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Automatically adjustable passenger mirror assembly for a trailered vehicle having a mirror position feedback device

  • US 5,953,168 A
  • Filed: 11/02/1998
  • Issued: 09/14/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A mirror rotation assembly for a vehicle having a tractor and a pivotally connected semi-detached trailer, the assembly comprising:

  • an elongated arm having first and second ends, the first end pivotally mountable to a support on a chassis of the tractor with the arm generally transverse to an axis defined by the tractor and the trailer, the second end supporting a rotatable wheel;

    a pivot assembly connected to the arm and connectable to the chassis, and configured to pivot the arm from a disengaged position proximate the chassis to an engaged position with the wheel in rolling contact with an underside of the trailer;

    a counter operable to count a number of rotations or partial rotations of the wheel as the trailer pivots with respect to the tractor during a vehicle turn and transmit the counted number of rotations or partial rotations;

    a motor connectable to a rotatable mirror on the tractor;

    a processor electrically connected to the motor, programmed to receive the number of wheel rotations or partial rotations transmitted by the counter, calculate a degree of vehicle turn corresponding to the number of wheel rotations or partial rotations, calculate a degree of mirror rotation corresponding to the degree of vehicle turn, and instruct the motor to rotate the mirror according to the calculated degree of mirror rotation; and

    a mirror position feedback device attached to the mirror and electrically connected to the processor for feeding back to the processor an actual degree of mirror rotation.

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