Abstract:
The present invention pertains to tools particularly designed to remove replaceable rear-view mirrors from the inside of automotive windshields. The present invention is a tool specifically shaped and sized to grasp a windshield mounted removable automobile mirror base and move a locking tab away from a mounting pad to remove the mirror without touching the windshield glass. The tool includes a first jaw that has a curved inside surface with a protective surface or coating. A second jaw of this embodiment is spaced and sized to fit under the locking tab without touching the adjacent glass. The two jaws are configured to allow the second jaw to depress the locking tab by biasing the jaws together while the first jaw rests on the mirror base without damaging it.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention pertains to tools particularly designed to remove replaceable rear-view mirrors from the inside of automotive windshields. 
   Rear-view mirror frames in automobiles are often used to support and carry other accessories such as interior lights and electronic devices. Consequently, such designs are both heavier, larger, and more expensive than simple mirrors. To make use of these mirrors optional, and to deal with possible repairs, these mirrors are usually mounted in a removable manner. Most removable and replaceable inside mirrors and similar devices are mounted solely to the inside surface of the windshield. Due to the size and weight of the mirrors, a secure and reliable mount is problematic. An often used solution is a metal mounting pad that is bonded to the windshield surface. The mounting pad is provided with rails or other structures that movably connect with a connection structure on a mirror. This connection structure is typically located on the foot of a support leg protruding from the back of the mirror. This interface between the mounting pad and mirror must be both very stiff to prevent movement of the mirror surface and very strong to prevent accidental damage. To remove the mirror, it must be possible to separate this interface. One design that is used extensively in the automotive industry to meet these requirements is a connection structure that includes mating rails and a stiff but resilient tab that locks the connection structure to the mounting pad. In use, the tab is elastically bent from its resting condition to enable the mirror to be slid from the mounting pad rails. Both to ensure a secure connection, and to hamper theft, the tab is very stiff and cannot be displaced by hand alone. A prior tool is available and is used for the particular purpose of displacing the tab to effect removal of the mirror. This prior tool is essentially a simple lever that is designed to bear against the adjacent windshield. An unforseen consequence of the use of this prior tool is that when it displaces the tab, the reactive forces on the windshield break the windshield. This is a common occurrence, costing significant money. Services such as automobile repair and windshield tinting are greatly hampered by the risk of windshield breakage when removing a mirror. Often, an otherwise inexpensive procedure, such as changing mirrors, results in large added cost in replacing a more  expensive windshield. The majority of windshield breakage in this way occurs in automotive repair centers that have access to a great variety of tools. However, this situation continues and no alternative tool is yet available. One difficulty in resolving this problem is that great care is required to protect the surfaces of both the windshield and the adjacent surfaces including those of the mirror frame. The exposed surfaces of the mirror frame and mirror support leg are generally designed for aesthetics and covered with relatively fragile plastics and the like. Risk of damaging these parts impedes the design of methods and tools that might be used in mirror removal. Another problem is the location and surroundings of the mirror and mount. Because the windshield inside surface is typically sloping and spaced from the set of the automobile, and hence not easily accessible, it is difficult to apply the necessary force to the connection tab. What is needed is a tool that can depress a mounting connection tab as described without contacting the adjacent glass and without harming the mirror surfaces. At the same time, it must allow movement of the mirror to slide it from the mounting pad. The tool should also be operated by one hand of the user to ease placement and use. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a tool specifically shaped and sized to grasp a windshield mounted removable automobile rearview mirror base and move a locking tab to remove the mirror without touching the windshield glass. The tool includes protective surfaces particularly designed to bear on, without damaging, the exposed surfaces of the mirror base. The invention includes methods of use of the tool including moving the tool with the mirror base as the mirror is removed from a glass surface mounted pad. In one embodiment, the tool includes a first jaw having a curved inside surface with a protective surface or coating. A second jaw of this embodiment is spaced and sized to fit under the locking tab without touching the adjacent glass. The two jaws are configured to allow the second jaw to depress the locking tab by squeezing the jaws together while the first jaw rests on the mirror base without damaging it. The two jaws are offset perpendicular to the line of tab depression motion to obtain the required alignment. The tool may be moved with the mirror base until the tab is disengaged and the mirror then removed. In a second embodiment, the first jaw includes an arm configured with a slot to be placed around an elongated support leg of a typical mirror to securely position the tool to allow use without  movement of the tool against the surface of mirror base. 
