Automatically adjustable passenger mirror assembly for a trailered vehicle having a mirror position feedback device
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic mirror rotation assembly for a vehicle including a tractor and semi-detached trailer is provided. An elongated arm supporting a rotatable wheel attaches to a support mounted at a selected position on the tractor chassis. The arm is pivoted upward until the wheel contacts the underside of the trailer, and is kept engaged with substantially constant pressure. As the vehicle turns, the rotation of the trailer with respect to the tractor is measured by counting rotations or partial rotations of the wheel against the underside surface of the trailer. A corresponding degree of passenger-side rear view mirror is calculated, and a motor automatically rotates the mirror. A feedback device measures the actual rotation of the mirror and feeds that information back to the assembly.
36 Citations
12 Claims
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A mirror rotation assembly for a vehicle having a tractor and a pivotally connected semi-detached trailer, the assembly comprising:
-
a rotatable wheel; means on the tractor for supporting the rotatable wheel and for moving the rotatable wheel in and out of engagement with a bottom surface of the trailer; a counter operable to count, when the wheel is in engagement with the trailer, 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 rotatable mirror assembly, including a mirror, on the tractor; a motor connectable to the mirror assembly; 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. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
Specification