VEHICLE SIDEVIEW MIRROR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rearview mirror for a vehicle which is
capable of viewing a forward and rearward direction of a vehicle compared to a
conventional rearview mirror for a vehicle in which it is possible to view only a
rearward direction of a vehicle for thereby implementing a certain field of vision in a
forward and rearward direction of a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a conventional art, a rearview mirror for a vehicle includes a mirror
portion and is adapted to view only a rearward direction of a vehicle. Therefore, in
the conventional art, when a vehicle runs or is parked, it is possible to implement a
narrow field of vision in part.
In the conventional rearview mirror having a mirror portion, since a part of
a rearward direction and lateral side is viewed, it is impossible to accurately view a
forward direction of a vehicle. Therefore, in the conventional art, when a vehicle is
parked or runs in backward direction, a field of vision in a forward direction may be
lost. In this case, a car accident may occur between a certain object or human and a
forward direction of a vehicle. In a narrow road, a car accident may occur between
two vehicles.
In addition, when there is a large size object on a road, for example, a large
size vehicle runs on a road, if a vehicle passes a large size vehicle, it is impossible to
view a vehicle which comes in an opposite lane for thereby causing a car accident.
The above described accident occurs due to a narrow field of vision in a forward
direction of the vehicle. If a vehicle capable of viewing a forward direction and
rearward direction of a vehicle is introduced, it may be possible to prevent a car
accident based on a wider field of vision, so that a safety and convenient car drive is
implemented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rearview
mirror which overcomes the problems encountered in a conventional rearview
mirror.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rearview mirror
which is capable of viewing a forward and rearward direction of a vehicle by
installing a certain device which has a function of telescope.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a rearview mirror
which includes a lens frame which includes a mirror portion, an objective lens and
an eyepiece lens, wherein the lens frame reciprocates for adjusting a focus and scale
factor based on a distance adjustment of the objective and eyepiece lens and is
rotatable in an upper and lower directions and in a left and right directions in a
certain range based on a position adjusting unit fixed to the eyepiece lens frame and
a mounting unit which is engaged with the position adjusting unit and is positioned
in the interior of the rearview mirror, and the eyepiece lens is deviated in a direction
of the driver of the vehicle.
In particular, an objective lens and eyepiece lens are attached to a rearview
mirror of a vehicle in the same manner as a telescope. There are provided a focus
adjusting screw capable of adjusting a lens scale factor and focus, so that a driver
adjusts a scale factor of a lens based on a desired field of vision. Furthermore, an
eyepiece lens includes a lens adjusting device for adjusting the same in an upward
and downward directions and leftward and rightward directions for thereby being
easily adjusted based on a driver's seated tall and eye's height.
In particular, a lens frame is attached to a conventional rearview mirror
installed in a vehicle in the same manner as a telescope, so that the rearview mirror
for a vehicle according to the present invention may be well adapted to any type of
the vehicles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become better understood with reference to the
accompanying drawings which are given only by way of illustration and thus are not
limitative of the present invention, wherein;
Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a rearview mirror for a vehicle
according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a plan cross-sectional view illustrating a rearview mirror for a
vehicle according to the present invention;
Figure 3 is a front view illustrating a rearview mirror for a vehicle
according to the present invention;
Figure 4 is a side view illustrating a rearview mirror for a vehicle according
to the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a rearview mirror for a vehicle
according to another embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a front view illustrating a rearview mirror for a vehicle
according to another embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 7 is a front view illustrating a rearview mirror for a vehicle
according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a vehicle rearview mirror 1
according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rearview 1 is formed of a
mirror portion 200 and an optical unit 2(lens frame). A lens frame 2 which has a
function of telescope is installed in an upper portion of the rearview mirror 1, and a
mirror portion 200 which has the same function as a conventional rearview mirror is
installed in a lower portion of the same. In the present invention, since the rearview
mirror 1 is the same as the conventional art, the lens frame 2 will be described in
detail.
The mirror portion 200 is adapted to view a rearward direction and lateral
side of the vehicle by a driver, and the lens frame 2 is adapted to view a forward
direction and lateral side of the vehicle by a driver. The lens frame 2 has the same
construction as a known telescope. In a driver's side of the lens frame 2, an eyepiece
lens is fixed, and in the opposite side of the same, an objective lens 3 is installed. A
lens protection unit 8 is engaged to an outer portion of the objective lens 3 for
protecting the lens, so that it is possible to protect the lens from an external impact.
Figure 2 is a plan cross-sectional view illustrating the rear mirror 1
according to an embodiment of Figure 1. As shown therein, the lens frame 2 which
is capable of providing a driver with a clear view is formed of an objective lens
frame and eyepiece lens frame in such a manner that the focus is adjusted like an
optical instrument. The lens frame 2 is formed in a circular column shape which is
similar to the telescope. The eyepiece lens and objective lens are installed in one end
of each lens frame of the circular column shape. An end of the objective lens frame
is inserted into an end portion of the opened eyepiece lens frame. In particular, the
end portion of the opened eyepiece lens frame includes a wing which is outwardly
extended in a center direction to be the same as an outer diameter of the objective
lens frame for thereby preventing an input of light. The lens frame 2 is adapted to
adjust focus and scale factor by adjusting a distance between the objective lens 3 and
eyepiece lens 4. The above adjustment is implemented by rotating a focus adjusting
screw 5 in a clockwise direction or counterclockwise direction in a lateral surface of
the eyepiece lens. In addition, it is possible to easily adjust based on a user's range
of vision.
In order to stably fix the lens frame 2 to the rearview mirror 2, it is fixed to
both surfaces of the eyepiece lens 4 using a lens frame engaging screw 7.
Additionally, there is provided a lens cover engaging screw 9 for fixing in the
interior of the rearview mirror 1 on both surfaces of the objective lens 3 so that the
lens protection unit 8 which protects the objective lens 3 to the rearview lens 1.
The lens cover engaging screw 9 is adapted to fix the lens protection unit 8,
which is formed of a transparent glass or plastic material, to the rearview lens 1. A
rubber ring shaped pad is inserted between the rearview lens 1 and the lens
protection unit 8 before the screw 9 is tightened for thereby implementing a stable
engagement.
As shown in the drawings, there is provided a position adjusting unit 14 in
one side surface of the eyepiece lens frame. A mounting unit 15 engaged to the
position adjusting unit 14 is fixed to an inner surface of the rearview mirror 1, so
that the lens frame is adjusted leftward and rightward directions by manually
operating the eyepiece lens 4. In order to adjust the lens frame in the upward and
downward directions, a certain apparatus(not shown) formed in the same
construction as the position adjusting unit 14 and the mounting unit 15 is engaged in
a lower portion of the objective lens frame, so that the lens frame 2 is easily adjusted
in the downward and upward directions for thereby obtaining a desired range of
vision at a certain position. In addition, it is possible to support the lens frame 2 in a
lower portion. When the lens frame is rotated in the leftward and rightward
directions, the lens frame 2 operates to become an axis of the rotation.
In addition, the focusing operation and scale factor adjusting operation for
adjusting a distance of the objective lens and eyepiece lens 3 and 4 of the lens frame
2 according to the present invention and the leftward and rightward rotations of the
same are implemented by a motor apparatus like the conventional rearview mirror.
Since the above operations and construction are well known in the art, the detailed
descriptions of the same will be omitted.
In addition, a ring shaped rubber pad 11 is provided in an outer portion of
the eyepiece lens 4, so that it is possible to avoid a friction between the rearview
mirror 1 and the lens frame 2 formed of a stable plastic material by adjusting the
position of the lens frame 2 in the rearview mirror 1 and to provide a certain close
contact state. Therefore, it is possible to implement a smooth and accurate
adjustment in the upward and downward and leftward and rightward directions. The
driver can easily view the images of the mirror portion and lens at a seated position
where has the same height as the mirror portion 200. In addition, the eyepiece lens 4
is installed at a certain deviated angle in the direction of the driver so that the driver
can easily view the image of the lens.
As described above, the lens frame 2 is capable of adjusting the focus and
scale factor by adjusting the distance between the eyepiece lens 4 and the objective
lens 3. The lens frame 2 linearly reciprocates based on the rotation of the focus
adjusting screw 5. As the focus adjusting screw 5 is rotated, it is adjusted based on
an adjusting screw guide portion 6 attached to the lens frame based on the rotation
of the shaft. The adjusting guide portion 6 has a female screw which has the same
diameter as the diameter of the adjusting screw for thereby being well engaged. As
the rotary shaft of the focus adjusting screw 5 is rotated, the lens frame 2 is adapted
to easily adjust the distance between the eyepiece lens 4 and the objective lens 3.
