Breakaway rearview mirror mounting bracket
First Claim
1. A breakaway bracket adapted for mounting a rearview mirror to a button having a rear surface secured to an inner surface of a motor vehicle windshield, said button having opposed side surfaces forming rails at an outer surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces and facing away from said inner surface of said windshield, said front surface being generally parallel to said inner surface of the windshield, and a locking flange edge at a juncture of the front and bottom surfaces, said bracket comprising:
- a body having a mounting surface;
a unitary spring clip securely mounted to the mounting surface, said spring clip having a base portion, longitudinally extending, opposed, resilient side flanges projecting upwardly from the base portion, each of the side flanges defining a groove adapted to slidably receive a corresponding one of the button side surface rails in tongue-and-groove fashion, said spring clip further having a resilient locking flange projecting upwardly from the base portion, a portion of said locking flange being adapted to slidingly engage the front surface of the button to cause said locking flange to elastically flex toward a plane of the base portion as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails and without any audible clicking sounds caused by a sliding movement of said portion of said locking flange over the front surface, button rest means for engaging the top surface of the button to limit, as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails, further movement of said body and said spring clip in a first direction relative to the button, said portion of said locking flange moving suddenly to a position firmly engaging the bottom surface of the button as said portion of said locking flange moves past the bottom surface of the button and at about the same time as said button rest means engages the top surface of the button, said sudden moving of said locking flange producing a clearly perceived indication that the bracket is fully mounted to the button, wherein said locking flange includes first means defining a tab having a surface firmly engaging the bottom surface of the button when the bracket is fully seated on the button and second means which strikes the front surface of the button to emit a single and pronounced audible click in response to said tab moving past the locking flange edge, said audible click being said clearly perceived indication that said bracket is fully seated on the button, whereby the bracket will be securely retained on the button under ordinary conditions when the button is slidably received in the spring clip but is adapted to be snapped off the button in a direction away from the windshield when a force of predetermined magnitude is applied thereto.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A breakaway bracket is provided for mounting a rearview mirror to a button on the inner surface of a vehicle windshield. The bracket includes a spring clip which has a base portion, longitudinally extending, opposed, resilient side flanges, and a resilient locking flange which extends from the base portion. The side flanges have grooves and the locking flange has tabs so that when the bracket is mounted to the button, the grooves receive side surfaces of the button in tongue-and-groove fashion, and the tabs firmly engage a bottom surface of the button.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A breakaway bracket adapted for mounting a rearview mirror to a button having a rear surface secured to an inner surface of a motor vehicle windshield, said button having opposed side surfaces forming rails at an outer surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces and facing away from said inner surface of said windshield, said front surface being generally parallel to said inner surface of the windshield, and a locking flange edge at a juncture of the front and bottom surfaces, said bracket comprising:
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a body having a mounting surface; a unitary spring clip securely mounted to the mounting surface, said spring clip having a base portion, longitudinally extending, opposed, resilient side flanges projecting upwardly from the base portion, each of the side flanges defining a groove adapted to slidably receive a corresponding one of the button side surface rails in tongue-and-groove fashion, said spring clip further having a resilient locking flange projecting upwardly from the base portion, a portion of said locking flange being adapted to slidingly engage the front surface of the button to cause said locking flange to elastically flex toward a plane of the base portion as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails and without any audible clicking sounds caused by a sliding movement of said portion of said locking flange over the front surface, button rest means for engaging the top surface of the button to limit, as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails, further movement of said body and said spring clip in a first direction relative to the button, said portion of said locking flange moving suddenly to a position firmly engaging the bottom surface of the button as said portion of said locking flange moves past the bottom surface of the button and at about the same time as said button rest means engages the top surface of the button, said sudden moving of said locking flange producing a clearly perceived indication that the bracket is fully mounted to the button, wherein said locking flange includes first means defining a tab having a surface firmly engaging the bottom surface of the button when the bracket is fully seated on the button and second means which strikes the front surface of the button to emit a single and pronounced audible click in response