Vehicle side mirror apparatus

• US 20050117236A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoshiharu, Misawa, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,229,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/876
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/241 of complex shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/251 the light guides being used to transmit light from remote light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2103/25 for rear-view mirrors

Abstract

A vehicle side mirror apparatus for looking backward circumstances of a vehicle has: a housing that is of a transparent or semitransparent material with a cross section having a predetermined thickness, the housing having a light entering end into which light enters, and a light radiating end that faces the back of the vehicle; and an LED lamp that is disposed in the vicinity of the light entering end. Light emitted from the LED lamp enters into the light entering end of the housing, passing through within the cross section, being radiated to the back of the vehicle from the light radiating end of the housing.

Claims

1. A vehicle side mirror apparatus for looking backward circumstances of a vehicle, comprising:

a housing that is of a transparent or semitransparent material with a cross section having a predetermined thickness, the housing comprising a light entering end into which light enters, and a light radiating end that faces the back of the vehicle; and

an LED lamp that is disposed in the vicinity of the light entering end,

wherein light emitted from the LED lamp enters into the light entering end of the housing, passing through within the cross section, being radiated to the back of the vehicle from the light radiating end of the housing.

2. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light radiating end of the housing is disposed on the periphery of an opening of the housing.

3. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the LED lamp is of planar radiation type and comprises;

an LED chip to emit light; and

a transparent seal member that seals the LED chip such that light emitted from the LED chip is radiated in a plane direction perpendicular to the center axis of the LED chip, and

the planar radiation type LED lamp is disposed such that the light radiated in the plane direction enters into the light entering end of the housing.

4. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the housing comprises a concave portion a surrounding surface of which corresponds to the light entering end, and

the planar radiation type LED lamp is disposed in the concave portion of the housing.

5. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the LED lamp is of lamp type and comprises;

an LED chip to emit light; and

a transparent seal member that seals the LED chip such that light emitted from the LED chip is radiated in the center axis of the LED chip, and

the lamp type LED lamp is disposed such that the light radiated in the center axis direction enters into the light entering end of the housing.

6. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the LED chip comprises a GaAs based or GaP based crystal structure

7. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises an inner cover that is disposed inside of the housing with a predetermined clearance.

8. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the inner cover is colored such that the inside of the inner cover cannot be seen through.

9. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises a radiation surface through which part of light propagating through the cross section is radiated in the front direction of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the radiation surface comprises a side face of a concave portion or a slit that is formed on the housing.

11. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light radiating end of the housing is diffusion-finished such that light radiated from the light radiating end is diffused.

12. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the radiation surface of the housing is diffusion-finished such that light radiated from the light radiating end is diffused.

13. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises a reflection layer that reflects light propagating though the cross section, and that is formed on its surface except the light entering end and the light radiating end.

14. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

the reflection layer comprises a luminous coat that is formed on the surface of the housing.

15. The vehicle side mirror apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

the reflection layer comprises a metal film that is formed by deposition on the surface of the housing.