Mirror spot within mirror

• US 20040257685A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roger G. Minor, Ronald Freeman
• Original Assignee: Roger G. Minor, Ronald Freeman
• Inventors: Minor, Roger G., Freeman, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US10/810,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20040257685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/869
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/082 using a single wide field mirror or an association of rigidly connected mirrors

Abstract

A single construct mirror within a mirror is provided for use in enhancing the safe operation of motor vehicles by eliminating “blind spots.” Such construct includes a secondary mirror formed within a primary mirror by the removal of or formation of a concave indentation on the rear surface of a generally flat sheet of glass, plastic or other suitable material. Such sheet may then be mirrored by silvering the rear surface including the concave indentation. The front reflective surfaces of both mirrors are generally flat and co-planar.

Claims

1. A mirror within a mirror construct, comprising:

a sheet of material capable of being mirrored, said sheet having a first side and a second side;

a concave indentation in said second side, wherein the depth of said concave indentation is less than the thickness of said sheet of material; and

wherein said sheet of material with said concave indentation is mirrored through the application of a reflective material on said second side.

2. The construct of claim 1, wherein said sheet of material is glass.

3. The construct of claim 2, wherein said concave indentation is formed by grinding said glass sheet to remove material on said second side.

4. The construct of claim 3, wherein said reflective material is silver.

5. The construct of claim 1, wherein said sheet of material is plastic.

6. The construct of claim 5, wherein said sheet of material is injection molded to include said concave indentation on said second side.

7. The construct of claim 6, wherein said reflective material is silver.

8. A rearview mirror, comprising:

a single construction mirror having a portion of such mirror capable of reflecting a wider field of view, and wherein said mirror is comprised of a single sheet of material having a flat first side and which is mirrored on a second side.

9. The rearview mirror of claim 8, wherein said portion of said mirror capable of reflecting a wider field of view is a generally circular concave indentation on said second side of said sheet of material.

10. The rearview mirror of claim 9, wherein said concave indentation appears convex from said first said of said construction, but wherein said first side of said construction is generally flat.

11. The rearview mirror of claim 10, wherein said sheet of material is glass.

12. The rearview mirror of claim 11, wherein said concave indentation is generated by grinding material out of the second side of said glass.

13. The rearview mirror of claim 10, wherein said sheet of material is injection-molded plastic.

14. A unitary construction mirror, comprising:

a primary mirror made of a sheet of material, said sheet of material having a first and a second side; and

a secondary mirror; and

wherein said secondary mirror is capable of reflecting a wider field of view than said primary mirror and wherein said secondary mirror is formed in the same said sheet of material as said primary mirror.

15. The unitary mirror of claim 14, wherein said sheet of material is glass.

16. The unitary mirror of claim 15, wherein said secondary mirror is formed by grinding a generally circular concave indentation into said second side.

17. The unitary mirror of claim 16, wherein said secondary mirror appears convex from said first side, but wherein said secondary mirror is generally flat on said first side.

18. The unitary mirror of claim 17, wherein said sheet of material is mirrored by applying a coating of silver to said second side thereof.

19. The unitary mirror of claim 14, wherein said sheet of material is injection-molded plastic and wherein said secondary mirror is formed therein by the inclusion of a concave indentation in said second side of said sheet of material.

20. The unitary mirror of claim 19, wherein said sheet of material is mirrored by applying a coating of silver to said second side thereof.