to said tab moving past the locking flange edge, said audible click being said clearly perceived indication that said bracket is fully seated on the button, whereby the bracket will be securely retained on the button under ordinary conditions when the button is slidably received in the spring clip but is adapted to be snapped off the button in a direction away from the windshield when a force of predetermined magnitude is applied thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A breakaway bracket adapted for mounting a rearview mirror to a button having a rear surface secured to an inner surface of a motor vehicle windshield, said button having opposed side surfaces forming rails at an outer surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces and facing away from said inner surface of said windshield, said front surface being generally parallel to said inner surface of the windshield, and a locking flange edge at a juncture of the front and bottom surfaces, said bracket comprising:
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a body having a mounting surface; a unitary spring clip securely mounted on the mounting surface, said spring clip having a base portion, longitudinally extending, opposed, resilient side flanges projecting upwardly from the base portion, each of the side flanges defining a groove adapted to slidably receive a corresponding one of the button side surface rails in tongue-and-groove fashion, said spring clip further having a resilient locking flange projecting upwardly from the base portion, a portion of said locking flange being adapted to slidingly engage the front surface of the button to cause said locking flange to elastically flex toward a plane of the base portion as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails and without any audible clicking sounds caused by a sliding movement of the locking flange over the front surface, button rest means for engaging the top surface of the button to limit, as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails, further movement of said body and said spring clip in a first direction relative to the button, said resilient locking flange having a segment thereon which suddenly snaps against the front face of the button and at about the same time as said button rest means engages the top surface of the button to generate a single tactile indicia as said portion of said locking flange moves past the locking flange edge to cause said portion of said locking flange to become firmly engaged with the bottom surface of the button when the bracket is fully, seated on the button, whereby the bracket will be securely retained on the button under ordinary conditions when the button is slidably received in the spring clip but is adapted to be snapped off the button in a direction away from the windshield when a force of predetermined magnitude is applied thereto. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A breakaway bracket adapted for mounting a rearview mirror to a button having a rear surface secured to an inner surface of a motor vehicle windshield, said button having opposed side surfaces forming rails at an outer surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces and facing away from said inner surface of said windshield, said front surface being generally parallel to said inner surface of the windshield, and a sharp locking flange edge at a juncture of the front and bottom surfaces, said bracket comprising:
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a body having a mounting surface; a spring clip securely mounted to the mounting surface, said spring clip having a base portion, longitudinally extending, opposed, resilient side flanges projecting upwardly from the base portion, each of the side flanges defining a groove adapted to slidably receive a corresponding one of the button side surface rails in tongue-and-groove fashion, and a resilient locking flange projecting upwardly from the base portion, a portion of said locking flange being adapted to slidingly engage the front surface of the button and elastically flex toward a plane of the base portion as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails and without any audible clicking sounds caused by a sliding movement of the locking flange over the front surface, said resilient locking flange suddenly snapping against the front surface of the button to generate a single and pronounced audible clock as said portion of said locking flange moves past the locking flange edge to cause said portion of said locking flange to become firmly engaged with the bottom surface of the button when the bracket is fully seated on the button, whereby the bracket will be securely retained on the button under ordinary conditions when the button is slidably received in the spring clip but is adapted to be snapped off the button in a direction away from the windshield when a force of predetermined magnitude is applied thereto, wherein said spring clip is made of elastically yieldable spring material, wherein the resilient locking flange projecting upwardly from the base portion includes a first segment extending longitudinally from one end of the base portion, an upwardly projecting portion of the locking flange being oriented at a distal end of the first segment and including a second segment contiguous therewith and extending in an overlapping relation with the first segment but spaced from the first segment, the second segment, as the side flanges become fully engaged with the side surface rails, being elastically yieldably movable toward the plane of the base portion and the first segment about an axis defined generally by the upwardly projecting portion and against a spring force generated by the elastically yielding spring material, and wherein the portion of the locking flange adapted to firmly engage the bottom surface of the button includes at least one upwardly projecting tab on said second segment on a side thereof remote from the first segment, a surface on the tab firmly engaging the bottom surface of the button when the bracket is fully seated on the button. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A breakaway bracket adapted for mounting a rearview mirror to a button having a rear surface secured to an inner surface of a motor vehicle windshield, said button having opposed side surfaces forming rails at an outer surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces and facing away from said inner surface of said windshield, and a locking flange edge at a juncture of the front and bottom surfaces, said bracket comprising:
