Vehicle exterior mirror folding device

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of automobile parts, in particular to a vehicle outside rearview mirror folding device which comprises a shell, a driving unit, a mounting shaft, a transmission part and a gear body, the transmission part is an annular structure, the transmission part is coaxially installed on the mounting shaft; the gear body is rotationally installed on the shell, a mirror base plate or a vehicle outside rearview mirror body, the gear body is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the transmission part, and the gear body is engaged with the driving unit; the inner ring surface of the gear body is provided with a guide column in the radial direction, and the outer wall of the transmission part is provided with a guide groove in the circumferential direction at the position corresponding to the guide column; the guide groove comprises a first horizontal section and an inclined section, and the inclined section is smoothly connected with the first horizontal section at one end. The vehicle outside rearview mirror folding device has the advantages of low operation noise, small axial size, low starting load and long service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive parts technology, specifically to a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device. Background Technology

[0002] The power folding mechanism of automotive exterior rearview mirrors is typically rotatably mounted between a mirror base plate and a mirror bracket fixed to the vehicle to achieve the folding function of the exterior rearview mirror. To reduce the frictional resistance between the mirror base plate and the mirror bracket during power folding, a certain gap is often maintained in the design of the rearview mirror. However, the problem is that the gap means that the lower end of the mirror bracket lacks the support of the mirror base plate. This means that the mirror bracket is entirely supported by the folding mounting shaft and pressed down by a spring fitted onto the mounting shaft. This results in poor vibration resistance, making it prone to swaying during driving, especially at high speeds or on bumpy roads. In addition, the gap generates significant wind noise during high-speed driving.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, for example, Chinese Patent CN108297798B discloses that during normal vehicle operation, the exterior rearview mirrors are generally open, with no gap between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate to prevent wobbling and wind noise. When the exterior rearview mirrors need to be folded (generally when parking or driving at low speed on narrow roads), a millimeter-level gap is created between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate through relative sliding between the cam assemblies, thereby reducing the rotational resistance between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate. Furthermore, since the folding function is generally used when the vehicle is parked or driving at low speed, the gap created at this time will not generate wind noise.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned prior art still has the following defects: (1) Since the cam assembly adopts multiple axially distributed components, under the driving action of the electric drive unit, the axial gap is generated between the components of the cam assembly due to the relative displacement of the cam. During this process, the large gear on the cam assembly will also be displaced along its axis, resulting in relative movement between the large gear and the worm gear it meshes with, which will generate a large noise during the folding process. This is one of the main reasons why the noise is large when the car exterior rearview mirror is folded. Moreover, the large gear needs to be displaced along its axis with the worm gear, so the axial dimension of the large gear needs to reserve a larger margin (i.e., a large axial dimension) to ensure that the large gear can always be in contact with the worm gear after its axial displacement. The rod meshes; at the same time, this axial distribution structure will occupy a large axial space, resulting in a large overall axial structure size, which is not conducive to the utilization of the interior space of the car's exterior rearview mirror; (2) Since the components of the cam assembly are pressed together by springs, during the start-up process, the axial gap between the components of the cam assembly needs to overcome the spring force, which increases the start-up load of the electric drive unit; and since the components of the cam assembly immediately begin to generate relative action at the start-up moment, the start-up load of the electric drive unit is further increased; this high load condition at the start-up moment is not only prone to generating noise, but also increases the wear between the components of the cam assembly, thereby reducing its service life.

[0005] Therefore, how to improve the existing vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0006] One objective of this application is to provide a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device with low operating noise, small axial dimensions, low starting load, and long service life.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is: a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device, comprising: A housing, which is mounted on a mirror bracket or the body of a vehicle exterior rearview mirror; A drive unit is mounted on the housing, the mirror bracket, or the vehicle exterior rearview mirror body; Mounting shaft, the lower end of which is mounted on the mirror substrate; A transmission component, wherein the transmission component is a ring-shaped structure and is coaxially mounted on the mounting shaft; and The gear body is rotatably mounted on the housing, mirror base plate, or vehicle exterior rearview mirror body. The gear body is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the transmission component, and the gear body meshes with the drive unit. The inner ring surface of the gear body is provided with a guide post in the radial direction, and the outer wall of the transmission component is provided with a guide groove in the circumferential direction corresponding to the position of the guide post; the guide groove includes a first horizontal section and an inclined section, one end of the inclined section is smoothly connected to the first horizontal section; when the driving unit drives the gear body and causes the guide post to slide along the inclined section in a direction away from the first horizontal section, it is used to lift the gear body, the housing and the driving unit as a whole relative to the transmission component.

[0008] Preferably, the upper end of the gear body is provided with a locking protrusion, and the outer wall of the transmission component is provided with a locking groove; the locking protrusion and the locking groove are trapezoidal or triangular structures, and the size of the locking groove is larger than that of the locking protrusion, so as to create a margin between the locking protrusion and the locking groove; when the guide post slides to contact the end of the inclined section or before contact, the locking protrusion and the locking groove engage, thereby restricting relative rotation between the gear body and the transmission component.

[0009] Preferably, the guide groove further includes a second horizontal section, one end of which is smoothly connected to the end of the inclined section away from the first horizontal section.

[0010] Preferably, the upper end of the gear body is provided with a locking protrusion, and the outer wall of the transmission component is provided with a locking groove; the locking protrusion and the locking groove are trapezoidal or triangular structures, and the size of the locking groove is larger than that of the locking protrusion, so as to create a margin between the locking protrusion and the locking groove; when the guide post slides to contact the end of the second horizontal segment or before contact, the locking protrusion and the locking groove engage to restrict relative rotation between the gear body and the transmission component.

[0011] Preferably, the outer wall of the transmission component is provided with a support groove along the circumferential direction, the upper side of the inner wall of the support groove is provided with a groove inlet, and the lower side of the inner wall of the support groove is provided with a locking groove corresponding to the groove inlet; the housing is provided with a support block for fitting the support groove and the locking groove; when the support block is engaged in the locking groove, it is used to restrict relative rotation between the housing and the transmission component; after the housing is raised upward to the point where the support block separates from the locking groove and the housing rotates relative to the transmission component, the support block is slidably connected to the support groove; both the support block and the locking groove are triangular or trapezoidal structures.

[0012] Preferably, the transmission component has a transmission component stop portion on its outer side; the housing has a housing stop portion; when the mirror bracket is in the unfolded state, the transmission component stop portion cooperates with the housing stop portion to restrict relative rotation between the transmission component and the housing; both the transmission component stop portion and the housing stop portion are triangular or trapezoidal structures.

[0013] Preferably, the inner ring surface of the gear body is provided with a mounting hole, and one end of the guide post is connected to the mounting hole through an elastic component; or, the gear body is formed by splicing at least two gear parts, and a clamping groove for clamping the guide post is provided between each gear part; or, the transmission component is formed by splicing at least two transmission component parts, and when each transmission component part is separated, it is used to create a notch in the guide groove for the guide post to enter.

