Teardrop shaped vehicular mirror
View Patent ↗A vehicle mirror assembly having a housing and dome-type mirror lens. The lens has a first base footprint portion with a constant radius of curvature and a diameter, and a second base footprint portion comprised of an elliptical portion with a base major axis and a base minor axis. The mirror lens includes a first surface portion having a first surface radius and conforming to the first base footprint portion. The lens additionally includes a second surface portion conforming to the second base footprint portion. The second surface portion is comprised of a second surface major radius of curvature corresponding to a major surface axis and a second surface minor radius of curvature corresponding to a minor surface axis.
1. A mirror assembly comprising:
(a) a base member;
(b) a dome-type mirror lens connected to said base member, said lens comprising:
(i) a first portion comprising a portion of a sphere having a substantially constant first radius of curvature throughout; and
(ii) a second portion comprising a portion of an oval ellipsoid having a second radius of curvature along a minor axis, and having a third radius of curvature along a major axis, the third radius of curvature being greater than said first and second radii of curvature.
2. A mirror assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said first portion is integral and merged with said second portion along a merge line.
3. A mirror assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said third radius of curvature comprises a varying radius of curvature.
4. A mirror assembly as described in claim 3 wherein said third radius of curvature comprises a varying radius of curvature which decreases along an outer surface of said second portion toward an outer perimetral edge.
5. A mirror assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said first portion produces a larger field of view than said second portion and said second portion produces a larger image view than said first portion.
6. A mirror assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said minor axis is shifted from a center of a length of said base member.
7. A mirror assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said minor axis is positioned a distance of approximately one-tenth to approximately one-fourth a length of said major axis from a center of a length of said base member.
8. A mirror assembly comprising:
(a) a base member;
(b) a dome-type mirror lens connected to said base member, said lens comprising:
(i) a first portion comprising a portion of a sphere having a substantially constant first radius of curvature throughout; and
(ii) a second portion comprising a portion of an oval ellipsoid wherein said second portion is adjacent to said first portion, said second portion having a second radius of curvature along a minor axis, and having a third radius of curvature along a major axis, the third radius of curvature being greater than said first and second radii of curvature.
9. A mirror assembly as described in claim 8 wherein said first portion is integral and merged with said second portion along a merge line.
10. A mirror assembly as described in claim 8 wherein said third radius of curvature comprises a varying radius of curvature.
11. A mirror assembly as described in claim 10 wherein said third radius of curvature comprises a varying radius of curvature which decreases along an outer surface of said second portion toward an outer perimetral edge.
12. A mirror assembly as described in claim 8 wherein said first portion produces a larger field of view than said second portion and said second portion produces a larger image view than said first portion.
13. A mirror assembly as described in claim 8 wherein said minor axis is shifted from a center of a length of said base member.
14. A mirror assembly as described in claim 8 wherein said minor axis is positioned a distance of approximately one-tenth to approximately one-fourth a length of said major axis from a center of a length of said base member.
15. A mirror assembly comprising:
(a) a base member;
(b) a dome-type mirror lens connected to said base member, said lens comprising:
(i) a first portion having a diameter and a height and comprising a portion of a sphere having a substantially constant first radius of curvature throughout, said first portion having a diameter to height ratio in a range of between 2:1 to 2.5:1; and
(ii) a second portion comprising a portion of an oval ellipsoid having a second radius of curvature along a first axis substantially the same as the first radius of curvature of said first portion, and having a third radius of curvature along a second axis.
16. A mirror assembly as described in claim 15 wherein said first portion is integral and merged with said second portion along a merge line.
17. A mirror assembly as described in claim 15 wherein said third radius of curvature comprises a varying radius of curvature.
18. A mirror assembly as described in claim 17 wherein said third radius of curvature comprises a varying radius of curvature which decreases along an outer surface of said second portion toward an outer perimetral edge.
19. A mirror assembly as described in claim 15 wherein said first portion produces a larger field of view than said second portion and said second portion produces a larger image view than said first portion.
20. A mirror assembly as described in claim 15 wherein said first axis is shifted from a center of a length of said base member.
21. A mirror assembly as described in claim 15 wherein said first axis is positioned a distance of approximately one-tenth to approximately one-fourth a length of said major axis from a center of a length of said base member.