Break-away rearview mirror and bracket

A break-away mirror having a mirror, a mirror bracket attaches to the mirror, a molded synthetic resin bracket, and a nylon nut for attaching the mirror bracket to the molded bracket to hold the mirror in an upright position. A mount bracket connects to the molded bracket to mount the combined mirror-mirror bracket-molded bracket on an automobile or the like. The combined mirror-mirror bracket breaking-away from the molded synthetic resin bracket upon impact. A process for preparing a break-away mirror and mirror bracket wherein the mirror is attached to the mirror bracket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention is related to a break-away mirror and bracket. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,245 by Wohnlich and U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,807 by Boutin, 
both disclose truck type side view mirrors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,926 by 
Takahashi discloses a break-away mirror bracket wherein a frangible plate 
is connected by means of a bolt to the vehicle body and which plate will 
break upon impact of the mirror with a solid object allowing the mirror to 
break-away from the body of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,156 by 
Hugonnier discloses an outside rearview mirror for a vehicle wherein the 
bracket mount is constructed in such a way that if the mirror engages a 
solid object, it will be separated from the bracket mounted on the 
vehicle. None of the foregoing prior art discloses the particular 
break-away mirror of this invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a break-away mirror. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a break-away mirror in 
combination with a convex and flat mirror. 
The foregoing objects are achieved by the practice of this invention. 
Broadly, the present invention accomplishes its desired object by 
providing a break-away rearview mirror comprising a mirror means and a 
mirror bracket means attached to the mirror means; a molded synthetic 
resin bracket means; and a means for attaching the mirror bracket means to 
the molded bracket means to hold the mirror means in an upright position. 
A mounting bracket means connects to the molded bracket means to mount the 
combined mirror means-mirror bracket means-molded bracket means on an 
automobile. The combined mirror means-mirror bracket means breaking-away 
from the molded synthetic resin bracket means upon impact. The process for 
preparing a break-away mirror and mirror bracket wherein the mirror is 
attached to the mirror bracket comprising attaching the mirror bracket to 
a molded synthetic resin bracket means; and connecting a mounting bracket 
means to the molded bracket means for mounting the combined mirror-mirror 
bracket-molded bracket on an automobile, truck, or the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring in detail now to the drawings, wherein similar parts of the 
invention are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen a 
break-away mirror, generally illustrated as 10, having a mirror frame 12 
preferably holding a flat mirror 14 and a convex mirror 16 (see FIGS. 5 
and 6) contiguous to an end thereof. In a preferred embodiment, I have 
discovered that a chord plane 18 of the convex mirror 16 should form an 
angle .alpha. between about 1 degree and 10 degrees with a plane 20 of the 
flat mirror 14. The combination flat mirror 14 and convex mirror 16 
provides for increased areas of vision. 
A mirror bracket 22 (preferably goosenecked or L-shaped) is attached to the 
mirror frame 12 by a cap nut 24. A molded synthetic resin bracket 26 
having a hollow threaded neck 28 integrally bound to an end thereof, 
receives the mirror bracket 22 through the neck 28 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). A 
nylon nut 29 threadably engages threaded neck 28 to firmly secure the 
mirror bracket 22 within the threaded neck 28. 
Molded bracket 26 is preferably manufactured out of any of the synthetic 
resins (e.g. plastic polymers such as polyocetal, polyethylene, 
polypropylene, etc.) that would enable the mirror frame 12 and the 
attached mirror bracket 22 to break-away from the neck 28 when impacted by 
a relatively, generally stationary object (e.g. a person or the like) to 
protect the object from damage by the mirror frame 12 and mirror bracket 
22. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, molded bracket 26 
comprises a pair 30--30 of generally rectangular mating box-like members, 
each including a pair 32--32 of end walls and a pair 34--34 of side walls. 
An end wall 32 of each pair 30--30 of mating box-like members includes a 
protruding essentially hollow semi-cylindrical structure 36 defining a 
portion of the threaded neck 28. When the pair 30--30 of box-like members 
mate to form the molded bracket 26, the threads on semi-cylindrical 
structure 36--36 are aligned when the threaded neck 28 is formed. Each 
side wall 34 of each pair 30--30 of box-like members include a pair 38--38 
of semi-circular grooves (see FIG. 3) such that when the pair 30--30 of 
box-like members mate, the semi-circular grooves align to form two 
circular apertures on each side of the molded bracket means 26. A 
rectangular face 40 of one 30 box-like member has a structure defining a 
plurality of apertures 42 for receiving bolts (see dotted lines in FIG. 3) 
which threadably engage threaded openings on the inside of the other 30 
box-like member (see FIG. 3, especially dotted lines). 
An upper bracket 44 passes through one circular aperture on each side of 
the molded bracket 26 (see FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4) and attaches to an 
automobile 45, or the like. A lower bracket 46 passes through the other 
circular aperture on each side of the molded bracket 26 and attaches to 
the automobile 45 or the like underneath the upper bracket 44. 
With continuing reference to the drawings for operation of the invention, 
the mirror bracket 22, having frame 12 attached thereto, is lodged within 
the threaded neck 28 of the molded bracket 26 and secured therein by nylon 
nut 29. When a generally stationary object or person is contacted by the 
combined mirror frame 12--bracket 22 as the automobile 45 is being driven, 
the combined mirror frame 12--bracket 22 breaks the threaded neck 28 to 
dislodge from the molded bracket 26 to protect the person or object from 
serious injury. 
While the preferred form of the invention has been shown and suggested, it 
should be understood that suitable modifications, changes, substitutions 
and alterations may be made without departing from the invention's 
fundamental theme.