[0014] Preferably, the upper end of the transmission component is provided with a transmission component boss, and a transmission component inclined surface is provided between the upper side of the transmission component boss and the upper end face of the transmission component; the upper end of the transmission component is provided with a transmission component boss; the folding device of the vehicle vision device further includes a positioning structure, the positioning structure including a positioning ring and a positioning elastic element; the positioning ring is slidably mounted on the housing, and the lower end of the positioning ring is provided with a positioning ring boss; the positioning elastic element is disposed on the housing or the positioning ring, and is used to make the transmission component boss contact the positioning ring and / or to make the positioning ring boss contact the transmission component; when the mirror bracket is reset to the unfolded state, the transmission component boss just abuts against the positioning ring boss; a transmission component inclined surface is provided between the upper side of the transmission component boss away from the positioning ring boss and the upper end face of the transmission component; a positioning ring inclined surface is provided between the lower side of the positioning ring boss away from the transmission component boss and the lower end face of the positioning ring; when relative sliding occurs between the transmission component inclined surface and the positioning ring inclined surface, it is used to make the positioning ring slide upward.

[0015] Preferably, the upper outer side of the transmission component is provided with a positioning slot; the folding device of the vehicle vision device further includes a positioning structure, the positioning structure including a locking arm rotatably connected to the housing, an elastic arm integrally formed on the locking arm, and the elastic arm abutting against the inner wall of the housing, thereby causing the locking arm to rotate to abut against the outer wall of the transmission component.

[0016] Preferably, the folding device of the vehicle vision device further includes an auxiliary elastic element disposed between the transmission member and the housing, and used to move the housing upward relative to the transmission member.

[0017] Preferably, the folding device of the vehicle vision device further includes a mounting structure, which includes a base, a clamping elastic element, and a fastener. The base is disposed at the lower end of the mounting shaft, and the transmission element is sleeved on the mounting shaft. The fastener is slidably connected to the mounting shaft and can be fixed at any position on the mounting shaft. The clamping elastic element is located between the fastener and the transmission element and is used to press the transmission element against the base.

[0018] Preferably, the first horizontal segment is arranged at an inclination in the same inclination direction as the inclined segment, and the inclination angle of the first horizontal segment is smaller than the inclination angle of the inclined segment. Preferably, the inclined segment is formed by multiple inclined sub-segments that are smoothly adjacent end to end, and the inclination angle of each inclined sub-segment increases sequentially in the direction away from the first horizontal segment.

[0019] On the other hand, this application provides a method of using a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device, applicable to the aforementioned vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device. The method includes a folding step: with the exterior rearview mirror in the unfolded state, a drive unit is activated, and the drive unit drives the gear body to rotate relative to the transmission member, thereby causing the guide post to slide along the first horizontal section until the guide post slides into the inclined section. The inclined section then forces the gear body, the housing, and the drive unit to move upward as a whole through the guide post. When the guide post slides to the end of the inclined section, the transmission member blocks the guide post from sliding, thereby limiting the gear body from continuing to rotate, and thus causing the drive unit and the housing to rotate around the gear body, i.e., driving the exterior rearview mirror to fold.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: (1) When the folding device of the vehicle vision device is in use, the mirror bracket is in the unfolded state, and the guide post is slidably connected to the first horizontal section of the guide groove. At this time, there is no gap between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate, so that when the vehicle is driving normally, the mirror base plate can support the mirror bracket and prevent the exterior rearview mirror from shaking. At the same time, it can also eliminate the gap between them, thereby reducing wind noise. When it is necessary to fold the exterior rearview mirror, the drive unit drives the gear body, thereby driving the gear body to rotate, and then driving the guide post to rotate. At this time, the guide post slides in the first horizontal section. At this time, the guide post does not generate a component force on the first horizontal section in the up and down direction. In addition, the sliding part is generally lubricated by a lubricating medium, so the resistance of the guide post in the first horizontal section is very small, so the starting load is small, which helps to reduce wear, extend service life, and also reduce noise.

[0021] (2) When the guide post slides from the first horizontal section into the inclined section and continues to drive, the guide post exerts downward pressure on the inclined section in the vertical direction. At this time, since the transmission component, mounting shaft, and mirror base plate are equivalent to a whole and cannot move downward, according to the principle that forces are mutual, the inclined section exerts an upward reaction force on the guide post, thereby driving the transmission gear structure, drive unit, housing, and mirror support to rise upward as a whole, thus creating a gap between the mirror support and the mirror base plate. During this process, since the transmission gear structure and drive unit are a whole, that is, the gear body does not generate relative displacement between itself and the drive unit along its axial direction, the transmission noise can be greatly reduced; at the same time, the axial dimension of the gear body does not need to reserve a larger margin, which is conducive to reducing the axial dimension of the transmission gear structure. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 A perspective view of a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device provided in this application.

[0023] Figure 2 Provided for this application Figure 1 Exploded view of the folding device for the exterior rearview mirrors of a Chinese vehicle.

[0024] Figure 3 Provided for this application Figure 2 Enlarged view of the gear body.

[0025] Figure 4 Provided for this application Figure 2 Enlarged view of the middle part of the structure.

[0026] Figure 5 Provided for this application Figure 4 Exploded views of the various structures in the diagram.

[0027] Figure 6 Provided for this application Figure 5 Exploded view of the transmission components.

[0028] Figure 7 Provided for this application Figure 2 Enlarged view of part of the middle shell structure.

[0029] Figure 8 Provided for this application Figure 7 Another perspective view of the middle shell.

[0030] Figure 9 Provided for this application Figure 1 Working status of the vehicle's exterior rearview mirror folding device Figure 1 .

[0031] Figure 10 Provided for this application Figure 1 Working status of the vehicle's exterior rearview mirror folding device Figure 2 .

[0032] Figure 11 Provided for this application Figure 10 Front view of each structure.

[0033] Figure 12 Provided for this application Figure 1 Working status of the vehicle's exterior rearview mirror folding device Figure 3 .

[0034] Figure 13 The working state of the gear body and drive unit provided in this application Figure 1 .

[0035] Figure 14 The working state of the gear body and drive unit provided in this application Figure 2 .

[0036] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a positioning structure provided in this application.

[0037] Figure 16 An exploded view of another transmission component provided in this application.

[0038] Figure 17 A perspective view of another positioning structure provided for this application.

[0039] Figure 18 Provided for this application Figure 17 Another perspective view of the positioning structure.

[0040] Figure 19 Provided for this application Figure 18 Installation diagram of the positioning structure.

[0041] Figure 20 Provided for this application Figure 6 Another perspective view of the transmission components in the middle section.

[0042] Figure 21 Provided for this application Figure 5 Another perspective view of the central base station.

[0043] Figure 22 The working state of the installation structure provided in this application Figure 1 .

[0044] Figure 23 The working state of the installation structure provided in this application Figure 2 .

[0045] Figure 24 The working state of the installation structure provided in this application Figure 3 .

[0046] Figure 25 This is a reference schematic diagram of the mirror substrate provided in this application.

