Mounting arrangement for a mirror

• US 4,632,348 A
• Filed: 12/12/1985
• Issued: 12/30/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Metzger, William J., Keesling, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): FOSS, J
• Time in patent office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 248/222.1, 248/223.4, 248/224.1, 248/224.2, 248/225.1, 248/73, 248/549, 248/475.1, 248/469, 248/481, 24/665
• US Class Current: 248/222.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0619 the female part comprising a blind socket receiving the male part

Abstract

A two piece mounting arrangement for a vehicle inside rear view mirror that employs a spring clip having a body integrally formed with at least two bow-shaped spring fingers and a resilient lock bar which prevents one part of the mounting arrangement from being removed from the other part without first depressing the lock bar.

Claims

1. A mounting arrangement for connecting a mirror assembly to an automobile windshield, said mounting arrangement comprising a mirror support member, a base member adapted to be adhesively bonded to said automobile windshield and having a shoulder formed thereon, said mirror support member and said base member each having a top edge and a pair of side edges, each of the side edges of said base and said mirror support having cooperating tongue and groove portions whereby said mirror support member can be placed into mating engagement with said base member until the top portions of the base member and mirror support member contact each other and provide a stop, said mirror support member having a cavity formed therein so when combined with said base member a pocket is provided which is accessible from the bottom end of said mirror support member, a spring clip located in said cavity for preventing said mirror support member from being removed from said base member, said spring clip having a body retained by said cavity in said mirror support member, a pair of bow-shaped spring arms integral with said body and serving to apply a biasing force against said base member, and a T-shaped lock bar integral with said body and normally engaging said shoulder on said base member to prevent movement of said mirror support member in an upward direction and being movable out of engagement with said shoulder by a tool inserted into said pocket so as to allow said mirror support member to be removed from said base member.

2. A mounting arrangement for connecting a mirror assembly to an automobile windshield, said mounting arrangement comprising a mirror support member, a base member adapted to be adhesively bonded to an automobile windshield and having a shoulder formed thereon, said mirror support member having a pair of parallel depending legs integral with a transversely extending wall, said base member having a pair of side edges and a top edge, each of the side edges of said base member and said legs of said mirror support member having cooperating tongue and groove portions whereby said mirror support member can be moved in a downward direction into mating engagement with said base member until the top edge of the base member and the wall of said mirror support member contact each other and provide a stop, said mirror support member having a cavity defined by said legs and said wall so when combined with said base member a pocket is provided which is accessible from the bottom end of said mirror support member, a spring clip located in said cavity for preventing said mirror support member from being removed from said base member, said spring clip having a body retained by said cavity in said mirror support member, a pair of laterally spaced bow-shaped spring arms integral with said body and serving to apply a biasing force against said base member, and a T-shaped lock bar integral with said body and located between said pair of spring arms, said lock bar normally engaging said shoulder on said base member to prevent movement of said mirror support member in an upward direction and being movable out of engagement with said shoulder by a tool inserted into said pocket so as to allow said mirror support to be removed from said base.

3. A mounting arrangement for connecting a mirror assembly to an automobile windshield, said mounting assembly comprising a mirror support member, a base member adapted to be adhesively bonded to an automobile windshield and having a transversely extending stepped shoulder formed thereon, said mirror support member and said base member each having a top edge and a pair of side edges, each of the side edges of said base member and said mirror support member having cooperating tongue and groove portions whereby said mirror support member can be moved in a downward direction into mating engagement with said base member until the top portions of the base member and mirror support member contact each other and provide a stop, said mirror support member having a cavity formed therein so when combined with said base member a pocket is provided which is accessible from the bottom end of said mirror support member, a spring clip located in said cavity for preventing said mirror support member from being removed from said base member, said spring clip having a body which includes a flat floor section and a curved retainer section secured within said cavity of said mirror support member, a first pair of laterally spaced bow-shaped spring arms integral with one end of said body and located on opposite sides of said retainer section, a second pair of laterally spaced bow-shaped spring arms integral with the other end of said body and serving together with said first pair of spring arms to apply a biasing force against said base member, and a T-shaped lock bar integral with said other end of said body and located between said second pair of spring arms, said lock bar normally engaging said shoulder on said base member to prevent movement of said mirror support member in an upward direction and being depressible out of engagement with said shoulder by a tool inserted into said pocket so as to allow said mirror support member to be removed from said base member.