Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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EUC~ J9D ~D BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF 19E INVENTION
Automotive vehicle sunvi60r6 having lighted vanity nirror for
forward Eeat pa~sengers are known in the art. 8uch mirror6 are normally
located on the side of the vi60r facing the pa6senger when ~n lowered
position and nay be adjus W to the desired reflecting angle throuqh
~djustment of the visor, the angle of the mirror relative to ~he visor
being fixed.
In general no 6imilar vanity mirror has been avail~ble for the
oonvenien oe of rear seat pasfienger6; also; in ~ener~l the only li~ht
~vailable for rear aeat pa~senger~ for reading or the like while the
vehicle iB underway has been located in the header of the roof, or in
~ome ca6es in side pillar6 of the vehicle. 8uch lights, if ~hining
while the vehicle is underway, can be di6tracting to ~he driver and c~n
possibly im~air his clear vision of outslde tr~ffic conditions,
p rticul~rly at night.
Accordingly, it i8 the primary object of the Fresent invention to
provide a vanity mirror and map or reading light arrang~ment which
overoomes the aforementioned disadvant~ge6 of Er:Lor arrangements. The
invention reside6 in the provi6ion of a mirror ~nd light a6~embly which
i6 mcunted on the rear 6ide of one or both of the front vehicle Eeat6,
Dnd ~re~erably on the head restraint portion thereof.
Another object of the present invention i6 to Frovide a
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m~lti-position vanity mirror and map or reading light arrangement for
back seat passengers, as well a~ one which may be covered if desired.
Another object of the Fresent invention resides in the Frovision of
a neat, attractive head restraint for front ~eats which incorporates a
vanity mirror and map or reading light arrangement for back seat
eassengers.
Front seat head restraints, whether integrated or seearate fro~ the
Eeat, have now becom~e safety mandated standard e~uipment in order to
pcotect passengers against neck injur$es resulting from sudden vehicle
acceleration caused by rear end oollisions. Such head restraints are
normally in close alignment with the forward vision of rear seat
p ssengers. This has been discovered to provide an ex oe llent location
for a vanity mirror for use by a rear seat pa~6enger, except that most
head re~traints, unlike sunvisors, have a relatively fixed position 80
as not to easily accommodate adjustment of mirror angle. However,
conventional head restraints do have a 6ubstantial dep~h, relatively
greater than the thickness of a sunvisor, and this has been found to be
sufficient to accommcdate a pivotal mounting for the mirror within the
headrest.
~ ide lights on the mirror oombined with a 6uitable pivoting action
have ~180 been found to provide a convenient supplemental reading or map
light for the rear passengers which, in fact, may take the Faa oe of and
obviate the ne oe s~ity for a conventional overhead header or pillar
light, with its attendant disadvantages.
Additional object6 and advantages of the Fresent invention will
become apperent from a reading of the detailed description of the
preferred embodi~ents, which make referen oe to the following #t of
drawing.
Figure 1 is a Ferspective view of the rear side of a head restraint
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on the top of a vehicle front ~eat incorporating an embodiment of the
vanity mirror assembly of the Fre~ent invention;
Figure 2 is a view, partly in tran~verse Eection, taken generally
along line 2-2 in Figure 1, bL~ with the head re~traint in a raised
Fsition with respect to the seat;
Figure 3 i a partial sectional view taken generally along line 3-3
in Figure 2;
~ igure 4 iE a transverse cross-sectional view of a Eecond
embodiment of the F~e ent invention,
Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of third and fourth
em~odiments of the preEent invention, reEpectively;
Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view Einilar to
Figure 4, but illustrating a fifth embodiment of the invention;
Figure 8 i8 a fragmentary cro6E-sectional view similar to Figure 7,
but ~llustrating the details of construction of a light assembly of the
Fre8ent invention; and
Figures 9-12 are pPr6pective view6 of four additional embodiment~
of the present invention.
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With referen oe to Figure 1, there is illustrated a head restraint
10 mounted on the top of a vehicle front -seat 11 and incorporating a
lighted vsnity mirror asEembly 12 oomprising an open plaEtic receptacle
~2 in whlch is dispDsed a mirror hou6ing 20 supporting a mirror 13, 6ide
lights 14, a light switch 15 ~nd a cover 16 having a fabric hinge 17 and
hook-and-loop 6trip6 18. Mating hook-and-loop elements 19 disposed on
receptacle 22 retain cover 16 in it6 closed position. As best shown in
Figure 3, hou6ing 20 i6 provided with pivotal exten6ions 21 at each end
pivotally dispD6ed in 6uitable 60ckets in the ends of re oe ptacle 22,
whlch is embedded within the head restraint. Suitable wiring 23 extends
~long the headrest mounting arm 24 for light6 14 operated by 6witch 15,
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which nay be of either the msnually actuated 61ide type, or of the
pushbutton type responsive to cover opening and closing control.
It will be understood that tilting of the mirror about a horizontal
axis to any de6ired ~irror reflecting, or map reading, angle as
illustrated at 25 in Figure 2, nay be accommodated by the pivotal
mounting at 21.
Referring to Figure 4, there i6 illustrated in transverse
cross-section a head re6traint 30 compri6ing a foam core 32, a
reinforcing element 34 e~bedded therein, an outer skin 36 and a mlrror
assembly 40. The core, reinforcing element and skin are conventional.
ReLnforoement element 34 18 manufactured from ~heet ~etal and posses æ s
the propertie6 and characteristic6 required by the automotive industry
for su6taining shock6 o~ acceleration ~nd deceleration. It is of an
overall tubular con~iguration, as shown in Figure 4, compri6ing a flange
36, a bottom wall portion 38, rear wall portions 40 and 42, a top wall
portion 44 substantially parallel to bottom wall portion 38 and a front
wall portion 46. Reinforoement element 34 ha6 a plurality of apertures
48 therethrough 80 that it will be permeated with foam and will be of
~nlmum weight for it~ de6ired strength.
Head restraint 30 is mounted to the vehicle ~eat by a centrally
located ~ingle ~sunt~ng arm 50 extending through an aperture 52 in
bottom wall portlon 38. Mount~ng arm S0 has an angled upper portion 54
affixed to a mounting tab 56 lanced out of wall portion 40. Arm 80,
which may be rectangular in cros6-sectlon, has one or re groove6 58 in
which are di6posed power lead6 60.
Mirror assembly 40 oompri6es a ~Dunting paate 62 havlng a shape
oomplimentary to reinforcement element 34 and is affixed thereto by
rivets or the like 64. Pqate 62 support6, as by threaded fasteners 66,
a rectangular open pla6tic re oe ptacle 68 in which is pivotally di6po æ d
a ~irror housLng 70 (shown ln phantom lines), which is identical to mirror
housing 20 $n the fir6t embodiment. Re oe ptacle 68 has a peripheral
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flange 72 which is generally flush with the surface of the head
restraint and frames mirror hou~ing 70. Mirror as6emb1y 40 also
includes a cover 72 having an overall rectangular ~haFe in plan and
compri6ing a stiff elongated planar nember 74 covered ~y a foam cushion
76 and an outer oDvering 78. Covering 78 includes an integral hinge
portion B0 by which the cover i~ secured to head re6traint 30, as b~ ;
means of e~ongs 81 Frojecting inwardly from the inside face of the lower
portion of flange 72. A pad 82 is pcsitioned on cover 72 for contactins
p~lunger 84 of a 6uitable light switch 86 affixed to the bottom of
receptacle 68 and flange 72. Pad 82 may be a hard pla6tic circular di6k
and 16 pasitioned ~o that it actuates plunger 84 when the cover i~
pivoted upwardly to its closed position.
In order to secure cover 72 in it~ closed position one or more
magnets B8 are affixed to the inside fa oe of the top portion of flange
72, and a metallic strip 90 i~ positioned in cover 72 underneath
oovering 78. If desired, magnets 88 may be unted by 6nap~ing them
into a suitably ~haped groove located a6 shcwn in Figure 4. Magnets 88
magnetlcally attract metallic strip gO to secure cover 72 in a clo æ d
poBitiOn when tt ha6 been manu~lly plvoted to that po6ition.
5he embodiment of Fiqure 5 16 similar to that of Figure 4, exoe F~
that oover 72 i8 pivoted at lt6 top edge, rather than at lts lower ed~
~nd the head restraint 92 16 of a sliqhtly different overalt
configuration.
~ he embodiment of Figure 6 iB sim~lar to that of Figure 5, except
that the oover 16 divided into two portions 94 and 96 each secured tv
head restraint 98 by a vertioatly extending integral hinge lO0 dispo6ed
on the lateral 6ide6 thereof. In this p rticular embodiment, cover
portions 94 and 96 can optionally each be provided with a mirror 102 on
lts interior surfa oe. The increased ~umber of mirror6 lncrease~ the
visible 6urfa oe of the viewer. If desirect, illumination means 104 na~
~180 be eo6itioned on each cover portion 94 and 96. m e emkodiment of
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Figure 6 also incorporates a dual mounting aIm configuration having two
cylindrical hollow tubular anms 106. In this configuration, power leads
60 may be positioned in the interior of each of hollow tubular arms
106. Mounting arms 106 may be secured to the head restraint
reinforcement element in the same manner as in the emkodiment of Figure
4.
In the embodiment of Figure 7, the mirror housing 70 is mounted by
a ball and ~ocket connection to provide for limited universal movement
of the mirror and lights with resFect to the 6eat and head restraint.
~he oonnection comprises a 60cket 108 affixed to mounting plate 46 and a
complimentary shaped and 6ized tall member 110 attached to the back of
mirror housing 70 and pivotally disposed in socket 108. The parts may
be formed of a re6ilient material, such as plastic, 80 that they may be
a6sembled by being merely snapFed together. ffl is embodiment is
otherwise the same as that d Figure 4.
In Figure 8 there is ~hown, in cross-section, a representative
light assembly, usually two of which are used in each mirror assembly.
At the location of a light assembly, mirror housing 70 comprises a
removable Fresnel lens 112, a support bracket and reflector 114 affixed
to housing 70 and overlying the inside face of lens 1l2, and affixed to
bracket 114 a bulb socket and reflector nember 116 in which a
conventional bulb 118 i8 removably di6posed. Pcwer is supplied using
oonvention~l wiring from the vehicle battery. Alternatively, a separate
battery can be located in each Eeat or head restraint Frovided with a
vanity mirror of the Fresent invention. m e switch circuit is
conventional.
m e present vanity mirror assembly 12 may also be positioned in the
back of a vehicle seat 150 having an integral head restraint 152, as
~hown in Figures 9 and 10. In Figure 9 integral head restraint 152 is
modified to accommodate the vanity mirror a6sembly 12 de cribed herein.
Alternatively, vanity mirror a6sembly 12 of the Fresent invention may be
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positioned elsewhere in the back of vehicle seat 150, as shown in Figure
10. Sin oe the present invention provides for pivoting movement of the
mirror and lights, the vanity mirror assembly can be positioned in a
multiplicity of p~sitions on a vehicle 6eat back and ~till function
~atisfactorily.
Figure 11 illustrates another embodiment of ~he present ir~ention
in which a mirror assembly 200 is pivotably mounted to a head restraint
202 having a re oe ss 204 on it~ posterior Eide for 6torage o mirror
assembly 200 in its closed position. Mirror assembly 200 comprises a
light assembly 206, a mirror 13 and a ba6e plate 208. ~he mirror and
light AQsembly can be of any desired construction. m e base plate 208
is generally rectangular in plan and i6 hinged along its top edge (when
open) to head re6traint 202, in any suitable manner. Light assembly 206
preferably projects from the plane of baEe plate 206, and has a
rectangular lens positioned adia oe nt the top edge of mirror 13 when
as6embly 200 i6 open. The light a6sembly and mirror retract into the
re oe ss 204 of head restraint 202 when the a6semb1y is in its closec
po~ition. Any type of closing and latching means may be used to
maintain the assembly in it6 closed position, including magnetic means,
hook and loop fa6tener ~eans, latch and catch means, and the like.
Mirror a~sembly 200 is sh3wn in an interm~diate position in Figure 11.
~hen open, the mirror assembly hangs downwardly where it can be manually
tilted to any desired position.
Figure 12 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention
in which a head restraint 300 has a recess 302 on it6 posterior side
adapted to accept a vanity mirror and light assanbly 304. Assembly 30~
comprises a ba6e plate 306 hinged at 30B to a mirror support 310 on
which is mcunted a mirror 312 and a pe$r of light a6~enblies 314 of an~
desired type. A6sembly 304 is pivotally connected to restraint 300 by a
pivotal hinge located at 316.
Mirror 312 (and lights 314) can be manually set at any inclination
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by merely swinging the assembly about pivot 31~, with the top edge of
the assembly resting against the bottom surfa oe of re oe ss 302. If
desired, ~uitable notches may be F ovided on either mirror suF~ort 310
or one of the surfaces of recess 302, with corresponding Frojections on
the other pert, in order to p~ovide fixed mirror positions. To close
the assembly, mirror ~up~ort 310 is swung downwardly against ba æ plate
306, and the entire assembly swung uFwardly into closed position, where
it can be maintained by any suitable latch or gripping arrangement.
While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the
invention disclo&ed are well calcllated to provide the advantages and
features above skated, it will be appfeciated that the invention is
6us oe ptible to modification, variation and change without departing from
the Froper 6coFe or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.
