Exterior Rearview Mirror Head Adjustment With Tandem Accessories
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional exterior rearview mirror assemblies do not allow for simultaneous adjustment of the mirror reflective element and casing, limiting the driver's ability to customize the rearward field of view, and lack flexibility in accommodating accessories like turn signal indicators and cameras across various adjustment positions.
Innovation Solution
An exterior rearview mirror assembly with a mirror actuator that pivots and adjusts the mirror head, including both the reflective element and casing, relative to the mounting arm or base, allowing for customizable rearward field of view and incorporating accessories like turn signal indicators and cameras that maintain functionality throughout the range of adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the mirror actuator adjusts only the reflective element relative to the mirror casing, then the structure is simple, but the driver's ability to customize the rearward field of view is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the adjustment of the mirror reflective element and the mirror casing into a single coordinated operation. The mirror actuator simultaneously adjusts both components together as a unified system, allowing the driver to customize the rearward field of view by moving the entire mirror head assembly relative to the mounting arm, thereby achieving greater adaptability without proportionally increasing mechanism complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror head assembly is designed as a multi-functional unit that can perform both reflective element positioning and casing orientation adjustments through the same actuator mechanism. This universal design allows a single actuator to accomplish multiple adjustment functions that would traditionally require separate mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between enhanced customizability and structural simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mirror head is fixed in position, then the structure is stable, but accessories like turn signal indicators and cameras cannot maintain functionality across various adjustment positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the mirror head from a fixed position to a dynamically adjustable position while maintaining functional stability. The mirror head is designed to pivot and adjust relative to the mounting arm through the mirror actuator, enabling accessories like turn signal indicators and cameras to maintain their operational effectiveness across the full range of adjustment positions, thereby achieving adaptability without compromising the stability of the mirror head's adjusted position during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting arm serves as an intermediary component between the fixed vehicle mounting structure and the adjustable mirror head. This intermediate element allows the mirror head to move and adjust while maintaining a stable connection point, enabling accessories to function properly across different positions without requiring the entire mirror assembly to be unstable or loosely mounted.
3Ease of operation
If the mirror casing remains stationary while the reflective element adjusts, then manufacturing is simpler, but the driver cannot achieve desired rearward field of view positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the adjustment functions of the reflective element and the mirror casing into a single integrated operation. The mirror actuator is designed to move both components simultaneously and in coordination, allowing the driver to easily set the preferred rearward field of view by controlling one actuator rather than managing separate adjustment mechanisms, thereby improving ease of operation without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a base portion configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, and a mirror head having a mirror reflective element and an electrically-operable mirror actuator. The base portion extends through an aperture in the mirror head. The mirror head includes wall structure that circumscribes and spans a perimeter circumferential edge of a glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. The mirror actuator is operable to adjust the mirror head relative to the base portion, and the aperture allows for movement of the mirror head relative to the base portion. The mirror head includes an electrically-operable accessory that moves together and in tandem with the mirror actuator and the mirror reflective element when the mirror actuator is electrically operated. The accessory, when electrically operated, meets a performance requirement throughout a range of adjustment of the mirror head relative to the base portion.