Patent ID: 7455413

Claim:
A mirror system for facilitating driving of a vehicle, the system comprising: a mirror assembly that is suitable for being mounted to a vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body has a right side and a left side; at least one mirror arm having a mirror holding portion and a mounting portion; a mirror unit mechanically coupled to the mirror holding portion of the mirror arm; a mounting bracket having a first portion that is securable to the vehicle body, the mounting bracket having a mirror arm holding portion that defines a receiving opening in which the mounting portion of the mirror arm is pivotably supported, the mirror unit being so mounted that the mirror unit is at least partially disposed outwardly relative to one of the right side and the left side of the vehicle body, the mirror arm having a predetermined angular position relative to one side of the vehicle where it is positioned, and a range of movement that allows the mirror unit to swing, in response to a force, in clockwise and counterclockwise directions relative to the predetermined angular position, to end positions at which the mirror unit is not disposed outwardly relative to either side of the vehicle body; and a rebounding mechanism which is structured to return the mirror unit to the predetermined angular position from any position between the end positions to which it is pivoted by the force, upon removal of the force; wherein the rebounding mechanism comprises an upper sleeve which is rotatably interfitted with a lower sleeve, the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve comprising corresponding and complimentary camming surfaces which are resiliently biased toward one another to cause the camming surface of the upper sleeve to rise or descend on the camming surface of the lower sleeve, coming to a rest at a position which returns the mirror unit to the predetermined position, the upper sleeve surrounding and receiving the lower sleeve and the respective camming surfaces of each of the upper and lower sleeves are V-shaped and complimentary to each other and the camming surfaces of the lower sleeve extending circumferentially over substantially the entire circumference of the lower sleeve.