Rearview mirror assembly construction
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
- a mirror having a surface that is at least partially reflective;
a flexible circuit board disposed behind the surface of said mirror, said flexible circuit board having a first surface facing said mirror and a second surface opposite the first surface, said flexible circuit board further including a substantially transparent window; and
an LED mounted to said second surface of said flexible circuit board so as to project light through the transparent window in said flexible circuit board and through said mirror.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rearview mirror assembly of the present invention includes a circuit board disposed behind the mirror. The circuit board may be a flexible circuit board and may include an LED mounted to project light through a transparent window in the flexible circuit board and through the mirror. The flexible circuit board may function as a mirror heater and may include conductive paths for connection to the LED and/or electrodes of an electrochromic mirror. The LED may include an LED chip mounted directly on the circuit board and encapsulated thereon by an encapsulant.
114 Citations
66 Claims
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1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a mirror having a surface that is at least partially reflective;
a flexible circuit board disposed behind the surface of said mirror, said flexible circuit board having a first surface facing said mirror and a second surface opposite the first surface, said flexible circuit board further including a substantially transparent window; and
an LED mounted to said second surface of said flexible circuit board so as to project light through the transparent window in said flexible circuit board and through said mirror. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20)
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15. A method of angle-mounting an LED to a circuit board comprising the steps of:
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providing a circuit board having a first surface and second surface opposite the first surface, said circuit board further including at least first and second vias extending between the first and second surfaces;
providing an LED having at least a first lead and a second lead;
positioning said LED on said circuit board such that the optical axis of the LED is inclined relative to the first surface of said circuit board with the first lead of said LED inserted through said first via and the second lead abutting the first surface of said circuit board in proximity to the second via;
soldering the first lead to the second surface of said circuit board; and
soldering the second lead to the first surface of said circuit board such that solder is applied so as to be disposed within the second via and extend to the first surface.
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17. An optical radiation emitting assembly comprising:
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a circuit board having a first surface and second surface opposite the first surface, said circuit board further including at least first and second vias extending between the first and second surfaces; and
an optical radiation emitter device having at least a first lead and a second lead, said LED being positioned on said circuit board such that the optical axis of said optical radiation emitter device is inclined relative to the first surface of said circuit board with the first lead of said optical radiation emitter device inserted through said first via and the second lead abutting the first surface of said circuit board in proximity to the second via, wherein the first lead is soldered to the second surface of said circuit board and the second lead is soldered to the first surface of said circuit board.
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21. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a mirror having a surface that is at least partially reflective;
a circuit board disposed behind said surface of said mirror and having a first surface and second surface opposite the first surface, said circuit board further including at least first and second vias extending between the first and second surfaces; and
an optical radiation emitter device having at least a first lead and a second lead, said LED being positioned on said circuit board such that the optical axis of said optical radiation emitter device is inclined relative to the first surface of said circuit board with the first lead of said optical radiation emitter device inserted through said first via and the second lead abutting the first surface of said circuit board in proximity to the second via, wherein the first lead is soldered to the second surface of said circuit board and the second lead is soldered to the first surface of said circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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28. An optical radiation emitting assembly comprising:
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a flexible circuit board having a first surface and second surface opposite the first surface;
an LED chip mounted to the first surface of said flexible circuit board and electrically coupled to conductive tracings provided on said flexible circuit board; and
an encapsulant molded over and around said LED chip.
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33. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a mirror having a surface that is at least partially reflective;
a flexible circuit board disposed behind said surface of said mirror and having a first surface and second surface opposite the first surface;
an LED chip mounted to the first surface of said flexible circuit board and electrically coupled to conductive tracings provided on said flexible circuit board; and
an encapsulant molded over and around said LED chip. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic mirror having front and rear surfaces and first and second electrical connectors disposed along edges of said electrochromic mirror; and
a flexible circuit board disposed behind the rear surface of said electrochromic mirror and having a first surface facing the rear surface of said electrochromic mirror and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein said flexible circuit board includes printed electrical circuits that are terminated with connectors that provide an electrical connection with said electrical connectors of said electrochromic mirror, said printed electrical circuits extending to a common location on said flexible circuit board to provide mirror control terminals for connection to a source of a mirror control signal. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a mirror having front and rear surfaces;
a flexible circuit board disposed behind the rear surface of said mirror and having a first surface facing the rear surface of said mirror and a second surface opposite the first surface; and
a turn indicator having at least one light source, wherein said flexible circuit board includes a resistive conductor extending back and forth across the first surface of said flexible circuit board to function as a mirror heater, said resistive conductor begins and ends at a common location on said flexible circuit board to provide heater power terminals for connection to a source of heater power, and wherein said flexible circuit board includes conductive paths extending therethrough from a location proximate said light source to the common location to provide turn indicator control terminals proximate said heater power terminals for connection to a source of a turn indicator control signal. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 60)
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57. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
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a mirror having front and rear surfaces;
a flexible circuit board disposed behind the rear surface of said mirror and having a front surface facing the rear surface of said mirror and a rear surface opposite the front surface, wherein at least a portion of said flexible circuit is disposed at an angle to said mirror; and
at least one light emitting device surface-mounted to the angled portion of said flexible circuit board so as to selectively project light through said mirror at an angle thereto.
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61. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
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a mirror having front and rear surfaces;
a first circuit board disposed behind the rear surface of said mirror and having a front surface facing the rear surface of said mirror and a rear surface opposite the front surface; and
a light module having at least one light source mounted to a second circuit board, wherein said first circuit board includes a first plug connector extending from the rear surface thereof, and said second circuit board having a second plug connector extending from a front surface thereof for mating engagement with the first plug connector, said first circuit board includes conductive paths extending from said first plug connector to another location to which wiring from the vehicle is coupled to provide lamp module activation signals. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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Specification