[0047] In the diagram: 1. Gear body; 11. Guide post; 12. Locking protrusion; 2. Transmission component; 20. Transmission component split; 21. Guide groove; 211. First horizontal section; 212. Inclined section; 213. Second horizontal section; 22. Locking groove; 23. Transmission component boss; 24. Transmission component inclined surface; 25. Transmission component stop part; 26. Support groove; 27. Locking groove; 28. First locking block; 29. ​​Positioning slot; 3. Positioning structure; 31. Positioning ring; 311. Positioning ring boss; 312. Positioning ring inclined surface; 313. Insert block; 32. Positioning elastic element; 321. Cylinder; 322. Buffer part; 33. Locking arm; 34. Elastic arm; 4. Housing; 41. Housing body; 411. First 412. Step; 42. Second step; 43. Housing stop; 44. Support block; 45. Guide slope; 46. Slot; 47. Second locking block; 58. Mounting shaft; 59. Limiting part; 50. Screw through hole; 51. Clearance groove; 52. Positioning block; 60. Mounting structure; 61. Base; 612. First slot; 613. Second slot; 614. Receiving groove; 615. Positioning groove; 616. Screw mounting hole; 62. Clamping elastic element; 63. Fastener; 7. Drive unit; 71. Motor; 72. Transmission mechanism; 73. Transmission worm gear; 8. Auxiliary elastic element; 9. Lubrication structure; 100. Mirror base plate; 101. Insertion hole; 102. Fixing part; 103. Baffle 103. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The present application will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0049] In the description of this application, it should be noted that directional terms such as "center," "lateral," "longitudinal," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific scope of protection of this application. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the specification and claims of this application, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device, including a transmission gear structure, a transmission component 2, a housing 4 mounted on a mirror bracket, a mounting shaft 5 mounted on a mirror base plate 100, and a drive unit 7 mounted on the housing 4. Figure 3 As shown, the transmission gear structure includes a gear body 1, with guide posts 11 radially arranged on the inner ring surface of the gear body 1. The gear body 1 meshes with the drive unit 7 (e.g., Figure 13 As shown). Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the transmission component 2 is coaxially mounted on the mounting shaft 5, and the gear body 1 is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the transmission component 2 (e.g., Figure 10 As shown, a guide groove 21 is provided circumferentially on the outer wall of the transmission component 2 corresponding to the position of the guide post 11. The guide groove 21 includes a first horizontal section 211 and an inclined section 212, one end of which is smoothly connected to the first horizontal section 211. The guide post 11 is slidably engaged with the guide groove 21. When the guide post 11 is slidably engaged with the first horizontal section 211, it is used to keep the mirror bracket in an unfolded state. When the drive unit 7 drives the gear body 1 to rotate, thereby driving the guide post 11 to slide from the first horizontal section 211 to the inclined section 212 and continue to slide, it is used to lift the transmission gear structure, the drive unit 7, and the housing 4. When the guide post 11 slides to the end of the inclined section 212 and continues to be driven, it is used to fold the mirror bracket. It should be understood that the positions of the guide post 11 and the guide groove 21 can be interchanged, that is, the guide post 11 is set on the outer wall of the transmission component 2, and the guide groove 21 is set on the inner annular surface of the gear body 1.

[0052] Working principle: When the vehicle's exterior rearview mirror folding device is in use, with the mirror bracket in the unfolded state (i.e., the exterior rearview mirror is normally open), the guide post 11 is located in the first horizontal section 211 of the guide groove 21 (e.g., Figure 9 As shown), at this time, there is no gap between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate 100, so that the mirror base plate 100 supports the mirror bracket and prevents the exterior rearview mirror from shaking; eliminating the gap also reduces wind noise. When it is necessary to fold the exterior rearview mirror, the drive unit 7 drives the gear body 1, thereby driving the guide column 11 to rotate (to... Figure 13 For example, the drive unit 7 drives the gear body 1 to rotate counterclockwise. At this time, the guide post 11 slides within the first horizontal section 211. The guide post 11 does not generate a force component in the vertical direction, and the relatively sliding parts are lubricated by the lubricating medium. Therefore, the resistance experienced by the guide post 11 within the first horizontal section 211 is very small. Thus, at the moment of startup, the drive unit 7 only drives the gear body 1 to rotate, resulting in a small starting load, which helps reduce wear, extend service life, and reduce starting noise. Figure 10 As shown, when the guide post 11 slides from the first horizontal section 211 into the inclined section 212 and continues to drive, the guide post 11 exerts downward pressure on the inclined section 212 in the vertical direction. At this time, since the transmission component 2, the mounting shaft 5 and the mirror base plate 100 are equivalent to a non-moving whole, according to the interaction of forces, that is, the inclined section 212 exerts an upward reaction force on the guide post 11, thereby driving the gear body 1, the drive unit 7, the housing 4 and the mirror bracket to lift upward, thereby creating a gap between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate 100. In this process, since the gear body 1 and the drive unit 7 are essentially a single unit, meaning there is no relative displacement between the gear body 1 and the drive unit 7 along its axial direction, noise between the drive unit 7 and the gear body 1 is reduced. Furthermore, the axial dimension of the gear body 1 does not require excess allowance, thus facilitating a reduction in the axial dimension of the transmission gear structure. Additionally, the interaction force between the guide post 11 and the inclined section 212 only needs to overcome the gravity of the gear body 1, housing 4, drive unit 7, and mirror support, unlike in existing technologies where the spring force needs to be overcome, further reducing the starting load on the drive unit 7. Figures 11 to 12 As shown, when the guide post 11 slides to the end of the inclined section 212 (i.e., the end of the inclined section 212 away from the first horizontal section 211), the gear body 1, housing 4, drive unit 7, and mirror bracket are raised to the upper limit (i.e., the gap between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate 100 reaches its maximum). At this time, since the transmission member 2 cannot be pushed by the guide post 11, that is, the transmission member 2 blocks the gear body 1 from continuing to rotate, but the drive unit 7 is still driving. According to the relative motion, that is, the overall structure composed of the drive unit 7, housing 4, and mirror bracket will rotate clockwise around the gear body 1 (e.g., ...). Figure 14As shown in the diagram, this allows the mirror bracket (i.e., the exterior rearview mirror) to fold. When the drive unit 7 is activated in reverse, the exterior rearview mirror can be unfolded.

[0053] It should be understood that the first horizontal segment 211 can also have a certain angle of inclination, that is, the first horizontal segment 211 is arranged in the same inclination direction as the inclined segment 212, and the angle of inclination of the first horizontal segment 211 is smaller than the angle of inclination of the inclined segment 212; in this case, the angle of inclination of the first horizontal segment 211 is smaller, that is, the slope is gentler, which can also reduce the starting load to a certain extent. Similarly, The inclined section 212 can also be formed by multiple inclined sub-segments that are smoothly adjacent to each other, and the inclination angle of each inclined sub-segment increases sequentially in the direction away from the first horizontal section 211. That is, the slope of the inclined section 212 gradually increases, so that the resistance encountered by the guide post 11 when sliding in the inclined section 212 gradually increases. This avoids the guide post from immediately bearing a large resistance as soon as it slides into the inclined section 212, which would lead to a sharp increase in load. This is beneficial to improve the smoothness of operation, reduce operating noise, reduce wear, and extend service life.

