Automotive return rear view mirror

• US 5,971,550 A
• Filed: 01/12/1998
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tengler, David Richard, Delannoy, Enrique, Gaboury, Scott Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Spyrou, Cassandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERRY, EUNCHA P
• Application Number:
  US09/005,679
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 359/604, 359/843, 359/872, 248/478, 248/479
• US Class Current: 359/843
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08

Abstract

An automotive vehicle rear view mirror assembly automatically returnable from a rear seat viewing position to a rear window viewing position includes a bracket, a bracket rod having an axis and extending through and rigidly connected to the bracket, a resilient member disposed about the bracket rod and having an end, a mirror housing pivotally connected to the bracket rod, the housing having a wall portion in resilient contacting relationship with the end, and a flip lever attached to the mirror housing having a bracket receiving end with a bracket contacting surface.

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle rear view mirror assembly comprising:

a bracket having a forward contacting surface and a rearward contacting surface disposed thereon;

a mirror housing pivotally connected to the bracket;

a reflective surface attached to the mirror housing;

a flip lever for selecting between first and second rear window viewing positions, the flip lever having a bracket receiving end with a bracket contacting surface for engaging the forward contacting surface of the bracket only when the mirror housing is in either of the first and second rear window viewing positions, the flip lever further including a bracket stop surface for engaging a rearward contacting surface of the bracket only when the mirror housing is positioned in a rear seat viewing position; and

biasing means for urging the mirror housing to automatically return from the rear seat viewing position to either of the two rear window viewing positions.

2. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mirror housing includes at least one integral control tab projecting from a perimeter of the mirror housing so as to facilitate manual rotation of the mirror housing from either of the rear window viewing positions into the rear seat viewing position.

3. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the biasing means includes at least one torsional spring.

4. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the biasing means includes a pair of torsional springs operatively disposed about a bracket rod rigidly secured to the bracket and pivotally attached to the mirror housing on lateral sides of the bracket.