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a body member having a base portion and resilient means for gripping and releasably securing said body member to said button, said resilient means including longitudinally extending, opposed, resilient side flanges projecting upwardly from the base portion, each of the side flanges defining a groove adapted to slidably receive a corresponding one of the button side surface rails in tongue-and-groove fashion, a locking flange at one end of said body member projecting upwardly from said base portion, said locking flange, caused by said resilient means engaging the button side surfaces during a movement of said body member in a first direction generally parallel to the button side surfaces when assembling said body member to the button, slidingly engaging the front surface of the button; button rest means at another end of said body member projecting upwardly from said base portion for engaging the top surface of the button to limit, as the resilient side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails, further movement of said body member in said first direction relative to the button, said resilient means being interposed between said locking flange and said button rest means, said locking flange moving suddenly toward the inner surface of the windshield under an urging by said resilient means at about the same time as said button rest means engages the top surface of the button and said locking flange moves past the locking flange edge causing all of said body member to be forcibly drawn toward the inner surface of the windshield by said resilient means to orient said locking flange in a position firmly adjacent the bottom surface of the button and said button rest means firmly adjacent the top surface of the button and only when the bracket is fully mounted to the button and thereby providing a clearly perceived indication that said bracket has become fully mounted to the button, whereby the bracket will be prevented by said locking flange from moving in a second direction opposite to said first direction so as to be securely retained on the button under ordinary conditions when the bottom surface of the button is engaged by the locking flange and said resilient side flanges of said resilient means straddle the button but is adapted to be snapped off the button in a direction away from the windshield when a force of predetermined magnitude is applied thereto. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A breakaway bracket adapted for mounting a rearview mirror to a button having a rear surface secured to an inner surface of a motor vehicle windshield, said button having opposed side surfaces forming rails at an outer surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces and facing away from said inner surface of said windshield, said front surface being generally parallel to said inner surface of the windshield, and a locking flange edge at a juncture of the front and bottom surfaces, said bracket comprising:
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a body having a mounting surface; a unitary spring clip securely mounted to the mounting surface, said spring clip having a base portion, longitudinally extending, opposed, resilient side flanges projecting upwardly from the base portion, each of the side flanges defining a groove adapted to slidably receive a corresponding one of the button side surface rails in tongue-and-groove fashion, said spring clip further having a resilient locking flange projecting upwardly from the base portion, a portion of said locking flange being adapted to slidingly engage the front surface of the button to cause said locking flange to elastically flex toward a plane of the base portion as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails and without any audible clicking sounds caused by a sliding movement of said portion of said locking flange over the front surface, button rest means for engaging the top surface of the button to limit, as the side flanges become fully engaged with the button side surface rails, further movement of said body and said spring clip in a first direction relative to the button, said resilient locking flange having a segment thereon which suddenly snaps against the front face of the button at about the same time as said button rest means engages the top surface of the button to generate a single and pronounced audible click as said portion of said locking flange moves past the locking flange edge to cause said portion of said locking flange to become firmly engaged with the bottom surface of the button and thereby prevent a movement of said body and said spring in a second direction opposite to said first direction and only when the bracket is fully seated on the button, whereby the bracket will be securely retained on the button under ordinary conditions when the button is slidably received in the spring clip but is adapted to be snapped off the button in a direction away from the windshield when a force of predetermined magnitude is applied thereto. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification