Vehicle door mounted dual mirror assembly

• US 4,830,326 A
• Filed: 08/05/1987
• Issued: 05/16/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mirror Lite Company
• Original Assignee: Mirror Lite Company
• Inventors: Schmidt, William P., Hutchinson, Frank D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin-Shue, Alvin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olson, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US07/081,796
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 248/466, 248/475.1, 248/476, 248/479, 248/480, 248/485, 248/486, 248/487, 248/278, 248/279, 350/604, 350/606, 350/616, 350/626, 350/631, 350/632, 350/636, 350/639
• US Class Current: 248/479
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0605 specially adapted for mounting on trucks, e.g. by C-shaped support means

Abstract

A dual outside mirror assembly for mounting dual mirrors on a vehicle door having a window includes a two part tubular frame in which an upper tubular frame member may be rotated about a vertical axis relative to a lower tubular frame member whose lower end in turn is mounted for rotative adjustment relative the vehicle door about the same vertical axis. The upper frame member is mounted on the vehicle door above the window for rotative adjustment about a horizontal axis to enable the frame to be conformed to doors of various configurations. The tubular frame includes a vertically extending offset section upon which two mirrors are mounted one above the other for rotative adjustment relative to the tubular frame about at least one vertical axis and independently about individual horizontal axes.

Claims

1. A dual outside mirror assembly adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle door having a window, said mirror assembly comprising a tubular upper frame member having a straight horizontal end section at one end and a straight vertical end section at its opposite end horizontally offset from said horizontal section, tubular lower frame member having straight upper and lower end sections at its opposite ends located at vertically spaced positions on a common vertical axis and an elongate vertical center section joined at its upper and lower ends respectively to said upper and lower end sections in parallel horizontally offset relationship thereto, means coupling said vertical end section of said upper frame member to the upper end section of said lower frame member for pivotal movement relative to said lower frame member about said common vertical axis, first means for mounting the horizontal end section of said upper frame member upon a vehicle door above its window for frictionally resisted rotation relative to the door about the horizontal axis of said horizontal end section;

second means for mounting said lower end section of said lower frame member upon the vehicle door below its window for frictionally resisted rotation relative to said door about said common vertical axis;

third means for mounting a first and second mirror upon said center of said lower frame member comprising first and second elongate horizontal tubular member; and

fourth means comprising a second vertical member for mounting said first and said second elongate, horizontal tubular members upon said center section of said tubular lower frame member.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second means comprises an elongate base member adapted to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle door, means defining an elongate concave recess in said base member adapted to receive an end section of one of said tubular frame members, and adjustable clamp means mounted on said base member for clamping an end section of one of said frame members against said base member within said recess.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said third means comprises a first elongate tubular member, first mirror mounting means mounting said first mirror upon said first elongate tubular member for rotative adjustment relative to said first elongate tubular member about a horizontal axis, a second elongate tubular member, second mirror mounting means mounting said second mirror on said second elongate tubular member for rotative adjustment relative to said second elongate tubular member about a horizontal axis, and fourth means comprising a second vertical member for mounting said first and said second elongate tubular members upon said center section of said tubular lower frame member for rotative adjustment relative to said lower frame member about at least one vertical axis.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said fourth means comprising a second vertical member which is an elongate vertical tubular section integrally joined at its opposite ends to said first and said second elongate, horizontal tubular members.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said fourth means further comprises a mirror support assembly mounted on said center section for rotative adjustment about said common vertical axis, and means on said mirror support assembly supporting said elongate vertical tubular section for rotative adjustment relative to said mirror support assembly about a second vertical axis spaced from said common vertical axis.

6. A dual mirror assembly for mounting a mirror on the outer side of a vehicle door having a window, said mirror assembly comprising:

(a) a mirror mount having

(1) an upper tubular frame member having

(i) a first horizontal section at one end thereof extending along a first axis and

(ii) a vertical section at the opposite end thereof extending along a second axis and interconnected to said first section by

(iii) an intermediate section having a first arcuate portion and a second arcuate section, the first arcuate portion being angularly disposed with respect to the horizontal end section of the upper tubular frame member and the second arcuate section being angularly disposed with respect to the vertical section of the upper frame member,

(2) a lower tubular frame member (a) having straight opposite end sections lying at spaced positions along a common axis and a (b) straight central section extending along a third axis generally parallel to and offset from said common axis, (c) first clamp means adapted to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle door below the window for frictionally gripping one of said straight opposite end sections of said lower frame member with said common axis extending in a generally vertical direction, (d) second clamp means adapted to be fixedly mounted on the vehicle door above the window for frictionally gripping said first horizontal end section of said upper frame member with said first axis extending in a generally horizontal direction, and (e) interengaging means detachably coupling said vertical section of said upper frame member to the other of said opposite end section of said lower frame member with said second axis in coaxial relationship to said first axis and accommodating rotation of said frame members relative to each other about said common axis.

7. A dual outside mirror assembly adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle door having a window, said mirror assembly comprising a tubular upper frame member having a straight horizontal end section at one end and a straight vertical end section at its opposite end horizontally offset from said horizontal section, a tubular lower frame member having straight upper and lower end sections at its opposite ends located at vertically spaced positions on a common vertical axis and an elongate vertical center section joined at its upper and lower ends respectively to said upper and lower end sections in parallel horizontally offset relationship thereto, means coupling said vertical end section of said upper frame member to the upper end section of said lower frame member for pivotal movement relative to said lower frame member about said common vertical axis, first means for mounting the horizontal end section of said upper frame member upon a vehicle door above its window for frictionally resisted rotation relative to the door about the horizontal axis of said horizontal end section;

second means for mounting said lower end section of said lower frame member upon the vehicle door below its window for frictionally resisted rotation relative to said door about said common vertical axis;

third means for mounting a first and second mirror upon said center section of said lower frame member;

wherein said third means comprises a first elongate tubular member, first mirror mounting means mounting said first mirror upon said first elongate tubular member for rotative adjustment relative to said first elongate tubular member about a horizontal axis, a second elongate tubular member, second mirror mounting means mounting the said second mirror on a said second elongate tubular member for rotative adjustment relative to said second elongate tubular member about a horizontal axis; and

fourth means for mounting said first and said second elongate tubular members upon said center section of said tubular lower frame member for rotative adjustment relative to said lower frame member about at least one vertical axis wherein said fourth means comprises an elongate vertical tubular section integrally joined at its opposite ends to said first and said second elongate tubular members.

8. The dual mirror of claim 7 wherein said fourth means further comprises a mirror support assembly mounted on said center section for rotative adjustment about said common vertical axis, and means on said mirror support assembly supporting said elongate vertical tubular section for rotative adjustment relative to said mirror support assembly about a second vertical axis spaced from said common vertical axis.

9. A dual mirror mounting assembly comprising:

(a) an upper frame member, comprising;

(1) a first section having a linear portion and a substantially J-shaped portion integral therewith;

(2) a second section having a first linear section which is rotatably interconnected to the J-shaped portion;

a second linear section normal to the first linear section, and a third linear section depending from the second section and parallel to the first section;

(b) a lower frame member comprising;

(1) a first linear section interconnected to the third linear section of the second section of the upper frame member;

(2) a second linear section normal to the first linear section and substantially parallel to the second linear portion of the second section of the upper frame member; and

(3) a third linear section depending from the second linear section and parallel to the first linear section;

(c) a mirror mount, comprising;

(a) a rod disposed substantially parallel and proximate to the third linear section of the second section of the upper frame member and the first linear section of the lower frame member;

(b) a pair of spaced apart reflecting surfaces connected to the rod;

(c) a pair of spaced apart clamping members, a first clamping member connecting the rod to the third linear section of the second section of the upper frame member and a second clamping member connecting the rod to the first linear section of the lower frame member;

(d) means for connecting the upper frame member to a door of a vehicle above a window thereof;

(e) means for connecting the lower frame member to a door of a vehicle below thereof; and

wherein the rod and the frame members cooperate to dampen vibrations therebetween to reduce vibratory motion of the reflecting surfaces.