Patent US3859899A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3859899A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Interior ventilation system with side view mirror de-icing
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-02-14
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Granted: 1975-01-14
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Expires: 1994-02-14
Abstract
Abstract A motor vehicle passenger compartment ventilating system exhausts warm interior air, through a window region or sub-window region door-mounted sideview mirror housing and over the mirror for de-icing or clearing the mirror of deposited precipitation.
Inventors
- 👤 John Edward Mills
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 19:52
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60H; B60H1/00; B60H1/24; B60H1/26; B60H1/267; B60R; B60R1/00; B60R1/02; B60R1/06; B60R1/0602; B60S; B60S1/00; B60S1/02; B60S1/54; B60S1/56
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
In an automotive vehicle having a body providing an enclosed space as a passenger compartment and a side view mirror mounted on that body exterior at a position viewable by the driver of the vehicle through a compartment window, the combination including: a said passenger compartment; a side view mirror unit comprising a mirror element, mirror mounting means including a hollow housing having a mirror view opening in a trailing side or wall of the housing, mirror supporting means supporting the mirror in the housing proximate to said opening, a hollow base mounting the housing on the said body exterior for conducting, to the housing, compartment interior air introduced thereto at the place of attachment on the body, said housing providing air discharge area at the margin of said opening and around the periphery of said mirror element, whereby interior air introduced into said housing in passing to said air discharge warms said mirror element for deicing and like purposes; and an interior air exhaust controlling passageway from said compartment space to the locus of attachment of the mirror base, whereby said passageway and mirror unit form a ventilating system exhaust for the compartment space.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
In an automotive vehicle having a body providing an enclosed space as a passenger compartment and a side view mirror mounted on that body exterior at a position viewable by the driver of the vehicle through a compartment window, the combination including: a said passenger compartment; a side view mirror unit comprising a mirror element, mirror mounting means including a hollow housing having a mirror view opening in a trailing side or wall of the housing, mirror supporting means supporting the mirror in the housing proximate to said opening, a hollow base mounting the housing on the said body exterior for conducting, to the housing, compartment interior air introduced thereto at the place of attachment on the body, said housing providing air discharge area at the margin of said opening and around the periphery of said mirror element, whereby interior air introduced into said housing in passing to said air discharge warms said mirror element for deicing and like purposes; and an interior air exhaust controlling passageway from said compartment space to the locus of attachment of the mirror base, whereby said passageway and mirror unit form a ventilating system exhaust for the compartment space.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
The combination described in claim 1, wherein said exhaust air controlling passageway includes an exhaust grille unit on an interior surface of the passanger compartment structure, said grille unit including exhaust air openings therethrough and means selectably setting the effective flow area of said air openings to control ventilating exhaust of compartment interior air to said mirror unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The combination described in claim 1, wherein said side view mirror unit is mounted on a door of the vehicle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
The combination described in claim 3, wherein the housing of said mirror unit has an open inboard end, the said place of attachment is a region defined in at the forward part of a door window opening between a forward edge of the door, the horizontal window sill, and an upright channel from the sill affording a guide for the forward edge of the window glass.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The combination as described in claim 4, wherein the said base is secured to the door within said region and projects from said housing through said region to provide said passageway and conduit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The combination described in claim 5, wherein said housing is pivotally secured to said base to swing from a normal position rearwardly from said base back in toward the car body upon encountering an external object or person, and is spring biased to return to normal position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
97 words
The combination described in claim 3, wherein said exhaust air controlling passageway includes an exhaust grille unit on an interior surface of the passenger compartment structure, said grille unit including exhaust air openings therethrough and means selectably setting the effective flow area of said air openings to control ventilating exhaust of compartment interior air to said mirror unit; and said housing of the mirror unit, between its open inboard end and the mirror view opening, has a grille-like series of slots through the trailing wall, forming an exterior ventilation discharge ancillary to the said air discharge area.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
The combination described in claim 7, wherein said mirror supporting means affords a limited universal adjustability of the plane of the mirror element within the housing for mirror aim setting, and includes a setting cable mechanism including plural Bowden cable means running through said housing and base to operating lever means accessible in said compartment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The combination as described in claim 8, with said operating lever means mounted in said exhaust grille unit to project into the passenger compartment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The combination as described in claim 8, with SAID operating lever means mounted on a door supporting said unit to project into the passenger compartment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
The combination described in claim 3, wherein the margin of the mirror view opening of said housing is spaced from the said mirror element, and the mirror element is so supported in the housing to afford air flow space from behind the element, around the edges thereof and past the margin of said view opening.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
74 words
The combination described in claim 1, wherein said mirror supporting means holds the mirror element in fixed relation to said mirror view opening of the housing, said base comprises a hollow pedestal with one end secured to the vehicle body and the other end having a hollow swivel or ball-and-socket connection with the housing to afford a manually adjustable mirror setting for the mirror unit and air communication from the base into the housing.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The combination described in claim 12, wherein said pedestal has, through a trailing wall portion thereof, a grille-like series of slots to its hollow interior, forming an exterior ventilation discharge ancillary to the said air discharge area in the housing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The combination described in claim 12, wherein said side view mirror unit is mounted on a door of the vehicle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
The combination described in claim 14, wherein the margin of the mirror view opening of said housing is spaced from the said mirror element, and the mirror element is so supported in the housing to afford air flow space from behind the element around the edges thereof past the margin of said view opening.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
97 words
The combination described in claim 14, wherein said passageway is constituted of a hollow, window-mechanism-housing lower part of said door provided with a first opening through an inside panel of the door and a second opening, in an outside panel, into the said hollow pedestal, and disposed over the said first opening, an exhaust grille unit on an interior surface of the passenger compartment structure, said grille unit including exhaust air openings therethrough and means selectably setting the effective flow area of said air openings to control ventilating exhaust of compartment interior air to said mirror unit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
74 words
The combination as described in claim 4, wherein the said base has an open portion filling said region and an outward extension therefrom; said housing has an open inboard lateral end slightly telescoped over the extension end and pivoted thereto by a vertical pivot in the back side of the extension; bias spring means, normally holding said housing telescoped on said extension end, permit the housing to swing back on said pivot upon impact.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The combination of claim 17, including a seal element sealing the front, top and bottom walls of the housing to said extension.
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) | 1978-01-13 | 1978-07-15 | 1979-01-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-13 | 1982-07-15 | 1983-01-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-13 | 1986-07-15 | 1987-01-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |