Quick release vehicle mirror
View Patent ↗A mirror assembly for a vehicle is securable to a tubular member that defines a central axis and is secured to the vehicle. The mirror assembly comprises a clamping assembly including a concave surface that is engagable with the tubular member. A housing is coupled to the clamping assembly and supports a mirror. A latching assembly engages the clamping assembly and the housing and is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. In the latched position, the housing is held substantially fixed with respect to the tubular member. In the unlatched position, the clamping assembly is movable in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis and is pivotable about the central axis, and the housing is pivotable with respect to the clamping assembly about a pin axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis.
1. A mirror assembly for a vehicle, the mirror assembly being securable to a tubular member that defines a central axis and is secured to the vehicle, the mirror assembly comprising:
a clamping assembly including a concave surface that is engageable with the tubular member;
a housing coupled to the clamping assembly and supporting a mirror; and
a latching assembly engaging the clamping assembly and the housing and being movable between a latched position wherein the housing is held substantially fixed with respect to the tubular member, and an unlatched position wherein the clamping assembly is movable in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis and is pivotable about the central axis, and the housing is pivotable with respect to the clamping assembly about a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis.
2. The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clamping assembly includes a first clamp and a second clamp pivotally coupled to each other along a clamp axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced from the central axis.
3. The mirror assembly of claim 2 , wherein moving the latching assembly between the latched position and unlatched position pivots the first clamp and the second clamp toward and away from each other about the clamp axis.
4. The mirror assembly of claim 2 , wherein the concave surface is defined by the first clamp and the second clamp defines a second concave surface, the first and second concave surfaces cooperating to frictionally engage the tubular member when the latching assembly is in the latched position.
5. The mirror assembly of claim 2 , further comprising an elongated locking member extending through the clamping assembly and having a first end pivotably coupled to the latching assembly and a second end coupled to the housing.
6. The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a frusto-conical cup and the clamping assembly includes a frusto-conical protrusion, the protrusion engaging an inner surface of the cup, the pivot axis extending axially through the frusto-conical cup and the frusto-conical protrusion.
7. The mirror assembly of claim 6 , wherein pivoting the housing with respect to the clamping assembly about the pivot axis includes pivoting the frusto-conical cup.
8. The mirror assembly of claim 6 , wherein when the latch assembly is in the latched position the protrusion lockingly engages the cup and wherein when the latch assembly is in the unlatched position the protrusion pivotably engages the cup.
9. The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latching assembly includes a cam protrusion and the clamping assembly includes a cam recess adapted to cooperate with the cam protrusion, and wherein when the latching assembly is moved from the unlatched position toward the latched position the cam protrusion and the cam recess cooperate to engage the concave surface with the tubular member.
10. The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latching assembly pivots about a pin axis, the pin axis being substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis.
11. A mirror assembly securable to a tubular member of a vehicle exterior, the assembly comprising:
a housing supporting a mirror;
a first mounting member rotatably coupled to the housing for rotation about a pivot axis, the first mounting member including a first concave surface opening away from the housing;
a second mounting member pivotally coupled to the first mounting member for pivotal movement about a clamp axis, the clamp axis being substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis, the second mounting member including a second concave surface opposed to the first concave surface, the first and second concave surfaces adapted to at least partially surround the tubular member;
an elongated locking member extending through the first and second mounting members and having a first end secured to the housing and a second end; and
a latch pivotally coupled to the second end of the elongated locking member, the latch being movable between a latched position, wherein the housing is substantially fixed with respect to the tubular member, and an unlatched position wherein the housing is movable with respect to the tubular member.
12. The mirror assembly of claim 11 , wherein the tubular member defines a central axis and the mirror assembly is pivotable about the central axis when the latch is in the unlatched position.
13. The mirror assembly of claim 11 , wherein the tubular member defines a central axis and the first and second mounting members are movable in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis when the latch is in the unlatched position.
14. The mirror assembly of claim 11 , wherein the tubular member defines a central axis and the housing is pivotable with respect to the first mounting member about a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis when the latch is in the unlatched position.
15. The mirror assembly of claim 11 , wherein the elongated locking member is substantially aligned with the pivot axis, and wherein the latch pivots about a pin axis, the pin axis being substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis.
16. The mirror assembly of claim 11 , wherein the latch includes a cam protrusion and the second mounting member includes a cam recess contoured to receive the cam protrusion in mating engagement, and wherein when the latch is moved from the unlatched position toward the latched position, the cam protrusion and cam recess cooperate to draw the second mounting member toward the housing, securing the first mounting member therebetween.
17. The mirror assembly of claim 11 , wherein the housing includes a frusto-conical cup having a narrow end and an enlarged end aligned along the pivot axis, the elongated locking member engaging the narrow end and the enlarged end engaging an inner surface of the housing.
18. The mirror assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first mounting member includes a frusto-conical protrusion on a side opposite the concave recess, the protrusion extending through a hole defined in the housing and being at least partially surrounded by the cup.
19. A method of securing a mirror assembly to a vehicle having a tubular member that defines a central axis, the mirror assembly including a clamping assembly that is engageable with the tubular member, a housing coupled to the clamping assembly and supporting a mirror, and a latch assembly, the method comprising:
moving the latch assembly into a latched position and holding the housing substantially fixed with respect to the tubular member; and
moving the latch assembly into an unlatched position and adjusting the mirror with respect to the vehicle, adjusting the mirror including moving the clamping assembly in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis, pivoting the clamping assembly about the central axis, and pivoting the housing with respect to the clamping assembly about a pin axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis;
wherein the clamping assembly includes a first clamp and a second clamp coupled to each other along a clamp axis, and wherein moving the latch assembly into the unlatched position includes pivoting the first clamp and second clamp toward and away from each other about the clamp axis.
20. A method of securing a mirror assembly to a vehicle having a tubular member that defines a central axis, the mirror assembly including a clamping assembly that is engageable with the tubular member, a housing coupled to the clamping assembly and supporting a mirror, and a latch assembly, the method comprising:
moving the latch assembly into a latched position and holding the housing substantially fixed with respect to the tubular member; and
moving the latch assembly into an unlatched position and adjusting the mirror with respect to the vehicle, adjusting the mirror including moving the clamping assembly in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis, pivoting the clamping assembly about the central axis, and pivoting the housing with respect to the clamping assembly about a pin axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis;
wherein the clamping assembly includes a first clamp and a second clamp coupled to each other along a clamp axis that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the central axis, and wherein moving the latch assembly into the unlatched position includes pivoting the first clamp and second clamp toward and away from each other about the clamp axis.
21. A method of securing a mirror assembly to a vehicle having a tubular member that defines a central axis, the mirror assembly including a clamping assembly that is engageable with the tubular member, a housing coupled to the clamping assembly and supporting a mirror, and a latch assembly, the method comprising:
moving the latch assembly into a latched position and holding the housing substantially fixed with respect to the tubular member; and
moving the latch assembly into an unlatched position and adjusting the mirror with respect to the vehicle, adjusting the mirror including moving the clamping assembly in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis, pivoting the clamping assembly about the central axis, and pivoting the housing with respect to the clamping assembly about a pin axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis;
wherein the clamping assembly includes a first clamp defining a first concave surface and a second clamp defining a second concave surface, and wherein moving the latch assembly into the latched position includes surrounding and frictionally engaging the tubular member with the first concave surface and the second concave surface.
22. A method of securing a mirror assembly to a vehicle having a tubular member that defines a central axis, the mirror assembly including a clamping assembly that is engageable with the tubular member, a housing coupled to the clamping assembly and supporting a mirror, and a latch assembly, the method comprising:
moving the latch assembly into a latched position and holding the housing substantially fixed with respect to the tubular member; and
moving the latch assembly into an unlatched position and adjusting the mirror with respect to the vehicle, adjusting the mirror including moving the clamping assembly in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis, pivoting the clamping assembly about the central axis, and pivoting the housing with respect to the clamping assembly about a pin axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis;
wherein the latching assembly includes a cam protrusion and the clamping assembly includes a cam recess adapted to cooperate with the cam protrusion, and wherein moving the latch assembly into the latched position includes moving the cam protrusion into engagement with the cam recess.
23. A method of securing a mirror assembly to a vehicle having a tubular member that defines a central axis, the mirror assembly including a clamping assembly that is engageable with the tubular member, a housing coupled to the clamping assembly and supporting a mirror, and a latch assembly, the method comprising:
moving the latch assembly into a latched position and holding the housing substantially fixed with respect to the tubular member; and
moving the latch assembly into an unlatched position and adjusting the mirror with respect to the vehicle, adjusting the mirror including moving the clamping assembly in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis, pivoting the clamping assembly about the central axis, and pivoting the housing with respect to the clamping assembly about a pin axis that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis;
wherein the housing includes a frusto-conical cup and the clamping assembly includes a frusto-conical protrusion, a narrow end of the protrusion engaging an inner surface of the cup, the pivot axis extending axially through the frusto-conical cup and the frusto-conical protrusion, and wherein pivoting the housing with respect to the clamping assembly includes pivoting the frusto-conical cup about the pivot axis.