Vehicle safety convex rearview mirror with distortion offset means and method of using the same

The present invention is a vehicle safety rearview mirror assembly with distortion offset element and method of using the same. The rearview mirror assembly comprises an elongated convex mirror. The convex mirror is independently supported by a double-ball-joint shank and a mounting base affixed on the windshield of the vehicle. The present invention also provides a method to offset the distortion created by the convex mirror. The method combines a safety reference and a safety locker to tell the driver whether and when it is safe to change lanes or make turns. The safety reference includes two opposite end portions of the rearward visual field respectively prescribed by the side windows of the vehicle, and the safety locker includes the central portion of the extended rearward visual field respectively prescribed by the rear window of the vehicle. When another vehicle appears in the safety reference, it is not safe to change lanes or make turns; when the other vehicle appears in the safety locker, it is safe to change lanes or make turns if the front end of other vehicle is entirely visible in the safety locker because by then the distance between the driver's vehicle and the other vehicle is farther than the nearest safety distance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to the field of vehicle mirror systems which 
offset the visual distortion created by a convex rearview mirror to the 
drivers of vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to 
the field of vehicle rearview mirror systems which create a combination of 
features in order to offset the visual distortion created by a convex 
rearview mirror and satisfies the federal safety standards, such features 
including a full-view rearward visual field containing no blind spots for 
revealing all lanes of uninterrupted roadway traffic, a clarity of image 
for helping drivers distinguish between one lane and another with vehicles 
traveling in them, a safety reference to help drivers judge when it is not 
safe to make a lane change or a turn, a safety locker to help drivers 
judge when it is safe to make a lane change or a turn, and a nearest 
distance to prove why it is safe for drivers to change lanes or make 
turns. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
A rearview mirror system is a necessary safety equipment installed on a 
vehicle. A quick glance in the rearview mirror while operating a vehicle 
is something most of the drivers do more than once every minute. This 
probably makes the rearview mirror system one of the most important safety 
elements of a vehicle. 
An increase in motor vehicle operators brings an unfortunate 
by-product-increased accidents, and even more near-accidents, that are 
brought about by increasing vehicle population. The Department of Motor 
Vehicles figures shows the number of registered vehicles exceeds 194.5 
million, and the number of licensed drivers exceeds 170 million. According 
to the statistics of death, injury and collision loss experience resulted 
from vehicular accidents composed by the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration (NHTSA), the collision rate exceeds once in every second, 
the injury rate exceeds three people in every minute, and the death rate 
is approximately one person in every 11 minutes. Current cars are coming 
up with more safety developments, which may have better injury experience 
that corresponding earlier models. However, collision experience can be 
expected to remain on the rise without solving the drivers' visual 
problems. If all blind spots surrounding the vehicle can be completely 
eliminated, the collision fate will be reduced substantially. 
Unfortunately, the conventional vehicle rearview mirror system continues 
to have blind spots which leads to vehicular accidents. 
Unless one piece of mirror plate which can provide a full-view rearward 
visual field all in just one picture, revealing all lanes of uninterrupted 
roadway traffic, it cannot wholly eliminate the blind spots surrounding 
the vehicle. However, mere one piece of flat mirror plate cannot provide a 
full view rearward visual field to the driver, and a multiple mirror 
plates system cannot provide a full-view rearward visual field all in just 
one picture either. It is an underlying principle that a convex rearview 
mirror can provide a full-view rearward visual field all in just one 
picture, but it also creates a highly visual distortion which can cause 
visual misjudgments to lead to vehicular accidents. However, if the visual 
distortion created by the convex rearview mirror can be offset, then all 
blind spots surrounding the vehicle can be completely eliminated, so that 
the vehicular accidents will be substantially reduced. 
Mirrors with curved surfaces were introduced as early as the 13th century, 
since the wider viewing angle feature created by convex mirror has been 
common. The convex rearview mirrors were applied to automobiles in many 
decades ago, since the visual distortion feature created by the convex 
rearview mirror has been common. Thousands of motorists by convex rearview 
mirrors that are supposed to assist in eliminating the blind spots because 
the wider viewing angle feature created by convex mirror. The NHTSA has 
strict rules that forbid manufacturers or service garages from installing 
such convex rearview mirrors because the visual distortion also created by 
convex mirror. On the one hand, the conventional vehicle rearview mirror 
system continues the have blind spots, which can lead to vehicular 
accidents. On the other hand, the wider viewing angle convex rearview 
mirrors continue to have visual distortion, which can also lead to 
vehicular accidents. 
In attempt to improve upon the conventional vehicle rearview mirror system 
it has been suggested to use a convex mirror. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,895,435 issued to Shomper discloses a convex vehicle rearview mirror. 
The convex mirror is attached to the interior sun visor of the vehicle, in 
front of the driver's seat. Since the convex mirror creates a wider view 
angle, the driver is able to see a wider rear view. However, this prior 
use of an interior convex rearview mirror has some problems. First, the 
sun visor in front of the driver's seat has been specially designed toward 
the driver's eye level for blocking off the sun light. Therefore any 
mirror attached to it would be positioned too low and could cause the 
blockage of the driver's rear view, because the mirror will reflect all 
the objects which exist in front of it within its viewing coverage 
including the driver's and even the passenger's heads, which become new 
blind spots to the driver. Besides, the sun visor can even block the 
driver's visual sight from seeing the signals while approaching to 
intersections. In addition, when a mirror has a convex shape, the 
reflected objects look farther away than they really are, creating a 
visual distortion which causes visual misjudgments and leads to vehicular 
accidents. Drivers cannot use such a convex rearview mirror effectively 
and safely without knowing how to offset that visual distortion created by 
the convex rearview mirror. 
It would be illegal for a manufacturer or service garage to use any devices 
"which render inoperative the effectiveness" of a federal standard except 
the convex rearview mirror on the right side of most vehicles, bear a 
warning about the visual distortion created by convex mirror. However, 
without knowing how to offset that visual distortion created by convex 
mirrors, even bearing the warning about the visual distortion under the 
federal law, a mere full-view convex rearview mirror alone cannot help 
drivers judge the closing speed, positions and distances of other 
vehicles. Therefore, a mere full-view convex rearview mirror alone cannot 
actually help the drivers operate the convex rearview mirrors safely and 
effectively. 
When a mirror has a convex shape, the smaller the radius of curvature, the 
wider the viewing angle it creates. However, the convex mirror with 
smaller radius of curvature also creates higher visual distortion. In 
addition, it reduces the clarity of the image. This is highly undesirable 
for vehicle drivers, especially to the senior drivers who physically are 
not active and have customary visual problems caused by aging. According 
to the statistics from the NHTSA, the total number of licensed drivers 
exceeds 170 million, wherein 35 million of them are over the age of 65. 
This portion of older drivers is on the rise because people are living 
longer. Therefore, to the vehicle driver, a clarity of image becomes one 
of the major factors of a full-view rearview mirror. 
The greater the radius of curvature, the clearer the image that can be 
produced by the convex mirror. Therefore, a wider viewing angle and a 
clearer image can be created by elongating the length of a convex mirror 
to allow a greater radius of curvature. However, the interior dimensions 
of a vehicle place a limit on the length of such elongated convex rearview 
mirrors. For example, the driver's seat is located at one side rather than 
at the center of a vehicle, but the rearview mirror is mounted at the 
center of the front windshield facing to the rear of the vehicle. 
Therefore, the driver may see only partial rear viewing coverage of the 
mirror (less than about 15 degrees) on the driver's side of the vehicle, 
which leaves blind spots on the left side of the vehicle. Therefore it is 
often necessary to swing the rearview mirror to adjust its angle, so the 
driver can obtain an appropriate rearward visual field. However, the close 
distance between an elongated convex rearview mirror and the front 
windshield of the vehicle will limit the amount of swinging angle on the 
elongated convex rearview mirror. 
In addition, the prior use of a convex rearview mirror by stick-on, clip-on 
or attached to the existing devices of a vehicle has some other problems. 
The existing devices of the vehicle, such as sun visors, have been 
specially designed for their special functions and installed in special 
locations. The convex rearview mirror attached to such existing devices 
may not perform properly. It is preferable to mount the rearview mirror to 
the front windshield of the vehicle with an independent mirror support 
means. However, on the one hand a shorter mirror support means is needed 
to offset the mirror vibration to ensure the safety of the front 
windshield and stability of the image because the weight of the elongated 
rearview mirror is substantially increased; on the other hand, an 
elongated support means is also needed to provide maximum flexibility for 
adjusting the angle of the rearview mirror. 
Moreover, a mere full-view convex rearview mirror alone cannot be safely 
and effectively used unless an effective method is provided for the 
drivers to offset the visual distortion created by the convex rearview 
mirror. Without such a method, the prior art convex rearview mirrors 
cannot solve the driver's visual misjudgment problems, nor can the federal 
safety standard be satisfied. Until now, no such safety method is known 
which can let the drivers know how to offset the visual distortion created 
by the convex rearview mirror. 
Accordingly, there remains a need for a new type of convex rearview mirror 
for vehicles, which has an elongated length with a long radius of 
curvature to improve the clarity of the convex rearview mirror. There 
further remains a need for an independent mirror support device which is 
specially designed to allow greater adjustability of the elongated convex 
rearview mirror, both in its height and in its angle, yet provides a 
vibration-free attachment. There also remains a need for a method which 
can actually help the drivers to judge whether and when it is safe to make 
a lane change or a turn. There remains an additional need for a formula to 
prove why the method is a safe method for drivers to use to offset the 
visual distortion created by the convex rearview mirror, to satisfy the 
federal safety standard. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a vehicle safety convex rearview mirror with 
distortion offset means and method of using the same. 
It is known that a convex rearview mirror with a small radius of curvature 
will cause great distortion of the image. An elongated convex rearview 
mirror with a large radius of curvature produces less distortion and 
clearer image. However, an elongated convex rearview mirror still creates 
distortion and increases the difficulty for attachment to the interior of 
a vehicle. It requires an independent vibration-free supporting device, so 
that when the elongated convex mirror is mounted inside the vehicle, it is 
located in a spaced apart relationship from the front windshield of the 
vehicle, so that it can be swung and adjusted to different angles 
according to the individual driver's preference, and it is located at a 
height where the driver's head or the passengers' heads will not block the 
driver's rear view through the convex rearview mirror. 
The present invention satisfies these requirements. The present invention 
is a vehicle safety convex rearview mirror with distortion offset means 
and method using the same. It is a combination of an elongated convex 
rearview mirror for providing a full rearward vision to a driver of a 
vehicle and a safety method for allowing the driver to offset the 
distortion created by the convex rearview mirror. By using the present 
invention distortion offset method in conjunction with the present 
invention elongated convex rearview mirror, a vehicle driver can have a 
full-view rearward vision with a clarity of image and without blind spots. 
The driver can see all lanes of traffic at a glance and distinguish 
between one lane and another with vehicles traveling in them. The driver 
is able to judge the closing speeds, positions and distances of other 
vehicles for the driver to safely change lanes or make turns. The driver 
is also able to operate the convex rearview mirror effectively and safely. 
The present invention has many unique features. One of the unique features 
of the present invention is that its convex rearview mirror has a 
substantially elongated length (as compared to conventional rearview 
mirrors) and a substantially large radius of curvature (as compared to 
conventional convex mirrors used in vehicles). Therefore, the convex 
rearview mirror of the present invention has a substantially small 
curvature but still enables a driver to have a full rearward vision. 
Another unique feature of the present invention is that its elongated 
convex rearview mirror includes an independent mirror support which can be 
mounted directly to the interior surface of the front windshield of the 
vehicle. The independent mirror support has two ball-joints with offset 
U-shaped notches which maximizes the adjustability of the elongated convex 
mirror. 
A further unique feature of the present invention is that it provides a 
reliable and practical method to effectively offset the distortion created 
by the convex mirror. The present invention method establishes a "safety 
reference" for a driver to judge when it is not safe to make a lane change 
or a turn. The present invention method also establishes a "safety locker" 
for the driver to judge when it is safe to make a lane change or a turn. 
The present invention method further establishes a "nearest safety 
distance" to prove that the visual distortion of the convex mirror is 
indeed offset and the federal safety laws and regulations are satisfied. 
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will 
become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and 
the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Although specific embodiments of the present invention will now be 
described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that 
such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but 
a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can 
represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various 
changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the 
present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and 
contemplation of the present invention as further defined in the appended 
claims. 
The present invention is a vehicle safety rearview convex mirror apparatus 
with distortion offset means and method of using the same. The present 
invention vehicle safety rearview convex mirror apparatus will be 
described first. The present invention rearview distortion offset method 
will then be introduced. Finally, it will be proved that the present 
invention vehicle safety method as used in conjunction with the present 
invention rearview mirror apparatus is safe and satisfies the federal 
safety standards. 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown at 10 the present invention full-view 
vehicle safety rearview mirror assembly. The present invention rearview 
mirror assembly 10 includes two essential components: an elongated convex 
mirror 12 and an extended swivel support 14. The elongated convex mirror 
12 and the extended swivel support 14 can be detachably attached together 
and mounted onto the interior surface of the front windshield of a 
vehicle, at a top central position of the windshield. 
Referring to FIG. 2, the elongated convex rearview mirror 12 of the present 
invention mirror assembly 10 includes a mirror plate 20, a mirror housing 
22 and two end-covers 24. The mirror plate 20 is an elongated rectangular 
shaped convex mirror having a small curvature or a long radius of 
curvature. The specific dimensions will be discussed in detail later. The 
mirror housing 22 has a arcuate configuration. The front side of the 
mirror housing 22 is an elongated convex backing 30 which has two parallel 
guards 32. The curvature of the convex backing 30 is the same as that of 
the mirror plate 20. The back side 34 of the mirror housing is generally 
flat and has a built-in screw nut 36 (not shown in FIG. 1 but shown in 
FIG. 4). The two end-covers 24 each have an inner recess 26. 
The two parallel guards 32 are both a little bit shorter than the convex 
backing at their opposite ends. However, the mirror plate 20 has exactly 
the same length as the convex backing 30. Therefore, once the mirror plate 
20 is placed on the convex backing 30 between the two parallel guards 32, 
the opposite ends of the mirror plate 20 and the convex backing 30 are 
respectively aligned and extended beyond the opposite ends of the two 
parallel guards 32, allowing the end-covers 24 to be snugly attached. The 
aligned and extended opposite ends of the mirror plate 20 and the convex 
backing 30 are respectively fitted within the recesses 26 of the 
end-covers 24. The end-covers 24 are further secured to the opposite ends 
of the convex backing 30 by small screws 28. 
This special assembly of the elongated convex rearview mirror 12 ensures 
that the mirror plate 20 is securely framed. The mirror plate 20 is fully 
supported by the convex backing 30 which can reduce possible harm from 
flying glass in case of an accident. The two parallel guards 32 prevent 
the mirror plate 20 from sliding up and down, and the end-covers 24 
prevent the mirror plate 20 from sliding back and forth. In addition, 
since the opposite ends of the mirror plate 20 are snugly fitted within 
the recesses 26 of the end-covers 24 respectively, the mirror plate 20 is 
prevented from falling off. Furthermore, this releasible assembly makes it 
easier to replace the mirror plate 20, should it become damaged. 
Referring to FIG. 3, the extended swivel support 14 of the present 
invention mirror assembly 10 includes a double-ball-joint shank 40, a hub 
42, a mounting base 44 and a mounting plate 46 which can be fastened to 
the mounting base 44 by a screw 48. The double-ball-joint shank 40 is a 
hollow tubular piece having a spherical socket 52 at its proximal end and 
another spherical socket 54 at its opposite distal end. The spherical 
socket 52 at the proximal end of the shank 40 has a U-shaped notch 56, the 
spherical socket 54 at the distal end of the shank 40 also has a U-shaped 
notch 58. However, the two U-shaped notches 56 and 58 are offset relative 
to each other to allow the maximum adjustability of the location and the 
orientation of the elongated convex rearview mirror 12. A coil spring 60 
is further provided inside the tubular shank 40 for biasing the 
ball-joints. 
The hub 42 has screw threads 62 at its proximal end for engagement with the 
built-in screw nut 36 (shown in FIG. 4) at the back side 34 of the mirror 
housing 22. The hub 42 further has a pivot ball 64 at its distal end for 
engagement with the spherical socket 52 at the proximal end of the shank 
40. A circular flange 66 is also provided on the hub 42 for engagement 
with the back side 34 of the mirror housing 22. The distal portion 68 of 
the hub 42, between the pivot ball 64 and the circular flange 66, is 
configured as a short stem and has a thickness which is matching with the 
U-shaped notch 56 at the proximal end of the shank 40. 
The mounting base 44 also has a pivot ball 72 at its proximal end for 
engagement with the spherical socket 54 at the distal end of the shank 40. 
The mounting base is further configured with a thickened distal portion 74 
which has a guided slot 76 for adapting the mounting plate 46. The 
proximal portion 78 of the hub mounting base 44, between the pivot ball 72 
and the thickened distal portion 74, is also configured as a short stem 
and has a thickness which is matching with the U-shaped notch 58 at the 
distal end of the shank 40. The mounting plate 46 can be slid into the 
guided slot 76 of the mounting base 44 and fastened therein by the screw 
48. The mounting plate 46 has a flat surface 80 which is exposed when the 
mounting plate 46 is slid into the guided slot 76. The flat surface 80 of 
the mounting plate 46 can be adhered to the interior surface of a vehicle 
windshield by appropriate adhesive materials. 
Two semi-spherical cups 82 and 84 are also provided inside the tubular 
shank 40 for engaging with the pivot ball 64 of the hub 42 and the pivot 
ball 72 of the mounting base 44 respectively. The semi-spherical cups 82 
and 84 are frictionally engaged with the pivot balls 64 and 72 and biased 
by the internal coil spring 60. They protect the pivot balls 64 and 72 
from rotating damages and reducing the vibration of the mirror housing 22. 
Referring to FIG. 4, there are shown many special features of the 
attachment of the various parts of the present invention convex rearview 
mirror assembly 10. It is shown that the mirror plate 20 is supported by 
the convex backing 30 between the two opposite guard 32. The convex 
backing 30 and the two opposite guards 32 in fact form an elongated 
channel for the placement of the mirror plate. It is also shown that the 
proximal end of the hub 42 is threaded into the built-in screw nut 36 
until the flange 66 of the hub 42 rests on the back side 34 of the mirror 
housing 22. It is further shown that the two ball joints of the tubular 
shank 40 are frictionally engaged and biased by coil spring 60, so that 
they can stay put at any orientation. In addition, it is shown that the 
mounting plate 46 is secured to the mounting base 44 by the screw 48. 
It is specially designed to offset the two U-shaped notches 56 and 58 on 
the double-ball-joint tubular shank 40 for engagement with the distal stem 
68 of the hub 42 and the proximal stem 78 of the mounting base 44 
respectively, to shorten the necessary length of the shank 40 so that the 
weight and vibration of the mirror 12 can be substantially reduced. After 
the mounting base 44 is mounted on the interior surface of the vehicle 
windshield, the driver can twist the shank 40 so that the proximal 
U-shaped notch 56 is adjusted facing downwardly, which makes the distal 
U-shaped notch 58 facing upwardly. The height of the elongated convex 
rearview mirror 12 can be raised by rotating the shank 40 along the 
counter-clockwise direction until the mirror housing 22 snugly contacts 
the roof of the vehicle to reduce its vibration, which is desirable 
because the driver's rear view is not blocked by the driver's head or 
other passengers' heads. The U-shaped notch 58 at the distal end of the 
tubular shank 40 allows the shank 40 to be rotated additional degrees 
along the counter-clockwise direction, until the proximal stem 78 of the 
mounting base 44 is fully engaged within the distal U-shaped notch 58 of 
the shank 40. 
Once the elongated convex rearview mirror 12 is raised to the higher 
position, its orientation can be adjusted by rotating the mirror housing 
22 along the clockwise direction until the mirror plate 20 is generally 
facing the driver, which is desirable because it is adjustable as to the 
height of the individual driver. The U-shaped notch 56 at the proximal end 
of the tubular shank 40 allows the mirror housing 22 to be rotated 
additional degrees along the clockwise direction, until the distal stem 68 
of the hub 42 is fully engaged within the proximal U-shaped notch 56 of 
the shank 40. 
The unique feature of the two offset U-shaped notches 56 and 58 makes it 
possible to substantially shorten the length of the shank 40 without 
sacrificing the flexibility of adjusting the location and orientation of 
the mirror housing 22. This unique feature substantially reduces the 
weight and vibration of the rearview mirror assembly 10, further ensures 
the safety of the front windshield of the vehicle, and completely 
eliminates the blind spots created by the driver's head and the 
passengers' heads. Moreover, this unique feature further extends the 
visual field of the driver in the downward directions of the rear end of 
the vehicle. 
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the radius of curvature 
of the elongated convex mirror plate 20 is approximately 78 inches, the 
length of the elongated convex mirror plate 20 is approximately 18 inches, 
and the width of the elongated convex mirror plate 20 is approximately 2 
inches. The radius of curvature and the length are two important 
parameters of the present invention convex mirror plate 20, because they 
together define the coverage of the rearward vision of the convex mirror. 
In addition, the length of the double-ball-joint shank 40 is approximately 
23/4 inches, which is adequate for allowing maximum flexibility to adjust 
the position of the elongated convex rearview mirror 12. 
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown the full-view coverage of rearward 
vision of the present invention elongated convex rearview mirror 10 as it 
is installed in a vehicle 100 and adjusted to face a driver 102. When the 
driver 102 drives the vehicle 100 on the roadway, the driver's forward 
visual field is 180 degrees between the two lateral lines P and Q. Now, if 
the elongated convex rearview mirror 10 is 18 inches long and has a 78 
inches radius of curvature, then it can provide the driver 102 a total of 
approximately 89 degrees of rearward visual field between lines S and T, 
which includes an approximately 37 degree rearward visual field on the 
right side of the vehicle 100, and an approximately 52 degree rearward 
visual field on the left side of the vehicle 100. These two rearward 
visual field are not equal because the elongated convex rearview mirror 10 
is tilted towards the driver 102. In addition, since the driver's head 
turns towards the right when the driver 102 directly looks at the 
elongated convex rearview mirror 10, the driver 102 has an additional 
approximately 23 degrees of right side visual field, between lines P and 
Z. Therefore, theoretically the only "blind spots" left after the present 
invention elongated convex rearview mirror 10 is being used, are the right 
side area between lines Z and S, and the left side area between lines Q 
and T. 
However, in a practical sense these "blind spots" are not really "blind" to 
the driver 102. This is because the width of each driving lane of the 
roadway is relatively fixed and all vehicles travelling on the roadway 
have certain dimensions. For example, the width of each driving lane of 
average roadways is approximately 12 feet, a passenger car has an average 
length of approximately 15 feet and an average width of approximately 5.5 
feet. When such a vehicle 110 is travelling on the next right lane R in 
the proximity of the right "blind spot" area between lines Z and S, either 
the front end 112 of the vehicle 110 would be seen directly by the 
driver's additional right side vision, or the rear end 114 of the vehicle 
110 would be seen by the driver through the elongated convex rearview 
mirror 10. Moreover, even the smallest vehicle travelling on the roadway, 
such as a motorcycle 120, has an average length of 10 feet and an average 
width of 3 feet. This make it visible even when it is travelling on the 
next left lane L and located in the proximity of the left side "blind 
spot" area between lines Q and T. 
Therefore, the present invention elongated convex rearview mirror 10 can 
indeed provide a full-angle rearward view to the traffic condition on the 
roadway. However, as introduced earlier, any convex mirror will create 
certain visual distortion. Particularly, the vehicles observed through a 
convex rearview mirror will seem to be further than they actually are. In 
other words, the real distance between the driver's vehicle and a vehicle 
behind would be closer than it appears in the mirror. That is why using a 
convex mirror without an effective way to offset distortion is dangerous. 
The present invention rearview mirror 10 is also a convex mirror which 
creates certain distortion. However, the present invention rearview mirror 
10 has a substantially large radius of curvature, which minimizes the 
distortion. More importantly, the present invention further comprises a 
method for offsetting the distortion which can actually help the driver 
safely to change lanes or make turns. The present invention method 
establishes three important features, a "safety reference", a "safety 
locker", and a "nearest safety distance". The first two features enable 
the driver to judge correctly whether and when it is safe to make a 
lane-change or a turn. The third feature is utilized in proving why using 
the safety locker feature really makes it safe to change lanes or make a 
turn. 
Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown an illustrative diagram, showing the 
actual rearward vision in the present invention elongated convex rearview 
mirror 10 as it is installed in a vehicle and the vehicle is traveling on 
a multi-lane roadway. The interior of the vehicle including the rear 
window 104, right side windows 106 and left side windows 108, as well as 
the multiple lanes of the roadway and the following vehicles, such as 
vehicle 130, are shown in the mirror. Unlike a traditional flat rearview 
mirror, the present invention elongated convex rearview mirror 10 provides 
a full-view rearward visual field. The rearward visual field includes the 
center lane C, the next right adjacent lane R, and the next left adjacent 
lane L. The rearward visual field can be viewed through the rear window 
104, the right side windows 106 and the left side windows 108 of the 
vehicle. The central portion (surrounded by dotted lines) of the present 
invention rearview mirror 10 which reflects the rear window frame of the 
vehicle is defined as the "safety locker" of the rearward visual field. 
The end portions (also surrounded by dotted lines) of the present 
invention rearview mirror 10 which reflects the side window frames of the 
vehicle is defined as the "safety reference" of the rearward visual field. 
The safety reference, of course, includes two portions: a right safety 
reference at the right end portion of the rearview mirror 10 which 
reflects the right side window 106 of the vehicle, and a left safety 
reference at the left end portion of the rearview mirror 10 which reflects 
the left side window 108 of the vehicle. 
Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown an illustrative diagram, showing how 
the driver can use the "safety reference" to judge when it is not safe to 
make lane changes or turns. For example, if a vehicle 140 on the right 
lane R can been seen within the right end portion of the rearview mirror 
10, which reflects the rear-right visual field through the right side 
window 106 of the vehicle, then the vehicle 140 is said to be within the 
right safety reference of the rearward visual field. When the vehicle 140 
is seen in the right safety reference, it is not safe to change to the 
right lane R, or make a right turn. Similarly, if a vehicle 150 on the 
left lane L can be seen within the left end portion of the rearview mirror 
10, which reflects the rear-left visual field through the left side window 
108 of the vehicle, then the vehicle 150 is said to be within the left 
safety reference of the rearward visual field. When the vehicle 150 can be 
seen in the left safety reference, it is not safe to change to the left 
lane L, or make a left turn. 
Therefore, with the safety reference, the driver can easily tell from a 
quick glance at the rearview mirror 10 when it is not safe to make a lane 
change or a turn. The safety rule of the present invention rearview mirror 
10 with regards to the safety reference is: whenever a vehicle appears 
within the safety reference of the rearward visual field of the rearview 
mirror 10, either on the right adjacent lane R or on the left adjacent 
lane L, it will not be safe to change lanes or make turns. 
Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, there is shown an illustrative diagram, showing 
how the driver can use the "safety locker" to judge when it is safe to 
make lane changes or turns. For example, if the entire front end or hood 
of a vehicle 160 on the right lane R can be seen within the central 
portion of the rearview mirror 10, which reflects the rearward visual 
field through the rear window 104 of the vehicle, then the vehicle 160 is 
said to be within the safety locker of the rearward visual field. When the 
vehicle 160 is seen in the safety locker, it is safe to change to the 
right lane R, or make a right turn. However, if only the main portion of a 
vehicle 170 on the left lane L can be seen in the safety locker, but its 
front end or hood is not entirely visible, it is not safe to change to the 
left lane L, or make a left turn. 
Therefore, with the safety locker, the driver can again easily tell from a 
quick glance at the rearview mirror 10 when it is safe to make a lane 
change or a turn. The safety rule of the present invention rearview mirror 
10 with regards to the safety locker is: when the entire front hood of the 
nearest vehicle in either adjacent lanes is completely visible within the 
safety locker of rearward visual field of the rearview mirror 10, it is 
safe to change to that adjacent lane or make a turn to that side; when the 
front hood of this nearest vehicle is only partially visible within the 
safety locker, it is not safe to change that adjacent lane or make a turn 
to that side. The key point is to see the "entire hood" of this nearest 
vehicle within the safety locker. If only a partial hood of this nearest 
vehicle can be seen within the safety locker, it is not safe to change to 
that adjacent lane or make a turn to that side. In addition, during night 
driving, "both headlights" can serve as a substitute for the entire hood 
of this nearest vehicle within the safety locker. 
The above discussion is further illustrated in FIG. 9. Referring to FIG. 9, 
there is shown the relative positions of the vehicles described above as 
they travel on the multi-lane roadway. The vehicle 100 is in the center 
lane C. The entire rearward visual field of the driver 102, which is 
provided by the present invention elongated convex rearview mirror 10, is 
the area between lines S and T. The safety locker covers the area between 
lines X and Y, the right safety reference area covers the area between 
lines S and X, and the left safety reference covers the area between lines 
T and Y. Lines X and Y are drawn from the rearview mirror 10 and 
respectively intersect the opposite points of the adjacent lanes R and L 
through the opposite ends of the rear window 108 of the vehicle 100. 
It can be seen that, for example, when vehicle 140 on the right lane R is 
visible in the right safety reference of the rearward visual field of the 
present invention mirror 10, it is too close to the vehicle 100 on the 
center lane C such that the vehicle 100 cannot safely change to right lane 
R or make a right turn. Similarly, when vehicle 150 on the left lane L is 
visible in the left safety reference of the rearward visual field of the 
present invention mirror 10, it is again too close to the vehicle 100 such 
that the vehicle 100 cannot safely change to left lane L or make a left 
turn. Therefore the safety reference is indeed a reliable safeguard for 
providing warnings to the driver 102. 
It also can be seen that, for example, when the vehicle 160 on the right 
lane R is entirely visible in the safety locker of the rearward visual 
field of the present invention mirror 10, it is far enough behind the 
vehicle 100 on the center lane C such that the vehicle 100 can safely 
change to right lane R or make a right turn. In contrast, for example, 
when the vehicle 170 on the left lane L is not entirely visible in the 
safety locker of the rearward visual field of the present invention mirror 
10 (rather, its hood is only partially visible in the safety locker), it 
is too close to the vehicle 100 such that the vehicle 100 cannot safely 
change to left lane L or make a left turn. 
The safeness of changing lanes or making turns when the entire front hood 
of a nearest vehicle travelling in either adjacent lanes is completely 
visible in the safety locker can be proved based on the concept of 
"nearest safety distance". The nearest safety distance is the minimum 
constant distance between the rear bumper of the driver's vehicle in the 
front and the front bumper of the nearest vehicle in the back, which can 
be expressed by the vehicle length V. When the driver's vehicle and the 
following vehicle maintain a nearest safety distance, the travelling speed 
of the following vehicle must be the same or slower than that of the 
driver's vehicle, which probably makes it safe for the driver's vehicle in 
the front to make a lane change. Therefore the nearest safety distance can 
ensure the safety of changing lanes or making turns. 
It can be proved that when the entire front end or hood of a vehicle is 
visible in the safety locker, then the vehicle is farther away than the 
nearest safety distance. Take vehicle 160, which is entirely visible in 
the safety locker, as an example. The distance D between vehicle 100 and 
vehicle 160 is 
EQU D=H-U 
where H is the altitude of the isosceles triangle formed by lines X, Y and 
base line B (lines X and Y are the margins of viewing angle of convex 
rearview mirror 10 through the rear window 104 of the vehicle 100): 
EQU H=(B/2).multidot.c tan (.delta./2) 
and U is the length of the V of the vehicle 100 less the front hood 
portion, which in most passenger cars is approximately 
EQU U=(3/5).multidot.V 
because in typical passenger cars, the ratio of U to V is approximately 3 
to 5. For example, for large passenger cars U is approximately 9.5 feet 
and V is approximately 16 feet, for mid-size passenger cars U is 
approximately 9 feet and V is approximately 15 feet, and for small 
passenger cars U is approximately 8.5 feet and V is approximately 14 feet. 
The width of the base line B of the isosceles triangle formed by lines X, Y 
and B is 
EQU B=12+2.multidot.E 
where 12 feet is the standard width of each driving lane of the roadway, 
which is a constant. E is the average width of a vehicle which is 
approximately 5.5 feet, which means that B is approximately 23 feet. 
Angle .delta. is the vertex viewing angle, which also relates to the radius 
of curvatures of the convex mirror. The radius of curvature of the present 
invention convex rearview mirror provides a vertex viewing angle of 
approximately 40 degrees. Therefore: 
EQU H=(23/2).multidot.c tan (40/2) 
which means that approximately 
EQU H=31 feet 
and approximately 
EQU D=22 feet 
Since V is approximately 15 feet, 
EQU D=(22/15).multidot.V=1.5.multidot.V 
The above results shows that the distance between vehicle 100 and vehicle 
160 is approximately 11/2 times of the average vehicle length, which is 
enough for vehicle 100 to make a lane change or turn. 
Even in the worst case the safety locker is proved to be reliable. The 
worst case may be a motorcycle 180 traveling at the inner side of the 
right lane R. By similar calculations, it can be proved that when the 
entire motorcycle 180 is visible within the safety locker of the rearview 
mirror 10, the distance between the vehicle 100 and the motorcycle 180 is 
approximately 1.multidot.V, approximately one vehicle length. 
It is noted that many numerical values used in above calculations may 
change, depending on different types of vehicles. However, many 
dimensional ratios used above do not vary significantly among different 
types of passenger cars. This means that the present invention rearview 
mirror and the principle of the safety reference and safety locker of the 
present invention can be generally applied to various types of vehicles. 
It is further noted that the present invention convex rearview mirror can 
also be used in trucks. When used in trucks, the safety locker may be 
defined as the field directly above the tail end of the truck. In other 
words, the tail end of the truck can serve as a substitute for the rear 
window of a passenger car. The open sides on the right and left side of 
the truck may serve as a substitute for the side windows to constitute the 
safety reference. 
It is additionally noted that (a) the approximate range of the radius of 
curvature of the present invention mirror may be from 36 inches to 145 
inches, preferably from 75 inches to 100 inches; (b) the approximate range 
of the length of the mirror may be from 12 inches to 36 inches, preferably 
from 15 inches to 24 inches; and (c) the approximate range of width of the 
mirror may be from 1 inch to 12 inches, preferably from 2 inches to 8 
inches. 
The present invention of vehicle safety convex rearview mirror with 
distortion offset means and method of using the same has many advantageous 
features. The advantageous features of the present invention include: (a) 
the present invention elongated convex rearview mirror can provide a full 
rearward visual field to the driver of a vehicle without any problem blind 
spot; (b) the elongated convex rearview mirror can also provide a very 
clear image; (c) the mirror plate is releasably encased but not glued in 
the mirror housing, which avoids the aging problem of the glue and makes 
it possible and easier to replace the mirror plate alone; (d) the two 
ball-joints with offset U-shaped notches which maximizes the adjustability 
of the elongated convex rearview mirror; (e) the two offset U-shaped 
notches on the double-ball-joint support allows the mirror to be pushed 
all the way up against the roof, but still can be tilted to face the 
driver; (f) the two U-shaped notch on the mirror support shank shorten the 
length of the mirror support shank, which in turn reduces the weight and 
vibration of the mirror assembly and ensures the safety of the front 
windshield of the vehicle; (g) the two U-shaped notch on the mirror 
support shank extend the field of view in downward direction in the rear 
end of the vehicle; (h) the headlights of the following vehicles reflected 
by the convex mirror are reduced which provides an automatic anti-glare 
view; (i) the curvature of the convex backing of the mirror housing 
provides a shatter-proof feature which reduces possible harm from flying 
glass in case of accident; (j) the present invention safety reference 
feature permits the driver to judge when it is not safe to make a lane 
change or a turn by simply a quick glance at the rearview mirror; (k) the 
present invention safety locker feature permits the driver to judge when 
it is safe to make a lane change or a turn also by simply a quick glance 
at the rearview mirror; (l) the present invention nearest safety distance 
proves that the safety locker feature is reliable in practical 
applications. In addition, the fully detachable attachment of the present 
invention mirror assembly reduces the cost of packaging, assembling, 
freight and storage. 
Defined in detail, the present invention is a vehicle safety convex 
rearview mirror assembly with distortion offset means for a vehicle having 
a passenger compartment interior surrounded by a front windshield, a rear 
window and side windows, the mirror assembly comprising: (a) an elongated 
thin convex mirror plate having two opposite ends, the mirror plate having 
a length of approximately 18 inches, a width of approximately 2 inches, 
and a radius of curvature of approximately 78 inches; (b) an elongated 
arcuate shaped mirror housing for releasibly framing said mirror plate, 
the mirror housing having an arcuate shaped guarded front side for backing 
said mirror plate, a flat back side with built-in screw nut, and two 
opposite ends for attachment of two end-covers, where said two opposite 
ends of said mirror plate are snugly held by the two end-covers; (c) a 
hollow extension shank having a proximal end and a distal end each having 
a ball-joint socket, each ball-joint socket having a U-shaped notch, the 
shank having a length of approximately 23/4 inches; (d) a pivot hub for 
pivotally interconnecting said mirror housing to said proximal end of said 
hollow extension shank, the hub having a proximal end and a distal end, 
the proximal end having screw threads for releasible engagement with said 
built-in screw nut of said mirror housing, and the distal end having a 
pivot ball engageable with said ball-joint socket at said proximal end of 
said extension shank, and a stem portion immediately adjacent to the pivot 
ball, which stem portion has a thickness matching said U-shaped notch at 
said proximal end of said shank; (e) a mirror mounting base having a 
proximal end and a distal end, the mirror mounting base further having a 
mounting plate at the distal end, which plate can be affixed on said 
windshield, a pivot ball at its proximal end, which pivot ball is 
engageable with said ball-joint socket at said distal end of said 
extension shank, and a stem portion immediately adjacent to the pivot 
ball, which stem portion has a thickness matching said U-shaped notch at 
said distal end of said shank; (f) two semi-spherical bowls and a coil 
spring contained inside said hollow extension shank, the two 
semi-spherical bowls being oppositely disposed for engaging respectively 
with said pivot ball at said distal end of said hub and said pivot ball at 
said proximal end of said mirror mounting base, the coil spring disposed 
between the two semi-spherical bowls for biasing the ball-joint 
engagements at said proximal end and said distal end of said extension 
shank to increase the friction at said ball-joint sockets; (g) said 
U-shaped notch of said ball-joint socket at said proximal end of said 
extension shank being offset to said U-shaped notch of said ball-joint 
socket at said distal end of said extension shank for allowing maximum 
adjustability of the position and the orientation of said mirror housing 
to have an extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror plate; 
(h) a safety reference within said extended rearward visual field 
reflected in said mirror plate, the safety reference including two 
opposite end portions of said extended rearward visual field respectively 
prescribed by said side windows of said vehicle; and (i) a safety locker 
within said extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror plate, 
the safety locker including a central portion of said extended rearward 
visual field respectively prescribed by said rear window of said vehicle; 
(j) whereby a driver can tell from a quick glance at said mirror plate 
whether and when it is safe to change lanes or make turns, when another 
vehicle appears in said safety reference, it is not safe to change lanes 
or make turns, when the other vehicle appears in said safety locker, it is 
not safe to change lanes or make turns if the front end of other vehicle 
is only partially visible in said safety locker, but safe to do so if the 
other vehicle is entirely visible in said safety locker because by then 
the distance between the driver's vehicle and the other vehicle is not 
less than the nearest safety distance. 
Defined broadly, the present invention is a vehicle safety rearview mirror 
assembly with distortion offset means for a vehicle having a passenger 
compartment interior surrounded by a front windshield, a rear window and 
side windows, the mirror assembly comprising: (a) an elongated thin convex 
mirror plate, the length of the mirror plate being within the range of 
approximately 15 inches to approximately 24 inches, the width of the 
mirror plate being within the range of approximately 2 inches to 
approximately 8 inches, and the radius of curvature of the mirror plate 
being within the range of approximately 75 inches to approximately 100 
inches; (b) an elongated arcuate shaped mirror housing for releasibly 
framing said mirror plate; (c) an independent mirror mounting base affixed 
on said windshield of said vehicle; (d) an extension shank having a 
proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being attached with said 
mirror housing through a first ball-joint, and the distal end being 
attached with said mirror mounting base through a second ball-joint, where 
the proximal and distal ends of the shank each has a ball-joint socket 
with U-shaped notch and the two U-shaped notches are offset, for allowing 
maximum adjustability of the position and the orientation of said mirror 
housing to have an extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror 
plate; (e) a safety reference within said extended rearward visual field 
reflected in said mirror plate, the safety reference including two 
opposite end portions of said extended rearward visual field respectively 
prescribed by said side windows of said vehicle; and (f) a safety locker 
within said extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror plate, 
the safety locker including a central portion of said extended rearward 
visual field respectively prescribed by said rear window of said vehicle; 
(g) whereby a driver can tell from a quick glance at said mirror plate 
whether and when it is safe to change lanes or make turns, when another 
vehicle appears in said safety reference, it is not safe to change lanes 
or make turns, when the other vehicle appears in said safety locker, it is 
not safe to change lanes or make turns if the front end of other vehicle 
is only partially visible in said safety locker, but safe to do so if the 
other vehicle is entirely visible in said safety locker because by then 
the distance between the driver's vehicle and the other vehicle is not 
less than the nearest safety distance. 
Defined more broadly, the present invention is a vehicle safety rearview 
mirror assembly with distortion offset means for a vehicle having a 
passenger compartment interior surrounded by a front windshield, a rear 
window and side windows, the mirror assembly comprising: (a) an elongated 
convex mirror plate, the length of the mirror plate being within the range 
of approximately 12 inches to approximately 36 inches, the width of the 
mirror plate being within the range of approximately 1 inches to 
approximately 12 inches, and the radius of curvature of the mirror plate 
being within the range of approximately 36 inches to approximately 145 
inches; (b) an elongated arcuate shaped mirror housing for releasibly 
framing said mirror plate; (c) an independent mirror mounting base affixed 
on said windshield of said vehicle; (d) a shank having ball-joint socket 
with U-shaped notch at each of its opposite ends for interconnecting said 
mirror housing and said mirror mounting base for allowing maximum 
adjustability of the position and the orientation of said mirror housing 
to have an extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror plate; 
(e) a safety reference within said extended rearward visual field 
reflected in said mirror plate, the safety reference including two 
opposite end portions of said extended rearward visual field respectively 
prescribed by said side windows of said vehicle; and (f) a safety locker 
within said extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror plate, 
the safety locker including a central portion of said extended rearward 
visual field respectively prescribed by said rear window of said vehicle; 
(g) whereby a driver can tell from a quick glance at said mirror plate 
whether and when it is safe to change lanes or make turns, when another 
vehicle appears in said safety reference, it is not safe to change lanes 
or make turns, when the other vehicle appears in said safety locker, it is 
not safe to change lanes or make turns if the front end of other vehicle 
is only partially visible in said safety locker, but safe to do so if the 
other vehicle is entirely visible in said safety locker because by then 
the distance between the driver's vehicle and the other vehicle is not 
less than the nearest safety distance. 
Defined even more broadly, the present invention is a vehicle safety 
rearview mirror assembly with distortion offset means for a vehicle having 
a passenger compartment interior surrounded by a front windshield, a rear 
window and side windows, the mirror assembly comprising: (a) an elongated 
convex mirror plate; (b) an elongated arcuate shaped mirror housing for 
releasibly framing said mirror plate; (c) mounting means for independently 
supporting said mirror housing in said interior of said vehicle such that 
said mirror housing is located in a spaced apart relationship from said 
front windshield of said vehicle, the mounting means being able to allow 
maximum adjustability of the position and the orientation of said mirror 
housing to have an extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror 
plate; (d) a safety reference within said extended rearward visual field 
reflected in said mirror plate, the safety reference including two 
opposite end portions of said extended rearward visual field respectively 
prescribed by said side windows of said vehicle; and (e) a safety locker 
within said extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror plate, 
the safety locker including a central portion of said extended rearward 
visual field respectively prescribed by said rear window of said vehicle; 
(f) whereby a driver can tell from a quick glance at said mirror plate 
whether and when it is safe to change lanes or make turns, when another 
vehicle appears in said safety reference, it is not safe to change lanes 
or make turns, when the other vehicle appears in said safety locker, it is 
not safe to change lanes or make turns if the front end of other vehicle 
is only partially visible in said safety locker, but safe to do so if the 
other vehicle is entirely visible in said safety locker because by then 
the distance between the driver's vehicle and the other vehicle is not 
less than the nearest safety distance. 
Defined alternatively, the present invention is a distortion offset method 
for using a convex rearview mirror assembly installed in a vehicle having 
a passenger compartment interior surrounded by a front windshield, a rear 
window and side windows, the distortion offset method comprising the steps 
of: (a) utilizing a convex rearview mirror assembly which has an elongated 
convex mirror plate having a length of approximately 18 inches, a width of 
approximately 2 inches, and a radius of curvature of approximately 78 
inches, the elongated mirror plate releasibly framed in a mirror housing; 
(b) mounting said mirror housing to said front windshield of said vehicle 
with an independent mounting means which includes a shank having 
ball-joint socket with U-shaped notch at each of its opposite ends, such 
that said mirror housing is located in a spaced apart relationship from 
said front windshield and has maximum adjustability of its position and 
its orientation to have an extended rearward visual field reflected in 
said mirror plate; (c) before changing lanes or making turns, checking a 
safety reference within said extended rearward visual field reflected in 
said mirror plate, which safety reference includes two opposite end 
portions of said extended rearward visual field respectively prescribed by 
said side windows of said vehicle; (d) if another vehicle appearing in 
said safety reference, then not changing lanes or making turns because it 
is unsafe to do so; (e) if no other vehicle appearing in said safety 
reference, then further checking a safety locker within said extended 
rearward visual field reflected in said mirror plate, which safety locker 
includes a central portion of said extended rearward visual field 
respectively prescribed by said rear window of said vehicle; (f) if the 
front end of another vehicle being only partially visible in said safety 
locker, then not changing lanes or making turns because it is unsafe to do 
so; and (g) if the front end of the other vehicle being entirely visible 
in said safety locker, then changing lanes of making turns accordingly 
because it is safe to do so since by then the distance between the 
driver's vehicle and the other vehicle is not less than the nearest safety 
distance; (h) whereby the distortion of said convex rearview mirror plate 
is offset by referring to said safety reference and said safety locker, 
and a driver can tell from a quick glance at said convex rearview mirror 
plate whether and when it is safe to change lanes or make turns. 
Defined also alternatively, the present invention is a distortion offset 
method for using a convex rearview mirror assembly installed in a vehicle 
having a passenger compartment interior surrounded by a front windshield, 
a rear window and side windows, the distortion offset method comprising 
the steps of: (a) utilizing an elongated convex rearview mirror; (b) 
mounting independently and releasibly said mirror to said front windshield 
of said vehicle, such that said mirror is located in a spaced apart 
relationship from said front windshield of said vehicle, which allows 
maximum adjustability of the position and the orientation of said mirror 
to have an extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror; (c) 
before changing lanes or making turns, checking a safety reference within 
said extended rearward visual field reflected in said mirror, which safety 
reference includes two opposite end portions of said extended rearward 
visual field respectively prescribed by said side windows of said vehicle; 
(d) if another vehicle appearing in said safety reference, then not 
changing lanes or making turns because it is unsafe to do so; (e) if no 
other vehicle appearing in said safety reference, then further checking a 
safety locker within said extended rearward visual field reflected in said 
mirror plate, which safety locker includes a central portion of said 
extended rearward visual field respectively prescribed by said rear window 
of said vehicle; (f) if the front end of another vehicle being only 
partially visible in said safety locker, then not changing lanes or making 
turns because it is unsafe to do so; and (g) if the front end of the other 
vehicle being entirely visible in said safety locker, then changing lanes 
or making turns accordingly because it is safe to do so since by then the 
distance between the driver's vehicle and the other vehicle is not less 
than the nearest safety distance; (h) whereby the distortion of said 
convex rearview mirror is offset by referring to said safety reference and 
said safety locker, and a driver can tell from a quick glance at said 
convex rearview mirror whether and when it is safe to change lanes or make 
turns. 
Of course the present invention is not intended to be restricted to any 
particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment disclosed 
herein, or any specific use, since the same may be modified in various 
particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the 
claimed invention hereinabove shown and described of which the apparatus 
shown is intended only for illustration and for disclosure of an operative 
embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modification in 
which the present invention might be embodied or operated. 
The present invention has been described in considerable detail in order to 
comply with the patent laws by providing full public disclosure of at 
least one of its forms. However, such detailed description is not intended 
in any way to limit the broad features or principles of the present 
invention, or the scope of patent monopoly to be granted.