GB2025867A

GB2025867A - Improvements in or Relating to Vehicle Mirrors

Info

Publication number: GB2025867A
Application number: GB7830948A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-07-25
Filing date: 1978-07-25
Publication date: 1980-01-30

Abstract

A mirror for external mounting on a vehicle comprises a casing 2 having an opening at which a mirror 4 is mounted and power-driven means 8 for cleaning the external surface of the mirror. Said means may comprise a wiper blade, a rotatable filament, a stationary or rotatable nozzle or spray device for producing a powerful jet or stream of liquid (water) or gas (air) or a combination of such means. Means for de-frosting or de-icing the mirror may be provided. Such mirror units may also be employed on other vehicles, for example, boats, aircraft and railway vehicles. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or Relating to Vehicle Mirrors This invention relates to vehicle mirrors, more particularly mirrors which are mounted externally, such as wing mirrors on cars and lorries or on other vehicles, for example boats, aircraft and railway vehicles, where it is impossible, inconvenient or undesirabie to rely upon manual clearing of water droplets and/or dirt from the external surface of the mirror.

According to this invention there is provided a mirror unit for external mounting on a vehicle, the mirror unit comprising a mirror, which is mounted in an opening in a body or casing, and powerdriven means for cleaning the external surface of the mirror.

The power operated cleaning means may be a wiper blade which may be driven by a motor housed within the casing, the motor being preferably a low-voltage geared motor unit to receive its power supply from the electrical system of the vehicle through suitable switching means mounted in an accessible position in the vehicle. Other power operated cleaning means, however, are conceivable, such as, for example, a rotatable filament of nylon or other suitable material having the necessary strength and abrasion resistance, but soft enough not to scratch the mirror, or even a stationary or rntatab'le nozzle or spray device for producing a sufficiently powerful jet or stream of liquid (conveniently water) or gas (conveniently air) under the control of valve means mounted within the vehicle in an accessible position or controlled by relay means so mounted.

A vehicle external mirror having such remotecontrolled cleaning means is expected to be of considerable benefit, perhaps most importantly upon road vehicles when they are driven on motorways. On a motorway it is particularly important for a driver to have a clear view of adjacent lanes behind him, especically when driving at night, but the external mirrors at present in general use are liable to become quickly obscured by rain, snow or accumulation of fog droplets or by water and dirt splashing from the road surface by other vehicles. Mirrors mounted on door pillars are accessible for manual cleaning but this involves the inconvenience of lowering the window and another disadvantage is that they have to be viewed through a window which may itself be obscured.Wing mirrors have the advantage of being viewed through the windscreen, which can normally be kept clean by a windscreen wiper, but of course wing mirrors are mounted too far forward to be accessible for manual cleaning. Thus the invention is particularly valuable in its application to the wing mirrors of motor cars.

According to another feature of the invention, a nozzle or jet may be provided in conjunction with mechanical means for clearing the external surface of the mirror, to spray a liquid (conveniently water) onto the surface and thereby enhance the cleaning effect.

According to another feature of the invention, means for de-frosting or de-icing the mirror may be provided. Such means may take the form of an electrical heating element, preferably embedded in the mirror but possibly, as an alternative, applied to its internal surface. Alternatively, heat could be supplied in bulk to the body of the mirror unit, most conveniently by ducting hot air from a heater system in the vehicle, but possibly by piping hot liquid from the engine, more particularly coolant from its cooling system.

Further features of the invention will be found in the following description of an embodiment of the invention, given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a mirror unit constituting one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the mirror unit shown in Fig. 1;and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of the mirror unit shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and also serves to illustrate another embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the mirror unit illustrated therein comprises a body or casing 2 which may be of streamlined form, as shown, to reduce its wind-resistance to motion in the direction of the arrow A. A mirror 4 is provided at the other end of the casing and is held in position by means of a resilient ring 6, which may comprise a wire within a tube of plastics material.

The mirror 4 is shown as being circular but could alternatively be of some other convenient shape.

A wiper blade 8 extending from a cap 10 is mounted by means of its cap 10 on the output shaft 12 of a low-voltage geared motor unit 14 comprising an electric motor portion 16 and a gear box portion 1 8 and having terminals 20 to which electrical leads 22 are attached. These leads may conveniently have connectors 24 to connect them to a cable coming from the vehicle electrical system, conveniently through a hollow stem 26 for mounting the mirror unit on a wing or other desired part of the vehicle body. There is illustrated a swivel arrangement 28 enabling the angle of the mirror to be adjusted; alternatively, other means may be provided for enabling the mirror to be adjusted-for example, an adjustable bezel around the mirror 4.

The mirror 4 has a central hole 30 through which the output shaft 12 of the geared motor unit 14 passes, a grommet 32 being provided as a weather seal. There are various possible methods of attaching the wiper 8 to the shaft 12, that illustrated consisting of a slightly tapered splined end to the shaft 12 and complementary internal splining of the cap 10 previously mentioned.

In use, when the voltage is supplied to the terminals 20 of the geared motor unit 14 through switching means inside the vehicle, the wiper blade 8 is driven in rotation to clear a substantial annular area of the external surface of the mirror 4, thereby greatly increasing the visibility of the view via the mirror to the rear of the vehicle and improving the safety of driving, especially on motorways.

Referring now to Fig. 3, there is shown a modified form of the portion of the casing 2 which surrounds the mirror 4, accommodating one or more nozzles 36 for producing a jet or spray 38, conveniently of water, supplied through a pipe 40, which may be led into the casing through the mounting foot 26. Such nozzle or nozzles 36 may be used in conjunction with the mechanical form of wiper 8 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but this Fig. 3 also serves to illustrate the possibility of clearing the mirror 4 by means of jets alone.

As another modification or addition, there may be provided de-frosting or de-icing means as already mentioned in the introductory part of this description, no illustration whereof is deemed to be necessary.

There has thus been described an invention which is expected to be of very considerable value in improving road safety, especially on motorways, but which should also be of value in its application to external mirrors on vehicles other than road vehicles, such as those mentioned in the introductory part of this description.

Claims

1. A mirror unit for external mounting on a vehicle and comprising a body or casing having an opening in which a mirror is mounted and powerdriven means for cleaning the external surface of the mirror.

2. A mirror unit according to claim 1, wherein the said cleaning means comprises a wiper blade.

3. A mirror unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cleaning means comprises a filament which is rotatable to sweep the surface of the mirror.

4. A mirror unit according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the cleaning means comprises a nozzle or spray device.

5. A mirror unit according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle or spray device is rotatable.

6. A mirror unit according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 and 5, wherein the power-driven cleaning means is driven by a motor housed within the casing.

7. A mirror unit according to claim 6, wherein the motor is a lowvoltage geared motor unit.

8. A mirror unit according to any one of the preceding claims, including means for de-frosting or de-icing the mirror.

9. A mirror unit according to claim 8, wherein the de-frosting or de-icing means comprises an electrical heating element.

1 Q. A mirror unit according to claim 9, wherein the heating element is embedded in the mirror.

11. A mirror unit for external mounting on a vehicle and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A heating unit according to any one of claims 8, 9 and 10, wherein the de-frosting or deicing is effected by ducting heat from the vehicle into the casing of the mirror unit.

12. A mirror unit for external mounting on a vehicle and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

New Claims or Amendments to Claims Filed on 1 8 Dec 1 978 Superseded Claims 1 to 12 New or Amended Claims:

1. A mirror unit for external mounting on a vehicle and comprising a body or casing having an opening in which a mirror is mounted and power operated means for cleaning the external surface of the mirror, the said means comprising a cleaning member, which undergoes rotary motion to achieve the cleaning of the said surface and a low-voltage geared motor unit housed within the casing and coupled to the cleaning member to cause the rotary motion thereof.

2. A mirror unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member comprises a wiper blade.

3. A mirror unit according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member comprises a filament which, by virtue of the said rotary motion, sweeps the said surface of the mirror.

4. A mirror unit according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member comprises a nozzle or spray device which, by virtue of the said rotary motion, cleans the surface of the mirror by means of a fluid.

5. A mirror unit according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cleaning means, further comprises a nozzle or spray device.

6. A mirror unit according to claim 5, wherein the nozzle or spray device is rotatable.

7. A mirror unit according to any one of the preceding claims, including means for de-frosting or de-icing the mirror.

8. A mirror unit according to claim 7, wherein the de-frosting or de-icing means comprises an electrical heating element.

9. A mirror unit according to claim 8, wherein the heating element is embedded in the mirror.

10. A heating unit according to any one of claims 7, 8 and 9, wherein the de-frosting or deicing is effected by ducting heat from the vehicle into the casing of the mirror unit.