Light assembly for external rearview mirror of vehicles

• US 20010046136A1
• Filed: 05/09/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Eberspacher, Helmut, Weber, Christine, Apfelbeck, Robert, Klett, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 6,561,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/494
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

A light assembly for exterior rearview mirrors of vehicles has a support and one or more first LEDs provided as luminous bodies arranged on the support. Two or more second LEDs are provided as luminous bodies and arranged on the support. The first LEDs have a current intensity that is higher than the current intensity of the second LEDs. At least one of the first LEDs is series connected to at least two of the second LEDs, and the at least two second LEDs are parallel connected to one another.

Claims

1. A light assembly for exterior rearview mirrors of vehicles, the light assembly comprising:

a support (6);

one or more first LEDs (11) provided as luminous bodies and arranged on said support (6);

two or more second LEDs (8) provided as luminous bodies and arranged on said support (6);

wherein said first LEDs (11) have a current intensity that is higher than a current intensity of said second LEDs (8);

wherein at least one of said first LEDs (11) is series connected to at least two of said second LEDs (8) and wherein said at least two second LEDs (8) are parallel connected to one another.

2. The light assembly according to

claim 1

, further comprising a resistor (14) series connected upstream of said at least one first LED (11).

3. The light assembly according to

claim 1

, wherein said at least two second LEDs (8) are arranged in a LED branch circuit (15, 16, 20), respectively, and wherein said LED branch circuits (15, 16, 20) comprise at least two of said second LEDs (8), respectively.

4. The light assembly according to

claim 3

, further comprising at least one line (17, 18, 19) connecting said LED branch circuits (15, 60, 20) to one another between said second LEDs (8).

5. The light assembly according to

claim 4

, further comprising a first resistor (23) parallel connected to said at least one first LED (11).

6. The light assembly according to

claim 5

, further comprising second resistors (21, 22, 26, 30) parallel connected to said second LEDs (8), respectively.

7. The light assembly according to

claim 6

, wherein said first and second resistors (21, 22, 23, 26, 30) are series connected to one another.

9. The light assembly according to

claim 1

, wherein said second LEDs (8) have identical current intensities.

10. The light assembly according to

claim 1

, wherein said first LEDs (11) have identical current intensities.

11. The light assembly according to

claim 1

, wherein the current intensity of said first LEDs (11) is approximately twice as high as the current intensity of said second LEDs (8).

12. The light assembly according to

claim 4

, wherein two of said first LEDs (11) are series connected to one another.

8. The light assembly according to

claim 8

, wherein said first and second resistors (21, 22, 23, 26, 30) are arranged in a resistor branch circuit (24) and said resistor branch circuit (24) is connected by said at least one line (17, 18, 19) to said LED branch circuits (15, 16, 20).