Lighted vehicular mirror assembly

• US 6,183,119 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mousseau, Rick, Lawlor, Patrick J., Desmond, John P., McCormack, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Laura K.
• Application Number:
  US09/371,871
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 362/494, 362/544, 362/543, 362/135, 362/140, 362/144
• US Class Current: 362/494
• 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 3/258 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

A lighted vehicular mirror assembly includes a mirror case, a reflective element, a support for mounting the assembly on a vehicle, and at least one lamp assembly having a light source, a reflector member, and a lens. The reflector member is shaped to direct light emitted by the light source to form a pattern of light directed generally downwardly and rearwardly when the light source is electrically activated. A lens provides shaping and directing properties for light emitting from different areas of the reflector and includes a first prescription region, and a second region having a prescription different from said first prescription region.

Claims

1. A lighted vehicular mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror case including a reflective element;

a support for mounting said vehicular mirror assembly on a vehicle;

at least one lamp assembly comprising a light source, a reflector member, and a lens, said light source mounted externally of said reflector member;

said reflector member shaped to direct light emitted by said light source to form a pattern of light directed generally downwardly and rearwardly when said light source is electrically activated, said reflector member comprising an enclosure defining a bottom opening, said enclosure having a generally flat front wall, a generally flat rear wall, a pair of upwardly extending side walls, and a curved top wall, and an aperture allowing projection of said light source therethrough into said enclosure, one of said side walls joining said front and rear walls at one end of said reflector member and the other of said side walls joining said front and rear walls at the other end of said reflector member, said top wall joining said front, rear and side walls and sloping downwardly toward at least one of said side walls, said aperture being located in the region generally between said top wall and one of said side walls;

said lens including at least two regions for passing light, one of said regions having a first lens prescription, and a second region having a lens prescription different from said first region, and wherein said lens provides shaping and directing properties for light emitted from different areas of said reflector member.

2. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said first lens region comprises a circular focusing lens region.

3. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 2 wherein said second lens region comprises a circular focusing lens region.

4. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 3 wherein said first and second lens regions comprise two, merging focusing regions.

5. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said second lens region comprises a circular focusing lens region.

6. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said lens includes a third region having a prescription different from the respective prescriptions of said first and second regions.

7. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said lens includes an opaque area to reduce illumination in predetermined areas.

8. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said light source comprises a bulb.

9. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 8 wherein said bulb projects downwardly into said reflector member.

10. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 9 wherein said bulb projects downwardly at an inclined angle.

11. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said reflector member is removably mounted within said mirror case.

12. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said reflector member has at least one resilient flange for engaging a complementary flange in said mirror case to releasably mount said reflector member in said mirror case.

13. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 including a circuit board having mounted thereon at least one switch.

14. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 13 wherein said reflective element has a variable reflective condition;

said circuit board containing an electrical circuit for controlling said reflective condition of said reflective element.

15. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said reflective element is actuatable between at least two reflective conditions.

16. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic rearview mirror element.

17. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 16 wherein said electro-optic rearview mirror element comprises an electrochromic element.

18. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein a resilient material abuts a rear surface of said reflective element.

19. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 18 wherein said resilient material comprises a layer of foam material adhered to a rear surface of said reflective element.

20. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 19 wherein said foam material has an adhesive rear surface.

21. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 20 wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic element and including a circuit board having an electrical circuit for controlling the reflective condition of said electrochromic element, said circuit board being attached to said adhesive rear surface.

22. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said lamp assembly is disposed in a bottom region of said mirror case.

23. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 including a first and a second lamp assembly.

24. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 23 wherein said first and second lamp assemblies comprise a driver'"'"'s side lamp assembly and a passenger side lamp assembly, respectively.

25. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 24 including a circuit board;

said circuit board having a first electrical switch for controlling the reflective condition of said reflective element and second and third electrical switches for controlling said driver'"'"'s side and passenger side lamp assemblies, respectively.

26. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 including a circuit board and an electrical spring contact to electrically connect said circuit board to said reflective element.

27. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 26 including a flat electrical terminal on said circuit board;

said spring contact abutting said flat electrical terminal on said circuit board.

28. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 1 wherein said reflector member comprises a metalised reflector member.

29. A lighted vehicular mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror case including a reflective element;

a support for mounting said vehicular mirror assembly on a vehicle;

a first lamp assembly comprising a first light source, a first reflector member, and a first lens;

a second lamp assembly comprising a second light source, a second reflector member, and a second lens;

each of said reflector members being shaped to direct light emitted by the respective one of said first and second light sources to form a pattern of light directed generally downwardly and rearwardly when that respective light source is electrically activated and said mirror assembly is mounted on the vehicle with said support, said first reflector member having a shape different from the shape of said second reflector member, said shape of said first reflector member directing light generally toward the lap area of the driver of the vehicle, said shape of said second reflector member directing light generally toward the lap area of a front seat passenger of the vehicle;

at least one of said first lens and said second lens including at least two regions for passing light, one of said regions having a first lens prescription, and a second region having a lens prescription different from said first region, and wherein said one lens provides shaping and directing properties for light emitted from different areas of said respective reflector member;

said reflector member and said lens in each of said first and second lamp assemblies working in conjunction with one another to collect and direct light to the respective area in the vehicle, said reflector member in each of said first and second lamp assemblies minimizing at least one of light bending, shaping and diffusing of light by its respective lens.

30. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein said first lens region of said one lens comprises a circular focusing lens region.

31. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 30 wherein said second lens region of said one lens comprises a circular focusing lens region.

32. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 31 wherein said first and second lens regions of said one lens comprise two, merging focusing regions.

33. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein said second lens region of said one lens comprises a circular focusing lens region.

34. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29, wherein said one lens includes a third region having a prescription different from the respective prescriptions of said first and second regions.

35. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein at least one said first lens and said second lens includes an opaque area to reduce illumination in predetermined areas.

36. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein each of said reflector members has an aperture for receiving its respective light source.

37. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 36 wherein each of said light sources comprises a bulb.

38. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 37 wherein each of said bulbs projects downwardly into its respective reflector member.

39. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 38 wherein each of said bulbs projects downwardly at an inclined angle.

40. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein each of said first reflector member and said second reflector member is removably mounted within said mirror case.

41. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein at least one of said first reflector member and said second reflector member has at least one resilient flange for engaging a complementary flange in said mirror case to releasably mount said one reflector member in said mirror case.

42. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 including a circuit board having mounted thereon at least one switch.

43. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 42 wherein said reflective element has a variable reflective condition;

said circuit board containing an electrical circuit for controlling said reflective condition of said reflective element.

44. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein said reflective element is actuatable between at least two reflective conditions.

45. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic rearview mirror element.

46. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 45 wherein said electro-optic rearview mirror element comprises an electrochromic element.

47. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein a resilient material abuts a rear surface of said reflective element.

48. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 47 wherein said resilient material comprises a layer of foam material adhered to a rear surface of said reflective element.

49. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 48 wherein said foam material has an adhesive rear surface.

50. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 49 wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic element and including a circuit board having an electrical circuit for controlling the reflective condition of said electrochromic element, said circuit board being attached to said adhesive rear surface.

51. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein each of said first and second lamp assemblies is disposed in a bottom region of said mirror case.

52. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein said first and second lamp assemblies comprise a driver'"'"'s side lamp assembly and a passenger side lamp assembly, respectively.

53. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 52 including a circuit board;

said circuit board having a first electrical switch for controlling the reflective condition of said reflective element and second and third electrical switches for controlling said driver'"'"'s side lamp assembly and said passenger side lamp assembly, respectively.

54. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 including a circuit board and an electrical spring contact to electrically connect said circuit board to said reflective element.

55. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 54 including a flat electrical terminal on said circuit board;

said spring contact abutting said flat electrical terminal on said circuit board.

56. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein each of said first and second reflector members comprises a metalised reflector member.

57. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein said shape of said first reflector member directs light more rearwardly of said assembly than said shape of said second reflector member.

58. The lighted vehicular mirror assembly of claim 29 wherein said shape of said second reflector member directs light more laterally of said assembly than said shape of said first reflector member.