BREAKAWAY REARVIEW MIRROR MOUNTING ASSEMBLY

• US 3,601,352 A
• Filed: 01/13/1969
• Issued: 08/24/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peter L. Jensen, Richard H. Miller
• Original Assignee: Peter L. Jensen, Richard H. Miller
• Inventors: Jensen, Peter L., MILLER, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Application Number:
  US04/790,642
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 248/481-484,479,480,485-487,276,278,288,181 287/12,87
• US Class Current: 248/481
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

A mounting assembly for releasably securing a rearview mirror to motor vehicle body structure. The mirror is operatively secured to the body structure by an elongate frangible member adapted to fracture upon an impact load being applied to the mirror. Also, the mirror is interconnected with the body structure by a friction coupling that allows manual mirror position adjustment. Means are provided to preload the frangible member in tension and to adjust the friction force present at the friction coupling.

Claims

1. A mounting device for adjustably securing a rearview mirror to motor vehicle body structure, said mounting device including:

an arm operatively secured to said mirror, a slidable member operatively secured to and movable longitudinally along said arm, a rod having one of its ends secured to said slidable member and the other of its ends operatively secured to said body structure, a tensioning member being positioned about and engaging said arm and being longitudinally movable to a plurality of positions along said arm, said tensioning member operatively bearing on said slidable member and urging said slidable member away from the other end of said rod to exert a tensioning force on said rod.

2. A rearview mirror mounting assembly for releasably securing a rearview mirror to motor vehicle body structure;

said assembly including an arm operatively secured to said mirror;

a projection secured to said body structure;

said arm adapted to receive said projection in frictional engagement; and

manually operative adjustment means secured to said arm and said projection and capable of urging said arm toward and away from said projection to vary the frictional forces therebetween, said adjustment means including a slidable member relatively movable along the length of said arm, a frangible rod having one of its ends secured to said projection and the other of its ends secured to said slidable member to position the latter at a predetermined distance from the former, and torque means operatively bearing on said slidable member and capable of being positioned at a plurality of locations along the length of said arm.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said arm has external threads formed along at least a portion of the length thereof, said torque means comprising a nut engaging said threads and positioned between said slidable member and said projection.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said rod is formed with an area having a reduced resistance to fracture at a predetermined point along its length and will break upon an impact force of predetermined magnitude being applied to said mirror.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said arm has an internal passageway extending along at least a portion of the length thereof.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein said rod is positioned within said arm.

7. A mounting device for releasably securing a rearview mirror to motor vehicle body structure such that said mirror will break away from said structure when the mirror is subjected to a predetermined impact force, said mounting device including:

an elongatE arm operatively secured to said mirror, a slide member operatively secured to and movable longitudinally along said arm, an elongate frangible member having one of its ends secured to said slide member and the other of its ends operatively secured to said body structure, a tensioning member engaging said arm and movable to a plurality of positions along said arm, said tensioning member operatively bearing on said slide member and urging said slide member away from the other end of said frangible member to exert a tensioning force on said frangible member.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said arm is formed with exterior threads thereon and supports a nut mating with said threads, said tensioning member comprising resilient means located between and bearing on said nut and said slide member.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said resilient means comprises a spring washer.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein said frangible member is formed with a point along its length having a reduced resistance to fracture and constituting a predetermined break point.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said break point is located proximate to said other end of said frangible member.

12. A mounting device for releasably securing a rearview mirror to motor vehicle body structure such that said mirror will break away from said structure when the mirror is subjected to a predetermined impact force, said mounting device including:

an elongate arm operatively secured to said mirror, a slide member operatively secured to and relatively movable longitudinally along said arm, an elongate frangible member having one of its ends operatively secured to said structure and the other of its ends secured to said slide member and positioning said slide member at a predetermined distance from said structure. first friction means rigidly secured to said arm. second friction means operatively secured to said structure and frictionally engaging said friction means to hold said mirror in a desired position, adjustment means engaging said arm and movable relative to said arm along the length of said arm, said slide member operatively bearing on said adjustment means and limiting movement of said adjustment means away from said structure such that relative movement of said adjustment means along the length of said arm in a first direction causes said arm and said first friction means to move towards said structure and said second friction means to increase the frictional force of engagement between said first and second friction means, the frictional force of engagement between said first and second friction means and the resistance to fracture of said frangible member being such that said impact force being applied to said mirror causes said mirror to become detached from said structure.

13. The mounting device of claim 12, wherein said first friction means comprises a female member and said second friction means comprises a male member extending from said structure and received in said female member.