Mirror with integrated signaling assembly

• US 6,918,685 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KW Muth Company
• Original Assignee: K W Muth Company Incorporated (K. W. Muth)
• Inventors: Bukosky, Allen A., Mathieu, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US10/124,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20030193814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 362/3, 362/5, 362/16, 362/18, 362/28, 362/29, 362/30, 362/459, 362/487, 362/494, 362/509, 362/510, 362/516, 362/519, 362523-525, 362529-532, 362/540, 362/546, 362/135, 362/269, 362138-141, 362/271, 362/301, 362296-298, 362/317, 362/341, 362/342, 362/355, 362/257, 362/300
• US Class Current: 362/301
• 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: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

A signaling assembly having a reflective substrate with opposite first and second surfaces, and wherein each of the surfaces simultaneously reflects visibly discernable eleotromagnetic radiation and passes electromagnetic radiation; and an emitter for emitting visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation is provided, and wherein the emitted visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation may be simultaneously viewed from locations forward of the opposite first and second surfaces of the reflective substrate.

Claims

1. A signaling assembly, comprising:

a reflective substrate having opposite first and second surfaces, and wherein each of the surfaces simultaneously reflects, visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation, and passes electromagnetic radiation; and

an emitter borne by the second surface of the reflective substrate and which emits visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation which is simultaneously reflected in part, and passed in part, by the reflective substrate, and wherein the emitter is disposed in an oblique orientation relative to the second surface of the reflective substrate, and wherein the emitted visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation may be simultaneously viewed from locations forward of the opposite first and second surfaces of the reflective substrate.

2. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

a housing defining an internal cavity, and further having an aperture, and wherein the emitter is received in the cavity, and wherein the reflective substrate substantially occludes the aperture, and the second surface of the reflective substrate faces in the direction of the cavity.

3. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the reflective substrate has a primary region which reflects on average at least about 35% of all visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation, and a secondary region which passes at least about 5% of the same visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation.

4. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

a housing having a sidewall and which defines a cavity, and wherein the sidewall further defines first and second apertures, and wherein the reflective substrate substantially occludes the first aperture; and

a translucent substrate is positioned in substantially occluding relation relative to the second aperture.

5. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein about 30% to about 95% of the emitted visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation is passed by the reflective substrate, and about 5% to about 70% of the emitted visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation is reflected by the reflective substrate.

6. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein an enclosure is borne by the second surface of the reflective substrate and the emitter is mounted on the enclosure and is obliquely disposed relative to the second surface of the reflective substrate, and which further emits electromagnetic radiation which has a first portion which is passed by the reflective substrate and which can be seen from the location forward of the first surface of the reflective substrate, and a second portion which is reflected from the second surface of the reflective substrate and which can be seen from the location forward of the second surface of the reflective substrate.

7. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 6, and wherein the first portion of the electromagnetic radiation is about 30% to about 95% of the emitted electromagnetic radiation, and the second portion of the electromagnetic radiation is about 5% to about 70% of the emitted electromagnetic radiation.

8. A signaling assembly, comprising:

a reflective substrate having opposite first and second surfaces, and wherein each of the first and second surfaces reflect and pass electromagnetic radiation, and wherein a portion of the reflective substrate passes less than about 4% of ambient visible electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the average reflectance of the first surface is greater than about 35%; and

a light emitting device borne by the second surface of the reflective substrate and which is positioned in an oblique orientation relative to the second surface and which, when energized, emits visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation which is directed in an oblique orientation toward the second surface of the reflective substrate, and wherein the visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation includes a first portion which passes through the reflective substrate, and which may be substantially visibly discerned from locations forward of the first surface, and wherein the visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation emitted by the light emitting device has a second portion which is reflected from the reflective substrate, and which may be visibly discerned from locations forward of the second surface.

9. A signaling assembly comprising:

a housing having opposite first and second sides and which has a cavity, and which further defines first and second apertures;

a reflective substrate having opposite first and second surfaces, and which is disposed in substantially occluding relation relative to the first aperture; and

an emitter located within the cavity, and which is disposed in an oblique orientation relative to the second surface of the mirror, and which when energized, emits visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation which is bifurcated to provide visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation which may be viewed from the opposite sides of the housing.

10. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the emitted visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation has a first portion which is passed by the reflective substrate and which can be viewed from the first side of the housing;

and a second portion which is reflected from the reflective substrate and which passes through the second aperture such that it may be viewed from the second side of the housing.

11. A signaling assembly for use on an overland vehicle which has a forward and rearward end, comprising:

a housing mounted on the overland vehicle, and which has an opaque wall which defines an internal cavity and which further defines a first and second aperture;

a moveable reflective substrate having opposite first and second surfaces, each of which reflects and passes visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the reflective substrate substantially occludes the first aperture, and wherein the first surface thereof faces away from the cavity, and can be viewed from locations laterally and rearwardly disposed relative to the overland vehicle, and the second surface thereof faces inwardly toward the cavity;

a translucent substrate positioned in substantially occluding relation relative to the second aperture, and wherein the translucent substrate can be viewed from locations laterally and forwardly disposed relative to the overland vehicle;

an enclosure borne by the second surface of the mirror and which defines first and second regions through which visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation may pass; and

an electromagnetic radiation emitter positioned in the cavity and which is located within the enclosure, and which is disposed in an oblique orientation relative to the second surface of the reflective substrate and which, when energized, emits electromagntic radiation which has a first portion which escapes from the enclosure by passing through the first region of the enclosure, and is then further passed by the first and second surfaces of the reflective substrate, and which forms a first visibly discernable signal which can be viewed from locations laterally and rearwardly disposed relative to the overland vehicle, and a second portion, which is reflected by the first and second surfaces of the reflective substrate and which escapes from the enclosure by passing through the second region of the enclosure, and which then further passes through the translucent substrate positioned in substantially occluding relation relative to the second aperture, and which forms a second visibly discernable signal which can be viewed from locations laterally and forwardly disposed relative to the overland vehicle.

12. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first and second visibly discernible signals are produced substantially simultaneously.

13. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 11, and further comprising:

a light conduit positioned within the cavity and which defines a passageway between the second surface of the reflective substrate and the second aperture, and which substantially directs the emitted electromagnetic radiation forming the second signal to the second aperture.

14. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 11, and wherein the light conduit is resilient, and further has a first end which is mounted adjacent the reflective substrate, and wherein the overland vehicle, during operation generates vibrations which are transmitted to the reflective substrate, and wherein the resilient light conduit operates to dampen the vibrations which are transmitted to the reflective substrate.

15. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the reflective substrate has a primary region which reflects on average at least about 35% of all visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation, and a secondary region which passes at least about 5% of the same visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation.

16. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 15, and wherein the first portion of the emitted electromagnetic radiation is about 30% to about 95% of the emitted electromagnetic radiation and the second portion of the emitted electromagnetic radiation is about 5% to about 70% of the emitted electromagnetic radiation.

17. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 15, and wherein a highly reflective coating is applied to one of the first or second surfaces of the reflective substrate, and wherein a portion of the reflective coating is removed to define the secondary region.

18. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 17, and wherein the secondary region is continuous.

19. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 17, and wherein the secondary region is discontinuous.

20. A signaling assembly, comprising:

a housing having a sidewall, and which defines an internal cavity, and wherein the sidewall further defines first and second apertures;

a moveable reflective substrate having opposite first and second surfaces, and wherein each of surfaces simultaneously passes and reflects visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the reflective substrate substantially occludes the first aperture defined by the housing, and the second surface of the reflective substrate is received in the internal cavity, and wherein the reflective substrate may be selectively positioned relative to the housing to view an area of interest;

a translucent substrate positioned in substantially occluding relation relative to the second aperture defined by the housing; and

an electromagnetic radiation emitter which is borne by second surface of the reflective substrate, and which is further oriented in spaced, oblique electromagnetic radiation emitting relation relative to the second surface of the reflective substrate, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitter moves with the reflective substrate as the reflective substrate is selectively positioned relative to the housing, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitter, when energized, emits electromagnetic radiation which includes a first portion which is passed by the reflective substrate, and which can be viewed from a position forward of the first surface of the reflective substrate, and a second portion which is reflected from the second surface of the reflective substrate, and which is subsequently passed by the translucent substrate which occludes the second aperture, and wherein the second portion of the emitted electromagnetic radiation can be viewed from a position forward of the second surface of the reflective substrate.