AUTOMOBILE VIEWING SCOPE

• US 3,762,802 A
• Filed: 10/05/1971
• Issued: 10/02/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Levi Allen
• Original Assignee: Levi Allen
• Inventors: Allen, Levi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wibert, Ronald L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US05/186,732
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 250/7,288,289,299,301-307
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/006 Side-view mirrors, e.g. V-shaped mirrors located at the front or rear part of the vehicle combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08; side-view periscopes B60R1/10

Abstract

A rotatable mirror device mounted in front or in the rear of an automobile so as to give the driver a direct view of otherwise blind areas to his immediate right or left, and for particular viewing use in parking operations and in driving out of blind driveways. The device is retractable so as not to interfere with the normal direct view when driving. The mirrors may be mounted so as to form the four sides of a cube which is rotatable about the vertical axis, or the mirror element may be in the form of a vertical plane, rotatable about the vertical axis.

Claims

1. A retractable mirror device mounted on the front of an automobile, with means to extend the mirror elements above the level oF the engine hood, said mirror elements consisting of two or more mirror planes mounted at angles to each other about a vertical axis, with means responsive to the motorist to rotate the mirror elements about the vertical axis so as to enable the motorist to view the side areas in the immediate vicinity of the front of the automobile, said mirror elements being retractable into a fixed cylindrical housing mounted below the top of the automobile hood, when not in use, with the mirror elements being completely enclosed in the retracted position, and with the means for rotating the mirror elements about a vertical axis, and the means for retracting the mirror elements into the cylindrical housing, responsive to controls within reach of the driver of the automobile.