Reflective dead angle vision device for vehicle side mirrors

• US 5,644,443 A
• Filed: 05/23/1995
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hsiang-Hsin Hung
• Original Assignee: Hsiang-Hsin Hung
• Inventors: Hung, Hsiang-Hsin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US08/445,559
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 359/856-858, 359/861-863, 359/865, 362/83.1, 362/135
• US Class Current: 359/856
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/10 Front-view mirror arrangements; specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; Periscope arrangements , i.e. optical devices using combinations of mirrors, lenses, prisms or the like specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; for viewing traffic-lights B60R1/005; Other mirror arrangements giving a view from above or under the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

The invention is a reflective dead angle vision device, which provides a line of sight for the driver that includes the area adjacent to the two front tires. The invention has a housing and two ultra wide-angle mirrors. The housing has movable transparent plates positioned at the front and rear, pivoting rectangular wide-angle mirrors positioned at the front and rear reflect light from a light bulb to provide forward illumination during day and night, an indicator light bulb positioned at a lower rear corner of the housing, intersecting water drainage troughs and a water drainage hole formed in the bottom, two hook-type mounting arms extend from the rear top edge to provide a means of installation onto a side mirror, and two flat rubber cushions are glued to the housing top for securing to the bottom of an automobile side mirror. The mirror positioned at the rear of the housing reflects the image of the zone adjacent to the outer periphery of the front two tires to the mirror positioned at the front to provide the driver with a line of sight that includes the dead angle projecting laterally past the two front tires to insure driving safety.

Claims

1. A reflective dead angle vision device for a vehicle side mirror comprising:

a housing,

said housing having a rectangular box for an internal structure, and

said housing having open front and rear sides;

a water drainage hole in communication with a bottom surface of said housing and extending through said surface;

a plurality of drainage troughs extending from said water drainage hole along said bottom surface of said housing;

a front sliding track along a bottom longitudinal edge of said housing;

a rear sliding track along a bottom longitudinal edge of said housing opposite said front sliding track;

a front cover plate attached to a side, bottom, and top of said housing, and extending along a parallel path to said front sliding track to a predetermined point;

a rear cover plate attached to a side, bottom, and top of said housing, and extending along a parallel path to said rear sliding track in a length equivalent to a length of said front cover plate;

a first block abutting said front cover plate, and extending from an open edge of said front cover plate to a second predetermined point along the side of said housing attached to said front cover plate;

a second block abutting said rear cover plate, and extending from an open edge of said rear cover plate to the second predetermined point along the side of said housing attached to said rear cover plate;

said first and second inclined blocks having a ball socket extending into a side facing said water drainage hole;

said first and second inclined blocks having surfaces extending along parallel lines;

a pair of ultra wide-angle mirrors each having a ball mount;

said ball mounts are in communication with said corresponding ball sockets, respectively;

a transparent plate in communication with said rear sliding track, covering an opening formed between the edge of said rear cover plate and the side of said housing;

said transparent plate having a plate light bulb socket mounted on a surface facing said front sliding track;

a curved plate affixed to said movable transparent cover plate on a side of said light bulb socket closest to said rear cover plate;

a transparent plate in communication with said front sliding track and having sufficient size to cover an opening formed between said front cover plate and the side of said housing;

a corner light bulb socket mounted in a lower rear corner of said housing below said second block;

a pair of flat rubber cushions affixed to top of said housing; and

a pair of hook-type mounting arms extending from the top rear edge of said housing for securing said housing to a vehicle said mirror.

2. A reflective dead angle vision device for vehicle side mirrors as defined in claim 1, wherein said pair of hook-type mounting arms comprise a vertical portion and a horizontal hook portion extending from said vertical portion.

3. A reflective dead angle vision device for vehicle side mirrors as defined in claim 1, wherein said pair of hook-type mounting arms extend above said pair of flat rubber cushions.

4. A reflective dead angle vision device for vehicle side mirrors comprising:

a housing having open front and rear sides and a bottom surface,

a sliding track on said bottom surface along each of said front and rear sides,

a front cover plate within said housing and covering a portion of said front side of said housing,

a rear cover plate within said housing and covering a portion of said rear side of said housing,

a first block within said housing adjacent said front cover plate,

a second block within said housing adjacent said rear cover plate,

a pair of mirrors mounted on said first and second blocks, respectively,

a transparent plate slidably mounted on each of said sliding tracks;

each of said plates being of a size to cover the remaining portion of said open front and rear sides of said housing which are not covered by said front and rear cover plates,

whereby, said transparent plates are slidable on said slidable tracks to provide ready access to the interior of said housing to adjust said mirrors,

and fastening means for fastening said housing to a vehicle side mirror,

said bottom surface of said housing has a water drainage hole therethrough,

said bottom surface of said housing having drainage troughs therein communicating with said drainage hole whereby water present in the housing can drain out through said troughs and said drainage hole,

said transparent plate slidably mounted on said sliding track on said rear side has a light socket affixed to said transparent plate,

a curved plate affixed to said transparent plate on a side of said light socket,

wherein, said curved plate reflects light from a light bulb in said socket to said mirror attached to said first block which reflects light to said mirror attached to said second block.