Telescopic exterior rear view mirror

• US 4,998,812 A
• Filed: 07/16/1990
• Issued: 03/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mei-Wen H. Hou
• Original Assignee: Mei-Wen H. Hou
• Inventors: Hou, Mei-Wen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAFER, RICKY D
• Application Number:
  US07/552,468
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• Field of Search: 350/604, 350/606, 350/626, 350/632, 350/639, 248/476, 248/477, 248/478, 248/480, 248/479, 248/483
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/078 easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/081 avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors

Abstract

A telescopic exterior rear-view mirror for motor vehicles which includes a first side mirror device having an inner chamber and a second side mirror adapted to move laterally outwardly from a retracted position in the chamber of the first side mirror device into an extended position in a telescopic fashion, a spring disposed between adjacent side walls of the first side mirror device and the second side mirror device for expelling the second side mirror device from the collapsed position into the extended position and a lock and release means for locking the second side mirror device in the collapsed position and operating to release the second side mirror device therefrom.

Claims

1. A telescopic exterior rear-view mirror for motor vehicles comprising:

a first side mirror device having a housing defining an inner chamber and carrying a first mirror, said housing having a first side wall, and a second side wall opposed to the first side wall, said second side wall having an opening formed therethrough;

secure means for securing the housing to the body of the motor vehicle;

a first ball joint connector rotatably adjustably interconnecting the secure means and the first side wall of the housing;

rail means transversely arranged in the housing;

a second mirror device having a frame member carrying a second mirror facing a direction substantially corresponding to that of the first mirror, adapted to be stored in the chamber of the housing of the first side mirror device, having a lagging side wall and leading side wall respectively corresponding to the first side wall and the second side wall of the housing and movable between a retracted position in the housing and an extended position through the opening in the second side wall of the housing;

an intermediate body having a lagging side and a leading side respectively corresponding to the lagging side wall and leading side wall of the frame member of the second side mirror device;

hook members spacedly and integrally formed on a lagging side wall of the intermediate body;

a second ball joint assembly connector rotatably adjustably interconnecting the leading side of the intermediated body and the lagging side wall of the frame member of the second side mirror device;

a slide member adapted to be slidably engaged in the rail means and attached to the intermediate body for sliding the second side mirror device between a retracted position and an extended position;

a spring unit disposed between the first side wall of the housing and the lagging side of the intermediate body for expelling the second side mirror device from the retracted position into the extended position;

a pair of retaining members opposedly formed on the first side wall of the housing and having respective recesses for retaining two end portions of a spring; and

a lock and release means having a partition board extending across the parallel horizontal side walls of the housing and having opposite recesses, locking members having hook members for engaging the hook members on the intermediate body as the second side mirror is located in its retracted position and means to release the engagement between the hook members between the locking members and the intermediate body.

2. A telescopic exterior rear-view mirror for motor vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first ball joint is secured to the secure means through a turnable joint assembly for turning the first side mirror device upwardly.