Interior rear-view mirror of a motor vehicle having an integrated storage compartment

• US 5,719,714 A
• Filed: 06/23/1994
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: fischerwerke Artur Fischer GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: fischerwerke Artur Fischer GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Ackeret, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US08/256,644
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 359/838, 359/841, 359/843, 359/844, 359/850, 359/854, 359/855, 359/871, 359/872, 351/158
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1292 with holding means for personal articles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/082 for supporting spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/902 Eyeglasses holder

Abstract

An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle has a mirror part, a storage container arranged behind the mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening, and a holder movably connected to the storage container for receiving an article to be stored, the holder being movable through the housing opening between an inner rest position in which the holder is enclosed in the storage container, and an outer rest position below the mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from the holder or placed in it, the storage container and the holder being joined to one another so as to turn together.

Claims

1. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening; and

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it, said storage container and said holder being joined to one another so as to turn together with one another.

2. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a cover arranged to close said housing opening.

3. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 2, wherein said cover is arranged on said holder.

4. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 1, and further comprising spring means arranged so that said holder is moved by said spring means from one into the other of said rest positions.

5. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a manually releasably locking mechanism which fixes said holder in said inner rest position in said storage container.

6. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 1, wherein said holder has grip means for guiding said holder from one into the other of said rest positions.

7. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 6, wherein said grip means is gripped in the inner rest position of said holder beneath said mirror part.

8. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising parallel guide means which joins said holder to said storage container.

9. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 1, wherein said holder has a substantially L-shaped cross-section.

10. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 1, wherein said mirror part and said storage container form a single assembly;

and further comprising a bracket element which rotatably joins said single assembly to a vehicle bodywork.

11. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening;

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it; and

a carrier which joins said storage container and said holder with one another, said storage container and said carrier being joined to one another so as to turn together with one another.

12. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 11, wherein said storage container, said carrier and said holder are formed so that a movement between said storage container and said carrier and between said carrier and said holder is not initiated until a respective other movement has finished.

13. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening; and

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it;

a carrier which joins said storage container and said holder with one another; and

guide members which join said storage container and said carrier with one another so that said storage container and said carrier are longitudinally displaceable.

14. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening;

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it; and

a carrier which joins said storage container and said holder with one another, said carrier and said holder being joined to one another so as to turn together with one another.

15. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening;

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it;

a carrier which joins said storage container and said holder with one another; and

guide members which join said carrier and said holder with one another so that said carrier and said holder are longitudinally displaceable.

16. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening;

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it; and

a swivel arm by which said holder is joined to said storage container.

17. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 16, wherein said swivel arm is mounted in said storage container so as to rotate about an axle parallel to a broad face of said mirror part.

18. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 16, wherein said holder is mounted on said swivel arm so as to rotate about an axle parallel to a broad face of said mirror part.

19. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 16, wherein said swivel arm has an L-shaped cross-section.

20. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 16, wherein said swivel arm is joined to said holder by a hinge which aligns in the outer rest position substantially with a plane of said mirror part.

21. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 16, wherein in said inner rest position of said holder, said swivel arm is substantially perpendicular to a broad face of said mirror part, and in said outer rest position of said holder said swivel arm is substantially parallel to the broad face of said rear-view mirror.

22. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 16;

and further comprising a releasable locking member which locks said swivel arm and said storage container in said inner rest position.

23. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening;

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it, and parallel guide means which joins said holder to said storage container, said parallel guide means including first parallel guide arms by which said holder is joined to said storage container and which moves the holder vertically, and second parallel guide arms which join said holder to said storage container and moves said holder horizontally.

24. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 23;

and further comprising a locking member which does not release the horizontal parallel guide arms until the vertical parallel guide arms have reached their end position.

25. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening;

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it; and

parallel guide means which joins said holder to said storage container said parallel guide arms being articulated on said storage container and on said holder at an angle, so that vertical movement of said holder a horizontal displacement of said holder is effected at the same time.

26. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening; and

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it, said holder being arranged so that in the outer rest position lies in front of said mirror part.

27. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 26;

and further comprising guide members joining said storage container and said holder with one another so that said storage container and said holder are longitudinally displaceable relative to one another.

28. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening; and

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it, said holder having a spectacle support which holds the spectacles.

29. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 28, wherein said spectacle support is formed so that a broad face of the spectacles in said outer rest position of said holder is substantially parallel to a plane of said mirror part and in front of it can be inserted into said holder or removed therefrom.

30. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 28, wherein said spectacle support is formed so that a broad face of the spectacles in said inner rest position of said holder is substantially parallel to a plane of said rear-view mirror.

31. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 28, wherein said spectacle support is formed so that a broad face of the spectacles in said inner rest position of said holder is substantially perpendicular to a plane of said rear-view mirror.

32. An interior rear-view mirror as defined in claim 28, wherein said spectacle support is formed so that the spectacles are held in said spectacle support so that in said outer rest position of said holder the spectacles can be opened out and folded up.

33. An interior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a mirror part;

a storage container arranged behind said mirror part and having an underside provided with a housing opening; and

a holder movably connected to said storage container for receiving an article to be stored, said holder being movable through said housing opening between an inner rest position in which said holder is enclosed in said storage container, and an outer rest position below said mirror part in which the article to be stored can be removed from said holder or placed in it; and

electrically operated fan arranged in said storage container so as to ventilate an interior of said storage container.