   The invention provides a novel tool that solves the problem of removing replaceable automotive rearview mirrors without glass breakage. Other advantages of this novel invention as described in the following drawings, detailed description, and claims will be apparent to one skilled in the art. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the elements of a typical removable mirror assembly and a prior art tool for removal. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-section view of one embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2  with relative locations of invention elements. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 4  as used on a removable mirror base.  
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a typical removable rear-view mirror base and a tool of the prior art for assisting in removing the mirror, the manner of use of which is now described. A mounting pad  20  is permanently bonded to the inside surface  31  of an automotive windshield  32 . Typically, the windshield  32  is oriented in a vertical sloped manner. However, for clarity in the figure, the orientation is shown generally horizontal. The mounting pad  20  includes sloped rails or side shoulders  21  extending along opposite sides of the mounting pad  20 . A mounting bracket  23  includes angled clips  25  on opposite sides of the bracket  23 . The clips  25  are configured to slide tightly onto the shoulders to secure the bracket  23  to the mounting pad  20 . One or more locking tabs  27  extend from an end of the bracket  23  and between the clips  25 . The tabs  27  are placed with respect to the clips such that they may be elastically displaced by a mounting pad mounting surface  24  as the bracket  23  is slid onto the mounting pad  20 . The tabs  27  then resiliently “snap” back over the end  28  of the mounting pad  20  at a point when the bracket  23  is stopped. Removal of the bracket may only be accomplished by elastically deforming the tabs  27  in a direction away from the glass surface  31  and beyond the plane of the mounting surface  24  to allow the clips  25  to slide back in an opposite direction over the rails  21 . The bracket  23  includes holes  34  by which it is secured by fasteners to a mirror base  35 . In this way, a mirror or other device may be securely mounted to a windshield and yet be readily removed. This method of mounting is well known. The side shoulders, clips and tabs must be very stiff to ensure the tight and rigid connection necessary for automotive mirrors. As a consequence, the tabs are not easily deformed for removal. To enable this operation, a lever tool  38  is provided in the prior art. The lever tool  38  is essentially a lever that, in use, is positioned to bear against the window surface to exert a deforming force away from the surface and against the tabs. In the figure the lever tool  38  is shown in two orientations to demonstrate its motion in use. This contact and force on the windshield often result in breaking the windshield. Herein, “removable” and “replaceable” are used to indicate devices that are designed and enabled to be separated and reattached multiple times without damage and without addition of new materials for reattachment. Example mounting pads as contemplated here for removable mirrors are identified by part number 15954649 of the General Motors Corporation. A typical replacement mirror including bracket fitting the described mounting pad is identified by part number 15007600 of the General Motors Corporation and is  sold under the trademark Metagal (™). The assembly of these parts is described in General Motors Corporation “Light Truck Manual”; Figure TS16-565-02/25/94. Other similar devices may exist or may be designed in the future. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates in cross-section one embodiment of the present invention applied to a typical removable mirror. In the figure, the mounting pad  20 , bracket  23 , and mirror base  35  are essentially the same as discussed above. The invention includes two jaws  41 , 42  connected by means of biasing them together. In the embodiment shown, this is accomplished by mutually pivoting handles  44  (shown in part) that extend from the jaws. The handles are configured to be operated by one hand of the user. A tab jaw  41  has a distal portion  51  that is sized to fit between the glass surface  31  and the tab  27  without touching the glass surface  31 . The tab jaw  41  has a contact surface  59  facing the saddle jaw  42  at the distal portion  51 . In operation, downward movement of this contact surface  59  forces the tab downward and clear of the mounting surface to enable removal of the bracket  23  and mirror base  35  from the mounting pad  20 . Herein the term “downward” and “upward” are relative to the illustrations and to the relative positions of the structures, for explanation purposes, and are not limiting on the manner and orientation of the applications of the invention. The opposing saddle jaw  42  includes a curved pad  43  of rubber which forms a protective surface  56 . Rubber here means natural rubber, or plastic, or like materials being compliant or softer than structural materials such as metals. The curved pad  43  and protective surface  56  are sized and shaped to receive the curved body of the mirror base  35 . In operation, the tool is placed as shown and the handles  44  squeezed to bias the jaws  41 , 42  together. The saddle jaw  42  is anchored on the relatively large and fixed mirror base to which the tab jaw  41  is then drawn. The relatively less stiff tab  27  is thereby displaced as desired. The distal end  52  of the tab jaw  41  is preferably spaced laterally from the mounting pad end  28  a distance sufficient to allow the jaws  41 ,  42  to move together with the mirror base and bracket as they are slid back over the mounting pad until the tab  27  is held above the mounting pad  20  by the mounting surface  24 . In this operation, the reacting force previously absorbed by the windshield by use of the prior art tool is instead absorbed by the mirror base. The handles  44  must be oriented with respect to the distal end  52  to be clear of the windshield when deforming the tab  27  and moving with the mirror. 
