Outside mirror apparatus for coupled vehicle

• US 5,835,291 A
• Filed: 05/30/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hidenori Takayama
• Original Assignee: Hidenori Takayama
• Inventors: Takayama, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US08/866,339
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/843, 359/872, 359/881, 359/877, 248/480
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/078 easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing

Abstract

An outside mirror apparatus for a coupled vehicle for improved visual confirmation of the positional relationship between the back of a coupled vehicle and the surroundings thereof. An object 9 to be detected is mounted to a frame 4F of a trailer 4 adjacent a pivotable coupling 5. A plurality of proximity sensors 8,8A,8B . . . are disposed at preset angular intervals in a frame 3F of a tractor 3 adjacent the pivotable coupling 5. These sensors 8,8A,8B . . . are arranged to correspond to the rotational orbit of the object 9. The object 9 is detected by each proximity sensor, thereby detecting an angle of bend "theta" between the tractor 3 and the trailer 4. Based on the detected result, the direction of a mirror surface 33A is able to be properly controlled.

Claims

1. An outside mirror apparatus for a coupled vehicle having a tractor removably connected to a trailer via a pivotable coupling, comprising:

an outside mirror mounted to said tractor, said outside mirror having a mirror body, a mirror surface provided at a front surface of said mirror body, and a mirror angle detection means for detection of a plane angle of said mirror surface, said mirror angle detection means comprising a detector rod having its distal end abutted upon a rear surface of said mirror body, and a potentiometer for detection of a position of said detector rod;

a mirror rotating means for rotating said outside mirror around a vertical axis thereof;

a tractor angle detector comprising a plurality of proximity sensors provided in said tractor for detecting an angle of bend between said tractor and said trailer, said plurality of sensors disposed at preset angular intervals in said tractor adjacent said pivotable coupling, said sensors capable of detecting a rotation of said trailer around said pivotable coupling;

an object to be detected by said proximity sensors, said object situated in said trailer adjacent said pivotable coupling; and

a mirror angle controller means for controlling an angle of said mirror based on the angle of bend detected by said tractor angle detector so that a proper rear view can be obtained, said mirror angle controller means rotating said surface of said outside mirror by stages by means of detection signals from said plurality of proximity sensors.

2. An outside mirror apparatus for a coupled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said mirror rotating means further functions to rotate said mirror body around a virtual horizontal axis, while a distal end of said detector rod is abutted upon a rear surface of said mirror body so as to correspond to a position of said virtual horizontal axis.

3. An outside mirror apparatus for a coupled vehicle having a tractor removably connected to a trailer via a pivotable coupling, comprising:

an outside mirror mounted to said tractor, said outside mirror having a mirror body and a mirror surface provided at a front surface of said mirror body;

a shifting means for shifting said outside mirror sidewise, said shifting means comprising a slide guiding rail extending horizontally, a slide block provided for mounting said outside mirror thereto, said slide block being movable along said slide guiding rail, driving and driven pulleys disposed at both ends of said slide guiding rail, a driving belt suspended between said pulleys, said belt having teeth, a fixture for fixing said slide block to said driving belt and a motor for rotating said driving pulley;

a mirror rotating means for rotating said outside mirror around a vertical axis thereof;

a tractor angle detector comprising a plurality of proximity sensors provided in said tractor for detecting an angle of bend between said tractor and said trailer, said plurality of sensors disposed at preset angular intervals in said tractor adjacent said pivotable coupling, said sensors capable of detecting a rotation of said trailer around said pivotable coupling;

an object to be detected by said proximity sensors, said object situated in said trailer adjacent said pivotable coupling; and

a mirror angle controller means for controlling an angle of said the or based on the angle of bend detected by said tractor angle detector so that a proper rear view can be obtained, said mirror angle controller means rotating said surface of said outside mirror by stages by means of detection signals from said plurality of proximity sensors.

4. An outside mirror apparatus for a coupled vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising position detector sensors provided at both ends of said slide guiding rail for detection of a position of said slide block, said position detector sensors being able to output detection signals for stoppage of said motor.