[0054] Because the internal space of the exterior rearview mirror is limited, the size of the guide post 11 cannot be designed to be very large, and the guide post 11 and the gear body 1 are generally injection molded parts; furthermore, because during the retraction process of the exterior rearview mirror, the power transmission between the guide post 11 and the tilting section 212 is entirely applied to the guide post 11, the guide post 11 bears a heavy load and is prone to breakage over time. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the upper end of the gear body 1 is provided with a locking protrusion 12; as Figure 6 As shown, the outer wall of the transmission component 2 is provided with a locking groove 22; as Figure 10 As shown, when the guide post 11 slides to contact the end of the inclined section 212 or before contact, the locking protrusion 12 engages with the locking groove 22 to restrict relative rotation between the gear body 1 and the transmission component 2; at this time, the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 can partially or completely offset the force on the guide post 11, thereby reducing the load on the guide post 11 and preventing the guide post 11 from breaking. Figure 9 As shown, when the guide post 11 slides within the first horizontal segment 211, there is no contact between the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22. It can be understood that the positions of the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 can be interchanged.

[0055] It should be understood that, since the actual movement trajectory of the locking protrusion 12 during the lifting process is spiral upward, taking the trapezoidal locking protrusion 12 and locking groove 22 as an example, the size of the locking groove 22 needs to be slightly larger than the size of the locking protrusion 12, so that when the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 interact, there is still a certain amount of space between the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 (e.g., Figure 11As shown in the diagram, under the effect of this allowance space, when the exterior rearview mirror is folded up to unfold, that is, when the drive unit 7 drives the gear body 1 to rotate in the opposite direction, the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 will not immediately engage in the opposite direction. It is necessary to wait for the gear body 1 to transmit a certain angle to offset the allowance space before the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 can engage in the opposite direction. Only then will the exterior rearview mirror unfold. Therefore, under the effect of this allowance space, the reverse starting load when the drive unit 7 drives the exterior rearview mirror to unfold can also be reduced, thereby reducing starting noise and wear, and extending service life.

[0056] This application does not limit the specific structure of the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22. The locking protrusion 12 is preferably a trapezoidal or triangular protrusion structure, and the locking groove 22 is preferably a trapezoidal or triangular groove structure.

[0057] It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of guide posts 11 and guide grooves 21, but in order to improve the uniformity of force distribution, the number of guide posts 11 and guide grooves 21 can be set to multiple, and multiple guide posts 11 and multiple guide grooves 21 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the mounting shaft 5.

[0058] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 As shown, the housing 4 comprises at least two housing bodies 41 joined and fixed together, wherein a limiting area for limiting the gear body 1 is adapted to be formed between the at least two housing bodies 41 (e.g., Figure 9 (As shown); the clamping action between at least two shell bodies 41 facilitates the installation of the gear body 1, ensuring that the gear body 1 can only rotate relative to the shell 4. It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific structure of the shell 4 and the shell body 41, and can be adjusted and designed according to actual needs.

[0059] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 9 As shown, a lubrication structure 9 is provided between at least one end face of the gear body 1 and the housing 4. By providing the lubrication structure 9, the rotational resistance between the gear body 1 and the housing 4 can be reduced. This application does not limit the specific structure of the lubrication structure 9. For example, it can be a lubrication ring, bearing, ball bearing, or an oil reservoir provided on the relatively rotating surfaces.

[0060] It should be understood that this application does not limit the positioning method of the exterior rearview mirror to the unfolded position; only two reference examples are provided below.

[0061] Example 1: such as Figure 15As shown, the upper outer side of the transmission component 2 is provided with a positioning groove 29; the vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device also includes a positioning structure 3, which includes a locking arm 33 rotatably connected to the housing 4. An elastic arm 34 is integrally formed on the locking arm 33, and the elastic arm 34 abuts against the inner wall of the housing 4, thereby causing the locking arm 33 to rotate to contact the outer wall of the transmission component 2; when the exterior rearview mirror rotates from the folded position to the unfolded position, the locking arm 33 precisely abuts against the positioning groove 29, thereby restricting further relative rotation between the housing 4 and the transmission component 2. Figure 15 For example, when the exterior rearview mirror is in the unfolded position, the housing 4 and the mirror bracket cannot continue to rotate counterclockwise around the transmission component 2. However, when the exterior rearview mirror's internal fit is disordered due to external collisions or human folding, the cooperation between the locking arm 33 and the positioning slot 29 allows the mirror bracket and housing 4 to rotate 360 ​​degrees clockwise around the transmission component 2 for adjustment until the folding device inside the exterior rearview mirror is restored to use. Its principle is similar to a ratchet mechanism.

[0062] Example 2: such as Figures 16 to 19As shown, the upper end of the transmission component 2 is provided with a transmission component boss 23; the vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device also includes a positioning structure 3, which includes a positioning ring 31 and a positioning elastic element 32; the positioning ring 31 is slidably mounted on the housing 4, and the lower end of the positioning ring 31 is provided with a positioning ring boss 311; the positioning elastic element 32 is disposed on the housing 4 or the positioning ring 31, and is used to make the transmission component boss 23 contact the lower end face of the positioning ring 31 or to make the positioning ring boss 311 contact the upper end face of the transmission component 2; when the mirror bracket rotates to the unfolded state, the transmission component boss 23 just abuts against the positioning ring boss 311, thereby restricting the relative rotation between the positioning ring 31 (i.e., the housing 4) and the transmission component 2. A drive component inclined surface 24 is provided between the upper end of the drive component boss 23 away from the positioning ring boss 311 and the upper end face of the drive component 2; a positioning ring inclined surface 312 is provided between the lower end of the positioning ring boss 311 away from the drive component boss 23 and the lower end face of the positioning ring 31. When relative sliding occurs between the drive component inclined surface 24 and the positioning ring inclined surface 312, it is used to make the positioning ring 31 slide upward, so that the positioning ring boss 311 crosses the drive component boss 23, thereby also realizing 360-degree reverse rotation adjustment. Among them, the positioning ring 31 has a ring structure, which facilitates reasonable avoidance of structures such as the installation shaft 5. The number of positioning ring bosses 311 is at least two, preferably three, and the bosses of each positioning ring 31 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the positioning ring 31. The number and position of the drive component bosses 23 are matched with the positioning ring bosses 311; when there are multiple, the force is more even and avoids unilateral force. The positioning elastic element 32 is an elastic sheet structure, with one end integrally formed into the positioning ring 31, and an acute angle structure formed between the elastic sheet structure and the upper end face of the positioning ring 31. This integral structure of the positioning elastic element 32 and the positioning ring 31 is simpler and easier to install. The elastic sheet structure and the positioning ring 31 are integrally injection molded, resulting in lower cost. A cylinder 321 protrudes from the end of the elastic sheet structure away from the positioning ring 31, and the cylinder 321 is used to reduce the relative sliding resistance between it and the housing 4. There are at least two elastic sheet structures, and each elastic sheet structure is arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the positioning ring 31; increasing the number of elastic sheet structures can improve both the elastic force and the uniformity of the elastic force, avoiding unilateral force. A buffer portion 322 is formed between the elastic sheet structure and the positioning ring 31 to prevent the elastic sheet structure from breaking. Since the elastic sheet structure and the positioning ring 31 are integrally formed, the buffer portion 322 prevents breakage due to stress concentration between them. The buffer portion 322 can be formed by gradually decreasing the thickness at the junction between the elastic sheet structure and the positioning ring 31 towards the center, while the elastic sheet structure and the positioning ring 31 have a rounded corner transition. To facilitate sliding installation between the positioning ring 31 and the housing 4, a plug 313 is provided at the upper end of the positioning ring 31, such as... Figure 19As shown, the housing 4 is provided with a slot 44, and the insert 313 is slidably connected to the slot 44. The number of inserts 313 is preferably at least two, and each insert 313 is arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the positioning ring 31; each insert 313 and each elastic sheet structure are preferably arranged alternately.

[0063] In this embodiment, as Figure 16 As shown, the guide groove 21 also includes a second horizontal section 213, one end of which is smoothly connected to the end of the inclined section 212 away from the first horizontal section 211. When the guide post 11 slides to the end of the inclined section 212, without the action of the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22, it is necessary to wait for the guide post 11 to slide to the end of the second horizontal section 213 (i.e., the end of the second horizontal section 213 away from the inclined section 212) and continue to drive before the mirror bracket can fold. If the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 are provided, it is necessary to ensure that the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 engage in abutment when the guide post 11 slides to contact the end of the second horizontal section 213 or before contact, so as to partially or completely offset the force on the guide post 11. When the exterior rearview mirror changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the drive unit 7 drives in the opposite direction. At the moment of reverse start-up, since the guide post 11 slides within the second horizontal segment 213 first, the sliding resistance of the guide post 11 is also very small, that is, the load on the drive unit 7 is also relatively small at the moment of start-up.

[0064] It is understood that the specific structure of the drive unit 7 is existing technology. For example, the drive unit 7 includes a motor 71, a transmission mechanism 72 and a transmission worm 73. The transmission worm 73 is rotatably mounted on the housing 4 and meshes with the gear body 1. The motor 71 is mounted on the housing 4, and the output shaft of the motor 71 drives the worm to rotate through the transmission mechanism 72. The transmission mechanism 72 is preferably a worm gear mechanism.

[0065] This application does not limit the method of achieving the sliding fit between the guide post 11 and the guide groove 21; the following are only examples for reference: Example A, such as Figure 6 As shown, when the guide post 11 is located on the inner ring surface of the gear body 1, the transmission component 2 includes at least two transmission component parts 20 spliced ​​together; when the transmission component parts 20 are separated, they are used to allow the gear body 1 to be fitted onto the outside of the transmission component 2 and to create a notch in the guide groove 21 for the guide post 11 to enter. This split-type transmission component 2 enables the assembly between the transmission component 2 and the gear body 1.

[0066] Example B: When the guide post 11 is located on the inner ring surface of the gear body 1, the inner ring surface of the gear body 1 has a mounting hole. One end of the guide post 11 is connected to the mounting hole through an elastic component, so that the other end of the guide post 11 can be fully pressed into the mounting hole. During assembly, it is only necessary to first press the guide post 11 into the mounting hole. After the gear body 1 is fitted onto the outside of the transmission component 2, and the guide post 11 is aligned with the guide groove 21, the elastic component can push the guide post 11 into the guide groove 21. The elastic component can be a spring or other elastic structure.

[0067] Example C: When the inner ring surface of the gear body 1 is provided with a guide post 11, the gear body 1 is formed by splicing at least two gear parts, and each gear part is provided with a clamping groove for clamping the guide post 11. During assembly, the guide post 11 can be inserted into the guide groove 21 first, and then the gear parts can be merged to form the gear body 1. At this time, the clamping groove between the gear parts can just clamp the guide post 11, thereby achieving the connection between the guide post 11 and the gear body 1.

[0068] Example D: When the inner annular surface of the gear body 1 is provided with a guide groove 21 (i.e., when the guide post 11 is located on the outer annular surface of the transmission component 2), the gear body 1 is formed by splicing at least two gear parts, and when the gear parts are separated, the guide groove 21 is used to create a notch for the guide post 11 to enter. During assembly, the gear parts can be separated to create a notch in the guide groove 21. After the guide post 11 enters the guide groove 21 through the notch, the gear parts are then merged to form the gear body 1.

[0069] Example 2

[0070] The difference between this embodiment and other embodiments is that the vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device further includes an auxiliary elastic element 8, which is disposed between the transmission element 2 and the housing 4 and is used to make the housing 4 move upward relative to the transmission element 2.

[0071] like Figure 10 As shown, during the lifting process, when the guide post 11 slides from the first horizontal section 211 into the inclined section 212 and continues to slide, the reaction force of the inclined section 212 on the guide post 11 drives the gear body 1, drive unit 7, housing 4, and mirror bracket to lift upwards. The lifting power relies entirely on the interaction between the guide post 11 and the inclined section 212, resulting in a large operating load on the drive unit 7. During the reverse reset process, when the guide post 11 slides along the inclined section 212 towards the first horizontal section 211, it rapidly descends under the weight of the gear body 1, drive unit 7, housing 4, and mirror bracket (equivalent to the weight of the entire exterior rearview mirror). Therefore, there is a phenomenon where the mirror bracket directly impacts the mirror base plate 100. Figure 11As shown, after the auxiliary elastic element 8 is set, during the lifting process, that is, when the guide post 11 slides from the first horizontal section 211 into the inclined section 212 and continues to slide, the elastic force of the auxiliary elastic element 8 can assist in driving the housing 4 to rise, thereby helping to reduce the operating load of the drive unit 7. During the reverse reset process, that is, when the guide post 11 slides along the inclined section 212 towards the first horizontal section 211, the housing 4 needs to compress the auxiliary elastic element 8 to descend, thereby playing a role in slowing down the descent of the housing 4 and preventing the mirror bracket from directly impacting the mirror base plate 100. In addition, the auxiliary elastic element 8 also helps to eliminate assembly gaps, avoids shaking between internal structures of the folding device, and improves the smoothness of operation, avoiding the phenomenon of operation jamming caused by the existence of assembly gaps.

[0072] This application does not limit the specific structure and installation method of the auxiliary elastic element 8. For example, it can be a spring or other elastic structure, preferably a wave spring, and is directly locked between the housing 4 and the transmission element 2 through the step on the housing 4.

[0073] Example 3

[0074] The difference between this embodiment and other embodiments is that, for example Figures 4 to 6 The outer side of the transmission component 2 is provided with a transmission component stop 25, such as Figures 7 to 8 The housing 4 is provided with a housing stop 42; such as Figure 9 As shown, when the mirror bracket is in the unfolded state (i.e., the guide post 11 slides within the first horizontal section 211), the transmission component stop 25 engages with the housing stop 42 to restrict relative rotation between the transmission component 2 and the housing 4, thereby ensuring that there is no relative rotation between the housing 4 (mirror bracket) and the transmission component 2 (mirror base plate 100) at the moment of startup, and also ensuring the stability of the exterior rearview mirror during normal driving. Figure 10 As shown, when the housing 4 is raised to the upper limit, the housing stop part 42 separates from the transmission member stop part 25, which is used to release the rotation restriction between the transmission member 2 and the housing 4. At this time, the housing 4 can generate relative rotation with the transmission member 2, thereby realizing the folding of the housing 4 (mirror bracket).

