Rearview Mirror Assembly with Adjustable Support System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rearview mirror assemblies for vehicles are vulnerable to shocks and vibrations, leading to damage and instability, particularly in harsh environments, due to complex manufacturing and high friction requirements in mechanical actuators.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable support system with peripheral and central support elements, coupled with linear actuators, provides balanced and dampened adjustment of the mirror, allowing rotation about multiple axes, and is encased in a housing with protective coverings for enhanced stability and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mechanical actuators with high friction are used to create enough inertia for the mirror not to move during shocks or impacts, then the mirror stability during shocks is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical actuators with high friction requirements with a support element system that uses boots and dampers. The boots enclose the support elements and provide friction-based stabilization without requiring complex mechanical actuator mechanisms. This substitution reduces device complexity while maintaining mirror stability during shocks and vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces boots as intermediary elements that enclose the support elements. These boots act as mediators between the support elements and the mirror carrier, providing friction-based stabilization and shock absorption. This intermediary approach allows the system to achieve mirror stability without requiring complex mechanical actuators with high friction characteristics.
2Ease of operation
If a centered actuator mechanism is used to adjust the mirror, then the mirror can be adjusted to desired positions, but the manufacturing and assembly difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mirror support system into multiple peripheral support elements (first, second, third, fourth, and fifth support elements) distributed around the mirror carrier. Each support element can be independently adjusted or replaced, simplifying manufacturing and assembly. This segmented approach replaces the complex centered actuator mechanism with multiple simpler support points that collectively provide the same adjustability function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a centralized actuator mechanism that radiates outward to adjust the mirror, the patent inverts the approach by using multiple peripheral support elements that adjust independently. The adjustment function is distributed from the center outward to the periphery, simplifying the overall mechanism and making it easier to manufacture and assemble while maintaining full mirror adjustability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If additional support elements are added to provide balance and dampening during mirror adjustment, then the mirror stability during adjustment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the boot elements that enclose the support elements. The boots simultaneously provide friction-based stabilization, shock absorption, and dampening during mirror adjustment. By merging these functions into a single component, the system achieves improved mirror stability during adjustment without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements with enclosing boots serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, enable mirror adjustment, provide friction-based stabilization during shocks, and offer dampening during adjustment movements. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve improved stability during adjustment without adding separate dedicated components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
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 enhances the stability and durability of rearview mirrors in harsh environments by allowing precise adjustment and balancing, reducing the risk of damage from shocks and vibrations, while simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes.
Implementation Method 1
the first and second support elements are coupled with an actuator (e.g., a linear actuator) for adjusting their respective height, thereby causing the mirror to be adjusted
Implementation Method 2
the fourth and the fifth support elements located on the opposing sides of the first and the second support elements to provide balance and dampening when the mirror is adjusted
Data Source
AI summary
A mirror assembly includes an adjustable support system for supporting a mirror. The adjustable support system includes a first peripheral support element and a second peripheral support element, each having an adjustable height, and optionally a third, central support element having a fixed height. Each of the first and second peripheral support elements is coupled with a respective linear actuator for adjusting their respective heights, thereby adjusting and/or rotating the mirror. In some embodiments, additional peripheral elements are included at opposite sides of each of the first and second peripheral support elements to provide additional balance and/or dampening when the mirror is adjusted.