JP2003512232A - Interchangeable wrapped mirror for trailer traction - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A vehicle side mirror includes a front cover portion that can be selectively removed from a front side of a mirror housing. The shroud can be replaced with an extended auxiliary tow mirror cover that is compatible with the side mirror housing and is fitted with an extended auxiliary mirror suitable for providing extended side view for towing purposes. provide. In one particular embodiment, the tow shroud assembly can be replaced with an auxiliary directional light shroud assembly so that the towing vehicle can be easily converted to the proper towing state. In another embodiment, the tow mirror can slide out from a support panel associated with the side mirror, or the tow mirror can pivotally extend from the bottom surface of the side mirror.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to extended vehicle side mirrors adapted for trailer towing, and more particularly to a replaceable trailer towing mirror that can be connected to an existing vehicle side mirror to provide an aesthetic mirror appearance Cover type mirror.

[0003]

[Description of Prior Art]

Vehicle side mirrors are typically provided on both sides of the vehicle and extend away from the sides of the vehicle to give the driver left and right rear view for changing lanes and the like. There are many different types and designs in the past for such side mirrors. One particular design is U.S. patent application Ser.
, 866. In that application, an aesthetically contoured side mirror is disclosed, the side mirror being removably attached to a front portion of the side mirror including an auxiliary lane change indicator light connected thereto. Type mirror. The indicator light is connected to the extended edge of the mirror for easy visibility from other vehicles.

The extended indicator light is incorporated into a removable decorative cover fixed to the mirror housing. Provide a pigtail to connect the light to the wiring harness in the mirror housing. The indicator lights are positioned on the outer surface of the exterior side mirror of the vehicle in such a way that they are visible throughout an arc extending approximately 90 degrees rearward from a line extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. In this way, the maximum visible power of the auxiliary indicator light is provided to other vehicles that are near the vehicle, while blocking the emitted light from being seen by the vehicle driver or the oncoming lane.

Some vehicles are equipped with towbars for tow trailers, campers, boats, mobile homes and the like. Sometimes these towed vehicles are too wide and the existing side mirrors on the vehicle may not allow the driver of the vehicle to see around the towed vehicle. Therefore, until now, the towing vehicle should be provided with an auxiliary side mirror extending outwardly from the side of the vehicle enough to allow the driver of the vehicle to see around the vehicle being towed. Is conventionally known. Typically, these auxiliary extension mirrors are non-standard add-ons that are bolted or attached to the sides of the vehicle and affect the appearance and aerodynamics of the vehicle. What is needed is an aesthetically pleasing trailer towing side mirror that can be attached to an existing mirror for trailer towing purposes. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a mirror.

[0006]

[Outline of the Invention]

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a vehicle side mirror is disclosed having a front shroud portion that can be selectively removed from the front side of a mirror housing. The shroud portion can be replaced with an extended auxiliary tractor cover mirror assembly that mates with the housing of the side mirror, and this auxiliary wrap mirror assembly is attached to it and is enlarged for traction purposes. An extended auxiliary mirror suitable for providing a partial view is provided. In one particular embodiment, the tow shroud assembly can be replaced with an auxiliary direction signal light shroud assembly to facilitate conversion of the tow vehicle into the proper tow condition. In an alternative embodiment, the pulling mirror assembly can be slidably extended from the end of the side mirror, or the pulling mirror assembly can be pivotally extended from the bottom surface of the side mirror.

In another embodiment, the spotter cover assembly is replaced with an auxiliary directional signal cover assembly for convenient pulling or to allow an expanded field of view from one side mirror. it can. The spotter wrap assembly can incorporate an alarm signal, thus allowing the spotter wrap assembly to be fully operational. In an alternative embodiment, the spotter / signal cover assembly has a signal display directly on the spotter glass, or the signal is incorporated on the cover assembly adjacent the spotter glass. An additional embodiment of spotter glass is incorporated into the spotter mirror on the inner portion of the main field of view glass.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims by referring to the accompanying drawings.

