Display mirror assembly

• US 9,505,349 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Fish, Richard T. Jr., Minikey, Danny L. Jr., Hamlin, Bradley R., Lee, Ethan J., Kern, Eric P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US14/739,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/44 Arrangements combining different electro-active layers, e.g. electrochromic, liquid crystal or electroluminescent layers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0054 specially adapted for display applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

A display mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a display mirror assembly for a vehicle having a front shield including a first side and a second side. A partially reflective, partially transmissive element is mounted on the first side. A rear shield is disposed behind the front shield. A display module is mounted between the front shield and the rear shield and includes in order from the front shield: a display; an optic block; a heat sink having an edge lit PCB mounted along a top edge thereof; and a PCB. The front shield is secured to at least one component of the display module with a first retaining feature and the rear shield is secured to at least one component of the display module with a second retaining feature. A housing at least partially surrounds the front shield, display module, and rear shield.

Claims

1. A display mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a housing;

a windshield mounting member extending rearwardly from the housing;

an electro-optic element operably coupled with the housing;

a display module mounted between the electro-optic element and the housing and including a display, the display module being configured to be activated and deactivated; and

an actuator device disposed on the housing and operably coupled with the electro-optic element, wherein the actuator device is adjustable to tilt the electro-optic element in one direction, thereby moving the electro-optic element to an off-axis position which approximately simultaneously changes an activation state of the display module, and wherein the actuator device is also adjustable to tilt the electro-optic element in another direction, thereby moving the electro-optic element to an on-axis position which approximately simultaneously changes the activation state of the display module.

2. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a printed circuit board disposed in the housing and operably coupled with the display.

3. The display mirror assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

an optic block that supports a glare sensor operably coupled with the printed circuit board.

4. The display mirror assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

an electrical connector having a length sufficient to wrap around the display module and which is operably coupled with the printed circuit board.

5. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a partially transmissive graphic overlay on the display module visible on a viewing area when the display mirror assembly is in use.

6. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a front shield disposed between the electro-optic element and the display module.

7. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a rear shield that shields the display module from radiofrequency radiation.

8. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the display has a shape which corresponds to the shape of the electro-optic element, and wherein the display is an LCD, LED, OLED, plasma, or DLP display element.

9. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a glare sensor positioned on a rear portion of said vehicle, wherein a signal representative of received light is communicated from the glare sensor to a printed circuit board in the housing.

10. A display mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a housing;

a glass element operably coupled with the housing;

a display module mounted to the housing operably coupled to a printed circuit board and configured to be activated and deactivated;

a partially transmissive graphic overlay on the display module visible on a viewing area when the display mirror assembly is in use; and

an actuator device operably coupled with the glass element, wherein the actuator device is adjustable to tilt the glass element in a first direction, thereby moving the glass element to an off-axis position which approximately simultaneously changes the activation state of the display module, and wherein the actuator device is also adjustable to tilt the glass element in a second direction, thereby moving the glass element to an on-axis position which approximately simultaneously changes the activation state of the display module.

11. The display mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the glass element includes an electro-optic element.

12. The display mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the glass element includes a ground edge.

13. The display mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the display module includes a display that has a shape which corresponds to the shape of the glass element, and wherein the display is an LCD, LED, OLED, plasma, or DLP display element.

14. A display mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a display module operably coupled to a partially reflective, partially transmissive electro-optic element and configured to be activated and deactivated; and

an actuator device operably coupled with the partially reflective, partially transmissive electro-optic element, wherein the actuator device is adjustable to tilt the partially reflective, partially transmissive electro-optic element to one of an off-axis and an on-axis position which approximately simultaneously changes an activation state of the display module.

15. The display mirror assembly of claim 14, further comprising:

a partially transmissive graphic overlay which provides information to a viewer regarding a field of view shown in the display mirror assembly.

16. The display mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the display module is capable of displaying an image which provides information to a viewer regarding the field of view shown in the display mirror assembly.

17. The display mirror assembly of claim 14, further comprising:

a housing; and

a printed circuit board operably coupled with an external button disposed on the housing.

18. The display mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the partially reflective, partially transmissive electro-optic element includes a ground edge.

19. The display mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the display module includes a display that has a shape which corresponds to the shape of the electro-optic element, and wherein the display is an LCD, LED, OLED, plasma, or DLP display element.