Trailer tow mirror

• US 6,416,192 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: Britax Rainsfords Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Orme, Simon, Whitford, Barry, Rothe, Peter Robert, Fimeri, Trevor, Woollard, David Henderson, Home, Paul, Henion, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spyrou, Cassandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US09/900,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20010038501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 359/844, 359/841, 359/871, 359/872, 359/881, 359/838, 359/875, 359/877, 359/876, 248/548, 248/549, 248/477, 248/478, 248/479, 248/480, 248/495, 248/496, 248/466, 248/512, 248/513, 248/514, 248/900, 248/476, 403/109.1, 403/109.2, 403/109.3, 403/109.5, 403/109.8, 403/376, 403/377, 403/378, 403/379, 403/383
• US Class Current: 359/841
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/076 yieldable to excessive external force and provided with an indexed use position B60R1/0617, B60R1/074 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/078 easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/90 Movable or disengageable on impact or overload
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32467 Telescoping members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32483 Spring biased
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32524 Self-locking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7075 including discrete retainer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7077 for telescoping members

Abstract

A mirror assembly has a pair of telescoping tubular supports extending between a support base and a mirror head to provide adjustment of the mirror head toward and away from the support base. Friction shoes within the tubular supports releasably hold such supports against unintentional telescoping movement. Cooperating stops on the telescoping supports limit outward movement of the mirror head and prevent complete separation of the telescoping supports. The tubular supports are hingedly attached to the support base for rotation about a vertical axis, and cooperating detents and spring elements on the supports and support base releasably hold the supports against rotation.

Claims

1. A mirror head assembly comprising:

a mirror base having at least one mirror mounted thereon;

a rear mirror escutcheon on the opposite side of said mirror base from said mirror;

a mirror base plate mounted between said mirror base and said mirror escutcheon;

said mirror base plate having a pair of spaced-apart parallel mounting arms; and

said escutcheon having a pair of spaced-apart openings aligned with said mounting arms so that tubular support arms may be extended through said openings into cooperative relationship with said mounting arms.

2. The mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said mounting arms are tubular and have friction shoes mounted thereon for cooperative engagement with support arms that are receivable over said mounting arms.

3. The mirror assembly of claim 2 wherein said friction shoes are biased in a direction toward said mirror escutcheon.

4. The mirror assembly of claim 2 wherein each said mounting arm has a pair of longitudinally spaced friction shoes mounted thereon.

5. The mirror assembly of claim 1 including a support base for attachment to a vehicle to support the mirror head assembly thereon, said support base having a pair of spaced-apart parallel support tubes extending through said openings in said mirror escutcheon and being in cooperative relationship with said mounting arms to provide adjustable movement of said mirror head assembly toward and away from said support base.

6. The mirror assembly of claim 5 including friction shoes between said mounting arms and said support tubes to releasably hold said mirror head assembly in an adjusted position relative to said support base.

7. The mirror assembly of claim 6 wherein said support tubes have inner surfaces, said friction shoes being carried by said mounting arms and being biased into engagement with said inner surfaces of said support tubes.

8. The mirror assembly of claim 5 wherein each of said support tubes is individually hinged to said support base.

9. The mirror assembly of claim 5 wherein said support tubes are received through said openings in said mirror escutcheon in all adjusted positions of said mirror head assembly relative to said support base, and said mounting arms being concealed within said mirror escutcheon and said support tubes in all adjusted positions of said mirror head assembly relative to said support base.

10. The mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said mounting arms are non-circular tubes.

11. The mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said mounting arms have outwardly projecting stop abutments thereon for cooperation with stop tabs on mirror support tubes receivable over said mounting arms.

12. A mirror base plate for a rear view mirror head assembly comprising:

a mounting portion for assembly to and between a mirror base and a mirror escutcheon;

said mounting portion having a pair of spaced-apart parallel mounting arms thereon;

each of said mounting arms being hollow having a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

13. The base plate of claim 12 wherein each said mounting arm includes a transverse opening communicating with the hollow interior thereof for receiving a friction shoe.

14. The base plate of claim 12 wherein each said mounting arm includes at least one external projection that provides a stop abutment for cooperation with a stop tab on a support tube in which the mounting arms are receivable to prevent complete separation of a mounting arm from within a support tube.

15. A vehicle rear view mirror head assembly comprising:

a mirror base having a mirror mounted thereon;

a mirror escutcheon on the opposite side of said mirror base from said mirror;

a mounting arm mounted between said mirror base and mirror escutcheon;

an opening in said mirror escutcheon aligned with said mounting arm;

a releasable holding device carried by said mounting arm within said escutcheon to releasably hold the mirror head assembly in a longitudinally adjusted position on a support tube receivable through the escutcheon opening into cooperative relationship with the mounting arm; and

said mounting arm being tubular and having a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

16. A vehicle rear view mirror head assembly comprising:

a mirror base having a mirror mounted thereon;

a mirror escutcheon on the opposite side of said mirror base from said mirror;

a mounting arm mounted between said mirror base and mirror escutcheon;

opening in said mirror escutcheon aligned with said mounting arm;

a releasable holding device carried by said mounting arm within said escutcheon to releasably hold the mirror head assembly in a longitudinally adjusted position on a support tube receivable through the escutcheon opening into cooperative relationship with the mounting arm;

said mounting arm being hollow and said releasable holding device being mounted internally of said mounting arm; and

said mounting arm having a transverse opening through which said releasable holding device extends to engage a support tube receivable over said mounting arm.

17. A vehicle rear view mirror head assembly comprising:

a mirror base having a mirror mounted thereon;

a mirror escutcheon on the opposite side of said mirror base from said mirror;

a mounting arm mounted between said mirror base and mirror escutcheon;

an opening in said mirror escutcheon aligned with said mounting arm;

a releasable holding device carried by said mounting arm within said escutcheon to releasably hold the mirror head assembly in a longitudinally adjusted position on a support tube receivable through the escutcheon opening into cooperative relationship with the mounting arm;

a support base mountable on a vehicle and having a support tube extending outwardly therefrom;

said support tube being received through said escutcheon opening and being in cooperative relationship with said mounting arm to provide selective adjustable longitudinal movement of said mounting arm relative to said support tube to provide adjustable movement of said mirror head assembly toward and away from said support base; and

said releasable holding device comprising a friction device in friction engagement with said support tube within said escutcheon.

18. A vehicle rear view mirror head assembly comprising:

a mirror base having a mirror mounted thereon;

a mirror escutcheon on the opposite side of said mirror base from said mirror;

a mounting arm mounted between said mirror base and mirror escutcheon;

an opening in said mirror escutcheon aligned with said mounting arm;

a releasable holding device carried by said mounting arm within said escutcheon to releasably hold the mirror head assembly in a longitudinally adjusted position on a support tube receivable through the escutcheon opening into cooperative relationship with the mounting arm;

said mounting arm being hollow and said releasable holding device comprising a friction shoe mounted within said mounting arm; and

said mounting arm having a transverse opening therein and said friction shoe being biased outwardly through said mounting arm opening.