Rear-view mirror system

Claim 2

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle having a body, a first adjustable substantially plane rear-view mirror mountEd within and at the forward end of said body of said vehicle, a second substantially plane mirror spaced from said first mirror and mounted within said body of said vehicle and facing forwardly, said second mirror being positioned so that light rays reflected from said second mirror impinge on said first mirror, a third spherical mirror mounted above said body exteriorly thereof, said spherical mirror facing the rear of said vehicle and being tilted downwardly, means providing an opening in the top of said body, permitting light rays reflected from said third mirror to pass through said opening and to impinge on said second mirror, said first, second and third mirrors being so arranged and of sizes whereby the operator of said vehicle can see at a glance in said first rear-view mirror a wide field of view over the top of said body to the rear thereof.

Claim 3

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle, as defined in claim 1, including means for adjusting the tilt angle of said second mirror with respect to the horizontal, and means for adjusting the tilt angle of said third mirror with respect to the horizontal.

Claim 4

A rear-view mirror device as defined in claim 1, including means providing angular adjustment of said second mirror in a horizontal plane and means for providing angular adjustment of said third mirror in a horizontal plane.

Claim 5

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said spherical mirror is in the form of a spherical segment having a radius of curvature such that said spherical mirror provides a field of view angle ranging from about 100* to about 120*, with the center line of said vehicle approximately bisecting said field of view angle.

Claim 6

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, the sizes of said respective mirrors and their relative positions being such that said second mirror substantially fills the field of view of said first mirror with respect to the position of the eye of the operator, and said third mirror substantially fills the field of view of said second mirror.

Claim 7

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, including means for adjusting the tilt angle of said first mirror with respect to the horizontal and for adjusting the angle of said first mirror in a horizontal plane, means for adjusting the tilt angle of said second mirror with respect to the horizontal, and means for adjusting the tilt angle of said third mirror with respect to the horizontal, means providing angular adjustment of said second mirror in a horizontal plane and means for providing angular adjustment of said third mirror in a horizontal plane, and wherein said third spherical mirror is positioned above and slightly forward of said second mirror.

Claim 8

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said first, second and third mirrors are progressively larger in area, to thereby fill the field of view in said first mirror.

Claim 9

A rear-view mirror device as defined in claim 1, said first, second and third mirrors being mounted approximately on the center line of said vehicle, said device being arranged so that the operator of said vehicle can see in said rear-view mirror an at least 100* wide field of view over the top of said body to the rear thereof including an at least 50* wide view on each side of the center line of said vehicle.

Claim 10

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said first mirror makes an angle of about 98* to about 102* with the horizontal, said second mirror makes an angle of about 60* to about 70* with the horizontal, and wherein a tangent to the face of said spherical mirror at the horizontal center line thereof makes an angle of about 50* to about 60* with the horizontal.

Claim 11

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle having a body, a top, a front windshield and a rear window, comprising a first adjustable substantially plaNe rear-view mirror mounted within and at the forward end of said body of said vehicle, a second substantially plane mirror spaced from said first mirror and mounted within said body of said vehicle and facing forwardly, said second mirror being positioned so that light rays reflected from said second mirror impinge on said first mirror, a third spherical mirror mounted over said top of said vehicle exteriorly thereof, said spherical mirror facing the rear of said vehicle and being tilted downwardly, means providing an opening in the top of said vehicle and a transparent window mounted in said opening and permitting light rays reflected from said third mirror to pass through said transparent window and to impinge on said second mirror, said first, second and third mirrors being mounted approximately on the center line of said vehicle and so arranged and of sizes whereby the operator of said vehicle can see at a glance in said first rear-view mirror at least a 100* wide field of view over the top of said vehicle to the rear thereof, including an at least 50* wide view on each side of said center line.

Claim 12

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle having a body, a top, a front windshield and a rear window, comprising a first adjustable substantially plaNe rear-view mirror mounted within and at the forward end of said body of said vehicle, a second substantially plane mirror spaced from said first mirror and mounted within said body of said vehicle and facing forwardly, said second mirror being positioned so that light rays reflected from said second mirror impinge on said first mirror, a third spherical mirror mounted over said top of said vehicle exteriorly thereof, said spherical mirror facing the rear of said vehicle and being tilted downwardly, means providing an opening in the top of said vehicle and a transparent window mounted in said opening and permitting light rays reflected from said third mirror to pass through said transparent window and to impinge on said second mirror, said first, second and third mirrors being mounted approximately on the center line of said vehicle and so arranged and of sizes whereby the operator of said vehicle can see at a glance in said first rear-view mirror at least a 100* wide field of view over the top of said vehicle to the rear thereof, including an at least 50* wide view on each side of said center line.

Claim 13

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle, as defined in claim 10, including means for adjusting the tilt angle of said second mirror with respect to the horizontal, means for adjusting the tilt angle of said third mirror with respect to the horizontal, means providing angular adjustment of said second mirror in a horizontal plane and means for providing angular adjustment of said third mirror in a horizontal plane.

Claim 14

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 10, wherein said spherical mirror is in the form of a spherical segment having a radius of curvature such that said spherical mirror provides a field of view angle ranging from about 100* to about 120*, with the center line of said vehicle approximately bisecting said field of view angle.

Claim 15

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 12, the sizes of said respective mirrors and their relative positions being such that said second mirror substantially fills the field of view of said first mirror with respect to the position of the eye of the operator, and said third mirror substantially fills the field of view of said second mirror.

Claim 16

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 10, wherein said third spherical mirror is positioned above and slightly forward of said second mirror, said window being positioned in a substantially horizontal plane between said second and third mirrors, and including means sealing said opening in said top around said window, to prevent dirt and moisture from entering said vehicle.

Claim 17

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 10, said first rear-view mirror being adjustable to tilt upwardly to a first operative position, whereby said second mirror substantially fills the field of view of said first mirror, and said first mirror is adjustable to tilt downward from said first position to a second position wherein said first mirror is inoperative to provide said at least 100* wide field of view over the top of said vehicle, but is operative to provide a view through said rear window of said vehicle.

Claim 18

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 10, wherein said first, second and third mirrors are progressively larger in area, to thereby fill the field of view in said first mirror, and wherein said first mirror makes an angle of about 98* to about 102* with the horizontal, said second mirror makes an angle of about 60* to about 70* with the horizontal, and wherein a tangent to the face of said spherical mirror at the horizontal center line thereof makes an angle of about 50* to about 60* with the horizontal.

Claim 19

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 10, including means for mounting said first mirror on said windshield, means for adjusting the tilt aNgle of said first mirror with respect to the horizontal and for adjusting the angle of said first mirror in a horizontal plane, means for mounting said second mirror in the body of said vehicle so as to depend from the top of said vehicle into the body of said vehicle above the operator and to his right, including first adjustable screw means for adjusting the vertical angle of said second mirror to the horizontal and a second adjustable screw means to adjust the horizontal angular position of said second mirror with respect to the center line of said vehicle, means mounting said third spherical mirror on the top of said vehicle, said last-mentioned means including an adjustable holding device for said third mirror, said last-mentioned device including cooperating support bracket means and friction clutch means connected to said bracket means, for adjusting the vertical angle of said third mirror to the horizontal, and means for adjusting the horizontal angular position of said third mirror to vary the angle of said third mirror with respect to the center line of said vehicle.

Claim 20

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 11, wherein said spherical mirror is in the form of a rectangular spherical segment having a radius of curvature such that said spherical mirror provides a field of view angle ranging from about 100* to about 120*, with the center line of said vehicle approximately bisecting said field of view angle, the size of said mirrors and their relative positions being such that said second mirror substantially fills the field of view of said first mirror with respect to the position of the eye of the operator, and said third mirror substantially fills the field of view of said second mirror.

Claim 21

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 18, wherein said third spherical mirror is positioned above and slightly forward of said second mirror, said window being positioned in a substantially horizontal plane between said second and third mirrors, and including means sealing said opening in said top around said window, to prevent dirt and moisture from entering said vehicle.

Claim 22

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 19, said first rear-view mirror being adjustable to tilt upwardly to a first operative position, whereby said second mirror substantially fills the field of view of said first mirror, and said first mirror is adjustable to tilt downward from said first position to a second position wherein said first mirror is inoperative to provide said at least 100* wide field of view over the top of said vehicle, but is operative to provide a view through said rear window of said vehicle, and wherein said first, second and third mirrors are progressively larger in area.