[0009]

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

The following description of the preferred embodiment of a vehicle side mirror including an auxiliary towing spotter mirror is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or its application or uses.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-4, an external rearview mirror assembly 10 installed on a door 12 of a vehicle 14 is shown. The mirror assembly 10 is of a typical release design and has a housing 16 pivotally mounted to an arm 18 extending outwardly from a generally triangular mounting plate 20. The housing 16 can be of any design shape and has an upper wall portion 22, a lower wall portion 24, a forward facing wall portion 26, and inner and outer wall portions 28, 30. All are integrated together in a smooth way to give a pleasing look.

The rearward facing portion of the housing 16 is open to receive the reflection mirror 32. The mirror 32 may be of any suitable type, such as a flat, concave or convex mirror or a type of mirror that automatically adjusts to reduce glare. A suitably shaped support member (not shown) is secured within the housing 16 and movably supports the mirror 32 within the opening. The support member may include a suitable drive motor for remote control adjustment of the mirror 32 and, if desired, a device for heating the mirror 32. As mentioned above, the mirror assembly 10 is typical of existing side mirror assemblies currently used in various automobiles.

The housing 16 also includes upwardly, inwardly, outwardly and forwardly facing portions 22, 28,
A recessed portion 34 is provided that extends over at least a portion of 30, 26 and is adapted to receive a decorative towed wrap mirror assembly 36. Mirror assembly 36
May be chrome plated or tinted to match the vehicle, or may have some other finish to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The mirror assembly 36 has a decorative cover member portion 38 and an extended mirror portion 40. The extension portion 40 can have any suitable shape and can be suitably extended in any design that can be supported by the housing 16 and accommodate different width trailers and the like. The extension portion 40 has a rearwardly extending recessed portion shaped to accommodate a convex spot mirror 44 extending from the sidewall portion 30 of the housing 16.

As shown in particular in FIG. 3, the cover mirror assembly 36 allows the decorative cover member 42 to be removed and replaced with a tow cover mirror assembly 36 when its use is necessary. The decorative cover member 42 can be selectively replaced. Also, the cover mirror assembly 36 may be replaceable with the supplemental alarm light assembly disclosed in the above-referenced US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 837,866.

Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the covered mirror assembly 36 includes a plurality of outwardly extending tabs 60 and tongues 62. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the housing 16 with the cover mold assembly 36 removed. According to one embodiment, the tab 60 is attached to the assembly 3
6 is inserted into slot 64 for proper alignment and tongue 62 is inserted into opening 68 to connect to an extension tab (not shown) in a snap-fit engagement. This allows the assembly 36 to be secured to the housing 16 in an effective and easy manner, and other decorative members such as the cover type assembly disclosed in the above-referenced US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 837,866. Can be exchanged for.

FIG. 5 illustrates an extended auxiliary traction mirror assembly 7 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows a vehicle side mirror assembly 72 including a vehicle No. The side mirror assembly 72 includes a mirror 74 for normal side back view. The auxiliary towing mirror assembly 74 includes a convex spot mirror 78 for back view during towing. Mirror assembly 74 is shown in FIG. 5 in a retracted state (section shown as a) and an extended state for use during towing (section shown as b).

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the side mirror assembly 72. The side mirror assembly 72 includes a front panel 80, a support panel 82 connected to the vehicle, and a decorative panel 8.
4 and a mirror 76, all of which can be secured together by a snap-fit engagement as shown. Any suitable tab and slot shape may be used to assemble the assembly 72. The assembly 74 is slidably attached to the side edge 86 of the support panel 82. Assembly 74 has two parallel tracks 88 that slidably engage slots 90 in support panel 82. The convex mirror 78 is an assembly 72.
Mounted in the opening 92 of the. The lip 94 of the assembly 74 allows for easy gripping of the assembly 74 so that the assembly can slide in and out for towing and retracting (storage).

FIG. 7 shows a mirror housing 102, a mirror 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 and side mirror assembly 100 including wide-angle mirror 106 (section a). FIG. 7 also shows a cross-sectional view of the assembly 100 (sections b, c). Wide-angle mirror 106
Mounted in a mirror housing 108 pivotally mounted to the housing 102 on a rod 110 in a pivoted position. Section b of FIG. 7 shows the housing 108 in the retracted position, in which position the housing is located within the housing 102. Section c of FIG. 7 also shows the housing 108 in the extended position, in which position the mirror 106 extends below the housing 102, allowing a wide-angle field of view for traction purposes.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of a wide-angle mirror assembly 116 that can be used with the side mirror assembly of the present invention. Wide-angle mirror assembly 116 has a T-shaped track 118 that allows it to be slidably positioned within a corresponding opening in the mirror assembly. In addition, a spring 120 secured to the top of the assembly 116 allows the wide angle mirror assembly 116 to be attached to the side mirror assembly by a spring mounting engagement.

Section b of FIG. 8 shows a rear view of the mirror assembly 116. The assembly may have signal lights 122 and / or LEDs 124 for proper signaling of the vehicle. The LED 126 can also be used in the base of an approaching light or the like.

Thus, according to this embodiment, the mirror is a “T” track 11 for the purpose of towing.
8 can be used to place it in a suitable slot on the side of the mirror housing. Alternatively, the underside of the mirror can be accommodated by using a spring clip that slides into a suitable slot under the mirror.

Section a of FIG. 9 illustrates a vehicle side mirror assembly including an extended auxiliary traction mirror assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. The side mirror assembly includes a mirror for normal side back view. The auxiliary towing mirror assembly includes a spot mirror for rear view during towing and an alarm signal indicator incorporated within the spot mirror. The alarm signal along with the LED is incorporated into the spotter glass of the auxiliary towing mirror assembly using a muth signal glass in the spot mirror. Section b of FIG. 9 also shows a side perspective view detailing the profile of the spotter glass. As can be seen in section b of FIG. 9, the incorporation of the spotter glass into the auxiliary pulling mirror assembly provides only a portion of the glass portion as a usable portion. Within this usable portion of the spotter glass, a Mus alarm signal is incorporated.

Section a of FIG. 10 illustrates a vehicle side mirror assembly including an extended auxiliary towing mirror assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. The auxiliary towing mirror assembly has a spotter glass portion and an alarm signal indicator. The alarm signal indicator is located above the spotter glass part. The spotter glass and alarm signal indicator are incorporated into an auxiliary tow mirror assembly and can be replaced with a decorative wrap assembly. Section b of FIG. 10 provides a side perspective view of the auxiliary towing mirror assembly showing a detailed view of the spotter glass and alarm signal indicator.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a vehicle side mirror assembly incorporating a spot mirror inside the main field of view glass. The spot mirror is located on an extension arm that pivotally supports a housing that provides the main field of view glass. The spot mirror can have a variety of shapes, with a preferred embodiment having a height of approximately 3 inches (about 76.2 mm) and a width of 3 inches (about 76.2 mm). Like the main field of view glass, the spot mirror can be fixed in place or housed in a recess in the extension arm of the mirror assembly to allow slight rotation of the spot mirror. This also allows a wider field of view when using spot mirrors.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications and variations from the above description and from the accompanying drawings and claims without departing from the spirit and gist of the invention defined in the claims. You can easily recognize that.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a side mirror including a supplementary towing mirror cover attached to a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2]   It is an end view of the mirror shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing that the towed mirror covering of the present invention can be replaced with an existing decorative covering on the mirror.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the mirror shown in FIG. 1 with the towed cover assembly of the present invention removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a side mirror of a vehicle including a replaceable auxiliary traction mirror in a retracted state and an extended state according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 6]   6 is an exploded view of the mirror shown in FIG. 5. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a vehicle side mirror including a pivoting auxiliary towing mirror according to another embodiment of the present invention, and is a sectional view in a side-by-side retracted state and an extended state.

FIG. 8 is two views of a wide-angle towing mirror separated from a vehicle side mirror according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a side mirror incorporating a towing spotter mirror, and a side perspective view showing in detail a spotter glass shape.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a vehicle side mirror incorporating a towing spotter / signal shroud assembly and a side perspective view detailing spotter glasses and signal shapes according to another embodiment of the present invention. is there.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a side mirror incorporating an inner spotter mirror according to another embodiment of the present invention.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, I T, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), OA (BF, BJ , CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, K E, LS, MW, MZ, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG , ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AG, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, BZ, C A, CH, CN, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM , DZ, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, K E, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS , LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MZ, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, R U, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM , TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW (72) Inventor Letis, Andrew             West Sussex Pio, UK             -19 2 Tea, Chichester, Doni             Ngong, Burdam Road 21, The Mu             Nings (72) Inventor Rihil, Graham             West Sussex Pio, UK             -19 2 DF, Chichester, Ma             Let Crows 21 (72) Inventor Reimo, Ronald Earl Jr.             48060, Pau, Michigan, United States             To Hearton, Monticello Drive               2835 F term (reference) 3D053 FF11 FF28 FF30 GG01 HH22                       HH26 HH29 JJ59

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A side mirror assembly for a vehicle; a housing shaped to be secured to an outer surface of the vehicle and having a substantially rearward facing opening; and a first reflective mirror located within the opening. An auxiliary mirror set having a decorative cover member fixed in an overlapping relationship with an outer surface of the housing opposite to the first reflecting mirror and further having an extension portion having a rearward facing opening An auxiliary mirror assembly having a three-dimensional shape, the extension having a second reflective mirror located within the opening of the extension. 2. The decorative cover portion has a plurality of tabs that selectively engage the mouth portion of the housing to secure the auxiliary mirror assembly to the housing in a removable engagement relationship. The assembly of claim 1 characterized. 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second mirror has a directional signal indicator therein. 4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second mirror is slidable into and extendable from the housing. 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the extension is pivotally exposed from the mirror housing. 6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the extension is pivotally exposed from a lower peripheral edge of the housing. 7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the extension portion is pivotally exposed from the outer peripheral edge portion. 8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the mirror is a spotter mirror. 9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the mirror is a spotter mirror. 10. A side mirror assembly for a vehicle; a housing shaped to be secured to an outer surface of the vehicle and having a substantially rearward facing opening; a first reflective mirror located within the opening. An auxiliary mirror assembly, the decorative cover member being fixed in an overlapping relationship with an outer surface of the housing opposite the first reflective mirror. The auxiliary mirror assembly further has an extension with a rearward facing opening, the extension having a second reflective mirror located within the opening of the extension and an alarm signal indicator. A mirror assembly according to claim 1; 11. The decorative cover portion has a plurality of tabs that selectively engage with a mouth portion of the housing to secure the auxiliary mirror assembly to the housing in a removable engagement relationship. The assembly of claim 10 characterized. 12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the alarm signal indicator is located adjacent to the second reflective mirror. 13. A vehicle side mirror assembly, a housing shaped to be secured to an outer surface of the vehicle and having a reflective element therein; a bracket portion for mounting the housing to the vehicle; An assembly comprising: a spotter mirror shaped on the bracket to be between the mirror and the vehicle. 14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the mirror is housed in a recess in the bracket. 15. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the spotter mirror is convex. 16. A vehicle side mirror assembly, wherein the outermost first receiving slot and the first portion in the bottom portion are shaped to be secured to an outer surface of the vehicle and have a reflective element therein. A housing having two receiving slots; a mirror module sliding with the first receiving slot or the second receiving slot for positioning the mirror module outside the mirror or under the mirror housing. A mirror module having a cooperating assembly adapted to freely engage;