Interior rearvision mirror

• US 5,124,845 A
• Filed: 03/28/1990
• Issued: 06/23/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jin Shimojo
• Original Assignee: Jin Shimojo
• Inventors: Shimojo, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shafer, R. D.
• Application Number:
  US07/465,257
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 350/600, 350/601, 350/602, 350/632, 362/83.1, 362/135, 362/140, 40/427, 40/446, 40/447, 40/448, 40/541, 40/542, 40/544, 40/591, 40/593, 40/900, 340/461, 340/464, 340/756, 340/760, 340/762, 340/781, 340/782, 340/794, 340/799, 340/804, 359/838 (U.S. only)
• US Class Current: 359/838
• 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: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5035 electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/00 Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 40/90 Mirror that has changing effect

Abstract

The present invention relates to an interior rearvision mirror which is provided with a supporting rod (15) secured to an inner roof of a passanger car and a frame (11) movably supported by a front end portion of the supporting rod (15) and wherein a mirror (12) is arranged on the front side of the frame (11) and a display means (13, 20, 31, 41, 50) is arranged on the rear side thereof. According to the location of the display means, necessary display by means of letters or the like can be done for persons positioned external to the passanger car.

Claims

1. An interior rearvision mirror for a vehicle comprising a frame (11) provided with a mirror (12) on a front side thereof and mounted within a vehicle to be visible through the front window thereof, and display means (50) on a rear side of the frame (11) facing outwardly through the vehicle front window, wherein the display means (50) is composed of a base plate (51) and light emitting means provided with a number of light emitting elements (52, 76) arranged on a portion of a surface of the base plate (51) for forming letters, and solar cells for providing power to the light emitting elements are arranged on another portion of the surface of the base plate (51) adjacent to the surface portion containing said light emitting elements (52), wherein the light emanating from the light emitting elements (52) is controlled by light emission control means, wherein the light emission control means comprises a switch (68) for optionally selecting one of a plurality of selection signals, a decoder (67) into which a selection signal from the switch (68) is input, the decoder reading the selection signal and outputting a corresponding address signal, memory means (66) into which the address signal from the decoder (67) is input and from which a corresponding coordinate position signal is output, and a character generator (65) for conducting necessary current to a light emitting element (52) on the base plate (51) selected in accordance with the coordinate position signal from the memory means (66) to energize the selected light emitting element (52).