ILLUMINATED VISOR VANITY

• US 20100225248A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Automotive Components Group North America (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Automotive Components Group North America (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Hobson, James, Nicola, Kirk, Reichhart, Derik, Cruickshank, William
• Application Number:
  US12/399,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225248A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/297
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 31/50 specially adapted for ac
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/345 Current stabilisation; Maintaining constant current
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A visor vanity including a visor body for a vehicle having an electrical system is provided. The visor body includes a visor mirror, at least one light source, a switch, a regulator circuit and a timer. The switch causes at least one energy source that is independent of the electrical system of the vehicle to generate a first voltage signal. The regulator circuit is operably coupled to the switch and to the energy source for transmitting a second voltage signal in response to the first voltage signal so that the light source receives the second voltage signal. The timer is powered by the energy source for causing the regulator circuit to disable the operation of transmitting the second voltage signal in response to the timer achieving a predetermined count value.

Claims

1. A visor vanity for a vehicle having an electrical system, the visor vanity comprising:

a visor body including;

a vanity mirror;

at least one light source;

a switch for causing at least one energy source that is independent of the electrical system of the vehicle to generate a first voltage signal;

a regulator circuit operably coupled to the switch for transmitting a second voltage signal in response to the first voltage signal so that the at least one light source receives the second voltage signal; and

a timer powered by the at least one energy source for causing the regulator circuit to disable the operation of transmitting the second voltage signal in response to the timer achieving a predetermined count value after transmission of the second voltage signal.

2. The visor vanity of claim 1 wherein the visor body further comprises a resistor operably coupled to the at least one light source for receiving a portion of the second voltage signal from the at least one light source.

3. The visor vanity of claim 2 wherein the regulator circuit is configured to measure a portion of the second voltage signal across the resistor for comparison to a predetermined voltage value.

4. The visor vanity of claim 3 wherein the regulator circuit is configured to adjust the second voltage signal based on the comparison of the measured portion of the second voltage signal to the predetermined voltage value.

5. The visor vanity of claim 4 wherein the regulator circuit is configured to increase the second voltage signal in response to determining that the measured portion of the second voltage signal is below the predetermined voltage value.

6. The visor vanity of claim 5 wherein the regulator circuit is configured to decrease the second voltage signal in response to determining that the measured portion of the second voltage signal is greater than the predetermined voltage value.

7. The visor vanity of claim 1 wherein the predetermined count value is in the range of between 30 and 240 seconds.

8. The visor vanity of claim 1 wherein visor body further includes a removable lens overlying at least one of the light source and the energy source such that the at least one of light source and the energy source is capable of being accessed and replaced by removing the removable lens.

9. A visor vanity for a vehicle having an electrical system, the visor vanity comprising:

a visor body including;

a vanity mirror;

at least one light source;

at least one energy source being independent of the electrical system of the vehicle for generating a first voltage signal;

a switch for causing the at least one energy source to generate the first voltage signal;

a regulator circuit operably coupled to the switch and to the at least one energy source for transmitting a second voltage signal in response to the first voltage signal so that the at least one light source receives the second voltage signal to illuminate, wherein the first voltage signal is greater than the second voltage signal; and

a timer powered by the at least one energy source for causing the regulator circuit to disable the operation of transmitting the second voltage signal in response to the timer achieving a predetermined count value.

10. The visor vanity of claim 9 wherein the visor body further comprises a resistor operably coupled to the at least one light source for receiving a portion of the second voltage signal from the at least one light source.

11. The visor vanity of claim 10 wherein the regulator circuit includes a predetermined voltage value stored therein and the regulator circuit is configured to measure the portion of the second voltage signal across the resistor for comparison to the predetermined voltage value.

12. The visor vanity of claim 11 wherein the regulator circuit is configured to increase the second voltage signal in response to determining that the measured portion of the second voltage signal is below the predetermined voltage value and to decrease the second voltage signal in response to determining that the measured portion of the second voltage signal is greater than the predetermined voltage value.

13. The visor vanity of claim 9 wherein the predetermined count value is in the range of between 30 and 240 seconds.

14. The visor vanity of claim 9 wherein the visor body further includes a removable lens overlying at least one of the light source and the energy source such that the at least one of the light source and the energy source is capable of being accessed and replaced by removing the removable lens.

15. A visor vanity for a vehicle having an electrical system, the visor vanity comprising:

a visor body including;

a vanity mirror;

at least one light source;

an energy source being independent of the electrical system of the vehicle for generating a first voltage signal;

a switch for causing the at least one energy source to generate the first voltage signal;

a regulator circuit operably coupled to the switch and to the at least one energy source for transmitting a second voltage signal in response to the first voltage signal so that the at least one light source receives the second voltage signal to illuminate, wherein the first voltage signal is less than the second voltage signal; and

a timer powered by the at least one energy source for causing the regulator circuit to disable the operation of transmitting the second voltage signal in response to the timer achieving a predetermined count value.

16. The visor vanity of claim 15 further comprising a resistor operably coupled to the at least one light source for receiving a portion of the second voltage signal from the at least one light source.

17. The visor vanity of claim 16 wherein the regulator circuit includes a predetermined voltage value stored therein and the regulator circuit is configured to measure the portion of the second voltage signal across the resistor for comparison to the predetermined voltage value.

18. The visor vanity of claim 17 wherein the regulator circuit is configured to increase the second voltage signal in response to determining that the measured portion of the second voltage signal is below the predetermined voltage value and to decrease the second voltage signal in response to determining that the measured portion of the second voltage signal is above the predetermined voltage value.

19. The visor vanity of claim 15 wherein the predetermined count value is in the range of between 30 and 240 seconds.

20. The visor vanity of claim 15 wherein the visor body further includes a removable lens overlying the at least one of the light source and the energy source such that the at least one of the light source and the energy source is capable of being accessed and replaced by removing the removable lens.