CA2146590A1 - Optical device for improving the rear view in automobiles - Google Patents
Optical device for improving the rear view in automobilesInfo
- Publication number
- CA2146590A1 CA2146590A1 CA002146590A CA2146590A CA2146590A1 CA 2146590 A1 CA2146590 A1 CA 2146590A1 CA 002146590 A CA002146590 A CA 002146590A CA 2146590 A CA2146590 A CA 2146590A CA 2146590 A1 CA2146590 A1 CA 2146590A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- lens
- rear window
- lens part
- edge
- further characterized
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R1/00—Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
- B60R1/02—Rear-view mirror arrangements
- B60R1/08—Rear-view mirror arrangements involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots, e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B3/00—Simple or compound lenses
- G02B3/02—Simple or compound lenses with non-spherical faces
- G02B3/08—Simple or compound lenses with non-spherical faces with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens
Abstract
The invention provides an optical device for mounting on a rear window of an automobile for deflecting a driver's field of view to allow the driver to view through the device downwards beyond the rear of the vehicle. The device comprises part only of a Fresnel lens, having a negative focal length, the optical center of which is spaced from the geometric center, characterized in that the optical center of the lens part, lies at or adjacent an edge of the lens.
The said edge of the lens is attached via a hinged mounting device, to the rear window, such that the hinged mounting device allows the angle of the lens to be adjusted, allowing the lens to lie in a vertical plane, with the aforesaid edge defining the upper edge of the lens part.
The said edge of the lens is attached via a hinged mounting device, to the rear window, such that the hinged mounting device allows the angle of the lens to be adjusted, allowing the lens to lie in a vertical plane, with the aforesaid edge defining the upper edge of the lens part.
Description
a The invention relates to optical devices of the type for deflecti~g fields of view, and more t; '~, to an optical device for mounbng on a rear window of an ~ ' ' for deflectmg a driver's field of view, to allo~/ the driver to view through the device du....wa~d~, beyond the rear of the vehicle.
It is common in devices for expanding or ~eflecting fields of view, to use a complete Fresnel lens combined with a Fresnel prism; bhe leQs expanding the field of view and the prism deflecbng the field of view. ~evices of b~ix type, albhough allowing the required field and deflection of view, are large amd require a vertical rear window, making bhem impractical for amy vehicle not having a large vertical rear window.
I have found b~at these limitations may be (nercome by using a quadrant of a Fresnel lens and affixing it to the rear window of an ~ ' ' by meams of an adjustable himged device.
The quadrant may be a rectangle and the optical center of the lens part may be at one corner thereof. The lens may include more than one Fresnel lens element Iying one on top of amother, each element having a negative focal length and the optical center of e~ch Iying at or adjacent said edge of the lens. In b'lis way, for example, two lens elements which individually produce a deviabioQ of a particular angle, w~uld produce a combined deviabion of double that particular angle. The device is suitable for use on any motor vehicle having a rear window, p~ ., of the angle of the rear window.
gg The device of the invention may be r ' ~ simply amd easily and enables the driver of an automobile to reverse up to an object such as amother car, without fear of collision. The device c~m be made small enough so thal when mounted in the region of an upper corner of the rear window, on tDe opposite side to the driver, the driver's normal rear vision is 1~ ~i. The device is suitable for use on any automobile having a rear wiDdow ilIC~ . of the rake of the rear window.
ln drawings which illustrate .,~ s of the invention, Figure I is a view illustrating an ~ " of a view deflecting device; Pigure 2 is a schematic side view of a vehicle illustrating the positioning of the view deflecting device of Figure l; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of part of the motor vehicle; Figures 4A and 4B are two views showing how the device of Figure I is to be fitted to vehicle rear windows of different rakes; and Figure 5 shows ' "~, a hinged device for mounting the view deflecting device.
