Adjustment device for an external vision unit for a vehicle - Patents.com

Abstract

The present invention relates to an adjustment device (1) for an external visual unit for a vehicle. The adjustment device includes a housing (5) having a fixed portion (5A) that is coupled to a support frame (3) of the external visual unit and an adjustment portion (5B) that is rotatably connected to the housing for adjusting the external visual unit. A mounting structure for mounting the housing to the support frame is provided. The mounting structure has an engaging member (11) that is movable relative to the housing. The engaging member is connected to the support frame by a fastening member, particularly a screw, and the engaging member is movable together with the fastening member. The mounting structure further includes a wire spring (7), which is supported on the housing by two portions spaced apart at an intermediate distance. The engaging member engages with the wire spring at a portion located between the two spaced apart portions to achieve elastic deformation of the wire spring in the mounted state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an adjustment device for an external vision unit for a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to an attachment structure for attaching an adjustment device to a support frame of an external vision unit such as an exterior mirror, a camera and / or a display of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] An external vision unit of a vehicle generally includes a base and a support frame. The base has legs for attaching to the outside of the vehicle body, and a base shaft extending from the base, the base shaft holding the support frame rotatably about the base shaft. The support frame is generally rotatable about the base shaft between a park position where the support frame extends substantially along the vehicle and a retracted drive position where the support frame extends substantially laterally with respect to the vehicle. The support frame is usually connected to the base shaft via an actuator. Therefore, the rotational movement for folding and unfolding the support frame can be performed in a driven manner. Such an actuator is usually called a power fold actuator.

[0003] An adjustment device is mounted on the support frame. The adjustment device is equipped with an external vision part such as, for example, a mirror glass provided on a mirror support plate / mirror glass included in the mirror support plate, a camera, a lidar sensor or other types of external vision parts. The adjustment device is often called a glass adjuster.

[0004] The adjustment device is for adjusting the external vision part relative to the support frame so that when the external vision unit is in the drive position, the driver can set the angle that can be seen through the external vision part. This often involves setting the field of view through which the driver can see rearward by adjusting the exterior mirror about the vertical and horizontal axes.

[0005] The adjustment device typically comprises a housing that may consist of multiple plastic housing components rotatably connected to one another. These housing components include a fixed section for connection to a support frame and an adjustment section for connection to an external viewing unit. Typically, the output unit is connected to the fixed section via one or more actuators. Therefore, the adjustment movement of the output unit, which houses the external viewing unit, can be performed in a driven manner. In practice, such actuators are often referred to as mirror glass actuators.

[0006] The housing and support frame are typically mounted facing each other and screwed together. This screw connection has the drawback that the housing cannot be secured to the support frame in a way that sufficiently reduces play due to creep and stress relaxation of the plastic material from which it is made. In reality, as a result, play develops between the housing and the support frame over time, which can cause undesirable vibrations in the external visual components, such as the mirror glass vibrating while driving.

[0007] In known external vision unit adjustment devices, a metal leaf spring is used to bias and connect the housing and the support frame. A separate metal sleeve is provided, its first end face supported by the leaf spring, thereby connecting the housing and the support frame by fitting a screw into the support frame via the sleeve and leaf spring, and supporting the screw head with the second end face of the metal sleeve. The metal sleeve acts as a spacer between the metal leaf spring and the screw head, making the screw head easily accessible when installing and removing the adjustment device. While the metal leaf spring is sufficiently suitable to compensate for the stress relaxation of plastics in the adjustment device components by pre-tensioning it, it has the disadvantage of increasing costs from a mass production perspective and being relatively heavy compared to other components of the adjustment device. Furthermore, the leaf spring stores a relatively large spring force and has a relatively small range of bending, so the amount of spring movement is also limited. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an adjustment device for an external visual unit for a vehicle, specifically, a mounting structure for attaching the adjustment device to the support frame of the external visual unit. This adjustment device and mounting structure allows for the avoidance of the aforementioned problems while obtaining the aforementioned advantages. In particular, the present invention aims to provide a cost-effective and simple alternative for a mounting structure for an adjustment device for an external visual unit of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To this end, the present invention provides an adjustment device for an external visual unit of a vehicle. The adjustment device comprises a housing having a fixed part for coupling to a support frame of the external visual unit and an adjustment part rotatably connected to the housing for adjusting the external visual unit, and a mounting structure is provided for mounting the housing to the support frame, the mounting structure having an engaging body that is movable relative to the housing, the engaging body being connected to the support frame by fastenings, particularly screws, and the engaging body being movable together with the fastenings at least in the mounting direction. The mounting structure further comprises a wire spring supported in a housing, which is a wire spring having two parts spaced a moderate distance apart. To achieve elastic deformation of the wire spring during mounting, the engaging body engages with the wire spring in a portion between the two spaced-away parts of the wire spring.

