WO2001079030A1

WO2001079030A1 - Automotive wing view mirror

Info

Publication number: WO2001079030A1
Application number: PCT/SG2000/000051
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kok Peng See
Original assignee: Kok Peng See
Priority date: 2000-04-17
Filing date: 2000-04-17
Publication date: 2001-10-25
Also published as: AU4162800A

Abstract

A wing view mirror (1) for an automobile having a reflective surface (2), characterised in that a major section (3) of the reflective surface is flat, and in that at least a part of a peripheral area of the reflective surface is curved rearwardly in a continuous curve away from a plane of the major section of the reflective surface to thereby provide a curved margin (5) for extending the viewing perspective of the mirror.

Description

AUTOMOTIVE WING VIEW MIRROR

The present invention is directed to wing view mirrors used on automotives.

Wing view mirrors for automobiles come in a myriad of shapes. Conventional wing view mirrors have a totally flat reflective surface, and are positioned at or just below eye level. They are installed ahead of the driving chamber, on the front left and/or right sides of the vehicle's body or front doors depending on the regulations of the country in which the automobile is located.

The intended purpose of the wing view mirror is to supplement the natural arc of perspective of about 180 degrees of the human eyes of the driver behind the wheel. It purports to function without significant efforts required on the driver's part to minimise the time when his primary attention to the front is diverted. The offered perspective must be of adequate and sufficient arc of coverage, so that the driver can visualise a 'total' picture spontaneously, making accurate and speedy judgement possible, which in turn results in swift decision and safe actions.

Conventional wing view mirrors however provide for a very limited perspective, and have therefore not achieved the intended purpose. This is because as conventional mirrors are constructed as a totally flat mirror with certain size and aesthetical constraints, they have an inherently limited arc of coverage. Conventional mirrors do not therefore provide for an adequate and sufficient arc of perspective.

The driver of a vehicle with a conventional mirror installed can therefore make significant efforts in turning the head and/or torso to watch over the shoulder to allow them sufficient visual coverage of the area adjacent to and behind them as they drive. Such clumsy actions not only divert the driver's attention from the front, which is dangerous, but also delay the judgmental and decision making process required for effective and safe driving.

The mirrors used on the commercial vehicles which have relatively higher and wider bodies, such as vans, pick-up trucks, lorries and coaches, are typically of much larger dimensions, and are often constructed with a mildly curved reflective surface, curved in a vertical direction. These mirrors have an elongated perspective in the vertical direction so as to compensate for the height of the vehicle. The curved mirror however reflects a distorted perspective, which can adversely affects the driver's judgement. The construction of conventional wing view mirrors are therefore presently not entirely effective and can potentially lead to hazardous situations, in view of the evolution due to technological advances in automobiles and changing traffic conditions, several of which are highlighted below: a. Automobiles are now driven on generally much better developed road networks with vast arrays of road intersections and side roads, which make winding motions and turning a larger part of the driving chores. Highways also tend to be more congested, and with multiple-lanes which entail frequent lane switching at high speed. b. Newer models of automobiles are now capable of much higher acceleration and speed than previously possible. As such driver behind the wheel is left with very much shortened time to visualise a total picture of the surrounding traffic conditions as they drive. c. The vicinities proximate to the roads and highways are generally more urbanised and densely populated nowadays, whereby vehicular traffic mingles with human traffic. Driver must now constantly anticipate and be able to visualise events which are likely to cross into the path as he drives. d. Last but not least, due to scarcity and high costs of the land in the urbanised environment, automobiles operating in confined spaces, is now a norm rather than exception. Vehicles are parked in marked lots in sheltered or unsheltered parking facilities and in close proximity of each other. The parking facilities are often constructed of pavements, curbs, perimeters, ceiling, whether of open air or multiple storeys, which require more complete perspective and skills for a safe and effective manoevre. It would be advantageous to provide for much widened angled reflection of perspective so that drivers behind the wheel will be able to visualise spontaneously as complete a picture of the surrounding conditions in order to drive safely and effectively, as demanded by the changing conditions.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wing view mirror for an automobile that can allow for a broader rear arc of perspective for a driver of the automobile.

With this in mind, the present invention provides a wing view mirror for an automobile having a reflective surface, characterised in that a major section of the reflective surface is flat, and in that at least a part of a peripheral area of the reflective surface is curved rearwardly in a continuous curve away from a plane of the major section of the reflective surface to thereby provide a curved margin for extending the viewing perspective of the mirror.

The wing view mirror is typically mounted in a generally vertical orientation when in use on an automobile. The curve margins of the mirror may therefore extend along the side of the mirror to widen the driver's side perspective. The curved margin may also extend along the bottom and/or top of the mirror to respectively extend the driver's perspective downwardly and upwardly. The curved margin may extend continuously about a substantial portion of the periphery of the mirror. The invention provides a significantly widened arc of coverage of a single whole perspective with continuity if such mirrors are provided on an automobile. In this coverage, the larger central portion of the perspective is undistorted (essential to provide accurate judgement), and it continually extends to the widened part of the perspective's margins, preferably both in lateral and vertical directions. Such coverage contributes to the 'total' picture of the vicinity surrounding the host vehicle as visualised by the driver behind the wheel.

