Vehicle outside rear-view mirror assembly prepared for carrying an image detector device

• US 7,391,014 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saccagno, Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Que T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui Pho; Pascal M
• Application Number:
  US10/556,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20070023611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/239, 250/216, 250/221, 359/229, 359602-608, 359/838, 359/868, 359/869, 359/265, 359/267, 359272-275, 359/268, 359/871, 348/148, 396/419, 396/428, 362/494
• US Class Current: 250/239
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens

Abstract

An outside rear-view mirror for a vehicle, which is designed to support an image-detector device is disclosed. The assembly comprises a casing with a reflector fastening device and a detector fastening device configured to mount either a first reflector installed over the detector fastening device, hiding them, or a second reflector, smaller than the first one, leaving the detector fastening device clear and available for the installation of the image detector device in operating conditions.

Claims

1. A vehicle exterior rear view mirror assembly prepared to carry an image detector device comprising:

a casing in which at least one reflector is installed providing a reflected rear image visible by a vehicle occupant, said casing adaptable between a first configuration and a second configuration;

a support base to fix said casing with said reflector to a part of the vehicle;

detector fastening means to support on said casing said image detector device, which is adapted to provide a signal representative of a rear image susceptible to be processed and presented as an information to a vehicle occupant; and

reflector fastening means to support on said casing either

i) in said first configuration, a first reflector of a first size facing rearward with respect to said casing, said reflector and detector fastening means configured and disposed such that when said first reflector is mounted on the reflector fastening means the first reflector overlaps the detector fastening means hiding the reflector fastening means and the detector fastening means, or

ii) in said second configuration a second reflector of a second size facing rearward with respect to said casing, said second size being smaller than said first size, said second reflector mounted on the reflector fastening means, the detector fastening means available for the installation of said image detector device alongside said second reflector facing rearward with respect to said casing.

2. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein the casing defines at least one cavity accessible through a wide opening limited by an inner contour, the reflector and detector fastening means being located in said at least one cavity.

3. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first reflector is provided with an external contour which substantially conforms to said inner contour of said opening of the cavity with a clearance.

4. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 2, further comprising an adapter provided with an orifice through which the image detector device acquires information, said adapter being complementary to the second reflector and having a first outer contour portion conformed to a portion of the inner contour of the cavity opening of the casing and a second outer contour portion cooperating with the remaining portion of the inner contour of the cavity in order to define a new inner contour, of smaller size, to which an outer contour of the second reflector conforms with a clearance.

5. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein the image detector device is mounted to said adapter, which is configured to be fixed in the detector fastening means.

6. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 5, wherein the adapter and the image detector device comprise fastening and centering means which cooperate with each other to maintain the image detector device in an appropriate position facing said orifice.

7. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 6, wherein said fastening and centering means include an auxiliary chassis provided with first configurations to fasten the image detector device and second configurations adapted to fix the auxiliary chassis to the adapter or to a back wall of the cavity by means of the detector fastening means.

8. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein the adapter and the image detector device do not protrude from an outer edge of the cavity opening of the casing.

9. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein said second outer contour portion of the adapter is concave.

10. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein said second outer contour portion of the adapter is convex.

11. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein said second outer contour portion of the adapter is substantially straight.

12. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein the adapter comprises a visor configuration adjacent to an upper part of said orifice for protection against environmental agents.

13. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 12, wherein the adapter comprises a gutter configuration adjacent to a lower part of said orifice for protection against environmental agents.

14. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 13, wherein said gutter configuration has a lower portion inclined at an angle of at least 45°

from the horizontal.

15. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 13, wherein said visor configuration and/or said gutter configuration protrude with respect to the orifice a distance equal to or greater than the orifice diameter.

16. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

17. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein the adapter further comprises an auxiliary reflector providing a rearward image associated with said vehicle.

18. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein the reflector fastening means are integrated in an actuator device located in the cavity, in order to selectively move the reflector in relation to the casing.

19. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 18, wherein said actuator device includes at least one electric motor.

20. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein the casing comprises an inner back wall defining said cavity and a frame that defines said wide opening limited by said inner contour.

21. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 20, wherein said inner back wall is provided with at least one opening to facilitate access to at least one connection wiring of the image detector device.

22. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 20, wherein said frame is integral with a convex shell that completes the casing and said inner back wall is a piece coupled to the interior of said convex shell through the wide opening limited by said inner contour.

23. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 20, wherein a removable convex cover is coupled to at least a part of said frame at an opposite side of the cavity, said removable convex cover covering said inner back wall at its exterior part and completing the casing.

24. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 23, wherein the image detector device is mounted on the rear part of said inner back wall, the inner back wall comprising at least one opening for the image detector device in relationship with the detector fastening means, which include fastening and centering means to maintain the image detector device in an appropriate position facing said orifice of the adapter.

25. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 24, wherein an auxiliary chassis is provided with first attaching means to fasten the image detector device to said auxiliary chassis and second attaching means adapted to fix said auxiliary chassis to the inner back wall, said first and second attaching means acting as said fastening and centering means.

26. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 5, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

27. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 6, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

28. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 7, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

29. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 8, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

30. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 9, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

31. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 10, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

32. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 11, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

33. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 12, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

34. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 13, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

35. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 14, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.

36. The rear view mirror assembly according to claim 15, wherein the orifice of the adapter is closed by a transparent element.