A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mirrors of the type used by people to facilitate performance of personal appearance related functions such as shaving, applying cosmetics and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a versatile free-standing mirror which includes a base for supporting the mirror on a horizontal surface such as that of a table top, and a frame containing back-to-back mirror plates of different magnification factors, the frame being pivotably mounted to the base by a continuously rotatable joint and containing an internal illumination source that is effective in illuminating object fields in front of both mirror plates.
B. Description of Background Art
Certain aspects of a person's appearance are best attended to by observing a person's image in a relatively large “wide angle” mirror, which has a flat reflective surface that provides a unity or “1×” magnification. Mirrors of this type include full length wall mirrors, dresser mirrors, and bathroom mirrors mounted on a wall or cabinet. Other grooming functions such as shaving, applying cosmetics and the like are generally more easily performed while viewing a larger image of one's face, which can be obtained by positioning the face closer to a flat, non-magnifying mirror. In some circumstances, however, it is not convenient to position one's face sufficiently close to an existing flat mirror to provide an image which is sufficiently large to enable a desired personal grooming task to be easily performed. In such situations, it would be desirable to have available a magnifying mirror, i.e., a mirror having a magnification factor greater than one.
Since counter space available in locations such as bathrooms is often at a premium, it would also be desirable to have available a portable magnifying mirror which may be readily placed in a free-standing disposition on a horizontal surface, such as that of an for performing different aspects of a person's grooming, it would be desirable to have a portable free-standing mirror, which had at least two different, selectable magnifications.
A wide variety of magnifying and non-magnifying mirrors are available for personal use. However, since a person's vision generally degrades with age, there is an accompanying need for a mirror of selectable magnification which can supplement existing larger mirrors to enable a person to see image details required to perform personal care functions.
In response to a perceived need for mirrors having different magnification factors, a variety of mirrors have been disclosed which can provide more than just one magnification factor, e.g., 1× and 5×. Examples of such mirrors include the present inventor's U.S. design Pat. No. D532,981 for a Dual Magnification Table Mirror, U.S. Pat. No. 7,341,356 for a Dual Magnification Vanity Mirror Adjustable In Height And Orientation, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,852 for a Dual Magnification Reversible Spot Mirror Releasably Attachable To Flat Surfaces.
Dual magnification mirrors of the type described above provide a satisfactory solution to the requirement for personal mirrors having selectable magnifications. However, there are applications, such as in dimly lit rooms, where it would be desirable to have a mirror which includes an illumination source for illuminating an object such as a person's face positioned in front of the mirror. Thus, there have been disclosed a variety of mirrors which contain an illumination source, including the present inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,877 for a Magnifying Mirror Having Focused Annular Illuminator and U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,378 for a Dual Magnification Folding Travel Mirror With Annular Illuminator.
The illuminated mirrors disclosed in the foregoing patents have proved satisfactory for their intended purposes. However, there remains a need for a dual magnification mirror which has back-to-back mirrors mounted in a frame that includes an illumination source which provides substantially equal illumination of object fields located in front of either mirror, is rotatable continuously without the possibility of twisting electrical wires used to carry electrical current to the illumination source, and which is powered by batteries contained within the base of the mirror and thus not requiring a power cord for connection to power mains. The present invention was conceived of at least in part to fulfill the aforementioned needs.
An object of the present invention is to provide a mirror which has two reflective mirror plates of different magnification factors mounted back-to-back in a frame which contains an internal illumination source that is effective in providing uniform illumination of object fields in front of both mirror plates.
Another object of the invention is to provide a dual magnification mirror which includes a frame holding back-to-back mirror plates and an internal electrically energizable illumination source that is powered by batteries within a base to which the frame is pivotably mounted.
Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminated dual magnification mirror in which has a frame holding a pair of back-to-back mirror plates and an internal illumination source effective in illuminating object fields in front of both mirrors, the frame being supported by a base including a battery power source electrically connected to the illumination source though a pivot joint which enables continuous rotation of the mirror frame with respect to the base, thus enabling orientation of the mirror plates at any desired pivot angle.
Various other objects and advantages of the present invention, and its most novel features, will become apparent to those skilled in the art by perusing the accompanying specification, drawings and claims.
It is to be understood that although the invention disclosed herein is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages described, the characteristics of the invention described herein are merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, I do not intend that the scope of my exclusive rights and privileges in the invention be limited to details of the embodiments described. I do intend that equivalents, adaptations and modifications of the invention reasonably inferable from the description contained herein be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Briefly stated, the present invention comprehends a dual magnification mirror which has back-to-back mirror plates of different magnification factors and an illumination source which is effective in illuminating object fields in front of both mirror plates. According to the invention, the mirror includes a tabular base which holds therein batteries for powering the illumination source, and a support stanchion which protrudes vertically upwards from the center of the base. The mirror includes a downwardly concave, generally semi-circularly shaped mirror frame support yoke mounted onto the upper end of the stanchion. A pair of laterally inwardly facing, diametrically opposed horizontally disposed mirror frame pivot bosses protrude inwardly from opposite upper ends of the laterally opposed, quadrant-shaped left and right arms of the yoke.
According to the invention, the mirror frame support yoke has a hollow tubular construction, and includes a separate electrical power supply wire disposed downwardly through each pivot bushing and yoke arm. Lower ends of the wires meet at the lower center of the yoke, and thread through a hollow tubular passage disposed vertically through the stanchion to connect to a battery compartment and on/off switch mounted in the base of the mirror. Upper ends of the electrical power supply wires are connected to laterally outwardly located ends of a pair of left and right electrically conductive bearing cups which are inset coaxially into the pivot bosses.
In a preferred embodiment, in which the yoke and pivot bosses are made of metal, the conductive cups are mounted coaxially within cylindrical insulator bushings fitted within coaxial bores within the pivot bosses to provide electrical isolation between the conductive cups in the pivot bosses.
The mirror according to the present invention include a ring-shaped frame which holds coaxially therewithin a pair of back-to-back reflective mirror plates having different magnification factors, e.g., 1× and 5×. Each mirror plate has a relatively large diameter central reflective area and a relatively narrow, outer annular band-shaped light transmissive window area.
The outer annular ring-shaped light transmissive regions of the two back-to-back reflective mirror plates are axially aligned, and positioned radially outwardly of an annular ring-shaped illumination source located between inner facing sides of the mirror plates. In a preferred embodiment, the inner facing surface of each mirror plate has thereon a surface which specularly or diffusely reflects light emitted from the ring-shaped illumination source, thus directing light to the annular ring-shaped windows of opposed mirror plates.
According to the invention, insulated electrically conductive leads for providing electrical power to the illumination source within the mirror frame are connected to a pair of opposed pivot pins which protrude radially outwardly from laterally opposed sides of the mirror frame. The pivot pins are electrically isolated from each other and from the frame, and have convex, arcuately rounded outer transverse end faces which are of a size and shape similar to concavely rounded inner transverse end faces of the conductive bearing cups within the yoke arm bosses. The pivot pins are rotatably held within the conductive yoke arm bearing cups by resilient forces which are sufficient to insure electrical contact between each pin and cup set, and to maintain the mirror at an adjusted pivot angle relative to the yoke and base, yet enable the mirror frame to be relatively easily rotated to a desired pivot angle.
In a preferred embodiment, the resilient pivot retention force is provided by fabricating the yoke from a material which is elastically deformable in response to a radially outwardly directed tensioning force to a larger diameter to thus enable insertion of the pivot pins into the conductive cups. Removing the outward tensioning force enables the yoke arms to spring elastically inwards, thus retaining the mirror frame pivot pins within the conductive cups in the bosses at the ends of the yoke arms.
According to the invention, the annular ring-shaped illumination source is constructed in a manner that enables the mirror frame to have a substantially thinner, more aesthetically satisfying appearance than prior-art illumination mirrors which employ incandescent or fluorescent illumination sources. Thus, according to the present invention, the illumination source includes a thin, flat, annular ring-shaped printed circuit board on which are mounted a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED's). The LED's protrude radially outwards of the outer circumferential edge wall of the printed circuit board.
In an example embodiment, each LED had a cylindrically-shaped, body and a pair of conductive leads which protruded rearward from the body. Rear ends of the leads were bent at ninety degree angles and inserted into and soldered to conductive eyelets electrically continuous with a pair of conductive foil strips arranged concentrically on the pivoted circuit board.
In the example embodiment, 22 white-light emitting LEDs spaced at equal circumferential intervals of about 16 degrees were used. Each conductive foil is electrically conductively connected to a separate one of the two electrically isolated pivot pins. Thus, electrical current conveyed to the electrically conductive bearing cups in the yoke arm pivot bosses is carried through the pivot pins and thence to the LED's.
The novel design and construction of an illuminated dual magnification mirror according to the present invention provides an equally bright, uniform illumination pattern in object fields located in front of both mirror plates. Moreover, the novel design and construction of the mirror according to the present invention advantageously enables the mirror frame to be continuously rotated to thus position the 1× or 5× magnifying mirror plates at any desired angle with respect to the mirror frame support yoke, without the possibility of twisting or breaking electrical illumination wires which power the illumination source within the mirror frame.
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In a preferred embodiment of mirror 20, yoke 37 and pivot support bosses 46, 47 are made of metal. With this construction, structure must be provided to prevent the metal yoke arms from forming a short circuit between electrically conductive bearing cups 54, 55. Thus, as shown in
The structure of mirror assembly 48, and its functional interaction with other components of mirror 20, may be best understood by referring to
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As may be seen best by referring to FIGS. 1,4, 8, 9 and 10, front and rear mirror plates 49, 50 are circularly-shaped and have central outwardly facing circularly reflective surfaces 69, 70, respectively, which occupy a substantially large portion of the diameter of the mirror plates. As is also shown in the figures, front and rear mirror plates 49, 50 have narrow outer peripheral annular ring-shaped window bands 71, 72 which encircle the central reflective surfaces 69, 70, respectively. Window bands 71, 72 are light transmissive, and preferably made of a transparent material which has a frosted inner facing surfaces 73, 74 so that light passing through the window bands is diffused. Also, as shown in
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