Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – With support
Reexamination Certificate
1994-11-14
2001-02-06
Sikder, Mohammad Y. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
With support
C359S872000, C359S873000, C359S850000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183096
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rear view mirrors for vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a side rear view mirror arrangement for eliminating a blind spot associated with side rear view mirrors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Side rear view mirrors have been installed on vehicles for safely operating a vehicle because a side rear view mirror allows a driver to determine, for example, whether an adjacent lane is clear to the side and rear of the vehicle before making a lane change. However, side rear view mirrors inherently have a blind spot. Accordingly, there have been a number of attempts at eliminating the blind spot by improving side rear view mirrors.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,147 to Griffith discloses a rear view mirror arrangement for a vehicle which includes an external rear view mirror mounted to the vehicle with an outside arm and an interior mirror mounted to the interior of the vehicle with an inside arm. The outside and inside arms are connected together and clamped to a door frame of the vehicle. The two mirrors can be adjusted independently of each other. Nevertheless, the entire assembly requires that a driver take care to avoid the internal mirror when the door is opened.
Another example of an improved side rear view mirror is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,173 to Schmeadeke. The Schmeadeke mirror arrangement includes two side rear view mirrors externally mounted to a vehicle and arranged one above the other on a shaft of a mounting bracket. The upper mirror is rotatably mounted on the shaft for allowing the mirror to be adjusted around the shaft. The lower mirror is non-rotatably mounted on the shaft providing simultaneous rotation of the two mirrors when the lower mirror is rotated. A similar side rear view mirror, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,320 to Tribble, includes a pair of independently adjustable mirrors externally mounted on a frame which is adjustably secured to a vehicle.
Yet another example of an improved side rear view mirror is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,013 to Hagn et al. The Hagn et al. mirror arrangement includes an external side rear view mirror mounted to a bracket located a corner of a door window of a vehicle and a supplementary mirror disposed on the inside of the side door opposite the external rear view mirror. The supplementary mirror is mounted within a housing configured as an air outlet device for an air delivery passage of the vehicle ventilating system so that fogging of the side window pane is prevented or rapidly removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,689 to Schiff discloses an adjustable side-mounted rear-view mirror having two component mirrors. The two mirrors are attached to a vehicle so that one mirror is external to the vehicle, while the second mirror is mounted internally to the vehicle. A mounting device rigidly joins the two mirrors so that their reflective surfaces lie in a common plane and are adjustable together as a single unit about the common vertical and horizontal axes of the two mirrors. The mounting device can be attached to a forward roof-supporting post of the vehicle, but is preferably mounted to a window corner bracket.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention achieves safer conditions for operating a vehicle by providing a mirror assembly for a vehicle which includes a first mirror attached externally to the vehicle for providing a side rear view along a side of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle, and a second mirror attached internally to the vehicle to a roof-supporting column of the vehicle for providing a blind spot view to the driver, with the first and second mirrors being separately adjustable. The first and second mirrors are also adjustable along the roof-supporting column. Preferably, the first and second mirrors are disposed with respect to each other so that a reflected image of the first mirror and a reflected image of the second mirror appear to the driver to have substantially no gap between the respective reflected images of the first and second mirrors. The second mirror has a housing which is integrally formed to the roof-supporting column. At least one of the first and second mirrors can include a plurality of partially reflecting mirrors or be convex mirrors for increasing the overall field-of-view provided by the mirror assembly. With the present invention, a driver can see a side rear view of the vehicle in addition to having a view of the blind spot.
By using the present invention, a driver is able to quickly and safely determine whether an adjacent lane is clear to the side and rear of the vehicle before making a lane change because configuration of the first and second mirrors provides a wider and, consequently, a safer field of view. Since the present invention provides more visibility to the driver, the driver has more time to respond to or avoid a hazardous traffic situation. The present invention also allows a driver to spend more time facing the on-coming road by requiring less head turning when checking a blindspot.
The mirror arrangement according to the present invention also includes a control system coupled to the first and second mirrors for adjusting the first and second mirrors separately or in unison by remote control. The control system can include a memory for storing a plurality of preset positions of the first and second mirrors.
Another configuration of the present invention includes a third mirror attached externally to the vehicle for providing a side rear view along another side of the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle, and a fourth mirror attached internally to the vehicle to a second roof-supporting column of the vehicle for providing a blind spot view to the driver, with the third and fourth mirrors being separately adjustable. Preferably, the third and fourth mirrors are disposed with respect to each other so that a reflected image of the third mirror and a reflected image of the fourth mirror appear to the driver to have substantially no gap between the respective reflected images of the third and fourth mirrors. The fourth mirror has a housing which is integrally formed with the second roof-supporting column
When the mirror arrangement according to the present invention includes third and fourth mirrors, the control system is capable of adjusting all four mirrors separately or in unison by remote control and includes a memory for storing a plurality of preset positions of the four mirrors.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a mirror assembly for a vehicle including a first mirror attached internally to the vehicle to a roof-supporting column of the view for providing a side rear view along a side of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle, and a second mirror attached internally to the vehicle to the roof-supporting column of the vehicle for providing a blind spot view to the driver, such that the first and second mirrors are positioned on the roof-supporting column one above the other, and the first and second mirrors are separately adjustable. In one version of this embodiment, the first and second mirrors are disposed with respect to each other so that a reflected image of the first mirror and a reflected image of the second mirror appear to the driver to have substantially no gap between the respective reflected images of the first and second mirrors. This embodiment can include a third mirror positioned on the roof-supporting column above the first and second mirror. A control system coupled to the first and second mirrors is used for adjusting the first and second mirrors by remote control.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2210147 (1940-08-01), Griffith
patent: 3377117 (1968-04-01), Biscow
patent: 3542456 (1970-11-01), Huge
patent: 4025173 (1977-05-01), Schmaedeke
patent: 4268120 (1981-05-01), Jitsumori
patent: 4439013 (1984-03-01), Hagn et al.
patent: 4727302 (1988-02-01), Mizuta et al.
patent: 4728180 (1988-03-01), Janowicz
patent: 4815689 (1989-03-01), Schiff
patent: 4890909 (1990-01-01), Schmidt et al.
patent: 4921337 (1990-05-
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Sikd-er Mohammad Y.
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