IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,370,359
Granted Patent B2
US 11,370,359 · App. 16/624,507 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Rearview device with moveable head assembly and vehicle therewith

Inventors: Andrew Lettis (Portchester, GB); Graham Rehill (Portchester, GB); Callum Scott-Collins (Portchester, GB)
Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
B60R1/072B60R1/074B60R1/081B60R1/1207B60R2001/1223B60R2001/1253B60R2300/8026
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,370,359
App. No.
16/624,507
Granted
Jun 28, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

In accordance with the teachings described herein, a rearview device for a vehicle is provided that includes a moveable head assembly; a base assembly to be fixed to the vehicle; an actuator assembly; and a cradle configured to attach the actuator assembly to the moveable head assembly and/or the base assembly and a vehicle with such a rearview device.

Claims (107)

1. A rearview device for a vehicle, comprising:

a moveable head assembly;

a base assembly to be fixed to the vehicle;

an actuator assembly; and

a cradle configured to attach the actuator assembly to the base assembly via a pivot joint system, wherein the cradle comprises:

a seat adapted to be put on the base assembly and to be attached by attaching a case frame to the base assembly, such that the pivot joint system acts between the base assembly and the case frame; and

one or more cradle teeth configured to engage one or more corresponding gaps formed in a ring of the actuator assembly and to lock the actuator assembly to the cradle; and

a cradle clamp comprising one or more clamp clips for gripping the actuator assembly.

2. The rearview device of claim 1 , wherein

the cradle further comprises a recess or opening for accommodating at last part of the actuator assembly.

3. The rearview device of claim 1 , wherein

the pivot joint system acts between the base assembly and the case frame, the case frame configured to fixedly attach to the base assembly via turn and snap connectivity, and

the pivot joint system comprises a torsion spring, the torsion spring having one end attached to the base assembly and another end attached to the case frame.

4. The rearview device of claim 1 , wherein

the seat of the cradle is arranged between two sealing means acting as pivot seals,

with a first sealing means being attached to the base assembly and a second sealing means being attached to the case frame, and

with each sealing means being a two component gasket with a hard part providing a clips function and a soft part compensating tolerances.

5. The rearview device of claim 1 , further comprising

a bezel assembly,

with a hinge connection being provided between the bezel assembly and the cradle to allow for a rotation of the bezel assembly relative to the cradle, and

with one or more of a snap, latch or clip connection being provided between the bezel assembly and a lower case.

6. The rearview device of claim 5 , wherein

the hinge connection is provided between an upper end of the bezel assembly and an upper end of the cradle to allow for a downward rotation of the bezel assembly to attach the bezel assembly to the lower case via the one or more of a snap, latch or clip connection.

7. The rearview device of claim 1 , wherein

the cradle further comprises at least one opening or slot, the at least one opening or slot including:

with at least one first opening or slot on each side of a motor located between the first opening or slot,

with at least one second opening or slot located on an upper end of the cradle,

with at least one third opening or slot being adapted to accommodate at least one cable or harness,

and

with at least one fourth opening or slot being adapted to accommodate at least a part of a bezel assembly.

8. The rearview device of claim 7 , wherein

the at least one cable or harness and an axle, hook or tab of the bezel assembly are adapted to be inserted from above into at the least one second opening or slot,

with the cable or harness being held within the second opening or slot by the axel, hook or tab of the bezel assembly, and

with the cable or harness being arranged below the axel, hook or tab of the bezel assembly within the second opening or slot, and

the at least one second opening or slot and the axle, hook or tab of the bezel assembly being comprised by a hinge connection.

9. The rearview device of claim 1 , further comprising

at least one functional module, comprising a light module, in form of one or more of a turn signal indicator module, a blind spot monitor module, a camera module, a blue tooth module and a temperature sensor module,

with the attachment of a bezel assembly to a lower case fixing the functional module within the head assembly.

10. The rearview device of claim 1 , wherein

the cradle further comprises a plurality of tool openings, including:

at least one tool opening on each side of a motor, and

at least one tool opening opening to the side of the cradle, and

at least one tool opening being adapted to be attached to a tool, in form of a jig, and

two opposite tool openings defining a rotation axis such that the cradle can be rotated around the rotation axis when attached to the tool.

11. The rearview device of claim 1 , wherein

the seat of the cradle is a spherical seat, being concentrically to the axis of the pivot joint system, and

the axis of the pivot joint system is inclined relative to the rotation axis through at least one of a plurality of tool openings.

12. A rearview device for a vehicle, comprising:

a moveable head assembly;

a base assembly to be fixed to the vehicle;

an actuator assembly;

a cradle configured to attach the actuator assembly to the base assembly via a pivot joint system, wherein the cradle comprises a seat adapted to be put on the base assembly and to be attached by attaching a case frame to the base assembly, such that the pivot joint system acts between the base assembly and the case frame; and

a cradle clamp configured to clamp a motor of the actuator assembly to the cradle, wherein

the cradle clamp is positioned and locked by at least one or more clamp prongs at its lower end when clamping at least one or more clamp clips at its upper end onto the actuator assembly.

