Mirror Adjusting Instrument with Bar Spring for Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjusting instruments for mirrors, such as those in automobiles, face issues with vibration due to relaxation of plastic parts under increased temperatures, leading to decreased spring force and 'sloppy feeling' during manual adjustment, and are complex with many parts, resulting in a large and costly design.
Innovation Solution
A compact and cost-effective adjusting instrument design featuring a bar spring biased transversely to the adjustment plane, with a spring travel limiter and an intermediate part, allowing for limited displacement and preventing plastic deformation, and incorporating a turning limiter to reduce parts and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If biased plastic skirts are used to provide pretension, then vibration is counteracted, but over time and under increased temperatures relaxation occurs leading to decreased spring force and vibration recurrence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to metal for the spring element (bar spring 8). Metal materials maintain their elastic properties and spring force over time and under temperature variations, unlike plastic materials that undergo relaxation. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by providing long-lasting vibration counteraction without force degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the plastic biased skirt mechanism with a metal bar spring mechanism. This substitution eliminates the relaxation issue inherent in plastic materials while maintaining the pretension function. The bar spring provides consistent mechanical force for vibration damping throughout the product lifecycle.
2Reliability
If multiple parts including spiral springs and ball joints are used, then vibration is counteracted, but the adjusting instrument becomes complex and of large design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated bar spring component. The bar spring simultaneously provides vibration counteraction, pretension, and positional stabilization, eliminating the need for separate spiral springs, ball joints, and other complex mechanisms. This consolidation reduces the number of parts while maintaining vibration damping effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The bar spring is designed as a multi-functional element that performs vibration damping, provides pretension force, and maintains joint stability. This universal component replaces multiple specialized parts, simplifying the overall device design while achieving the same or better vibration counteraction performance.
3Ease of operation
If no displacement limitation is provided, then the adjusting instrument allows free movement, but sloppy feeling occurs during manual adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic displacement limitation through the bar spring mechanism combined with stop elements. The system allows free movement within normal adjustment ranges but automatically provides mechanical stops at extreme positions. This dynamic constraint system maintains adjustment freedom for normal operations while preventing excessive movement that causes sloppy feeling, achieving both ease of operation and adjustment precision.
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
The design effectively counters vibration and 'sloppy feeling' while maintaining simplicity and affordability, ensuring accurate manual adjustment and reducing the risk of plastic relaxation, resulting in a stable and efficient mirror adjustment system.
Implementation Method 1
the first bearing comprises a bar spring (8), which bar spring is biased in a bias direction... which bar spring provides that the two parts are pressed against each other under bias
Data Source
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AI summary
Adjusting instrument for a mirror, comprising: a first part 2, a second part 3, wherein the first and second parts 2,3 are pivotable relative to each other, wherein the first part 2 is bearing-mounted via a first bearing 4 about a first pivoting axis 6, and wherein the first part 2 together with the first bearing 4 is bearing-mounted directly or indirectly via a second bearing 5 to the second part 3 about a second pivoting axis 7, which is substantially transverse to the first pivoting axis 6, wherein the first bearing comprises a bar spring 8, which bar spring 8 is biased in a bias direction V+ which is substantially transverse to an adjustment plane Vs formed by the first and second pivoting axes 6,7, which bar spring 8 provides that the two parts 2,3 are pressed against each other under bias substantially transversely to the adjustment plane Vs.