Vehicle rear view mirror mounting bracket

A mounting structure for an exterior rear view mirror assembly of a vehicle is disclosed including a mounting bracket having a platform portion, screws for securing the platform portion to an outer door panel of the vehicle, and an arm portion connected to the platform portion, the platform portion supporting the mirror assembly and the arm portion extending through the outer door panel whereby the mirror assembly is secured to an inner door panel at a point of securement below the mirror assembly thus providing a two-point mounting that is characterized by improved rigidity and durability.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to vehicle rear view mirrors, and more particularly 
to a means for mounting a rear view mirror including a mounting bracket 
for an exterior rear view mirror supported by the inner and outer door 
panels of an entry door of the vehicle. 
Background Art 
Conventionally, support brackets for exterior rear view mirrors of vehicles 
incorporate a cantilever design. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,156 to 
O'Connell discloses a vehicle mirror which includes a bracket fastened to 
the exterior surface of the vehicle door. In an alternative arrangement, 
the mirror support bracket is fastened to the interior surface of the 
outer door panel. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,976,275 and 4,030,692 show examples of 
this design. 
A cantilever design such as those disclosed by the above references is 
generally necessary to permit the window to be retracted into the recess 
between the inner and outer door panels of the door. Such cantilever 
designs are subject to vibrations when mounted in a single vertical plane, 
or are aesthetically unappealing when strengthened by a member depending 
along the exterior of the door. Also these designs may tend to fail after 
extended use because of road vibrations. Failure is accelerated if any 
body panel rust occurs in the vicinity of the mounting. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,536 to Weingartner teaches a rear vision mirror 
assembly supported between the outer panel and inner panel of a vehicle 
body. A tubular shaft serves as a mounting shaft, but it relies on the 
threaded attachment to the outer panel to provide the principal support 
for the mirror assembly. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,227 to Davis et al discloses a vehicle rear view mirror 
in which a tubular mounting member passes through apertures in the inner 
skin and outer skin of the vehicle door. A lock nut threaded on a mounting 
member secures the mirror in place as the member bridges the inner and 
outer skins. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,537 to Namba et al discloses a mounting structure for a 
mirror comprising a frame with a projection which extends through 
apertures in the inner and outer walls of the door panel. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mounting 
structure including a mounting bracket for an exterior rear view mirror of 
a vehicle, the mounting bracket comprising a platform portion for 
supporting the exterior rear view mirror, means for securing the platform 
portion to an outer door panel, and an arm portion extending through the 
outer door panel and having a first end integrally connected to the 
platform portion and a second end adapted to be secured to the inner door 
panel. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle rear 
view mirror mounting bracket of the type described above which provides a 
more stable support for the mirror than conventional cantilevered designs 
and which is adapted for convenient assembly to a vehicle door during 
vehicle assembly operations or during assembly in an aftermarket service 
facility. 
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a 
mounting bracket of the type described above which does not interfere with 
the extension and retraction of the passenger windows of the vehicle. 
In carrying out the above objects and other objects of the present 
invention, a rigid, unitary mounting bracket for an exterior rear view 
mirror of a vehicle is provided. The mounting bracket comprises a platform 
portion for supporting the exterior rear view mirror, means for securing 
the platform portion to an outer door panel, and an arm portion extending 
through the outer door panel. The arm portion includes a first end 
connected to the platform portion, and a second end adapted to be secured 
to the inner door panel at a point of securement. 
The above objects and other objects, features and advantages of the present 
invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of 
the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with 
the accompanying drawings.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT INVENTION 
With reference to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the present 
invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows an exterior rear view mirror 
assembly 10 including a mirror housing 12, a mirror 14, and a mounting 
bracket 16 for mounting the mirror assembly 10 to the passenger entry door 
18 of a vehicle 20. The mirror 14 is mounted within the mirror housing 12 
and is rotatable about vertical and horizontal axes. The driver of the 
vehicle may then control the orientation of the mirror 14 from inside the 
vehicle by any well known means. The mounting bracket 16 may be positioned 
below a vent window 21, adjacent a window 22 which is conventionally 
supported by and assembled within the opposite spaced apart door panels 
that comprise the entry door 18. 
FIG. 2 shows the mounting bracket 16 according to the present invention for 
a vehicle exterior rear view mirror assembly, such as the mirror assembly 
10. The mounting bracket 16 comprises a platform portion 24, screws 26 for 
securing the platform portion 24 to the outer door panel 28, and an arm 
portion 30. The platform portion 24 includes a central section 32 and a 
pair of opposed outboard wings 34 disposed on either side of the central 
section 32. 
The central section 32 is defined by opposite parallel sides 36 and 38, 
respectively, and a semicircular raised rim 40. Preferably, the platform 
portion 24 and the arm portion 30 are zinc or aluminum and are die cast as 
a single piece. The arm portion 30 is generally at an angle greater that 
180 degrees to the sides 36 and 38 of the central section, so that the die 
may properly be drawn. The central section 32 lies in a generally 
horizontal plane to facilitate support of the mirror assembly 10. An 
offset hole 42 through the central section 32 is adapted to accept an 
electrical cord therethrough to allow the mirror 14 to be electrically 
adjusted. 
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the opposite outboard wings 34 has a 
generally cylindrical projection 44 on its rearward surface defining a 
hole 46 through each of the opposite outboard wings 34. In the preferred 
embodiment, the screws 26 are adapted to extend through the holes 46 in 
the opposite outboard wings 34 and threadingly engage an outer door panel 
48 of the entry door 18. It should be appreciated that other fastening 
means for securing the platform portion 24 to the outer door panel 48, 
such as blind bolts or rivets, can be placed through the holes 46 if 
desired to secure the platform portion 24 to the outer door panel 48. The 
platform portion 24 is also adapted to support the exterior rear view 
mirror assembly 10 pivotably about a vertical axis. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 show one embodiment of the invention in which the arm portion 
30 extends through the outer door panel 48 arm portion 30 includes a first 
end 50 and a second end 52, the first end 50 of the arm portion 30 being 
connected to the platform portion 24. The arm portion 30 is bent between 
its first end 50 and its second end 52 so as to provide a point of 
securement to the inner door panel 60 below the horizontal plane defined 
by the central section 32 of the platform portion 24. The mounting bracket 
16 is strongest when the vertical distance between the point of attachment 
of the outboard wings 34 and the second end 52 point of securement is a 
maximum. There is a practical limit to this distance, however, due to the 
difficulties in forming the bracket and the amount of material required. 
The second end 52 of the arm portion 30 includes a flange 62. The flange 62 
is designed to be generally co-planar with the inner door panel 60 at the 
point of securement. The arm portion 30 does not extend through the inner 
door panel, but rather is fastened to the inner door panel 60. Preferably, 
a bolt 63 extends from inside the inner door panel 60, through the inner 
door panel and the flange 62, and is held in place by nut 64. This 
provides the second point of support for the mounting bracket 30. Because 
the mounting bracket 30 is positioned adjacent the retractable window 22 
of the vehicle, it does not interfere with the window's retraction out of 
nor extension into the recess between the inner and outer door panels 60 
and 28. 
It should be understood that while the form of the invention herein shown 
and described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is 
not intended to illustrate all possible forms thereof. It also should be 
understood that the words used are words of description rather than 
limitation, and various changes may be made without departing from the 
spirit or scope of the invention disclosed.