Mirror assembly for use in automobile having water drops removing apparatus

• US 5,418,643 A
• Filed: 10/07/1992
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ogasawara, Morihiko, Ohno, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US07/957,379
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 359/507, 359/508, 359/509, 359/512, 359/514, 359/871, 359/872, 15/250 B, 15/250.003, 310/321, 310/322
• US Class Current: 359/507
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0602 comprising means for cleaning or deicing

Abstract

A mirror assembly for use in an automobile having a water drops removing apparatus. A mirror glass is held by a back holder which includes a flange engaging a front surface of an edge of the mirror glass. The flange has a plurality of projections extending from the flange to contact the glass surface. The projections maintain a predetermined gap between the inner surface of the flange and the glass surface so that the pumping action and cavitation of the water drops in the gap are prevented.

Claims

1. A vibrating mirror assembly for removing water drops comprising:

a mirror glass,

a back holder for holding the mirror glass, having a flange with a plurality of projections which engage the front surface of the mirror glass, and

a supersonic generator for causing a vibration of the mirror glass which is mounted in the back holder and behind the mirror glass,

the plurality of projections are spaced from each other and extend from the inner surface of the flange to contact the front surface of the mirror glass so that a gap is defined between the inner surface of the flange and the front surface of the mirror glass and is set at a predetermined value such that a pumping action and cavitation of the water drops caught in the gap can be prevented.

2. The mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the gap is 0.2-0.8 mm.

3. The mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the projections is spaced from a inner side face of the back holder so as to define a space, each space being surrounded by a projection, the inner surface of the flange, the inner side face of the back holder and the front surface of the mirror glass, whereby the water drops caught in the gap can pass through the space.

4. The mirror assembly according to claim 3, wherein the gaps and spaces together form an annular shape around a periphery of the front surface of the mirror glass.

5. The mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein the spaces are interrupted around the periphery of the front surface of the mirror glass.

6. The mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the gaps in part form an annular shape around a periphery of the front surface of the mirror glass.

7. A vibrating mirror assembly for removing water drops comprising:

a mirror glass,

a back holder for holding the mirror glass, the back holder having a flange with a plurality of projections which contact a front surface of the mirror, the projections being spaced from each other,

a supersonic generator for vibrating the mirror glass, the supersonic generator being mounted in the back holder behind the mirror glass, and

means for preventing pumping action and cavitation of the water drops around a periphery of the front surface of the mirror glass, said means for preventing comprises at least one gap defined between an inner surface of the flange and the front surface of the mirror glass, the gap being set at a predetermined value.

8. The mirror assembly according to claim 7, wherein the gap is 0.2-0.8 mm.

9. The mirror assembly according to claim 7, wherein each projection is spaced from an inner side face of the back holder to define a space, each space being surrounded by a projection, the inner surface of the flange, the inner side face of the back holder and the front surface of the mirror glass, water drops caught in the at least one gap being movable through the space.

10. The mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein the gaps and the spaces have an annular shape around a periphery of the front surface of the mirror glass.

11. The mirror assembly according to claim 10, wherein the spaces are interrupted around the periphery of the front surface of the mirror glass.