[0075] It should be understood that this application does not limit the shape of the transmission component stop 25 and the housing stop 42. However, the transmission component stop 25 is preferably a trapezoidal or triangular groove structure, and the housing stop 42 is preferably a trapezoidal or triangular protrusion structure (of course, the transmission component stop 25 can also be a trapezoidal or triangular protrusion structure, and the housing stop 42 can be a trapezoidal or triangular groove structure). The size of the protrusion structure is adapted to the size of the groove structure. Since trapezoids or triangles have inclined surfaces, when the force is large enough, relative sliding can still occur between the inclined surfaces, thereby preventing damage caused by excessive external force. In addition, due to the existence of processing and assembly errors, it is also possible that after the housing 4 is raised to the upper limit, the transmission component stop 25 and the housing stop 42 are still not completely separated. At this time, under the action of the inclined surfaces of the protrusion structure and the groove structure, relative sliding can also occur, thereby raising the housing 4 further and avoiding jamming during operation.

[0076] Example 4

[0077] Before the exterior rearview mirror is folded, a gap is generated between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate 100. At this time, the entire exterior rearview mirror is supported only by the mounting shaft 5, resulting in poor support stability between the internal structures of the mirror bracket.

[0078] To address the aforementioned problems, this embodiment differs from other embodiments in that, as follows: Figures 7 to 8 The housing 4 is provided with a support block 43, such as Figures 4 to 6 The outer wall of the transmission component 2 is provided with a support groove 26, and the lower side of the inner wall of the support groove 26 is provided with a locking groove 27; such as Figure 9 As shown, when the mirror bracket is in the unfolded state, the support block 43 engages with the locking groove 27 to restrict relative rotation between the transmission component 2 and the housing 4. This acts similarly to the stop part 25 of the transmission component and the stop part 42 of the housing. When simultaneously engaging with the stop part 25 of the transmission component and the stop part 42 of the housing, it also shares the force between the housing 4 and the transmission component 2, increasing the total contact area and reducing wear. Figure 10 As shown, when the housing 4 is raised to its upper limit, the support block 43 separates from the locking groove 27; Figure 12As shown, when the mirror bracket is folded, the support block 43 is slidably connected to the support groove 26. Therefore, when the gear body 1, drive unit 7, housing 4, and mirror bracket are raised and the exterior rearview mirror continues to fold, the support block 43 on the housing 4 is slidably connected to the support groove 26. That is, the height between the housing 4 (mirror bracket) and the transmission component 2 (mirror base plate 100) will not change, thereby better achieving the support stability between the housing 4 and the transmission component 2. When this solution is used in conjunction with the auxiliary elastic component 8, the auxiliary elastic component 8 can eliminate the gap between the support block 43 and the support groove 26, which can further improve the support stability and reduce shaking.

[0079] It should be understood that if the support block 43 and the support groove 26 are not provided, the inner ring surface of the gear body 1 rotates and engages with the outer ring surface of the transmission component 2, and the guide post 11 slides in the guide groove 21 to play a positioning role. At this time, most of the force inside the folding device is applied between the gear body 1 and the transmission component 2, resulting in poor overall stability. Under the presence of processing and assembly errors, it may even cause the internal structure to shake. However, with the cooperation of the support block 43 and the support groove 26, the support stability of the internal structure of the folding device can be significantly improved, and the shaking can be reduced.

[0080] In this embodiment, as Figure 10 As shown, both sides of the support block 43 and the locking groove 27 are suitable for having guide slopes 431. The guide slopes 431 are used to enable the support block 43 and the locking groove 27 to slide relative to each other under the action of external force, so as to prevent jamming.

[0081] In this embodiment, the support groove 26 is preferably arranged around the transmission member 2, and the number of locking grooves 27 is preferably three, with the three locking grooves 27 arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the transmission member 2.

[0082] Example 5

[0083] The difference between this embodiment and other embodiments is that, for example Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device also includes a mounting structure 6, which includes a base 61, a clamping elastic element 62, and a fastener 63. The base 61 is located at the lower end of the mounting shaft 5, and the transmission component 2 is sleeved on the mounting shaft 5. The fastener 63 is slidably connected to the mounting shaft 5 and can be fixed at any position on the mounting shaft 5. The clamping elastic element 62 is located between the fastener 63 and the transmission component 2 and is used to press the transmission component 2 against the base 61. Through the action of the clamping elastic element 62, the transmission component 2 can be easily installed on the mounting shaft 5. At the same time, the fastener 63 can be fixed at any position on the mounting shaft 5, so the clamping force of the clamping elastic element 62 on the transmission component 2 can be changed by adjusting the position of the fastener 63 on the mounting shaft 5. In addition, this assembly method can also ensure that the transmission component 2 and the mounting shaft 5 (mirror base plate 100) can rotate relative to each other under the action of a large external force, avoiding damage to the electric folding function of the exterior rearview mirror caused by collision or manual rotation. The fastener 63 can be installed on the mounting shaft 5 via threaded connection or interference fit, thereby achieving fixation at any position on the mounting shaft 5. The clamping elastic element 62 is preferably a helical spring, which can be directly sleeved on the mounting shaft 5. In addition, this assembly method allows for the direct pressing of multiple split transmission components 20 together, eliminating the need for fixing between the split transmission components 20.

[0084] In this embodiment, as Figure 5 As shown, the upper end of the base 61 is provided with a first slot 611 of trapezoidal or triangular structure, such as... Figure 20 As shown, the lower end of the transmission component 2 is provided with a first locking block 28 for fitting the first locking slot 611. When an external force causes the mirror bracket to rotate, the first locking block 28 and the first locking slot 611 slide relative to each other. Through the locking action between the first locking block 28 and the first locking slot 611, it can be ensured that there is no relative rotation between the transmission component 2 and the mounting shaft 5 (mirror base plate 100), thereby maintaining the stability of the exterior rearview mirror during normal vehicle operation. However, when an external force is applied to the exterior rearview mirror, the trapezoidal or triangular inclined surface between the first locking slot 611 and the first locking block 28 can slide relative to each other, thereby causing the transmission component 2 to be lifted and rotated relative to the base 61, thus preventing damage.

[0085] In this embodiment, due to the limited internal space of the exterior rearview mirror, it is impossible to design the folding device to be large enough to meet strength requirements. To further distribute the force exerted by external forces that compel the mirror bracket to rotate, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the upper end of the base 61 is provided with a second slot 612 with a trapezoidal or triangular structure, such as... Figure 8As shown, the housing 4 is provided with a second locking block 45 for fitting the second locking slot 612; when an external force causes the mirror bracket to rotate, the second locking block 45 and the second locking slot 612 slide relative to each other. In addition, since the base 61 is mounted on the mirror base plate 100, the height of the base 61 is fixed. The relative sliding between the second locking block 45 and the second locking slot 612 will also drive the housing 4 (mirror bracket) to rise, thereby ensuring that there is a gap between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate 100 when the external force rotates the rearview mirror, preventing wear between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate 100.

[0086] In this embodiment, as Figure 8 As shown, for ease of processing, the second locking block 45 is integrally formed into the housing 4, and the support block 43 is integrally extended from the second locking block 45; when an external force causes the mirror bracket to rotate, relative sliding occurs between the second locking block 45 and the second locking groove 612, and between the support block 43 and the locking groove 27 (e.g., Figures 9 to 10 (As shown). The support block 43 and the second locking block 45 can also be formed independently of each other in the shell 4. It can be understood that the asymmetrical arrangement can ensure that there is only one mating position between each component of the folding device. That is, when the internal structure is disordered due to external force, this asymmetrical arrangement is conducive to quickly restoring the mating relationship when rotating in the opposite direction.