[0010] Wire springs have relatively little force accumulation and a large spring displacement. Furthermore, wire springs can be mass-produced easily and at low cost, and can be given a desired shape to optimize their spring characteristics. When a wire spring is attached to the housing and support frame of the adjustment device, it can be pretensioned. This causes the wire spring to generate a clamping force between the housing and the support frame when installed. As a result, the housing and support frame are pressed against each other, even if there is slack in the plastic parts of the housing and / or support frame, and can be properly fixed for a long period of time. Thus, a pretensioned wire spring compensates for creep, plastic deformation and / or relaxation in the material of the adjustment device, so that the plastic parts remain fixed to each other for a long period of time. During installation, the distance between the engaging body and the support frame becomes smaller, for example, as the engaging body is transported along the installation direction by the fastening part. Such displacement of the engaging body is transmitted to the wire spring, in particular to the part located between two spaced parts, and as a result the wire spring bends. The fastening portion may engage with an engaging body at a first engagement point and with a support frame at a second engagement point. In the mounted state, the distance between the first and second engagement points is shorter than, for example, in the unmounted state. It is also possible to increase the distance between the first and second engagement points. The wire spring is preferably configured to deform elastically during mounting so that other parts of the housing, particularly the fixed and adjustable parts, can be mounted without deformation. As a result, the shape of the fixed and adjustable parts is maintained, and the impact on the interoperability between the various parts and mechanisms that can be housed in the housing is minimized. The wire spring may be located in the center of the housing to uniformly distribute the pre-applied tension throughout the housing. The fastening portion is preferably made of screws, but may consist of other fastening means known to those skilled in the art, such as adhesives, click members or snap members, or clamping means. Furthermore, it will be apparent that bolts, pins, or other rod-shaped connecting means can also be treated as screws.The screw, for example, includes a main shaft extending in the mounting direction when installed, and the screw engages with both the engaging body and the support frame.

[0011] To ensure operationally secure connection between the engaging body and the wire spring, the engaging body may include a coupling portion for connecting the engaging body and the wire spring. The coupling portion may be formed, for example, by a body portion protruding from the engaging body. This body portion substantially extends in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the engaging body. The coupling portion may be configured, for example, in a hook shape. Alternatively, the coupling portion may be formed by a recess formed on the contact surface of the engaging body that abuts the wire spring. The wire spring may be housed in this recess. The contact surface is, for example, the lower surface of the engaging body. When the engaging body moves downward, it pushes the wire spring downward, causing it to deform. The coupling portion may be provided on the periphery of the engaging body. As a result, space can be secured for passing a screw through the central through-opening of the engaging body.

[0012] The housing may be mounted directly to the support frame, or it may be mounted with other components interposed between them. The housing may include, for example, one or more support surfaces supported by the support frame.

[0013] Optionally, the wire spring is made from spring steel. This provides the wire spring with sufficient resistance to relaxation, allowing it to apply pre-applied tension to the mounting structure over a long period of time. Spring steel is typically a low-alloy steel containing nickel, and because its carbon content is relatively high, for example, 0.80% to 0.95%, it has greater resistance to permanent deformation compared to other types of steel. Furthermore, spring steel is relatively inexpensive, and it is easy to process the wire spring into the desired shape.

[0014] The wire spring may extend substantially linearly between its two ends. Alternatively, it may extend substantially perpendicular to the mounting direction between its two ends. This allows the wire spring to extend substantially parallel to the support frame in the mounted state, particularly enabling a more compact structure. The dimensions of the wire spring, such as length and thickness, can be easily adjusted to achieve the desired stiffness and pre-tensioning properties. The wire spring may also extend curvilinearly between its two ends. The wire spring can be given a desired shape to optimize its spring properties with respect to the shape between its two ends.

[0015] The engaging element may be coupled to the wire spring at the center between the two ends of the wire spring to ensure uniform force transmission to the housing. Furthermore, the engaging element may be located in the center of the housing.

[0016] Optionally, the housing has a central opening into which an engaging member is inserted movably, for example, in a translationally manner.

[0017] The engaging body may have through-holes for threading screws, taking into consideration mass production to some extent, in order to facilitate installation. The screws may further have engagement points on the support frame to achieve connection between the housing and the support frame.

[0018] The engaging body may further have a support surface for supporting the screw head. In this way, a simple screw connection can be achieved to engage the engaging body with the support frame. The support surface may be positioned at a distance from the wire spring such that the screw head is slightly raised, that is, the degree of recess into the housing is not too large. This allows for easy access to the screw head with a screwdriver, for example, during installation and removal.

[0019] The engaging body may have a cylindrical main body with an axial through-opening. A screw is inserted into the through-opening. The cylindrical main body is, for example, a tubular body such as a bush or a sleeve. The support surface for supporting the screw head may be provided, for example, at the top of the cylindrical main body, and the coupling portion for connecting the engaging body and the wire spring may be provided at the bottom of the cylindrical main body.

[0020] Optionally, the engaging body has a coupling portion that protrudes from the cylindrical body for coupling with a wire spring. The coupling portion may be formed, for example, by a body portion that protrudes from the shell of the engaging body. This body portion substantially extends in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the engaging body. The coupling portion may be, for example, a hook-shaped configuration for engaging with the wire spring. This enables coupling between the engaging body and the wire spring. Alternatively, the coupling portion may be formed as a recess or groove on the end face of the cylindrical body of the engaging body. The coupling portion may be provided on the periphery of the engaging body, for example, laterally to the cylindrical body, to provide space for a screw that reaches through an axial through-opening of the engaging body.

[0021] The engaging element may be formed integrally with the housing to further simplify the manufacture of the adjustment device. In particular, the housing and engaging element may be made of plastic. If made of plastic, creep and / or relaxation of the engaging element can also be compensated for by a relatively large amount of movement that can be achieved with a wire spring.

[0022] The engaging body may be further provided to be movable within the housing, for example, so as to be translationally movable, and may include at least one deformable connecting arm extending between the engaging body and other parts of the housing. For example, there may be two connecting arms, such as two parallel connecting arms. At least one connecting arm positions the engaging body in a desired position, for example, aligning the through-opening of the engaging body with a threaded opening in the support frame. At least one connecting arm may be flexible so as to allow the engaging body to move. In the installed state, at least one connecting arm can act on the engaging body with pre-applied tension in the same direction as the wire spring. The wire spring and at least one connecting arm may each extend in separate parallel planes, and at least one connecting arm may project laterally from the engaging body. To distribute the pre-applied tension within the housing to some extent, at least one connecting arm may extend perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wire spring, guiding the pre-applied tension of at least one connecting arm to another part of the housing.

[0023] The joint may be formed by a recess or groove formed in a portion of at least one connecting arm, for example, in a portion of at least one connecting arm near the engaging body.

[0024] In another embodiment, the engaging body may be formed separately from the housing. In this case, the engaging body may be provided, for example, movably, and particularly translatably, in a guide hole in the housing that guides the engaging body. Optionally, the engaging body has, for example, a cylindrical body made of metal or plastic. An axial through-opening is provided so as to penetrate the cylindrical body for inserting a screw. The engaging body may have a coupling portion that protrudes from the shell of the cylindrical body for engaging with a wire spring, while the coupling portion is formed by a folded portion of the shell. The wire spring may be housed in a space formed between the folded portion and the unfolded portion of the shell.

[0025] In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an external vision unit for a vehicle, comprising a base and a support frame. The base has legs for attachment to an outer portion of the vehicle body and a base shaft extending from the base, and the base shaft holds the support frame rotatably about the base shaft. The support frame is rotatable about the base shaft between a park position in which the support frame extends substantially along the vehicle and a fold-back drive position in which the support frame extends substantially laterally with respect to the vehicle, and the support frame is coupled to an adjustment device as described above.

[0026] It should be noted that with respect to the disclosure of the present application, the technical features of the adjustment device described in the independent claims can be regarded as an invention by themselves or in combination only with one or more technical features described in the main claim, dependent claims or the specification.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] The present invention will be further described based on an embodiment example of the adjustment device illustrated in the drawings. Each drawing is as follows. [Figure 1] It is an exploded perspective view of the adjustment device. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the adjustment device. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing a cross section of the adjustment device. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing a cross section of a part of the adjustment device. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing a cross section of the adjustment device. [Figure 6A] It is a top perspective view of the fixed case of the adjustment device. <​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[0028] In the figures, identical or corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numeral. Please note that the figures are merely illustrative examples of embodiments and should not be considered limiting.

