Patent US4371235A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4371235A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image control mirror
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1980-02-28
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Granted: 1983-02-01
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Expires: 2000-02-28
Abstract
Abstract An image control mirror, especially for trucks, commercial vehicles and the like, includes a housing, a transparent lens and a mirror-image providing surface on a member arranged within the housing. The surface can be located so as to extend to an angle in a range of about 2.25 or 2.3 to 3.9 times the distance in inches of transverse viewing width to the lens for safety to prevent glare and second and third images. Preferably, the angle is 3.4° per inch of width of the mirror or 20.5° in a six inch wide mirror that is sixteen inches high.
Inventors
- 👤 Travis E. Locke, Sr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 09:18
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R1/00; B60R1/02; B60R1/08; B60R1/083; B60R1/086; B60R1/087
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
426 words
An image control mirror for exterior mounting on trucks, tandem trailers, commercial vehicles and the like, said mirror comprising in combination: an exterior housing; a transparent front lens connected to said housing; a mirror image-providing surface arranged within said housing, said mirror image-providing surface being pivoted on only one side with the other side being locatable selectively in either of a normal position as close to as well as parallel to said lens and an anti-glare position differing at an angle distinctly specific as to said transparent front lens to substantially prevent both day and night glare and also simultaneously automatically refractively avoiding second or third multiple images which distract from proper undistorted image maintained therewith, said distinctly specific angle being within a range equal to about 2.25 to 3.9 times the distance in inches at a value determined multiply per inch of transverse width of said surface; gasket means mounted in said housing both for hermetic sealing of space between said lens and said mirror surface and also to serve as a vibration dampener therewith, means for locating said surface at the selected angle and at least one of said surface and said housing being mounted externally so as to be pivotal only about a vertical axis, the transverse width being approximately six inches, and the angle being approximately in a range between 14° and 20.5°, said mirror image-providing surface being provided on a member mounted in said housing, said member being transparent, and said surface being provided by a second surface coating on that side of said member remote from said front, and further including means for safety illuminating and electrically heating said member, said member being a prism providing both said transparent front lens and said mirror image-providing surface, and further including means for operatively retaining said member in said housing including a profiled retaining element operatively connectible to said housing, and seal means operatively connectible between said retaining element and said member, said means for retaining said member including: a vertical shaft operatively connectible in said housing between a pair of opposed walls thereof; means for securing said member to said shaft so that said mirror image-providing surface is pivotal about the longitudinal axis of said shaft; and means operatively connectible to said member for moving said member, said means extending at least in part exteriorly of said housing for actuation thereof, foil-type means for electrically heating said member, said member being a prism, said angle being equal to about 3.4 times the distance in inches of transverse width of said surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
426 words
An image control mirror for exterior mounting on trucks, tandem trailers, commercial vehicles and the like, said mirror comprising in combination: an exterior housing; a transparent front lens connected to said housing; a mirror image-providing surface arranged within said housing, said mirror image-providing surface being pivoted on only one side with the other side being locatable selectively in either of a normal position as close to as well as parallel to said lens and an anti-glare position differing at an angle distinctly specific as to said transparent front lens to substantially prevent both day and night glare and also simultaneously automatically refractively avoiding second or third multiple images which distract from proper undistorted image maintained therewith, said distinctly specific angle being within a range equal to about 2.25 to 3.9 times the distance in inches at a value determined multiply per inch of transverse width of said surface; gasket means mounted in said housing both for hermetic sealing of space between said lens and said mirror surface and also to serve as a vibration dampener therewith, means for locating said surface at the selected angle and at least one of said surface and said housing being mounted externally so as to be pivotal only about a vertical axis, the transverse width being approximately six inches, and the angle being approximately in a range between 14° and 20.5°, said mirror image-providing surface being provided on a member mounted in said housing, said member being transparent, and said surface being provided by a second surface coating on that side of said member remote from said front, and further including means for safety illuminating and electrically heating said member, said member being a prism providing both said transparent front lens and said mirror image-providing surface, and further including means for operatively retaining said member in said housing including a profiled retaining element operatively connectible to said housing, and seal means operatively connectible between said retaining element and said member, said means for retaining said member including: a vertical shaft operatively connectible in said housing between a pair of opposed walls thereof; means for securing said member to said shaft so that said mirror image-providing surface is pivotal about the longitudinal axis of said shaft; and means operatively connectible to said member for moving said member, said means extending at least in part exteriorly of said housing for actuation thereof, foil-type means for electrically heating said member, said member being a prism, said angle being equal to about 3.4 times the distance in inches of transverse width of said surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
335 words
A two position rearview mirror for use externally with a road vehicle such as a truck or trailered vehicle in which the rear view from the driving position of the vehicle is likely to be obstructed, said mirror having only two operative positions, those positions being a normal position and a single anti-glare position, said mirror comprising in combination: a clear uncoated, transparent lens surface having a selected width; a clear reflecting surface not coated with a light-absorbing substance spaced only on one side from the transparent surface by pivot relationship therebetween on only one side thereof; means for mounting said surfaces on the exterior of the vehicle in front of the driving position wherein a driver positioned behind the mirror can view images reflected from the reflecting surface when the mirror is in the normal position, said mounting means including means for hermetic sealing of space between transparent-reflecting surfaces and also to serve as a vibration dampener and including means thereon defining a vertical axis and means for attaching at least the reflecting surface to the mounting means in alignment with the vertical axis for pivotal movement about the vertical axis that permits pivotal movement at a distinctly specific angle between the normal position as close to as well as parallel to the lens surface in which normal position the reflected image is observed by the driver and the anti-glare position in which only a refracted image is seen by the driver, the distinctly specific angle in degrees between the normal position and anti-glare position being only in the range of 2.25 to 3.9 times the distance in inches of the width of the reflected surface in order simultaneously to eliminate multiple images automatically refractively when the mirror is in the anti-glare position, width of the reflecting surface being approximately six inches and the angle between the normal and anti-glare position being approximately twenty degrees, the reflecting surface and lens surface being movable relative to one another between the normal position and anti-glare position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
335 words
A two position rearview mirror for use externally with a road vehicle such as a truck or trailered vehicle in which the rear view from the driving position of the vehicle is likely to be obstructed, said mirror having only two operative positions, those positions being a normal position and a single anti-glare position, said mirror comprising in combination: a clear uncoated, transparent lens surface having a selected width; a clear reflecting surface not coated with a light-absorbing substance spaced only on one side from the transparent surface by pivot relationship therebetween on only one side thereof; means for mounting said surfaces on the exterior of the vehicle in front of the driving position wherein a driver positioned behind the mirror can view images reflected from the reflecting surface when the mirror is in the normal position, said mounting means including means for hermetic sealing of space between transparent-reflecting surfaces and also to serve as a vibration dampener and including means thereon defining a vertical axis and means for attaching at least the reflecting surface to the mounting means in alignment with the vertical axis for pivotal movement about the vertical axis that permits pivotal movement at a distinctly specific angle between the normal position as close to as well as parallel to the lens surface in which normal position the reflected image is observed by the driver and the anti-glare position in which only a refracted image is seen by the driver, the distinctly specific angle in degrees between the normal position and anti-glare position being only in the range of 2.25 to 3.9 times the distance in inches of the width of the reflected surface in order simultaneously to eliminate multiple images automatically refractively when the mirror is in the anti-glare position, width of the reflecting surface being approximately six inches and the angle between the normal and anti-glare position being approximately twenty degrees, the reflecting surface and lens surface being movable relative to one another between the normal position and anti-glare position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
320 words
A two-position, rearview mirror for use externally with a road vehicle such as a truck or trailered vehicle in which the rear view from the driving position of the vehicle is likely to be obstructed, said mirror having only two operative positions, those positions being a normal position and a single anti-glare position, said mirror comprising in combination: a housing having a rearwardly facing opening; means for fixing the housing to the exterior of the vehicle wherein when the mirror is operative the housing is fixed with respect to the vehicle; a clear, uncoated transparent lens fixed over the rearwardly facing opening; means within the housing for defining a vertical axis behind the lens; an uncoated mirror having a light-reflecting surface with no light absorbing properties; means both for hermetic sealing of space between the lens and mirror surface as well as also to serve as a vibration dampener therewith; means for mounting the mirror for pivotal rotation on one side only about the vertical axis that permits vertical movement at a distinctly specific angle between the normal position in which a reflected image is observed by the driver and the anti-glare position in which a refracted image is observed by the driver, the distinctly specific angle in degrees through which the uncoated mirror rotates with respect to the lens between the normal position as close to as well as parallel to said lens and the anti-glare position being only in the range of 2.25 to 3.9 times the width of the lens in inches in order simultaneously to eliminate multiple images automatically refractively when the mirror is in the anti-glare position, the angle between the normal and anti-glare positions being about twenty degrees and the width of the lens being about six inches, further including means for heating the mirror to dissipate moisture, and also further including a light within the housing for indicating the presence of the mirror.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
320 words
A two-position, rearview mirror for use externally with a road vehicle such as a truck or trailered vehicle in which the rear view from the driving position of the vehicle is likely to be obstructed, said mirror having only two operative positions, those positions being a normal position and a single anti-glare position, said mirror comprising in combination: a housing having a rearwardly facing opening; means for fixing the housing to the exterior of the vehicle wherein when the mirror is operative the housing is fixed with respect to the vehicle; a clear, uncoated transparent lens fixed over the rearwardly facing opening; means within the housing for defining a vertical axis behind the lens; an uncoated mirror having a light-reflecting surface with no light absorbing properties; means both for hermetic sealing of space between the lens and mirror surface as well as also to serve as a vibration dampener therewith; means for mounting the mirror for pivotal rotation on one side only about the vertical axis that permits vertical movement at a distinctly specific angle between the normal position in which a reflected image is observed by the driver and the anti-glare position in which a refracted image is observed by the driver, the distinctly specific angle in degrees through which the uncoated mirror rotates with respect to the lens between the normal position as close to as well as parallel to said lens and the anti-glare position being only in the range of 2.25 to 3.9 times the width of the lens in inches in order simultaneously to eliminate multiple images automatically refractively when the mirror is in the anti-glare position, the angle between the normal and anti-glare positions being about twenty degrees and the width of the lens being about six inches, further including means for heating the mirror to dissipate moisture, and also further including a light within the housing for indicating the presence of the mirror.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3836235A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-01-31 | 1986-08-02 | 1987-02-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-01-31 | 1990-08-02 | 1991-02-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-01-31 | 1994-08-02 | 1995-02-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |