Anti-glare vehicular mirror
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A cross-view, school bus mirror assembly, comprising:
- a mirror element having a contoured outer surface, said mirror surface shaped to provide a wide angle field of view of a predetermined scene, which said view extends both in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction along a front and at least one side of a school bus, said scene including images of both said front and said at least one side of said school bus;
a mirror pole;
the mirror element being affixed to the mirror pole and the contoured outer surface of the mirror element being used to provide the wide angle field of view of said predetermined scene to a driver of said school bus, while said driver drives said school bus;
a mirror mount for connecting the mirror pole to a front fender of said school bus; and
the contoured outer surface of the mirror element being a convex, generally dome shaped and contiguous mirror surface surrounded by a peripheral edge, the outer mirror surface proceeding in said vertical direction from an uppermost position to a lowermost vertical position and facing toward the driver of said school bus to which the mirror element is mounted, a portion of the outer surface, which comprises less than one-half of the surface taken in the vertical direction, beginning from the uppermost position on the contoured mirror surface and ending above a straight notional line which bisects the mirror surface in the horizontal direction, being treated with and comprising an antiglare material which reduces glare, including from sun rays, without rendering the treated surface opaque as to be non-reflective, the outer surface of the mirror element thereby comprising the treated surface and a non-treated surface, whereby the mirror surface enables the driver to simultaneously observe a first part of the scene at the treated surface and a second part of the scene at the non-treated surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mirror element for a school bus is mounted to the front to provide wide angle viewing of the ground in front of and to the side of the bus. An upper portion of the mirror element which is generally dome shaped is treated to reduce glare.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A cross-view, school bus mirror assembly, comprising:
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a mirror element having a contoured outer surface, said mirror surface shaped to provide a wide angle field of view of a predetermined scene, which said view extends both in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction along a front and at least one side of a school bus, said scene including images of both said front and said at least one side of said school bus; a mirror pole; the mirror element being affixed to the mirror pole and the contoured outer surface of the mirror element being used to provide the wide angle field of view of said predetermined scene to a driver of said school bus, while said driver drives said school bus; a mirror mount for connecting the mirror pole to a front fender of said school bus; and the contoured outer surface of the mirror element being a convex, generally dome shaped and contiguous mirror surface surrounded by a peripheral edge, the outer mirror surface proceeding in said vertical direction from an uppermost position to a lowermost vertical position and facing toward the driver of said school bus to which the mirror element is mounted, a portion of the outer surface, which comprises less than one-half of the surface taken in the vertical direction, beginning from the uppermost position on the contoured mirror surface and ending above a straight notional line which bisects the mirror surface in the horizontal direction, being treated with and comprising an antiglare material which reduces glare, including from sun rays, without rendering the treated surface opaque as to be non-reflective, the outer surface of the mirror element thereby comprising the treated surface and a non-treated surface, whereby the mirror surface enables the driver to simultaneously observe a first part of the scene at the treated surface and a second part of the scene at the non-treated surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A school bus in combination with a mirror assembly, comprising in combination:
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a school bus; a mirror element having a contoured outer surface, said mirror surface utilized to provide a wide angle field of view of a predetermined scene, which extends both in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction along a front and at least one side of said school bus, said scene including images of both said front and said at least one side of said school bus; a mirror pole; the mirror element being affixed to the mirror pole and the contoured outer surface of the mirror element being used to provide the wide angle field of view of said predetermined scene to a driver of said school bus, while said driver drives said school bus; a mirror mount for connecting the mirror pole to a front fender of said school bus; and the contoured outer surface of the mirror element being a convex, generally dome shaped and contiguous mirror surface surrounded by a peripheral edge, the outer mirror surface proceeding in said vertical direction from an uppermost position to a lowermost vertical position and facing toward the driver of said school bus to which the mirror element is mounted, a portion of the outer surface, which comprises less than one-half of the surface taken in the vertical direction, beginning from the uppermost position on the contoured mirror surface and ending above a straight notional line which bisects the mirror surface in the horizontal direction, being treated with an antiglare material to reduce glare, including from sun rays, without rendering the treated surface opaque as to be non-reflective, the outer surface of the mirror element thereby comprising the treated surface and a non-treated surface, whereby the mirror surface enables the driver to simultaneously observe a first part of the scene at the treated surface and a second part of the scene at the non-treated surface.
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8. A cross-view, school bus or vehicle mirror assembly, comprising:
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a mirror pole; a mirror mount for connecting said mirror pole to a front fender of a school bus or vehicle; a mirror element affixed to said mirror pole and having a contoured outer mirror surface comprising a convex, generally dome shaped mirror surface having a peripheral edge and having an upper area capable of reflecting images located above a bottom half portion of the mirror element, and the contoured outer mirror surface facing toward the school bus or vehicle to which the mirror element is mounted, and the contoured outer mirror surface of the mirror element facing toward a driver of the school bus or vehicle; and an antiglare material treated on the upper area of the dome shaped mirror surface above a bottom half of said contoured outer mirror surface of said mirror element to reduce glare from sun rays emanating at least from a direction in front of the driver from the front or sides of the school bus or vehicle with respect to a first image portion located above the bottom half portion of the mirror element while darkening the first image portion reflected thereby, and wherein the bottom half portion of the mirror element is free of antiglare material that reflects a second image portion without darkening the second image portion. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A cross-view, school bus or vehicle mirror assembly, comprising:
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a mirror pole; a mirror mount for connecting said mirror pole to a front fender of a school bus or vehicle; a mirror element affixed to said mirror pole and having a contoured outer mirror surface comprising a convex, generally dome shaped mirror surface having a peripheral edge and having an upper area capable of reflecting images located above the bottom half portion of the mirror element, and the contoured outer mirror surface facing toward the school bus or vehicle to which the mirror element is mounted, and the contoured outer mirror surface of the mirror element facing toward a driver of the school bus or vehicle; and an antiglare material treated on the upper area of the dome shaped mirror surface above a bottom half of said contoured outer mirror surface of said mirror element to reduce glare from sun rays emanating at least from a direction in front of the driver from the front or sides of the school bus or vehicle, and wherein the bottom half portion of the mirror element is free of antiglare material.
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Specification