Actuator Ramps Eliminate Mirror Housing Vibration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing folding rear-view mirrors for motor vehicles continue to experience annoying vibrations and noise due to manufacturing tolerances and weight, which affect driving comfort, despite previous attempts to mitigate these issues with flexible seals and displacement mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The actuator system features a support base with concentric sets of ramps and a gearwheel that allows the motor housing to rotate independently of the mirror housing, eliminating clearance between the gearwheel and support base during operation, thereby reducing vibrations and noise by ensuring direct force transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If flexible seals are used between rear-view mirror moving parts, then friction-induced noise and vibrations are reduced, but wear from repeated rotation cycles reduces effectiveness over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the flexible seal component entirely from the system. Instead of using seals between the mirror housing and base element, the invention employs a clearance-free ramp mechanism where rigid surfaces directly engage to transmit motion, eliminating the wear-prone flexible seal while maintaining noise and vibration reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ramps as an intermediary mechanical element between the motor housing and base element. These ramps translate rotational motion into lifting motion without requiring flexible seals, providing a rigid, wear-resistant interface that eliminates friction-induced noise while maintaining reliability over time
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly reduces vibrations and noise when the rear-view mirror is unfolded for driving, enhancing motor vehicle driving comfort by minimizing friction and wind-induced vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
one of the fourth set of ramps (112) of the support base (110) and the third set of ramps (131) of the motor housing (130) is configured to drive the motor housing (130) towards or away from the support base (110) as the motor assembly is operated
Implementation Method 2
A gearwheel (120) is releasably attached to the support base (110) and arranged to rotate together with the motor housing (130) when driven manually
Implementation Method 3
an electric motor (M) arranged to rotate the motor housing (130), and thus the mirror housing, relative to the support base (110)
Data Source
Figure 1~6
Figure 4~5
Figure 7~9
AI summary
The actuator (100) comprises a support base (110) mounted on a vehicle; first and fourth set of ramps (111, 112) formed in the support base (110); a motor assembly (M) comprising a motor housing (130), and a gearwheel (120) to rotate the motor housing (130) to the support base (110) between first and second angular positions; a second set of ramps (121) formed in the gearwheel (120) for manual rotation of the gearwheel (120) to the support base (110), said second set of ramps (121) engaging one set of said first and fourth set of ramps (111, 112); and a third set of ramps (131) formed in the motor housing (130) for power rotation of the motor housing (130) to the support base (110), said third set of ramps (131) engaging one set of said first and fourth set of ramps (111, 112) different from that to which second set of ramps (121) engage. Under a given angular position of the motor housing (130), the first set of ramps (111) contact the second set of ramps (121) but the gearwheel (120) does not contact the motor housing (130).