GB1290673A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1290673 Rear view mirrors DESMO Ltd 25 March 1970 [29 March 1969] 16588/70 Heading B7J A motor vehicle rear-view driving mirror comprises a mirror head 20 adjustably connected to a mounting bracket 21 by means of a ball- and-socket joint 22, the ball being rotatable relative to a recess 29 about the longitudinal axis of a spindle 35 which extends axially into a housing 28 secured to the back of a mirror casing 23 and the ball is also able to swing relative to the recess 29 about a pin 34, the two axes of rotation being at right angles to one another. The spindle 35 is pivoted at one end on the pivot pin 34 between two opposed, spaced ball segments 33, the pin 34 being secured to a plinth 24 by a pair of spaced lugs 32 carrying the segments 33, the latter being urged into close frictional engagement with the recess 29 by means of a helical compression spring 36; acting on the spindle 35. A slotted circular insert 39 is fitted between the segments to complete the shape of the ball and this insert straddles the pin 34 and the end portion of the spindle 35 which is pivoted to the pin. The other end of the spindle 35, which is within the housing 28, bears against a washer 37 held on spindle 35 by retaining pin 38. In a modification of the invention described with reference to Fig. 4, a solid carrier 40 is secured to the back of the casing 23 by screw 45 and has at one end two lugs 49 which are shaped to form the pair of opposed spaced segments of the ball. A spindle 58 is pivoted at one end between the two ball segments on a pivot pin 59 extending diametri. cally between the two segments and the spindle 58 extends axially into a housing 54, -forming part of a mounting plinth 52, through an axial hole 56. A slotted circular insert 61 is fitted between the ball segments and straddles the end of the spindle. In a still further embodiment described with reference to Fig. 6, the mirror has two ball-and-socket joints 62 and 63 in which the balls are formed by opposite ends of a dumb-bell-shaped member 67. A slot 68 formed in each ball divides the ball into equal spaced segments 69 and the slot 68 of one ball is disposed at right angles to the other. The balls of the two joints are pivoted on spindles 71, 72 by means of pivot pins 70. The spindle 71 passes into a housing 64 on the back of a mirror casing via a recess 65 and is fitted with a helical compression spring 73, while the other spindle 72 extends into the interior of a pliuth where it is fitted with a helical compression spring 74. In an alternative arrangement shown in Fig. 7, the ends of the spindles 71 and 72 pivoted to pins 70 are shaped to form toothed wheels 75 which co-operate with spring-loaded detents 76. The detents 76 are slidably located in an axial passage 77 in a central bar part 78 of the member 67 and extend between the slots 68 in the ball ends of the member 67. The detents 76 are urged apart and into engagement with the wheels 75 by a helical compression spring 79 in the axial passage 77 so as to hold each ball in a selected angular position relative to its associated spindle. In a still further modification of the invention described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13 (not shown), the mirror is connected by two ball joints to a bracket mountable on the wing of a vehicle.