Construction for mounting inside rear view mirror in motor vehicle

• US 4,243,196 A
• Filed: 03/26/1979
• Issued: 01/06/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Imai, Mamoru, Omote, Kazuaki, Toda, Tadayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Foss, J. Franklin
• Application Number:
  US06/023,651
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 248/549, 248/475 R, 248/475 B, 296/28 R, 296/37.7, 296/137 A
• US Class Current: 248/475.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

In a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle a roof rail has a raised portion formed with an attachment surface substantially flush with the inside surface of a ceiling member exposed to the passenger compartment. A mirror mounting bracket is attached to the raised portion of the roof rail at the attachment surface of the latter. A circumferential space formed between the roof rail and the bracket is not visible because of the ceiling member sandwiched between the roof rail and the bracket.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a passenger compartment,

a first relatively thick ceiling member for the ceiling of said passenger compartment, said first ceiling member being formed with an aperture;

a roof rail having a raised portion with an attachment surface, said raised portion being received in said aperture so that said attachment surface is substantially flush with the inner surface of said first ceiling member;

a mirror mounting bracket having a flat surface attached to said attachment surface, said flat surface being greater in area than said aperture so that said roof rail and said flat surface define a concealed circumferential space around said raised portion,

the arrangement of the foregoing being such that said first ceiling member can be replaced with a second thinner one which is sandwiched between said roof rail and said bracket thus retaining said circumferential space concealed.

2. In a vehicle having a passenger compartment

a roof rail;

a mirror mounting bracket connected to said roof rail via fastening means; and

a ceiling member interposed between said roof rail and said bracket;

the improvement comprising;

said roof rail being provided with a raised portion having a predetermined height, and said bracket having a flat surface which seats on said raised portion and which has an area greater than said raised portion whereby with the same roof rail and bracket it is possible to interchange a relatively rigid ceiling member having a thickness substantially equal to the height of said raised portion and which is formed with an aperture for receiving said raised portion smaller in area than said flat surface with a ceiling member which is relatively thin and flexible which is sandwiched between said raised portion and said flat surface and through which said fastening means only passes, without an unsightly gap being formed between either of said ceiling members and said flat surface.

3. In a vehicle having a passenger compartment and a roof rail disposed on the roof of said vehicle

a method of mounting a mirror mounting bracket to said roof rail so that with the same bracket and roof rail, a relatively thick and rigid ceiling member and a relatively thin flexible ceiling member can be used in said vehicle without the appearance of an unsightly gap between said ceiling member and said bracket, said roof rail being formed with a raised portion having a height substantially equal to the thickness of said thick and rigid ceiling member, said bracket having a flat surface which seats on said raised portion and said thick and rigid ceiling member having an aperture which is larger in area than said raised portion and smaller than said flat surface, comprising the steps of:

mounting said bracket to said roof rail with said thick and rigid ceiling member by disposing said raised portion in said aperture, seating said bracket on said raised portion so that said flat surface contacts and holds said thick and rigid ceiling member against said roof rail and encloses a peripheral space defined around said raised portion, and

fastening said bracket to said roof rail via fastening means; and

mounting said bracket to said roof rail with said thin and flexible ceiling member by

overlaying said thin and flexible ceiling member on said raised portion thus concealing said raised portion,

seating said bracket on said thin and flexible ceiling member thus sandwiching said thin and flexible ceiling member between said flat surface and said raised portion, and

inserting said fastening means through said thin and flexible ceiling member for retaining said bracket on said roof rail.