GB2261201A - Overtaking mirror - Google Patents

Abstract

An overtaking mirror for road vehicles that enables the driver of a vehicle to gain a forward-view of the opposite side of the road when driving behind another vehicle, when sitting in the vehicle at the side remote from the middle of the road as, for example, in a right-hand-drive vehicle in right hand traffic, comprises a mirror in a frame 2 connected to a body 5 by a swivel joint 3, 4 and detachably secured to a window with a clip 7 and a foot 11. In one embodiment the mirror is rotatable so that it can be used either as a rearview mirror or as a forward-view mirror in accordance with requirements. <IMAGE>

Description

OVERTAKING FIIRROR This invention relates to an overtaking mirror for passenger cars and other road vehicles.

When travelling in a vehicle on a road behind another vehicle, the forward vision of the driver in the following vehicle is restricted by the rear of the vehicle in front so that oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the road cannot always be seen in the distance. This restriction of the forward vision is particularly severe when driving a vehicle in which the driver sits at the side remote from the middle of the road, for example, when a right-hand-drive vehicle is driven in a country where there is right hand traffic, or when a left-hand-drive vehicle is driven in a country where there is left hand traffic. Under these circumstances, the driver of the vehicle cannot judge whether or not it is safe to overtake and either must refrain from overtaking or, if there is a competent passenger in the vehicle, must rely on the judgement of the passenger.

According to the present invention, a mirror of suitable size and shape is attached at a convenient place to the side of the vehicle at such position and attitude that the driver in the said vehicle gains an unobstructed view in the mirror of the opposite side of the road when travelling behind another vehicle, and can observe distant, oncoming traffic without having bring the own vehicle onto the opposite side of the road, into the pat of oncoming traffic.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings indicates the visual advantages that can be derived from the invention. It shows a right-hand-drive vehicle A travelling behind a vehicle B on the right hand side of the road. The forward vision of the driver in vehicle A is restricted by the rear of the vehicle B as indicated by the line e. A mirror unit in accordance with the invention will extend the driver's field of forward vision beyond line C by an area E when attached on or adjacent the passenger door inside the vehicle.

Similar visual advantages for overtaking, but of lesser magnitude, can be provided for drivers of vehicles that are seated in their vehicles at the side near the middle of the road when such mirror unit is attached to the outside of the vehicles on or adjacent the driver doors.

Three specific embodiments of the invention will be described now by way'of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 indicates the visual advatages that the invention can provide; Figure 2 shows the front elevation of a detachable mirror unit,intended for occasional use; Figure 3 shows a side elevation of the mirror unit shown by Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a side elevation cf a mirror unit that can be attached to the outside of avehicle as permament fixture and serves either as rearview or as forward-view mirror; Figure 5 shows a plan view cf the mirror unit shown by Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a side elevation, part sectioned, of a mirror unit that can function either as rearview mirror or as forward-view mirror and is suited for installation in a vehicle as original equipment; and Figure 7 shows a plan view of the mirror housing of the mirror unit shown by Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings: The mirror unit, shown by Figure 2 and Figure 3, is a detachable device suited for occasional use. It comprises a mirror 1 encased it frame 2 with an integral spherical socket 3 which, together with ball 4, forms a swivel joint that allows 360 degrees rotation of the mirror 1 about the axis of the joint. Ball 4 is rigidly attached to a bracket body 5 that has an upper leg 6 which terminates in a clip 7 that fits over the rearward-sloping front edge 8 of the window pane 9 in the vehicle door, and a lower leg 10 which has a foot 11 that comes to rest against the window pane 9 when the mirror unit is positioned on the door of the vehicle with the clip 7 engaged over the front edge 8 of the window pane 9.

The clip 7 is firmly held between the edge 8 of the window pane 9 and the door frame (not shown) when the window is closed. The slender construction of the clip 7 allows closure of the window without damaging the window seals, and the distance of the swivel joint from the side support face 12 of the bracket foot 11 and from the location face 13 of clip 7 is such that neither the door frame nor the windscreen pillar impede positioning of the mirror unit or restrict the field of forward vision.

The mirror unit, shown by Figure 4 and Figure 5, is a permament fixture and can serve either as rearview mirror or as forward-view mirror. It comprises a mirror 21 encased in a housing 22 which accommodates behind the mirror 21, hidden from view, a swivel joint that is attached by means of a short stem 23 to-a lever 24 which is clamped, by means of a screw with a large, rounded head 25 with a slot, to the upright boss 26 of the mounting bracket 27, which has two holes 28. The mirror unit can be firmly attached to the outside of a vehicle with two screws that fit through the holes 28.

A spring-loaded, cireular ratchet device, located below the screw head 25 in lever 24 in a counterbore, allows the free end of the lever 24, that carries the mirror 21 in housing 22, to be swung rearward through an angle of about 90 degrees from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 (rearview mode) and which is depicted in the plan view (Fig.5) as configuration A, to take up configuration B, in which the mirror 21 provides the driver of the vehicle with a forward view of the road.

The change round of viewing mode from rearward to forward viewing mode, or vice versa, is completed with the further, fine adjustment of the mirror attitude within the range of movements permitted by the swivel joint in the mirror housing 22.