[0029] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an adjustment device 1 for an external vision unit for a vehicle. The adjustment device 1 comprises a housing 5 having a fixed part 5A for coupling with a support frame 3 and an adjustment part 5B. The adjustment part 5B is rotatably connected to the fixed part 5A and supports an external vision unit such as a mirror, and is configured to steer the external vision unit to a desired orientation, for example, for the driver of the vehicle.

[0030] The housing 5, more specifically the fixed portion 5A, is provided with driving means such as a first electric motor 9A and a second electric motor 9B for rotating the adjustment portion 5B around the vertical axis and horizontal axis, respectively, relative to the fixed portion 5A, and a drive system 10 including one or more gear transmissions that connect the output shafts of each electric motor to the adjustment portion 5B.

[0031] The fixing portion 5A of the housing 5 is formed by a bottom plate 101, a fixing case 102, and a cover plate 103. The bottom plate 101, the fixing case 102, and the cover plate 103 are each made of plastic. The adjustment portion 5B is formed by two plastic bodies 201 and 202. The plastic bodies 201 and 202 are movable relative to each other and relative to the fixing portion 5A.

[0032] An engaging body 11 for engaging a screw 13 is integrally provided in the fixing case 102 of the fixing portion 5A of the housing 5. The engaging body 11 and the fixing case 102 may be formed integrally by injection molding, for example. Furthermore, it will be apparent that bolts, pins, or other rod-shaped fastening means or joining media can also be used as screws.

[0033] Furthermore, a wire spring 7 is provided. Here, it is provided between the bottom plate 101 and the fixed case 102, and extends linearly between two opposing ends 15A and 15B.

[0034] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective bottom view showing a part of the adjustment device 1, showing the fixing case 102 and cover plate 103 of the fixing part 5A of the housing 5. The fixing case 102 has a through opening 17 for passing a screw 13 through. In particular, the through opening 17 penetrates the entire engaging body 11. The engaging body 11 is located at the center of the fixing case 102 of the housing 5 and is connected to the periphery of the fixing case 102 via a connecting arm 21. There is one connecting arm shown here, but there may be multiple connecting arms. For example, there may be two connecting arms, for example, two parallel connecting arms. The connecting arm 21 has a dedicated deformation zone 22 configured to deform in order to facilitate translation of the engaging body 11 relative to the rest of the housing 5.

[0035] When in use, the wire spring 7 may be supported at its free ends 15A and 15B by the respective support surfaces 51A and 51B of the fixing case 102 of the fixing portion 5A of the housing 5. Here, the support surfaces 51A and 51B are formed by recesses provided in the fixing case 102. The fixing case 102 is further equipped with a coupling means, in this case a snap means 19, which cooperates with a complementary snap means 20 of the cover plate 103 to connect the fixing case 102 to the cover plate 103. The cover plate 103 also has a through-opening 23 for passing a screw 13 through, and the through-opening 23 of the cover plate 103 is aligned with the through-opening 17 of the engaging body.

[0036] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a cross-section of the adjustment device 1. Figure 4 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 3, but the adjustment part 5B and screw 13 of the adjustment device 1 are omitted from the illustration. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing another cross-section of a part of the adjustment device 1. Figures 6A and 6B are perspective top views showing the fixed case 102, and the position of the wire spring 7 in the fixed case 102 is shown in Figure 6B.

[0037] The wire spring 7 has opposing free ends 15A and 15B that are supported by the respective support surfaces 51A and 51B of the fixed case 102 of the housing 5. Furthermore, the engaging body 11 is coupled to the wire spring 7 at the central part of the wire spring 7 located between both ends 15A and 15B. The engaging body 11 has a coupling portion 16 for coupling with the wire spring 7. This coupling portion may include, for example, a hook-shaped member that engages with the wire spring. This enables the coupling between the engaging body 11 and the wire spring 7. As can be seen from Figure 3, since the engaging body 11 is supported by the wire spring 7, when the screw 13 is tightened, the engaging body 11 is pushed downward and the wire spring 7 deforms. The deformation of the wire spring 7 applies a pre-applied tension (bias), and this pre-applied tension acts substantially in the longitudinal direction of the screw 13 perpendicular to the plane on which the wire spring 7 extends.

