GB2330811A

GB2330811A - Overtaking mirror

Info

Publication number: GB2330811A
Application number: GB9723047A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Derek Mckelvie; Cameron Mackinnon Tyre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-10-31
Filing date: 1997-10-31
Publication date: 1999-05-05
Also published as: GB9723047D0

Abstract

A plastic casing 1 pierced by two apertures 2,5 and containing two mirrors 3,4 is mounted on top of the driver's side wing mirror on a right hand drive car or on a bracket on the offside front wing of a left hand drive car. The driver of the car that the invention is fitted to will have a much improved view of the road ahead past a high and/or wide vehicle in front.

Description

OVERTAXING MIRROR This invention relates to a combination of two mirrors enclosed within a casing which aid overtaking of high and/or wide road vehicles.

When driving a car on the open road, it is usually fairly easy to overtake a car in front because one can see past it sufficiently to know whether the opposite side of the road is free from oncoming traffic.

However, when the vehicle in front is higher or wider than a car, it is usually necessary for the overtaking vehicle to edge out slowly onto the other side of the road in order to see past the vehicle in front with the attendant risk of colliding with oncoming vehicles. This problem is exacerbated when driving a left hand drive vehicle in this country, when overtaking is virtually impossible.

According to the present invention there is provided a plastic casing, the shell of which is pierced by an input aperature and an output aperature. Contained within the shell of the casing are two mirrors set at specific angles in relation to each other and to the aperatures.

The image of the road ahead enters the casing by means of the input aperature, which is at 900 to the road when seen in plan. The image is then reflected off mirror one and then mirror two, leaving the casing by means of the output aperature. The image of the road ahead has thus effectively been turned through an angle of 34 and can be viewed by the driver, reducing or in some cases eliminating altogether the need to edge onto the other side of the road. The casing is mounted on top of the driver's side wing mirror for use on right hand drive cars. When used on left hand drive cars the casing is mounted on the offside front wing by means of a bracket similar to that utilised for caravan towing mirrors.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the fixing location for the invention on a right hand drive car, attatched to the driver's side wing mirror.

Figure 2 shows the fixing location for the invention on a left hand drive car, attatched to the offside front wing by means of a simple bracket.

Figure 3 shows a typical view of the invention being utilised by the driver of a car wishing to overtake an articulated lorry, and illustrates how the image of the road ahead is turned through an angle of 34 to allow the car driver to see ahead.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the invention in cross section showing the dimensions and angles of the aperatures and mirrors within the casing.

Referring to the drawings, the invention comprises a plastic casing 1 which is pierced by an input aperature 2 and an output aperature 5. A mounting point 6 is attatched to the anderside of the casing 1.

The image of the road ahead enters the input aperature 2 which is set at 90 to the line of the road and is 65 mm in width. The image is then reflected off the first mirror 3 which is located 46.9 mm behind the imput aperature and lies at an angle of 27 to the same. This first airror is 73 mm wide. Having been reflected off the first mirror, the image is then reflected off a second mirror 4 which is immediately adjacent to the input aperature and lies at an angle of 10 to the same.

This second mirror is 90 mm in width. Having been reflected off the first and second mirrors, the image has effectively been turned through an angle of 34 , and now leaves the casing by means of the output aperature 5 which is at an angle of 340 to the input aperature. The driver of the car can view the image of the road ahead through the output aperature. When in use on a right hand drive car the invention is held to the top of the driver s side wing mirror by a screw clamp 8 which attatches to the mounting point 6, as shown in Figure 1. When in use on a left hand drive car, the invention is held onto the offside front wing of the car by a combined mounting bracket/screw clamp 7, as shown in Figure 2.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 A plastic casing pierced by two aperatures and containing two mirrors, the dimensions, settings, and angles of which are set out in Figure 4. The dimensions critical to the claim are the width and angle of the input aperature
2. It is 65 mm wide and set at an angle of 900 to the road ahead; The width, angle, and position of the first mirror
3.

It is 73 mm wide, and is set 46.9 mm behind the input aperature at an angle of 27 to the same; The width, angle, and position of the second mirror
4. It is 90 mm wide, and is immediately to the left of the input aperature on the same plane but at an angle of 10 ; The width and angle and position of the output aperature
5. The width is 65 mm and it is set 20 mm behind the plane of the input aperature at an angle of 34.

The combination of these dimensions and angles means that the image of the road ahead is turned through 340 so that it can be viewed by the driver, and that is the basis of the claim.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIM A M plastic casing pierced by two aperatures and containing two mirrors, the dimensions, settings, and angles of which are set out in the accompanying diagram. The dimensions critical to the claim are; the width and angle of the input aperature 2, which is 65 mm wide and set at angle of 90 to the road ahead; the width, angle, and position of the first mirror 3, which is 73 mm wide and is set 46.9 mm behind the input aperature at an angle of 27 to the same; the width, angle, and position of the second mirror 4, which is 90 mm wide and located immediately to the left of the input aperature on the same plane but at an angle of 100; the width, angle, and position of the output aperature 5, which is 65 mm wide and is set 20 mm behind the plane of the input aperature at an angle of 34. The combination of these dimensions and angles means that the image of the road ahead is turned through 340 so that it can be viewed by the driver, and that is the basis of the claim.