GB2124565A - Vehicle front view device - Google Patents

Abstract

A front view device includes a prismatic lens 1 which is adjustably mounted on a mounting stand 4 so that, when secured to the bonnet of a vehicle by clips 7 in the mounting stand 4, light received by the device from an oncoming vehicle is deflected to the driver of the vehicle sitting on the opposite side of the vehicle to that on which the device is mounted to the vehicle bonnet. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Front view device This invention relates to a front view device for assisting a driver of a vehicle, particularly in overtaking a slower moving vehicle in front of him.

It is well known that the driver of a vehicle driving on the opposite side of the road to that for which the vehicle is designed has difficulties in attempting to overtake slower moving vehicles in front of him. Proposals have previously been made for devices to assist drivers in such circumstances, but none has proved satisfactory for one reason or another. The use of one or more mirrors in a device for this purpose has proved to give only a very restricted field of view and also, if the mirror device is fixed within the windscreen of the vehicle on the passenger side of the vehicle, to require the driver to avert his gaze through a very considerable angle from the direction in which he should be looking so that he may not be immediately aware of a change, such as a sudden braking, in the movement of the vehicle immediately ahead of him.

Difficulties in overtaking can also arise when driving a vehicle on the side of the road for which it is intended, for example when driving on narrow roads or when driving behind a particularly wide load.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which is mountable on the side of the bonnet or wing of the vehicle and which enables the driver to obtain a good view of the road ahead without having to draw his vehicle out from its position on the correct side of the road.

According to the present invention there is provided a front view device for assisting a vehicle driver when preparing to overtake a slower moving vehicle, the device comprising a prism lens in a housing adapted to be temporarily or permanently attached at or near a side of the vehicle at a position forward of the driver's position in the vehicle.

The prism lens, being a lens one surface of which is so shaped that the whole lens comprises a series of similar prism lenses, has the effect of deflecting light passing through the lens so that an object of an image directly ahead of the lens is formed at an angle to the rear of the lens. This angle of deflection of the image depends on the angles of the prisms. Accordingly, a viewer from one side of the lens is enabled effectively to see round a corner. A vehicle driver may thus see objects which are obscured from his direct vision, particularly oncoming traffic which is hidden from him by a vehicle immediately in front of him.

A front view device according to this invention may be attached to the vehicle on either the opposite side to, or the same side as, that on which the driver is sitting. In the former case the device is particularly useful for driving on the opposite side of the road to that for which the vehicle was designed (the "wrong" side of the road) when the device enables the driver to obtain a view of the road ahead equivalent to, if not better than, the view ahead available to a passenger in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. In the latter case the device is useful for driving on the "right" side of the road and is especially helpful to nervous drivers.

More specifically there is provided in accordance with the present invention a front view device for assisting a vehicle driver in overtaking a slower moving vehicle, the device comprising a Fresnel lens pivotally mounted to a mounting stand and securing means in the mounting stand for securing the mounting stand to the vehicle at or near a side of the vehicle and forwardly of the driver's position in the vehicle.

Preferably the securing means comprises a plurality of hooks or clips adapted to secure the mounting stand to the side edge of the bonnet of the vehicle. In the case of many cars the front view device of the present invention, when engaging the side edge of the bonnet, will sit on the top of the car. In other cases, where the bonnet of the car or other vehicle overlaps the side of the vehicle, the front view device df the present invention will be effectively mounted on the side or wing of the vehicle when it is engaged with the side edge or rim of the movable bonnet.

The invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is made, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a front view device in accordance with this invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the front view device of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the front view device of this invention in use on the bonnet of a motor vehicle.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a prism lens 1 mounted in a sealed housing 2 constituting a supporting frame for the prism lens 1. The prism lens 1 is a Fresnel lens consisting of a flexible plastics sheet such as PVC, which rs the lens member, secured between two pieces of transparent sheeting. The pieces of transparent sheeting may be glass in which case a suitable gel eliminates all air space between both surfaces of the PVC sheet and the transparent sheets, and the whole assembly is sealed in the housing 2 to prevent any ingress of moisture between the transparent sheets and the PVC lens member.

Alternatively the flexible lens member may be secured between two transparent sheets of acrylic material, in which case it is not necessary to use a gel between the lens member and the outer transparent sheeting.

If the lens member is made of a non-flexible plastics material such as acrylic, it is not necessary to provide more than one other transparent sheet for protecting the lens member.

The housing or frame 2 is pivotally mounted through a universal joint 3 to a mounting stand 4 of plastics material to the base of which a resilient, preferably rubber, layer or pad 5 is attached. The mounting stand 4 has apertures therethrough, which apertures contain securing means 6 which include hook-shaped clips 7 of plastics material, for example nylon, for engaging the edge of the bonnet of a vehicle. In many cases the edge of the bonnet includes a downwardly projecting rim over which the clips may be placed, but the clips can equally well be placed over a flat edge of the bonnet.

As indicated, in operation, the clips 7 are hooked over the edge or rim of the bonnet of the vehicle when this is open and the bonnet is then lowered to its closed position in which the edge of the bonnet clamps the clips 7 between itself and the body of the vehicle, and the mounting stand 4 is secured in position with the resilient rubber pad 5 held against the upper surface of the bonnet of the vehicle. The position of the mounting stand 4 when so clamped is shown in Figure 3 in relation to the edge of the bonnet 8 of a vehicle 9, the front part only of which is shown in plan view in Figure 3.The lens 1 and its housing or frame 2 are then adjusted in relation to the mounting stand 4, to the correct position to enable the driver at the wheel 10 of the vehicle to receive light rays 11 falling on the forward face of the lens 1 from oncoming traffic and deflected by the lens 1 to the driver in his position behind the wheel 10 of the vehicle.

Preferably, the lens member or its protective transparent sheets are treated to avoid dazzle of the driver by the front view device when used at night.

The preferred front view device according to this invention is almost unbreakable and is an important safety device in aiding drivers in overtaking by allowing them to be confident that it is safe to pull out to a position to obtain direct vision of the oncoming traffic so as to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles and decide whether it is safe to overtake.

The angle of deflection provided by the prismatic lens 1 is chosen to give the greatest degree of efficiency for the particular vehicle on which it is to be used. Desirably the lens in operation should be approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the vehicle is moving so as to provide the greatest field of view, and the angle of deflection will depend on the width of the vehicle on which it is used, for example, a front view device for use on a lorry should have a larger angle of deflection than a similar device according to the invention for use on a saloon car. Both the focal length and viewing angles of the prismatic lens are designed to give the greatest degree of efficiency.

It will be observed that the front view device of the present invention is designed in general terms along the lines of an automobile wing mirror, but differs essentially from such a device in the nature of the mounting and securing means, and in the fact that no mirror is employed.

When the front view device of this invention is secured to the edge of the bonnet of a vehicle which effectively forms part of the side of the vehicle, and the device is on the opposite side of the vehicle to that on which the driver is sitting, the device of the invention enables the driver to have a better view of oncoming traffic than the one which he would himself get if he were sitting on the other side of the vehicle.

The front view device as described with reference to the accompanying drawings is so simply attached to the vehicle that it may readily be removed at the end of a journey for security reasons, and then resecured, in a matter of seconds, before commencing a subsequent journey. However, it can be attached permanently if so required.

Claims (4)

1. A front view device for assisting a vehicle driver when preparing to overtake a slower moving vehicle, the device comprising a prism lens in a housing adapted to be temporarily or permanently attached at or near a side of the vehicle at a position forward of the driver's position in the vehicle.

2. A front view device for assisting a vehicle driver in overtaking a slower moving vehicle, the device comprising a Fresnel lens pivotally mounted to a mounting stand and securing means in the mounting stand for securing the mounting stand to the vehicle at or near a side of the vehicle and forwardly of the driver's position in the vehicle.

3. A front view device according to Claim 2 wherein the securing means comprises a plurality of hook-shaped clips adapted for engaging the edge of the bonnet of the vehicle.

4. A front view device for assisting a vehicle driver substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.