Auxiliary rear view mirror

• US 4,793,701 A
• Filed: 07/21/1987
• Issued: 12/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Don E. Brown
• Original Assignee: Don E. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Don E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lerner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US07/075,944
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 248/467, 248/160, 350/616, 350/632, 350/634, 350/636, 350/631
• US Class Current: 359/865
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1824 Manual alignment

Abstract

An auxiliary mirror assembly is comprised of an auxiliary mirror, a coupling device affixed to a back section of a conventional, existing rear view mirror, and an elongated, rod-like deformable member interconnecting the auxiliary member and the coupling device. The deformable member may be shaped by finger pressure for movement of the auxiliary mirror relative to the conventional mirror about any one of a number of vertical and horizontal axes in order to shift the auxiliary mirror toward a selected, inclined position to view children in the back seat or enhance observation of traffic to one side of the vehicle. Once deformed, the member is self-sustaining to retain the auxiliary mirror in the selected position although additional, subsequent one-hand movement of the auxiliary mirror is also possible. The coupling device includes an adhesive pad that is readily affixed to the forwardly facing, back section of the conventional mirror so that no portions of the opposite, reflective surface of the conventional mirror are obscured.

Claims

1. For use with a rear view mirror of a vehicle, an auxiliary mirror assembly comprising:

an auxiliary mirror;

a coupling device for fixed connection with said rear view mirror; and

an elongated, rod-like member interconnecting said coupling device and said auxiliary mirror for supporting the latter,

said member being bendable by hand for movement of said auxiliary mirror relative to said coupling device about any one of a number of vertical and horizontal axes in order to shift said auxiliary mirror toward a selected, inclined position relative to said rear view mirror,

said member being self-sustaining subsequent to bending in any one of a number of configurations to substantially retain said auxiliary mirror in said selected position,

said member being axially bendable by hand from a configuration having a straight longitudinal axis to configurations having a curved longitudinal axis.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said member is hand deformable for movement of said auxiliary mirror relative to said rear view mirror about any one of three mutually perpendicular axes of rotation.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein coupling device comprises an adhesive portion for contact with said rear view mirror.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3, wherein said rear view mirror presents a back section facing forwardly of said vehicle and a reflective section facing rearwardly of said vehicle, wherein said auxiliary mirror includes a userfacing reflective surface portion, and wherein said adhesive portion of said coupling device faces in the same general direction as said reflective surface portion of said auxiliary mirror and said reflective section of said rear view mirror for enabling said adhesive portion to be fixed to said back section of said rear view mirror.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4, wherein said coupling device at least initially includes a flexible membrane detachably connected to said adhesive portion for protecting the latter prior to installation and connection with said back section of said rear view mirror.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary mirror presents an overall configuration of a size smaller than said rear view mirror.