Side flashing lamp

• US 6,271,750 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2000
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: REBO Lighting & Electronics GmbH (PTC Inc.)
• Original Assignee: REBO Lighting & Electronics GmbH (PTC Inc.)
• Inventors: Bräutigam, Markus, Künstler, Rolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/618,054
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 340/468, 340/471, 340/475, 340/463, 340/465, 362/487, 362/494, 362/514, 362/137, 362/140, 362/498
• US Class Current: 340/468
• 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 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

A side flashing lamp for fitting into a cover cap of a motor vehicle external rear view mirror includes a lamp housing with a light exit opening and a translucent cover which closes the opening. The translucent cover is curved in such a way that it extends from the outward side, that is remote from the vehicle, in a continuous transition into the front side of the cover cap, which faces approximately in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle. The lamp has at least one light source in the lamp housing and at least one reflector for focusing the light of the light source in a main radiation direction which faces substantially in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle. The lamp includes at least one further light source with a reflector which focuses the light thereof transversely with respect to the main radiation direction. Arranged in the beam path of the further light source and reflector is a light deflection element which deflects the major part of the light focused by that reflector in an inclinedly rearwardly extending radiation direction.

Claims

1. A side flashing lamp for fitting in the cover cap of an external rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising

a lamp housing having a light exit opening,

a translucent cover which closes the light exit opening of the lamp housing and which is curved in such a way that in the installed condition it extends from the outward side of the cover cap, which is remote from the vehicle, with a continuous transition into the front side of the cover cap, which faces at least approximately in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle,

at least one first light source mounted in the lamp housing at a fixed position therein,

at least one reflector operable to focus the light of the at least one first light source into a main radiation direction which faces substantially in said direction of forward travel,

at least one further light source,

at least one further reflector operatively associated with said further light source for reflecting and focusing the light of the further light source substantially transversely outwardly with respect to said main radiation direction, and

a light deflection means disposed in the beam path of the further reflector and operable to deflect the major part of the light focused by said further reflector in such a way that it has a radiation direction which extends inclinedly rearwardly with respect to the main radiation direction.

2. A lamp as set forth in claim 1

wherein the light deflection means is a prism.

3. A lamp as set forth in claim 1

wherein the reflectors are operable to focus the light of the operatively associated light source in a vertical direction into a respective narrow aperture angle which includes a horizontal plane.

4. A lamp as set forth in claim 2

wherein the light deflection means is in the form of a prismatic rod of triangular cross-section, said rod extending substantially in a vertical direction in the installed condition.

5. A lamp as set forth in claim 1

wherein the translucent cover has a light exit surface which extends inclinedly rearwardly in the installed condition with respect to the main radiation direction.

6. A lamp as set forth in claim 1

wherein the at least one reflector which focuses the light of the at least one light source in the main radiation direction and the further reflector form an integral reflector assembly.

7. A lamp as set forth in claim 6 including

a plurality of said light sources arranged in mutually juxtaposed relationship transversely with respect to the main radiation direction,

a plurality of reflectors operatively associated with each of said plurality of light sources for focusing the light thereof in the main radiation direction,

wherein all said reflectors are integrally connected to form said reflector assembly.

8. A lamp as set forth in claim 1

wherein the translucent cover has a main part and a set-back edge portion surrounding the main part, the arrangement being such that when the lamp is fitted from the interior into an opening in the cover cap of the external rear view mirror the main part of the translucent cover at least substantially fills said opening while the set-back edge region surrounding said main part is pressed from the inside against the inside wall of the cover cap which surrounds the opening, and further including a seal interposed between said inside wall and said translucent cover.

9. A lamp as set forth in claim 8

wherein the reflector assembly has a peripheral edge portion and at said peripheral edge portion a projection which extends substantially over the entire periphery and which additionally presses said seal against the inside wall of the cover cap.

10. A lamp as set forth in claim 1 and further including

a lamp member carrier carrying the at least one light source, and

a fixing element surrounding the base of a said light source, the fixing element being engaged with the lamp carrier on the one hand and with the base of the light source on the other hand, in such a way that the light source is in an accurately oriented position.

11. A lamp as set forth in claim 1

wherein the further light source includes a plurality of lamps which are arranged substantially vertically one above the other in the installed condition and each of which has its own said further reflector.

12. A lamp as set forth in claim 11 including

a light deflection element common to the further reflectors, the arrangement such that the major part of the light focused by the further reflectors is so diverted by a common light deflection element that it has a radiation direction which extends inclinedly rearwardly with respect to the main radiation direction.

13. A motor vehicle external rear view mirror assembly including

a mirror housing for accommodating a mirror,

and a side flashing lamp in the mirror housing comprising

a lamp housing having a light exit opening,

a translucent cover which closes the light exit opening of the lamp housing and which is curved to extend from the outward side of the mirror housing into the front side of the mirror housing which faces at least approximately in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle,

at least one first light source mounted in the lamp housing at a fixed position therein,

at least one reflector operable to focus the light of the at least one first light source into a main radiation direction which faces substantially in said direction of forward travel,

at least one further light source,

at least one further reflector operatively associated with said further light source for reflecting and focusing the light of the further light source substantially transversely outwardly with respect to said main radiation direction, and

a light deflection means disposed in the beam path of the further reflector and operable to deflect the major part of the light focused by said further reflector in such a way that it has a radiation direction which extends inclinedly rearwardly with respect to the main radiation direction.