   The mirror base of most replaceable mirrors is designed in part for aesthetics and  marring by tools would reduce their value. For that reason, the mirror base surface  50  must be protected from the potentially deleterious effects of tools. This is problematic as most replaceable mirror bases are luxury items formed from relatively soft, and often textured, automotive interior plastics. For this reason, the saddle jaw  41  should accurately fit the curvature of the mirror base and have a protective surface for contacting the mirror base. Other protective surfaces are contemplated, such as a polished surface. However, a compliant surface such as the pad described above is preferred for its additional ability to compensate for minor variations in mirror base curvature and tool placement. One form of the pad may be formed as a thin layer of room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) material such as a silicone rubber or “liquid” plastic of the type commonly used to form tool handles. Preferably, a pad of such materials has an average thickness in the range of 0.030 to 0.040 inches which provides the needed protection without interfering with fit. The pad may also be cut from bulk rubber and bonded to the jaw. To maximize contact area and thereby reduce contact forces, the concave protective surface  56  of the saddle jaw and pad should match the convex curvature of the mirror base. For matching typical mirror bases, the radius of curvature  53  of the inside protective surface  56  of the jaw is preferably about 1.8 inches to maximize contact over the length of the surface. A larger radius, greater than about 2.5 inches will result in relatively point contact, an insecure fit and potential marring of the mirror surface finish. A smaller radius jaw, less than 1.5 inches, may prevent the tool from engaging and may also mar the mirror finish. Some deviation of jaw curvature may be accepted and accommodated by a thicker and softer jaw surface. The saddle jaw  42  should not have protrusions, teeth or other contact points of hard materials such as metal. For future mirror bodies contemplated having other than curved bodies, the saddle jaw should receive the mirror body in a manner to prevent slipping. 
   In use, after the tool is aligned in the approximate orientation to receive the mirror base, proper placement is achieved by centering the saddle jaw  42  on the mirror base  35 . The tab jaw  41  will then be inherently positioned between the tab  27  and the windshield glass surface.  FIG. 3  illustrates the relative orientation and size of the tool elements to provide this fit. The relative location of the tool jaw elements, to properly align with the mirror base and bracket, can be defined with respect to a trough point  55  of the saddle jaw. The trough point  55  is defined as the point on the saddle jaw protective surface  56  having an axis or line of maximum dimension  57  from, and perpendicular to, the plane of the inside surface  31  of the windshield when the tab jaw  41  is positioned at the tab  27 . The line of maximum dimension  57  is also normal to the protective surface  56  at the trough. The line of maximum dimension  57  has a perpendicular offset dimension  58  to the distal end  52  of the tab jaw of 0.75 inches. This offset dimension  58  ensures a separating space between the tab jaw distal end  52  and the mounting pad end  28  as discussed above. This space should be at least 0.09 inches, with the tool engaged and the mirror and bracket fully in place on the pad, to allow the tool to move with the tab and mirror during removal. At the same time, the tab jaw contact surface  59  must be distanced from the trough point  55 , and parallel the line of maximum dimension  57 , a jaw opening dimension H of 0.8 inches. The combination of jaw opening dimension H and offset  58  defines the invention in terms of the physical connection to the mirror and tab required for removal. The thickness dimension of the tab jaw  41  at the distal end  52  must be less than the vertical gap between the windshield surface and the tab. Preferably, the jaw thickness is less than 0.175 inches to ensure contact is not made with the windshield. 
   The protective surface  56  is preferably at least 1.0 inches long in the circumferential direction along the jaw, but should be no greater than 1.5 inches to fit existing typical mirror bases. A greater length will likely interfere with the mirror support leg  80 . From the trough point  55 , the protective surface  56  should extend distally along the protective surface  56  preferably 0.5 inch to provide adequate bearing surface but no more than 0.65 inches to avoid interference. The tool preferably has a width W ( FIG. 4 ) in the range of ½ to ⅝ inches at the tab jaw distal end to fit between supports on the mirror base (not shown) yet engage the entire tab width. Otherwise, the tool width may be greater at the saddle jaw, although a greater width is not beneficial if not curved in the transverse direction. A tool saddle jaw width less than ½ inches will provide unsatisfactory grip on a  mirror base. The saddle jaw may be curved in the direction transverse to the circumferential direction to better mate with the mirror base, but a straight width tool is satisfactory. 
