Wide angled rear view mirror apparatus

• US 4,201,451 A
• Filed: 04/17/1978
• Issued: 05/06/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Donald F. Hassinger
• Inventors: Jacob, Keith D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US05/896,895
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 350/303, 350/304, 350/302, 350/307, 350/277, 350/278, 350/279, 350/283, 350/288, 350/338, 350/331, 340/98
• US Class Current: 349/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/08 Mirrors vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08

Abstract

An arrangement of rear view mirrors for a motor vehicle including a pair of mirror assemblies positioned to extend the areas of vision to the right and left rear sides of the motor vehicle. Each mirror assembly is normally nonreflective and includes a liquid crystal solution which covers a mirrored surface and which is responsive to the presence or absence of an electrical charge to render the mirror assembly reflective. Each angled mirror assembly is activated by operation of the turn signal system to provide the operator of the vehicle with an extended area of view to the rear side of the vehicle that corresponds to the direction in which the vehicle is to travel.

Claims

1. Rear view mirror apparatus for use in a motor vehicle comprising reflecting means, means for movably mounting said reflecting means to said vehicle, one portion of said reflecting means being positioned at an angle with respect to another portion of said reflecting means and being in a position to enlarge the area of vision to the right rear of the vehicle, said other portion of said reflecting means being in a position to enlarge the area of vision to the left rear of the vehicle, a voltage source, a single thickness of liquid crystal solution covering each of said portions, said solution being substantially opaque when a voltage is applied thereto and transparent in the absence of said voltage, circuit means connecting said voltage source to said solution covering each of said portions thereby providing for the nonreflectivity of said portions, and means operatively associated with said circuit means and operable to provide for the removal of the voltage from the solution covering a selected one of said portions to enable said selected portion to become reflective while the nonreflectivity of said other portion is maintained.

2. Rear view mirror apparatus for use in a motor vehicle and in combination with a turn signal system for said vehicle, said turn signal system including right and left turn signals, said apparatus comprising reflecting means, means for movably mounting said reflecting means to said vehicle, one portion of said reflecting means being positioned at an angle with respect to another portion of said reflecting means and being in a position to enlarge the area of vision to the right rear of the vehicle, said other portion of said reflecting means being in a position to enlarge the area of vision to the left rear of the vehicle, means operable to obstruct the reflecting of images from said portions by diffusing incident light radiation to and from said portions, means connecting said obstructing means with said turn signal system whereby activation of said right signal renders said one portion operative to reflect images from said right rear area of said vehicle and activation of said left signal renders said other portion operative to reflect images from said left rear area of said vehicle.

3. The rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means operable to obstruct the reflecting of images from said portions comprises a pair of liquid crystal units, each of said units including a transparent member having an exposed surface, one of said units positioned in a covering relation over one of said portions and the other of said units positioned in a covering relation over said other portion, each of said units being positioned relative to its associated portion to define a predetermined angle between said exposed surface and said associated portion, whereby said exposed surface will reflect images from a selected direction.

4. The rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said exposed surface is angled to face in a generally upwardly direction.

5. The rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the angle in radious between said exposed surface of said transparent member and said associated portion is no greater than the index of refraction of said transparent member.

6. Rear view mirror apparatus for use in a motor vehicle comprising reflecting means mounted on said vehicle, one portion of said reflecting means being positioned at an angle with respect to another portion of said reflecting means and being in a position to enlarge the area of vision to the right rear of the vehicle, said other portion of said reflecting means being in a position to enlarge the area of vision to the left rear of the vehicle, a voltage source, liquid crystal solution covering each of said portions, means separating the liquid crystal solution covering one portion from the liquid crystal solution covering the other portion, circuit means connecting said voltage source to each of said liquid crystal solutions covering each of said portions, and control means operatively associated with said circuit means to provide for the selective application of a voltage to each of said liquid crystal solutions, said control means being operable to render one selected portion reflective while maintaining the nonreflectivity of the other portion and being operable to maintain simultaneously the nonreflectivity of both of said portions.

7. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said liquid crystal solution provides for the reflectivity of associated portion in response to operation of said control means providing for the application of a voltage to said liquid crystal solution.

8. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said liquid crystal solution provides for the reflectivity of its associated portion in response to operation of said control means preventing the application of a voltage to said liquid crystal solution.

9. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 6 further including a pair of transparent members, one transparent member being positioned in a covering relation over one of said portions and the other transparent member being positioned in a covering relation over the other of said portions, said liquid crystal solution being disposed between an associated transparent member and reflective portion, each of said transparent members having a generally flat exposed surface, said exposed surface being positioned at a selected angle with respect to its associated reflective portion whereby said exposed surface will reflect images from a selected direction.

10. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said exposed surface of each transparent member is angled to face in a generally upwardly direction.

11. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the angle in radious between said exposed surface and said associated portion is no greater than the index of refraction of said transparent member.

12. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said reflecting means comprises a left mirror assembly and a right mirror assembly, each of said mirror assemblies having a mirror surface and liquid crystal solution covering said mirror surface, said mirror assemblies being mounted on said vehicle in horizontally spaced apart locations, said mirror assemblies being arranged so that said right mirror assembly reflects images from the left rear side of the vehicle and the left mirror assembly reflects images from the right rear side of the vehicle.

13. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said reflecting means comprises a housing structure adjustably mounted on said vehicle, a rear view mirror and left and right mirror assemblies mounted on said housing structure, each of said mirror assemblies including a mirror surface and liquid crystal solution covering said mirror surface, said mirror assemblies being angled with respect to each other to enlarge the areas of vision to the left and right rear sides of the vehicle.

14. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said right mirror assembly is angled to reflect images from the left rear side of the vehicle and said left mirror assembly is angled to reflect images from the right rear side of the vehicle.

15. Rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said right mirror assembly is angled to reflect images from the right rear side of the vehicle, and said left mirror assembly is angled to reflect images from the left rear side of the vehicle.

16. Reflecting apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said reflecting means comprises a housing, left and right mirror assemblies, means mounting said mirror assemblies on said housing in a side-by-side relationship, each of said mirror assemblies having a mirror surface and liquid crystal solution covering said mirror surface, said mirror assemblies being angled with respect to each other so that one mirror assembly is operable to reflect images from the left rear side of the vehicle and the other mirror assembly is operable to reflect images from the right rear side of the vehicle.