Rear view mirror for driver assistant or trainer

• US 5,107,375 A
• Filed: 10/31/1990
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fisher J. Charles
• Original Assignee: Fisher J. Charles
• Inventors: Fisher, J. Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/606,709
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 350/612, 350/626, 350/601, 350/616, 350/283, 350/277, 350/627, 350/580, 350/584, 350/276 R
• US Class Current: 359/850
• 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

Abstract

A safety rear view mirror for vehicles with a restricted field of view is mounted in a preferred position between a standard external rear view mirror on the side of the vehicle opposite the driver'"'"'s side and the vehicle. The safety rear view mirror or simply safety mirror is positioned to be observed by a driver trainer or driver assistant sealed in a seat adjacent the driver'"'"'s seat. The position of the safety mirror may be such with respect to the structure of the cab of the vehicle that the safety mirror may not be observed by the driver of the vehicle, hence, that it is only accessible to the driver assistant. In a preferred embodiment the safety mirror includes a safety shield which is disposed between the reflective element of the safety mirror and the driver of the vehicle. The safety shield may be adjusted to an optimum position in which the safety shield restricts the driver'"'"'s view of the safety mirror in cases where the mirror can not be conveniently mounted to be observable by the driver assistant only. The safety shield protects the driver from receiving a double image of the rear field of view to thereby allow the driver to concentrate on the image observed through the standard external rear view mirror.

Claims

1. A combination of two external rear view mirrors disposed on a side of a vehicle opposite the driver'"'"'s side, a first one of the mirrors oriented to afford to the driver of the vehicle a field of view toward the rear on the side at which the first mirror is mounted, a second of the two rear view mirrors being oriented to afford to a person next to the driver a field of view toward the rear on the same side of the vehicle as the first of the combination, the second rear view mirror comprising a shield disposed on a side of the second rear view mirror, which side substantially faces toward the driver of the vehicle, the shield extending from the side of the second rear view mirror through the plane of reflection thereof and into the driver'"'"'s field of view with respect to the second rear view mirror, thereby positively restricting the driver'"'"'s view from observing an image on the reflective element of said second rear view mirror, said position on the side of the second rear view mirror unblocking the second rear view mirror with respect to the person next to the driver, whereby the person next to the driver has visual access to the second rear view mirror.

2. The combination of two external rear view mirrors according to claim 1, wherein the shield comprises means for adjusting the shield into and out of the field of view of the driver to adjust the shield in response to a pivotal repositioning movement of the mirror.

3. A safety rear view mirror for use on a driver operated vehicle and on a side of the vehicle opposite the driver'"'"'s side, the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle having a seat for the driver, said side opposite the driver'"'"'s side having a driver rear view mirror mounted externally of the vehicle for use by the driver, said side opposite the driver'"'"'s side further having a seat for a person to sit adjacent the driver, said safety rear view mirror comprising:

a case including means for mounting the case pivotally about a vertical axis;

a reflective mirror element disposed in the case and supported by the case;

means for engaging the mounting means for supporting the safety rear view mirror between the driver rear view mirror and said vehicle with an orientation to be accessible by a person seated in the seat adjacent the driver'"'"'s seat; and

means for restricting a field of view of the driver, when seated in the driver'"'"'s seat, toward the reflective element of the mirror, the field of view restricting means extending from a side of the case disposed toward the driver and next to the reflective element through the plane of reflection of the reflective element and into the field of view between the driver and the reflective element, to restrict the driver of the vehicle from viewing the reflective element when the mirror is oriented to be viewed by said person seated in the seat adjacent the driver'"'"'s seat.

4. The safety rear view mirror according to claim 3, wherein the field of view restricting means is a shield disposed adjacent the reflective element of the mirror, said shield being adjustably mounted to the case for movement above a reflective plane of the safety rear view mirror into and out of the field of view of the driver toward said reflective element.

5. The safety rear view mirror according to claim 3, wherein the field of view restricting means is at least one shield extending from the plane of the reflective element of the safety mirror.