Automobile exterior rear view mirror blind spot warning indication device

• US 10,539,294 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2019
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ningbo SMR Huaxuang Automotive Mirrors Limited, SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Kurschner, Norbert, Fritz, Daniel, Feng, Yifei, Li, Yonggang, Lu, Weiping
• Primary Examiner(s): Gyllstrom, Bryon T
• Application Number:
  US16/522,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20190346111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 180 Days
• Field of Search: 362511
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• 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: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/239 plate-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/249 with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/315 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/22 characterised by materials, surface treatments or coatings, e.g. dichroic reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays

Abstract

A blind spot warning indication device for an exterior mirror of an automobile includes a light guide member. A plurality of wedge-shaped bosses are arranged side by side along an axis on the light guide member corresponding to a setting direction of the PCB. One side of each of the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses has a light incident end surface for aligning with a corresponding light source. An upper surface of each of the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses includes a light reflecting side having an optical pattern for reflecting and scattering. The reflecting side having the optical pattern is an upwardly convex arc surface. A lower surface of the wedge-shaped boss has a light emitting side. The outermost wedge-shaped boss has the largest curvature of the light-reflecting side compared to the other wedge-shaped bosses arranged side by side, and the outermost wedge-shaped boss has the longest length of the light-emitting side compared to the other wedge-shaped bosses arranged side by side. The device has the functions of reflection and scattering at the same time. The uniformity of the emitted light at the front surface and certain angles is better, and the warning effectiveness is improved. The LOGO pattern can be better combined with the emitted light.

Claims

1. An indication device for a rearview device of a vehicle, comprising:

a light source assembly for emitting an indicating light beam, and

a light guide member for reflecting the indicating light beam to a marking region, wherein the light source assembly and the light guide member are disposed in a mounting cavity of a carrier plate, the light source assembly comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) and a plurality of juxtaposed light sources mounted on the PCB, and wherein the light guide member comprises;

a plurality of wedge-shaped bosses arranged side by side along an axis on the light guide member corresponding to a setting direction of the PCB;

one side of each of the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses has a light incident end surface for aligning with a corresponding light source;

an upper surface of each of the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses includes a light-reflecting side having an optical pattern for reflecting and scattering and at least a portion having one of a wave-like configuration or a combined step-like and wave-like configuration;

the light-reflecting side having the optical pattern is an upward convex arc surface;

a lower surface of the each of the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses has a light emitting side; and

an outermost wedge-shaped boss has a largest curvature of the light-reflecting side compared to the remaining plurality of wedge-shaped bosses arranged side by side and has a longest length of the light-emitting side compared to the remaining plurality of wedge-shaped bosses arranged side by side.

2. The indication device of claim 1, wherein the outermost wedge-shaped boss has a fan-shaped or fin-shaped profile, and the width of the end of the outermost wedge-shaped boss adjacent to the side of the PCB is smaller than the width of the other side of the curved end.

3. The indication device of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the light reflecting side of at least one of the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses is the wave-like configuration.

4. The indication device of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the light reflecting side of at least one of the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses is the combined step-like and wave-like configuration.

5. The indication device of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the light-reflecting side has the optical pattern in the form of a thin strip or a lattice or a wavy line, and the optical pattern is uniformly distributed concave and convex parts.

6. The indication device of claim 1, wherein

the number of the wedge-shaped bosses is two;

the two wedge-shaped bosses comprise a first wedge-shaped boss and a second wedge-shaped boss which are arranged side by side;

the first wedge-shaped boss is an outer wedge-shaped boss;

an outer side of the first wedge-shaped boss is a vertically disposed end surface;

an inner side of the first wedge-shaped boss directly intersects with the second wedge-shaped boss; and

the side of first wedge-shaped boss away from one end of the PCB is curved.

7. The indication device of claim 6, wherein the width of the second wedge-shaped boss adjacent to the side of the PCB is greater than the width of the first wedge-shaped boss.

8. The indication device of claim 7, wherein the width of the side of the second wedge-shaped boss adjacent to the PCB is greater than or equal to twice the width of the side of the first wedge-shaped boss adjacent to the PCB.

9. The indication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses are a first wedge-shaped boss and second wedge-shaped boss, and a plurality of alternately arranged bumps used for locating the PCB and light source assembly relative to the first and second wedge-shaped bosses are disposed along an edge of the light guide member at the position where the light guide member is matched with the PCB.

10. The indication device of claim 1, wherein the light source assembly is responsive to a detected vehicle in a driver blind spot and the indication device is a blind spot warning indication device.

11. The indication device of claim 1, wherein the rearview device is one of an interior rearview mirror, an exterior mirror mounted for driver viewing within the vehicle, or a display unit receiving a camera image;

the carrier plate is a mirror carrier plate or a display carrier plate; and

the marking region is a mirror surface marking region or display marking region.

12. The indication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wedge-shaped bosses are two wedge-shaped bosses.

13. A blind spot warning indication device for an exterior mirror of a vehicle, comprising:

a light source assembly for emitting an indicating light beam, and

a light guide member for reflecting the indicating light beam to a mirror surface marking region, wherein the light source assembly and the light guide member are disposed in a mounting cavity of a mirror plate of the exterior mirror, the light source assembly comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) and a plurality of juxtaposed light sources mounted on the PCB, and wherein the light guide member comprises;

two wedge-shaped bosses are arranged side by side along an axis on the light guide member, a first wedge-shaped boss defining an outermost wedge-shaped boss and a second wedge-shaped boss abutting the first wedge-shaped boss;

one side of each of the two wedge-shaped bosses has a light incident end surface for aligning with a corresponding light source;

an upper surface of each of the two wedge-shaped bosses includes a light reflecting side having an optical pattern for reflecting and scattering light configured as an upward convex arc surface and the upper surface of one of the two wedge-shaped bosses includes a portion having at least one of a wave-like configuration or a combined step-like and wave-like configuration;

a lower surface of the two wedge-shaped bosses has a light emitting side; and

the first wedge-shaped boss has the largest curvature of the light-reflecting side and the longest length of the light-emitting side compared to the second wedge-shaped bosses.

14. The blind spot warning indication device of claim 13, wherein the portion of the upper surface of the at least one of the two wedge-shaped bosses is a combined step-like and wave-like pattern.

15. The blind spot warning indication device of claim 13, wherein the upper surface of the light-reflecting side has the optical pattern in the form of one of a thin strip, a lattice, or a wavy line.

16. The blind spot warning indication device of claim 13, wherein

the optical pattern is uniformly distributed concave and convex parts;

an outer side of the first wedge-shaped boss is a vertically disposed end surface;

an inner side of the outermost wedge-shaped boss directly intersects with the other wedge-shaped boss; and

the side of first wedge-shaped boss away from one end of the PCB is curved.

17. The blind spot warning indication device of claim 13, wherein the width of one wedge-shaped boss adjacent to the side of the PCB is greater than the width of the other wedge-shaped boss.

18. The blind spot warning indication device of claim 17, wherein the width of the side of the one wedge-shaped boss adjacent to the side of the PCB is greater than or equal to twice the width of the side of the first wedge-shaped boss adjacent to the PCB.

19. The blind spot warning indication device of claim 13, wherein a plurality of alternately arranged bumps used for locating the PCB and light source assembly relative to the first and second wedge-shaped bosses are disposed along an edge of the light guide member at the position where the light guide member is matched with the PCB.

20. The blind spot warning indication device of claim 13, wherein the wave-like pattern is oriented along the axis on the light guide member and repeated along an axis perpendicular to the axis of the side by side orientation of the two bosses.