Preferably, the lens frame 2 is positioned in an upper portion of the mirror
portion 200(as shown in Figures 1 and 2). The lens frame 2 may be positioned in a
lower portion or left and right sides with respect to the mirror portion 200.
Figure 3 is a front view illustrating a rearview mirror for a vehicle
according to the present invention. The rearview mirror 1 attached to a side surface
of the vehicle is capable of adjusting the height of the rearview mirror in an upward
and downward direction using a rotary type rotation device. In the case that the
adjusting degree of the range of vision is larger than the range adjusted by the focus
adjusting screw 5, it is possible to provide a driver with a proper height using the
rotary type rotation device.
In addition, the focus adjusting screw 5 is preferably provided in one lateral
surface of the eyepiece lens 4, so that the driver adjusts based on a physical state of
the driver in a seated state. In a state that the driver is stated, it is possible to adjust
by simply rotating the focus adjusting screw 5 in a clockwise direction or
counterclockwise direction.
Figure 4 is a side view illustrating the rearview mirror for a vehicle
according to the present invention. Namely, Figure 4 shows a lens protection unit 8
which is capable of protecting the objective lens 3 installed in an upper portion of
the rearview mirror 1. A ring shaped rubber pad is inserted in a portion between the
lens protection unit 8 and the rearview mirror 1, for thereby preventing a foreign
substance from being penetrated into each member. The lens protection unit 8 is
tightened using the lens cover engaging screw 9. It is possible to more tightly tighten
based on the elastic force of the rubber.
Figures 5 and 6 are views illustrating another embodiment of the present
invention. As shown therein, a lens frame 102 is additionally attached to a
conventional rearview mirror of the vehicle for thereby implementing the
characteristics of the earlier embodiments of the present invention. The lens frame
102 may be installed in a certain portion such as a left or right portion or upper or
right portion of the rearview mirror installed in the vehicle. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate
an example that the lens frame 102 is installed in the upper portion of the rearview
mirror. The lens frame 102 installed in the rearview mirror is stably installed using a
lens fixing device 110. The installed state of the lens frame 102 may be adjusted
based on a driver's selection.
In particular, as shown in Figure 6, the lens adjusting device 110 is adapted
to fix the lens frame 102 and adjust the fixed state of the same. As shown in Figures
1 and 2, in the rearview mirror 1 which includes the lens frame 2 and the mirror
portion 200, the lens frame 2 is integrally installed in an upper portion of the mirror
portion. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the conventional rearview mirror and the lens
frame 102 are installed at a certain distance between the lens and mirror compared to
the rearview mirror 1. Therefore, the lens adjusting device 110 further includes an
upper and lower adjusting portion 113 and left and right adjusting portion 112 so
that the driver may easily view the frontward and rearward direction of the vehicle.
The upper and lower adjusting portion 113 is adapted to adjust the height of the lens
102, and the left and right adjusting portion 112 is adapted to rotate the lens frame
102 in the leftward and rightward directions.
Figure 7 is a view illustrating another embodiment of the present invention.
In this embodiment of the present invention, the lens frame 202 may be manually
adjusted so that the driver can easily view without performing a screw tightening
and loosening operation for adjusting the lens adjusting device 110 in the upper,
lower, left and right directions of the embodiment of Figure 5. Here, the lens frame
position adjusting unit 214 and the lens frame mounting unit 215 have the same
construction as the construction of the earlier described position adjusting unit 145
and the mounting unit 15. The operation method is same.
As described above, in the present invention, the objective lens and
eyepiece lens are attached in the rearview mirror or to the conventional rearview
mirror which is used in such a manner that the driver of the vehicle views a forward
and rear direction of the vehicle. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to
view the forward and rearward directions as well as the lateral side and forward
directions of the vehicle which are not easily viewed in the conventional art.
Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to implement a safe drive of the
vehicle.
As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without
departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be
understood that the above-described examples are not limited by any of the details
of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be
construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and
therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the
claims, or equivalences of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be
embraced by the appended claims.