Vanity light for rearview mirror

• US 6,082,881 A
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Hicks, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US09/100,044
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 362/494, 362/464, 362/142, 362/143, 362/135, 362/136, 362/137, 362/503
• US Class Current: 362/503
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/258 Rear-view mirrors

Abstract

A vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror housing, a mirror, and a light assembly. The light assembly is supported within a channel in the mirror housing for slidable movement from a retracted position behind the mirror to an extended position adjacent the mirror. The light assembly includes a light housing and a light emitting device adapted to provide sufficient light to illuminate the face of a user. The light assembly is operatively connected to a switch which prevents the light emitting device from operating unless the vehicle transmission is in a park setting.

Claims

1. A mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror housing;

a mirror supported by said mirror housing; and

a light assembly supported by said mirror housing for slidable movement relative to said mirror,

wherein said light assembly is adapted to slide from a retracted position behind said mirror to an extended position adjacent to said mirror.

2. The mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said mirror housing includes a channel adapted to receive said light assembly and support said light assembly for slidable movement.

3. The mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said light assembly includes a light housing and a light emitting device supported by said light housing.

4. The mirror assembly of claim 3 wherein said light emitting device comprises a low voltage light bulb adapted to produce sufficient light to illuminate the face of a user.

5. The mirror assembly of claim 3 wherein said light emitting device is operatively engaged with a switch which allows said light emitting device to operate only when a vehicular transmission is in a park setting.

6. A vehicular rear-view mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror housing mounted at a generally central location on a front windshield of a vehicle;

a mirror supported by said mirror housing;

a light assembly supported by said mirror housing including a light emitting device and a light housing; and

said light emitting device being adapted to produce sufficient light to illuminate the face of a user.

7. The mirror assembly of claim 6 wherein said light assembly is slidably received within a channel in said mirror housing and said channel is adapted to guide said light assembly from a retracted position behind said mirror to an extended position adjacent to said mirror.

8. The mirror assembly of claim 7 wherein said mirror is mounted to a vehicular windshield and said light emitting device is operatively engaged with a switch which allows said light emitting device to operate only when a vehicular transmission is in a park setting.

9. The mirror assembly of claim 6 wherein said light emitting device comprises a low voltage light bulb.

10. A vehicle and rear-view mirror assembly comprising:

a vehicle including a front windshield;

a mirror housing, mounted at a generally central location on said windshield;

a mirror supported by said mirror housing;

a light assembly supported by said mirror housing for slidable movement relative to said mirror; and

said light assembly including a light emitting device and a light housing.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said light emitting device is adapted to produce sufficient light to illuminate the face of a user.

12. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said mirror housing includes a channel adapted to receive said light assembly and support said light assembly for slidable movement from a retracted position behind said mirror to an extended position adjacent said mirror.

13. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said mirror is mounted to a vehicular windshield.

14. A mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror housing including a mounting stem adapted to mount said mirror housing to a vehicular windshield;

a mirror supported by said mirror housing; and

a light assembly supported by said mirror housing for slidable movement relative to said mirror.

15. A mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror housing mounted to a vehicular windshield;

a mirror supported by said mirror housing; and

a light assembly supported by said mirror housing for slidable movement relative to said mirror.