[0038] The screw 13 engages with the engaging body 11, and the screw head 14 of the screw 13 is located at the top of the engaging body 11. Although the cover plate 103 is coupled to the fixing case 102 only via snap means 19, 20, it will be clear that the screw 13 can also engage with the cover plate 103. The screw 13 can engage with the engaging body 11 via the cover plate 103, for example, with the screw head 14 abutting against the cover plate 103. In addition, the screw 13 has an engagement point 29 on the support frame 3, for example, via the threads of the screw 13.

[0039] The engaging body 11 has a cylindrical main body portion 12 with a through-opening in the axial direction. A screw 13 is inserted into the through-opening. In this case, the support frame 3 is provided with an opening that can accommodate the screw 13. The screw 13 can engage with the support frame 3 at this opening. By turning the screw 13, the distance between the engaging body 11, to which the central part of the wire spring 7 is connected, and the support frame 3 decreases, causing the wire spring 7 to deform. Since the ends 15A and 15B of the wire spring 7 are supported by the housing 5 in this way, a pre-applied tension acts to tighten the housing 5 and the support frame 3 against each other. The engaging body 11 is connected to the wire spring 7 at its central portion. This ensures that the pre-applied tension is distributed uniformly.

[0040] The cylindrical body portion 12 of the engaging body 11 is elongated in the axial direction, and the screw head 14 of the screw 13 is positioned slightly raised within the housing 5, making it easily accessible, for example, with a screwdriver when installing and removing the adjustment device 1.

[0041] Here, the housing components 101, 102, 103, 201, and 202 are manufactured separately and can be assembled to the support frame 3 before the adjustment device 1 is installed. Here, the bottom plate 101, fixing case 102, and cover plate 103 of the fixing part 5A are connected to each other, for example, by snap connections.

[0042] The wire spring 7 may be manufactured by winding a steel wire, such as spring wire, onto a roll. This allows the end of the steel wire to be easily removed from the roll and cut to the desired length. Before or after cutting, the end to be cut off, or the cut-off end, may be bent into a desired shape, such as a rectangle, as shown in the figure. When assembling the fixing portion 5A of the housing 5, the wire spring 7 is provided in the fixing case 102 such that its ends 15A and 15B are supported by the respective support surfaces 51A and 51B of the fixing case 102. The fixing case 102 may then be connected, for example, to a cover plate 103 and a bottom plate 101, for example, via snap means 19. The fixing portion 5A and the adjustment portion 5B may also be connected to each other before the adjustment device 1 is installed.

[0043] The adjustment device 1 is attached to the support frame by a screw 13, and the housing 5 has a through-opening in the center for the screw 13 to pass through. For installation, the adjustment device 1 is placed on the support frame 3, and the engagement point 29 on the support frame 3 is aligned with the through-opening 17 of the engaging body 11. The engagement point 29 on the support frame is formed by an opening in the support frame 3. In this opening, the threads of the screw 13 run straight, thereby allowing it to engage with the support frame. When the screw 13 is tightened, the screw is driven further into the opening in the support frame 3. This provides the advantage that the adjustment device 1 can be attached to the support frame only from above, i.e., without needing to approach the adjustment device 1 from below. To facilitate the alignment of the housing 5 and the support frame 3, the engagement point 29 on the support frame 3 is formed, at least in part, by a tubular body extending from the support frame 3 and housed in a recess in the housing 5.

[0044] The housing 5 of the adjustment device 1 is attached to the support frame 3 by a screw 13, which passes through the through-opening 17 of the engaging body 11 and engages with the support frame 3 at the engagement point 29. Tightening the screw 13 securely pushes the screw 13 in the mounting direction. The mounting direction is along the longitudinal direction of the screw 13. As a result, the screw head 14 of the screw 13 contacts one surface of the engaging body 11, and further tightening the screw 13 causes the screw head 14 to move the engaging body 11 along the mounting direction. The central part of the wire spring 7 located between the ends 15A and 15B is engaged with the engaging body 11, and as the screw 13 is tightened, the central part of the wire spring 7 is displaced in the mounting direction as the engaging body 11 moves. The wire spring 7 is elastically deformed under the influence of the tightening of the screw 13 because its free ends 15A and 15B are always supported by the immovable part of the housing. The resistance of the wire spring 7 to deformation accumulates pre-applied tension in the mounting structure, fastening the adjustment device 1 to the support frame 3. The pre-applied tension (bias) also compensates for creep and relaxation that occur in the synthetic plastic material of the housing 5, so that the adjustment device 1 remains securely and vibration-free attached to the support frame 3. The degree of elastic deformation of the wire spring 7, i.e., the amount of movement of the wire spring 7, can be set by tightening the screw further or not tightening it enough.

