Internal mirror for motor vehicles

• US 4,948,085 A
• Filed: 12/15/1988
• Issued: 08/14/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bernhard Mittelhauser
• Original Assignee: Bernhard Mittelhauser
• Inventors: Mittelhauser, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin-Shue, Alvin C.
• Application Number:
  US07/284,914
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 248/549, 248/900, 248/221.3, 248/223.4, 248/222.1, 248/221.4, 350/604, 350/632, 248/221.4
• US Class Current: 248/549
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/90 Movable or disengageable on impact or overload

Abstract

An internal mirror for a motor vehicle. A plate is secured to the vehicle, and a mirror base can be pressed onto and pulled from the plate. A spring is connected with and in the hollow base and has bent edges that engage undercuts of the plate. The spring has a tongue with a hook-like end that catches against a projection of the plate. To pull the base from the plate, this hook-like tongue end can be raised from the plate projection. The base has two side walls and one end wall that rest against the plate.

Claims

1. An internal mirror for a motor vehicle, including a plate that is secured to the vehicle and serves to hold the mirror proper, and also including a detachable part in the form of a mirror base for a mirror housing that accommodates a mirror body, with said mirror base being adapted to be pressed in one direction onto said plate, which for this purpose is provided on opposite sides with parallel undercuts that extend in the direction in which said base is pressed onto said plate;

said mirror further comprises;

a projection disposed on said plate;

abutment means provided on said plate remote from said projection thereof, with said abutment means extending in a direction transverse to the direction in which said mirror base is pressed directly onto said plate for vibration-proof mounting thereof; and

a spring that is connected with and within said mirror base, which is hollow, with said spring having bent edges that engage said undercuts of said plate;

said spring is also provided with a tongue that extends in the direction in which said base is pressed onto said plate, with said tongue having a hook-like end which, when said mirror base is mounted directly on said plate, is bent toward said plate and catches against said projection thereof;

to be able to release and pull said base off said plate, in a direction opposite to the direction in which said base is pressed onto said plate, said hook-like end of said tongue is capable of being raised from and over said projection of said plate;

said mirror base is provided with side walls that extend essentially parallel to the direction in which said base is pressed onto and pulled off said plate, and with one end wall that is provided remote from said hook-like tongue end and extends essentially transverse to said side walls;

when said mirror base is mounted directly on said plate, said side walls and said end wall extend toward said plate, with said side walls resting against said plate, and said end wall resting against said abutment means of said plate;

said mirror base and said spring both having a predetermined configuration;

said spring having a crosspiece that is disposed between two side legs on which are provided said bent edges that engage said undercuts of said plate, with said crosspiece of said spring being provided with cutouts to form said tongue;

said side walls and said one end wall of said mirror base integrally merging into one another, with that end of said base in the region of said hook-like tongue end and remote from said one end wall being open to make said hook-like end accessible; and

said mirror base being provided with extensions between which said spring is held.

2. A mirror according to claim 1, in which said plate is provided with recess means that extend essentially parallel to the direction in which said mirror base is pressed onto and pulled off said plate, with said side walls of said base being guided in said recess means.

3. A mirror according to claim 1, in which said hook-like end of said tongue is rounded off to facilitate pressing said base onto said plate.

4. A mirror according to claim 3, in which said projection of said plate has a free end over which said hook-like tongue end passes;

and in which said plate, for said hook-like tongue end, has a sliding surface that is disposed at approximately the same level as said free end of said projection.

5. A mirror according to claim 4, in which said sliding surface of said plate merges into said free end of said projection.

6. A mirror according to claim 1, in which said mirror base and said spring both have an approximately U-shaped configuration and assure vibration-proof mounting.

7. A mirror according to claim 6, in which said tongue extends over approximately half of the length of said base.

8. A mirror according to claim 7, in which said tongue, when said mirror base is mounted on said plate, is bent toward said plate.

9. A mirror according to claim 1, in which said hook-like end is accessible by hand.

10. A mirror according to claim 1, in which said spring and said tongue are formed as a single piece.