GB1590824A

GB1590824A - Vehicle rear view mirrors including radio aerials

Info

Publication number: GB1590824A
Application number: GB3160476A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: PRITCHARD PLASTICS Ltd
Current assignee: PRITCHARD PLASTICS Ltd
Priority date: 1977-10-27
Filing date: 1977-10-27
Publication date: 1981-06-10

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO VEHICLE REAR VIEW MIRRORS INCLUDING RADIO AERIALS (71) We, PRITCHARD (PLASTICS) LIMITED, a British Company of Kings Hill, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8QN, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to vehicle rear view mirrors including radio aerials.

The present invention consists in a vehicle rear view mirror including a component which is a plastics moulding coated with a conductive material for receiving electromagnetic waves such that the component is able to function as an aerial for a vehicle radio, and means connected conductively to the conductive material adapted to be connected by a lead to a vehicle radio.

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a suitable plastics material from which the component may be moulded. Polypropylene and nylon are further examples of plastics material which may be used but it is more difficult to plate them satisfactorily than acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The conductive material may be bright copper applied by electroplating.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a vehicle rear view mirror in accordance with the present invention, and Figure 2 is a central vertical section through a lower portion of an arm of a further form of rear view mirror in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the rear view mirror is an exterior mirror suitable for mounting on a wing or door of a vehicle.

The mirror comprises a head 1, which carries the mirror proper, not shown, a hollow tapering body 2 in the wider end of which the lead 1 is swivelly mounted in known manner for adjustment of the mirror proper relative to the body, and a mount- ing 3 which is fixed to the body and by which the mirror is secured to a vehicle.

The head 1, body 2 and mounting 3 are all made as plastics mouldings of acrylo nitrile butadiene styrene. The body is given a chromium plated finish, as indicated at 4, and so too is the head moulding.

The mounting is not plated or otherwise treated. The moulding which forms the head is prepared to receive the chromium plating and has the plating applied to it by conventional techniques. The body moulding is treated in a modified manner.

In the treatment of the body, the surface of the moulding, internally and externally, is first etched in known manner with a known etching solution to provide a key for subsequent plating. The etched surface i sthen plated with electroless nickel or copper; bright copper is electroplated on to the nickel or copper as indicated at 5; nickel is plated on to the bright copper and finally the surface finish of chromium is applied. The layer of bright copper 5 constitutes the conductor means.

The body is fixed to the mounting 3 by bolts 6, 6' and nuts 7 with washers 8, heads 9 of the bolts being disposed inside the body and the shanks extending through -registering apertures in the wall of the body and a raised central portion -10 of the mounting below which the washers and nuts are fitted to the shanks. Around the aperture in the body wall through which one bolt 6 passes the chromium and nickel at the inside of the body are removed to expose the bright copper 5, and the head 9 of that bolt engages with the bright copper. It is preferred but not essential for the chromium and nickel to be removed because they are able to act as conductors between the bright copper and the bolt.

A - connector 11 which includes a tab 12 able to receive a socket fitting of a radio aerial lead is secured to the bolt 6 below the raised portion 10 of the mounting by the nut 7.

At leg portions 13 of the mounting fixing screws 14 are provided, heads 15 of the screws being embedded in the plastics material of the leg portions. The fixing screws 14 have nuts 16 fitted to them and are for securing the mirror to a wing or door panel of a vehicle as indicated at 17.

One of the fixing screws has an earth connector 18 attached to it for use in providing a connection to earth through the vehicle for the radio to which the mirror is connected when in use. The earth connector 18 engages with the bare metal of the wing or door to which the mounting is secured.

It has a tab 19 for receiving a socket fitting of an earth lead of the ratio.

A hole has to be formed in the vehicle wing or door panel for the radio aerial lead to pass through to the connector when the mounting is fixed to the vehicle. The aerial lead will normally have an insulating cover so that the conducting part of the lead will not make contact with the wing or door, but if desired an insulating grommet or sleeve may also be fitted in the hole.

It will be clear from the foregoing and from the drawing that the bright copper of the body, and indeed the entire body, is insulated from conductive connection to the vehicle wing or door.

Intsead of making contact with the bright copper at the inside of the body the screw 6 may contact the bright copper at the outside of the body, the nickel and chromium at the outside of the body being removed for direct contact to be made.

Again it is not essential for the chromium and nickel to be removed.

For ease in manufacture it is convenient to plate the bright copper on the inside of the body with nickel and chromium as well as the bright copper on the outside.

However, the bright copper on the inside of the body need not necessarily be so plated.

In the second embodiment illustrated by Figure 2 the invention is applied to an external rear view mirror which has-a head, not shown, supported by an arm 20 which has an integral mounting 21. The arm is made as a plastics moulding including the mounting. Both the arm 20 and the mounting are treated in similar manner to the body in the first embodiment to provide them with a bright copper layer 22 and a chromium plated surface finish 23.

The mounting has apertures for two fixing screws 24 by means of which, and nuts 25, the mounting, and thereby the mirror, is secured to a vehicle wing or door panel.

