Control system for adjusting the rear view mirror of a vehicle in response to the position of the steering gear

• US 5,085,504 A
• Filed: 01/30/1990
• Issued: 02/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Benita Berg Jensen, Bent Pedersen, Inge Pedersen, Kaj Berg Jensen
• Original Assignee: Benita Berg Jensen, Bent Pedersen, Inge Pedersen, Kaj-Berg Jensen
• Inventors: Jensen, Kaj B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ryan, J. P.
• Application Number:
  US07/460,880
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 350/605, 350/606, 350/632, 350/637
• US Class Current: 359/843
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors

Abstract

The invention concerns a control system for adjusting the rear view mirror of a vehicle in response to the position of the steering gear. This object is achieved in that the apparatus the controlling parts, viz. a magnet and a reed contact are simple and inexpensive elements which can be so positioned without difficulty as to sense the movements of the steering gear, and their function is quite unaffected by the rough conditions by way of road dirt, water and oil to which they may be subjected when placed below the front end of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A control system for adjusting the angular position of two rear view mirrors one each on opposite sides of a vehicle in respective response to the turning of the vehicle towards either of its sides by a vehicle steering mechanism, the system including a magnet and first and second reed contacts, said magnet being disposed between said first and second contacts, and said magnet and said contacts being positioned with respect to a moveable part of the steering mechanism so that said magnet moves with respect to said contacts upon steering movements, the first reed contact being adapted to cause the first of the rear view mirrors to rotate through a predetermined angle only after movement of the moveable part in a first direction past a first predetermined point during turning of the vehicle, said second reed contact being adapted to cause the second of the rear view mirrors to rotate through a predetermined angle only after movement of said movable part in a second direction opposite to that of said first direction past a second predetermined point, said first contact being further adapted to maintain said first mirror in its rotated position for all subsequent movements of the moveable part while still beyond said first predetermined point, said second contact being further adapted to maintain said second mirror in its rotated position for all subsequent movements of the moveable part while still beyond said second predetermined point, and each of said first and second contacts being further adapted to cause the corresponding first and second mirror, respectively, to rotate back to its original position in response to the return of the movable part, in a direction opposite to the said first and second directions, respectively, back past the respective ones of said first and second predetermined points.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said magnet is a bar magnet and said first and second reed contacts are each actuated by the magnetic field from a different one of the ends of said magnet.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said magnet is disposed relative to each of said reed contacts so that, in the straight ahead position of the vehicle, the magnetic fields from the magnet are insufficiently strong to actuate either of said reed contacts, and said magnet and said reed contacts being so arranged that the magnetic field from each end of the magnet is sufficiently strong to actuate and maintain actuated the corresponding reed contact for all subsequent movements of the moveable part past the corresponding predetermined point.