Abstract:
A vehicle mirror system includes a mirror unit which is held in space and supported above the front fender of the vehicle by support arms, the distal end of which is connected to the vehicle fender by suitable bracketry. The mounting bracketry is also utilized to affix and hold in place a visor which has a portion that extends generally between the headlight of the vehicle and the mirror unit to prevent at least a substantial portion of stray light from the headlight from reaching the mirror unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a vehicle mirror, and more particularly to a shield or visor for preventing light from a vehicle headlight or headlight cluster of lights from reaching the mirror. 
   Motor vehicles, in particular larger vehicles such as buses, trucks and the like, require an array of mirrors mounted on exterior surfaces of such vehicles in order to improve the visibility and field of view of the driver in and around the vehicle. Typically, an automotive mirror element has attached to it a staff or pole and that pole is secured within a mount which is in turn attached to the body of the vehicle. One type of mirror is a parabolic or cross-view mirror that is traditionally used on school buses to permit the driver to see directly in front of the bus as well as to the side, which would normally not be visible without the aid of such a mirror. Such a mirror is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , a cross-view mirror is mounted at the foremost corners of the vehicle. A drawback associated with these types of cross-view mirrors is that with aerodynamically designed headlights as shown in  FIG. 1 , there is the possibility of light from the headlight being reflected in the mirror. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shield or visor that attaches to the mirror mount and fender so as to block, deflect or hinder light from the vehicle headlight from reaching the mirror. 
   Pursuant to this object, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one aspect of the present invention resides in a visor for a mirror which is attached to the mounting brackets that attach the mirror to the vehicle body. The visor is configured to project at least partially over at least a portion of a headlight of the vehicle so as to block light leaving the vehicle from reflecting off the mirror. 
   The visor can be made of any suitable material, such as plastic or metal. 
   In another embodiment of the invention, the visor is mounted between the vehicle body and the mounting bracket of the mirror so as to form a gasket in addition to providing the light blocking function. 
   The visor, in a further embodiment of the invention, has an upper surface with a light diffusing finish. For example, a roughened surface. This is provided in order to prevent sunlight or streetlights, for example, from reflecting off the top surface of the visor into the mirror. 
   Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a prior art mirror mounted on a bus; 
       FIG. 2  shows the mirror of  FIG. 1  with the inventive visor attached thereto; 
       FIG. 3  shows another embodiment of the visor; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  shows another type of mirror mounted to a bus; 
       FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of the visor mounted to a mirror as shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  shows another embodiment of the visor configured for mounting to a mirror as in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 8  shows still a further embodiment of the inventive visor; and 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view illustrating a visor comprising a perforated material disposed between two of three legs of the mirror mounting bracketry. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a mirror  1  mounted on a bus by a series of arms that are mounted to the vehicle body. 
     FIG. 2  shows a close up of the mirror, mounted on the bus, with the main arm  2  supporting the mirror being attached to the bus fender by a mounting body  3 . Attached to the mounting body  3  is a visor  4 . The visor  4  has an arrangement of holes which correspond to the mounting holes on the mounting body so that the screws used for mounting the mirror arm to the mounting body also serve to mount the visor  4  to the mounting body  3 . The visor  4  is dimensioned and shaped to extend from the mounting body a distance sufficient to at least partially block upwardly directed light from the headlight  5  so that the light is prevented from reaching the mirror  1 . The visor  4  can have a variety of different shapes while still providing the intended result of blocking upwardly directed light. 
     FIG. 3  shows a visor  4 ′ that is mounted between the mounting body  3  and the vehicle fender so as to act as a gasket in addition to projecting over the headlight. 
     FIG. 4  is a top view of  FIG. 3  showing the visor  4 ′ projecting away from the fender of the vehicle. As seen in  FIG. 4 , the visor has a roughly T-shape. The cross-piece of the T has a length L so that the T part covers at least a portion of the headlight of the vehicle. The leg  10  of the T is configured to fit beneath the mounting body  3  and is held in place by the screws which mount the mounting body  3  to the fender. 
   Another known type of cross-view mirror is shown in  FIG. 5 . In this construction, there are three legs that are removably mounted to the fender by supports  6 .  FIG. 6  shows the visor  7  mounted between the lowermost end of two of the legs of the mirror and the supports  6  for the legs. The visor  7  extends away from the supports  6  so as to project over at least a portion of the headlight  5 . 
     FIG. 7  shows a top view of a visor  7 ′ of a slightly different shape than the visor in  FIG. 6 . The legs of the mirror are left out for clarity. The visor  7 ′ is mounted beneath the supports  6 . However, it can also be mounted on the supports  6  as the visor  7  in  FIG. 6  is. Once the visor  7 ′ is in place, the legs of the mirror and the supports are then mounted.  FIG. 8  shows the visor  7 ′ mounted with the mirror. In  FIG. 8 , the visor  7 ′ may be mounted in a position above the connection points of the leg  6 ′ to the fender body, namely to the leg  6 ′ by the visor  7 ′ having distal ends with perforations which are approximately the same size as the diameter of the leg  6 ′ or by means of sleeves or other simple mechanical fastening structures. In this type of an embodiment, the visor need not be in contact with any portion of the fender as it would be raised an inch or so above the fender surface. The visor may have a front end which is slightly bent inwardly above the lights rather than having a top surface that is flat. 
   As previously mentioned, the visor can have a length which covers all or only part of the headlight or headlight cluster, the extent of coverage being defined by what is needed to block light from the mirror. 
   In order to prevent sunlight or light from streetlights from reflecting off the upper surface of the visor into the mirror, the upper surface of the visor has a light diffusing finish. This finish can, for example, be a roughened surface or a matte finish which does not reflect light well. 
   As has been previously discussed, the visor can be made of any material which will serve to block light and also has the necessary structural characteristics to provide a robust visor that does not break easily and remains in place while the vehicle is being driven. Suitable materials would be plastic or metal, although other materials would also be suitable. 
   As the various illustrated embodiments show, the visor can have various different shapes. The shapes being defined by how the visor is mounted to the mirror frame, as well as how much of the headlight is intended to be covered to provide the necessary blockage of upwardly directed light. Additionally, the visor can be further shaped for appearance purposes, so long as the light blocking function is fulfilled. 
   It is also possible to use a perforated material to form the visor, perhaps to reduce weight, air drag and vibrations, so long as the visor blocks sufficient light from the headlamp to reach the mirror.  FIG. 9  illustrates a visor made of a perforated or webbing material. The embodiment shown in  FIG. 9  illustrates such a visor disposed between two legs of the mirror mounting bracketry, as described above. 
   A problem with existing headlight shields is an accumulation of snow or debris obstructing the headlamp. By putting in a “step” in the shape of the shield, we allow the debris or snow to pass through and also allow wind to pass through to reduce drag and resistance. 
   Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.