Claim 23

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 10, including means for mounting said first mirror on said windshield, means for mounting said second mirror in the body of said vehicle so as to depend from the top of said vehicle into the body of said vehicle above the operator and to his right, including first adjustable screw means for adjusting the vertical angle of said second mirror to the horizontal and a second adjustable screw means to adjust the horizontal angular position of said second mirror with respect to the center line of said vehicle, means mounting said third spherical mirror on the top of said vehicle, said last-mentioned means including an adjustable holding device for said third mirror, said last-mentioned device including cooperating supporting bracket means and friction clutch means connected to said bracket means, for adjusting the vertical angle of said third mirror to the horizontal, and wherein said first mirror makes an angle of about 98* to about 102* with the horizontal, said second mirror makes an angle of about 60* to about 70* with the horizontal, and wherein a tangent to the face of said spherical mirror at the horizontal center Line thereof makes an angle of about 50* to about 60* with the horizontal.

Claim 24

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 21, including a backing plate for said second mirror, said last-mentioned mirror being cemented to said plate, a shaft connected to said backing plate, a support member connected to the interior of the roof of said vehicle, end members connected to said support member, a horizontal slot in each of said end members, the opposite ends of said shaft being received in said slots, to permit the ends of said shaft to move in a horizontal plane, said first adjustable screw means comprising a first pair of adjustable screws, each of said screws being connected to one end of said shaft and including members for threadably engaging the opposite end of said screws, whereby rotation of said screws permits movement of the ends of said shaft in a horizontal plane to provide angular adjustment of the mirror surface in said plane, said second adjustable screw means comprising a second pair of adjustment screws, means threadably engaging said last-mentioned adjustable screws in said top support member, said last-mentioned screws being in contact with said backing plate of said second mirror, whereby the vertical angle of said second mirror can be adjusted to raise or lower the tilt angle thereof.

Claim 25

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 22, the ends of said first pair of adjustable screws each abutting said shaft, and including tension spring means connected at one end to said shaft and at the other end to said support member and maintaning said shaft against said ends of said first pair of adjustable screws.

Claim 26

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 21, said cooperating supporting bracket means for said holding device for said third spherical mirror including a pair of spaced first brackets, said first brackets supporting said spherical mirror at one end thereof, a pair of second spaced brackets, means mounting said second brackets on the top of said vehicle, said friction clutch means comprising a nut and bolt arrangement connecting each of said first brackets to a second bracket, and for adjusting the angular position of said respective first and second brackets, to thereby adjust the vertical tilt angle of said spherical mirror.

Claim 27

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 24, said means mounting said pair of second spaced brackets on the top of said vehicle including a bottom plate connected to each of said second brackets, slot means in each of said bottom plates, and adjustable fastening means received in said slot means and connected to the top of said vehicle, permitting adjustment of said spherical mirror in the horizontal plane with respect to the center line of said vehicle.

Claim 28

A rear-view mirror device for a vehicle as defined in claim 23, said cooperating bracket means for said holding device for said third spherical mirror including a pair of spaced first brackets, said first brackets supporting said spherical mirror at one end thereof, a pair of spaced brackets, means mounting said second brackets on the top of said vehicle, said friction clutch means comprising a nut and bolt arrangement connecting each of said first brackets to a second bracket, and for adjusting the angular position of said respective first and second brackets, to thereby adjust the vertical tilt angle of said spherical mirror, said means mounting said second spaced brackets on the top of said vehicle including a bottom plate connected to each of said second brackets, slot means in each of said bottom plates, and adjustable fastening means received in said slot means and connected to the top of said vehicle, permitting adjustment of said spherical mirror in the horizontal plane with respect to the center line of said vehicle, and wherein said first mirror makes an angle of about 98* to about 102* with the horizontal, said second mirror makes an angLe of about 60* to about 70* with the horizontal, and wherein a tangent to the face of said spherical mirror at the horizontal center line thereof makes an angle of about 50* to about 60* with the horizontal.