When wing view mirrors according to the present invention are provided on both sides of an automobile, the arc of perspective is vastly expanded. Laterally, the mirrors can encompass both areas on the left/right sides, in line with the driver compartment of the host vehicle (approximately 180 degrees, unobstructed), as well as vertically, the area beneath the rear wheels, and/or on top of the rear ceiling of the host vehicle (approximately 150 degrees, unobstructed).

The present invention leads to the following advantages:

1. The invention is a stand-alone device tailored to solve the aforesaid problem. It provides adequate and sufficient arc of coverage, whereby the driver behind the wheel is able to visualise spontaneously a whole perspective surrounding the host vehicle without the need of significant conscious efforts on his part.

2. The invention does not adversely affect, but instead enhances the driver's judgmental ability. It does not interfere with the operation of other installed devices. It does not require new method to install, or new learning to use.

3. The invention replaces the conventional mirror. The cost of construction is similar to those of conventional mirrors, and is not significantly higher.

4. The invention allows the reduction of the size and dimensions of wing view mirror, without affecting the intended function. It will be convenient to further describe the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the wing view mirror according to the present invention. Other embodiments of the invention are possible, and consequently, the particularity of the accompanying drawings is not to be understood as superceding the generality of the preceding description of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 a is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a wing view mirror according to the present invention;

Figure 1 b is a cross-sectional view of the mirror of Figure 1 taken along line A-A; Figure 1 c is a cross-sectional view of the mirror of Figure 1 taken along line B-B;

Figure 2a is a plan view of a second preferred embodiment of a wing view mirror according to the present invention;

Figure 2b is a cross-sectional view of the mirror of Figure 2a taken along line C- C; Figure 2c is a cross-sectional view of the mirror of Figure 2a taken along line D-

D;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a third preferred embodiment of a wing view mirror according to the present invention;

Figure 4a is a plan view of a fourth preferred embodiment of a wing view mirror according to the present invention;

Figure 4b is a cross-sectional view of the mirror of Figure 4a taken along line E- E;

Figures 5 to 9 show further preferred embodiments of a wing view mirror according to the present invention. In the following description, the wing view mirror according to the present invention will be described in its typical orientation in a generally vertical position. Also, the same reference numerals will be used on corresponding features on different described embodiments of the wing view mirror.

Referring initially to Figure 1a, there is shown a mirror 1 having a reflective surface 2. The reflective surface 2 includes a major section 3 which is flat and therefore provides an undistorted reflection for a driver viewing the mirror 1. The reflective surface 2 also includes a curved margin 5 extending about the periphery of the flat section 3 of the reflective surface 2. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 a, when the mirror 1 is located in a generally vertical position, the curved margin 5 extends along the bottom portion and side portion of the mirror 1.

Figures 1 b and 1 c respectively show that the curved margin 5 of the reflective surface 2 extends rearwardly from the plane of the flat section 3 of that reflective surface 2. The curve of the curved margin 5 is continuous to thereby provide a smooth transition from the flat major section 3 to the curved margin 5 of the reflective surface 2.

The effect of the curved margin 5 is to extend the viewing perspective for the driver in particular directions.

The mirror 1 shown in Figure 1 a is generally rectangular in shape with rounded off corners. It is however to be appreciated that alternative mirror shapes are also envisaged. For example, in Figure 2a, while the mirror is generally rectangular in shape, only one of the corners is rounded off. This mirror 1 nevertheless still incorporates features according to the present invention. The reflective surface 2 of the mirror 1 includes a major section 3 which is flat and a curved margin 5 extending along the bottom and side portions of the mirror 1.

Figure 3 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention with the mirror having a greater dimension in the vertical direction than the mirrors shown in

Figures 1 a or 2a. That mirror still incorporates the curved margin 5 of the previously described embodiments. Figure 4a shows a further embodiment of a mirror according to the present invention. The main difference of this embodiment over the previously described embodiments is that the curved margin 5 also extends along the top portion of the mirror 1.

All of the previously described embodiments of the wing mirror are generally rectangular in shape. It is however to be appreciated that the wing view mirror can be of many other shapes. Figures 5 to 9 show such alternative possible shapes of the wing view mirror. All of these embodiments include a flat major section 3 and a curved margin 5 according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A wing view mirror for an automobile having a reflective surface, characterised in that a major section of the reflective surface is flat, and in that at least a part of a peripheral area of the reflective surface is curved rearwardly in a continuous curve away from a plane of the major section of the reflective surface to thereby provide a curved margin for extending the viewing perspective of the mirror.

2. A wing view mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein the curved margin is located along a bottom portion of the mirror when the mirror is mounted in a generally vertical position.

3. A wing view mirror as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the curved margin is located along a top position of the mirror when the mirror is mounted in a generally vertical position.

4. A wing mirror as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the curved margin is located along a side portion of the mirror when the mirror is located in a generally vertical position.

5. A wing mirror as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the curved margin extends continuously along a substantial portion of the periphery of the mirror.