Combined actuator for mirror folding and lifting, rear view device and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214198-B2
Application number	US-202016992428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2020
Priority date	Aug 16, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

An actuator for a rear view device of a vehicle, a rear view device and a vehicle with such an actuator includes a body defining a folding axis for a rear view device of a vehicle, an actuator housing being rotatably and axially displaceably borne by the body and a drive assembly being supported by the actuator housing and being configured for automatically rotating the actuator housing relative to the body about the folding axis between a first angular position and a second angular position and for axially displacing the actuator housing relative to the body along the folding axis between a first axial position and a second axial position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator for a rear view device of a vehicle, comprising:
a body defining a folding axis for the rear view device relative to the vehicle;
an actuator housing being rotatably and axially displaceably supported by the body and bodywork; and
a drive assembly being supported by the actuator housing and being configured for automatically rotating the actuator housing relative to the body about the folding axis between a first angular position and a second angular position and for axially displacing the actuator housing relative to the body along the folding axis between a first axial position and a second axial position,
wherein a clutch gear of the drive assembly is rotatably and axially displaceably supported by the body and has at least one housing catch axially coupling the clutch gear to the actuator housing while allowing a relative rotation of the clutch gear and the actuator housing, and
wherein, in response to the actuator housing being in a second axial position, the actuator housing forms a gap between the actuator housing and a base section of the body.

2. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the body and the actuator housing each have a folding cam track extending peripherally and interacting with each other for defining the second angular position, the folding cam track of the body having a folding stop catch with a shoulder and the folding cam track of the actuator housing having a folding stop detent.

3. The actuator according to claim 2 , wherein the body and the clutch gear each have a lifting cam track extending peripherally and interacting with each other for defining a lifting stop and a lifting stroke, the lifting cam track of the body having a lifting stop catch and the lifting cam track of the clutch gear having a lifting stop detent.

4. The actuator according to claim 3 , wherein angular positions of the folding stop catch and the lifting stop catch are distant from each other for providing a two-step fold and lift operation of the actuator.

5. The actuator according to claim 3 , wherein the lifting cam tracks are radially arranged within at least one of the folding cam tracks and the lifting cam tracks, and the folding cam tracks are axially arranged at the same position.

6. The actuator according to claim 3 , wherein the folding cam track of the body and the lifting cam track of the body are formed on a shaft cam ring of the drive assembly, or the folding cam track of the body is formed on a shaft cam ring of the drive assembly and the lifting cam track of the body is formed on the body.

7. The actuator according to claim 6 , wherein the shaft cam ring is torque-proof connected to the body by means of a plurality of angular positioning detents of the shaft cam ring engaging a plurality of angular positioning catches of the body.

8. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the body has a base section and a shaft section being arranged axially adjacent to the base section, the base section having at least one base fastening means for connecting the body to a base frame of at least one of a door of a vehicle and the shaft section extending through a through-hole of the actuator housing.

9. The actuator according to claim 8 , wherein the base section and the shaft section are integrally formed, or the body is configured two-part and the base section and the shaft section are separately formed and connected by a bayonet lock, the base section having the bayonet mount and the shaft section having the bayonet catch or vice versa.

10. The actuator according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of:
the actuator housing has a height in a range from 60 mm to 90, the height being measured in an axial direction,
the actuator housing has a width in a range from 40 mm to 70 mm, the width being measured in a first radial direction,
the actuator housing has a length or depth in a range from 60 mm to 1000 mm, being measured in a second radial direction perpendicular to the first radial direction, and
the cover part of the actuator housing has a cylindrical section accommodating the shaft section of the body and having a diameter in a range from 7.5 mm to 30 mm.

11. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly has a drive train for automatically rotating the actuator housing about the folding axis and displacing the actuator housing along the folding axis.

12. The actuator according to claim 11 , wherein the drive train has an electric motor, a printed circuit board mounted and electrically connected to the electric motor and, for rotatably coupling the clutch gear to the electric motor, a first worm gear being torque-proof fastened to a drive shaft of the electric motor, a second worm gear being engaged with the clutch gear, and a spur gear being engaged with the first worm gear and torque-proof fastened to the second worm gear.

13. The actuator according to claim 12 , wherein the drive shaft of the electric motor extends parallel to the folding axis and the second worm gear and the spur gear are rotatable about an axis extending perpendicular to both the drive shaft and the folding axis.

14. The actuator according to claim 12 , wherein the electric motor is supported by a support element of the actuator housing, the support element being fastened to a bottom section of the actuator housing.

15. The actuator according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of:
the first worm gear comprises a plastic or consists thereof,
the spur gear comprises a plastic or consists thereof,
the second worm gear comprises a metal or consists thereof, and
the clutch gear comprises one or more of a metal and a plastic or consists of a metal and a plastic.

16. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of
the drive assembly is configured to rotate the drive shaft of the electric motor at an angular speed in a range from 5500 rpm to 9500 rpm,
the drive train has a gear ratio in a range from 750:1 to 2000:1, and
the drive assembly is configured to rotate the clutch gear at an angular speed in a range from 10°/s to 60°/s.

17. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein a first angular difference between the first angular position and the second angular position is in a range from 20° to 90°.

18. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured for at least one of:
manually rotating the actuator housing between the second angular position and a third angular position, a second angular difference between the first angular position and the third angular position being up to 240°, and
manually rotating the actuator housing between the first angular position and the second angular position.

19. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly has a retainer ring, a clutch ring and a spring, the spring being supported between the retainer ring and the clutch ring with the spring being a wave spring.

20. The actuator according to claim 19 , wherein the retainer ring is axially fastened to the shaft section by a bayonet lock, the shaft section having a bayonet mount at an end of the shaft section opposite to the base section and the retainer ring having a bayonet catch, or
the retainer ring is axially fastened to the shaft section by press-fitting, the shaft section having a peripheral groove and the retainer ring having a plurality of catches engaging the groove.

21. The actuator according to claim 20 , wherein the clutch ring is torque-proof and axially displaceable coupled to the shaft section, and
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Assignees

• Motherson Innovations Co Ltd

Inventors

• Harris Tom
• Aspden Gareth
• Beecher Stephen
• Kurti Levente
• Jones Warwick
• Park Dong Myeong

Classifications

• B60R1/074 Primary

  for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R1/06

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

• F16D7/024

  with axially applied torque limiting friction surfaces · CPC title

• F16H1/02

  without gears having orbital motion · CPC title

• B60R1/07

  by electrically powered actuators · CPC title