Abstract: A mirror angle adjusting device for use with an automotive rearview mirror assembly has a base member adapted to be fixed to an automobile body, a mirror housing assembly angularly movably coupled to the base member, a mirror holder tiltably supported on the mirror housing assembly and holding a rearview mirror, a control lever assembly for remotely controlling angular adjustment of the rearview mirror, and a coupling assembly for coupling the mirror holder and the control lever assembly. The coupling assembly includes a rotatable shaft mechanism having at least one shaft rotatable about an axis thereof in response to operation of the control lever assembly, an arm swingable about the shaft in response to rotation of the shaft for tilting the mirror holder, and a clutch assembly for selectively disconnecting the control lever assembly from the mirror holder, the clutch assembly including a cam on the shaft and a flat spring assembly between the arm and the shaft for resiliently engaging the cam.

Abstract: A mirror holder support structure for a collapsible rearview mirror assembly on an automobile includes a mirror holder holding a mirror. The mirror holder has a spherical receptacle on a rear surface, with respect to the orientation of the motor vehicle, of the mirror holder. A support assembly which supports the mirror holder has a front casing member and a rear casing member. The support assembly further includes a pivot support having a spherical portion rotatably fitted in the spherical receptacle whereby the mirror holder is swingably supported on the support assembly, the pivot support being integrally formed on a rear surface of the rear casing member. The front and rear casing members are stiffened by a stiffener disposed in a chamber defined between the front and rear casing members. The pivot support and the front casing member are joined to each other by a fastener such as a screw on the axis of the pivot support.

Abstract: An automobile rearview mirror has a mirror housing having a spherical pivot and a mirror holder having a spherical cavity in which the spherical pivot is rotatably received. The mirror holder comprises a substantially flat panel and an attachment disposed on one side of the panel and defining the spherical cavity therein. The attachment has a gap defined therein radially outwardly of the spherical cavity. A mirror is supported on an opposite side of the panel. The attachment comprises a pair of semicylindrical socket members projecting from the one side of the panel. The semicylindrical socket members have respective inner arcuate walls and respective outer arcuate walls spaced radially outwardly from the inner arcuate walls, respectively. The inner arcuate walls define the spherical cavity therebetween, and the gap is defined between the inner arcuate walls and the outer arcuate walls.

Abstract: An automotive rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror housing adapted to be mounted on a fixed member of an automobile outside of the passenger's compartment, a mirror swingably disposed in the mirror housing, a control mechanism including a control lever adapted to project from the housing into the passenger's compartment, and a rotatable shaft mechanism pivotally coupled to a rear surface of the mirror at a plurality of positions thereon, the rotatable shaft mechanism being rotatable in response to control movements of the control lever, for vertically and laterally adjusting the angle of the mirror with respect to the mirror housing. The mirror housing is angularly movable about the axis of the rotatable shaft mechanism in unison with the mirror within the mirror housing.

Abstract: A rearview mirror assembly for use on a motor vehicle includes a bracket swingably mounted on a base connected to a motor vehicle body and a mirror holder support member housed in a frame of the bracket. The frame of the bracket has a plurality of projecting engaging edges which engage the mirror holder support member. The mirror holder support member is biased into abutment against the engaging edges of the bracket frame under the bias of a resilient plate fastened to the bracket.

Abstract: An anti-glare inside rearview mirror assembly for use in a motor vehicle includes a support having one end fixed to a motor vehicle body and including a spherical body on the other end, a bracket having a recess engaging at least a portion of the spherical body, a clamping member for clamping the spherical body in cooperation with the bracket, a housing accommodating the bracket therein, the housing having an upper wall, a lower wall, an open front wall, and a rear wall, a mirror mounted in the open front wall of the housing, and an angle adjusting member for adjusting the angle of the housing with respect to the bracket. A tool such as a screwdriver may be easily inserted through a hole defined in the lower wall of the housing to adjust the force with which the spherical body is clamped by the clamping member in cooperation with the bracket.

