VEHICLE REAR-VIEW MIRROR
First Claim
1. A vehicle rear-view mirror, comprising:
- a mirror element having a semi-transmissive reflective film on one surface of a transparent substrate;
a dark color mask member having an opening in a surface thereof, the mask member being arranged over an entire region excluding the opening or at a necessary region excluding the opening, on a back side of the mirror element;
a dark color light-orienting tube arranged so that it protrudes backward from a back side of the mask member, a front end-side opening of the light-orienting tube being communicatively connected to the opening of the mask member on a same axis, the axis of the tube being arranged so that it is inclined relative to the mirror element in a direction toward a driver'"'"'s viewpoint, the tube being of a dark color on an inner side;
an indication mask arranged outside or inside the light-orienting tube at a back portion of the tube, in which a warning symbol expressing the content of a particular warning is drawn as a transmissive pattern;
a light source arranged behind the indication mask, wherein;
light emitted from the light source is formed into indication light having the pattern of the warning symbol by making the light pass through the indication mask; and
the indication light is guided to the driver'"'"'s viewpoint by making the light pass through the light-orienting tube and the opening of the mask member and further pass through the mirror element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To provide a vehicle rear-view mirror equipped with a display device, configured so that: a warning indication is easy to see from the driver and is hard to see from following vehicles and vehicles on the adjacent lanes; and when no warning is indicated, no discontinuities occur in the rear-area image reflected in the mirror and the warning symbol is unnoticeable. A mirror element 18 is configured by forming a semi-transmissive reflective film 24 or 56 formed of a dielectric multilayer film on the back or front surface of a transparent glass substrate 22. A dark color mask member 26 is arranged on the back surface of the mirror element 18. An opening 26a is formed on the mask member 26. A light-orienting tube 28 is arranged in such a manner that it protrudes in the backward direction of the mask member 26 so as to surround the opening 26a. The tube axis 28a of the light-orienting tube 28 is inclined in the direction toward the driver'"'"'s viewpoint. An indication mask 32, a light diffusion plate 34 and an LED 36 are arranged as an indication light-emitting portion 30 by depositing them in this order on a rear end-side opening 28b of the light-orienting tube 28.
91 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A vehicle rear-view mirror, comprising:
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a mirror element having a semi-transmissive reflective film on one surface of a transparent substrate; a dark color mask member having an opening in a surface thereof, the mask member being arranged over an entire region excluding the opening or at a necessary region excluding the opening, on a back side of the mirror element; a dark color light-orienting tube arranged so that it protrudes backward from a back side of the mask member, a front end-side opening of the light-orienting tube being communicatively connected to the opening of the mask member on a same axis, the axis of the tube being arranged so that it is inclined relative to the mirror element in a direction toward a driver'"'"'s viewpoint, the tube being of a dark color on an inner side; an indication mask arranged outside or inside the light-orienting tube at a back portion of the tube, in which a warning symbol expressing the content of a particular warning is drawn as a transmissive pattern; a light source arranged behind the indication mask, wherein; light emitted from the light source is formed into indication light having the pattern of the warning symbol by making the light pass through the indication mask; and
the indication light is guided to the driver'"'"'s viewpoint by making the light pass through the light-orienting tube and the opening of the mask member and further pass through the mirror element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeMurakami Corporation
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Original AssigneeMurakami Corporation
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InventorsTakayanagi, Shinya, Masuda, Yoshifumi, Bandou, Atsunori, Nakamura, Masatoshi
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Granted Patent
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Time in Patent OfficeDays
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Field of Search
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US Class Current340/425.500
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CPC Class CodesB60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighti...B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indic...B60R 2001/1215 with information displaysB60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions ...