The view deflecting device illustrated comlnises a lens part 10 which is 1, , ' in overall shape. The rectangle is part of a qua~drant of a Fresnel lens having an angle of deviation of up to 50. The optical center 11 of the Fresnel lens is at one corner of the rect mgle and conceDtrlc groove formations 12 which give the Fresnel lens its optical properties cover the entire surface of the rect mgle save a bordel 15 and a bar 14 having a circular cross section, The ~ part 10 of the Fresnel lens is of plastic material, although it is f~
that other materials could be used. It will b~ fl~ that, although the optical center 11 is shown at a corner of tbe 1. ~ ' lens part 10, the center could be at other positions adjacent to the edge. For example, the rectangle defined by the chain limes in Figure I would g(l operate effectively as a view deflecting fllevice and the term "adjacent~ the edge is intended to cover such a ~ ~io.,.
The lens part 10 was described above as being formed from part of a single Fresnel lens. It will be a~/l, ' ' that a device for a particular ~ngle of deviation could also be made by taking two Fresnel lens elements, one on tbe other. ~ of the lens elements in this way car~, however, reduce the clarity of the image formed.
Mounting means in the form of an âdbesil/e pad 16 is attached to the lens part 10 by a hinged device 13. An adjustable mounting device is formed by device 13 and bar 14 forming a friction fit joint 17 as illustrated in Figure 5. It will be ~ ,.. ' that other mounting devices could be employed to affix the lens part 10 to the rear window of an ' ' To work ~ fjlf ~ , the Fresnel lens part 10 must be 1~ ' ' to the line of sight, and in Figures 4A amd 4B, the device is shown mounted on rear wimdows that are vertical and steeply raked ,~ liv~l~. It will be a~J~lc ' that there are ".~ to adhesive pads for mounting the device; for exarnple, a suction pad could be used.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate where the device should be positioned ir~ a vehicle and also how the line of sight of the driver is deflected. It will be a~ that Figures 2 and 3 are schematic views. The Fresnel lens must be large enough to enable the driver to see clearly, lafge sections of objects he is reversing towards, other~vise the image becomes difflcult to interpret. The most coQvenient position for ~e optical device is in the top corner of the rear
It is common in devices for expanding or ~eflecting fields of view, to use a complete Fresnel lens combined with a Fresnel prism; bhe leQs expanding the field of view and the prism deflecbng the field of view. ~evices of b~ix type, albhough allowing the required field and deflection of view, are large amd require a vertical rear window, making bhem impractical for amy vehicle not having a large vertical rear window.
I have found b~at these limitations may be (nercome by using a quadrant of a Fresnel lens and affixing it to the rear window of an ~ ' ' by meams of an adjustable himged device.
The quadrant may be a rectangle and the optical center of the lens part may be at one corner thereof. The lens may include more than one Fresnel lens element Iying one on top of amother, each element having a negative focal length and the optical center of e~ch Iying at or adjacent said edge of the lens. In b'lis way, for example, two lens elements which individually produce a deviabioQ of a particular angle, w~uld produce a combined deviabion of double that particular angle. The device is suitable for use on any motor vehicle having a rear window, p~ ., of the angle of the rear window.
gg The device of the invention may be r ' ~ simply amd easily and enables the driver of an automobile to reverse up to an object such as amother car, without fear of collision. The device c~m be made small enough so thal when mounted in the region of an upper corner of the rear window, on tDe opposite side to the driver, the driver's normal rear vision is 1~ ~i. The device is suitable for use on any automobile having a rear wiDdow ilIC~ . of the rake of the rear window.
ln drawings which illustrate .,~ s of the invention, Figure I is a view illustrating an ~ " of a view deflecting device; Pigure 2 is a schematic side view of a vehicle illustrating the positioning of the view deflecting device of Figure l; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of part of the motor vehicle; Figures 4A and 4B are two views showing how the device of Figure I is to be fitted to vehicle rear windows of different rakes; and Figure 5 shows ' "~, a hinged device for mounting the view deflecting device.
