Exterior mirror arrangement for motor vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to an exterior mirror arrangement (10) for motor vehicles comprising: a mirror base (18) that can be fixed to the motor vehicle, a support element (20) as part of a mirror head (12), a joint connection (30) between the mirror base (18) and the support element (20) that enables a pivotable bearing between the mirror base (18) and the support element (20) about a joint axis (A), wherein the joint connection (30) comprises a bearing axis (40) fixed to the mirror base (18) and a bearing bushing (50, 50', 50") that is rotationally fixed to the support element (20), and wherein the pivotable bearing is formed between the bearing axis (40) and the bearing bushing (50, 50', 50"), and wherein the bearing bushing (50, 50', 50") forms a radial support on the support element (20) at least when a radial force component is introduced.

Description

The present invention relates to an exterior mirror assembly for motor vehicles.Exterior mirror arrangements are known in a plurality of embodiments and essentially consist of a mirror head in which a glass assembly is held on a carrier element, and a mirror foot which enables a connection to the vehicle body. The mirror base and the support element with glass assembly accommodated in the mirror head are connected to one another so as to be pivotable about an approximately vertical axis, forming a hinged connection-in the assembled situation on the motor vehicle. The articulated connection of these parts is a prerequisite for the approval of motor vehicles in order to protect the traffic safety of other road users from injuries in the event of a traffic accident or to mitigate their extent or consequences. By means of the articulated connection between mirror foot and mirror head, the outer mirror can be moved from a so-called operating position, which is suitable for observing the following traffic, into a folded position in the direction of travel and into a parking position counter to the direction of travel. This adjusting movement can be effected both manually and by means of an electrically actuatable folding drive.The folding drive is usually designed as a folding module with an electric motor and corresponding transmission components and is inserted as a module into a correspondingly designed housing recess of the carrier element during the assembly of the exterior mirror arrangement. For mechanical fastening, the carrier element has fastening points for the folding module. The folding module is designed such that it comprises a housing as a support element and can be inserted into the housing recess by means of the housing and is fastened via fastening points corresponding to the support element.An exterior mirror for a vehicle with an integrated electric folding module is known from EP 0 748 719 A2.It is an object of the present invention to provide an external mirror arrangement for motor vehicles which has a high level of functional reliability and is free of undesired vibrations and relative movements between the components, in particular in the region of the articulated connection.The object is achieved by the features specified in claim 1.The external mirror arrangement for motor vehicles comprises a mirror foot which can be fixed to the motor vehicle, a carrier element as part of a mirror head. A hinged connection is arranged between mirror foot and support element, which allows a pivotable mounting between mirror foot and support element about a hinge axis (A). The articulated connection is formed by a bearing axle fixed to the mirror base and a bearing bush connected to the carrier element in a rotationally fixed manner, wherein the pivotable bearing is formed between the bearing axle and the bearing bush. The bearing bush is designed in such a way that a radial support is formed between the bearing axis and the carrier element at least when a radial force component is introduced onto the bearing bush.Axial means in the direction of the bearing axis A. Radial means accordingly in the radial direction of the bearing axis A.Further advantageous embodiments and developments of the rearview mirror arrangement according to the invention are evident from the dependent claims.Preferred embodiments of the exterior mirror assembly for a motor vehicle will be described below by way of example, with reference illustratively to the accompanying drawings.The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of the arrangement of a folding module in an exterior mirror arrangement, FIG. 2 is a top view of the articulated connection between mirror base and mirror head with radial support according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section along section B--B in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of the detail C according to the first exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of the detail C according to a second exemplary embodiment; and FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the detail C according to a third exemplary embodiment.An outer mirror arrangement 10 usually comprises a mirror base 18 and a carrier element 20 as part of a mirror head 12. The mirror foot 18 of the outer mirror assembly 10 is connected to the side 11 of a motor vehicle, wherein the reflective element provides a rearward field of view along the respective side of the motor vehicle for the driver of the motor vehicle. A hinged connection 30 is provided between mirror foot 18 and support element 20, which allows a pivotable mounting between mirror foot 18 and mirror head 12 or support element 20 about a hinge axis (A).The exterior mirror arrangement 10 is usually designed to be capable of being folded electrically. For this purpose, a folding module 27 with a folding drive is arranged on the carrier element 20, so that the mirror head 12 can be folded into a parking position relative to the mirror foot 18 and, starting from the parking position, can be folded back into the driving or use position. The corresponding pivoting movement about the axis A into the parking position and the use position is schematically illustrated by means of the arrows P 2 and G 1. Since this function of the electrical folding or folding out by means of a folding module 27 is fundamentally known to the person skilled in the art, this will not be described in more detail. Details in this respect can be found in the publication EP 3 208 152 A1. FIG. 1 shows the mirror foot, the mirror head and the folding module only in a schematic illustration.FIG. 2 shows a top view of the articulated connection, which according to a first exemplary embodiment comprises a bearing axis 40 fixed to the mirror base 18 and a bearing bush 50 connected to the carrier element 20 in a rotationally fixed manner.FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the articulated connection 30 between mirror base 18 and carrier element 20, and the bearing axle 40 is designed as a hollow cylindrical tube and is fixed at its lower end region to the mirror base by means of a rivet connection. The bearing axle 40 extends upwards from the mirror base 18 through a cylindrical housing recess of the carrier element 20. The housing recess has a cylindrical inner wall 21 at least in sections. In the upper end region of the bearing axle 40, a bearing bush 50 is arranged concentrically to the bearing axle 40 and forms a bearing point L between the bearing axle 40 and the bearing bush 50 between the cylindrical outer jacket of the bearing axle 40 and the cylindrical inner jacket of the bearing bush 50. During a pivoting movement of the mirror head 12 with respect to the mirror base 18 about the bearing axis A, a relative movement (rotation) accordingly takes place between the bearing bush and the bearing axis. The bearing bush 50 is fixed in a rotationally fixed manner on the carrier element 20 via a positive connection 22. The bearing bush is made of polyoxymethylene (POM)The bearing bush 50 forms a radial support on the carrier element 20 when a radial force component K is introduced. For this purpose, the bearing bush 50 extends with an annular radially outwardly extending flange 51 approximately up to the cylindrical inner wall 21 of the carrier element 20.The articulated connection 30 furthermore comprises a compression spring 60. the bearing axle 40 extends through the compression spring 60, wherein the compression spring 60 is arranged in the annular receiving space between the carrier element 20 and the bearing axle 40. The compression spring 60 is supported in a spring-biased manner between the bearing bush 50 and an annular flange 24 of the carrier element 20.The bearing bush 50 is axially secured in a coated manner by means of a flanged annular rim 41 on the upper end region of the bearing axle 40 with the interposition of a sliding disc 70 made of Teflon or Teflon.FIG. 5 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the bearing bush 50'. Unlike the above-described embodiment, an axially extending sleeve-shaped portion 52 is formed on the outer periphery of the annular flange 51. Between sleeve-shaped section 52 and inner wall 21, an annular air gap of approximately 0.5 mm remains.FIG. 6 shows a third exemplary embodiment of the bearing bush 50'', in which the radial support is effected at least in sections on the inner wall 21 via spring tongues 56 formed axially on the annular flange 51 via a weakening region 55. The spring tongues 56 bear pretensioned against the inner wall 21. The spring tongues 56 can also be designed as a radially encircling spring ring.List of reference characters10 External mirror arrangement 11 side of the motor vehicle 18 mirror base 12 mirror head 20 carrier element 21 cylindrical inner wall 22 positive connection 24 radial web 40 bearing axis 41 annular edge 50 bearing bush 51 annular flange 52 sleeve-shaped section 55 weakening region 56 spring tabs 60 compression spring 70 sliding disk A joint axisReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedEP 0 748 719 A2

