Blind spot side mirror

• US 5,500,766 A
• Filed: 05/04/1995
• Issued: 03/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bob Stonecypher
• Original Assignee: Bob Stonecypher
• Inventors: Stonecypher, Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US08/433,746
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 359/603, 359/604, 359/605, 359/606, 359/607, 359/843, 359/855, 359/864, 359/865, 359/872, 359/877
• US Class Current: 359/605
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/081 avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/087 with remote or automatic control means

Abstract

A side mirror for a motor vehicle includes a day/night mirror having a planar reflecting surface and a blind spot mirror having a planar reflecting surface. The mirror includes a housing which covers the day/night mirror in a manner that prevents overhead lights from showing a double image. The day/night mirror reflecting surface is angled with respect to the blind spot mirror reflecting surface, and the blind spot reflecting surface is angled with respect to the day/night mirror reflecting surface in a horizontal plane when the mirror is mounted on the vehicle. Each of the mirrors is mounted on a spherical ball, and the mirrors can be moved independently of each other by a various systems having the controls remote from the mirror inside the vehicle. The systems include a cable system, or an electrical system or a mechanical system. The day/night mirror has an additional control to position the mirror for night driving as well as for day driving.

Claims

1. A rear view mirror for a vehicle comprising:

A) a housing which includes

1) mounting means on said housing for mounting said housing on a vehicle,

2) a forward end, and

3) a rear end;

B) a top having a forward portion at said forward end and extending toward a rear end of the vehicle when said housing is mounted on the vehicle and a rear rim located at a rearmost location on said top;

C) a bottom having a forward portion at said forward end and extending toward the rear end of the vehicle when said housing is mounted on the vehicle and a rear corner located at a rearmost location on said bottom, said rear rim being spaced from said rear corner in the rearward direction of the vehicle whereby said rear rim and bottom corner are offset from each other in both a horizontal plane and in a vertical plane when said housing is mounted on the vehicle;

D) a top aft edge having a top edge thereof attached to said rear rim and extending downwardly from said rear rim and toward said forward portion to be slanted downwardly and forwardly when said housing is mounted on the vehicle;

E) a bottom aft edge having a bottom edge thereof connected to said rear corner and extending upwardly from said bottom corner when said housing is mounted on the vehicle;

F) said top aft edge and said bottom aft edge intersecting each other at a location spaced from said top and from said bottom and at a location spaced both vertically and horizontally from said rear rim;

G) a day/night mirror located inside said housing and spaced from said rear aft edge;

H) a blind spot mirror located inside said housing and spaced from said day/night mirror;

I) a support means mounted in said housing for supporting said day/night mirror and said blind spot mirror;

J) day/night mirror moving means connected to said day/night mirror for moving said day/night mirror with respect to said blind spot mirror;

K) blind spot mirror moving means connected to said blind spot mirror for moving said blind spot mirror with respect to said day/night mirror; and

L) control means connected to said day/night mirror moving means and to said blind spot mirror moving means for controlling movement of said day/night mirror and said blind spot mirror independently of each other.

2. The rear view mirror defined in claim 1 wherein said day/night mirror has a top surface, a planar forward surface and a planar reflecting surface, with said reflecting surface being angled downwardly and rearwardly from said top surface.

3. The rear view mirror defined in claim 2 wherein said blind spot mirror has a planar reflecting surface.

4. The rear view mirror defined in claim 3 wherein said blind spot mirror is oriented at an angle with respect to said day/night mirror in a horizontal plane.

5. The rear view mirror defined in claim 4 wherein said angle is greater than or equal to two degrees and less than or equal to twenty-two degrees.

6. The rear view mirror defined in claim 5 wherein said day/night mirror is located above said blind spot mirror.

7. The rear view mirror defined in claim 4 wherein said support means includes a U-shaped bracket in said housing.

8. The rear view mirror defined in claim 7 wherein said U-shaped bracket includes a plurality of cable-accommodating holes defined therein.

9. The rear view mirror defined in claim 8 including pivot means for mounting said U-.shaped bracket on said housing.

10. The rear view mirror defined in claim 8 wherein said support means further includes a day/night mirror frame and a blind spot mirror frame.

11. The rear view mirror defined in claim 10 wherein said support means further includes a day/night mirror holding frame secured to said U-shaped bracket and a blind spot mirror holding frame secured to said U-shaped bracket.

12. The rear view mirror defined in claim 11 wherein said support means further includes a day/night mirror spherical ball in said day/night mirror holding frame and a blind spot mirror spherical ball in said blind spot mirror holding frame.

13. The rear view mirror defined in claim 12 wherein said day/night mirror moving means includes day/night mirror cables attached to said day/night mirror frame and to said control means, and said blind spot mirror moving means includes blind spot mirror cables attached to said blind spot mirror frame and to said control means.

14. The rear view mirror defined in claim 13 wherein said day/night mirror moving means and said blind spot mirror moving means include a cable attached to said U-shaped bracket and to said control means.

15. The rear view mirror defined in claim 13 wherein said day/night mirror cables are attached to said day/night mirror in at least three spaced apart locations and said blind spot mirror cables are attached to said blind spot mirror in at least three spaced apart locations.

16. The rear view mirror defined in claim 1 wherein said day/night mirror has a mid line and includes a height dimension measured between said top surface and a bottom surface and has said midline spaced from said rear rim a distance at least equal to or greater than said height dimension.

17. The rear view mirror defined in claim 1 wherein said control means includes a motor means for moving said day/night mirror and said blind spot mirror.

18. The rear view mirror defined in claim 17 wherein said control means further includes a relay.