1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seal of an exterior rear view mirror assembly, relative to bodywork or a body part of a motor vehicle, as well as an exterior rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle wherein the seal being formed as one piece, and comprising a sealing pad and a sealing grommet integrally moulded onto the sealing pad, whereby the sealing pad covers at least a section of the surface of the mirror base of the exterior rear view minor assembly lying on the bodywork side, and the sealing grommet serves to seal at least one feed-through opening provided on the bodywork side for feed-through of a cable harness of the exterior rear view mirror assembly, whereby the sealing grommet is arranged as an open body on the free end turned away from the sealing pad, and a passage opening for the cable harness is provided on the intersection of the symmetry axis of the hollow body with the sealing pad, and that corresponding fixing elements for fixing the seal on the minor base are provided on the sealing pad as well as on the surface of the minor base lying on the bodywork side.
2. Description of the Related Art
An exterior rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle consists, for example, of a minor base arranged on the motor vehicle, which can be covered by means of a mirror base cover, and an exterior rear view mirror arranged on the minor base. The exterior rear view minor includes an exterior rear view minor housing, which, inter alia, houses the base bracket assigned to the minor base.
The minor base and base bracket are hinged together, so that the exterior rear view mirror can be pivoted about a hinge axis in relation to the mirror base from an operating position to a folding point and vice versa. The minor base and base bracket can be produced from die-casting material, for example, from the same material.
An adjusting device for a minor glass, driven by an electric motor, for example, is arranged on the base bracket. The adjusting device acts on a backing plate, on which the minor glass is arranged. The minor glass can be mounted onto the backing plate by means of an adhesive connection. The backing plate can be guided to and/or mounted on the adjustment device and/or the base plate. The term ‘backing plate’ here refers to any type of bracket, which comprises at least one bracket surface, with a plane or vaulted design, closed or in a non-continuous grid, for example, honeycombed, on which it is suitable to attach a minor glass, for example by means of an adhesive connection or by clipping e.g. locking means, protruding behind the perimeter of the bracket surface and arcing inwards towards the centre of the bracket surface, seen from the perimeter.
On its rear side, facing away from the direction of movement of the vehicle in the operating position, the exterior rear view mirror housing comprises an opening, through which the minor glass is visible, or in which the minor glass is arranged. In order to ensure that the mirror glass is adjustable, a distance is kept on all sides between the mirror glass or backing plate and the walls of the exterior rear view mirror housing surrounding the opening, so that a gap is given around the minor glass between the walls of the exterior rear view minor housing surrounding the opening.
In addition to or in place of a minor glass, which is adjustable by an electric motor, the exterior rear view mirror can house one or several additional electrical components. Examples of electrical components of this type are:                a turn signal indicator        an entry light        a heatable minor glass,        an electro-chromatically dimmable mirror glass,        a detection module and/or warning display module for a driving assistance device, such as blind spot monitoring, a lane departure warning, approach monitoring, or similar,        a sensor for detecting driving and/or surrounding conditions, such as for example, temperature, brightness, degree of pollution, lighting situation, for example, in order to automatically heat the minor glass, or to dim electro-chromatically, for example.        
In addition, the exterior rear view mirror can comprise one or several combinations of the electrical components given as examples.
The electrical components in the exterior rear view minor are connected to a power supply on the vehicle side, and/or to a control device on the vehicle side, for example, by means of an electrical connection through the minor base, for example, by a vehicle electrical system and/or a bus system. The electrical connection consists, for example, of a cable harness with several cables, if necessary, each with separate plug connections to the electrical terminal of the electrical components, in each case individually or in groups, and at least one electrical plug connection for continuative electrical contacting on the vehicle side.