13. The rearview device of claim 12 , wherein

the cradle clamp comprises

the one or more clamp prongs configured to be received by a space formed between the actuator assembly and a lower case, limited by a projection of the lower case, and the

one or more clamp clips are configured to clip onto corresponding features of the cradle.

14. The rearview device of claim 13 , wherein

the clamp prongs are adapted to be pushed into a space between the cradle and the lower case, with at least one clamp prongs on each side of the motor, and to be rotated when the clamp clips are attached to the motor, with at least one clamp clip on each side of the motor, so that each clamp prong pushes against a projection of the lower case, with at least one projection on each side of the motor.

15. A review device for a vehicle, comprising:

a movable head assembly;

a base assembly to be fixed to the vehicle;

an actuator assembly;

a cradle comprising one or more cradle teeth configured to engage one or more corresponding gaps formed in a ring of the actuator assembly and to lock the actuator assembly to the cradle,

a cradle clamp configured to clamp a motor of the actuator assembly to the cradle, the cradle clamp comprising one or more clamp clips for gripping the actuator assembly, wherein the cradle clamp is positioned and locked by at least one clamp prong at its lower end when clamping at least one of the clamp clips at its upper end onto the actuator assembly; and

a bezel assembly,

wherein at least one of a snap, latch or clip connection is provided between the bezel assembly and a lower case, and

wherein a hinge connection is provided between an upper end of the bezel assembly and an upper end of the cradle to allow for a downward rotation of the bezel assembly relative to the cradle to attach the bezel assembly to the lower case via the at least one snap, latch or clip connection.

16. The rearview device of claim 15 , wherein

the cradle further comprises a recess or opening for accommodating at last part of the actuator assembly.

17. The rearview device of claim 15 wherein

a pivot joint system acts between the base assembly and the a case frame, the case frame configured to fixedly attach to the base assembly via turn and snap connectivity, and

the pivot joint system comprises a torsion spring, the torsion spring having one end attached to the base assembly and another end attached to the case frame.

18. The rearview device of claim 15 , wherein

a seat of the cradle is arranged between two sealing means acting as pivot seals,

with a first sealing means being attached to the base assembly and a second sealing means being attached to the case frame, and

with each sealing means being a two component gasket with a hard part providing a clips function and a soft part compensating tolerances.

19. The rearview device of claim 15 , wherein

the cradle clamp further comprises

one or more clamp prongs configured to be received by a space formed between the actuator assembly and the lower case, limited by a projection of the lower case, and

one or more second clamp clips configured to clip onto corresponding features of the cradle.

20. The rearview device of claim 19 , wherein

the clamp prongs are adapted to be pushed into a space between the cradle and the lower case, with at least one clamp prongs on each side of the motor, and to be rotated when the second clamp clips are attached to the motor, with at least one second clamp clip on each side of the motor, so that each clamp prong pushes against the projection of the lower case, with at least one projection on each side of the motor.

21. The rearview device of claim 15 , wherein

the cradle further comprises at least one opening or slot, the at least one opening or slot including:

at least one first opening or slot on each side of the motor located between the first opening or slot,

at least one second opening or slot located on an upper end of the cradle,

at least one third opening or slot being adapted to accommodate at least one cable or harness, and

at least one fourth opening or slot being adapted to accommodate at least a part of the bezel assembly.

22. The rearview device of claim 21 , wherein

the at least one cable or harness and an axle, hook or tab of the bezel assembly are adapted to be inserted from above into the at least one second opening or slot,

with the cable or harness being held within the second opening or slot by the axel, hook or tab of the bezel assembly, and

with the cable or harness being arranged below the axel, hook or tab of the bezel assembly within the second opening or slot, and

the at least one second opening or slot and the axle, hook or tab of the bezel assembly being comprised by the hinge connection.

23. The rearview device of claim 15 , further comprising

at least one functional module, comprising a light module, in form of one or more of a turn signal indicator module, a blind spot monitor module, a camera module, a blue tooth module and a temperature sensor module,

with the attachment of the bezel assembly to the lower case fixing the functional module within the head assembly.

24. The rearview device of claim 15 , wherein

the cradle further comprises a plurality of tool openings, including:

at least one tool opening on each side of the motor, and

at least one tool opening opening to the side of the cradle, and

at least one tool opening being adapted to be attached to a tool, in form of a jig, and

two opposite tool openings defining a rotation axis such that the cradle can be rotated around the rotation axis when attached to the tool.

25. The rearview device of claim 15 , wherein

a seat of the cradle is a spherical seat, being concentrically to the axis of a pivot joint system, and

the axis of the pivot joint system is inclined relative to the rotation axis through at least one of a plurality of tool openings.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2020
From: LETTIS, ANDREW; REHILL, GRAHAM; SCOTT-COLLINS, CALLUM
To: SMR PATENTS S.À.R.L.
Reel/Frame 052981/0360 →
Priority Claims (2)
DE 10 2017 114 746.2 · Jun 30, 2017 · national
WO PCT/EP2018/063665 · May 24, 2018 · international
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTEP2018063665 · May 24, 2018
Continuation 15922366 · Mar 15, 2018
Related Publication 20200384919A1 · Dec 10, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,686,332