Antiglare rear view mirror

• US 4,527,861 A
• Filed: 11/23/1983
• Issued: 07/09/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Auto OOO (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Van Duyn, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gass, Rebecca D.
• Application Number:
  US06/554,577
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 350/281
• 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 having an actuator assembly which includes two parts, one of which has a reversely bent portion and is formed with integral spring arms, and the other of which is a finger-operated actuator member located within the reversely bent portion and has integral cam and tab members which allow the mirror to be tilted between a "day" position and a "night" position.

Claims

1. An antiglare rear view mirror comprising a housing supporting a mirror element having two reflecting surfaces of different reflecting powers, said housing including a back wall integrally formed with forwardly extending upper and lower flange members, said back wall having a first aperture formed therein, a second aperture formed in said lower flange member, a ball support extending through said first aperture into the interior of said housing, an actuator assembly in said housing comprising a body portion having a first part thereof contacting the rear of said ball support and a second part thereof reversely bent and contacting the front of said ball support so as to connect said body portion to said ball support for relative pivotal movement thereabout, said body portion having a pair of spring arms extending laterally therefrom and connected to said back wall for allowing said housing to pivot about a first horizontal axis relative to said body portion, an elongated cylindrical member located in a pocket formed by the reversely bent portion of said body portion for rotation about a second horizontal axis and being formed with a tab member which extends through the second aperture and is accessible for manual movement between first and second positions, a cam formed on said cylindrical member and contacting said housing whereby movement of said tab member between said first and second positions causes said cylindrical member to rotate about said second horizontal axis with resultant pivotal movement of said housing about said first horizontal axis so as to present one or the other of said reflecting surfaces to the viewer.

2. An antiglare rear view mirror comprising a housing supporting a mirror element having two reflecting surfaces of different reflecting powers, said housing including a back wall integrally formed with forwardly extending upper and lower flange members, said back wall having a first aperture formed therein, a second aperture formed in said lower flange member, a ball support extending through said first aperture into the interior of said housing, an actuator assembly in said housing comprising a single piece body portion having a first part thereof formed with a first bearing surface contacting the rear of said ball support and a second part thereof formed with a second bearing surface reversely bent and contacting the front of said ball support so as to connect said body portion to said ball support for relative pivotal movement thereabout, said body portion having a pair of spring arms connected to said back wall for biasing said housing in one direction and causing said housing to pivot about a first horizontal axis relative to said body portion, an elongated cylindrical member located in the reversely bent portion of said body portion for rotation about a second horizontal axis and being formed with a tab member which extends through the second aperture and is accessible for manual movement between first and second positions, a cam formed on said cylindrical member and contacting the lower portion of said back wall whereby movement of said tab member between said first and second positions causes said cylindrical member to rotate about said second horizontal axis with resultant pivotal movement of said housing about said first horizontal axis so as to present one or the other of said reflecting surfaces to the viewer.

3. An antiglare rear view mirror comprising a housing supporting a mirror element having two reflecting surfaces of different reflecting powers, said housing including a back wall integrally formed with forwardly extending upper and lower flange members, said back wall having a first aperture formed therein, a second aperture formed in said lower flange member, a ball support extending through said first aperture into the interior of said housing, an actuator assembly in said housing comprising a single piece sheet metal body portion having a first part thereof contacting the rear of said ball support and having a second part thereof reversely bent and contacting the front of said ball support so as to connect said body portion to said ball support for relative pivotal movement thereabout, said first part of said body portion having a pair of depending spring arms, means connecting said spring arms to said back wall so that said spring arms cause said housing to pivot about a first horizontal axis relative to said body portion, an elongated cylindrical member located in the reversely bent portion of said body portion for rotation about a second horizontal axis and being formed with a tab member which extends through the second aperture and is accessible for manual movement between first and second positions, a pair of tangs integral with said second part of said body portion for maintaining said cylindrical member within said reversely bent portion of said body portion, a cam formed on said cylindrical member and contacting the lower portion of said back wall whereby movement of said tab member between said first and second positions causes said cylindrical member to rotate about said second horizontal axis with resultant pivotal movement of said housing about said first horizontal axis so as to present one or the other of said reflecting surfaces to the viewer.