Regulated attachment for mirror mount

• US 5,931,440 A
• Filed: 11/01/1996
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAXTER, GWENDOLYN WRENN
• Application Number:
  US08/742,863
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 248/475.1, 248/478, 248/480, 248/483, 248/487, 248/476, 248/481, 248/223.31, 248/224.8, 248/222.11, 248/549, 248/224.51, 248/224.61, 248/548, 248/900, 359/871, 359/872
• US Class Current: 248/549
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/90 Movable or disengageable on impact or overload

Abstract

A regulated attachment for mounting a rearview mirror to a button having a surface thereon secured to a surface of a vehicle windshield. The button has lateral side surfaces facing away from each other and toward the windshield to define a groove therewith. The bracket includes a body member having a rearview mirror supporting structure thereon and a mounting for a spring clip. The spring clip includes side walls for gripping and securing the body member to the button. The spring clip further includes an elongated base portion and longitudinally extending and laterally spaced resilient side flanges projecting from the base portion and away from the body member. Each of the side flanges extend parallel to a respective side surface and define a tongue adapted to be slidably received in a corresponding one of the grooves in a tongue and groove fashion. The mounting structure for facilitating a connection of the spring clip to the bracket includes structure for loosely retaining the spring clip on the bracket so that the side flanges thereof are free to seek a parallel aligned orientation and full engagement with the side surfaces of the button in response to the body member moving relative to the button in an assembly direction to apposition overlying the button. A manually activated tightening device is provided for forcible drawing the spring clip a regulated distance toward the body member to cause the side flanges to each be forcibly urged into tight engagement with the side surfaces of the button while maintaining the tongue and groove relationship therebetween as well as providing securement of the body member to the button.

Claims

1. In an attachment for mounting a rearview mirror to a button having a first surface thereon secured to a surface of a vehicle windshield and lateral side surfaces facing away from each other and toward said windshield to define a groove therewith, said attachment including:

a body member having a rearview mirror supporting means thereon;

resilient means and mounting means therefor for mounting said resilient means on said body member, said resilient means including gripping means for gripping and securing said body member to said button, said gripping means further including an elongated base portion and longitudinally extending and laterally spaced resilient side flanges projecting from said base portion and away from said body member, each of said side flanges being adapted to extend generally parallel to a respective said side surface of said button and defining a tongue adapted to be slidably received in a corresponding one of said grooves in a tongue-and-groove fashion;

the improvement wherein said mounting means includes means for loosely retaining said resilient means on said body member so that said side flanges thereof are freely adapted to seek a parallel aligned orientation and full engagement with said side surfaces on said button in response to said body member moving relative to said button in an assembly direction to a position overlying said button; and

selectively manually activated tightening means for forcibly drawing said resilient means a regulated distance toward said body member to cause said side flanges to each be forcibly urged into tight engagement with said side surfaces of said button while maintaining said tongue-and-groove relationship therebetween as well as providing securement of said body member to said button.

2. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein said body member and said resilient means are separate components from one another;

and

wherein said selectively manually activated tightening means is provided between said body member and said base portion on said resilient means to cause, when activated, relative movement between said base portion and said body to thence urge said side flanges toward one another into tight engagement with said side surfaces on said button.

3. The attachment according to claim 2, wherein said body member has plural button support surfaces thereon opposing said base portion of said resilient means, wherein said selectively manually activated means includes means defining a first hole through said body member, an axis of said first hole being generally perpendicular to a plane containing said base portion, means defining an internally threaded second hole in said base portion aligned with said first hole in said body member, and an externally threaded screw received in both of said first and second holes and threadedly engaging said internal thread, whereby a selective rotating of said screw will draw said base portion of said resilient means said regulated distance toward said body member at least until said button support surfaces engage said button, continued movement of said resilient means effecting a tensioning of said resilient means.

