Patent Publication Number: US-2005117237-A1

Title: Articulated arm of the rear mirror

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention relates to a rotatable connection of a rear-view mirror arm and to modes of fixing it to a vehicle like all vehicles in road traffic, for instance cars, bicycles, motorcycles and especially wheelchairs of all types.  
     PRIOR ART  
      An additional rear-view mirror to be used in vehicles was described in our previous Slovenian patent application No. P-200100233, the joint support of this mirror is also described in our Slovenian design application No. M-200150005.  
      The adjustment of a rear-view mirror mostly depends on the shape of the support and its mode of being fixed to a vehicle.  
      According to WO 01/28816 A2 (Medimurec) the connection element of the mirror consists of a carrier element, an intermediate connection element and a fixing part, whereat the carrier element and the connection element are provided with slightly conical springs ending in a thick edge. The springs fit into a corresponding hole on the other end to be joined.  
      A deficiency of this invention is that the conical spring provided on one conical element decreases the friction between both elements so that the vibrations of the vehicle on which the mirror is mounted reposition the mirror. Nor can the mentioned decreased friction compensate a temperature difference of nearly 60° C. between winter and summer to which the mirror is exposed.  
      Further, the invention according to FR 72 06224 (Meyer) describes a connection sistem of a mirror consisting of two elements corresponding to each other by conical parts, which are fixed by a radial groove in one part and a corresponding radial ring on the other part. The friction between the said parts is increased by a third element, namely a radial spring mounted on or in one of the said parts.  
      The deficiency of the decreased friction of the invention according to WO 01/28816 A2 is solved by this invention involving the third element, namely the radial spring, whereas the connecting elements themselves i.e. the radial groove and the radial ring do not create enough force resulting in friction. Yet sucha construction is much more complicated for assembling, especially in the sense of automatisation or robotisation thereof.  
      There is a known embodiment where, simultaneously with screwing the support of a mirror to a vehicle, also the connection in which the mirror can be adjusted is fixed. A disadvantage of this solution lies in the co-dependence of two important functions of the support of the mirror. If we want to set the position of the mirror positioned on such a support, we must first unscrew the support, which loosens the point in which the mirror together with its support is roughly adjusted. This embodiment also limits the mode of fastening the support to a vehicle.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM  
      Rear-view mirrors are installed on.-every vehicle. Also wheelchairs can be regarded as. vehicles, though there is no regulation as yet that would require the fitting of rear-view mirrors to wheelchairs.  
      It is superfluous to explain that a rear-view mirror on wheelchairs is a necessity because the users of wheelchairs are handicapped persons having trouble turning their upper body and their neck and thus finding it hard to look back—if they do so, they need substantially more time.  
      Rear-view mirrors as well as additional rear-view mirrors allow the handicapped persons to have better view of the road, thus contributing to a higher level of safety in traffic. 
    
    
     SHORT DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1 : rotatable connection of a rear-view mirror arm in cross-section;  
       FIG. 2 : schematic view of the first mode of fastening it to a vehicle, with an open ring ( 22 );  
       FIG. 3 : schematic view of the second mode of fastening it to a vehicle, with a closed ring with a screw ( 33 );  
       FIG. 4 : schematic view of the third mode of fastening it to a vehicle, with an open angle clamp and a screw ( 44 ). 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention concerns a rotatable connection of a rear-view mirror arm ( 1 ) consisting of two parts ( 2 ,  3 ) positioned coaxially and separated by contact panels ( 2   a ,  3   a ). The lower part ( 2 ) of the rotatable connection is fastened to a vehicle, whereas the upper part ( 3 ) of the rotatable connection is pivotably embedded in the said lower part.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the lower part ( 2 ) has a central hole which is conical in the upper part ( 2   b ), i.e. from the contact panel ( 2   a ) downwards, and represents the female part of the bearing and then passes stepwise towards the lower part ( 2   c ) of the hole, which is cylindrical.  
      Below its contact panel ( 3   a ) the upper part ( 3 ) has a downward facing male part of the bearing, which is conical in its upper part ( 3   b ) and at its lower part it passes stepwise into a conical final part ( 3   c ).  
      The mentioned conical parts ( 2   b ,  3   b ) fit tightly with regard to their cones as well as to their lengths.  
      With the conical part ( 3   b ) being pushed into the conical hole ( 2   b ) to the end, the upper part of the connection is stuck in the lower cylindrical part of the hole ( 2   c ) by means of the conical final part ( 3   c ). The two parts are now connected and mutually rotatingly fixed without any looseness.  
      Since the conical final part  3   c  is, with regard to the conical part  3   b , larger and solid, it produces enough rigidity to ensure a satisfying friction between the conical parts  2   b  and  3   b  in all temperature intervals in which the mirror might be used.  
      Both parts of the rotatable connection can be of any metal (e.g. Al) or plastic material (e.g. ABS) resistant to temperature changes between approximately −50° C. to 90° C. and to atmospheric influences like corrosion and it is also important that its specific mass is not too high. The recommended specific mass of the material should not exceed 2,900 kg/m 3 .  
      The external shape of the rotatable connection ( 1 ) in the shown embodiment is conical—the curved surface of the lower part ( 2 ) continuously passes into the curved surface of the upper part ( 3 ). The external shape of the rotatable connection can also be cylindrical or prismatic or of any other suitable shape like for instance four-leaved clover and the like.  
      At the bottom, the lower part ( 2 ) of the rotatable connection can be broadened into a flat, preferably circular base ( 2   d ) where a fixed fastening metallic plate ( 4 ) can be inserted. The base can also be angular or have some other suitable shape.  
      Moreover, the present invention refers to the modes of fastening the arm with the above rotatable connection to a vehicle.  
      The invention offers several modes of fastening the arm to a vehicle.  
      This can be done by the means of an open ring as shown in  FIG. 2 . This solution is especially suitable for a quick temporary mounting of the arm.  
      It can also be done by means of a closed ring with a screw ( FIG. 3 ) or for instance by means of an open angular clamp and a screw ( FIG. 4 ) or by an adjustable closed clamp operating on the principle of a vice (not shown in the drawings).  
      The first two mentioned solutions are especially suitable for mounting to a tube which may be round like on bicycles. It may also have another cross-section e.g. polygonal.  
      The other two solutions, namely with the open or closed clamp (vice), are especially suitable for mounting to certain spots on wheelchairs. The embodiment with a closed clamp is appropriate to be fixed to a variety of flat bases of wheelchairs, especially near and below the arm rest. With these bars having various dimensions, it is appropriate for such a clamp to be adjustable.  
      The open angular clamp is suitable for mounting to a bar with machined threaded holes (from M 6  to M 10 )—the clamp only needs to be screwed in. Said threaded holes are prefabricated in horizontal bars of some wheelchairs and are intended for other auxiliary equipment to be screwed in. Should no holes be available or should they all be occupied, the manufacturing of such a hole is a relatively simple procedure and can be performed by a metal worker or a person skilled in the art.  
      This description presents the invention only in a few variants and it is understood that the description encompasses all its variants and embodiments.