Exterior rearview mirror

• US 6,592,229 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Original Assignee: Murakami Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Hidenori, Nagao, Mitsuyoshi, Unno, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US10/171,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 359/608, 359/601, 359/603, 359/604, 359/265, 359/267, 359/272, 359/273, 359/275, 359/268, 359/274
• US Class Current: 359/608
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A mirror assembly 3 is detachably attached to an open side 2a of a mirror housing 2 in an exterior rearview mirror system (exterior mirror) 1 that is mounted outside a vehicle body. A mirror 4 in the mirror assembly 3 is comprised of a transparent glass plate 5 with a reflective coating 6 spread over a back surface of the transparent glass plate 5, through which reflective coating 6 electric current passes to produce an antiglare effect. The electric current passing through the reflective coating 6 is controlled using a sensors 8, 9 that detect intensity of light from surroundings and rearward of the vehicle body, and an electronic control circuit 10 that compares intensity of light detected in each sensor 8, 9 to automatically adjust an antiglare level of reflection in the reflective coating 6. A battery 11 that is connected with the electronic control circuit 10 and supplies electric current into the reflective coating 6 is provided in the mirror housing 2.

Claims

1. An exterior rearview mirror system mounted on an outside of a vehicle body, comprising:

a mirror housing; and

a mirror assembly that is detachably attached to an open side of the mirror housing, forming a reflective surface of the mirror system,

wherein the mirror assembly is composed of a mirror and a support plate for supporting the mirror, which mirror is made up of a transparent glass plate with a reflective coating spread over a back surface of the transparent glass plate, through which reflective coating electric current passes to produce an antiglare effect; and

wherein the mirror housing contains;

a first sensor that detects intensity of light from surroundings of the vehicle body;

a second sensor that detects intensity of light from rearward of the vehicle body;

an electronic control circuit that compares the intensity of light detected by the first and second sensors thereby controlling the electric current in the reflective coating so as to automatically adjust an antiglare level; and

a battery that is connected with the electronic control circuit to supply the electric current into the reflective coating.

2. An exterior rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein the mirror assembly has a modular structure in which the first and second sensors, the electronic control circuit, and the battery are combined into one unit.

3. An exterior rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein the mirror assembly has an aperture formed in part of the reflective coating so that the first and second sensors provided adjacent to each other on the support plate face the transparent glass plate through the aperture;

and

wherein a light-shielding cover that intercepts only light from rearward of the vehicle body is provided on a front surface of the mirror right opposite to the first sensor.

4. An exterior rearview mirror system according to claim 3, wherein a light-shielding plate is interposed between the first sensor and the second sensor.

5. An exterior rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is so provided as to face a frame of the mirror housing except the open side thereof;

and

wherein the second sensor is so provided as to face the open side of the mirror housing.

6. An exterior rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is so provided as to face a frame of the mirror housing except the open side thereof;

and

wherein the second sensor is provided on the support plate of the mirror assembly so that the second sensor faces the transparent glass plate through an aperture formed in part of the reflective coating.