Baby mirror

A mount for a baby mirror for viewing a baby in a baby seat placed on a back seat of a motor vehicle in a rearwardly facing position. The mount includes one of the fasteners for securing the headliner of the vehicle to a roof panel. The mirror has a housing formed with a slot in the top surface. The slot is of inverted T-shape. The slot is open at the rear of the housing to permit the head of the fastener to enter the wide portion of the slot and the shank to enter the narrow portion. The mirror housing is thus suspended from the fastener. In another embodiment, the housing has a U-shaped clip received in a groove in the housing. The legs of the clip straddle the shank of the fastener and the body of the clip is clamped between the head of the fastener and the headliner. The mirror may be detached by separating the housing from the clip and leaving the clip assembled with the fastener, or the entire housing and clip may be removed from the fastener.

This invention relates generally to mirrors and more particularly to a
 mirror for viewing a baby in the rear of an automobile.
 BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The purpose of a baby mirror is to enable the driver to see a baby in a
 baby seat on the back seat of the vehicle. The baby seat by law or custom
 faces rearwardly. It is strapped to the back seat. It is impossible to see
 the baby by looking into the driver's rear view mirror, without the aid of
 a baby mirror. The baby mirror of this invention is mounted on the
 headliner in a position such that the driver can see the baby mirror in
 his own rear view mirror. With the baby mirror directed at the baby, the
 driver is able to see a reflection of the baby in the baby mirror by
 looking into the rear view mirror.
 According to this invention, the housing of the baby mirror is attached to
 one of the fasteners used for securing the headliner to the sheet metal
 roof of the vehicle. The fastener has a large head. The mirror housing may
 have a slot of inverted generally T-shape to receive the head and shank of
 the fastener. The slot is open at the rear of the housing so that the
 fastener head and shank may enter and be frictionally held in the slot.
 Alternatively, the housing may be formed with a groove to receive a
 generally U-shaped clip so that the clip will straddle the shank of the
 fastener and the body of the clip may be clamped between the head of the
 fastener and the headliner.
 Preferably the groove is formed in a recess in the housing and extends
 throughout the full extent of the side and end walls of the recess. The
 recess is open at the rear to enable the clip to be inserted and removed.
 The baby mirror may be detached by removing the housing from the clip and
 leaving the clip attached to the headliner fastener, or by removing the
 housing and clip from the headliner fastener.
 One object of this invention is to provide a baby mirror having the
 forgoing features and capabilities.
 Another object is to provide a baby mirror of simple construction which is
 rugged and durable in use, is made of a few simple parts, and can be
 easily installed and removed.
 These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will
 become more apparent as the following description proceeds, especially
 when considered with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a
 driver 10 in the drivers seat 12 inside a motor vehicle 14, a baby 16 in a
 baby seat 18 secured on the back seat 20 in a rearwardly facing position
 by belts 21, and the usual rear view mirror 22 mounted in front of the
 driver on or above the windshield. It is impossible for the driver to see
 the rearwardly facing baby even using the rear view mirror 22, without the
 baby mirror 24 of this invention which is shown mounted on the headliner
 26.
 The baby mirror 24 includes a reflecting element 28 (the mirror proper)
 supported in a frame 32. The frame 32 is connected to a support or housing
 34 by a pivot 36. The pivot frictionally holds the mirror in an angularly
 adjusted position.
 The housing 34 has a flat horizontal top surface 38 and a flat vertical
 rear surface 40. A horizontal slot 41 in the top surface extends from the
 rear surface 40 where the slot is open, to the front of the slot where it
 is closed (FIG. 7). The slot 41 is of inverted T-shape in cross section
 (FIG. 6) having a broad lower portion 42 and an narrow upper portion 44
 which opens through the top surface 38.
 The baby mirror is adapted to be attached to the headliner 26 of the
 vehicle. The headliner is secured to the sheet metal framing 46 of the
 roof of the vehicle by several fasteners, including a fastener 48. The
 fastener 48 has a cylindrical shank 50 and a large circular head 52
 extending across the lower end of the shank. The shank adjacent its upper
 end is shaped like a Christmas tree with barbs 53 permitting it to be
 pressed through the headliner and into the framing 46 but preventing
 withdrawal. The fastener 48 is of special construction having a
 cylindrical shank extension 54 extend downward below the head 52 and an
 extension head 56 spaced beneath the head 52. The shank extension 54 is
 slightly narrower than the narrow portion 44 of the T-shaped slot. The
 head 56 of the shank extension is wider than the narrow portion 44 of the
 T-shaped slot but slightly narrower than the wide portion 42 of the
 T-shaped slot.
