FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vehicle mirrors, and more specifically to the attachment of vehicle mirrors to vehicles. In particular, a mirror bracket is disclosed that enables stable attachment of a vehicle mirror to a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vehicles include mirrors that enable the driver to see around the periphery of the vehicle being driven. For example, mirrors are useful for enabling the driver to see objects that are next to the vehicle and behind the vehicle. One type of mirror that is included with vehicles is called a side view mirror. Vehicles will typically have a left side view mirror (on the left or driver side of the vehicle) and a right side mirror (on the right or passenger side of the vehicle). While such mirrors require careful use (for example, when an object is in a driver's blind spot), such mirrors facilitate driving of the vehicle and help to avoid accidents.
One type of vehicle that includes side view mirrors is a vehicle known as a Jeep vehicle. Jeep vehicles include an interesting feature: removal of the doors is fairly simple and many people enjoy driving Jeep vehicles without doors. However, for many vehicles, side view mirrors are attached to the vehicle's doors. Thus, when the doors of a vehicle are removed, if the side view mirrors were attached to the doors, then removal of the doors causes the vehicle to be without any side view mirrors.
One approach to dealing with this issue is to mount the side view mirrors at a vehicle location other than the doors. For example, an alternative mounting location for side view mirrors is the vehicle body forward of the doors. When the side view mirrors are attached to the vehicle forward of the doors, removal of the doors does not cause elimination of the side view mirrors. In this manner, the doors may be removed, but the side view mirrors remain.
While attaching the mirrors to the vehicle body forward of the doors eliminates the problem of being without mirrors when the doors are removed, such mirror mounting may be undesirable due to a lack of stability. In other words, by mounting the mirrors in this manner, the attachment to the vehicle may be undesirably unstable, causing the mirror to shake or vibrate as the vehicle is being driven. If the mirror is shaking or vibrating while the vehicle is being driven, this may result in an undesirable driving experience.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A mirror bracket is adapted for coupling a mirror to a vehicle. The mirror bracket comprises a main member that has a front surface and a rear surface, the rear surface adapted for facing towards a side body panel of said vehicle; a side lip orthogonal to the rear surface; a bracket attachment location for attaching the main member to the side body panel; an arm attachment structure for attaching an arm to the mirror bracket, wherein the mirror is attached to an end of the arm; wherein the arm attachment structure is coupled to the front surface of the main member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mirror assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a further perspective view of a mirror assembly, rotated 180 degrees from the view illustrated in FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a further perspective view of a mirror assembly, taken from a different angle than what appears in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a further perspective view of the mirror assembly illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a close-up view of a main member of a mirror assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6A is an exploded view of a main member of a mirror assembly, and related parts, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6B illustrates A pivot member that is included with a mirror assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a mirror assembly mounted to a vehicle in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a further perspective view of a mirror bracket attached to a vehicle, with the vehicle door removed, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 illustrates a mirror bracket attached to a vehicle, with the vehicle door removed, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective drawing of an alternative embodiment in which a bracket assembly is attached to a mirror bracket in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 illustrates a further perspective drawing of an alternative embodiment in which a bracket assembly is attached to a mirror bracket in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 illustrates a further perspective drawing of an alternative embodiment in which a bracket assembly is attached to a mirror bracket in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 illustrates a further perspective drawing of an alternative embodiment in which a bracket assembly is attached to a mirror bracket in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 illustrates a further prospective drawing of an alternative embodiment in which a bracket assembly is attached to a mirror bracket in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the mirror bracket illustrated in FIG. 14.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of mirror assembly 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Mirror assembly 100 includes mirror 102. Mirror 102 is illustrated as being round but this is merely exemplary, as other shapes may be used. Attached to mirror 102 is arm 104. Arm 104 is desirably a rigid material that maintains mirror 102 in a location where the mirror can be seen by a driver of a vehicle. Arm 104 is coupled to bracket assembly 108. Bracket assembly 108 is in turn attached to a vehicle (not shown).
FIG. 2 is a perspective drawing of mirror assembly 100 shown from an opposite side of that shown in FIG. 1. Mirror 102 is shown. Arm 104 is also shown. Arm 104 is attached to bracket assembly 108. Bracket assembly 108 includes side member 122 and optionally includes bottom lip 124. Opening 120 is included. Opening 120 (which may be a bracket attachment location) is formed in bracket assembly 108 and is used for attaching bracket assembly 108 to the vehicle.
FIG. 3 illustrates mirror assembly 100 from a further orientation. In this exemplary embodiment, top member 112a and bottom member 112b are shown. Top member 112a and bottom member 112b extend orthogonally from main member 110. Side lip 126 extends orthogonally from main member 110. Edge member 128 is optionally attached to an outer edge of side lip 126. Side lip 126 and edge member 128 are included with side member 122. Side member 122 extends orthogonally from main member 110.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of mirror assembly 100 that is rendered from a different orientation than what is illustrated in FIG. one, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, bracket assembly 108 is shown from a different perspective than as it appears in previous figures. Side member 122 extends orthogonally from main member 110. Side member 122 includes side lip 126 and optionally includes edge member 128. Optional bottom lip 124 is also illustrated. Optional bottom lip 124 extends orthogonally from main member 110. Opening 120 is shown. Opening 120 (which may be a bracket attachment location) is used for attaching bracket assembly 108 to the vehicle.
FIG. 5 is a prospective close-up view of bracket assembly 108. As shown in FIG. 5, top member 112a and bottom member 112b extends orthogonally from main member 110. Opening 120 is included for attaching bracket assembly 108 to the vehicle. In particular, when in use, bracket assembly 108 is attached to body panel 530. Body panel 530 is situated above body panel 532. Between body panel 530 and 532 there is a crease. Optional bottom lip 124 may be aligned with the crease. As shown in FIG. 5, bracket assembly 108 is attached to the vehicle at the door jamb of the vehicle. Hinge 534 of the vehicle appears in FIG. 5.
FIG. 6A is a further perspective view of bracket assembly 108. In FIG. 6A, pivot member 114 is illustrated. Pivot member 114 is coupled to arm 104. Pivot member 114 includes opening 212. Attachment member 117 is shown. Attachment member 117 enables pivot member 114 to be attached to bracket assembly 108. Bracket assembly 108 includes nut 118. Attachment member 117 includes knob 536 and bolt 116, but this is merely exemplary. As shown, pivot member 114 is placed between top member 112a and bottom member 112b. Attachment member 117 is then inserted through an opening situated in top member 112a. Attachment member 117 extends through opening 212 and through an opening in bottom member 112b. Attachment member 117 then engages nut 118. In this matter, pivot member 114 is coupled to bracket assembly 108.
FIG. 6B is a further perspective view of top member 112a, bottom member 112b, and pivot member 114. Pivot member 114 is inserted between top member 112a and bottom member 112b. Pivot member 114 includes upper portion 204 and lower portion 206. Upper portion 204 and lower portion 206 may be attached with a tab (not shown) that maintains upper portion 204 stationary relative to lower portion 206 as illustrated in FIG. 6B. Upper portion 204 and lower portion 206 are maintained relative to each other with space 208 therebetween. Pivot member 114 includes opening 210. Opening 210 is shaped to receive arm 104.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view in which mirror assembly 100 is attached to a vehicle. In FIG. 7, door panel 702 and windows 706 are shown on the driver side of a vehicle. Bracket assembly 108 is attached to body panel 530. Body panel 530 is situated below windshield 704. Body panel 532 is below body panel 530. Hinge 534 is shown.
FIG. 8 is a further perspective view of bracket assembly 108 attached to a vehicle. As shown, main member 110 is placed against body panel 530. Bottom lip 124 is aligned with a crease between body panel 530 and body panel 532. Top member 112a and bottom member 112b extend orthogonally forward from main member 110. Main member 110 is attached to body panel 530 via bolt 804. Bolt 804 extends through opening 120. Arm 104 is attached to bracket assembly 108. Side lip 126 extends orthogonally backwards from main member 110. As shown in FIG. 8, side lip 126 is adjacent to the front door jamb 802 of the vehicle. Optional edge member 128 is situated along the back edge of side lip 126. Edge member 128 may be made, for example, of a flexible material (such as rubber or foam), and it may wrap around both sides of side lip 126. In FIG. 8 as shown, the front surface of main member 110 faces top member 112a and bottom member 112b. The rear surface of main member 110 faces body panel 530. By securing bolt 804 (for example), main member 110 held stationary relative to body panel 530. Furthermore, by securing bolt 804 (for example) main member 110 may exert force (i.e. presses) towards body panel 530.
In FIG. 8, the door of the vehicle is not shown. This may be because the door is present in the vehicle, but has been omitted from the drawing, or the door has been removed from the vehicle. Bracket assembly 108 is in contact with the vehicle because side lip 126 faces front door jamb 802 and because the rear surface of main member 110 faces body panel 530. Thus, main member 110 is in contact with body panel 530 and side lip 126 is in contact with front door jamb 802. Thus, bracket assembly 108 has two surfaces of contact with the vehicle. The first surface of contact with the vehicle is with body panel 530. The second surface of contact with the vehicle is with front door jamb 802. By attaching main member 110 to the vehicle, main member 110 is held stationary relative to body panel 530 and door jamb 802. In the prior art, a mirror bracket may be in contact with body panel. However, in the prior art, the mirror bracket is not in contact with both a body panel and the door jam. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the rear surface of main member 110 is in contact with body panel 530, and side lip 126 is in contact with front door jamb 802. It is because bracket assembly 108 is in contact with both the body panel and the door jamb that the mirror bracket has a high level of stability. This high level of stability maintains mirror 102 stationary as a vehicle is being driven. This is highly desirable for a driver, as the mirror stays stationary without shaking or vibration as the vehicle is driven.
FIG. 9 is a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 9, the door of the vehicle has been removed. Bracket assembly 108 remains attached to the vehicle even though the door has been removed. Bracket assembly 108 is again attached to the vehicle via body panel 530. Body panel 530 is above body panel 532. Windshield 704 is above body panel 530.
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view of an alternative embodiment. Arm 104 terminates with bottom 310 and projection 312. Bottom 310 and projection 312 may be inserted into opening 308. Opening 308 is visible in FIG. 10 as opening entry 304. Opening 308 is formed in base 302. When bottom 310 and projection 312 are inserted into opening 308, arm 104 is held in place via retainer 306. Retainer 306 may be attached to projection 312 via threads shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. By securing retainer 306 to projection 312, arm 104 is held in place.
FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 illustrate an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, arm 104 terminates with bottom portion 316 and bottom 310. Bottom portion 316 and bottom 310 may be inserted into opening entry 304. After bottom portion 316 and bottom 310 are inserted into opening entry 304, retainer 306 may be inserted into opening 314. As shown, opening 314 may be a threaded opening that is formed within base 302. By inserting retainer 306 into opening 314 so that retainer 306 locks bottom 310 in place, arm 104 is attached to bracket assembly 108.
FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are further views of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 14, main member 110 is included. Main member 110 includes opening 120 for attaching bracket assembly 108 to body panel 530. Side lip 126 is shown. Side lip 126 extends orthogonally from main member 110. Base 302 is included. Base 302 includes opening entry 304 and space 318. Retainer 306 is included. During use, arm 104 is inserted into opening entry 304. Arm 104 includes an opening. Retainer 306 is inserted through opening 314, through the opening in arm 104, and into opening 320. Opening 320 is illustrated as being threaded, but this is merely exemplary. Thus, by inserting retainer 306 into opening 320, arm 104 is maintained in position. As previously explained, arm 104 is inserted into opening entry 304. By rotating retainer 306, base 302 is squeezed around arm 104 so that the distance between the top and bottom of space 318 is decreased. In this manner, base 302 holds arm 104 stationary within bracket assembly 108.
While various exemplary embodiments have been described, it is understood that embodiments may be combined. Also, aspects of one embodiment may be combined with aspects of another embodiment.
Whereas many alterations and modifications of the disclosure will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that any particular implementation shown and described by way of illustration is in no way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references to details of various implementations are not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which in themselves recite only those features regarded as the disclosure.
PARTS LIST
100 Mirror Assembly
102 Mirror
104 Arm
108 Bracket Assembly
110 Main Member
112
a Top Member
112
b Bottom Member
114 Pivot Member
116 Bolt
117 Attachment Member
118 Nut
120 Opening
122 Side Member
124 Bottom Lip
126 Side Lip
128 Edge Member
204 Upper Portion
206 Lower Portion
208 Space
210 Opening
212 Opening
302 Base
304 Opening Entry
306 Retainer
308 Opening
310 Bottom
312 Projection
314 Opening
316 Bottom Portion
318 Space
320 Opening
530 Body Panel
532 Body Panel
534 Hinge
536 Knob
702 Door Panel
704 Windshield
706 Window
804 Bolt
Patent Application
20250033561