[0004] EP 3 208 152 A1

[0013]

Claims

Exterior mirror arrangement (10) for motor vehicles, having: - a mirror base (18) which can be fixed to the motor vehicle, - a carrier element (20) as part of a mirror head (12), - a joint connection (30) between mirror base (18) and carrier element (20), which joint connection allows a pivotable mounting between mirror base (18) and carrier element (20) about a joint axis (A), - wherein the joint connection (30) comprises a bearing axis (40) fixed to the mirror base (18) and a bearing bush (50, 50', 50") which is connected to the carrier element (20) in a rotationally fixed manner, and the pivotable mounting is formed between bearing axis (40) and bearing bush (50, 50', 50"), - and wherein the bearing bush (50, 50', 50") forms a radial support on the carrier element (20) at least when a radial force component is introduced.Exterior mirror arrangement (10) for motor vehicles according to Claim 1, characterized in that the carrier element (20) comprises a cylindrical inner wall (21) and a radially encircling gap having a gap of 0.2 - 0.5 mm remains between the bearing bush (50, 50', 50") and the cylindrical inner wall (21).Exterior mirror arrangement (10) for motor vehicles according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the articulated connection (30) comprises a compression spring (60), wherein the bearing axis (40) extends in the axial direction through the compression spring (60) in the upper region of the articulated connection (30), and wherein the compression spring (60) is supported between the bearing bush (50) and an annular flange (24) of the carrier element (20) in a spring-biased manner in the direction of the articulated axis (A).Exterior mirror arrangement (10) for motor vehicles according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing bush (50) has an integrally formed annular flange (51) extending radially outwards, and the flange (51) forms the radial support on the carrier element (20).Exterior mirror arrangement (10) for motor vehicles according to Claim 4, characterized in that the annular flange (51) is formed at its outer edge region with an axially extending sleeve-shaped portion (52).Exterior mirror arrangement (10) for motor vehicles according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radial support is effected at least in sections on the inner wall (21) of the carrier element (20) via spring tabs (56) which are integrally formed axially on the bearing bush (50") via a weakening region (55) and bear in a prestressed manner on the inner wall (21) of the carrier element (20).Exterior mirror arrangement (10) for motor vehicles according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing bush (50, 50', 50") is produced from polyoxymethylene (POM).Exterior mirror arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing axle (40) is designed as a sleeve which is held on the mirror base (18) by means of a rivet connection.Exterior mirror arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the articulated connection (30) comprises a folding module (27), so that an electrical folding of the mirror head with carrier element (20) into a parking position and a use position is achieved by means of a folding drive.

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