Vehicular mirror and light assembly
First Claim
1. A rearview mirror vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
- a rearview mirror case having a back, top, bottom and end edges and including a mirror element, said case back being spaced from said mirror element and having at least one opening therethrough into said space between said mirror element and case back, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle;
lighting means for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly;
housing means accessible from and secured to the exterior of said rearview mirror case for supporting said lighting means, said housing means including closure means for covering said opening in said case back and support means projecting through said opening in said case back for supporting said lighting means within said space, said housing means being removable as a unit with said support means from the rear of said case such that said lighting means are easily accessible for repair purposes outside said case; and
light directing means for directing said light from said lighting means outwardly of said assembly, said light directing means including an opening through said housing means for allowing light to pass out of said assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular rearview mirror and light assembly which provides map and/or courtesy lighting for the vehicle interior. One or more separate housings are removably secured to the back of the mirror case and support one or more light assemblies within the space interior of the mirror case through one or more openings in back. Each assembly may include one or more light sources. A reflector/heat sink and/or a light directing lens are optionally included. Preferably, when mounted in a typical rearview mirror position adjacent a windshield, light is directed downwardly and laterally outwardly of either end of the assembly, toward the driver and front seat passenger and laterally inwardly toward the center or console area between the driver and passenger. Lighting of the instrument panel and glare in the driver'"'"'s eyes are avoided or minimized.
446 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A rearview mirror vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a rearview mirror case having a back, top, bottom and end edges and including a mirror element, said case back being spaced from said mirror element and having at least one opening therethrough into said space between said mirror element and case back, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle; lighting means for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly; housing means accessible from and secured to the exterior of said rearview mirror case for supporting said lighting means, said housing means including closure means for covering said opening in said case back and support means projecting through said opening in said case back for supporting said lighting means within said space, said housing means being removable as a unit with said support means from the rear of said case such that said lighting means are easily accessible for repair purposes outside said case; and light directing means for directing said light from said lighting means outwardly of said assembly, said light directing means including an opening through said housing means for allowing light to pass out of said assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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17. A rearview mirror vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a mirror case having a back, top, bottom and end edges and including a mirror element, said case back being spaced from said mirror element and having at least one opening therethrough into said space between said mirror element and case back, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle; lighting means for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly; housing means secured on the exterior of said mirror case for supporting said lighting means within said space through said opening in said case back, said housing means including closure means for covering said opening in said case back and means for removably securing said housing means to said mirror case; light directing means for directing said light from said lighting means outwardly of said assembly, said light directing means including an opening through said housing means for passing light outwardly of said assembly; and said mirror case including an opening in said bottom edge communication with said opening in said case back;
said housing means extending continuously along said case back and around said bottom case edge and contoured to the shape of said mirror case such that said housing means completely covers said opening;
said means for removably securing said housing means including retaining means for holding said housing means tightly in contact with said case back and case edges around said openings to prevent light leakage through the areas between said housing means and mirror case. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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23. A rearview mirror vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a mirror case having a back, top, bottom and end edges and including a mirror element, said case back being spaced from said mirror element and having at least one opening therethrough into said space between said mirror element and case back, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle; lighting means for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly; housing means secured on the exterior of said rearview mirror case for supporting said lighting means within said space through said opening in said case back, said housing means including closure means for covering said opening in said case back; light directing means for directing said light from said lighting means outwardly of said assembly; said case back including a pair of openings therethrough, one on either side of the center of said case back;
said housing means including means for supporting lighting means within both said openings and closure means for covering both said openings; andsaid light directing means including means for directing light from said lighting means downwardly of said assembly, toward the side of said assembly including said mirror element, laterally outwardly of the ends of said assembly and laterally inwardly toward a plane extending through the center of said assembly, said light directing means causing illumination of a first magnitude of first and second areas below and adjacent either lateral end of said assembly and on the one side of said assembly having said mirror element, and illumination of a second and greater magnitude than said first magnitude of a third area intermediate said first and second areas and on said one side of said assembly, but minimizing illumination of areas on the side of said case back which is opposite said one side.
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24. A rearview mirror vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a mirror case having a back, top, bottom and end edges and including a mirror element, said case back being spaced from said mirror element and having at least one opening therethrough into said space between said mirror element and case back, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle; lighting means for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly; housing means secured on the exterior of said rearview mirror case for supporting said lighting means within said space through said opening in said case back, said housing means including closure means for covering said opening in said case back; light directing means for directing said light from said lighting means outwardly of said assembly; said case back including a pair of openings therethrough, one on either side of the center of said case back;
said housing means including means for supporting lighting means within both said openings and closure means for covering both said openings; andsaid housing means further including a portion connecting said closure means for covering both said openings, said connecting portion being hollow and spaced from said case back. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A rearview mirror vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a mirror case having a back, top, bottom and end edges and including a mirror element, said case back being spaced from said mirror element and having at least one opening therethrough into said space between said mirror element and case back, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle; lighting means for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly; housing means secured on the exterior of said rearview mirror case for supporting said lighting means within said space through said opening in said case back, said housing means including closure means for covering said opening in said case back; light directing means for directing said light from said lighting means outwardly of said assembly; and said light directing means including means for directing light from said lighting means downwardly of said assembly, toward the side of said assembly including said mirror element, laterally outwardly of the ends of said assembly and laterally inwardly toward a plane extending through the center of said assembly, said light directing means causing illumination of a first magnitude of first and second areas below and adjacent either lateral end of said assembly and on the one side of said assembly having said mirror element, and illumination of a second and greater magnitude than said first magnitude of a third area intermediate said first and second areas and on said one side of said assembly, but minimizing illumination of areas on the side of said case back which is opposite said one side.
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28. A rearview mirror/vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a rearview mirror case having a mirror element therein and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle, said case having a front opening, a back, and a top, bottom and end edges, said mirror element being visible through said front opening; said case back including at least one opening therethrough;
said bottom edge of said case also including at least one opening therethrough;a light source; closure means for covering at least said opening through said case back, said closure means including support means extending through said opening in said case back for supporting said light source within said case in a position to provide light shining downwardly and out said opening in said bottom edge of said case without shining light outwardly of the front of said assembly whereby distraction of the driver of the vehicle is avoided, said closure means being removable from the rear of said case as a unit with said support means such that said lighting means are easily accessible for repair purposes outside said case; and connection means for electrically connecting said light source to a source of electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A rearview mirror/vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a mirror case having a mirror element therein, a case back, lateral ends, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle; lighting means for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly; support means for supporting said lighting means on said mirror case; light directing means for directing light from said lighting means to illuminate first and second areas below, adjacent either lateral end, and on the one side of said assembly on which said mirror element is located with a first amount of light, and a third area intermediate said first and second areas and aligned centrally of and on said one side of said assembly with a second amount of light which is greater than said first amount, said light directing means generally minimizing illumination of areas on the side opposite said one side of said assembly where said case back is located. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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41. A rearview mirror vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a rearview mirror case having a back, top, bottom and end edges and including a mirror element, said case back being spaced from said mirror element and having at least one opening therethrough into said space between said mirror element and case back, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle; lighting means for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly; support means for supporting said lighting means within said space; removable access means on said case back and accessible from the exterior of said case for closing said opening in said case back and being removable from the rear of said case to provide access to said lighting means for maintenance and the like, said access means including an opening therethrough for allowing light from said lighting means to pass out of said assembly and means at the periphery of said opening in said case back for preventing light leakage through the areas between said case back opening and said access means; and light directing means for directing light from said lighting means which passes through said opening in said access means outwardly of said assembly.
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42. A rearview mirror vehicle lighting assembly comprising:
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a rearview mirror case having a back, top, bottom and end edges and including a mirror element, said case back being spaced from said mirror element and having at least one opening therethrough into said space between said mirror element and case back, and means for supporting said assembly in a vehicle; lighting means in said space for illuminating areas adjacent said assembly; wiring means extending from said lighting means within said space to the exterior of said back of said rearview mirror case for electrically connecting said lighting means to a source of electrical energy; and housing means accessible from and secured to the exterior of said back of said rearview mirror case for covering said opening in said case back, said housing means including means for passing light from said lighting means outwardly of said assembly and wire cover means having a portion spaced outwardly from the exterior of said case back for covering and concealing said wiring means on said case back.
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Specification