Vehicle Mirror Detent Joint With Built-In Over-Rotation Stops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Exterior vehicle mirror assemblies lack a built-in mechanism to restrict the pivotal movement of the mirror head support arm, leading to potential damage from over-rotation.
Innovation Solution
A pivoting detent joint with a built-in stop mechanism, comprising interlocking tooth rings and stop blocks, limits the range of movement between the mirror head support arm and the carrier base, preventing unwanted rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pivoting detent joint connection is provided between carrier base and support arm, then the mirror can be selectively positioned and held in desired orientation, but there is no mechanism to restrict pivotal movement beyond defined range
Solution Approach 1:
The stop blocks are pre-positioned within the tooth rings at predetermined locations before operation. These stop blocks create preliminary mechanical limits that prevent the support arm from rotating beyond the defined range, addressing the reliability concern before over-rotation can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop blocks act as intermediary elements between the carrier base and support arm. When the support arm approaches the limit of its intended rotation, the stop blocks engage to mediate and prevent further movement, protecting both the vehicle and mirror assembly from damage.
2Reliability
If stop blocks and channels are added to define range of movement, then over-rotation is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stop blocks are integrated directly into the tooth ring structures of the carrier base and support arm. Rather than being separate external components, the stop blocks are merged with the existing detent joint elements, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooth rings serve multiple functions: they provide the detent connection for selective positioning and simultaneously incorporate stop blocks to prevent over-rotation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, keeping the device complexity manageable.
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 solution effectively restricts the pivotal movement of the mirror head support arm, preventing damage to the vehicle or mirror assembly by defining a controlled range of operation, ensuring safe and functional positioning.
Implementation Method 1
A coil spring is carried in the interior channel that engages a head portion of the connecting bolt and the floor plate of the arm column so that the spring biases against the head portion to draw the connecting bolt into the interior channel
Data Source
AI summary
A support arm carried by a carrier base. A base tooth ring on the carrier base and an arm tooth ring on the support arm, wherein the arm tooth ring releasably interlocks with the base tooth ring. A base column having a hollow interior chamber carried by the carrier base, and an arm column carried by the support arm extending into the hollow interior chamber. A first stop block channel disposed in a bottom surface of the base column, and a second stop block channel disposed in the support arm adjacent an exterior side of the arm column. A first stop block carried by a distal end of the base column received into the second stop block channel, and a second stop block carried by a distal end of the arm column being received into the first stop block channel to define a range of pivotal movement.