Automobile rearview mirror with LCD display

• US 7,175,291 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shin-Nan Li
• Original Assignee: Shin-Nan Li
• Inventors: Li, Shin-Nan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer; Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US11/495,702
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• Field of Search: 359/838, 359/844, 359/871, 359/872, 348/118, 348/148, 348/552, 340/438, 340/461, 340/462, 340/905, 340/937
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens

Abstract

An automobile rearview mirror with an LCD display comprises a front panel, a mount, a display unit housed between the front panel and the mount, a front frame, a rear shell, and a mirror. The display unit, the front panel, the mount and the mirror are contained between the rear shell and the mirror. The automobile rearview mirror thereby assembled can be installed at the location of a rearview mirror in an automobile. There are two springs disposed between the mount and the rear shell that provide the force needed to pull down the front panel and the display monitor. The slide motion is further assisted by rail sectors, corresponding slide elements, gear sectors and oil-pressure gear wheels. The automobile rearview mirror is further provided with locking pieces and releases for properly retained the position of the display unit.

Claims

1. An automobile rearview mirror with a liquid crystal display (LCD), comprising:

a mount having a front wall and a rear wall, said rear wall further including at least a retaining portion for a rail sector, a spring retaining slot and a release, each of two lateral sides of said rear wall further including a gear sector;

at least one rail sector mounted on said retaining portion of said mount;

at least one spring confined in said spring retaining slot, a bottom end of said spring being stopped by said at least one spring retaining slot;

a front panel located in the front of said mount;

a display unit disposed between said mount and said front panel;

a rear shell located behind said mount having at least one slide element slidably engaging said at least one rail sector on said rear wall of said mount and at least a spring frame slot for fixing a top end of said at least one spring, whereby said mount will experience a spring restoring force, two lateral sides of a front wall of said rear shell being provided with oil-pressure gear wheels for engaging the corresponding gear sectors mounted on said mount so as to provide damping against a sliding motion of said mount;

a predetermined location on said front wall of said rear shell being provided with a locking piece for retaining said release of said mount;

a mirror retained in front of said front panel; and

a front frame encircling said rear shell, whereby said mount, said mirror and said front panel will be confined between said front frame and said rear shell.

2. The automobile rearview mirror with a liquid crystal display (LCD) of claim 1 wherein each of two lateral sides of said retaining portion is provided with an elongated retaining portion for confining said at least one rail sector.

3. The automobile rearview mirror with a liquid crystal display (LCD) of claim 1 wherein said at least one rail sector has an elongated slide groove for slidably confining said at least one slide element, and wherein said slide element is a pulley.

4. The automobile rearview mirror with a liquid crystal display (LCD) of claim 1 wherein said mount includes two springs, said springs are stopped at top ends and bottom ends respectively, by two spring retaining slots on said rear wall of said mount and two corresponding spring frame slots on said front wall of said rear shell.

5. The automobile rearview mirror with a liquid crystal display (LCD) display of claim 1 wherein said locking piece further comprises a main body pivotally attached to a predetermined position on said front wall of said rear shell and a torsional spring disposed between said main body and said pivotal position on said front wall of said rear shell, tilting said main body to a predetermined direction to lean against a stop wall at a predetermined location on said front wall;

said main body being further provided with a depressed inward guiding channel and an outward guiding channel both with non-uniform depths;

said main body further including a locking slot connecting said inward and outward guiding channels;

a bottom side of said main body being provided with an entrance to said inward guiding channel and an exit at the end of said outward guiding channel, whereby said release of said mount will be guided to enter said inward guiding channel and locked in said locking slot;

said release being departed from said locking slot when said mount is pushed upward and sliding along said outward guiding channel and being ejected from said exit.