In order to satisfy high demands of quality in the automotive industry, it is known to close or shut off and/or seal cavities in the bodywork or in body parts or in portions of the bodywork or of body parts, for example, in order to avoid the entry of dirt and/or moisture. It is also known, for example, to close openings, which are provided for feed-through of a cable harness in the bodywork or in body parts, so that no undesired dirt and/or moisture can enter through these openings. An example of a closed cavity in a body part is a drying room in a motor vehicle door. The drying room takes up a portion of the vehicle door, for example, between the outside door panel, which forms an exterior wall, and a dividing wall in the door interior. However, the drying room can also be attached on a dividing wall in the door interior, towards the door inner side. This can serve, for example, to house electrical plug connections, so that they are protected from corrosion. For example, an electrical plug connection of this type of an electrical connection can serve for power supply and/or control of an electrical component, arranged in the cavity, where applicable, such as perhaps electrically operated windows. An example of an opening, provided for feed-through of a cable harness, which is to be closed, is an opening leading through one or several successive walls of bodywork or of a body part, for example, into a cavity or drying room, or from a body part into another body part.
Accordingly, one or several openings, which are closed to prevent the entry of dirt and/or moisture, can serve for feed-through of one or several cable harnesses in the cavity or drying room. Openings, which are to be closed, can also be provided, through which a cable harness, which stems from one side, passes through a cavity lying between two or several walls of a body part, and reappears on the other side, for example, in order to enter a drying room attached to the cavity and separated from this by a wall.
When mounting an exterior rear view mirror assembly onto bodywork or a body part of a motor vehicle, it can therefore be intended to seal the minor base as well as the mirror base covering against the vehicle. For this, it is known to provide at least one section of the surface of the minor base lying on the bodywork side with at least one matt-type underlay, which is also denoted as a sealing pad. The sealing pad can consist of a foamed material. The section of the surface of the minor base lying on the bodywork side is, for example, a surface portion surrounding the exit, on the vehicle side, of the cable harness from the mirror base.
In addition, it can also be intended to seal the feed-through, on the vehicle side, of the cable harness stemming from the mirror base, for example, through a vehicle door, or through a portion of a vehicle door, if appropriate. A sealing grommet can be provided for this. In this process, the sealing grommet is designed so that, along the cable harness, for example, no dirt and no moisture can enter into the interior of the vehicle door, or for example, at least into the interior of a sealed cavity taking up a portion of the vehicle door, through which a cable harness, stemming from one side, passes through the cavity and reappears on the other side. The sealing grommet can simultaneously serve to seal the feed-through of the cable harness by a previously mentioned sealing pad.
The disadvantage of the known solutions for sealing the minor base, as well as the mirror base covering, if necessary, against the vehicle by means of a sealing pad, and the feed-through, on the vehicle side, of the cable harness stemming from the minor base, by means of a sealing grommet, is that both the sealing pad and sealing grommet can slip during installation, in each case in relation to their intended location relative to the mirror base, as well as in relation to each other. The result of this can be an imperfect sealing, whereby dirt and/or moisture can consequently pass through an opening provided for feed-through of a cable harness, and can enter a cavity closed off from the environment by means of the sealing pad and/or sealing grommet.
It is also known from DE10115693A1 to close a feed-through for a cable harness by means of a gel-like mass, which fills the moulded part surrounding the cable harness and a space remaining between the moulded part and the cable harness.
The disadvantage of this is the complicated installation and maintenance when using the gel-like mass. In addition, the orientation with an exact location and position of the moulded part and a required sealing pad, if applicable, remains unresolved.
JP2008271699 shows a seal surrounding a cable harness. The seal has a tubular central part, which runs on the side of the mirror base in a flat surface, following the vehicle contour, and which runs on the second side in the inside of the door in a region tapering to the cable harness. This seal must be attached around the cable harness before the cable harness is installed with the seal in the vehicle door. Pulling out the cable harness after installation of the seal is not possible. The flat part of the seal 32 has no structure at all to prevent slipping.
JP 11139208 describes a flat seal 3, which is attached to the mirror base of an exterior mirror. The seal comprises a flat region, but no sealing grommet, since this mirror is not attached to a sealed door, but rather on a minor triangle of a vehicle.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds