Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080253006 | MIRROR MOUNTING ASSEMBLY - A mirror mounting assembly for mounting a mirror on a vehicle bulkhead. The assembly includes a mirror element and a main support arm having a first end and a second end. The mirror element is connected to the first end of the main support arm. The second end of the main support arm is mountable to the vehicle. A pair of brackets are configured to conform to an engine bay side wall of the vehicle. Each bracket has a center portion and two laterally extending flanges that extend at an angle from the center portion in opposite directions. One of the flanges of each bracket is connectable to the bulkhead of the vehicle in the engine bay. A first additional support arm has a first end connected to a first one of the brackets and a second end connected to the main support arm. A second additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. Finally, a third additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. | 10-16-2008 |
20090009874 | VEHICLE MIRROR WITH ADJUSTABLE REFLECTIVE PROPERTIES - A vehicle mirror comprises a lens, a reflective member disposed so as to receive light from the lens, and a support disposed so as to support the lens and the reflective member. A control system is connected to the reflective member and is effective to control the reflection of the reflective member. Various techniques are disclosed to control the reflection including the use of photochromic coatings, LCDs, and motor control assemblies. | 01-08-2009 |
20090073590 | VEHICLE MIRROR WITH INTEGRATED LIGHTING - A vehicle mirror with integrated lighting is provided. The vehicle mirror may be a cross-view mirror for a vehicle such as a school bus. The mirror may include a mirror assembly having a mirror lens providing a field of view for a driver of the vehicle and a support affixed to the mirror lens. The mirror lens may include a light transmitting portion configured to allow light to pass through from behind the mirror lens to an area outside of the mirror lens. The vehicle mirror may include a light source positioned within the mirror assembly to emit light through the light transmitting portion of the mirror lens and illuminate the field of view provided by the mirror lens. | 03-19-2009 |
20090135509 | RETRACTABLE REAR VIEW MIRROR - A mirror assembly for trucks, vans and the like, for providing front or rear viewing as the vehicle is moving forward or is backing up, for example, into a truck loading dock area. The mirror assembly comprises a mirror unit that is connected by a mirror arm to a support structure, e.g., a flange or bracket, that is fixed to the vehicle. The support structure projects minimally sideways of the vehicle and pivotably supports the mirror arm in a manner whereby the mirror unit and its arm can swing about a pivot axis, enabling the mirror and its arm to lie alongside a side wall of the vehicle or tightly against the rear of the vehicle. A return or rebound mechanism returns the mirror unit to its normal operational position automatically, once contact with an obstruction that has pivoted the mirror unit from its normal position, has been removed. | 05-28-2009 |
20090147387 | ASYMMETRIC SECTIONED CONVEX MIRRORS - Asymmetric sectioned mirrors are presented. The mirrors include, for example, constant radius of curvature sections that are selected to increase the sizes and improve the definitions of images, for example images of children milling, walking and/or standing about either the front or alongside regions of a school bus. The mirrors may be asymmetric in either or both the horizontal and vertical directions. The mirrors may include a mounting system capable of using both ball mounts and tunnel mounts. | 06-11-2009 |
20090273941 | EXTERNAL SAFETY ILLUMINATION FOR A BUS WITH LIGHT MOUNTED TO MIRROR ARM - A light source along the mirror mounting arm of a school bus or other passenger vehicle to reduce the risk of people or other objects being injured by the school bus. The light source may be mounted directly on the mirror mounting arm or embedded within a mirror mount. The light source may be focused downward to illuminate the ground and may provide vehicle status information and guiding information. Additionally the light source may sweep the ground back and forth or be directed under the control of the driver. The light source may be activated automatically when movement is detected near the vehicle. | 11-05-2009 |
20100079883 | Vehicular Mirror Having a Camera for Enhanced Vision - A system and/or apparatus provided as a side-view or rear-view mirror for providing a plurality of independently moveable reflective surfaces to enable a driver increased visibility. To increase visibility for the driver, the system and/or apparatus includes a camera for providing images around a vehicle to the driver within a vehicle during low-light or poor lighting conditions. | 04-01-2010 |
20100226026 | MIRROR MOUNTING ASSEMBLY - A mirror mounting assembly for mounting a mirror on a vehicle bulkhead. The assembly includes a mirror element and a main support arm having a first end and a second end. The mirror element is connected to the first end of the main support arm. The second end of the main support arm is mountable to the vehicle. A pair of brackets are configured to conform to an engine bay side wall of the vehicle. Each bracket has a center portion and two laterally extending flanges that extend at an angle from the center portion in opposite directions. One of the flanges of each bracket is connectable to the bulkhead of the vehicle in the engine bay. A first additional support arm has a first end connected to a first one of the brackets and a second end connected to the main support arm. A second additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. Finally, a third additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. | 09-09-2010 |
20100309557 | ANTI-GLARE VEHICULAR MIRROR - A mirror element for a school bus is mounted to the front to provide wide angle viewing of the ground in front of and to the side of the bus. An upper portion of the mirror element which is generally dome shaped is treated to reduce glare resulting from possible sun rays reflected in the direction of the bus driver. | 12-09-2010 |
20110007412 | Asymmetric Multiple Constant Radii of Curvature Convex Mirrors - An asymmetrical mirror lens, usable on front fenders of school buses and similar vehicles, which has a plurality of mirror sections, each having a distinct constant radius of curvature to reduce image distortion. Optional sections located between sections of the constant radius of curvature have a step-wise changing radii of curvature to smooth the image sizes as an object moves across the mirror lens. | 01-13-2011 |
20110096166 | TRACTOR TRAILER CAMERA CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHODS OF USE - A tractor trailer camera control system for relaying a camera video signal through existing tractor and trailer electrical lines without the requirement for a traditional dedicated camera video harness is disclosed. The camera video signal may alternatively be transmitted wirelessly. The camera control system may use relays for powering the various components and controlling the transmission of the camera video signal from the camera to a monitor installed in the cab. | 04-28-2011 |
20110134551 | MIRROR MOUNTING ASSEMBLY - A mirror mounting assembly for mounting a mirror on a vehicle bulkhead. The assembly includes a mirror element and a main support arm having a first end and a second end. The mirror element is connected to the first end of the main support arm. The second end of the main support arm is mountable to the vehicle. A pair of brackets are configured to conform to an engine bay side wall of the vehicle. Each bracket has a center portion and two laterally extending flanges that extend at an angle from the center portion in opposite directions. One of the flanges of each bracket is connectable to the bulkhead of the vehicle in the engine bay. A first additional support arm has a first end connected to a first one of the brackets and a second end connected to the main support arm. A second additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. Finally, a third additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. | 06-09-2011 |
20110176232 | MIRROR MOUNTING ASSEMBLY - A mirror mounting assembly for mounting a mirror on a vehicle bulkhead. The assembly includes a mirror element and a main support arm having a first end and a second end. The mirror element is connected to the first end of the main support arm. The second end of the main support arm is mountable to the vehicle. A pair of brackets are configured to conform to an engine bay side wall of the vehicle. Each bracket has a center portion and two laterally extending flanges that extend at an angle from the center portion in opposite directions. One of the flanges of each bracket is connectable to the bulkhead of the vehicle in the engine bay. A first additional support arm has a first end connected to a first one of the brackets and a second end connected to the main support arm. A second additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. Finally, a third additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. | 07-21-2011 |
20120105638 | CAMERA SYSTEM FOR LARGE VEHICLES - A vehicle-borne camera-based observation system for monitoring areas adjacent a vehicle or passenger vehicle, such as a bus or schoolbus, is disclosed, to provide safer operation for passersby, including for children, and driver convenience. The system includes several cameras, and several monitors in a driver's area displaying all of the fields of view from the cameras, such that each monitor may be controllable to show either the field of view of a first camera or a the field of view of a second camera, according to a driver selection or according to an automatic selection. Night vision, automatic tracking, and illumination systems are also provided. | 05-03-2012 |
20120134036 | ASYMMETRIC MULTIPLE CONSTANT RADII OF CURVATURE CONVEX MIRRORS - An asymmetrical mirror lens, usable on front fenders of school buses and similar vehicles, which has a plurality of mirror sections, each having a distinct constant radius of curvature to reduce image distortion. Optional sections located between sections of the constant radius of curvature have a step-wise changing radii of curvature to smooth the image sizes as an object moves across the mirror lens. | 05-31-2012 |
20130107384 | MIRROR MOUNTING ASSEMBLY | 05-02-2013 |
20130293975 | MIRROR ASSEMBLY AND ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM THEREOF - A mirror assembly includes an adjustable support system for supporting a mirror. The adjustable support system includes a first peripheral support element and a second peripheral support element, each having an adjustable height, and optionally a third, central support element having a fixed height. Each of the first and second peripheral support elements is coupled with a respective linear actuator for adjusting their respective heights, thereby adjusting and/or rotating the mirror. In some embodiments, additional peripheral elements are included at opposite sides of each of the first and second peripheral support elements to provide additional balance and/or dampening when the mirror is adjusted. | 11-07-2013 |
20140192196 | CAMERA SYSTEM FOR LARGE VEHICLES - A vehicle-borne camera-based observation system for monitoring areas adjacent a vehicle or passenger vehicle, such as a bus or schoolbus, is disclosed, to provide safer operation for passersby, including for children, and driver convenience. The system includes several cameras, and several monitors in a driver's area displaying all of the fields of view from the cameras, such that each monitor may be controllable to show either the field of view of a first camera or a the field of view of a second camera, according to a driver selection or according to an automatic selection. Night vision, automatic tracking, and illumination systems are also provided. | 07-10-2014 |
20140327979 | MIRROR MOUNTING ASSEMBLY - A mirror mounting assembly for mounting a mirror on a vehicle bulkhead, The assembly includes a mirror element and a main support arm having a first end and a second end. The mirror element is connected to the first end of the main support arm. The second end of the main support arm is mountable to the vehicle. A pair of brackets are configured to conform to an engine bay side wall of the vehicle. Each bracket has a center portion and two laterally extending flanges that extend at an angle from the center portion in opposite directions. One of the flanges of each bracket is connectable to the bulkhead of the vehicle in the engine bay. A first additional support arm has a first end connected to a first one of the brackets and a second end connected to the main support arm. A second additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. Finally, a third additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. | 11-06-2014 |
20140334025 | ASYMMETRIC SECTIONED CONVEX MIRRORS - Asymmetric sectioned mirrors are presented. The mirrors include, for example, constant radius of curvature sections that are selected to increase the sizes and improve the definitions of images, for example images of children milling, walking and/or standing about either the front or alongside regions of a school bus. The mirrors may be asymmetric in either or both the horizontal and vertical directions. The mirrors may include a mounting system capable of using both ball mounts and tunnel mounts. | 11-13-2014 |
20150085121 | MIRROR MONITOR USING TWO LEVELS OF REFLECTIVITY - A rear-view mirror and modular monitor system and method include an interior mirror that embeds a modular monitor behind see-through mirror glass. In some embodiments, the system includes multiple cameras, some in the vehicle, bus and/or truck, as well as some cameras outside the vehicle, bus and/or truck, advantageously providing the driver an opportunity to view what is happening, for example, in the back rows of the bus and/or cabin, while also using the mirror to look at objects in the bus and/or cabin that are visible using the mirror. The rear-view mirror and modular monitor system is configured to be easily assembled and/or disassembled when necessary for maintenance and/or to replace parts. | 03-26-2015 |