Mounting assembly for vehicle interior mirror

Abstract

A method of making a mounting assembly of an interior rearview mirror assembly includes providing a mounting arm having at least one ball member at at least one end thereof and having at least one electrical conductor element passing the mounting arm and extending therefrom, and molding at least one of a mounting base portion and a mirror mounting portion over the ball member. The ball member is pivotally received in the mounting base portion and/or mirror mounting portion after the mounting base portion and/or mirror mounting portion is molded and cured. The pivot joints defined by the ball members and overmolded portions may provide different frictional resistance to provide different threshold torques for pivoting the mirror assembly or mounting arm about the respective pivot joints.

1 . A method of making a mounting assembly of an interior rearview mirror assembly, said method comprising: 
 providing a mounting arm having at least one ball member at at least one end thereof and having electrical conducting elements extending therethrough; and    molding at least one of a mounting base portion and a mirror mounting portion over said at least one ball member.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one ball member is pivotally received in said at least one of a mounting base portion and a mirror mounting portion after said at least one of a mounting base portion and a mirror mounting portion is molded and cured.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one ball member comprises a first ball member at one end of said mounting arm and a second ball member at the other end of said mounting arm.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein molding at least one of a mounting base portion and a mirror mounting portion comprises molding a mounting base portion over said first ball member and molding a mirror mounting portion over said second ball member.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said mounting base portion comprises a first material and said mirror mounting portion comprises a second material, said first material being different than said second material.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said first ball member has a first surface characteristic and said second ball member has a second surface characteristic, said first surface characteristic being different than said second surface characteristic.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein molding said mounting base portion comprises insert molding a channel element at least partially within said mounting base portion.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mirror mounting portion comprises a toggle portion.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one ball member comprises a partial ball member having a partial spherical surface and an annular surface at at least one end of said partial ball member.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein molding at least one of a mounting base portion and a mirror mounting portion over said at least one ball member includes closing a mold cavity around a shaft portion of said mounting arm and generally against said annular surface.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting member comprises at least one of a metallic material, a nylon material and an acetal material.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one of a mounting base portion and a mirror mounting portion comprises a polyolefin material.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said electrical conducting elements are insert molded within and at least partially along said mounting arm.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said electrical conducting elements include a connector at at least one end for connecting to a corresponding connector at at least one of said mounting base portion and said mirror mounting portion.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said corresponding connector is located at said mounting base portion, said corresponding connector including electronic circuitry associated with an accessory of the vehicle.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  including locating said corresponding connector and electronic circuitry within a receiving portion of said mounting base portion and attaching a cover to said receiving portion to substantially contain said corresponding connector and electronic circuitry within said receiving portion.