Vehicle driver's-side, rear-view mirror, eliminating blind spot

• US 20030039039A1
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chester L. Thomas, Garry G. Thomas
• Original Assignee: Chester L. Thomas, Garry G. Thomas
• Inventors: Thomas, Garry G., Thomas, Chester L.
• Application Number:
  US09/933,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20030039039A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/865
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/082 using a single wide field mirror or an association of rigidly connected mirrors

Abstract

A vehicle driver'"'"'s-side, rear-view mirror eliminating the blind spot. The rear-view mirror comprises a two-piece mirror structure having a planar mirror portion and a separate and distinct, curved mirror portion, outboard of the planar mirror portion, wherein the curved mirror portion curves at a constant radius away from the planar mirror portion horizontally. The rearview mirror thus has a wide angle viewing area permitting the vehicle operator to see clearly in the “blind spot.” A mounting block with adhesive, and mounted on and behind the mirror allows the mirror to be mounted directly on the mirror surface of a conventional vehicle driver'"'"'s-side mirror assembly. Or, the block may include standard mounting bolts, adhesive, etc., for mounting the mirror within the frame of a standard outboard mirror assembly. Thus, the mirror assembly may be an after-market item, or an original equipment manufacture item.

Claims

1. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot, comprising:

a two-part mirror assembly having;

a planar mirror portion; and

an outboard, radiused mirror portion;

wherein said outboard mirror portion curves away from said planar mirror portion in a horizontal plane;

there being an opaque, vertical line of separation between said planar and radiused mirror portions; and

the radius of curvature of said radiused mirror portion being on the order of about five inches.

2. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 1, wherein said outboard mirror portion curves at a constant radius, in a horizontal plane, away from said planar mirror portion.

3. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 1, wherein said planar mirror portion has a horizontal dimension on the order of about 4 inches, and said radiused, outboard mirror portion has a horizontal dimension of about one and five-eighths inches.

4. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 1, wherein said opaque, vertical line of separation is about one-eighth of an inch wide.

5. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting block behind at least said planar mirror portion, said block having a rear surface;

self-adhesive means on said rear surface; and

release liner means covering said self-adhesive means;

whereby upon removal of said release liner means, said block may be affixed to a planar surface.

6. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 5, wherein said outboard mirror portion curves at a constant radius, in a horizontal plane, away from said planar mirror portion.

7. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 5, wherein said planar mirror portion has a horizontal dimension on the order of about 4 inches, and said radiused, outboard mirror portion has a horizontal dimension of about one and five-eighths inches.

8. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 5, wherein said opaque, vertical line of separation is about one-eighth of an inch wide.

9. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting block behind at least said planar mirror portion, said block having a rear surface;

mounting means on said rear surface, for mounting said block within the frame of a vehicle driver'"'"'s-side rear-view mirror frame.

10. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 9, wherein said outboard mirror portion curves at a constant radius, in a horizontal plane, away from said planar mirror portion.

11. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 9, wherein said planar mirror portion has a horizontal dimension on the order of about 4 inches, and said radiused, outboard mirror portion has a horizontal dimension of about one and five-eighths inches.

12. A vehicle driver'"'"'s side, rear-view mirror assembly which eliminates the blind spot as in claim 9, wherein said opaque, vertical line of separation is about one-eighth of an inch wide.