Light engine for a mirror

• US 10,477,993 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Diemel, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, William N
• Application Number:
  US15/863,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20190208928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 362128, 362135, 362143, 362492, 362494
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/00 Mirrors as optical elements G02B5/08; Picture frames or the like, e.g. provided with heating, lighting or ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/02 Mirrors used as equipment hand, pocket, or shaving mirrors A45D42/00; optical viewing means for vehicles B60R1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/009 of the light source in the package G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence

Abstract

A mirror includes a glass layer having a front surface and a rear surface and a reflective layer disposed on the rear surface of the glass layer. The reflective layer includes a first opening exposing the rear surface inward of a first boundary. The mirror also includes a mounting structure for a lighting assembly affixed to the rear surface that includes a surface substantially enclosing a volume and a housing attached to the surface and disposed within the volume. The mirror also includes a light source affixed to a first surface of the housing. The mirror also includes a light guide affixed to a second surface of the housing by a section of compressible foam, the section of compressive foam having a first adhesive layer affixed to the housing and a second adhesive layer affixed to the light guide. A first end surface of the light guide is proximate to the light source.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a mirror including a lighting assembly, the method comprising:

securing a light guide to a housing with a compressive foam having an adhesive applied thereto such that a first end of the light guide is proximate to a light source;

providing a mirror including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the mirror has a first reflectivity and the second portion of the mirror has a second reflectivity, the first reflectivity being higher than the second reflectivity; and

attaching the housing to the mirror, wherein attaching the housing to the mirror includes pressing a peripheral portion of the light guide to a boundary region of the first portion of the mirror, thereby placing the compressive foam into a compressed state such that a relative positioning of the light guide and the light source changes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the compressive foam comprises multiple sections of compressive foam that are separate from one another.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the compressive foam comprises a first section of compressive foam disposed proximate to the first end of the light guide and a second section of compressive foam disposed proximate to a second end of the light guide.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to attaching the housing to the mirror, a front surface of the light guide is displaced from a front surface of the housing by a first nonzero distance;

and

wherein, after attaching the housing to the mirror, the front surface of the light guide is displaced from the front surface of the housing by a second nonzero distance that is less than the first nonzero distance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, after attaching the housing to the mirror, the front surface of the light guide abuts a rear surface of the mirror such that there is a gap between the front surface of the housing and the rear surface of the mirror.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a width of the light guide is greater than a width of the second portion of the mirror;

and

wherein the light guide is centered within the second portion of the mirror such that a front surface of the light guide includes two overlapping regions that contact the first portion of the mirror.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, prior to attaching the housing to the mirror, disposing a reflective layer at the two overlapping portions of the light guide.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, after disposing the reflective layer, disposing a thin film diffuser on the front surface of the light guide.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to providing the mirror including the first portion and the second portion:

providing a transparent glass layer of the mirror with a reflective layer; and

removing at least some of the reflective layer from at least some of the transparent glass layer of the mirror to form the first portion of the mirror and the second portion of the mirror;

wherein the reflective layer has the first reflectivity; and

wherein the transparent glass layer of the mirror has the second reflectivity.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising roughing a region of the second portion of the mirror.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the region of the second portion of the mirror is a border of the second portion of the mirror.

9. A mirror comprising:

a glass layer having a front surface and a rear surface;

a reflective layer disposed on the rear surface of the glass layer, wherein the reflective layer includes a first opening exposing the rear surface of the glass layer inward of a first boundary;

a mounting structure for a lighting assembly disposed rearward of the rear surface of the glass layer, the mounting structure including a surface substantially enclosing a volume;

a housing attached to the surface of the mounting structure and disposed within the volume;

a light source affixed to a first surface of the housing; and

a light guide affixed to a second surface of the housing by a section of compressible foam, the section of compressible foam having a first adhesive layer affixed to the housing and a second adhesive layer affixed to the light guide, wherein a first end surface of the light guide is proximate to the light source.

10. The mirror of claim 9, wherein the first boundary includes a first linear portion and a second linear portion, the first linear portion being substantially parallel to the second linear portion and separated therefrom by a nonzero distance.

11. The mirror of claim 10, wherein the light guide is of a width that is greater than the nonzero distance such that the light guide includes two regions that extend beyond the first boundary.

12. The mirror of claim 11, wherein the light guide includes a first reflective layer disposed at the two regions.

13. The mirror of claim 11, wherein the light guide includes a second reflective layer at a second end surface of the light guide, the second end surface of the light guide opposing the first end surface of the light guide.

14. The mirror of claim 11, wherein the first surface of the housing is substantially perpendicular to the second surface of the housing.

15. A mirror comprising:

a reflective portion;

a first transparent portion;

a second transparent portion;

first and second housings affixed to a rear surface of the mirror;

light sources attached to the first and second housings;

light guides attached to the first and second housings such that portions of front surfaces of the light guides align with the first and second transparent portions; and

sections of compressive foam disposed between the light guides and surfaces of the first and second housings, where the front surfaces of the light guides abut against the rear surface of the mirror to compress the sections of compressive foam.

16. The mirror of claim 15, wherein the first transparent portion and the second transparent portion are each substantially rectangular and displaced from a perimeter of the mirror.

17. The mirror of claim 15, wherein the light sources include a plurality of light emitting diodes.