The mirror unit, shown by Figure 6 and Figure 7, is intended for installation into vehicles as original equipment and can serve either as rearview or as forward-view mirror. It comprises a mirror 31, encased in a housing 32 that fully encloses the rear of the mirror and has protruding from its lower edge a tray-like projection 33; a spindle 34 that carries a worm wheel (in Fig 6 hidden behind the worm 38); a gear-housing 35 with a tubiform extension36; a worm spindle 37with worm38; and a two-part door-sleeve 39.

The projection 33 of the mirror housing 32 is firmly attached to the worm wheel spindle 34 which is held about vertically in the gear housing 35.

The spindle 34 can be made to rotate about its axis in either direction through about 90 degrees by means of the worm gear and, in rotating, swings the mirror housing 32 from one of the alternative viewing modes to the other.

The worm gear is actuated by rotating the worm spindle 37 from within the vehicle. Further, fine adjustment of the mirror attitude, to bring the hidden section of the road fully into view, is made by rotating the tubiform extension 36 of the gear-housing 35 in the door-sleeve 39 by means of its retention cup 40 from within the vehicle.

Claims (4)

1 A mirror unit comprising a mirror of rectangular shape or elongated rounded shape that vaguely resembles a rectangle, of up to 250 square centimetres area, in a housing that fully encloses the rear of the mirror, and by means of which the mirror can be attached to a vehicle in a position and at an attitude where the driver of a vehicle, that has been fitted with such mirror unit, gains an unobstructed forward view in the mirror of the opposite side of the road when travelling behind another vehicle, and can observe distant., oncoming traffic without having to bring the own vehicle onto the opposite side of the road, into the path of oncoming traffic.

2 A mirror unit as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the mirror housing is connected to a bracket by means of a swivel joint. The bracket has an upper leg that terminates in a clip which fits over the top edge of the window pane in the vehicle door, and a lower leg with a location foot that comes to rest against the window pane when the clip of the upper leg is engaged over the top edge of the window pane.

3 A mirror unit substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing, sheet 1/3.

4 A fixture for attaching an overtaking mirror to a road vehicle as claimed in Claim 3, wherein rotation of the pin in the gear housing is brought about by means of worm gearing, whereby the wormspindle is rotated from within the vehicle, either directly by hand or indirectly by means of remote control device.

4 A mirror unit as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the foot of the lower leg of the bracket is provided either with a suction pad or with with an adhesive pad which serves as supplementary means for attaching the mirror unit to the vehicle door.

5 A mirror unit as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the mirror housing is connected to a bracket by means of a swivel joint. The bracket is of simple shape and either has a auction pad or an adhesive pad as only means for attaching the mirror unit to the window of a vehicle door or the windscreen of a vehicle.

6 A mirror unit as claimed in -Claim 1 wherein the mirror housing is connected to a bracket by means of a swivel joint. The bracket is of simple shape and has a foot with one or more holes by means of which the unit can be attached, with one or more threaded fasteners, inside the vehicle to one of the windscreen pillars on a platform provided for this purpose, or out side the vehicle to one of the doors, or to the housing or support frame of one of the exterior rearview mirrors.

7 A mirror unit substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5 of the accompanying drawing, sheet 2/3.

8 A mirror unit substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 6 and Figure 7 of the accompanying drawing, sheet 3/3.

9 A mirror unit as claimed in Claim 8 wherein, in deviation from Claim 8, the change-over from one of the viewing modes to the other is effected by a linkage mechanism consisting of a rod, one end of which is pin-jointed to the spindle that carries the mirror housing at a point in the peripheral region of the spindle. The other end of the rod is threaded and engaged in a threaded sleeve which has an external location collar that prevents all axial movement of the sleeve in the tubiform extension of the control-gear housing. Rotation of the threaded sleeve moves the rod axially and this causes the spindle, to which the rod is pin-jointed, to rotate about its axis. The spindle has a relief slot cut into its side that prevents fouling of rod and spindle as the spindle is rotated throughanangle of up to 90 degrees.

Change-over of viewing modes and the fine adjustment of the mirror attitude are made manually from within the vehicle.

10 A mirror unit as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the change over of the viewing modes and the fine adjustment of the mirror attitude is effected by electro-mechanical means.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1 A fixture for attaching an overtaking mirror to a road vehicle, outside on or adjacent the front passenger door, so that the one mirror can be used either as rearview mirror or as forward-view mirror. It comprises: a lever that has one end attached to the vehicle by suitable means so that the lever can be rotated, in its length, about the fixing point through an angle of about 90 degrees in a plane that lies parallel, or nearly parallel, to the wheel base of the vehicle, and has at its free end means for mounting on it a mirror in its housing;; o means for attaching the lever to the vehicle, so adapted that the view ing modes of the mirror (ie., rearview and forward-view mode) can be reversed either by direct hand action or by remote control from within the vehicle, and e additional means for the fine adjustment of the mirror attitude.

2 A fixture for attaching an overtaking mirror to a road vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.

3 A fixture for attaching an overtaking mirror to a road vehicle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the lever is an integral part of the mirror housing in the form of a cantilever-like projection from the bettor edge of the housing with a downward-pointing pin at its underside at the end remote from the mirror housing.

The pin is secured in a gear housing that is fitted into the vehicle door and contains means for rotating the pin so as to move the mirror into the required viewing mode,either by direct manual control or by remote control, from within the vehicle. Additional, fine adjustments of the mirror attitude in the mirror housing are made by convential means, also from within the vehicle.