TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a front near-field mirror according to the preamble of claim 1 . The invention relates also to a system for control of a front near-field mirror. It also relates to a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND

To improve overall driver supervision of them, trucks are provided with a set of rear view mirrors and near-field mirrors. A truck cab's A-column and side mirrors cause areas obliquely outside the right corner of trucks intended for right-handed traffic to be invisible to the vehicle's driver, with consequent safety risk when the vehicle is turning right.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to propose a front near-field mirror which improves the safety of motor vehicles such as trucks. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects indicated by the description set out below are achieved by a front near-field mirror, a system and a motor vehicle of the kind indicated in the introduction which further present the features indicated in the characterising parts of the attached independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the front near-field mirror are defined in the attached dependent claims.

The invention achieves the objects with a front near-field mirror intended for a motor vehicle and arranged to provide the vehicle's driver with visibility of a front near area of the route ahead of and below the front of the vehicle, characterised in that said mirror is adjustable for visibility of a near area which is concealed from the driver by an A-column and/or side rearview mirror and is part of the route of the vehicle when turning. Such use of the vehicle's front near-field mirror improves safety during turns.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror the near area comprises the route laterally outside the vehicle. Safety during vehicle turns is thus improved.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror, the mirror is situated in front of the vehicle's front windscreen, thereby facilitating visibility of not only front near areas of the route ahead of and below the vehicle's front but also the near area laterally outside the vehicle which is concealed from the driver by an A-column and/or side rear view mirror and forms part of the route of the vehicle when turning.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror, the mirror is adjustable to a position outside the side plane of the vehicle's cab, thereby facilitating visibility of the near area which is concealed from the driver by an A-column and/or side rearview mirror and forms part of the route of the vehicle when turning.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror, the mirror is adjustable pivotably about a substantially vertical axis between a first position for visibility of the front near area and a second position for visibility of the near area. The result is an effective way of adjusting the front near-field mirror for visibility of the near area which is concealed from the driver by an A-column and/or side rearview mirror and forms part of the route of the vehicle when turning.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror, adjustment of the mirror is arranged to be activated on the basis of activation of direction indicators. Safety is thus further improved in that adjustment of the mirror takes place automatically when the need arises, i.e. when the vehicle is turning. In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror, adjustment of the mirror is arranged to be activated on the basis of steering wheel deflection. Safety is thus further improved in that adjustment of the mirror takes place automatically when the need arises, i.e. when the vehicle is turning. In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror, adjustment of the mirror is arranged to take place automatically, thus further improving safety in that the driver need take no action, since adjustment of the mirror takes place when necessary.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror, adjustment of the mirror is arranged to be effected manually, making it possible for the driver to set the mirror according to his/her own need for improved safety.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror, the manual adjustment of the mirror is arranged to be effected via an operating means, making it possible for the driver to adjust the mirror from his/her driving position. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by reading the detailed description set out below in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which the same reference notations are used for the same items throughout the various views, and Fig. 1 depicts a schematic plan view of a motor vehicle with a front near-field mirror according to an embodiment of the present invention,

Fig. 2 depicts schematically a front near-field mirror according to an embodiment of the present invention,

Fig. 3 depicts a schematic sideview of a motor vehicle with a front near-field mirror according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 depicts schematically a system for control of a front near-field mirror according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The term "link" refers herein to a communication link which may be a physical line such as an opto-electronic communication line, or a non-physical line such as a wireless connection, e.g. a radio link or microwave link.

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a motor vehicle 1 with a front near-field mirror 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 depicts schematically a front near-field mirror 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention and Fig. 3 a schematic side view of a motor vehicle 1 with a front near-field mirror 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The vehicle 1 has a front side 1 a and a right side 1 b and a left side 1 c. The vehicle has a driving cab 2. The vehicle is provided with side mirrors 20, 22 situated respectively on its right side 1 b and left side 1 c to provide the driver with visibility of areas A1 , A2 rearwards along the vehicle's longitudinal extent. These side mirrors are respectively situated on the right side and the left side of the driving cab 2. They take the form of side rear view mirrors and side near-field mirrors. The vehicle has a front windscreen 3 situated on its front side 1 a. The front windscreen is thus situated on the front side of the cab. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the cab 2 has a vehicle door 4, vehicle wheels 5 and A-columns 6.

In the embodiment depicted in Figs. 1 and 3, the vehicle takes the form of a truck. In the same embodiment it takes the form of a vehicle for right-hand traffic in which the driving position is on the left side in the cab 2, here represented by a vehicle steering wheel 7.

The vehicle 1 further comprises a front near-field mirror 10 situated in front of its front windscreen 3. This mirror 10 is arranged to provide the vehicle's driver with visibility of a front near area A3 of the route ahead of and below the vehicle's front 1 a. It is attached to an upper portion of the front side of the cab 2 close to the front windscreen 3 and close to the side plane of the cab. The front near-field mirror 10 is further adjustable for visibility of a near area A4 which is concealed from the driver by an A-column 6 and/or side rear view mirror 20 and which forms part of the route of the vehicle depicted in Figs. 1 and 3 when turning right. It is adjustable to a position outside the side plane of the cab. The front near-field mirror 10 is consequently arranged when in a first position to provide visibility of the front near area A3 of the route ahead of and below the vehicle's front 1 a, and when in a second position to provide visibility of the near area A4 which is concealed from the driver by an A- column 6 and/or side rear view mirror 20 and forms part of the route of the vehicle when turning. In Fig. 1 the first position of the mirror 10 is represented by a continuous line and the second position by a dotted line.

In the embodiment depicted in Figs. 1 and 3 the vehicle has a shielding portion 8 protruding from the upper portion of its front 1 a.

Fig. 2 depicts a front near-field mirror 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment the mirror 10 has a mirror side 10a with a mirror glass 12. The mirror glass has a concave configuration. The mirror further has a body 14 to which the mirror glass is fastened.

The mirror 10 further has a fastening arm 16 for fastening it on the vehicle. This fastening arm is fastened pivotably about an axis X on one side 14a of the mirror body 14.

The fastening arm 16 has a first arm portion 16a running from the fastening of the mirror body 14 substantially at right angles from the side 14a of the mirror body to which the fastening arm is fastened and consequently runs substantially in the direction of the axis X.

The fastening arm 16 has a second arm portion 16b which, via a bend, constitutes a continuation of the first arm portion 16a. This second arm portion is arranged to run at an angle relative to the first arm portion 16a in the direction of the axis Y. The second arm portion is configured to be fastened pivotably to the vehicle's front 1 a.

In the embodiment depicted in Figs. 1 and 3 the fastening arm 16 is arranged to be fastened to the protruding shielding portion 8 of the vehicle's cab 2. Accordingly, the second arm portion 16b of the fastening arm is fastened pivotably about the axis Y to the underside of the protruding shielding portion.

The second arm portion 16b is thus arranged to run substantially vertically downwards from the protruding shielding portion 8 such that the fastening arm 16 makes at the bend a transition to the first arm portion 16a which is arranged to point away from the front side 1 a of the vehicle's cab 2. The front near-field mirror 10 is thus situated in front of and at a distance from the vehicle's front windscreen 3.

In one embodiment the front near-field mirror 10 is adjustable between the first position and the second position by pivoting of the fastening arm 16 about the substantially vertical axis Y. The mirror is pivotable about the vertical axis Y between the first position which provides the driver with visibility of the front near area A3 of the route immediately in front of and below the vehicle's front 1 a and the second position which provides the driver with visibility of the near area A4 which is concealed from him/her by an A- column 6 and/or side rear view mirror 20 and forms part of the route of the vehicle when turning.

In a variant the front near-field mirror 10 is also adjustable by pivoting of the fastening arm 16 about the substantially horizontal axis X for adjustment in the second position to optimise visibility for the driver of the near area A4 which is concealed from him/her by an A-column 6 and/or side rear view mirror 20 and forms part of the route of the vehicle when turning.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror 10 its adjustment is arranged to take place automatically. In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror 10 its adjustment is arranged to be activated on the basis of activation of direction indicators so that during the turn the mirror 10 is adjusted to provide the driver with visibility of the near area A4 which is concealed from him/her by an A-column 6 and/or side rear view mirror 20 and forms part of the route during the turn. This is illustrated by the system I in Fig. 4.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror 10 its adjustment is arranged to be activated on the basis of steering wheel deflection so that during the turn the mirror 10 is adjusted to provide the driver with visibility of the near area A4 which is concealed from him/her by an A-column 6 and/or side rear view mirror 20 and forms part of the route during the turn. This is illustrated by the system I in Fig. 4.

In one embodiment of the front near-field mirror 10 its adjustment is arranged to be effected manually. In one embodiment of the mirror 10 its manual adjustment is arranged to be effected via an operating means. This is illustrated by the system I in Fig. 4.

The above description is of a front near-field mirror 10 fastened close to the vehicle's front 1 a via a fastening arm and adjustable between the first position and the second position by pivoting of the fastening arm 16 about a substantially vertical axis Y of the fastening arm to provide visibility of the near area A4 which is concealed from the driver by an A-column 6 and/or side rear view mirror 20. The mirror 10 might be pivotably fastened to the vehicle in any suitable way and be adjustable in any suitable way to provide visibility of the near area A4 when the vehicle is turning. Fig. 4 depicts schematically a system for control of a front near-field mirror 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The system I comprises an electronic control unit 100 for control of the front near-field mirror 10. The system I further comprises means 1 10 for detection of activation of direction indicators.

The system I further comprises means 120 for detection of steering wheel deflection.

The system I further comprises an operating means 130 for adjusting the position of the front near-field mirror 10.

The system I further comprises means 140 for detecting the position of the front near-field mirror.

The electronic control unit 100 is signal-connected via a link to the means 1 10 for detection of activation of direction indicators. The electronic control unit is arranged to receive from the means 1 10 for detection of activation of direction indicators a signal via the link which represents direction indicator data for the intended turn indicated.

The electronic control unit 100 is signal-connected via a link to the means 120 for detection of steering wheel deflection. The electronic control unit is arranged to receive from the means 120 for detection of steering wheel deflection a signal via the link which represents steering wheel deflection data for the intended turn indicated.

The electronic control unit 100 is signal-connected via a link to the operating means 130 via a link. The electronic control unit is arranged to receive from the operating means 130 a signal via the link which represents adjustment data for adjusting the position of the front near-field mirror. The electronic control unit 100 is signal-connected via a link to the means 140 for detecting the position of the front near-field mirror 10. The electronic control unit is arranged to receive from the means 140 for detecting the mirror's position a signal via the link which represents position data for the mirror's current position.

The electronic control unit 100 is signal-connected via a link to the front near- field mirror via a link. The electronic control unit is arranged to send to the near-field mirror 10 via the link a signal which represents adjustment data for adjusting the mirror's position. The electronic control unit 100 is arranged to process said direction indicator data and/or steering wheel deflection data and/or adjustment data and said position data in order to determine said position adjustment data for adjusting the position of the near-field mirror to provide the vehicle's driver with visibility of a near area which is concealed from him/her by an A-column and/or side rear view mirror and forms part of the route of the vehicle when turning.

In an alternative or complementary variant the operating means 130 is signal- connected directly to the front near-field mirror 10 via a link. The operating means 130 is arranged to send to the mirror via the link a signal which represents adjustment data for adjusting the position of the mirror. The above description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is provided for illustrative and descriptive purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive, nor to restrict the invention to the variants described. Many modifications and variations will obviously suggest themselves to one skilled in the art. The embodiments have been chosen and described in order best to explain the principles of the invention and their practical applications and thus make it possible for one skilled in the art to understand the invention for different embodiments and with the various modifications appropriate to the intended use.