Optical rearview device of vehicle

• US 5,733,031 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chung Y.U. Lin
• Original Assignee: Chung Y.U. Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Chung Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US08/474,720
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/83.3, 362/308, 362/326, 362/327, 362/328, 362/330, 340/435
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical rearview device installed in the rear part of an vehicle. The optical rearview device of vehicle comprises a light emitting source and a lens set which is mounted in from of the light emitting source. The limit emitting source continuously emits a high intensity incident ray, such as laser ray, falling on to the lens set when the vehicle reverses. The lens set comprises a projecting lens having a light incident plane. A predetermined angle is provided between the light incident plane and the incident ray. The projecting lens reflects and refracts the incident ray which falls on the light incident plane thereof to form at lease two projecting beams. The two high intensity projecting beams projected from the lens set strike an object behind the vehicle to form at least two light spots on the object during reversing the vehicle. Such distance among the light spots on the object are proportional to the distance between the object and the vehicle. Thus, the distance between the object and the vehicle can be determined accurately and easily by observing the distance varying among the light spots on the object behind the vehicle.

Claims

1. An optical rearview device, which is installed in a rear part of a vehicle, comprising a light emitting source and a lens set mounted in front of said light emitting source, said light emitting source emitting a high intensity incident ray when said vehicle is backing, said lens set comprising a projecting lens having at least a light incident plane positioned in a predetermined incident angle with said incident ray emitted from said light emitting source, wherein a portion of said incident ray penetrating said projecting lens and being refracted to form a refracted beam which is parallel to said incident ray, another portion of said incident ray being reflected off said incident plane of said projecting lens to form a reflected beam, whereby at least two light spots are formed correspondingly on an object behind said vehicle when said refracted and reflected beams projected from said projecting lens are cast onto said object when said vehicle is backing, a distance between said object and said vehicle being able to be judged and determined.

2. An optical rearview device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a mounting seat for holding said lens set in front of said light emitting source, said mounting seat comprising a holding ring clamped on an emitting end of said light emitting source, a holder provided on one edge of said holding ring for firmly holding said projecting lens in a slant position by engaging one end of said projecting lens with said holder.

3. An optical rearview device as recited in claim 1 wherein said incident angle between said light incident plane of said projecting lens and said incident ray emitted from said light emitting source is less than 22.5 degree.

4. An optical rearview device as recited in claim 1 wherein said projecting lens is a rectangular lens with a predetermined thickness.

5. An optical rearview device as recited in claim 1 wherein said lens set further comprises a reflector mounted adjacent to said projecting lens, said reflector being positioned along a path of said reflected beam and having a predetermined angle with said reflected beam, said reflected beam reflected off from said projecting lens being further reflected off said reflector to form a secondary reflected beam which crosses a path of said refracted beam, so that when said refracted beam and said secondary reflected beam are cast onto said object behind said vehicle, two light spots are formed correspondingly on said object, whereby when said two light spots are overlapped at one point, said vehicle is very close to said object behind said vehicle.