US3794411A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Motor vehicle rear viewing system
Assignee: Ford Motor Co
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Filing: 1973-03-26
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Granted: 1974-02-26
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Expires: 1993-03-26
Abstract
Abstract A rear viewing system in which light is deflected onto a mirror by a prism, the prism being divided into vertical strips each with a slightly different horizontal angle to expand the field of view.
Inventors
- 👤 R Gray
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 11:42
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R1/00; B60R1/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A rear viewing system for a motor vehicle in which: a. a prism is positioned to deflect light from objects to the rear of a vehicle through an aperture in the vehicle roof onto a mirror positioned in front of a driver of the vehicle; b. the prism extends transversely of the vehicle and has vertical strips; c. the front and rear faces of an inner vertical strip are substantially parallel in a horizontal plane; d. the horizontal angles between the front and rear faces of the strips increase incrementally for each strip compared to the prEvious strip going outwardly from the inner strip; and e. each strip has its thicker side towards the inner strip so that the images formed by the different vertical strips of the prism are more closely spaced than the corresponding portions of the object thereby increasing the horizontal field of view for a given size of prism.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A rear viewing system for a motor vehicle in which: a. a prism is positioned to deflect light from objects to the rear of a vehicle through an aperture in the vehicle roof onto a mirror positioned in front of a driver of the vehicle; b. the prism extends transversely of the vehicle and has vertical strips; c. the front and rear faces of an inner vertical strip are substantially parallel in a horizontal plane; d. the horizontal angles between the front and rear faces of the strips increase incrementally for each strip compared to the prEvious strip going outwardly from the inner strip; and e. each strip has its thicker side towards the inner strip so that the images formed by the different vertical strips of the prism are more closely spaced than the corresponding portions of the object thereby increasing the horizontal field of view for a given size of prism.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A rear viewing system as claimed in claim 1 in which each vertical strip of the prism is divided into similar elements each having the same vertical angle, the same horizontal angle and substantially the same thickness.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A rear viewing system as claimed in claim 2 in which the prism elements are each approximately 5 millimeters high and 5 millimeters long.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A rear viewing system as claimed in claim 1 in which the prism elements are each approximately 5 millimeters high and 5 millimeters long.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-25 | 1977-08-27 | 1978-02-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-25 | 1981-08-27 | 1982-02-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-25 | 1985-08-27 | 1986-02-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |