Aerodynamic rear view mirror

• US 4,538,851 A
• Filed: 01/18/1984
• Issued: 09/03/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Taylor, Edward F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US06/571,790
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 296/1 S, 296/91, 248/476, 248/487, 340/98
• US Class Current: 296/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

An aerodynamic rear view mirror includes a mirror glass mounted within a streamlined mirror housing having inboard and outboard side walls and top and bottom walls. The inboard side wall is concavely curved to define a rear portion nearly parallel with the door side window and a forward portion which curves inboard to reach around the pillar. The mirror housing is mounted on the vehicle body in generally parallel spaced relation relative the side window and the pillar to cooperate therewith in defining a curved airflow channel by which relatively clean air from in front of the windshield is ducted through the airflow channel around the pillar and onto the side window to thereby create an airflow barrier against foreign matter impingement on the side window and to streamline airflow from the front of the vehicle body around the side of the vehicle body. The housing is preferably mounted on the vehicle body by a mounting vane which extends longitudinally of the vehicle and has a negligible vertical dimension so that the airflow channel extends substantially the full height of the inboard side wall of the mirror housing.

Claims

1. In combination with a vehicle body having a windshield pillar defining the intersection between the windshield and the door side window of a vehicle body, a rear view mirror mounted on the vehicle body for rear viewing through the side window comprising:

a mirror glass;

a housing mounting the mirror glass and having an inboard side wall extending generally vertically and curved to define a rear portion generally parallel with the side window and a forward portion reaching inboard around the pillar, said inboard side wall being situated in spaced relationship relative the side window and the pillar to cooperate therewith in defining an airflow channel therebetween by which relatively clean air from the region in front of the windshield is ducted through the airflow channel around the pillar to the region of the side window to thereby create an airflow barrier against contamination of the side window and to streamline airflow around the vehicle body.

2. An external rear view mirror adapted for mounting on a vehicle body having a windshield pillar defining the intersection between the windshield and the door side window of the vehicle body comprising:

a mirror glass and a housing enclosing the mirror glass, said housing having a concavely curved inboard side wall and mounting means mounting the housing on the vehicle body with the inboard side wall in spaced relation from the pillar whereby the concavely curved inboard side wall extends from the region of the windshield to the region of the side window and defines therebetween an airflow channel by which relatively clean air from in front of the windshield is ducted through the airflow channel around the pillar to the region of the side window to thereby create an airflow barrier against contamination of the side window and to streamline airflow around the vehicle body.

3. An external rear view mirror adapted for mounting on a vehicle body having a windshield pillar defining the intersection between the windshield and the door side window of the vehicle body comprising:

a mirror glass and a housing enclosing the mirror glass, said housing having an inboard side wall and an outboard side wall with at least said inboard side wall being concavely curved whereby upon mounting of the housing on the vehicle body with the rearward portion of the inboard side wall mounted in generally parallel spaced relationship relative the side window and pillar, the forward portion of the inboard side wall is established in spaced juxtaposed relationship relative the windshield so that the housing cooperates with the vehicle body in defining an airflow channel by which relatively clean air from in front of the windshield is ducted through the airflow channel around the pillar to the region of the side window to thereby create an airflow barrier against contamination of the side window and to streamline airflow around the vehicle body.

4. An external rear view mirror adapted for mounting on a vehicle body having a windshield pillar defining the intersection between the windshield and the door side window of the vehicle body comprising:

a mirror glass and a housing having a concavely curved inboard side wall and a convexly curved outboard side wall diverging from one another to enclose the mirror glass, and means mounting the housing of the vehicle body with the rearward portion of the inboard side wall mounted in generally parallel spaced relationship relative the side window and pillar and the forward portion of the inboard side wall established in spaced juxtaposed relationship relative the windshield so that the housing cooperates with the vehicle body in defining an airflow channel by which relatively clean air from in front of the windshield is ducted through the airflow channel around the pillar to the region of the side window to thereby create an airflow barrier against foreign matter impingement on the side window and to streamline airflow around the vehicle body.

5. An external rear view mirror adapted for mounting on a vehicle body having a windshield pillar defining the intersection between the windshield and the door side window of the vehicle body comprising:

a mirror glass and a housing having housing walls including a concavely curved inboard side wall and a convexly curved outboard side wall diverging from one another to define a cavity enclosing the mirror glass at the rearward end of the housing, an air inlet opening provided in the forward end of the housing to inlet the oncoming airflow into the cavity, said walls being spaced from the mirror glass to define an air outlet opening thereover outleting airflow from the cavity to create an airflow barrier around the mirror glass against impingement of foreign matter on the mirror glass, and means mounting the housing of the vehicle body with the rearward portion of the inboard side wall mounted in generally parallel spaced relationship relative the side window and pillar and the forward portion of the inboard side wall established in spaced juxtaposed relationship relative the windshield so that the housing cooperates with the vehicle body in defining an airflow channel by which relatively clean air from in front of the windshield is ducted through the airflow channel around the pillar to the region of the side window to thereby create an airflow barrier against foreign matter impingement on the side window and to streamline airflow around the vehicle body.

6. An external rear view mirror adapted for mounting on a vehicle body having a windshield pillar defining the intersection between the windshield and the door side window of the vehicle body comprising:

a mirror glass and a housing enclosing the mirror glass, said housing having a concavely curved inboard side wall and a mounting flange mounting the housing on the vehicle body with the inboard side wall in spaced relation from the pillar to define an airflow channel extending from the region of the windshield to the region of the side window by which relatively clean air from in front of the windshield is ducted through the airflow channel around the pillar to the region of the side window to thereby create an airflow barrier against contamination of the side window and to streamline airflow around the vehicle body, said mounting flange extending generally horizontally and having minimal vertical height and substantial longitudinal length to define a horizontal airflow directing vane assisting in streamline airflow around the vehicle body.

7. In combination, a vehicle body having a windshield pillar supporting a windshield and a vehicle side door mounting a side window, a mirror housing carried by the windshield pillar, a mirror glass mounted in the mirror housing, air inlet opening means provided in the windshield pillar adjacent the windshield and communicating with the mirror housing, and air exhaust outlet means in the mirror housing disposed adjacent the side window, said air inlet opening means cooperating with the mirror housing and the air exhaust outlet means to define an airflow channel whereby to communicate oncoming airflow during vehicle forward motion from the region of the windshield through the air inlet opening and through the mirror housing and the air exhaust outlet means to the region of the side window to create an airflow barrier against impingement of foreign matter against the side window and to streamline airflow around the vehicle body.