Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – Plural mirrors or reflecting surfaces
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-08-07
Sikder, Mohammad (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
Plural mirrors or reflecting surfaces
C359S868000, C359S869000, C359S870000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270225
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the blind spot and overtaking vehicles entering the blind spot area on each side of a vehicle in which the driver can not see vehicles in the blind spot area or vehicles about to enter the blind spot area in a single flat plane sideview mirror thus causing some vehicle accidents and “Road Rage” incidents for which our invention solves the problem while other inventors have tried but all have failed. The convex right hand sideview mirror currently required on new cars increases the danger problem because it makes overtaking and blind spot vehicles incorrectly appear to be 100 feet or more behind the driver which worsens the danger then causes even more accidents plus created the term “Road Rage”.
This invention specifically eliminates the dangerous distortion caused by the right hand convex mirror currently required by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The current right hand convex mirror is a major cause of accidents, near accidents, and “Road Rage” incidents when many people switch to the right hand lane thinking the vehicle in the right hand mirror is far behind when in fact it is in the blind spot or overtaking area. Thus “cutting off” the driver in the “blind spot”, or overtaking area, which then provokes a hot tempered idiot “blind spot” driver into a “road rage” incident and sometimes shooting at the other driver. This invention also eliminates the left hand lane changing hazard caused by the current single flat plane sideview mirror by displaying vehicles without distortion in all three danger areas.
Distortion would be caused by prior sideview mirror inventions using convex or concave mirrors, rounded angles, wide dividers between viewing flat planes, viewing area too small, inadequate angles, no provision for overtaking vehicle danger, or located on or about the regular flat plane mirror in a confusing manner. All previous inventions would require mental interpretation to provide necessary information to the driver which in turn would worsen the blind spot and overtaking problem and would then become a hazard while attempting to provide a safety device.
Some additional prior art that has failed to provide a viable solution to the blind spot and overtaking problem with convex and concave mirrors, U.S. patent numbers are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,337,285: 3,389,952; 4,306,770; 4,331,382; EP-435-792-A, 5,793,542
All of the above produce distortion and misleading information to the driver which in turn is more dangerous than a single flat plane sideview mirror.
Some prior art that has failed to provide a viable solution to the blind spot and overtaking problem with flat plane sideview mirror sections, U.S. patent numbers are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,279,751; 3,628,851; 3,826,563; 3,797,920; 4,182,552; 4,859,046
None of the above flat plane mirrors provide a viable solution to the blind spot due to wide dividers, peculiar positions, etc. None of them even attempts to provide a solution to the overtaking problem and generally all of them appear to ignore the right hand sideview mirror problem. The right hand sideview mirror requires a different design from the left hand sideview mirror.
Inside mirrors with different angles, convex, concave, or flat plane sections can not provide the solution to the blind spot or overtaking problem because, aside from other deficiencies, passengers and post supporting the roof obstruct the driver's view through the interior rearview mirror and would increase the danger if a driver depends on them for lane changing decisions.
This inventor examined more than 60 U.S. patents regarding vehicle mirrors and none of them provided a viable solution to the blind spot and overtaking vehicle danger problem.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION
The object of this invention is to display the regular view of vehicles behind the driver's vehicle along with the display of vehicles in the adjacent lanes on both sides in the blind spot area and overtaking vehicles to the rear of and adjacent to the blind spot area while entering the blind spot area. This is done with a left hand and right hand sideview mirror using an adequate viewing image positioned for relativity, and without distortion using three wide flat plane mirror surfaces at appropriate angles for each of the three sections. Each wide mirror section is connected using narrow flat plane transition mirrors with plane angle changes of ½ to 1 degree to eliminate noticeable view gaps and prevent distortion. This transition system is similar to the rapid “still pictures” in movies that appear to be moving in which the naked eye does not notice the gap between the rapid still pictures.
This invention is directed toward three viewing areas of flat plane mirrors of adequate size at appropriate angles without any distorted portions in a relative position so that a driver does not have to interpret what he sees in the mirror viewing areas. The view of this sideview mirror invention will be very clear without any need for interpretation or special thought process which will render the correct decision much faster and much safer.
As detailed on the drawings for the left hand and right hand sideview mirrors, the nearest section, A and D, has an image of vehicles a hundred or so feet to the rear of the driver. The second section, B and E with an optional slight reddish tint, has an image of vacant paving or roadside or whatever is in the area just behind the blind spot area, or a vehicle entering the blind spot area if a vehicle is overtaking the driver. The third section, C and F with an optional slight reddish tint, will be showing the rapidly passing landscape alongside the road unless there is a vehicle in the blind spot area then at such time will show a vehicle in the blind spot. The same type view occurs on both sides of the driver's vehicle for a lane on either side.
The proper use of this invention would be, at such time as a driver may wish to change lanes on a multi-lane road, to instantly notify the driver at a glance that a vehicle is in the area to the rear of and adjacent to the blind spot area or is either entering the blind spot as an overtaking vehicle, or that a vehicle is maintaining the same speed as the driver and positioned in the blind spot. This invention would save many lives if provided on all vehicles.
It is also noted that none of the researched prior inventions are being included on new vehicles, except the dangerous accident causing right hand convex distortion sideview mirror, currently and mistakenly required by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The current convex mirror causes Car
1
in
FIG. 8
to appear almost as far back as Car
3
, which causes many accidents
REFERENCES:
patent: 4306770 (1981-12-01), Marhauser
patent: 4643544 (1987-02-01), Loughran
patent: 4674850 (1987-06-01), Blom
patent: 5616424 (1997-04-01), Carey, II et al.
patent: 5793542 (1998-08-01), Kondo et al.
patent: 0435793 (1991-07-01), None
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