Rearview mirror with an operating condition display

• US 5,253,115 A
• Filed: 04/24/1991
• Issued: 10/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yasushi Ueno
• Original Assignee: Yasushi Ueno
• Inventors: Ueno, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAFER, RICKY D
• Application Number:
  US07/690,464
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 350/600, 350/601, 340/464, 340/465, 340/466, 340/469, 340/475, 340/479, 340/441, 340/468, 340/485, 340/944, 340/467, 340/478, 340/815.01, 340/815.02, 340/815.03, 340/815.06 , 340/815.07, 340/815.15, 362/83.1, 362/140, 359/838, 359/871, 359/872
• 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 1/442 visible on the front side of the vehicle, e.g. for pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/54 for indicating speed outside of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

A rearview mirror with an operating condition display to be positioned in front of a driver'"'"'s seat within the passenger cabin of a vehicle is composed of an operating display provided with an operating condition display portion visible through the windshield by illumination of preselected portions thereof and a rearview mirror which is capable of being adjusted to a predetermined angle of use with respect to the operating condition display construction.

Claims

1. In combination, a rearview mirror and operating condition display system for a vehicle, comprising:

support means non-movably fixed within said vehicle;

an operating condition display non-movably fixed directly upon said support means disposed within said vehicle so as to render said operating condition display visible through a front windshield of said vehicle;

first pivotable support means fixedly mounted upon a rear surface portion of said operating condition display;

a rearview mirror having a mirror component thereof disposed rearwardly so as to provide a driver of said vehicle with a view of the environment disposed behind said vehicle; and

second pivotable support means fixedly mounted upon a front surface portion of said rearview mirror for pivotable mating engagement with said first pivotable support means of said operating condition display so as to render said rearview mirror pivotably adjustable with respect to and independent of said operating condition display in a plurality of directions while said operating condition display remains non-movably fixed within said vehicle so as to constantly display the operating conditions of said vehicle through said front windshield of said vehicle.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said operating condition display comprises vehicle speed indicating means operatively connected to speedometer means disposed upon said vehicle.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said vehicle speed indicating means comprises a plurality of speed indicating display elements which are separately and individually operative within predetermined speed ranges of said vehicle.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

said plurality of speed indicating display elements comprises two speed indicating display elements predeterminedly operative within relatively high and relatively low speed ranges of said vehicle.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

said relatively low speed range of said vehicle comprises a vehicle speed within the range of 0-50 km/hr; and

said relatively high speed range of said vehicle comprises a vehicle speed which exceeds 50 km/hr.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

said two speed indicating display elements comprise two different illumination means.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein said two different illumination means comprise:

means defining two separate compartments within said operating condition display;

an illumination lamp disposed within each one of said two compartments;

first colored filter means disposed within a first one of said two compartments such that upon illumination of said illumination lamp within said first one of said two compartments as a result of said vehicle being operated at a first predetermined speed, a first colored illumination indicia will be displayed; and

second colored filter means disposed within a second one of said two compartments such that upon illumination of said illumination lamp within said second one of said two compartments as a result of said vehicle being operated at a second predetermined speed, a second colored illumination indicia, different from said first colored illumination indicia as a result of said second colored filter means being different from said first colored filter means, will be displayed.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said first colored illumination indicia comprises a yellow display corresponding to said relatively high operating speed range of said vehicle; and

said second colored illumination indicia comprises a blue display corresponding to said relatively low operating speed range of said vehicle.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said operating condition display comprises vehicle braking indicating means operatively connected to braking means disposed upon said vehicle.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

said vehicle braking indicating means comprises red colored filter and illumination means for displaying a red illumination signal when said vehicle is being operated in a braking mode.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said operating condition display comprises left and right turn indicating means operatively connected to left and right turn switching means disposed upon said vehicle.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

said left and right turn indicating means comprises left and right arrow indicia filter means, and illumination means therefor, for displaying a left and right turn signal, respectively, when said vehicle is being operated in a left and right turn mode, respectively.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said support means non-movably fixed within said vehicle comprises a hollow tubular support arm for fixedly supporting said operating condition display within said vehicle; and

electrical cable means disposed within said hollow tubular support arm and connected to said operating condition display for providing electrical power to said operating condition display.

14. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second pivotable support means comprises:

horizontally disposed slot means defined within said second pivotable support means and extending from a front surface portion of said second pivotable support means toward said front surface portion of said rearview mirror so as to partially divide said second pivotable support means into an upper half portion and a lower half portion wherein said upper and lower half portions can be constricted together so as to fixedly engage said first pivotable support means of said operating condition display so as to fixedly retain said rearview mirror in a selectively adjusted position relative to said operating condition display; and

bolt means passing through said upper and lower half portions of said second pivotable support means for constricting said upper and lower half portions together in order to fixedly retain said rearview mirror in said selectively adjusted position relative to said operating condition display.

15. In combination, a rearview mirror and operating condition display system for a vehicle, comprising:

first support means fixedly mounted within said vehicle;

a rearview mirror, having a mirror component thereof disposed rearwardly so as to provide a driver of said vehicle with a view of the environment disposed behind said vehicle, pivotably mounted upon said first support means;

an operating condition display mounted in front of said rearview mirror so as to render said operation condition display visible through a front windshield of said vehicle; and

second support means interconnecting and supporting said operating condition display directly to and upon said rearview mirror such that said rearview mirror is pivotably adjustable to a predetermined angle with respect to said front windshield and with respect to said operating condition display is disposed parallel to said front windshield in order to display the operating conditions of said vehicle through said front windshield of said vehicle;

said second support means comprising two pairs of laterally spaced, resiliently flexible support arms fixedly attached at one end of each of said arms to said operating condition display, upon upper and lower surfaces of said operating condition display, for releasably engaging upper and lower surfaces of said rearview mirror so as to removably mount said operating condition display upon said rearview mirror.

16. The combination as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

said operating condition display comprises vehicle speed indicating means operatively connected to speedometer means disposed upon said vehicle.

17. The combination as set forth in claim 16, wherein:

said vehicle speed indicating means, comprises a plurality of speed indicating display elements which are separately and indivdually operative within predetermined speed ranges of said vehicle.

18. The combination as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said plurality of speed indicating display elements comprises two speed indicating display elements predeterminedly operative within relatively high and relatively low speed ranges of said vehicle.

19. The combination as set forth in claim 18, wherein:

said relatively low speed range of said vehicle comprises a vehicle speed within the range of 0-50 km/hr; and

said relatively high speed range of said vehicle comprises a vehicle speed which exceeds 50 km/hr.

20. The combination as set forth in claim 18, wherein:

said two speed indicating display elements comprise two different illumination means.

21. The combination as set forth in claim 20, wherein said two different illumination means comprise:

means defining two separate compartments within said operating condition display;

an illumination lamp disposed within each one of said two compartments;

first colored filter means disposed within a first one of said two compartments such that upon illumination of said illumination lamp within said first one of said two compartments as a result of said vehicle being operated at a first predetermined speed a first colored illumination indicia will be displayed; and

second colored filter means, different from said first colored filter means, disposed within a second one of said two compartments such that upon illumination of said illumination lamp within said second one of said two compartments as a result of said vehicle being operated at a second predetermined speed, a second colored illumination indicia will be displayed.

22. The combination as set forth in claim 21, wherein:

said first colored illumination indicia comprises a yellow display corresponding to said relatively high operating speed range of said vehicle; and

said second colored illumination indicia comprises a blue display corresponding to said relatively low operating speed range of said vehicle.

23. The combination as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

said operating condition display comprises vehicle braking indicating means operatively connected to braking means disposed upon said vehicle.

24. The combination as set forth in claim 23, wherein:

said vehicle braking indicating means comprises red colored filter and illumination means for displaying a red illumination signal when said vehicle is being operated in a braking mode.

25. The combination as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

said operating condition display comprises left and right turn indicating means operatively connected to left and right turn switching means disposed upon said vehicle.

26. The combination as set forth in claim 25, wherein:

said left and right turn indicating means comprises left and right arrow indicia filter means, and illumination means therefor, for displaying a left and right turn signal, respectively, when said vehicle is being operated in a left and right turn mode, respectively.

27. The combination as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

said first support means comprises a hollow tubular support arm; and

electrical cable means disposed within said hollow tubular support arm and connected to said operating condition display for providing electrical power to said operating condition display.

28. The combination as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

a first pair of said two laterally spaced pairs of arms has a length which is greater than the length of a second pair of said two laterally spaced pairs of arms so as to permit said rearview mirror to be disposed at said predetermined angle while said operating condition display is disposed parallel to said front windshield of said vehicle.