Exterior rearview mirror assembly for vehicle
First Claim
1. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- a mirror head having a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element;
a mounting arm configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, wherein said mirror head is adjustably mounted at said mounting arm;
an adjustment mechanism disposed at said mounting arm and adjustable to adjust the mirror head position relative to said mounting arm between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein said mirror head is closer to the side of the vehicle at which said mounting arm is attached when in said retracted position as compared to said extended position, and wherein said mirror head and said mirror reflective element are oriented to provide a driver of the vehicle a field of view rearward and sideward of the vehicle with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle both (a) when said mirror head is in said retracted position and (b) when said mirror head is in said extended position;
wherein said adjustment mechanism, when adjusting the mirror head position with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle, also adjusts an angle of said mirror head relative to the side of the vehicle at which said exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached;
wherein said mirror head comprises a rear surface, said rear surface comprising a surface of said mirror casing that circumscribes an opening of said mirror casing at which said mirror reflective element is disposed;
wherein, with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle, said rear surface of said mirror head is angled more towards the side of the vehicle rearward of where said mounting arm is attached when said mirror head is in said extended position than when said mirror head is in said retracted position; and
wherein said mirror head is connected to said adjustment mechanism and to said mounting arm via respective pivotable links that, responsive to adjustment of said adjustment mechanism, cooperatively pivot relative to said mounting arm and said mirror head to move said mirror head between said retracted and extended positions.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head having a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element. A mounting arm is configured for attachment at a side of the vehicle, with the mirror head adjustably mounted at the mounting arm. An adjustment mechanism adjusts the mirror head position relative to the mounting arm between a retracted position and an extended position. The adjustment mechanism, when adjusting the mirror head position, also adjusts a mirror head angle relative to the side of the vehicle. When the mirror head is in the retracted position, a mirror head surface is at a first plane, while, when the mirror head is in the extended position, the mirror head surface is at a second plane. The mirror head surface is angled more towards the side of the vehicle when in the second plane than when in the first plane.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a mirror head having a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element; a mounting arm configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, wherein said mirror head is adjustably mounted at said mounting arm; an adjustment mechanism disposed at said mounting arm and adjustable to adjust the mirror head position relative to said mounting arm between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein said mirror head is closer to the side of the vehicle at which said mounting arm is attached when in said retracted position as compared to said extended position, and wherein said mirror head and said mirror reflective element are oriented to provide a driver of the vehicle a field of view rearward and sideward of the vehicle with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle both (a) when said mirror head is in said retracted position and (b) when said mirror head is in said extended position; wherein said adjustment mechanism, when adjusting the mirror head position with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle, also adjusts an angle of said mirror head relative to the side of the vehicle at which said exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached; wherein said mirror head comprises a rear surface, said rear surface comprising a surface of said mirror casing that circumscribes an opening of said mirror casing at which said mirror reflective element is disposed; wherein, with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle, said rear surface of said mirror head is angled more towards the side of the vehicle rearward of where said mounting arm is attached when said mirror head is in said extended position than when said mirror head is in said retracted position; and wherein said mirror head is connected to said adjustment mechanism and to said mounting arm via respective pivotable links that, responsive to adjustment of said adjustment mechanism, cooperatively pivot relative to said mounting arm and said mirror head to move said mirror head between said retracted and extended positions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a mirror head having a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element; a mounting arm configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, wherein said mirror head is adjustably mounted at said mounting arm; an adjustment mechanism adjustable to adjust the mirror head position relative to said mounting arm between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein said mirror head is closer to the side of the vehicle at which said mounting arm is attached when in said retracted position as compared to said extended position, and wherein said mirror head and said mirror reflective element are oriented to provide a driver of the vehicle a field of view rearward and sideward of the vehicle with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle both (a) when said mirror head is in said retracted position and (b) when said mirror head is in said extended position; wherein said mirror head is connected to said adjustment mechanism via a first link and said mirror head is connected to said mounting arm via a second link, whereby said mirror head is movable via pivotal movement of said first and second links relative to said mounting arm, and wherein said first link is not parallel to said second link; wherein said adjustment mechanism, when adjusting the mirror head position via pivoting said first and second links with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle, also adjusts an angle of said mirror head relative to the side of the vehicle at which said exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached; wherein said adjustment mechanism swings said mirror head through an arcuate path between said retracted and extended positions; wherein said mirror head comprises a rear surface, said rear surface comprising a surface of said mirror casing that circumscribes an opening of said mirror casing at which said mirror reflective element is disposed; wherein, with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle, said rear surface of said mirror head is angled more towards the side of the vehicle rearward of where said mounting arm is attached when said mirror head is in said extended position than when said mirror head is in said retracted position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a mirror head having a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element; a mounting arm configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, wherein said mirror head is adjustably mounted at said mounting arm; an adjustment mechanism disposed at said mounting arm and adjustable to adjust the mirror head position relative to said mounting arm between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein said mirror head is closer to the side of the vehicle at which said mounting arm is attached when in said retracted position as compared to said extended position, and wherein said mirror head and said mirror reflective element are oriented to provide a driver of the vehicle a field of view rearward and sideward of the vehicle with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle both (a) when said mirror head is in said retracted position and (b) when said mirror head is in said extended position; wherein said adjustment mechanism, when adjusting the mirror head position with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle, also adjusts an angle of said mirror head relative to the side of the vehicle at which said exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached; wherein said adjustment mechanism swings said mirror head through an arcuate path between said retracted and extended positions; wherein said mounting arm comprises a plurality of first engaging elements and a plurality of second engaging elements, and wherein said mirror head comprises a plurality of third engaging elements, and wherein, when said mirror head is in said retracted position, said third engaging elements engage respective ones of said first engaging elements to align and retain said mirror head at said retracted position, and wherein, when said mirror head is in said extended position, said third engaging elements engage respective ones of said second engaging elements to align and retain said mirror head at said extended position; wherein one of (i) at least one of said first engaging elements is configured to receive at least one of said third engaging elements therein when said mirror head is in said retracted position and (ii) at least one of said third engaging elements is configured to receive at least one of said first engaging elements therein when said mirror head is in said retracted position; wherein said mirror head comprises a rear surface, said rear surface comprising a surface of said mirror casing that circumscribes an opening of said mirror casing at which said mirror reflective element is disposed; wherein, with said mounting arm attached at the side of the vehicle, said rear surface of said mirror head is angled more towards the side of the vehicle rearward of where said mounting arm is attached when said mirror head is in said extended position than when said mirror head is in said retracted position; and wherein said mirror head is connected to said adjustment mechanism and to said mounting arm via respective pivotable links that, responsive to adjustment of said adjustment mechanism, cooperatively pivot relative to said mounting arm and said mirror head to move said mirror head between said retracted and extended positions. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification