External rear view mirror for vehicles, especially motor vehicles

Claim 2

An external rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, said mirror comprising: a housing; a mirror support plate; a pivot joint for connecting said mirror support plate to said housing such that said mirror support plate is pivotable about two axes perpendicular to one another; an actuating lever for pivoting said mirror support plate; two push rods pivotably connected with a first end to said mirror support plate at a distance from said pivot joint; an intermediate lever pivotably connected to said actuating lever and to said push rods; said intermediate lever having a transverse rod with two ends in the form of a bearing ball; said push rods having at a second end thereof a bearing cup, with each of said bearing balls resting in one of said bearing cups; and wherein said intermediate lever has two arms and a ball joint for connecting said two arms to one another.

Claim 3

An external rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein said transverse rod is connected to an end of said intermediate lever opposite said actuating lever.

Claim 4

An external rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein said push rods at said first end have a bearing cup and wherein said mirror support plate has bearing balls, each said bearing ball positioned in one of said bearing cups.

Claim 5

An external rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein said push rods and said bearing cups at said second end are a unitary part.

Claim 6

An external rear view mirror according to claim 1, wherein said pivot joint is comprised of spring parts that are elastically deformable relative to one another in two directions that are perpendicular to one another.

Claim 7

An external rear view mirror according to claim 5, wherein said spring parts are arranged in planes that are perpendicular to one another.

Claim 8

An external rear view mirror according to claim 5, wherein said spring parts are stays.

Claim 9

An external rear view mirror according to claim 5, wherein said pivot joint further comprises a ring to which said spring parts are connected with one end thereof.

Claim 10

An external rear view mirror according to claim 8, wherein said ring and said spring parts are a unitary part.

Claim 11

An external rear view mirror according to claim 8, wherein said spring parts are positioned at said ring at an angular spacing of 90°.

Claim 12

An external rear view mirror according to claim 8, wherein said spring parts are positioned in radial planes of said ring.

Claim 13

An external rear view mirror according to claim 8, wherein said spring parts extend radially outwardly from said ring at a slant to a radial plane of said ring.

Claim 14

An external rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, said mirror comprising: a housing; a mirror support plate; a pivot joint for connecting said mirror support plate to said housing such that said mirror support plate is pivotable about two axes perpendicular to one another; an actuating lever for pivoting said mirror support plate; two push rods pivotably connected with a first end to said mirror support plate at a distance from said pivot joint; an intermediate lever pivotably connected to said actuating lever and to said push rods; said intermediate lever having a transverse rod with two ends in the form of a bearing ball; said push rods having at a second end thereof a bearing cup, with each of said bearing balls resting in one of said bearing cups; and wherein each one of said first ends of said push rods has a first elastic stay, wherein said push rods are connected to said mirror support plate with said first elastic stays.

Claim 15

An external rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, said mirror comprising: a housing; a mirror support plate; a pivot joint for connecting said mirror support plate to said housing such that said mirror support plate is pivotable about two axes perpendicular to one another; an actuating lever for pivoting said mirror support plate; two push rods pivotably connected with a first end to said mirror support plate at a distance from said pivot joint; an intermediate lever pivotably connected to said actuating lever and to said push rods; said intermediate lever having a transverse rod with two ends in the form of a bearing ball; said push rods having at a second end thereof a bearing cup, with each of said bearing balls resting in one of said bearing cups; and wherein each one of said first ends of said push rods has a first elastic stay, wherein said push rods are connected to said mirror support plate with said first elastic stays.

Claim 16

An external rear view mirror according to claim 13, wherein said first elastic stay is perpendicular to said mirror support plate.

Claim 17

An external rear view mirror according to claim 14, wherein each one of said first ends of said push rods has a second elastic stay connected between said first elastic stay and a body of each one of said push rods, said second elastic stays positioned perpendicular to said first elastic stays.

Claim 18

An external rear view mirror according to claim 15, wherein said second elastic stays are perpendicular to said mirror support plate.

Claim 19

An external rear view mirror according to claim 16, wherein said first elastic stays are positioned in a vertical plane.

Claim 20

An external rear view mirror according to claim 17, wherein said second elastic stays are positioned in a horizontal plane.

Claim 21

An external rear view mirror according to claim 15, wherein each one of said first ends of said push rods further has an intermediate member connected between said first and said second elastic stays.

Claim 22

An external rear view mirror according to claim 19, wherein said intermediate member is perpendicular to said first and said second elastic stays.

Claim 23

An external rear view mirror according to claim 19, wherein said intermediate member is a stay.

Claim 24

An external rear view mirror according to claim 19, wherein said intermediate member is non-elastic.

Claim 25

An external rear view mirror according to claim 15, wherein said first and second elastic stays of each one of said push rods are elastically deformable relative to one another in two directions that are perpendicular to one another.

Claim 26

An external rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, said mirror comprising: a housing; a mirror support plate; a pivot joint for connecting said mirror support plate to said housing such that said mirror support plate is pivotable about two axes perpendicular to one another; an actuating lever for pivoting said mirror support plate; two push rods pivotably connected with a first end to said mirror support plate at a distance from said pivot joint; each one of said push rods having a second end in the form of a bearing cup; and intermediate lever having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is pivotably connected to said actuating lever; a transverse rod connected with a center section thereof to said second end of said intermediate lever so as to extend transversely to said intermediate lever; said transverse rod having two ends, each one of said two ends being in the form of a bearing ball; said transverse rod connected to said second ends of said push rods such that each one of said bearing balls rests in one of said bearing cups; said pivot joint comprised of spring parts that are elastically deformable in two directions that are perpendicular to one another; said pivot joint further comprising a ring to which ring said spring parts are connected with one end thereof; and four of said spring parts connected to said ring; two of said spring parts positioned diametrically opposite one another and connected to said mirror support plate; and the other two of said spring parts positioned diametrically opposite one another and connected to said housing.

Claim 27

An external rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, said mirror comprising: a housing; a mirror support plate; a pivot joint for connecting said mirror support plate to said housing such that said mirror support plate is pivotable about two axes perpendicular to one another; an actuating lever for pivoting said mirror support plate; two push rods pivotably connected with a first end to said mirror support plate at a distance from said pivot joint; each one of said push rods having a second end in the form of a bearing cup; and intermediate lever having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is pivotably connected to said actuating lever; a transverse rod connected with a center section thereof to said second end of said intermediate lever so as to extend transversely to said intermediate lever; said transverse rod having two ends, each one of said two ends being in the form of a bearing ball; said transverse rod connected to said second ends of said push rods such that each one of said bearing balls rests in one of said bearing cups; said pivot joint comprised of spring parts that are elastically deformable in two directions that are perpendicular to one another; said pivot joint further comprising a ring to which ring said spring parts are connected with one end thereof; and four of said spring parts connected to said ring; two of said spring parts positioned diametrically opposite one another and connected to said mirror support plate; and the other two of said spring parts positioned diametrically opposite one another and connected to said housing.

Claim 28

An external rear view mirror according to claim 24, wherein said two spring parts connected to said mirror support plate are positioned in a horizontal radial plane of said ring.

Claim 29

An external rear view mirror according to claim 24, wherein: said housing comprises a frame and a holder connected to said frame; and said other two spring parts are connected to said holder.

Claim 30

An external rear view mirror according to claim 26, wherein said holder and said other two spring parts are formed as a unitary part.

Claim 31

An external rear view mirror according to claim 26, wherein said holder extends through said ring.