Mirror mounting assembly
View Patent ↗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.
1. In a mirror assembly for a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes: a vehicle bulkhead; a hood movably connected to the vehicle bulkhead, the hood movable between an open and a closed position, and a body panel having a top portion and a side portion, wherein the body panel includes at least one fender secured to the vehicle bulkhead by a plurality of mounting bolts disposed in mounting holes, and wherein the mirror assembly includes: a mirror arm assembly including a first end and a second end, a mirror element being connected to the first end; a mirror support bracket including a first side and a second side, the first side being connected to the mirror arm assembly and the second side configured to substantially continuously engage and rest on the side portion of the body panel, the second side configured to substantially continuously engage and rest on the top portion of the body panel, and a bracket, the bracket including a first extending section, the first section being connected to the mirror support bracket, the second section including at least one through hole, a method of installing the mirror assembly comprising steps of:
providing the mirror assembly for attachment to the vehicle using the mirror support bracket and the mirror arm assembly;
opening the hood of the vehicle to the open position;
placing the second section of the mirror assembly so that the at least one through hole is co-extensive with a location for at least one mounting hole;
engaging and resting the second side of the mirror support bracket on the side portion of the body panel;
engaging and resting the second side of the mirror support bracket on the top portion of the body panel; and
placing at least one mounting bolt through the through hole of the second section and through the at least one mounting hole.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
said placing the second section is performed so that extending through holes are co-extensive with at least two mounting holes; and
said placing the at least one mounting bolt is performed so that at least two mounting bolts are placed through the at least two through holes and through the second section.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bracket provides stability for the mirror assembly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bracket is configured to have a contour that substantially follows a wall of an engine compartment and a side edge of the vehicle hood.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bracket is configured to have a contour that substantially follows an interior surface of the body panel, including the fender portion of a vehicle forming a perimeter of the vehicle's engine compartment.