     FIG. 4  is a perspective illustration of a preferred embodiment of the tool  100 . The configuration of the common elements of this embodiment is as discussed with respect to the previous embodiment. In addition, the saddle jaw  42  includes an anchor arm  64  that extends distally from the saddle jaw distal end  65 . The anchor arm  64  includes a lateral portion  66  that is  spaced from the saddle jaw distal end to define a slot  68 . The slot  68  is angled and sized to allow the anchor arm  64  and lateral portion  66  to engage a mirror support leg  80  and secure the position and movement of the tool. The slot has a slot width  70  of at least 0.38 inches between the saddle jaw distal end  65  and the lateral arm  66  for a typical mirror. The slot is most easily formed by boring a circular hole in an extended portion of the saddle jaw and then cutting the side out. Alternative construction methods will be obvious, including, for example, casting the finished shape. The slot is also preferably beveled as shown to better mate with the mirror base. Preferably, the slot is formed oversized and then coated or otherwise covered in a protective coating as discussed above.  FIG. 4  also illustrates the tool width W and the tab jaw  41  with a downward extending finger  71  placed at the jaw distal portion  51  to engage the tab.  FIG. 5  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 4 . The centerline of the slot at the protective surface has a slot distance  73  of 1.5 inches to the distal end of the tab jaw, perpendicular to the line of maximum distance  57 . The slot distance must be effective and true simultaneous with the above jaw opening dimension H and offset  58  dimension to provide proper fit and action. A tab jaw throat portion  75  is vertically offset from the contact surface  59  a distance of about 0.12 inches to ensure the jaw clears the end of the tab  27 . This throat portion  75  preferably extends at least a distance of 0.30 inches from the distal end  52  (away from the pad in use) to ensure that only the tab jaw finger  71  contacts the tab and adjacent the pad. If the tab jaw bears on the end of the tab it may be impossible to release the tabs. This is because the tabs are typically constructed of a folded portion of the bracket that add flexibility that is not accessed unless the tabs are properly acted upon. In use, this embodiment of the tool is first engaged with a mirror support leg by slipping the slot, sideways, onto the support leg as shown in  FIG. 6 . The saddle jaw is then settled onto the mirror base, the tab jaw coming naturally in position. The handles (not shown) of the tool are squeezed to force the tab jaw against the tab, thereby unlocking the bracket. The saddle jaw absorbs the reactive forces generated. In this embodiment, the protective surface is a thin layer of plastic that, for clarity, is not shown. The embodiment of  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6  provides a very sure and certain placement of the tool on the mirror body. The tool must not be allowed to slip or twist in use. Such relative movement between the tool and mirror greatly increases the chance of damage to the mirror body surface and appearance. The element of the jaw finger  71  is also contemplated in an alternative embodiment otherwise as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
   The dimensions defined above are relative to one condition of the jaws. Other conditions of the jaws may be possible with the tool and these other conditions may not satisfy the above requirements. In particular, tools having pivoting handles to bias jaws may have infinite possible configurations. The invention is defined by a structure providing at least one condition in which the inventive requirements are present and the desired functions are provided. It is contemplated that future mirror bodies may have other than curved bodies or may have various dimensions. The embodiments shown include handles that are used to bias the two jaws together. Other means of accomplishing this operation are contemplated. Various mechanisms are known for this operation and their incorporation will be obvious to one skilled in this art. In particular, multi-pivot mechanisms which provide purely linear motion of the jaws are contemplated. An additional alternative embodiment includes a frame and screw jack to locate and move the jaws as described herein. Most preferably, the tool is operable by one hand to enable easy use in the confines of an auto compartment. The tool may be most conveniently formed of tool metals such as steel and then protective surfaces added as discussed. 
   In all embodiments, a critical requirement is that all elements of the tool remain distant from the glass to safeguard it. This may be stated also that the tool remains on the same side of the plane of the windshield surface as the mounting pad. The invention includes methods of removing such mirror devices by applying structures as herein described. As used herein, the term “mirror” is intended to refer to an assembly of components that include at least one mirrored surface and associated frame and support elements. 
   The preceding discussion is provided for example only. Other variations of the claimed inventive concepts will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Adaptation or incorporation of known alternative devices and materials, present and future is also contemplated. The intended scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.