Abstract: An inside rearview mirror assembly for use in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a base, a stay detachably mounted on the base, and a mirror unit supported on the stay. The base and the stay have respective joint surfaces intimately contacting each other, partly spherical interfitting projections and dimples formed respectively on front ends of the joint surfaces, and non-contact surfaces disposed forwardly of the projections and dimples and providing a gap between the stay and the base. When the mirror unit is subjected to an impact, the stay is angularly moved forwardly about the projections and dimples, and detached from the base.

Abstract: A rearview mirror assembly for an automobile includes a base adapted to be mounted on an automobile body and having a substantially vertical support shaft, a rotatable bracket mounted on the base and having a mirror and an electric motor, the rotatable bracket being angularly movable about the support shaft between a normal position and a rearwardly tilted position in response to energization of the motor, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the rotatable bracket in the normal position and the rearwardly tilted position one at a time. The positioning mechanism comprises a plurality of balls partly fitted in a plurality of recesses defined in the base and a plurality of semispherical recesses defined in the rotatable bracket. The recesses of the base have horizontal surfaces. When the rearview mirror assembly moves between the normal position and the rearwardly tilted position, the balls engage only the horizontal surfaces of the recesses of the base.

Abstract: An automotive remotely controlled rearview mirror assembly is remotely controlled from within an automobile for adjusting the angle of the reflecting surface of the rearview mirror to obtain a desired rear sight. The remotely controlled rearview mirror assembly comprises a housing adapted to be mounted on the automobile body by a mount, a mirror swingably supported in the housing, a control lever swingably mounted on the mount for remotely controlling the mirror for a desired angle thereof from within the automobile, and a link mechanism operatively interconnecting the mirror and the control lever and angularly movable vertically and laterally in response to swinging movement of the control lever. The link mechanism is angularly movable vertically about an axis which is inclined upwardly in a lateral direction away from a nominal vertical plane, and also angularly movable laterally about an axis which lies in a plane including a line substantially normal to a nominal horizontal plane.

Abstract: An anti-glare rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle has a bracket assembly mounted on one end of an external support member with the other end thereof coupled to a vehicle body, a housing molded of resin and swingably supported on the bracket assembly, a prismatic mirror fitted in an inner peripheral edge of the housing, and an operating tab coacting with the bracket assembly for angularly moving the housing with respect to the bracket assembly to shift the mirror between day and night positions. The bracket assembly comprises a block and a resilient small plate, one of which has convex portions or projections. When the housing is moved or flexed with respect to the block under external forces applied, the convex portions or projections engage the rear surface of the mirror to prevent the block and the housing from being released from mutual engagement. The convex portions or projections are positioned near an area where the external support member and the bracket assembly are coupled.

Abstract: A rearview mirror mounting apparatus for detachably mounting a rearview mirror onto a side portion of a vehicle body of a vehicle such as automobile, motorcycle and the like. Between a mounting seat formed on the rearview mirror and the vehicle body, there is provided an elastic connecting piece having an excessive length when the mounting seat is fixed to the vehicle body by a bolt or the like. One end of the connecting piece is retainably engagable with the mounting seat and the other end with the vehicle body. The connecting piece is contained within the rearview mirror mounting apparatus. Although, the rearview mirror is detachable from the vehicle body, it cannot be separated apart from the vehicle body any further than the length of the connecting piece since the connecting piece is retainably engaged at one end with the mounting seat of the rearview mirror and at the other end with the vehicle body.

Abstract: A support and drive unit for a mirror device having a housing and a mirrored mirror holder, includes a casing adapted to be disposed in the housing, a support structure adapted to pivotally support the mirrored mirror holder, and means for adjusting the mirror holder. The adjusting means comprises first and second actuating rods axially movably mounted on the casing, and a pair of motors disposed in the casing for moving the actuating rods, respectively, through coupling means. The actuating rods have front ends adapted to be pivotally coupled to the mirror holder, and are spaced substantially right-angularly from each other around the center of the support structure.