Rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly

• US 6,654,982 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William Q. Cowan
• Original Assignee: William Q. Cowan
• Inventors: Cowan, William Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US09/910,266
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 152/500.03, 152/500.5, 152/502.9, 359/838, 359/839, 359/871, 359/844, 359/507
• US Class Current: 15/250.003
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0602 comprising means for cleaning or deicing
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0497 Wiper units as items separate from vehicle, e.g. for emergency use or retro-fittable

Abstract

A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly for improving the rear view for truckers by keeping the mirror clean and lighted. The rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly includes a first housing assembly including a first housing member having side, top, bottom, and back walls, and also including an open front, and also including a mirror being securely disposed at the open front of the first housing member with the first housing assembly being adapted to be securely mounted to mirror supports on a truck; and also includes a second housing member being attached to the first housing member and having top, bottom, front and side walls; and further includes a wiper drive assembly being disposed in the second housing member and including a track member and a two-directional motor; and also includes a wiper assembly being attached to the wiper drive assembly and including a wiper member being movable upon the mirror; and further includes a heating element being disposed in the first housing member; and also includes a light-emitting assembly also being disposed in the first housing member.

Claims

1. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly comprising:

a first housing assembly including a first housing member having side, top, bottom, and back walls, and also including an open front, and also including a mirror being securely disposed at said open front of said first housing member, said first housing assembly being adapted to be securely mounted to mirror supports on a truck;

a second housing member being attached to said first housing member and having top, bottom, front and side walls;

a wiper drive assembly being disposed in said second housing member and including a track member and a two-directional motor;

a wiper assembly being attached to said wiper drive assembly and including a wiper member being movable upon said mirror;

a heating element being disposed in said first housing member; and

a light-emitting assembly also being disposed in said first housing member.

2. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said first housing assembly further includes fastening members being attached to said top wall and said bottom wall of said first housing member for mounting said first housing member to the mirror supports of the truck.

3. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said second housing member further includes a longitudinal slot being disposed through said front wall near one of said side walls thereof and extending from near said top wall to near said bottom wall thereof.

4. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly as described in claim 3, wherein said track member is attached to one of said walls in said second housing member, and extends from said top wall to said bottom wall of said second housing member, and includes a plurality of teeth being disposed upon and along a length of said track member.

5. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly as described in claim 4, wherein said wiper drive assembly further includes a shaft being rotatably mounted to said motor, and also includes a gear member being attached to said shaft and being engagable to said teeth of said track member and being movably along the length of said track member, and further includes contact switch members being attached to said top and bottom walls of said second housing member and being connected with wires to a power source and being in contactable relationship with said motor for reversing direction of said motor, and also includes guide rail members being securely disposed in said second housing member and upon which said motor is movably supported.

6. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly as described in claim 3, wherein said wiper assembly further includes a wiper support member being attached to said motor for movement therewith and being extended through said longitudinal slot of said second housing member, said wiper member including a wiper blade support member being attached to said wiper support member and being adapted to be connected to a washer fluid reservoir, and also including a wiper blade member being attached to said wiper blade support member and being contactable to said mirror for the cleaning thereof.

7. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said heating element is connected to a power source with wires for keeping said mirror de-iced.

8. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly as described in claim 1, wherein said light-emitting assembly includes light-emitting members being attached to said back wall in said first housing member and being connected to a power source with wires.

9. A rearview truck mirror and wiper assembly comprising:

a first housing assembly including a first housing member having side, top, bottom, and back walls, and also including an open front, and also including a mirror being securely disposed at said open front of said first housing member, said first housing assembly being adapted to be securely mounted to mirror supports on a truck, said first housing assembly further including fastening members being attached to said top wall and said bottom wall of said first housing member for mounting said first housing member to the mirror supports of the truck;

a second housing member being attached to said first housing member and having top, bottom, front and side walls, said second housing member further including a longitudinal slot being disposed through said front wall near one of said side walls thereof and extending from near said top wall to near said bottom wall thereof;

a wiper drive assembly being disposed in said second housing member and including a track member and a two-directional motor, said track member being attached to one of said walls in said second housing member and extending from said top wall to said bottom wall of said second housing member and including a plurality of teeth being disposed upon and along a length of said track member, said wiper drive assembly further including a shaft being rotatably mounted to said motor, and also including a gear member being attached to said shaft and being engagable to said teeth of said track member and being movably along the length of said track member, and further including contact switch members being attached to said top and bottom walls of said second housing member and being connected with wires to a power source and being in contactable relationship with said motor for reversing direction of said motor, and also including guide rail members being securely disposed in said second housing member and upon which said motor is movably supported;

a wiper assembly being attached to said wiper drive assembly and including a wiper member being movable upon said mirror, said wiper assembly further including a wiper support member being attached to said motor for movement therewith and being extended through said longitudinal slot of said second housing member, said wiper member including a wiper blade support member being attached to said wiper support member and being adapted to be connected to a washer fluid reservoir, and also including a wiper blade member being attached to said wiper blade support member and being contactable to said mirror for the cleaning thereof;

a heating element being disposed in said first housing member, said heating element being connected to a power source with wires for keeping said mirror de-iced; and

a light-emitting assembly also being disposed in said first housing member, said light-emitting assembly including light-emitting members being attached to said back wall in said first housing member and being connected to a power source with wires.