Abstract: A drive unit for adjusting the orientation of a reflective member of rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle is assembled within a drive housing. The drive housing contains an electric motor arranged to drive a jacking nut which is supported within the housing by first and second bearing surfaces formed on opposite walls of the housing. The drive housing is formed in two parts, each of which comprises a base portion and a peripheral side wall portion dimensioned so that, when the two parts are assembled together, part of the side wall portion of one part surrounds a corresponding part of the side wall portion of the other part. After assembly, glue is inserted between the side wall portions so as to hold the two parts together with their respective bearing surfaces spaced apart by a distance determined by the size of the jacking nut.

Abstract: A breakaway rear vision mirror has a mounting base and a pivoted assembly. A control lever is pivoted to the base and coupled to a mirror backing plate which carries a mirror, which is adjusted for position by the lever.The hinge between the mounting base and pivoted assembly is releasable, but held together by a spring which co-acts between the pivoted assembly and the lever, thereby applying a pressure which urges the lever into firm frictional contact with the mounting base and tends to retain the mirror in its set position.

Abstract: A mirror housing is provided with two motor driven gear nuts each of which comprises a conductive material which however has a high resistance, and each of which engages a conductive wiper and threads on a respective screw shaft non-rotationally coupled to a mirror holder, one gear nut being operable in a direction to tilt a mirror in an horizontal plane and the other in a direction to tilt a mirror in a vertical plane, and conductors contact the ends of the gear nuts, so that when a voltage is applied across them, the voltage on the conductive wiper will be a function of the positions of the screw shafts in their nuts, thereby constituting position sensing means.

Abstract: A breakaway rear vision mirror assembly having a mounting frame and a pivoted assembly which carries the mirror, the pivoted assembly being coupled to the mounting frame by means of an elongate U-shaped spring, the ends of which are coupled to the mounting frame and an intermediate portion which bears on the pivoted assembly to return the pivoted assembly to a usable position after it has been deflected.

Abstract: A rear vision mirror assembly has a mounting member to which a mirror backing plate is pivoted for tilting about two planes (a "universal" tilt), a mirror carried on the backing plate, and a blade which projects from the mounting plate and which frictionally engages a metal spring retainer or spring retainers.

Abstract: A pivotable screw jack drive for a tiltable element (11,12) such as a rear view mirror of a motor vehicle, wherein a motor driven worm wheel (31) also performs the function of a jacking nut (29) which rotates about a jacking screw (35), the projecting end (41) of the jacking screw being connected to the tiltable element (11,12) for universal pivotal movement but being restrained against relative rotation, the jacking nut (29) being mounted in a housing (22) with a ball joint so that the nut and screw pivot as an assembly.