Mirror mounting structure with offset increasing angular adjustment

• US 7,008,069 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Ostreko, John B., Owen, Joshua C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US10/839,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 248/481, 248/482, 248/483, 248/484, 248/288.31, 359/872, 359/875, 359/876
• US Class Current: 359/876
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks

Abstract

A mirror mount includes a mirror-head-attached first mount component, a window-attached second mount component, and a tubular connector. The first component includes a base defining an attachment plane, an angled stem, and a first ball section with a clearance area around the stem. A bore extends into the stem for receiving an attachment screw. A clearance area is formed around the stem near the ball section and extends at an acute angle to the attachment plane, thus providing increased angular adjustability of the mirror head in at least an upward direction. The second component includes a ball section and angled extended stem, and is connected to the first component by the tubular connector. The first and second ball sections define a distance less than a distance from a flat side of the second component to the second ball section, thus providing improved rigidity against vibration.

Claims

1. A mirror mount for forming a ball-and-socket connection for adjustably supporting a vehicle rearview mirror head, comprising:

a first mount component including a washer-like base with a flat surface defining an attachment plane, a locator on the flat surface and adapted to orient the mount component during attachment of the mount component to the mirror head such that the flat surface is in facing engagement with at least a part of the mirror head, a stem extending from a side of the washer-like base opposite the attachment plane, and a ball section on an end of the stem;

the ball section being larger in diameter than the stem and defining a circumferential circular clearance area around the stem at a bottom of the ball section, the clearance area being shaped and adapted to receive an end of a socket-forming component that adjustably receives and engages the ball section to form the ball-and-socket connection;

the mount component including a bore extending perpendicular to the attachment plane through the washer-like base and into the stem for receiving an attachment screw;

the stem defining a first longitudinal centerline and the bore defining a second longitudinal centerline that extends at an acute angle to the first longitudinal centerline, with the circumferential circular clearance area defining a second plane that extends perpendicular to the first longitudinal centerline but that extends at the acute angle to the attachment plane.

2. The mirror mount defined in claim 1, wherein the acute angle is at least about 15°

.

3. The mirror mount defined in claim 2, wherein the acute angle is at least about 30°

.

4. The mirror mount defined in claim 2, wherein the circumferential circular clearance area is sized to allow the mount component to adjust at least about 25°

in all directions from the first longitudinal centerline.

5. The mirror mount defined in claim 1, including a second mount component with a second ball section, and including a connector extending between the first and second ball sections, the connector including a tube with socket-defining members at each end for operably receiving the first and second ball sections.

6. The mirror mount defined in claim 5, wherein the first and second ball sections define center points, and wherein the second mount component includes a planar side configured for attachment to a window-attached anchor;

a first distance between center points of the first and second ball sections being less than a second, perpendicular distance between the planar side and a plane parallel thereto and passing through a center point of the second ball section.

7. The mirror mount defined in claim 6, wherein the second distance is at least about ¼

inch longer than the first distance.

8. The mirror mount defined in claim 6, wherein the second distance is at least about ½

inch longer than the first distance.

9. A mirror mount for forming a double ball-and-socket connection for adjustably supporting a vehicle rearview mirror, comprising:

a mirror-head-attached mount component including a washer-like base with a flat surface defining an attachment plane, a locator on the washer-like base for orienting the mount component during attachment of the mount component to a mirror head such that the flat surface is in facing engagement with at least a part of the mirror head, a first stem extending from a side of the washer-like base opposite the attachment plane, and a first ball section on an end of the first stem;

the first ball section being larger in diameter than the first stem and defining a first circumferential circular clearance area around the first stem at a bottom of the first ball section;

the first ball section defining a first center point;

a window-attached mount component including a second base defining a planar side configured for attachment to a window-attached anchor, a second stem extending from the second base opposite the planar side, and a second ball section on an end of the second stem;

the second ball section being larger in diameter than the second stem and defining a second circumferential circular clearance area around the second stem at a bottom of the second ball section;

the second ball section defining a second center point;

the second base, the second stem and the second ball section being formed by solid and continuous material; and

a connector including a tube section extending between the first and second ball sections and including first and second socket-defining components that adjustably angularly engage the first and second ball sections, respectively, to define adjustable first and second ball-and-socket connections;

the center points of the first and second ball sections defining a first distance that is less than a second perpendicular distance between the planar side and a plane parallel thereto and passing through the second center point of the second ball section, the first and second circumferential circular clearance areas being shaped to receive ends of the tube section to maintain maximum angular adjustability, whereby a multi-axial angular adjustability provided by the first and second ball-and-socket connections is maintained while stability and strength provided by the solid and continuous material forming the second distance on the window-attached mount component is maintained.

10. The mirror mount defined in claim 9, wherein the second distance is at least about ½

inch longer than the first distance.

11. The mirror mount defined in claim 9, wherein the tube section defines a tube longitudinal centerline, and wherein the first and second stems define first and second longitudinal centerlines, and wherein at least one of the first and second stems extend at an acute angle to the tube longitudinal centerline.

12. The mirror mount defined in claim 11, wherein both of the first and second longitudinal centerlines extend at an acute angle to the tube longitudinal centerline.

13. The mirror mount defined in claim 11, wherein the clearance area is sized to allow the mount component to adjust at least about 25°

in all directions from the first longitudinal centerline.

14. The mirror mount defined in claim 9, wherein the mirror mount component includes a bore extending perpendicular to the attachment plane through the washer-like base and into the first stem, the bore being shaped and adapted to receive an attachment screw to attach a mirror head to the mirror mount component.