GB2324990A

GB2324990A - Guard for an external mirror of a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2324990A
Application number: GB9704826A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joel Carodac Hammond
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-03-08
Filing date: 1997-03-08
Publication date: 1998-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 2017-03-08
Also published as: GB9704826D0; GB2324990B

Abstract

The guard may be formed as a casing which encloses an existing rear view mirror assembly housing apart from the opening through which the mirror is viewed and is provided with a hood or cover portion 19 which projects beyond the housing 12, over the mirror, so as to protect it from rain or other precipitation. An extension (shown in broken lines) may be provided up to the vehicle window. The guard may be formed integrally with the housing of an external mirror assembly during manufacture. The guard may be secured in place by various means, eg. double-sided adhesive tape.

Description

GUARD FOR AN EXTERNAL MIRROR FOR A VEHICLE The present invention relates to a guard for shielding a vehicle external mirror, usually termed a wing mirror, from precipitation.

When vehicles are parked in the open in wet weather, raindrops often collect on wing mirrors and, if not wiped off before a driver pulls away, obscure his rear view and increase the danger of this manoeuvre. In addition, auxiliary mirrors have recently been made available for attachment to existing external mirror assemblies to provide better visibility for motorway driving. Such mirrors do, however, tend to be more vulnerable than conventional mirrors to being obscured by rain and the like. Naturally, the same problems occur in snowy or other inclement conditions and the object of the invention is to provide a device for protecting external vehicle mirrors to prevent or at least reduce the risk of them being obscured by precipitation falling directly on them.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a guard adapted for attachment to , or forming part of, the housing of an external mirror for a vehicle, the guard comprising or including a cover which, in usej rojects rearwardly of the mirror relative to the vehicle at least from the upper part of the casing so as to provide additional shielding for the mirror against precipitation.

The guard of the invention may be formed as a casing which substantially encloses an existing external mirror assembly housing, apart from the opening through which the mirror is viewed and is provided with a hood or cover portion which projects beyond the housing, over the mirror, so as to protect it from rain or other precipitation. Alternatively it may, more simply, comprise a hood portion adapted for attachment to an existing housing adjacent the edge defining the opening through which the mirror is viewed. In yet a further alternative, a guard of the invention may be formed integrally with the housing of an external mirror assembly during manufacture.

A non-integral guard may be attached to the mirror housing in any convenient way. It may, for example, be a close fit or a resilient snap fit on a specific type of housing or may be attachable by screws, adhesive or other fastenings to a range of housings. Moreover, it may be releasably or substantially irreleasably attachable.

The guard may project from the top of the housing only but preferably also surrounds at least that side of the mirror housing furthest from the vehicle to protect the mirror from rain blown from the side. The guard should extend a substantial distance beyond the mirror to provide adequate protection and a distance of the order of the depth of the housing itself, or more, is appropriate.

The guard may be shaped so as not to obstruct the driver's view of the external mirror and may be opaque but it may alternatively be transparent. Guards may be provided for external mirrors for any type of vehicle and may be shaped to protect standard wing mirrors or auxiliary mirrors attached to standard mirror housings.

Several embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a guard attached to a vehicle external mirror assembly seen from the front of the vehicle; Figure 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a variant of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic elevational view of the guard of Figure 2 taken in the direction of the arrow III but shown without the wing mirror assembly; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a guard of the invention attached to a vehicle external mirror assembly; and Figure 5 is a view similar to figure 2 showing a further alternative guard of the invention formed as part of a wing mirror assembly.

In Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, similar or identical parts of the guard of the invention and a mirror assembly to which it is fitted are indicated by the same references.

With reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, part of the driver's door of a motor car is shown generally indicated 10. A conventional external rear view mirror assembly, generally indicated 11, is fitted to the vehicle body and includes a housing 12 attached to the vehicle body by an arm 13. The housing 12 supports within it, in known manner, a mirror not visible in Figure 1 but shown at 14 in Figure 2. The mirror 14 is visible to the driver (not shown) through an open side 15 of the housing 14 defined by an edge 12a of the housing itself which faces rearwardly of the vehicle in its position of use.

