REARVIEW PERISCOPE ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR VEHICLES

• US 3,774,996 A
• Filed: 08/22/1972
• Issued: 11/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: John F. Donnelly
• Inventors: Donnelly, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US05/282,705
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 350/288,299,301,302,307 248/480,481,295,298
• US Class Current: 359/861
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/10 Front-view mirror arrangements; specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; Periscope arrangements , i.e. optical devices using combinations of mirrors, lenses, prisms or the like specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; for viewing traffic-lights B60R1/005; Other mirror arrangements giving a view from above or under the vehicle

Abstract

A rearview periscope system for vehicles including three mirrors, at least one of which is mounted within the vehicle. This mirror located within the vehicle has a novel mirror supporting and adjustment means which allows the adjustment of both the distance of said mirror from the other mirrors along the central sightline of the reflected mirrors, and the angular position of the plane of said mirror with respect to the planes of the other mirrors.

Claims

1. In a three mirror periscopic system for motor vehicles comprising a first mirror to be viewed by the driver of said vehicle;

a third mirror exposed to light rays from the rear of the vehicle; and

a second mirror located between said first and third mirrors, all of said mirrors having a common central sightline whereby light rays from behind said vehicle are projected on said third mirror, reflected from said third mirror to said second mirror and then reflected from said second mirror to said first mirror for viewing by the driver of said vehicle;

the improvement comprising supporting and adjustment means for adjusting only the position of said first mirror along said sightline away from and toward said second mirror; and

including means for supporting said second mirror a constant distance from said third mirror;

said system allowing adjustment to provide substantially the same field of view therethrough for all drivers using said system.

2. The system of claim 1 in which means is also provided for adjusting the angular position of the plane of said first mirror with respect to the planes of said other mirrors.

3. The periscopic system for vehicles as described in claim 1 in which the mirrors are progressively larger from the first mirror, to the second mirror, to the third mirror whereby the side boundaries for the field of vision of the driver from the driver'"'"''"'"'s eyes are diverging planes, said central sightline included within a focal plane extending perpendicularly betwEen said diverging planes, said first mirror being adjustable along said focal plane and angularly with respect to the planes of the other mirrors so as to be adjustable for locating the side boundaries of said first mirror substantially on said planes.

4. The system of claim 3 in which means is also provided for adjusting the angular position of the plane of said first mirror with respect to the planes of said other mirrors.

5. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 1 wherein said first mirror-supporting and adjustment means comprises a support member attached to said vehicle having a receptacle formed to receive a sliding member, said sliding member supporting said first mirror such that said first mirror may be slid towards and away from said second mirror along said sightline without changing the angular position of the plane of said first mirror with respect to said second mirror.

6. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 1 wherein said first mirror supporting and adjusting means comprises a support member attached to said vehicle having a slot formed centrally therein, a slide corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of said slot, means to secure said slide in said slot, and means mounted on said slide adapted to receive said first mirror.

7. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 6 wherein said means adapted to receive said first mirror are mounted on said slide at an angle with respect to the direction of travel of said slide.

8. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 7 wherein said means adapted to receive said first mirror includes a ball joint and swivel spacing member with a receptacle which receives a ball joint mounted on said first mirror.

9. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 6 wherein said means to secure said slide in said slot includes a hole bored in said slide and a set screw threadably received in said hole.

10. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 9 wherein said set screw has an enlarged head which facilitates the tightening and loosening of said set screw.

11. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 6 wherein said support member has capped ends such that said slide is prevented from sliding out of said slot.

12. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 6 wherein said slot and said slide have matching T-shaped cross sections.

13. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 1 wherein said first mirror supporting means conprises a ball joint mounted on said vehicle;

a swivel support member mounted on said ball joint and adjusted by means of a set screw threadably mounted in a hole bored in a cylindrical extension in said member adapted to receive said ball joint, said member including a second hole bored therethrough whose axis is perpendicular to the hole bored in said cylindrical extension, and a third hole bored to intersect said second hole, said third hole having an axis perpendicular to said second hole;

a rod slidably mounted in said second hole having means mounted thereon which receive said first mirror; and

a set screw threadably received in said third hole such that said screw engages said rod when said rod is slidably received in said second hole.

14. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 13 wherein said means which receive said first mirror is a ball joint mounted on said rod at an angle with respect to the sliding direction of travel of said rod.

15. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 14 wherein a slot is cut lengthwise along at least a section of said rod such that said set screw engages said rod within said slot.

16. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 15 wherein said set screw has a handle formed at a right angle to the axis of the threads cut in said screw.

17. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 1 wherein said first mirror supporting means comprises a base attached to said vehicle, said basE having a first ball joint mounted thereon;

a swivel spacing member mounted on said first ball joint having receptacles for two ball joints, a double ball joint having second and third ball joints joined by an interconnecting rod; and

a second swivel spacing member having receptacles for two ball joints mounted on said third ball joint such that a first mirror having a ball joint mounted thereon may be received in the second of said two receptacles.

18. A periscope system for vehicles as described in claim 17 wherein said interconnecting rod is formed in the shape of a V.

19. In a three mirror periscopic system for motor vehicles comprising a first mirror to be viewed by the driver of said vehicle;

a third mirror exposed to light rays from the rear of the vehicle; and

a second mirror located between said first and third mirrors, said second and third mirrors having a common central sightline whereby light rays from behind said vehicle are projected on said third mirror, reflected from said third mirror to said second mirror and then reflected from said second mirror to said first mirror for viewing by the driver of said vehicle;

the improvement comprising supporting and adjustment means for adjusting the position of said first mirror along said sightline away from and toward said second mirror;

said first mirror-supporting and adjustment means, including said first mirror, displaced to the side of said central sightline of said second and third mirrors such that the angle defining the field of vision is rotated, thereby including a greater field of vision on the side of said central sightline opposite the direction of displacement of said improved first mirror supporting and adjustment means.