Antiglare rear view mirror assembly

• US 4,359,264 A
• Filed: 03/30/1981
• Issued: 11/16/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Moore, David W., Zeigler, Philip B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koren, Matthew W.
• Application Number:
  US06/249,194
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 350/279, 350/280, 350/281, 350/282, 248/478, 248/481, 248/483, 248/484
• US Class Current: 359/606
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/086 using a mirror angularly movable between a position of use and a non-glare position reflecting a dark field to the user, e.g. situated behind a transparent glass used as low-reflecting surface; Wedge-shaped mirrors

Abstract

An antiglare rear view mirror assembly which includes a mounting assembly, two parts of which are tubular in configuration and wherein one of the tubular parts of the mounting assembly supports a mirror element and is manually tiltable about a horizontal axis relative to the other of the tubular parts by a rotatable actuator so as to provide selective adjustment of the mirror element between a "day" position and a "night" position.

Claims

1. An antiglare rear view mirror assembly for an automotive vehicle in which a mirror element having two reflective surfaces of different reflecting power is mounted in a retainer member;

a mounting member adapted to be rigidly secured to said automotive vehicle for supporting said rear view mirror assembly;

a socket member having a tubular configuration;

a support member having a tubular configuration with one end thereof formed with a bearing surface for mating engagement with said mounting member and the other end thereof serving to support one end of said socket member for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of said support member;

a spring extending through said support member and said socket member and having one end thereof fixed to said mounting member and the other end thereof fixed to said retainer member for connecting said retainer member to the other end of said socket member and for maintaining said mounting member in said mating engagement with said bearing surface on said one end of said support member; and

a rotatable actuator between said socket member and said support member for pivoting said socket member about said horizontal axis between a "day" position to present one of said reflective surfaces of said mirror element to the viewer, and a "night" position to present the other of said reflective surfaces of said mirror element to the viewer;

said actuator having detent means coacting with said spring for maintaining said socket member in said "day" position and in said "night" position.

2. An antiglare rear view mirror assembly for an automotive vehicle in which a mirror element having two reflective surfaces of different reflecting power is mounted in a retainer member;

a spherical member attached to said retainer member;

a mounting member adapted to be rigidly secured to said automotive vehicle for supporting said rear view mirror assembly;

a socket member;

a support member having one end thereof formed with a spherical bearing surface for mating engagement with said mounting member and the other end thereof formed with means for supporting one end of said socket member for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of said support member;

a spring extending through said support member and said socket member and having one end thereof fixed to said mounting member and the other end thereof fixed to said spherical member for maintaining said spherical member in engagement with the other end of said socket member and for maintaining said mounting member in engagement with said spherical bearing surface;

an actuator supported for rotation about a vertical axis and being located between said socket member and said support member for pivoting said socket member about said longitudinal axis between a "day" position to present one of said reflective surfaces of said mirror element to the viewer, and a "night" position to present the other of said reflective surfaces of said mirror element to the viewer;

said actuator having detent means formed thereon coacting with said spring for maintaining said socket member in said "day" position and in said "night" position.

3. An antiglare rear view mirror assembly for an automotive vehicle in which a mirror element having two reflective surfaces of different reflecting power is mounted in a retainer member;

a spherical member attached to said retainer member;

a mounting member adapted to be rigidly secured to said automotive vehicle for supporting said rear view mirror assembly;

a socket member having a tubular configuration with one end thereof formed with a pair of angularly related surfaces;

a support member having a tubular configuration with one end thereof formed with a spherical bearing surface for mating engagement with said mounting member and the other end thereof formed with means for supporting said one end of said socket member for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of said support member;

a spring extending through said support member and said socket member and having one end thereof fixed to said mounting member and the other end thereof fixed to said spherical member for maintaining said spherical member in engagement with the other end of said socket member and for maintaining said mounting member in engagement with said spherical bearing surface;

said one end of said socket member and said other end of said support member each being formed with an opening;

an actuator supported for rotation within said opening in said one end of said socket member and having a cam member located in said opening in said other end of said support member;

a pair of radially spaced surfaces formed on said cam member and, upon rotation of said actuator, coacting with said other end of said support member for pivoting said socket member between a "day" position to present one of said reflective surfaces of said mirror element to the viewer, and a "night" position to present the other of said reflective surfaces of said mirror element to the viewer.