4. The attachment according to claim 2, wherein said body member has plural button support surfaces thereon opposing said base portion of said resilient means, wherein said selectively manually activated means includes means defining a hole through said body member, an axis of said hole being generally perpendicular to a plane containing said base portion, means defining a second hole in said base portion aligned with said first hole in said body member, a generally T-shaped member having a head part and an elongated stem, said stem being received in both of said first and second holes, said head being oriented on a side of said base portion remote from body member, and manually operated drive means for effecting a forcible movement of said head toward said body member so as to draw said base portion of said resilient means said regulated distance toward said body member.

5. The attachment according to claim 2, wherein said body member has plural button support surfaces thereon opposing said base portion of said resilient means, wherein said selectively manually activated drive means includes a lever and pivot means for pivotally securing said lever to said stem on a side of said body member remote from said head, said lever having an arcuate surface thereon eccentric to a pivot axis of said pivot means, said arcuate surface engaging a surface on said body member so that as said lever is pivoted about said pivot axis of said pivot means between first and second positions thereof, said arcuate surface will cause said pivot axis to move away from said body member to thereby draw said head toward said body member and thence said base portion of said resilient means said regulated distance toward said body member.

6. The attachment according to claim 2, wherein said body member has plural button support surfaces thereon opposing said base portion of said resilient means, wherein said selectively manually activated drive means includes a lever and means for securing said lever to said stem on a side of said body member remote from said head, wherein said stem is rotatably supported and axially stationary on said body member, wherein said base portion of said resilient means on a side thereof facing said head, has inclined ramp means slidingly engaged by said head, whereby as said stem is rotated, said head will slide on said inclined ramp means to cause said base portion of said resilient means to be forcibly drawn said regulated distance toward said body member.

7. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein said selectively manually activated means includes means defining a first hole through said body member, an axis of said first hole being generally perpendicular to a plane containing said base portion, means defining an internally threaded second hole in said base portion aligned with said first hole in said body member, and an externally threaded screw received in both of said first and second holes and threadedly engaging said internal thread, whereby a selective rotating of said externally threaded screw will effect a drawing of said base portion of said resilient means said regulated distance toward said body member.

8. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein said selectively manually activated means includes means defining a first hole through said body member having an axis generally perpendicular to a plane containing said base portion, means defining a second hole in said base portion aligned with said first hole in said body member, a generally T-shaped member having a head part and an elongated stem, said stem being received in both of said first and second holes, said head being oriented on a side of said base portion remote from said body member, and manually operated drive means for selectively effecting a forcible movement of said head toward said body member so as to effect a effect of drawing of said base portion of said resilient means said regulated distance toward said body member.

9. The attachment according to claim 8, wherein said manually operated drive means includes a lever and pivot means for pivotally securing said lever to said stem on a side of said body member remote from said head, said lever having an arcuate surface thereon eccentric to an axis of said pivot means, said arcuate surface engaging a surface on said body member so that as said lever is pivoted about said axis of said pivot means between first and second positions thereof, said arcuate surface will cause said pivot axis to move away from said body member to thereby draw said head toward said body member and thence said base portion of said resilient means said regulated distance toward said body member.

10. The attachment according to claim 8, wherein said manually operated drive means includes a lever and means for securing said lever to said stem on a side of said body member remote from said head, wherein said stem is rotatably supported and axially stationary on said body member, wherein said base portion of said resilient means on a side thereof facing said head, has inclined ramp means slidingly engaged by said head, whereby as said stem is rotated, said head will slide on said inclined ramp means to cause said base portion of said resilient means to be forcibly draw said regulated distance toward said body member.

11. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein said manually operated drive means includes a lever and means for securing said lever to said stem on a side of said body member remote from said head, wherein said stem is rotatably supported and axially movable on said body member, wherein said side of said body member remote from said lease portion has inclined ramp means slidingly engaged by said lever, whereby as said stem is rotated, said lever will slide on said inclined ramp means to cause said base portion of said resilient means to be forcibly drawn said regulated distance toward said body member.

12. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein said securement of said body member to said button is a detachable securement enabled by said side flanges snapping off said button in a direction away from said windshield in response to a force of predetermined magnitude is applied to said body member.