[0087] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, the housing 4 includes at least two housing bodies 41 spliced ​​and fixed together, one of which has an annular first step 411 and an annular second step 412; the first step 411 is located above the second step 412, and the inner circle size of the first step 411 is smaller than the inner circle size of the second step 412; the lower side of the first step 411 is used to form a housing stop 42, and the lower side of the second step 412 is used to form a support block 43 and / or a second locking block 45.

[0088] In this embodiment, in order to achieve quick installation and disassembly between the mounting shaft 5 and the mirror substrate 100, such as... Figure 25 As shown, the mirror substrate 100 is provided with an insertion hole 101 for fitting the base 61, and a fixing part 102 is provided on the inner wall of the insertion hole 101; as Figure 5 As shown, the base 61 is fitted onto the mounting shaft 5, and the outer side of the lower end of the base 61 is provided with a receiving groove 613 for fitting the fixing part 102; the lower end of the mounting shaft 5 is provided with a limiting part 51 and a clearance groove 52; as shown Figure 22 As shown, when the clearance groove 52 coincides with the receiving groove 613, the limiting part 51 and the base 61 can be inserted into the insertion hole 101, and the fixing part 102 is accommodated in the receiving groove 613; as Figure 23As shown, when an external force first presses down on the mounting shaft 5 and then rotates the mounting shaft 5, the limiting part 51 can be moved to below the fixing part 102 (i.e., the receiving groove 613). After the external force is removed, as shown... Figure 24 As shown, under the action of the clamping elastic member 62, the distance between the limiting part 51 and the base 61 becomes smaller, thereby clamping the limiting part 51 and the base 61 to the fixing part 102, thus completing the installation between the mounting shaft 5 and the mirror base plate 100. Conversely, by first pressing down the mounting shaft 5 and then rotating the mounting shaft 5, the mounting shaft 5 and the mirror base plate 100 can be disassembled.

[0089] In this embodiment, in order to improve the uniformity of force distribution, such as Figure 5 and Figure 25 As shown, the number of receiving groove 613, limiting part 51, clearance groove 52 and fixing part 102 are all suitable to be multiple, and in this embodiment, four are preferred.

[0090] In this embodiment, as Figure 25 As shown, baffles 103 extend downward on both sides of the fixing part 102. The two baffles 103 are used to restrict the relative rotation between the limiting part 51 and the mirror base plate 100. Under the limitation of the baffles 103, the limiting part 51 is prevented from deviating from the fixing part 102, thereby improving the stability of their assembly.

[0091] In this embodiment, since the base 61 is located inside the insertion hole 101 during the assembly and installation of the shaft 5, the assembly position cannot be directly observed. To improve the accuracy of assembly and ease of operation, such as Figure 5 As shown, a positioning block 53 is provided between the mounting shaft 5 and the limiting part 51, such as Figure 21 As shown, a positioning groove 614 is provided between the lower side of the base 61 and the inner ring surface; when the mounting shaft 5 and the base 61 rotate relative to each other, the positioning block 53 slides in the positioning groove 614; the positioning groove 614 limits the rotation of the positioning block 53, so that the positioning block 53 can only rotate in the area of ​​the positioning groove 614, thereby enabling the positioning block 53 to rotate from one side of the positioning groove 614 to the other side, thus achieving accurate assembly of the limiting part 51.

[0092] In this embodiment, screws can also be used for installation to provide a variety of installation methods. For example, a screw mounting hole 615 is provided on the lower side of the base 61, and a screw through hole 511 is provided on the limiting part 51 at the position corresponding to the screw mounting hole 615.

[0093] It should be understood that the above embodiments can be implemented individually or in any combination. In addition, the above-mentioned transmission gear structure, transmission component 2, and mounting structure 6 can also be implemented individually or in any combination (for example, as shown in Embodiment Six, the transmission gear structure and transmission component 2 can be combined to obtain a lifting mechanism for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device), thereby being used for the supply of components for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device.

[0094] Example 6

[0095] This embodiment provides a lifting mechanism for a vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device, including a gear body 1 and a transmission component 2. The transmission component 2 has a ring-shaped structure and is coaxially mounted on the mounting shaft 5 of the vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device. The gear body 1 is rotatably mounted on the mirror base plate 100, the vehicle exterior rearview mirror body, or the housing 4 of the vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device. The gear body 1 is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the transmission component 2, and the gear body 1 is used to mesh with the drive unit 7 of the vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device. The inner ring surface of the gear body 1 is provided with a guide post 11 radially, and the outer wall of the transmission component 2 is provided with a guide groove 21 circumferentially corresponding to the position of the guide post 11. The guide groove 21 includes a first horizontal section 211 and an inclined section 212, one end of which is smoothly connected to the first horizontal section 211. When the guide post 11 slides along the inclined section 212 in a direction away from the first horizontal section 211, it is used to lift the gear body 1 relative to the transmission component 2.

[0096] During use, the lifting mechanism of the vehicle's exterior rearview mirror folding device, after the gear body 1 receives power input from the drive unit 7, the gear body 1 begins to rotate relative to the transmission component 2, thereby driving the guide post 11 to slide along the first horizontal section 211 of the guide groove 21. At this time, the guide post 11 does not generate a component force on the first horizontal section 211 in the vertical direction. In addition, the sliding part is generally lubricated by a lubricating medium, so the resistance experienced by the guide post 11 in the first horizontal section 211 is very small. Therefore, the starting load is small, which helps to reduce wear, extend service life, and also reduce noise. As the guide post 11 slides from the first horizontal section 211 into the inclined section 212 and continues to drive the gear body 1, the guide post 11 exerts downward pressure on the inclined section 212 in the vertical direction. At this time, since the transmission component 2, the mounting shaft 5, and the mirror base plate 100 are equivalent to a whole and cannot move downward, according to the principle that forces are reciprocal, the inclined section 212 generates an upward reaction force on the guide post 11, thereby driving the gear body 1, the housing 4, the drive unit 7, and the bracket to rise upward as a whole, thus creating a gap between the mirror bracket and the mirror base plate 100. During this process, since the gear body 1 and the drive unit 7 are a whole, that is, the gear body 1 does not generate relative displacement with the drive unit 7 along its axial direction, the transmission noise can be greatly reduced; at the same time, the axial dimension of the gear body 1 does not need to reserve a larger margin, which is conducive to reducing the axial dimension of the gear body 1; moreover, this radial fit relationship between the gear body 1 and the transmission component 2 is also conducive to reducing the axial dimension.

