US 4,981,279 A · Adjustable rear view mirror

Abstract

An adjustable rear view mirror for an automotive vehicle adapted to be mounted on a door and comprising a housing including a mounting flange at one end and an opening adjacent the other end, an end bracket in the housing, a mirror and a mounting mechanism supporting the mirror in the opening of the housing. The mounting mechanism comprises an adaptor connected to the mirror, a cup, a sleeve and a retainer. The adaptor includes a spherical portion having a slot. The cup is mounted on the end bracket, or alternatively, on the housing and engages the outer spherical portion of the adaptor. The sleeve has a rib on its outer surface and spaced from the rib is a groove on the inner surface of the sleeve. The sleeve engages the inner surface of the adaptor and is positioned so the rib is received in a slot of the adaptor. The retainer engages the inner surface of the sleeve and has a rib received in the groove of the sleeve. A spring yieldingly urges the retainer on the cup. A universally mounted handle is mounted on the door and includes an end portion that engages the mirror mounting mechanism to adjust the mirror in a universal manner.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A mounting mechanism for supporting a mirror:

a bracket for supporting the mounting mechanism,
a cup having an inner spherical portion, said cup secured to said bracket and fixedly held in a stationary position,
an adaptor having a spherical portion, said spherical portion engaged to said inner spherical portion of said cup,
a sleeve having a hemispherical shape, said sleeve engaging to the interior of said spherical portion of said adaptor,
a retainer having a spherical portion, said spherical portion engaging the interior of said sleeve,
means for mounting the mirror on said adaptor,
means for maintaining said cup, said adaptor, said sleeve and said retainer in assembled relationship while permitting relative movement,
means for preventing relative rotational movement of the mirror about an axis perpendicular to the mounting mechanism,
interengaging means for limiting relative movement between said adaptor and said sleeve in a first plane, and
interengaging means for limiting relative movement between said sleeve and said retainer in a second plane at an angle to the first plane,
said means limiting relative movement between said adaptor and said sleeve including a rib on one of said adaptor and said sleeve and a slot on the other of said adaptor and said sleeve.

8 more elements

A mounting mechanism for supporting a mirror comprises:

a mounting bracket for supporting the mounting mechanism,
a cup having a non-circular centrally located opening, and means for mounting said cup on said bracket, said means being secured to said mounting bracket to hold said cup in a fixed stationary position,
an adaptor having a spherical portion with a centrally located opening, said spherical portion engaging the inner surface of said cup,
a sleeve having a hemispherical shape with a centrally located opening, said sleeve engaging the interior of said spherical portion of said adaptor,
a retainer including a stem having a non-circular cross section, said cup having a complementary non-circular cup opening for coupling said retainer and said cup,
a spherical portion supporting said stem portion, said spherical portion engaging the underside of said sleeve,
said stem being received in said centrally located openings of said sleeve, said adaptor and said cup,
said adaptor and said sleeve having interengaging means for limiting relative movement between said adaptor and said sleeve,
said sleeve and said retainer having interengaging means for limiting relative movement between said sleeve and said retainer,
a spring mounted on said cup and surrounding said stem,
a retainer demountably attached to the top of said stem portion and securing said spring such that said spring urges said retainer and said cup toward each other, holding said adaptor and
a mounting bracket for the mirror,
said mounting bracket being engaged to said adaptor,
said interengaging means between said adaptor and said sleeve comprising at least one slot located on said interior of said spherical portion of said adaptor and adjacent said adaptor opening, and at least one rib located on the exterior of said sleeve and adjacent said sleeve opening, wherein said exterior rib extends into said slot of said adaptor.

11 more elements

An adjustable rear view mirror for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a housing including a mounting flange on one end and an opening in the other end and an end bracket intermediate the ends of said housing;
a mirror;
a mounting mechanism for supporting said mirror wherein said mechanism comprises,
a mounting bracket for supporting the mounting mechanism,
a cup having a non-circular centrally located opening, and
means for mounting said cup on said bracket, said means being secured to said mounting bracket to hold said cup in a fixed stationary position,
an adaptor having a spherical portion with a centrally located opening, said spherical portion engaging the inner surface of said cup,
a sleeve having a hemispherical shape with a centrally located opening, said sleeve engaging the interior of said spherical portion of said adaptor,
a retainer including a stem having a non-circular cross section, said cup having a complementary non-circular cup opening for coupling said retainer and said cup,
a spherical portion supporting said stem portion, said spherical portion engaging the underside of said sleeve,
said stem being received in said centrally located openings of said sleeve, said adaptor and said cup,
said adaptor and said sleeve having interengaging means for limiting relative movement between said adaptor and said sleeve,
said sleeve and said retainer having interengaging means for limiting relative movement between said sleeve and said retainer,
a spring mounted on said cup and surrounding said stem,
a retainer demountably attached to the top of said stem portion and securing said spring such that said spring urges said retainer and said cup toward each other, holding said adaptor and
a mounting bracket for the mirror,
said mounting bracket being engaged to said adaptor,
said interengaging means between said adaptor and said sleeve comprising at least one slot located on said interior of said spherical portion of said adaptor and adjacent said adaptor opening, and at least one rib located on the exterior of said sleeve and adjacent said sleeve opening, wherein said exterior rib extends into said slot of said adaptor.

15 more elements

An adjustable rear view mirror for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a housing including a mounting flange on one end and an opening in the other end and an end bracket intermediate the ends of said housing;
a mirror;
a mounting mechanism for supporting said mirror wherein said mechanism comprises,
a mounting bracket for supporting the mounting mechanism,
a cup having a non-circular centrally located opening, and
means for mounting said cup on said bracket, said means being secured to said mounting bracket to hold said cup in a fixed stationary position,
an adaptor having a spherical portion with a centrally located opening, said spherical portion engaging the inner surface of said cup,
a sleeve having a hemispherical shape with a centrally located opening, said sleeve engaging the interior of said spherical portion of said adaptor,
a retainer including a stem having a non-circular cross section, said cup having a complementary non-circular cup opening for coupling said retainer and said cup,
a spherical portion supporting said stem portion, said spherical portion engaging the underside of said sleeve,
said stem being received in said centrally located openings of said sleeve, said adaptor and said cup,
said adaptor and said sleeve having interengaging means for limiting relative movement between said adaptor and said sleeve,
said sleeve and said retainer having interengaging means for limiting relative movement between said sleeve and said retainer,
a spring mounted on said cup and surrounding said stem,
a retainer demountably attached to the top of said stem portion and securing said spring such that said spring urges said retainer and said cup toward each other, holding said adaptor and
a mounting bracket for the mirror,
said mounting bracket being engaged to said adaptor,
said interengaging means comprising a pair of aligned slots on said spherical portion of said adaptor and on opposite sides of said adaptor opening, and a pair of aligned ribs on the exterior of said sleeve and on opposite sides of said sleeve opening, wherein said aligned exterior ribs extend into said aligned slots of said adaptor.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Adjustable rear view mirror

Life of this patent

Adjustable rear view mirror

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18