초록 ▼

A housing member for an actuator assembly for adjusting the orientation of a mirror element in a mirror assembly provides integral weather seals and noise dampeners. The weather seals and noise dampeners are injection molded with or onto a base wall of the housing member to thereby form seals and da

A housing member for an actuator assembly for adjusting the orientation of a mirror element in a mirror assembly provides integral weather seals and noise dampeners. The weather seals and noise dampeners are injection molded with or onto a base wall of the housing member to thereby form seals and dampeners that have superior adhesion or mechanical retention to the housing member and, therefore, are not subject to degradation from noise. In addition, the integral seals and dampeners reduce the time and cost of assembling and servicing the actuator assembly. The housing member includes a base wall, and a sidewall which connects to the base wall and extends around the perimeter of the base wall. The side wall includes connectors for securing the first housing to the second housing. A gasket material is injection molded around the passage to thereby seal the passage, which forms an annular lip on the inner surface of the base wall and extends through the base wall to form a flexible diaphragm on the outer surface of the base wall. The flexible diaphragm includes a first opening molded around the passage and a second opening for receiving and sealingly engaging a positioning member, wherein the second opening moves in and out of the passage with the positioning member when the positioning member extends out or withdraws into the actuator.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A first housing member for an electrically-operated actuator for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly, the mirror assembly including a reflective element, the actuator including a second housing, the second housing supporting at least one motor, gearing driven by the motor,

[ We claim:] [1.] A first housing member for an electrically-operated actuator for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly, the mirror assembly including a reflective element, the actuator including a second housing, the second housing supporting at least one motor, gearing driven by the motor, and at least one mirror positioning member driven by the gearing to adjust the position of the mirror element, said first housing member comprising:a base wall having an inner surface, an outer surface, a perimeter, and at least one passage for receiving the mirror positioning member, said base wall including an annular wall extending around said passage and at least one aperture spaced from said passage;a sidewall connected to said base wall, said sidewall extending around said perimeter of said base wall and including at least one connector for securing said first housing to the second housing; andgasket material injection molded around said annular wall sealing said passage, said gasket material forming an annular lip on said inner surface of said base wall, said gasket material extending through said aperture in said base wall and forming a flexible diaphragm adjacent said outer surface of said base wall whereby said annular lip and said flexible diaphragm are interconnected through said aperture, said flexible diaphragm including a first opening molded around said annular wall and a second opening for receiving and sealingly engaging the positioning member, wherein portions of said flexible diaphragm which define said second opening move with the positioning member when the gearing drives the positioning member.