[0045] Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C are detail views of an engaging body 11, which is manufactured separately from the rest of the housing 5. The engaging body 11 is made of metal here, but may be made of plastic, for example. The engaging body 11 comprises an independent rotationally symmetric body. The rotationally symmetric body is a cylindrical body 12, which in this application has a through-opening 17 extending axially for the insertion of a screw 13. Lateral projections 25 protrude from the cylindrical body 12. The lateral projections 25 extend axially along the outer surface of the cylindrical body 12. The projections 25 are aligned with the guide slots of the housing so as to prevent the engaging body 11 from rotating. On the other hand, the engaging body 11 can translate freely relative to the housing 5. The engaging body 11 is coupled to the wire spring 7 by a coupling 16 formed by the folded-back portion of the shell of the metal cylindrical body 12. The coupling 16 is located below the lateral projections 25.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications can be made, and it should be understood that many modifications are included within the scope of the present invention as described in the claims.

Claims

1. 1. An adjustment device for an external vision unit of a vehicle, comprising: a housing having a fixed portion for coupling to a support frame of the external vision unit; and an adjustment portion pivotably connected to the housing for adjusting the external vision unit, the adjustment portion comprising: an engaging body that is movable relative to the housing, the engaging body being engaged with a fastening portion, particularly a screw, to connect the engaging body to the support frame, and the engaging body being movable together with the fastening portion at least in the mounting direction; a wire spring having two portions spaced apart by a medium distance, the wire spring being supported in a receiving portion by the two portions; is provided, the engaging body engages with the wire spring at a portion between the two separated portions of the wire spring to realize elastic deformation of the wire spring during installation; Adjustment device.

2. The adjustment device of claim 1 , wherein the wire spring extends between the two ends substantially perpendicular to the mounting direction.

3. 3. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the wire spring is made of spring steel.

4. The adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein the wire spring extends substantially linearly between the two ends.

5. The adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein the wire spring extends in a curved shape between the two ends.

6. The adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging body includes a connecting portion for connecting the engaging body to the wire spring.

7. 7. The adjusting device according to claim 6, wherein the coupling portion is formed by a body portion that projects from the engaging body, the body portion extending in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of movement of the engaging body.

8. The adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging body is provided with a through opening for inserting a screw.

9. The adjusting device according to claim 8 , wherein the engaging body is provided with a support surface that supports a screw head of the screw.

10. The adjusting device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the engagement body includes a cylindrical body portion having the through opening axially provided therein.

11. The adjusting device according to claim 10 , wherein the engaging body includes a coupling portion for engaging with the wire spring, the coupling portion protruding from the shell of the cylindrical main body.

12. The adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement body is integrally formed with the housing.

13. 13. The adjustment device of claim 12, wherein the engagement body is movable in the housing, and at least one deformable linkage arm extends between the engagement body and another portion of the housing.

14. The adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement body is formed separately from the housing.

15. The adjusting device according to claim 14 , wherein the engaging body is arranged to move in a translational manner in a guide hole of the housing that guides the engaging body.

16. 16. The adjusting device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the engagement body includes a cylindrical body portion having an axial through opening for receiving a screw.

17. The adjustment device described in claim 16, wherein the engaging body has a connecting portion that connects the engaging body and the wire spring, the connecting portion extending from the shell of the cylindrical main body, and the connecting piece is formed by a folded-back portion of the shell of the cylindrical main body.

18. 18. An external vision unit for a vehicle, comprising: a base and a support frame, the base having legs for attachment to the exterior of the vehicle body; and a base shaft extending from the base and holding the support frame rotatably about the base shaft, the support frame being rotatable about the base shaft between a park position in which the support frame extends substantially along the vehicle and a folded back drive position in which the support frame extends substantially transversely to the vehicle, the support frame being coupled to an adjustment device as described in one or more of claims 1 to 17.

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