Abstract:
A mirror unit having two mirrors, so the area in front of the mirror can be viewed, is adjustable in a plurality of planes to facilitate use by a wide range of users. The mirror unit can be used on a motor vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the general art of motor vehicle accessories, and to the particular field of mirrors for motor vehicles. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     It is well known that safe driving of a motor vehicle requires that an operator have an adequate view of objects in the rear of the vehicle, beside the vehicle, and in front of the vehicle. Safe driving techniques generally view all of these areas several times per minute. Therefore, the motor vehicle art contains several examples of rear and side view mirrors that can be used to view the side and rear of a motor vehicle. 
     While very helpful, these rear and side view mirrors do not help a driver view the full field in front of the vehicle. The driver often encounters situations in which his or her view of the front of the vehicle is partially blocked. This situation occurs when following a large vehicle, such as a truck, or the like. If the driver wishes to pass such a vehicle, the driver is often forced to swerve out of the driving lane into the lane of oncoming traffic to check the road in front of the vehicle being passed. This is an undesirable situation, but is often necessary since more and more large vehicles, such as SUVs and the like, are occupying the roads. 
     The art does contain several examples of side mirrors that are designed to provide a driver with a view of the area in front of the vehicle. However, while effective, these devices have several shortcomings. For example, these devices are not as adjustable as possible. As a result, a short driver may not be able to take full advantage of the mirror as he or she may not be able to see the full view that could be provided by a mirror. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a forward-viewing mirror that is fully adjustable. 
     PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a main object of the present invention to provide a forward-viewing mirror for a motor vehicle. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a fully adjustable forward-viewing mirror for a motor vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These, and other, objects are achieved by a forward-viewing mirror which comprises a mirror-mounting unit which can be attached to an element of a motor vehicle; a first mirror having a reflective surface; and a second mirror having a reflective surface oriented to face the reflective surface of the first mirror. The first mirror and the second mirror are movable with respect to each other and with respect to the mirror-mounting unit in a plurality of planes. 
     By being movable with respect to each other in a plurality of planes, the two mirrors of the forward-viewing mirror of the present invention permits adjustment of the mirrors over a wide range. This allows the forward-viewing mirror to be used by a wide variety of people, including very short people who may not otherwise be able to take full advantage of such a mirror unit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a motor vehicle having a forward-viewing mirror attached thereto in accordance with the teaching of the present disclosure. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a first form of a forward-viewing mirror embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the mirror shown in FIG.  2  illustrating some of the movements possible with the mirror of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows an alternative form of the mirror embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows another form of the mirror embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 shows another form of the mirror embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 shows yet another form of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 8-10 show still yet another form of the present invention, similar to the form shown in FIG. 7 but including a first section thereof hingeably connected to a second section thereof. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to the figures, the present invention is embodied in a forward-viewing mirror  10  that is placed on a vehicle, such as an automobile V in order to view around obstacles during operation of the vehicle. Forward-viewing mirror  10  is shown in FIG. 1 as being mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle, but could be mounted in any convenient location on the vehicle as will be understood by those skilled in the art. 
     A first form of the forward-viewing mirror is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as forward-viewing mirror  10 ′. Mirror  10 ′ comprises a mirror-mounting unit  12  which mounts mirror  10 ′ on an element of the vehicle. Mounting unit  12  includes a base element  14  which is mounted on an element of motor vehicle, or the like, in use. 
     A first arm  16  has a first end  18  connected to the base element  14  and a second end  20 . A joint  22  is mounted on second end  20 . Joint  22  is a swivel joint, a ball-and-socket joint, or the like. A mirror support arm  24  has a first end  26  connected to the joint  22  and a second end  28 . Mirror support arm  24  is movable with respect to the first arm  16  via the joint  22 . 
     A second arm  30  has a first end  32  connected to base element  14  and a second end  34 . A joint  36 , which is similar to joint  22 , is located on second end  34  of second arm  30 . A mirror support arm  38  has a first end  40  connected to joint  36  and a second end  42 . Mirror support arm  38  on second arm  30  is movable with respect to the second arm  30  via joint  36  on the second arm  30 . 
     A first mirror  50  has a reflective surface  52  and a rear surface  54 . 
     A mirror joint element  60  is located on the rear surface  54  of first mirror  50  and is movably joined to second end  28  of mirror support arm  24  of first arm  16  of mirror-mounting unit  12 . First mirror  50  is movable with respect to mirror support arm  24  via mirror joint element  60  on the rear surface  54  of the first mirror  50 . 
     A second mirror  70  has a reflective surface  72  and a rear surface  74 . Reflective surface  72  of second mirror  70  is oriented to face reflective surface  52  of first mirror  50 . 
     A mirror joint element  76  is located on rear surface  74  of second mirror  70  and is movably joined to second end  42  of mirror support arm  38  of the second arm  30  of the mirror-mounting unit  12 . Second mirror  70  is movable with respect to mirror support arm  38  of the second arm  30  of the mirror-mounting unit  12  via mirror joint element  76  on the rear surface  74  of second mirror  70 . 
     First mirror  50  is larger than second mirror  70  and the first and second mirrors  50 ,  70  are movable with respect to each other in a plurality of planes via joint  22  on the mirror support arm  24  of the first arm  16  of the mirror-mounting unit  12  and via joint  36  on the mirror support arm  38  of the second arm  30  of the mirror-mounting unit  12  and via mirror joint element  60  on the rear surface  54  of the first mirror  50  and via joint element  76  on the rear surface  74  of the second mirror  70 . 
     By this arrangement, the first and second mirrors  50 ,  70  can be adjusted with respect to each other so a user can move the mirrors  50 ,  70  into an orientation and a position that provides most effective use of the mirrors  50 ,  70  for the user, regardless of how short the user may be. As indicated in FIG. 2, reflective surface  52  provides a view of the area in front of the mirror unit  10  and reflects this image to reflective surface  72  on mirror  70 . A user U views mirror  70  to see the area in front of the mirror unit  10 . As can be understood, the mirrors  50 ,  70  should be as adjustable as possible to permit the mirrors  50 ,  70  to be moved into the most effective positions. The mirror embodying the present invention is movable in a plurality of planes to permit and facilitate such adjustments. Some of the adjustments that can be made for the mirror unit  10  of the present invention are indicated in FIG.  3 . 
     To add further versatility to the mirror unit  10  of the present invention, either joint  76  or joint  60  can be rotatable, such as shown in FIG. 4 for joint  76 . Joint  76  can include a ball  78  on the second end  42  of the mirror supporting arm  38  and a socket  80  defined in rear surface  74  of mirror  70 . This permits mirror  70  to rotate with respect to a longitudinal axis  82  of arm  38 . This rotation is indicated in FIG. 4 by arrows R. As will be understood, joint  60  can also include a ball  84  mounted on second end  28  of arm  24  and a socket  86  defined in rear surface  54  of mirror  50  with ball  84  being rotatably captured in socket  86  so mirror  50  is rotatable with respect to longitudinal axis  88  of arm  24 . 
     Another form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5,  7  and  8  as forward viewing mirror  10 ′. Mirror  10 ′ comprises a mirror-mounting unit similar to unit  12  shown in FIG.  2  and not shown in FIGS. 5,  7  or  8  for the sake of clarity of illustration. 
     Mirror  10 ′ further includes a first mirror  50 ′ having a reflective surface  52 ′, a rear surface  54 ′, a first end  100 , a second end  102 , and a longitudinal axis  104  extending between the first end  100  of the first mirror  50 ′ and the second end  102  of the first mirror  50 ′. 
     A groove  106  is defined in rear surface  54 ′ of first mirror  50 ′ to extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis  104  of first mirror  50 ′. 
     A second mirror  70 ′ has a reflective surface  72 ′ oriented toward the reflective surface  52 ′ of first mirror  50 ′. Second mirror  70 ′ includes a first section  110  and a second section  112  with second section  112  being movably connected to first section  110  to be movable with respect to the first section  110 . 
     An attachment element  114  is located on second section  112  of the second mirror  70 ′. The attachment element  114  is movably received in groove  106 . Second mirror  70 ′ is movable on first mirror  50 ′ in groove  106  in the direction of longitudinal axis  104  of the first mirror  50 ′ as indicated in FIG. 7 by arrows M. 
     Attachment element  112  is shown in FIG. 9 as including a ball  120  in groove  106  and a socket  122  on second mirror  70 ′, and an arm  126  attaching the ball  120  and the socket  122 . This allows the second mirror  70 ′ to rotate with respect to the first mirror  50 ′ to provide still further freedom in adjusting the mirrors  50 ′,  70 ′ for the most effective use. 
     As shown in FIGS. 5, and  7 - 10 , the first mirror  50 ′ can include a first section  130  and a second section  132 . These sections  130 ,  132  are hingeably connected together as indicated by hinge  136  in FIG. 10, to provide still further versatility to the mirror unit  10 . 
     Yet another form of the forward-viewing mirror embodying the present invention is shown in FIG. 6 as unit  10 ″. Unit  10 ″ comprises attachment element  140  which includes a connecting arm  142  having a first end  144 , a second end  146 , and a joint element  148  on the first end  144  of the connecting arm  142 . Second end  146  of connecting arm  142  is movably received in groove  106 ′ on first mirror  50 ″. The second mirror  70 ″ is connected to joint element  148  on the first end  144  of the connecting arm  142  and is movably connected to connecting arm  142  via joint element  148 . Second mirror  70 ″ is movable with respect to first mirror  50 ″ in a plurality of planes via the just-described attachment element  140  and via the joint element  148  on the first end  144  of the connecting arm  142 . 
     It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.