The mirror assembly 11 is almost entirely enclosed in a box-like guard casing 16 which substantially reproduces the shape of the mirror housing 12, but is slightly larger than the housing 12, and also has an open side 17 in correspondence with the open side 15 of the housing 12 through which the mirror 14 is visible. The guard casing 16 shown in Figure 1 has a lateral extension 18 which covers part of the mirror housing attachment arm 13, although this is not essential, and is generally open on its side adjacent the vehicle to allow its fitting to the mirror assembly.

The main feature of the guard casing 16 is that it includes a hood or cover portion 19 which extends a substantial distance, relative to the dimensions of the housing 12, beyond the rear edge 12a of the housing 12.

The hood 19 protects the mirror assembly 11 and, more specifically the mirror 14, from rain or other precipitation. In the embodiments shown, the hood portion 19 surrounds the top, bottom and outer side of the housing edge 12a but it could extend solely beyond the top and side or just the top of the housing. As shown by the broken outline in Figure 1, there may also be an extension 9 up to the vehicle window which protects this from rain.

The cover 16 can be fitted very easily on to the mirror assembly 11 simply by being slipped over the mirror housing 12 from the front of the vehicle. It can be secured in place by any convenient means such as, for example, integral or added spring clip formations which clip onto the housing 12, screws or bolts which are passed through corresponding holes in the housing 12 and the casing 16 or other suitable fastenings. For simplicity, however, pieces of double-sided adhesive tape, shown at 20 in the drawings, may be used. These may be attached to the inside of the base wall of the casing 16, as shown, so as to adhere to the outer, forward-facing surface of the mirror housing 12 or may be applied between any adjacent parts of the casing 16 and housing 12.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the embodiment shown here differs from that of Figure 1 in that the upper and lower walls 21, 22 respectively of the casing 16 of the embodiment of Figure 1 are substantially parallel whereas the upper and lower walls of the casing 16 of the embodiment of Figure 2 diverge from each other in the direction rearwardly of the vehicle and the upper wall 21 terminates in a downwardly-turned lip 23. The shaping of the casing 16 of Figure 2 enables it to be fitted to a wider range of mirror assembles than that of Figure 1 but such guard casings may, without limit to the scope of the invention, be shaped either to fit specific mirror assemblies or as universal fittings for attachment to a range of mirror assemblies.

The embodiment of Figure 2 also shows drainage holes 23 in the base wall 22 of the cover 16. The cover 16 is preferably made from plastics material and may be opaque or transparent since it does not in itself conceal the mirror 14 from the driver's view.

With reference to Figure 4 of the drawings, this shows an alternative guard, indicated 30, attached to a mirror assembly 11 similar to that of Figures 1 and 3. The guard 30 effectively comprises solely the hood portion 19 of the casing 16 of Figure 1. The guard 30 is attached to the housing 12 by a marginal portion 31 which surrounds the edge portion 12a defining the opening 15 of the mirror housing 12. The guard 30 is shown attached by double-sided adhesive tape 20 but may be attached in any convenient way.

The guard 30 is shown as a complete annulus surrounding the housing edge 12a and, as such, must be fitted onto the housing from its rearward facing side. It could, alternatively have an opening in its side, as indicated in broken outline at 32 to allow it to be slipped on from the front of the vehicle, over the attachment arm 13 not visible in this view.

With reference finally to Figure 5 of the drawings, this shows an embodiment of the invention in which a rain guard 40a is formed integrally with the housing 40 of a vehicle external mirror assembly including a mirror 14.

The rain guard 40a is effectively identical in shape to the hood portion 19 of the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3 and differs only in its mode of attachment to the mirror housing 40.

In another embodiment, not shown, the hood portion is bigger, by about 2 cm all round, than the mirror casing.

Claims

1 A guard for an external mirror for a vehicle, comprising a body, in the form of a shield, covering the wing mirror housing, The extension of the covering beyond the mirror should be a substantial distance relative to the dimensicns of the housing, It may be integral or fastened to the housing, by any convenient means.

2 A guard for an external mirror for a vehicle as claimed in claim l, wherein there is an extension up to the vehIcle window, from the top side of the housing, nearest the window.

3 A guard for an external mirror for a vehicle as claimed in any of the preceding claims, which is transparent or opaque & extends from top, top & sides, or all round, with drainage holes in base side.

4 A guard for an external mirror for a vehicle substantially as described herein with reference to figure 1-5 of the accompanying drawings.