Within the apertures the heads of the fixing screws 24 make contact with the bright copper 22 on the mounting. A connector 26 for the attachment of a radio aerial lead is attached to one of the fixing screws by the associated nut 25. An earth connection 27 is also mounted about that same fixing screw but it is insulated from the screw. The insulation is provided by a tubular spigot 28 of-a rubber pad 29 which fits against the bottom of the mounting and prevents the mounting from making contact with the vehicle wing or door panel as indicated at 30, on which the mirror is mounted for use. The fixing screw 24 extends through the spigot 28. A flange 31 of the spigot separates the aerial lead connector 26 from the earth connector 27.

A further, substantially similar, flanged spigot 32 of the pad 29 has the other fixing screw 24 extending through it, and it insulates the screw and its nut from engagement with the wing or door panel.

It will be realised that in the drawings the thicknesses of the bright copper layers and of the chromium surface finishes have been exaggerated for the purpose of clarity.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. A vehicle rear view mirror including a component which is a plastics moulding coated with a conductive material for receiving electromagnetic waves such that the component is able to function as an aerial for a vehicle radio, and means connected conductively to the conductive material adapted to be connected by a lead to a vehicle radio.

2. A vehicle rear view mirror according to Claim 1 wherein the plastics moulding is made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

3. A vehicle rear view mirror according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the conductive material is bright copper.

4. A vehicle rear view mirror according to Claim 3 wherein the bright copper is plated on to electroless nickel or copper applied to a surface of the plastics moulding.

5. A vehicle rear view mirror according to Claim 4 wherein nickel is plated on to the bright copper and chromium is applied to that nickel.

6. A vehicle rear view mirror according to any preceding claim wherein the component is a body of the mirror. on which a mirror head is mounted.

7. A vehicle rear view mirror according to any of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the component is an arm of the mirror which carries a mirror head.

8. A vehicle rear view mirror-according to any preceding claim wherein the means connetced conductively to the conductive material comprises a screw for fixing the mirror on a support for use, and a connector carried by the screw adapted to have a radio aerial lead attached thereto.

9. A vehicle rear view mirror according to Claim 8 wherein the screw carries an earth connector which is insulated therefrom and is adapted to be engaged with an earthing metal part of the vehicle on which the mirror is mounted for use and to have

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. screws 14 have nuts 16 fitted to them and are for securing the mirror to a wing or door panel of a vehicle as indicated at 17. One of the fixing screws has an earth connector 18 attached to it for use in providing a connection to earth through the vehicle for the radio to which the mirror is connected when in use. The earth connector 18 engages with the bare metal of the wing or door to which the mounting is secured. It has a tab 19 for receiving a socket fitting of an earth lead of the ratio. A hole has to be formed in the vehicle wing or door panel for the radio aerial lead to pass through to the connector when the mounting is fixed to the vehicle. The aerial lead will normally have an insulating cover so that the conducting part of the lead will not make contact with the wing or door, but if desired an insulating grommet or sleeve may also be fitted in the hole. It will be clear from the foregoing and from the drawing that the bright copper of the body, and indeed the entire body, is insulated from conductive connection to the vehicle wing or door. Intsead of making contact with the bright copper at the inside of the body the screw 6 may contact the bright copper at the outside of the body, the nickel and chromium at the outside of the body being removed for direct contact to be made. Again it is not essential for the chromium and nickel to be removed. For ease in manufacture it is convenient to plate the bright copper on the inside of the body with nickel and chromium as well as the bright copper on the outside. However, the bright copper on the inside of the body need not necessarily be so plated. In the second embodiment illustrated by Figure 2 the invention is applied to an external rear view mirror which has-a head, not shown, supported by an arm 20 which has an integral mounting 21. The arm is made as a plastics moulding including the mounting. Both the arm 20 and the mounting are treated in similar manner to the body in the first embodiment to provide them with a bright copper layer 22 and a chromium plated surface finish 23. The mounting has apertures for two fixing screws 24 by means of which, and nuts 25, the mounting, and thereby the mirror, is secured to a vehicle wing or door panel. Within the apertures the heads of the fixing screws 24 make contact with the bright copper 22 on the mounting. A connector 26 for the attachment of a radio aerial lead is attached to one of the fixing screws by the associated nut 25. An earth connection 27 is also mounted about that same fixing screw but it is insulated from the screw. The insulation is provided by a tubular spigot 28 of-a rubber pad 29 which fits against the bottom of the mounting and prevents the mounting from making contact with the vehicle wing or door panel as indicated at 30, on which the mirror is mounted for use. The fixing screw 24 extends through the spigot 28. A flange 31 of the spigot separates the aerial lead connector 26 from the earth connector 27. A further, substantially similar, flanged spigot 32 of the pad 29 has the other fixing screw 24 extending through it, and it insulates the screw and its nut from engagement with the wing or door panel. It will be realised that in the drawings the thicknesses of the bright copper layers and of the chromium surface finishes have been exaggerated for the purpose of clarity. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A vehicle rear view mirror including a component which is a plastics moulding coated with a conductive material for receiving electromagnetic waves such that the component is able to function as an aerial for a vehicle radio, and means connected conductively to the conductive material adapted to be connected by a lead to a vehicle radio.

an earth lead of a vehicle radio attached thereto.

10. A vehicle rear view mirror substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A vehicle rear view mirror substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.