Extendable rearview mirror
First Claim
1. An extendable rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
- a mirror housing;
a mirror disposed in said mirror housing, said mirror defining a plane; and
structure for allowing rotation of said mirror about a longitudinal pivot axis which extends through the plane of said mirror and non-parallel to the plane of the mirror, said axis being offset from a central axis of said mirror such that rotation of said mirror about said pivot axis moves said mirror between inboard and outboard positions, said inboard and outboard positions are disposed 180°
apart from each other around said pivot axis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle including an extendable mirror for improved rearward viewing is disclosed. Several embodiments of the rearview mirror assembly each comprise a mirror housing, a mirror disposed in the mirror housing, and some structure to allow extension of the mirror between an inboard position and an outboard position. In one embodiment, the mirror assembly includes structure to allow rotation of the mirror between inboard and outboard positions. The mirror may comprise a post disposed in a mirror shell and extending along a longitudinal horizontal axis which extends through a plane defined by the mirror, offset from a central vertical axis of the mirror. In another embodiment, the means for rotating the mirror comprises a pivot part having a shaft disposed in an aperture in the mirror shell, which is disposed along the longitudinal horizontal axis. In yet another embodiment, the means for extending the mirror from an inboard position to an outboard position comprises a groove in the mirror housing, in which a mirror frame is slidably disposed. The frame may be slid, relative to the mirror housing, from an inboard position to an outboard position.
89 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An extendable rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a mirror housing; a mirror disposed in said mirror housing, said mirror defining a plane; and structure for allowing rotation of said mirror about a longitudinal pivot axis which extends through the plane of said mirror and non-parallel to the plane of the mirror, said axis being offset from a central axis of said mirror such that rotation of said mirror about said pivot axis moves said mirror between inboard and outboard positions, said inboard and outboard positions are disposed 180°
apart from each other around said pivot axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An extendable rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a mirror shell; a post disposed along a longitudinal pivot axis; a mirror frame disposed on said post and said mirror frame being rotatable relative to said shell on said pivot axis of said post; and a mirror disposed in said minor frame, said mirror defining a plane;
wherein said longitudinal pivot axis travels through the plane of said mirror non-parallel to the plane of the mirror and is offset from a central axis of said mirror such that rotating of said mirror about said axis moves said mirror between inboard and outboard positions, further comprising a spring and retainer ring axially received on said post, said spring biasing said mirror frame against said mirror shell. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An extendable rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a mirror shell having opposed lateral edges and a horizontal groove running between said edges; a post for attaching said mirror shell to an exterior panel of a vehicle said groove being received on said port; a mirror disposed in said mirror shell, said mirror defining a plane; and a pivot part securely attached to said post and having a shaft remote from said post which is received in an aperture extending through said groove, and disposed along a longitudinal pivot axis which extends non-parallel to, and through, the plane of said mirror further comprising a spring on said shaft, said spring biasing said mirror shell against said post, said pivot axis being offset from a central axis of said minor, and said mirror being rotatable on said pivot axis between inboard and outboard positions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification