Teardrop shaped vehicular mirror

Abstract

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 the minor axis substantially the same as the first radius of curvature of said first portion, and having a third radius of curvature along the 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 minor axis is shifted from a center of the length of said base member by a distance of approximately one-tenth to one-fourth the length of said major axis. 
     
     
         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 4  wherein said third radius of curvature comprises a varying radius of curvature which decreases along the outer surface of said second portion toward the 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 comprising:
 (a) a base member;   (b) a dome-type mirror lens connected to said base member, said lens having two dome-type portions, the two dome-type portions comprising the substantial entirety of the dome-type mirror lens, the two dome-type portions 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 the minor axis substantially the same as the first radius of curvature of said first portion, and having a third radius of curvature along the major axis, the third radius of curvature being greater than said first and second radii of curvature; 
   (c) wherein said first and second portions are smoothly merged together to form said complete dome-type lens member.