[0097] In this embodiment, the guide groove 21 further includes a second horizontal section 213, one end of which is smoothly connected to the end of the inclined section 212 away from the first horizontal section 211. Alternatively, the inner ring surface of the gear body 1 is provided with a mounting hole, and one end of the guide post 11 is connected to the mounting hole through an elastic member. Alternatively, the gear body 1 is formed by splicing at least two gear parts, and a clamping groove for clamping the guide post 11 is provided between each gear part. Alternatively, the transmission member 2 is formed by splicing at least two transmission member parts 20, and when each transmission member part 20 is separated, it is used to create a notch in the guide groove 21 for the guide post 11 to enter. The specific working principles of each of them are detailed in the foregoing embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0098] In this embodiment, the upper end of the gear body 1 is provided with a locking protrusion 12, and the outer wall of the transmission component 2 is provided with a locking groove 22. When the guide post 11 slides to contact the end of the inclined section 212 or before contact, the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 engage to restrict relative rotation between the gear body 1 and the transmission component 2. The specific working principle is detailed in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0099] In this embodiment, the upper end of the gear body 1 is provided with a locking protrusion 12, and the outer wall of the transmission component 2 is provided with a locking groove 22. When the guide post 11 slides to contact the end of the second horizontal segment 213 or before contact, the locking protrusion 12 and the locking groove 22 engage to restrict relative rotation between the gear body 1 and the transmission component 2. The specific working principle is detailed in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0100] In this embodiment, the upper end of the transmission component 2 is provided with a transmission component 2 boss, and a transmission component 2 inclined surface is provided between the upper end of the transmission component 2 boss and the upper end surface of the transmission component 2; or, a positioning groove 29 is provided on the outer side of the upper end of the transmission component 2. The specific working principle is detailed in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0101] In this embodiment, a support groove 26 is provided circumferentially on the outer wall of the transmission component 2. An inlet is provided on the upper side of the inner wall of the support groove 26, and a locking groove 27 is provided on the lower side of the inner wall of the support groove 26 corresponding to the inlet. The locking groove 27 has a triangular or trapezoidal structure. Its specific working principle is detailed in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be elaborated further here.

[0102] In this embodiment, a stop portion for the transmission component 2 is provided on the outer side of the transmission component 2. Its specific working principle is detailed in the aforementioned embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0103] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed application.

Claims

1. A vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device, characterized in that, include: A housing, which is mounted on a mirror bracket or the body of a vehicle exterior rearview mirror; A drive unit is mounted on the housing, the mirror bracket, or the vehicle exterior rearview mirror body; Mounting shaft, the lower end of which is mounted on the mirror substrate; A transmission component, wherein the transmission component is a ring-shaped structure and is coaxially mounted on the mounting shaft; and The gear body is rotatably mounted on the housing, mirror base plate, or vehicle exterior rearview mirror body. The gear body is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the transmission component, and the gear body meshes with the drive unit. The inner ring surface of the gear body is provided with a guide post in the radial direction, and the outer wall of the transmission component is provided with a guide groove in the circumferential direction corresponding to the position of the guide post; the guide groove includes a first horizontal section and an inclined section, one end of the inclined section is smoothly connected to the first horizontal section; when the driving unit drives the gear body and causes the guide post to slide along the inclined section in a direction away from the first horizontal section, it is used to lift the gear body, the housing and the driving unit as a whole relative to the transmission component.

2. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the gear body is provided with a locking protrusion, and the outer wall of the transmission component is provided with a locking groove; the locking protrusion and the locking groove are trapezoidal or triangular structures, and the size of the locking groove is larger than that of the locking protrusion, so as to create a margin between the locking protrusion and the locking groove; when the guide post slides to contact the end of the inclined section or before contact, the locking protrusion and the locking groove engage to restrict relative rotation between the gear body and the transmission component.

3. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The guide groove further includes a second horizontal section, one end of which is smoothly connected to the end of the inclined section away from the first horizontal section.

4. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The upper end of the gear body is provided with a locking protrusion, and the outer wall of the transmission component is provided with a locking groove; the locking protrusion and the locking groove are trapezoidal or triangular structures, and the size of the locking groove is larger than that of the locking protrusion, so as to create a margin between the locking protrusion and the locking groove; when the guide post slides to contact the end of the second horizontal segment or before contact, the locking protrusion and the locking groove engage to restrict relative rotation between the gear body and the transmission component.

5. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the transmission component is provided with a support groove along the circumference. The upper side of the inner wall of the support groove is provided with a groove inlet. The lower side of the inner wall of the support groove is provided with a locking groove corresponding to the groove inlet. The housing is provided with a support block for adapting the support groove and the locking groove. When the support block is engaged in the locking groove, it is used to restrict the relative rotation between the housing and the transmission component. After the housing is raised to the point where the support block separates from the locking groove and the housing rotates relative to the transmission member, the support block is slidably connected to the support groove; both the support block and the locking groove are triangular or trapezoidal structures; And / or, the transmission component is provided with a transmission component stop on its outer side; the housing is provided with a housing stop; when the mirror bracket is in the unfolded state, the transmission component stop cooperates with the housing stop to restrict relative rotation between the transmission component and the housing; both the transmission component stop and the housing stop are triangular or trapezoidal structures.

6. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner ring surface of the gear body is provided with a mounting hole, and one end of the guide post is connected to the mounting hole through an elastic component; Alternatively, the gear body may be formed by splicing together at least two gear segments, and each gear segment may be provided with a clamping groove for clamping the guide post. Alternatively, the transmission component may be formed by splicing together at least two separate transmission components, and when each of the transmission components is separated, it may be used to create a notch in the guide groove for the guide post to enter.

7. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the transmission component is provided with a transmission component boss, and a transmission component inclined surface is provided between the upper side of the transmission component boss and the upper end face of the transmission component; the upper end of the transmission component is provided with a transmission component boss; the folding device of the vehicle vision device further includes a positioning structure, the positioning structure including a positioning ring and a positioning elastic element; the positioning ring is slidably mounted on the housing, and the lower end of the positioning ring is provided with a positioning ring boss; the positioning elastic element is disposed on the housing or the positioning ring, and is used to make the transmission component boss contact the positioning ring and / or to make the positioning ring boss contact the transmission component; when the mirror bracket is reset to the unfolded state, the transmission component boss just abuts against the positioning ring boss; a transmission component inclined surface is provided between the upper side of the transmission component boss away from the positioning ring boss and the upper end face of the transmission component; a positioning ring inclined surface is provided between the lower side of the positioning ring boss away from the transmission component boss and the lower end face of the positioning ring; when relative sliding occurs between the transmission component inclined surface and the positioning ring inclined surface, it is used to make the positioning ring slide upwards; Alternatively, the upper outer side of the transmission component is provided with a positioning slot; the folding device of the vehicle vision device also includes a positioning structure, the positioning structure including a locking arm rotatably connected to the housing, an elastic arm integrally formed on the locking arm, and the elastic arm abutting against the inner wall of the housing, thereby causing the locking arm to rotate to abut against the outer wall of the transmission component.

8. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The folding device of the vehicle vision device also includes an auxiliary elastic element, which is disposed between the transmission member and the housing and is used to move the housing upward relative to the transmission member.

9. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The folding device of the vehicle vision device also includes a mounting structure, which includes a base, a clamping elastic element, and a fastener. The base is disposed at the lower end of the mounting shaft, and the transmission element is sleeved on the mounting shaft. The fastener is slidably connected to the mounting shaft and can be fixed at any position on the mounting shaft. The clamping elastic element is located between the fastener and the transmission element and is used to press the transmission element against the base.

10. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror folding device as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The first horizontal segment is arranged at an inclination in the same direction as the inclined segment, and the inclination angle of the first horizontal segment is smaller than the inclination angle of the inclined segment. And / or, the inclined segment is formed by multiple inclined sub-segments that are smoothly adjacent end to end, and the inclination angle of each inclined sub-segment increases sequentially in the direction away from the first horizontal segment.

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