Abstract: A vehicle accessory mounting assembly is disclosed for securely and stably supporting a rearview mirror or another vehicular accessory on the vehicle windshield or another vehicular surface without the need for an adjustable set screw. The assembly includes a support member slidably received on a base member by spaced sets of mating surfaces. A spring retainer on one of the base and support includes one retainer arm engaging and gripping an opposing, raised rib on the other member. A second retainer arm spaced from the first retainer arm urges the first arm against the rib. Spaced, raised contact areas are provided on the mating surfaces, while spaced sliding contact areas with a relieved area therebetween are provided on another contact surface to prevent movement and/or vibration between the base and support.

Abstract: A relatively small convex mirror is retractably mounted to a housing, located at the roof-line of a vehicle at the center windshield area for movement between a use position extended from the housing to permit a front seat occupant to view the face of a rear seat occupant and a stored position retracted within the housing.

Abstract: A mechanism (10) for adjustably mounting a laser mirror includes fixed and movable plates (20, 22) with a pivot assembly mounted therebetween. The mirror (44) is mounted on the movable plate (22). A pair of wedge structures interface between the two plates at locations spaced from the pivot assembly and function to vary the angle between the plates about the pivot assembly. In the preferred embodiment, the wedge structure includes a threaded screw (54) for driving a sphere (58) against an inclined plane (50). The assembly allows adjustment of the mirror face (46) about all axes.

Abstract: A holding device of a mirror element for rearview mirror includes an actuator unit for tiltably inclining a mirror, and a mirror element mounted through a pivot plate on the actuator unit. The mirror element has a mirror plate and a mirror holder, and an aperture of the size capable of engaging at least the central portion of the pivot plate at the center of the mirror holder. Hook type latch means is provided at the mirror holder and the upper portion of the pivot plate, and pawl engaging means utilizing undercuts are formed at the lower portion. The pivot plate is mounted by the supporting means of the actuator unit to form a subassembly. After the subassembly is fixed to the mirror body, the hook of the mirror element is engaged with the pivot plate, and the pawl is engaged while rotating the mirror element downward at the latch as a center to associate the mirror assembly.

Abstract: A device for holding a removable mirror plate of a rearview mirror for a motor vehicle and comprising a mirror holder for supporting the mirror plate, a holder plate for supporting the mirror holder, an assembly for tiltably supporting the holder plate and including a pivot provided on a surface of said holder plate and having upper and lower portions, a latch assembly located between the mirror holder and the holder plate at the upper portion of the pivot for latching the mirror holder to the holder plate, and a fixing assembly for fixing the mirror holder to the holder plate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rearview mirror having a mirror-holder casing, a fixed base, a connecting mechanism interposed between the casing and the base and members for guiding pivoting of the casing about a substantially vertical, forward-rearward axis and a substantially horizontal upward-downward axis. Friction bearing surfaces combined with the members for guiding pivoting of the casing cooperate to create friction couples resisting the pivoting. The rearview mirror futher has two distinct springs cooperating, respectively, with at least one bearing surface for guiding upward-downward pivoting and at least one bearing surface for guiding forward-rearward pivoting.

Abstract: A connection arrangement for a mirror back supporting plate and a mirror support member in a mirror case for an automobile outer mirror assembly comprises a connecting portion of the mirror back supporting plate being held between a connecting portion of the mirror support member and a clutch member and these members being connected to each other by a connecting member. The connecting member extends through a through-hole of the clutch member and also through a through-hole of the mirror back supporting plate. After being passed through the through-holes, the connecting member is rotated 90 degrees about its axis so that it is mounted to the mirror back supporting plate. Therefore, the mirror back supporting plate and the mirror supporting member can be easily connected together.

Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror for a motor vehicle has a housing mounted on a base member by means of a ball-and-socket joint comprising a socket formed in the base member and a convex member attached to the housing. The socket comprises the concave inner surface of a hollow part-spherical member. An arm has a concave surface formed on one end and adapted to engage with the convex outer surface of the part-spherical member. Resilient means are arranged to bias the arm towards the convex member so as to urge the concave surface on the arm against the convex outer surface of the part-spherical member and to urge the concave inner surface of the part-spherical member against the convex member, and release means on the other end of the arm are operable to reduce the friction resisting movement of the housing relative to the base member about the part-spherical member. Operation of the release means thus enables the orientation of the housing relative to the base member to be adjusted with relatively little effort.

Abstract: A mirror assembly for attachment to a vehicle such as a motorhome or semi-truck includes a first mirror plane adjusted to bring the distant rearward right highway lane into view of the driver, a second mirror plane adjusted downward and outward to bring to the driver's eye a view of only 50 feet of rearward right lane, and a bugeye mirror for bringing to the driver's eye a view of an immediately adjacent vehicle being passed. When the driver of the passing vehicle has passed the other vehicle, he knows it is safe to pull back into the right lane, ahead of the passed vehicle, when the images of both headlights of the passed vehicle come into a predetermined relationship with the second plane mirror.

Abstract: An external rear-view mirror for motor vehicles, which can be adjusted from inside, has a body connected through a first articulated joint to a support member by an arm that can be oriented relative to this support member by a second articulated joint. The two articulated joints comprise two hemispherical elements formed on the orientable arm and cooperating with corresponding hemispherical elements carried by the body and the support member respectively.

Abstract: In a transparent molded segmented mirror having individual sectors on a transparent molding and comprising a myriad of reflecting surfaces at the rear side of the mirror away from the viewer, said surfaces located to produce, in the eyes of the viewer, a virtual image, or separate virtual images from separate portions of such molded mirror, there being zones separating the reflecting surfaces, the improvement comprising:(a) a material coating said zones and which includes a light absorber,(b) such material having approximately, the same index of refraction as the transparent molding,(c) whereby undesirable reflections from said zone are substantially reduced, because light impinging thereon cannot be reflected, but is only absorbed.

Abstract: In a transparent molded segmented mirror having individual sectors on a transparent molding and comprising a myriad of reflecting surfaces at the rear side of the mirror away from the viewer, said surfaces located to produce, in the eyes of the viewer, a virtual image, or separate virtual images from separate portions of such molded mirror, there being zones separating the reflecting surfaces, the improvement comprising:(a) a material coating said zones and which includes a light absorber,(b) such material having approximately, the same index of refraction as the transparent molding,(c) whereby undesirable reflections from said zone are substantially reduced, because light impinging thereon cannot be reflected, but is only absorbed.

Abstract: A device for mounting a rearview mirror casing on a support member integral with the bodywork of a vehicle, wherein the casing has a convex face against concave face of the support member by an elastic member disposed inside the casing.One of the ends of the elastic member is secured inside the casing. The other end is pivoting mounted on a fastening member integral with the support member and extending inside the casing so that the action of the spring is always exerted along the longitudinal axis of the casing. The convex face of the casing is provided with an opening to allow the fastening member therethrough. The opening has at least two opposing bosses which are adapted to be selectively engaged in at least two opposing slots extending from the opening when the casing is in a retracted position. The housing has at least one rib which is engaged in a corresponding slot provided in the support member.

Abstract: The invention provides a ball-and-socket joint comprising two joint components one of which is constituted by a ball having a convex spherical surface integrally connected to a supporting rod, while the other joint component is constituted by a socket having a concave spherical surface partially surrounding said ball and frictionally connected thereto, wherein at least one of said components comprises a plurality of elements each of which defines a spherical surface section complementary to the spherical surface of the other joint component, said elements being pressed in substantially radial directions with their respective spherical surface sections, by biasing means, against the spherical surface of the other joint component.

Abstract: Small tilting trailers such as boat trailers and the like normally require license plates. This invention consists of a license plate holder pivotally secured for fore and aft swinging movement adjacent the rear of the trailer in the usual location and normally being held in the substantially vertical position by means of small return springs. An elongated roller is mounted across the base of the holder to facilitate the swinging movement if the roller strikes objects such as rock, etc. and also to facilitate the swinging movement if the roller contacts the ground surface when the trailer is in the tilt position.

Abstract: An adjustable mirror stabilizing mounting useful in handset, power, and remote control automotive mirrors in which the fixed side of the mounting projects from the mirror housing to support spherically concentric nested surfaces sandwiching the movable element therebetween and including keying means and trunnion means in the sector retainer for providing stability of adjustable support with limited movement. A selected anti-friction pad is provided between certain of the spherical surfaces and assembly is by a compression loading of the spring element.

Abstract: An outside rear view mirror assembly includes a mounting bracket and a mirror carrying member. The mirror carrying member defines a generally spherical bearing surface and the bracket defines a matingly configured concave socket. A slot is formed in the socket and a conical bore is formed in the spherical bearing surface and opens therethrough. A coil spring under tension is stretched between the bracket and the mirror carrying member. The coil spring attaches at one end at the center of curvature of the spherical bearing surface. The mirror carrying member also defines a slot intersecting the bore. The mirror carrying member may pivot to a low profile position generally parallel to the sides of the vehicle.

Abstract: A device whereby the safety in such dead angle parts as the front wheel part on the other side of a driving seat and the part a little forward of said part and in the rear can be confirmed in the driving seat.In the hood part on the other side of the driving seat of an automobile, there are provided an objective mirror directed to the front wheel part on said other side and the part a little forward of said part, a reflecting mirror to reflect the image shown on said objective mirror back to the driving seat and a rear confirming mirror in the back position of said objective mirror so that the safety in said dead angle parts, the other side of the driving seat and the rear can be confirmed by the driver at the same sighting point.

Abstract: Rear-view mirror for vehicles, particularly motorcycles, comprising a mounting arm on the vehicle or suitable part thereof fastened for turning movement, a mirror housing on the free end of the arm and turnable with respect thereto and a mirror holder adjustably secured in the housing and provided with a mirror glass, the mirror glass holder being turnable around the central axis of the housing. The arrangement is simple and accurate as compared to prior constructions.

Abstract: A rear view mirror for mounting on the interior surface of an automobile windshield so constructed and arranged that in the event of its being struck by the head of an occupant due to a sudden stop or collision the mirror mount will automatically snap loose and drop out of the way without causing serious injury to the occupant. Further, the construction is such that the mirror cannot easily be slipped off its mount by a pilferer.