Remotely positionable mirror on an elongate arm

• US 4,039,818 A
• Filed: 02/24/1976
• Issued: 08/02/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tekron Licensing BV
• Original Assignee: Inventec International Limited
• Inventors: Hickman, Ronald Price
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, F. L.
• Application Number:
  US05/661,001
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 350/308, 356/241, 240/2.18, 240/4.2, 240/6.4 R
• US Class Current: 362/139
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/105 the horizontal axis being the roll axis, e.g. for creating a landscape-portrait rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2021 around a horizontal axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/065 with a special structure, e.g. reinforced or adapted for space reduction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/26 Pivoted arms
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/008 Leisure, hobby or sport articles, e.g. toys, games or first-aid kits; Hand tools; Toolboxes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0084 Hand tools; Toolboxes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/16 Housings; Caps; Mountings; Supports, e.g. with counterweight
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/182 for mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A mirror has a housing containing batteries and a folding arm which carries a mirror. Adjustment mechanism extends from the housing along the arm to the mirror.

Claims

1. A portable, remotely positionable mirror construction comprising:

an elongate arm which can be supported from one end by a single hand;

a mirror;

an angleable connection connecting said mirror to the other end of said arm for rotation of said mirror with respect to said arm about two axes at right angles to one another;

a control element adjacent said one end of said arm for controlling the angular orientation of said mirror with respect to said arm, said element being operable by the same hand which supports said arm while said arm is being supported by said hand alone;

a unitary transmission means extending along the elongate arm and linking said element to said connection for transmitting control movements of said control element to said mirror so that movement of the control element with respect to said arm in a linear direction controls movement of the mirror about one of said axes, and movement of the control element in a rotational direction with respect to said arm controls movement of the mirror about the other of said axes.

2. A mirror as defined in claim 1 in which the transmission means includes an elongate rod which is translated with respect to the arm in the direction of its length by movement of the control element in said linear direction, the rod being rotated about an axis parallel to its length by movement of the control element in a direction transverse to the direction of the length of said rod.

3. A mirror as claimed in claim 2 in which the arm is formed of at least two sections which are hinged together, and the elongate rod is formed in sections one of which is carried by each arm section, the adjacent ends of said rod sections being connected together by a spring.

4. A mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said angleable connection includes a hinged connection between said one end of said arm and the mirror by which said mirror may be tilted about an axis perpendicular to said arm, and also includes a journal connection between said mirror of said arm by which the mirror may be rotated about an axis parallel to said arm.

5. A mirror as defined in claim 4, wherein said hinged connection includes a hinge leg connected to said arm by a pivot pin offset from the axis of said arm and perpendicular thereto, and said journal connection includes a bore formed in said hinge leg and a pintle mounted in said bore for rotation about the axis thereof.

6. A mirror as defined in claim 4, wherein said transmission means includes an elongate member supported in said arm for axial translation with respect to said arm in the direction of its length, said transmission means also includes a flexible coupling between said rod and said angleable connection for transmitting force through an angle from the direction of the axis of said elongate member and also for transmitting torque through said angle about the axis of said elongate member.

7. A mirror as defined in claim 6, in which said arm includes at least two sections and a hinge for connecting adjacent ends of said sections together, and said elongate member includes two sections and a flexible coupling between adjacent ends of said elongate member sections for transmitting force through an angle in the direction of the axis of said members and for transmitting torque through said angle about the axis of said member sections.

8. A mirror as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

an electric circuit including a first receptor adjacent said mirror for receiving an electrically energizable light emitting element, a second receptor adjacent the other end of said arm for receiving an electric power source, and an electric current conductor between said receptors.

9. A remotely positionable mirror, comprising:

a body;

an elongate arm connected near one end thereof to said body;

a connector attached to other end of said arm and adjustable with respect to said arm about each of two transverse axes;

a mirror mounted on said connector;

adjustment means including a single hand operated device and a portion extending along said arm from said device to said connector for adjusting the orientation of said connector and said mirror with respect to said arm about both of said axis by manipulating said single hand operated device.

10. A remotely positionable mirror as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

a battery holder mounted in said body;

a lightbulb holder mounted adjacent said mirror;

electrical conductors connected between the battery holder and said lightbulb holder; and

a switch for interrupting the electrical connection between said battery holder and said lightbulb holder.

11. A remotely positionable mirror, comprising:

a body;

an elongate arm connected near one end thereof to said body;

a connector attached to the other end of said arm and adjustable with respect to said arm about each of two transverse axes;

a mirror mounted on said connector;

adjustment means extending along said arm from the vicinity of said body to said connector for adjusting the orientation of said connector and said mirror with respect to said arm about said axes;

said adjustment means includes an elongate rod shiftably mounted on said arm for translation in the direction of the axis of said rod, and for angular rotation about the axis of said rod;

said connector includes a lever pivotally connected to said arm and connected to said rod, whereby said lever is rocked about its pivotal connection when said rod is shifted in the direction of its axis;

said connector also includes a socket on said lever and a pintle in said socket for rotation relative to said lever about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the pivotal connection of said lever on said arm, said pintle being connected to said adjustment means for rotation relative to said lever when said rod is rotated about its axis.

12. The remotely positionable mirror defined in claim 11, wherein:

said arm includes a plurality of sections connected together by hinge means;

said adjustment means includes a plurality of rods contained within said arm sections and connected together in the vicinity of said hinge means by universal joint means and connected to said connector by universal joint means.

13. A remotely positionable mirror, comprising:

a body;

an elongate arm connected near one end thereof to said body and formed of a plurality of hinged sections;

a connector attached to the other end of said arm and adjustable with respect to said arm about each of two transverse axes;

a mirror mounted on said connector;

adjustment means for adjusting the orientation of said connector and said mirror with respect to said arm about said axes, said adjustment means extending along said arm from the vicinity of said body to said connector and formed of a plurality of rods connected together and to said connector by universal joints.

14. A mirror construction comprising an arm formed of a plurality of hinged sections, a mirror mounted on one end of said arm for pivotal movement with respect to said arm about two axes extending at right angles to one another and an adjustment mechanism extending along the arm for moving the mirror about the two axes.

15. A mirror construction comprising an elongate body, an elongate arm one end of which is connected to the body, a mirror connected by an angleable connection to the other end of the arm, the arm and the mirror being extendable between a storage condition in which the arm and mirror lie in close juxtaposition to the body and an operable condition in which the arm extends away from the body with the mirror at a distance from the body, an adjustment mechanism extending from the mirror along the arm to adjacent the body for adjustment of the mirror about the angleable connection, and a pocket formed in the body in which the mirror in the storage condition is received.

16. A mirror construction as claimed in claim 15 in which the arm is longer than the body.

17. A mirror construction comprising an elongate body, an elongate arm one end of which is connected to the body, the arm being formed of a plurality of hinged sections, a mirror connected by an angleable connection to the other end of the arm, the arm and mirror being extendable between a storage condition in which the arm and mirror lie in close juxtaposition to the body and an operable condition in which the arm extends away from the body with the mirror at a distance from the body, an adjustment mechanism extending from the mirror along the arm to adjacent the body for adjustment of the mirror about the angleable connection.

18. A mirror construction as claimed in claim 17 in which the arm is received in one or more channels in the body.

19. A mirror construction as claimed in claim 17 in which one arm section is received in a channel on one side of the body and another arm section is received in a second channel on the opposite side of the body.

20. A mirror construction as claimed in claim 17 in which the arm has a first section of which one end is pivoted to the body and which section has a length such that, in the storage condition, its other end lies close to the other end of the body to permit a second section pivoted to the said second end of the first section to be pivoted through substantially 180°

with respect to the first section and to lie on the opposite side of the body from the first section in the storage condition.

21. A mirror construction comprising an elongate body, an elongate arm one end of which is connected to the body, a mirror connected to the other end of the arm by an angleable connection which permits rotation of the mirror relative to the arm about two axes lying normal to one another, the arm and mirror being extendable between a storage condition in which the arm and mirror lie in close juxtaposition to the body and an operable condition in which the arm extends away from the body with the mirror at a distance from the body, an adjustment mechanism extending from the mirror along the arm to adjacent the body for adjustment of the mirror about the angleable connection.

22. A mirror as claimed in claim 21 in which a single control element effects movement of the mirror about both axes simultaneously or independently.

23. A mirror construction as in claim 22 wherein the single control element is connected to the mirror by said adjustment mechanism which includes a plurality of rod members interconnected to each other and to the mirror by means of springs.

24. A mirror as claimed in claim 21 in which part of the adjustment mechanism is a coil spring.

25. A mirror construction comprising a housing which includes a pair of longitudinal compartments separated by a centrally positioned web which, with the compartments, defines a pair of outwardly facing channels one on each side of the housing, an arm having one section thereof which is connected to the housing by a pivot connection and which in a storage condition lies in one of the channels, a second section having one end pivoted to the end of the first section remote from the pivot connection, and the other end of the second section having a mirror mounted thereon for pivotal movement about at least one axis, and a mirror adjustment mechanism extending from adjacent the housing through the arm sections to the mirror.