Mirror actuator for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160384-B2
Application number	US-201514872977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2015
Priority date	Nov 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A mirror actuator for a vehicle includes a housing and a cover disposed, when the mirror actuator is assembled, at an upper side of the housing. The cover has a cover rail formed therein. An adapter plate has a rotatable shaft which, when the mirror actuator is assembled, is seated on the cover rail and rotatable around a first axis of rotation. A pivot clip, when assembled to the cover, is rotatable around a second axis of rotation, surrounds the rotatable shaft, and affixes the adapter plate on the cover rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mirror actuator for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing;
a cover disposed, when the mirror actuator is assembled, at an upper side of the housing, the cover having a cover rail comprising a longitudinally-extending channel recessed within an upper surface thereof, and a pair of guide grooves formed in opposing longitudinally-extending sidewalls of the channel;
an adapter plate comprising a ring-shaped body having a pair of diametrically opposing protrusions protruding from an inner surface of the body towards a center thereof, and a rotatable shaft with opposing ends fixedly connected to the protrusions, and which has a ball-shaped portion at a central portion thereof disposed at the center of the adapter plate, the rotatable shaft being integrated with the adapter plate, wherein, when the mirror actuator is assembled, the rotatable shaft is longitudinally seated within the channel of the cover rail and rotatable around a first axis of rotation formed by the rotatable shaft; and
a pivot clip having clip ribs protruding from two opposite sides of the pivot clip,
wherein, when assembled to the cover, the two opposite sides of the pivot clip surround and rotatably seat on the ball-shaped portion of the rotatable shaft, the clip ribs are inserted into the guide grooves of the cover such that the clip ribs form a second axis of rotation, and the pivot clip is rotatable around the second axis of rotation, surrounds the rotatable shaft, and affixes the adapter plate within the channel of the cover rail,
wherein the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation are substantially orthogonal to each other, and
wherein the ball-shaped portion of the rotatable shaft is configured to prevent interference with the cover rail when the adapter plate rotates about the clip ribs.

2. The mirror actuator of claim 1 , wherein the cover rail is formed at a central portion of the cover, and the rotatable shaft is formed at a central portion of the adapter plate.

3. A mirror actuator for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing;
a cover disposed, when the mirror actuator is assembled, at an upper side of the housing, the cover having a cover rail comprising a longitudinally-extending channel recessed within an upper surface thereof at a central portion of the cover, and a pair of guide grooves formed in opposing longitudinally-extending sidewalls of the channel;
an adapter plate comprising a ring-shaped body having a pair of diametrically opposing protrusions protruding from an inner surface of the body towards a center thereof, and a rotatable shaft with opposing ends fixedly connected to the protrusions, wherein, when the mirror actuator is assembled, the rotatable shaft is longitudinally seated within the channel of the cover rail and rotatable around a first axis of rotation formed by the rotatable shaft, the rotatable shaft being integrated with the adapter plate at a central portion of the adapter plate; and
a pivot clip having clip ribs protruding downwardly from two opposite sides of the pivot clip,
wherein, when assembled to the cover, the pivot clip is rotatable around a second axis of rotation formed by the clip ribs being inserted into the guide grooves of the cover, the two opposite sides of the pivot clip are rotatably seated on and surround a central portion of the rotatable shaft disposed at the center of the adapter plate, and the pivot clip affixes the adapter plate within the channel of the cover rail, and
wherein the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation are substantially orthogonal to each other.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Kds Co Ltd
• S L Mirrortech Corp

Inventors

• Kim Hyun Sub
• Kong Nak Kyoung
• Oh Young Sub
• Lee Jin Hee
• Yang Seung Won
• Cho Young Kook

Classifications

• B60R1/072 Primary

  for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing · CPC title

• B60R1/07 Primary

  by electrically powered actuators · CPC title

• B60R1/06

  mounted on vehicle exterior {(B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence)} · CPC title