Actuator, rear view device and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12459434-B2
Application number	US-202418403949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2024
Priority date	Jan 27, 2023
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure refers to an actuator for rotating a head of a rear view device of a motor vehicle about two axes relative to a base of the rear view device, the actuator comprising: a gear assembly comprising: a fold gear configured to rotate the mirror head in a first direction and a second direction about a first axis, wherein the fold gear comprises an opening, in particular in form of a bore or a through hole; a tilt gear configured to rotate the mirror head in a third direction and a fourth direction about a second axis, wherein the tilt gear comprises an opening, in particular in form of a bore or a thorough hole; a spindle having a first end and a second end; a slide attached to the spindle via a channel; wherein the opening of the tilt gear receives the first end of the spindle and the opening of the fold gear receives the second end of the spindle; a housing enclosing the gear assembly, wherein the housing is configured to rotate with the head in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction; and a shaft configured to be fixed on the base and configured to remain stationary, wherein the shaft provides at least one end stop configured to define a maximum rotation of the head in the first direction and in the second direction.

First claim

It is claimed:

1 . An actuator for rotating a mirror head of a rear view device of a motor vehicle about two axes relative to a base of the rear view device, the actuator comprising:
a gear assembly, comprising:
a fold gear configured to rotate the mirror head in a first direction and a second direction about a first axis, wherein the fold gear comprises a first opening in form of a first bore or a first through hole,
a tilt gear configured to rotate the mirror head in a third direction and a fourth direction about a second axis, wherein the tilt gear comprises a second opening in form of a second bore or a second thorough hole,
a spindle having a first end and a second end, and
a slide attached to the spindle via a channel,
wherein the second opening of the tilt gear receives the first end of the spindle and the first opening of the fold gear receives the second end of the spindle; a housing enclosing the gear assembly, wherein the housing is configured to rotate with the mirror head in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction, and the fourth direction; and a shaft configured to be fixed on the base and configured to remain stationary, wherein the shaft provides at least one end stop configured to define a maximum rotation of the mirror head in the first direction and in the second direction.

2 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein
the slide includes a tilt end and a fold end; the tilt end is configured to abut the tilt gear thereby fixing an axial position of the tilt gear along a length of the spindle to maintain a meshing between the tilt gear and a tilt drive; and the fold end is configured to abut the fold gear thereby fixing an axial position of the fold gear along the length of the spindle to maintain a meshing between the fold gear and a fold drive.

3 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the end stop is comprised by the shaft and/or disposed on a side wall of the shaft.

4 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the end stop has a first side wall, a second side wall, a third side wall between the first and second side walls, and a bottom wall.

5 . The actuator according to claim 4 , wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, and the bottom wall have flat surfaces, and the third side wall has a curved surface.

6 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the end stop is configured to be disposed in a slot of a shroud, and wherein the shroud is configured to be attached to the housing of the actuator to rotate with the housing.

7 . The actuator according to claim 6 , wherein the slot of the shroud has a first wall and a second wall, and wherein the first and second walls of the slot are configured to restrict rotation of the shroud relative to the end stop.

8 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein
the tilt gear, the slide, and the fold gear are mounted on the spindle adjacent to each other; and the tilt gear, the slide, and the fold gear are in direct contact with the spindle along a length of the spindle.

9 . The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

10 . A rear view device having the mirror head, the base, and the actuator, according to claim 1 .

11 . The rear view device according to claim 10 , wherein the mirror head is configured to rotate with the housing of the actuator about the two axes, and the base is configured to remain stationary.

12 . A vehicle with at least one rear view device according to claim 10 , with the base being fixedly attached to the vehicle.

Assignees

• Motherson Innovations Co Ltd

Inventors

• Harris Tom
• Dong Jiayong
• Kershaw David
• Aspden Gareth
• Beecher Stephen
• Kurti Levente
• Jones Warwick
• Park Dong Myeong
• Lin Ronglong

Classifications

• H02K7/1166

  comprising worm and worm-wheel (structural association with bearings specially adapted for worm gear drives H02K7/081) · CPC title

• F16H1/225

  with two or more worm and worm-wheel gearings · CPC title

• F16H1/203

  with non-parallel axes (F16H1/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16H1/16

  comprising worm and worm-wheel · CPC title

• B60R1/072

  for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing · CPC title