Patent US4264144A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4264144A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Rearview mirror

Assignee: Multivex Mirror Co
•
Filing: 1978-06-19
•
Granted: 1981-04-28
•
Expires: 1998-06-19
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A rearview mirror for passenger vehicles has a primary viewing surface that is substantially flat. This surface curves to the rear of the mirror, with a continuously decreasing radius of curvature, toward at least one lateral edge thereof. This provides peripheral vision to the operator of a vehicle in addition to this vision directly to the rear. The peripheral vision introduces a very gradually increasing rate of distortion as the reflected image approaches the edge of vision. This causes the peripherally reflected images to be easily relatable to those reflected from the primary viewing surface.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert C. McCord

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 07:07
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/08; G02B5/10; B; B60; B60R; B60R1/00; B60R1/02; B60R1/08; B60R1/081; B60R1/082

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 64 words
A mirror having a substantially flat, primary viewing surface, said primary viewing surface having a border merging substantially tangentially into an edge viewing portion which curves away from said primary viewing surface, said edge viewing portion having a cycloidal curvature having a continuously decreasing radius of curvature from the border of said primary viewing surface to the outer edge of said edge viewing portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 64 words
A mirror having a substantially flat, primary viewing surface, said primary viewing surface having a border merging substantially tangentially into an edge viewing portion which curves away from said primary viewing surface, said edge viewing portion having a cycloidal curvature having a continuously decreasing radius of curvature from the border of said primary viewing surface to the outer edge of said edge viewing portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 37 words
A mirror as defined in claim 1, in which said edge viewing portion forms a segment of a surface of revolution developed by revolving said cycloidal curvature about an axis substantially normal to said primary viewing surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 97 words
A mirror having a substantially flat, primary viewing surface, said primary viewing surface having a border merging substantially tangentially into an edge viewing portion which curves away from said primary viewing surface, said edge viewing portion having a curvature developed by projecting at right angles to a major axis successive positions, equally spaced angularly, of a point on the circumference of a circle rolling along said major axis, and tracing the curve defined by intersections of successive projection lines of the point perpendicular to said major axis with successive equally spaced lines parallel to said major axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 97 words
A mirror having a substantially flat, primary viewing surface, said primary viewing surface having a border merging substantially tangentially into an edge viewing portion which curves away from said primary viewing surface, said edge viewing portion having a curvature developed by projecting at right angles to a major axis successive positions, equally spaced angularly, of a point on the circumference of a circle rolling along said major axis, and tracing the curve defined by intersections of successive projection lines of the point perpendicular to said major axis with successive equally spaced lines parallel to said major axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 44 words
The mirror of claim 3 wherein the curved portion thereof is defined by projections, throughout a maximum angular displacement of about 90°, of the point positions on the circumference of the rolling circle, beginning with the position of the point on the major axis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 71 words
A mirror having a substantially flat primary viewing surface, said primary viewing surface having a border merging substantially tangentially into an edge viewing portion which curves away from said primary viewing surface, said edge viewing portion having a curvature conforming to a portion of an ellipse and having a continuously decreasing radius of curvature from the border of said primary viewing surface to the outer edge of said edge viewing portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 71 words
A mirror having a substantially flat primary viewing surface, said primary viewing surface having a border merging substantially tangentially into an edge viewing portion which curves away from said primary viewing surface, said edge viewing portion having a curvature conforming to a portion of an ellipse and having a continuously decreasing radius of curvature from the border of said primary viewing surface to the outer edge of said edge viewing portion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
A mirror as defined in claim 3, in either which the primary viewing surface has a linear border and the edge viewing portion curves away from said linear border.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 52 words
A mirror as defined in either claim 3 or 5, in which the primary viewing surface has a circular border, and the edge viewing portion forms a segment of a surface of revolution developed by revolving the curvature of the edge viewing portion about an axis normal to said primary viewing surface.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1784710A Cited
US3003396A Cited
DE1941895A1 Cited
DE1947956A1 Cited
DE2054396A1 Cited
US4012125A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1984-04-27 1984-10-27 1985-04-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1988-04-27 1988-10-27 1989-04-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1992-04-27 1992-10-27 1993-04-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag