Dual plane rear vision mirror

• US 4,932,770 A
• Filed: 12/20/1988
• Issued: 06/12/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond D. Caravaty
• Original Assignee: Raymond D. Caravaty
• Inventors: Caravaty, Raymond D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US07/286,946
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 350/627, 350/626, 350/612, 350/606, 350/631, 350/632, 248/467
• US Class Current: 359/866
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/082 using a single wide field mirror or an association of rigidly connected mirrors

Abstract

A pair of single plane mirror elements are mounted in relatively inclined positions relative to each other and from a wedge block including a rear mounting surface coplanar with the rear surface of one of the mirror elements, the rear surface of the other mirror element being mounted from the front side of the wedge block. Further, one margin of the first mirror element has a major portion of the length thereof seated in a rabbet formed in a marginal edge of the wedge block joining the wedge block rear surface.

Claims

1. A dual plane mirror assembly including a first mirror element and a second mirror element, each of said elements including a reflective front side and a rear side, said first and second mirror elements including first and second substantially straight margins, respectively, elongated wedge block means including a substantially straight marginal edge of a length at least generally equal in length to one of said margins and extending between front and back surfaces of said wedge block means, the other of said margins being at least generally the same length as said marginal edge, said first mirror element being mounted to said wedge block means with the rear side of said first mirror element overlying and opposing said front surface and said first margin extending along and substantially coinciding with said marginal edge, said marginal edge, along said back surface, including a rabbet extending therealong of a constant depth, measured at right angles relative to said back surface, substantially equal to the thickness of said second mirror element along said second margin, said rabbet extending from one end of said marginal edge toward the other end thereof and tapering in transverse width, measured in the plane of said back surface, toward said other end of said marginal edge, the transverse width tapering of said rabbet being such that said rabbet terminates and intersects with said marginal edge at a point spaced slightly from said other end of said marginal edge, said front surface being inclined, longitudinally of said wedge block means, toward said back surface, said second mirror element being arranged with a major portion of said second margin seated in said rabbet and the rear side of said second mirror element at least substantially coplanar with said back surface and the remaining portion of said second margin closely opposing the corresponding portion of said first margin.

2. The mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said front surface is inclined, transversely of said wedge block means, toward said rear surface.

3. The mirror assembly of claim 1 including a vehicle outside mirror assembly for mounting upon a vehicle exterior, said outside mirror assembly including a housing having one open side, a mirror mount mounted in said housing and including means defining planar surface means facing outwardly of said one open side, said dual plane mirror assembly being mounted from said planar surface means with said rear side and back surface mounted from and opposing said planar surface means.

4. The mirror assembly of claim 3 wherein said planar surface means is defined by a planar mirror element mounted from said mirror mount.

5. The mirror assembly of claim 3 wherein said planar surface means is defined by said mirror mount.

6. The mirror assembly of claim 5 wherein said front surface is inclined, transversely of said wedge block means, toward said rear surface.

7. The mirror assembly of claim 6 wherein said front surface is inclined, transversely of said wedge block means, toward said rear surface.