Automobile side view mirror apparatus and system

A side view mirror apparatus for an automobile having a side window received in a channel extending along a window post and a window frame of the automobile, with a forward edge of the side window being movably received into the channel of the window post and an upper edge of the side window being movably received into the channel of the window frame, said mirror apparatus comprising:

• a mirror frame having a side section and an upper section attached to or integral with said side section, said side section having a forward edge that is sized and configured to be received in the channel in the window post and said upper section having a top edge sized and configured to be received in the channel in the window frame, said mirror frame connected to a mounting position associated with the automobile;
• a window channel in each of said side section and said upper section of said mirror frame, said window channel of said side section sized and configured to receive the forward edge of the side window, said window channel of said upper section sized and configured to receive the upper edge of the side window;
• a housing in the side section, said housing having a forward end, an outer side, an inner side and a rearward end defining an interior chamber in said housing;
• a first reflector movably disposed in said housing, said first reflector positioned toward a lower end of said side section;
• a second reflector movably disposed in said housing, said second reflector positioned above said first reflector, each of said first reflector and said second reflector being structured and arranged to allow adjustments to the viewing position of each of said first reflector and said second reflector so as to improve the ability of a driver of the automobile to see any objects in or approaching one or more of a blind spot, a driver side view and a passenger side view associated with the automobile.

A side view mirror system, comprising:

• an automobile having a mounting position at which an existing side mirror was attached to said automobile;
• a side window associated with said automobile;
• a channel extending along a window post and a window frame of said automobile when said side window is in a raised position, a forward edge of said side window being movably received into said channel associated with said window post, an upper edge of said side window being movably received into said channel associated with said window frame;
• a mirror apparatus having a mirror frame with a side section and an upper section, said upper section attached to or integral with said side section so as to extend rearwardly therefrom when said mirror apparatus is secured to said automobile, said side section having a forward edge that is sized and configured to be received in said channel in said window post and said upper section having a top edge that is sized and configured to be received in said channel in said window frame, said side section of said mirror frame connected to said mounting position of said automobile;
• a window channel in each of said side section and said upper section of said mirror frame, said window channel of said side section sized and configured to receive said forward edge of said side window, said window channel of said upper section sized and configured to receive said upper edge of said side window;
• a housing in said side section of said mirror frame, said housing having a forward end, an outer side, an inner side and a rearward end that define an interior chamber in said housing;
• a first reflector movably disposed in said housing, said first reflector positioned toward a lower end of said side section;
• a second reflector movably disposed in said housing above said first reflector;
• and
• a mirror mounting mechanism associated with each one of said first reflector and said second reflector so as to separately secure said first reflector and said second reflector to said interior chamber, each of said mirror mounting mechanisms structured and arranged to allow said first reflector and said second reflector to pivot separately relative to said housing to allow adjustments to be made to the viewing position of each of said first reflector and said second reflector so as to improve the ability of a driver of said automobile to see any objects in or approaching one or more of a blind spot, a driver side view and a passenger side view associated with said automobile.