 The sides of the lower portion 42 of the slot are parallel and the sides of
 the upper portion 44 of the slot are parallel. The front of the upper and
 lower portions of the slot are arcuate to match the shape of the shank
 extension 54 and head 56 of the fastener 48.
 The portions of the housing above the broad portion 42 of the slot provide
 an integral attaching portion 57 which cooperates with the fastener head
 56 in suspending and securing the baby mirror to the headliner. The
 portions of the housing on opposite sides of the upper narrow portion 44
 of the slot straddle the shank extension 54 and provide supporting
 laterally spaced elements 59 resting on the head 56. These supporting
 elements are held frictionally between the heads 52 and 56.
 The manner of attaching the mount or housing of the mirror to the headliner
 will be clear from FIGS. 4 and 5, FIG. 5 showing the parts before
 attachment and FIG. 4 showing the relationship of the parts after the
 housing 34 has been moved toward the fastener so that the shank extension
 54 extends into the narrow portion 44 of the slot through the open rear of
 the housing and the extension head 56 extends into the wide portion of the
 slot.
 The dimensions of the parts are such that there is a frictional engagement
 between the top surface 38 of the housing 34 and the fastener head 52 as
 seen in FIG. 4. Hence the mirror will not accidently become separated from
 the fastener. However, with forward pressure applied manually to the
 housing, to the right in FIG. 4, the friction may be overcome and the
 housing easily separated from the fastener.
 Preferably, but not necessarily, a large washer 58 may be sleeved on the
 shank 50 of the fastener to separate the head 52 from the headliner 26.
 FIGS. 8 and 9 show a modification in which the housing 60 has a flat
 horizontal top surface 62 and a flat vertical rear face 64. A large recess
 66 opens through the top surface 62 and the rear face 64. This large
 recess is generally U-shaped in horizontal section, having the laterally
 spaced, parallel side walls 70 connected at the front by an arcuate front
 wall 72. Formed in the recess along the side and front walls thereof is a
 continuous U-shaped groove 74, both ends of which extend into and through
 the rear face 64 of the housing. The groove is horizontal and has
 laterally spaced parallel groove segments 76 and an arcuate front segment
 77. The groove is spaced beneath the top surface 62 a predetermined
 distance as shown.
 Included in this modification is a generally U-shaped clip 78. The clip has
 a body formed with laterally spaced legs 80 and 82 connected by an arcuate
 front portion 84 curved to match the curvature of the front groove segment
 77. The clip has a U-shaped laterally outer edge portion 86 and a U-shaped
 laterally inner edge portion 88 which is spaced slightly above the
 laterally outer edge portion. The distance between the laterally outer
 edges of the legs 80 and 82 of the clip is substantially equal to the
 distance between the laterally inwardly facing bottoms of the groove
 segments 76 so that the clip will fit nicely in the groove with its
 opposite side edges frictionally received in the groove segments 76 and
 the front edge of its arcuate front portion 84 frictionally received in
 the front portion 77 of the groove. In other words, the entire outer
 periphery of the clip is closely and frictionally received in the groove
 throughout the length of the groove. The clip may be installed in or
 removed from the groove 74 by manual pressure. The legs 80 and 82 of the
 clip provide supporting elements for the mirror.
 When the clip 78 is inserted into the groove, its inner edge portion 88 is
 substantially flush with the top surface 62 of the housing. There is
 enough space in the recess beneath the clip to accommodate the head 52 of
 the fastener 48. The fastener in this instance is a fastener of
 conventional construction and is like the fastener shown in the first
 embodiment except that it does not have the shank extension and shank
 extension head.
 The clip 78 is installed in the housing groove 74 in the manner shown in
 FIG. 9 and when thus installed the clip and housing can be assembled with
 the fastener by a rearward movement. A washer 58 may also be used in this
 embodiment. It will be understood that the distance between the legs 80
 and 82 of the fastener is somewhat greater than the width of the shank 50
 of the fastener but less than the width of the head of the fastener so
 that when assembled on the fastener the legs straddle the shank and the
 clip is suspended on the fastener head. The body of the clip 78 is clamped
 between the head 52 of the fastener and the washer 58 (or with the
 headliner 26 if the washer is omitted). This prevents accidental removal
 of the clip 78 and housing 60, although with manual pressure in a forward
 direction, that is to the right in FIG. 8, the clip and housing can be
 easily separated from the fastener. It should be understood that the
 housing 60 may be removed, leaving the clip 78 in position on the
 fastener, or the entire unit including the housing and the clip may be
 removed from the fastener. The clip in this embodiment provides an
 attaching means separate from the housing which cooperates with the
 fastener head 52 in securing the baby mirror.