Rear view mirror with stowable dual view mirror

• US 5,748,395 A
• Filed: 04/28/1997
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rendi, Anthony J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US08/847,805
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 359/866, 359/860, 359/865, 359/843, 359/871, 359/872, 359/864, 359/841, 359/875
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/081 avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors

Abstract

A dual rearview mirror system has a secondary rearview mirror separately adjustable with respect to a primary rearview mirror and stowable within a housing to which the primary mirror is mounted. The secondary mirror is positioned for viewing a separate field of vision by a deployment mechanism, such as a push-push latching arrangement, which allows the secondary mirror to descend from its stowed position by pushing on an exposed surface while permitting stowage by pushing on that same surface to force the secondary mirror into a cavity within the housing. In the stowed position, the secondary mirror is hidden from sight.

Claims

1. A dual plane rear view mirror assembly for a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a housing having a cavity therein with an opening in a bottom surface thereof leading to the cavity and a transversely running slot on the bottom of the housing connected with the opening;

attachment means for attaching said housing to an internal surface of the passenger compartment;

a first mirror attached on a side of the housing generally facing a rear portion of the vehicle so as to reflect a first field of view from a first plane;

a second mirror attached to the housing for movement between a stowed position concealed within the cavity and a second field of view from a second plane;

a rod attached on a first end to the first mirror and on a second end to the second mirror, the first end having a ball thereon fitted into a socket in the second mirror for receiving the ball therein to allow the second mirror to rotate and pivot with respect to the first mirror when in the deployed position, the rod movable within the slot when the second mirror is in the deployed position so as to permit the second mirror to be transversely adjustable with respect to the first mirror; and

a latch mechanism for latching the second mirror in the stowed position and for allowing movement of the secondary mirror between the stowed position and the deployed position.

2. A rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the second mirror is adjustable with respect to both a generally vertical axis and a generally horizontal axis of the first mirror.

3. A dual rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the latch mechanism operating means comprises a push-push mechanism which latches the secondary mirror within the cavity when in the stowed position and unlatches the secondary mirror when pushed to allow the secondary mirror to move to the deployed position.

4. A dual rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the second mirror is below the first mirror when in the deployed position.

5. A dual rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the slot has detent means associated therewith for deterring movement of the rod within the slot.

6. A dual rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein the detent means comprises a flexible rubber member which fits within the slot, the rubber member having a slit along the length of the slot for receiving the rod.