In fact, all modern cars have three rearview mirrors in their design. One of them is located directly in the vehicle cabin and is attached to the windshield. Two more mirrors are located outside and are located on the front door of the car - on the left and right.

For the first time, the rear-view mirrors were used at the beginning of the previous century, then they were invented during the safety racing. However, already quite a few years before that, motorists used ordinary pocket mirrors who held in their hands, as if primitive it did not sound. Information about such operation is registered in several historical directories of England.

Types of car mirrors

Car rear-view mirrors are some of the indispensable components of the vehicle control, without which the car operation will not be so secure and comfortable.

They perform several functions in the car, one of which is the function of providing convenient maneuvering and safety. Car mirrors are extreme need when opening the doors of the car at the stop or roadway, when moving with reverse, with direct movement or rebuilding of the vehicle - overtaking, the detour of obstacles, advance and so on.

The rear view mirror has such a general device - a position control mechanism, a housing and an optical element (mirror). Interior and external mirrors have significant differences in the design of individual components.

side Car Mirror

The external or side mirrors of the rear view are located on the left and right side of the vehicle and are intended to expand the zone of the inner mirror viewing area.

However, "blind" or, as it is also called, "dead" zone is also among the external mirrors, which must be considered all the time when rebuilding the car.

It is worth noting that the optical element of the right and left side mirrors is different. The right mirror has a straight line, left, usually aspheric (has an increased viewing area and variable radius of curvature). Using the left rear view mirror you need to remember that real objects or objects are closer than it seems in the mirror. The aspherical mirror differs on a vertical dowline, which separates the rounded surface from the straight line.

The position of the outer mirrors is regulated using a special mechanism. The simplest adjustment mechanism is the simplest. It was used in the outer mirrors of the rear view in the last century. The position of the mirror is adjustable outside the vehicle, which is very uncomfortable.

More optimal solutions - the cable and lever mechanisms. Adjusting the position of the mirrors is made from the vehicle salon, however, the right mirror everything is inconveniently adjustable.

Electric drive is able to provide remote control of the position of the side mirrors of the rear view, and, accordingly, the comfort and convenience of control. But about it a little later.

rear View Mirror for Car

Salon or inner rearview mirror is located on the windshield of the vehicle. He has a rectangular shape, providing motorist visibility from behind and without preventing an advanced review. However, the salon mirror leaves the "blind" zone (not visible) a few meters from behind the vehicle, which must be constantly taken into account during the movement by reverse. This drawback is actually completely eliminated by parking systems - rear view cameras, parking sensors.

The inner mirror has a flat optical component. A mirror coating is applied to its inner surface. To improve the image quality (prevent the image split), mirrors with an external reflective layer are used.

The optical component is located in the plastic case. Together they form a rearview mirror module. The module has a swivel mount to the windshield. This method of fastening is able to ensure the movement of the mirror in different directions and allows you to adjust to various driver parameters - the position of the seat, height, and so on.

A rather serious problem in the field of motion safety is the dazzling of a motorist through the rear-view mirror by the headlights of the rear of the transport. The problem is solved by a number of ways:

1. Toning the optical element.
2. The use of materials with variable transparency.
3. Use the prismatic optical element.

panoramic mirror

The panoramic mirror of the appearance makes it possible to reduce the size of the "dead" vehicle zones and increase the review, but, at the same time, a visual increase in the distance of reflected objects and a slight distortion of their shape occurs.

Panoramic mirror is used to increase the viewing angle horizontally. It has a spherical surface of the optical element (curved under a specific radius) and was very common in the near past.

As a rule, the salon mirror and external driver's external, and the right - panoramic. Undoubtedly, it is impossible to find a difference in the importance of one or another rearview mirror. These structural elements are conveniently complemented by each other, which is quite important.

Heated car mirror

The electrical heating system of optical components is mounted on many models of external side mirrors, which ensures their fogging and removing moisture from them or ice. Heating is made by electric motor vehicle onboard network.

There are main types of heating elements:

1. The resistive screen element, which is manufactured with a conductive paste, which is applied to the polymer film by screen printing.
2. Element as a resistive wire and heat-resistant insulation, which is attached on the reverse surface of the reflecting glass.
3. A continuous resistive cooling component, which is made as a film on the reverse surface of the optical element and simultaneously performs the function of the reflective layer.

Electric heating to outer mirrors can be connected by the following methods:

1. Connecting to a separate electriable, which includes a relay, switch and fuse by 5 - 7.5 A.
2. A parallel connection to the electrocipes of heating rear window, when the power consumption of the heating components of the mirrors is small (10 - 12 W).

Setting the car mirrors

In fact, all internal and some external mirrors with a fixed optical element relative to the housing are adjusted by turning on the mount bracket. In the constructions, the optical component is capable of changing the angle of inclination relative to the vehicle mounted on the body using a remote actuator, which can be electric, lever or cable.

The lever and cable mechanisms, the control handle is located inside the cabin near the mirror mount, and the mirror control buttons are typically located on the door, dashboard or the center console. The mechanism of the electric drive is placed in the mirror housing.

Mirrors with electric drive

The mirror electric drive makes it possible to change the slope and rotate the glass of the mirror using the buttons that are located in the vehicle cabin.

After all, it is much easier to regulate the mirrors sitting in the cabin of your car than near him. In a similar mirror, the glass is located on a movable hinge, which moves the electric motors built into the mirror.

In addition, the built-in electric motor allows you to automatically add side mirrors during parking to avoid their damage.

And although today the side mirrors have become a rather complex node, technical progress does not stand still.

Recently, the auto-prepasters have completed mirrors with additional functions, for example, embed special sensors, thanks to which you can receive warnings about the appearance of certain objects in the dead zones.