The view deflecting device illustrated comlnises a lens part 10 which is 1, , ' in overall shape. The rectangle is part of a qua~drant of a Fresnel lens having an angle of deviation of up to 50. The optical center 11 of the Fresnel lens is at one corner of the rect mgle and conceDtrlc groove formations 12 which give the Fresnel lens its optical properties cover the entire surface of the rect mgle save a bordel 15 and a bar 14 having a circular cross section, The ~ part 10 of the Fresnel lens is of plastic material, although it is f~
that other materials could be used. It will b~ fl~ that, although the optical center 11 is shown at a corner of tbe 1. ~ ' lens part 10, the center could be at other positions adjacent to the edge. For example, the rectangle defined by the chain limes in Figure I would g(l operate effectively as a view deflecting fllevice and the term "adjacent~ the edge is intended to cover such a ~ ~io.,.
The lens part 10 was described above as being formed from part of a single Fresnel lens. It will be a~/l, ' ' that a device for a particular ~ngle of deviation could also be made by taking two Fresnel lens elements, one on tbe other. ~ of the lens elements in this way car~, however, reduce the clarity of the image formed.
Mounting means in the form of an âdbesil/e pad 16 is attached to the lens part 10 by a hinged device 13. An adjustable mounting device is formed by device 13 and bar 14 forming a friction fit joint 17 as illustrated in Figure 5. It will be ~ ,.. ' that other mounting devices could be employed to affix the lens part 10 to the rear window of an ' ' To work ~ fjlf ~ , the Fresnel lens part 10 must be 1~ ' ' to the line of sight, and in Figures 4A amd 4B, the device is shown mounted on rear wimdows that are vertical and steeply raked ,~ liv~l~. It will be a~J~lc ' that there are ".~ to adhesive pads for mounting the device; for exarnple, a suction pad could be used.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate where the device should be positioned ir~ a vehicle and also how the line of sight of the driver is deflected. It will be a~ that Figures 2 and 3 are schematic views. The Fresnel lens must be large enough to enable the driver to see clearly, lafge sections of objects he is reversing towards, other~vise the image becomes difflcult to interpret. The most coQvenient position for ~e optical device is in the top corner of the rear
Claims (8)
1 An optical device for mounting on a rear window of an automobile for deflecting a driver's field of view to allow the driver to view through the device, downwards beyond the rear of the vehicle, the device comprising part only of a Fresnel lens (10) having a negative focal length, the optical center (11) of which is spaced from the geometric center, characterized in that the optical center (11) of the lens part (10) lies at or adjacent an edge of the lens, said edge being hingedly connected to mounting means (13) for mounting the device on a rear window, whereby, when the mounting means (13) is mounted on the rear window, the lens part (10) can be angularly adjusted about the mounting means to lie in a substantially vertical plane with said edge defining the upper edge of the lens part.
2 A device as claimed in claim 1 further characterized in that the lens part (10) includes more than one Fresnel lens element lying one on top of another, each element having a negative focal length and the optical center (11) of each lying at or adjacent said edge of the lens.
3 A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 further characterized in that the lens part (10) comprises substantially a quadrant of a Fresnel lens.
4 A device as claimed in claim 3 further characterized in that the quadrant is a rectangle and the optical center (11) of the lens part (10) is at one corner thereof.
5 A device as claimed in any preceding claim further characterized that the mounting means (13) is hingedly connected to the lens part (10) through a friction fit joint of sufficient rigidity to support the lens part (10) in the desired position.
6 A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 further characterized in that the mounting means (13) is hingedly connected to the lens part (10) by a stiff hinge.
7 A device as claimed in any preceding claim further characterized in that the mounting means (13) includes an adhesive pad (16) for fixing the device to the rear window.
8 An automobile having a rear window and an optical device as claimed in any preceding claim mounted in the region of an upper corner of a rear window.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002146590A CA2146590A1 (en) | 1995-04-07 | 1995-04-07 | Optical device for improving the rear view in automobiles |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002146590A CA2146590A1 (en) | 1995-04-07 | 1995-04-07 | Optical device for improving the rear view in automobiles |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2146590A1 true CA2146590A1 (en) | 1996-10-08 |
Family
ID=4155610
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002146590A Abandoned CA2146590A1 (en) | 1995-04-07 | 1995-04-07 | Optical device for improving the rear view in automobiles |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2146590A1 (en) |
-
1995
- 1995-04-07 CA CA002146590A patent/CA2146590A1/en not_active Abandoned
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |