ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED REARVIEW MIRROR EMPLOYING SELF-CONTAINED POWER SUPPLY AND MOTION-ACTUATED POWER SWITCH

• US 3,612,666 A
• Filed: 07/13/1970
• Issued: 10/12/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jacob Rabinow
• Original Assignee: Jacob Rabinow
• Inventors: Rabinow, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawrence, James W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grigsby, T. N.
• Application Number:
  US05/054,474
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 350/279,289,295 250/201,206 315/77,82
• US Class Current: 359/604
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/087 with remote or automatic control means

Abstract

Photoelectrically controlled rearview mirrors for automobiles are old in the art and have been energized by the electrical system of the automobile. In order to eliminate wires, a rearview mirror is operated by its own small batteries and the circuit is arranged to have a very small standby current. In order to eliminate manual switching in one embodiment a trembler switch is employed. This switch operates whenever the car is in motion.

Claims

1. A. A self-contained automatically dimming rearview mirror for automotive vehicles, said mirror being provided with antiglare means movable into at least two alternative positions corresponding to different glare conditions in the rearward field of view of the mirror, comprising b. motor means to move said antiglare means from one position to another, c. electric circuit means including photoelectric control means responsive to light from said rearward field of view to energize said motor means to provide a dim rear view when said light exceeds a predetermined value, and vice versa, and d. a self-contained power supply mounted in or near the mirror to energize said motor control and photoelectric means, said power supply being normally in the off condition when the vehicle is motionless, and e. switch means responsive to a change of motion of the vehicle for actuating said power supply means to the on condition.

2. The invention according to claim 1, said switch means being responsive to continued change of motion of the vehicle to maintain said on condition as long as such change of motion persists.

3. The invention according to claim 1, said control means comprising electric circuit means including a field effect transistor having a very high input impedance, which transistor is kept in nonconducting condition so as not to actuate the electrical circuit of the mirror when the car is not in motion, and means to detect a change of motion of the car to control this transistor to operate and provide current to the rest of the circuitry when the car is in motion.

4. The invention according to claim 3, said motion detecting means consisting of two pendulous members arranged to have a substantially common pivot point and arranged to hang in such a way that they do not contact each other when the mounting is standing still and to contact each other periodically to energize said motor control circuit when the mounting experiences accelerations in a predetermined plane.

5. The invention according to claim 1, said switch means consisting of two pendulums coaxially mounted, each having a contacting member adjacent the other contacting member so arranged that they do not contact when the switch is not disturbed, such contacting members touching each other, when accelerations at an angle to this axis are experienced, to actuate the mirror control circuits.

6. The invention according to claim 5, said electric circuit means having long RC time constants to keep the circuits energized during the intervals between contacts of the pendulous switch while it is operating intermittently due to motion of the vehicle.

7. a. A self-contained automatically dimming rearview mirror for automotive vehicles, said mirror being provided with antiglare means movable into at least two alternative positions corresponding to different glare conditions in the rearward field of view of the mirror, comprising b. motor means to move said antiglare means from one position to another, c. electric circuit means including photoelectric control means responsive to light from said rearward field of view to energize said motor means to provide a dim rear view when said light exceeds a predetermined value, and vice versa, and d. a self-contained power supply mounted in or near the mirror to energize said motor control and photoelectric means, said power supply being normally in the on condition when said mirror is in use, and said power supply being connected to the said motor means only when said motor means is moving the antiglare means from one position to another.

8. The invention according to claim 7, including a timer arranged to connect said power supply to the mirror controlling means, said timer being operable for a preset time so that at the end of said time the power will be disconnected from the automatic circuit of the mirror.