview device 100 depicted in the image can be substantially similar to... Figure 1A The rear-view device 100 is depicted in the image.

[0023] Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly is shown, according to some embodiments. Figure 2A The exemplary embodiment 200 depicted is similar to Figure 1A and Figure 1B The embodiment shown differs in that, in addition to the lower housing portion 106 and the back plate 110, the attachment mechanism 202 also serves to connect the housing frame 102 to the upper housing portion 104. As shown, in the second embodiment 200, the upper housing portion 104 includes two attachment protrusions 204 that receive the attachment mechanism 202 (e.g., screws or bolts) to attach the housing frame 102 and the back plate 110 to both the upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106. As shown, the housing frame 102 and the back plate 110 may include tabs or protrusions with holes through which screws or bolts 202 can engage to attach to the attachment protrusions 204 in the upper housing portion 104.

[0024] Furthermore, the lower housing portion 106 includes a countersink indentation with a hole through which a screw or bolt 202 engages, and the countersink indentation receives the head of the screw or bolt 202 so as to also attach the lower housing portion 106 to the attachment protrusion 204 in the upper housing portion. When the screw or bolt 202 extends through the attachment protrusion 204, the countersink indentation allows the head of the screw or bolt 202 to not extend beyond the outer perimeter of the lower housing portion 106. In this way, the backplate 110 and the reflective element 108 are secured to the housing frame 102 together with the upper housing portion 104 and the lower housing portion 106, such that the reflective element 108 moves together with the housing frame 102 and the outer housing portions 104 and 106.

[0025] like Figure 2A As shown, the backplate 110 may include a lateral portion extending behind the reflective element 108. One or more attachment protrusions 204 may abut a first side of the lateral portion of the backplate 110, and a portion of the housing frame 102 may abut a second side of the lateral portion of the backplate 110. Furthermore, one or more attachment protrusions 112 may abut a side (e.g., the underside) of this portion of the housing frame 102. Therefore, the attachment mechanism 202 may extend through holes in the attachment protrusions 112, the housing frame 102, the lateral portion of the backplate 110, and each of the attachment protrusions 204. Thus, the attachment mechanism 202 may be configured to secure the attachment protrusions 112, the backplate 110, and the attachment protrusions 204 to the housing frame 102.

[0026] Figure 2B A cross-sectional view is shown of a second embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly according to some embodiments, the movable head assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion. Figure 2B In the example shown, the rearview device 200 can be divided into an upper portion 206 and a lower portion 208, as indicated by the dashed lines surrounding the rearview device 200. The upper portion 206 may include the upper housing portion 104, and the lower portion 208 may include the lower housing portion 106. Figure 2B The rearview device 200 depicted in the image can be substantially similar to... Figure 2A The rear-view device 200 is depicted in the image.

[0027] Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a rearview device having a movable head assembly according to some embodiments is shown, the movable head assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion. Figure 3A The embodiments are similar to Figure 1A and Figure 1BThe embodiment shown differs in that, in this embodiment 300, the upper housing portion 302 and the lower housing portion 304 serve as the frame of the reflective element 108 but do not overlap with the edge of the reflective element 108 (when viewed from the rear of the vehicle). That is, in the third embodiment 300 shown, the edges of the upper housing portion 302 and the lower housing portion 304 are adjacent to the edge of the reflective element 108 but do not overlap. Similar to... Figure 1A and Figure 1B In the embodiment shown, specifically in the third embodiment 300, the upper housing portion 302 and the lower housing portion 304 serve as the frame of the reflective element 108 without the use of a rim. It should be understood that the upper housing portion 302 and the lower housing portion 304 can also serve as a non-overlapping frame of the reflective element 108. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The attachment structures shown are used together. The rearview device 300 can be divided into an upper portion 306 and a lower portion 308, as indicated by the dashed lines surrounding the rearview device. The upper portion 306 may include an upper housing portion 302, and the lower portion 308 may include a lower housing portion 304.

[0028] Figure 3B A cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a rearview device with a movable head assembly, according to some embodiments, is shown. Figure 3B In the example shown, the dashed lines depicting the upper portion 306 and the lower portion 308 are not shown. Figure 3B The rearview device 300 depicted in the image can be substantially similar to... Figure 3A The rear-view device 300 is depicted in the image.

[0029] Example mechanisms for moving the lens portion embodiments shown in Figures 1 through 5 are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 11,794,649 and 12,134,350, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0030] While this disclosure has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations thereof, provided that such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A rear-view device having a movable head assembly, comprising: Shell frame; An outer housing, the outer housing being connected to the housing frame, the outer housing including an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion connected to the upper housing portion; Back panel; An attachment mechanism configured to secure the housing frame, the lower housing portion, and the back plate together; and A reflective element is attached to the back plate and is configured to move together with the back plate, the upper housing portion, the lower housing portion, and the housing frame.

2. The rearview device of claim 1, further comprising one or more attachment protrusions configured to receive the attachment mechanism.

3. The rearview device according to claim 2, wherein, The lower portion of the housing includes one or more attachment protrusions, and wherein the attachment mechanism is configured to secure the housing frame and the back plate to the lower portion of the housing.

4. The rearview device according to claim 3, wherein, The one or more attachment protrusions include countersunk recesses configured to receive a portion of the attachment mechanism.

5. The rearview device according to claim 1, wherein, The attachment mechanism is also configured to secure the housing frame to the upper part of the housing.

6. The rearview device according to claim 1, wherein, The rearview device does not include a rim surrounding the reflective element.

7. The rearview device according to claim 1, wherein, The reflective element is fixed to the back plate using a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.

8. The rearview device according to claim 1, further comprising a heating element located between the reflective element and the back plate.

9. The rearview device according to claim 1, wherein, The upper part of the housing is secured to the lower part of the housing via one or more snap-fit ​​connectors.

10. The rearview device according to claim 1, wherein, When viewed from behind the vehicle, the upper and lower parts of the housing partially overlap with the reflective element.

11. The rearview device according to claim 1, wherein, The back panel is removable from the upper and lower parts of the housing, and the rearview device is configured to receive a separate back panel.

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