Exterior rearview mirror for vehicles
First Claim
1. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for vehicles such as trucks comprising:
- at least one reflective mirror element;
an elongated support bracket;
a mirror mount securing said mirror element to said support bracket to locate said mirror element in a viewing position;
a mirror housing secured to said support bracket and shielding said support bracket, mirror mount and mirror element, said housing having first and second end walls, first and second side walls, a rear wall and a peripheral rim defining an interior space within said housing and an opening adjacent said mirror element;
said support bracket spanning said interior space of said housing from a position adjacent said first housing end wall to a position adjacent said second housing end wall, being spaced from said side walls and rear wall of said housing, and including spaced, elongated support members and at least one brace extending between said support members whereby said assembly has reduced weight and vibration and improved stability.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An exterior rearview mirror assembly for vehicles such as trucks, vans and recreation vehicles provides reduced weight and vibration and improved stability. The assembly includes a mirror mount securing a reflective mirror element to an elongated support bracket, and a mirror housing secured to the support bracket and shielding the mirror element, mount and support bracket. The support bracket spans the interior of the housing from adjacent one end of the housing to adjacent the other end, is spaced from the side and rear walls of the housing, and has spaced, elongated support members and at least one brace member extending between the support members. Preferably, the brace members are arranged in an X-pattern along the bracket length, while the mirror mount is an electric actuator providing remote adjustment of the mirror element about multiple axes. In one form, the bracket may include a covering wall over the brace members and support members to increase rigidity and reduce vibration. Also, the bracket may support two spaced actuators for separate, independent adjustment of a planar mirror element and a convex mirror element.
132 Citations
62 Claims
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1. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for vehicles such as trucks comprising:
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at least one reflective mirror element; an elongated support bracket; a mirror mount securing said mirror element to said support bracket to locate said mirror element in a viewing position; a mirror housing secured to said support bracket and shielding said support bracket, mirror mount and mirror element, said housing having first and second end walls, first and second side walls, a rear wall and a peripheral rim defining an interior space within said housing and an opening adjacent said mirror element; said support bracket spanning said interior space of said housing from a position adjacent said first housing end wall to a position adjacent said second housing end wall, being spaced from said side walls and rear wall of said housing, and including spaced, elongated support members and at least one brace extending between said support members whereby said assembly has reduced weight and vibration and improved stability. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for vehicles such as trucks comprising:
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a one-piece housing having opposing ends, sides and a rear wall defining an interior space and a mirror opening defined by a peripheral rim; a truss-type support bracket spanning said interior space within said housing from adjacent one of said opposing ends to adjacent the other of said opposing ends and having spaced support members interconnected by a plurality of braces extending between said support members and having openings therebetween, said support bracket being secured to said housing and spaced from said sides and rear wall; at least one reflective mirror element within said housing and visible through said mirror opening; and an adjustable mirror mount secured to said mirror element and said support bracket, said mirror mount providing for movement of said mirror element within said housing to different viewing positions. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for vehicles such as trucks comprising:
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a mirror housing having opposing ends, opposing sides, a rear wall defining an interior space, and a peripheral rim defining an opening; an elongated support bracket within said housing; a pair of reflective mirror elements, and a pair of mirror mounts, one of said mirror elements mounted to said support bracket by one of said mirror mounts, the other of said mirror elements mounted to said support bracket at a position spaced from said one mirror mount by the other of said mirror mounts, at least one of said mirror mounts being adjustable to provide movement of said mirror element mounted thereon to different viewing positions; said support bracket spanning said interior space of said housing from adjacent one housing end to the other opposing housing end, being spaced from said sides and rear wall, and including spaced, elongated support members and at least one brace extending between said support members. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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Specification