Fender Mirror Mount Using Frame-Connected Pillars to Reduce Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mirror mounts for vehicles, which rely on the fender skin for support, suffer from vibration attenuation issues, leading to blurry views and potential cracking of the mirror and fender, and occupy valuable space due to their large size.
Innovation Solution
A mirror mount design that secures the mirror directly to the vehicle's frame member rather than the fender skin, using pillars that extend through the fender to the frame, providing structural rigidity and reducing vibration transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the bracket is strapped or screwed directly to the outer fender exterior, then the mirror mount can be securely attached, but the vibration attenuation effectiveness is decreased because the bracket is partially supported by the fender skin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the support function from the fender skin by introducing pillars that extend through the fender to reach the frame member. This removes the detrimental support path through the vibrating fender skin while maintaining secure attachment through the rigid frame member connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The pillars serve as an intermediary element between the base and the frame member. They transmit the mirror's weight and support forces directly to the frame member, bypassing the fender skin and eliminating vibration transmission through the thin outer surface.
2Reliability
If the Z-shaped secondary bracket extends across the top of the fender and through the gap between fender and hood, then vibration can be reduced, but the mount occupies valuable viewing space
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending horizontally across the fender top like the Z-shaped bracket, the pillars extend vertically through the fender thickness to reach the frame member. This dimensional change eliminates the need for horizontal space occupation while maintaining vibration attenuation through direct frame connection.
3Ease of manufacture
If the mirror mount is supported by the thin outer fender skin, then installation is simplified, but the mirror and fender can crack due to vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the critical support function from the thin fender skin by routing support through pillars to the frame member. This removes the vibration-induced crack risk while maintaining installation simplicity through the straightforward pillar-through-hole-fastener assembly process.
Data Source
AI summary
A mirror mount that mounts a mirror to a vehicle fender. The mount can include a base that faces a vehicle fender exterior without extending upwardly and under a hood of the vehicle. A support arm extends from the base and includes a distal end that joins with a mirror. One or more pillars extend away from the base. The pillars can be sized and shaped to extend through holes in the fender to a frame member of the vehicle disposed inwardly relative to the fender. The pillars are associated with a fastener to join with the frame member so that weight of the mirror, the base, the support arm and/or the pillars are substantially born by the frame member. This can reduce transmission of vibration inherent in the fender to the mirror, and/or can rigidly and structurally connect the mirror to the frame member, rather than the fender.