External rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle with a lamp arrangement

• US 20030107827A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Mueller, Torsten, Marondel, Manfred
• Application Number:
  US10/149,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20030107827A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/842
• 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

An external rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle is described, comprising a mirror housing (1) and a mirror base (4). The mirror housing comprises a mirror (6), on its rear side (2) and at least one lamp device (7), with at least one light source, that has a light outlet opening with a cover screen (3), for the light source arranged in the mirror housing (1). According to the invention the at least one light source comprises several distributed light diodes (12, 13).

Claims

1. An outside rearview mirror for a vehicle, comprising a mirror housing (1) and a mirror base (4), the mirror housing (1) including a mirror (6) on its back side (2) and at least one lamp device (7), which has a least one light source;

the at least one light source being assigned at least one light opening having a lens (3), in the mirror housing, and being made of a plurality of distributed light-emitting diodes (12, 13),

wherein the lamp device (7) is situated essentially in the lower region of the mirror housing (1), with respect to the vehicle (5).

4. The outside rearview mirror as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the lamp, device (7) includes a least one first light-emitting diode (12), which is positioned in the lamp device (7) in such a manner, that the light radiated by the light-emitting diode is emitted laterally with respect to the longitudinal extension of the vehicle (5);

and the lamp device includes a plurality of second light-emitting diodes (13), which are positioned in the lamp device (7) in such manner, that the light radiated by them is essentially emitted in the forward direction with respect to the forward travel direction (F) of the vehicle (5).

5. The outside rearview mirror as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the light-emitting diodes (12, 13) are arranged in a ribbon-like manner.

6. The outside rearview mirror as recited in claim 5,

wherein the light-emitting diodes (12, 13) essentially form a plurality of vertical rows.

7. The outside rearview mirror as recited in one of the preceding claims,

wherein the lamp device (7) is positioned over a substantial part of the width (b) of the mirror housing (1).

9. The outside rearview mirror as recited in one of claims 4 through 8,

wherein the at least one first light-emitting diode (12) is positioned in such a manner that, in relation to the forward travel direction (F) of the vehicle (5), the first light-emitting diode (12) radiates laterally in the rearward direction, at an angle (α

) of at least 55°

to a straight line (x), which is parallel to the longitudinal vehicle axis and runs essentially outside the periphery of the mirror housing (1).

10. The outside rearview mirror as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least one first light-emitting diode (12) emits light in an angular range (a) of at least 60°

.

11. The outside rearview mirror as recited in one of claims 2 through 10,

wherein a plurality of light-emitting diodes (8) is provided, which are positioned on the edge of the mirror housing (1), around the mirror.

12. The outside rearview mirror as recited in one of claims 2 through 11,

wherein the mirror (6) is semitransparent, and at least a portion of the light-emitting diodes (8) is situated behind the mirror (6).

13. The outside rearview mirror as recited in one of claims 2 through 12,

wherein the number of light-emitting diodes (8) per unit surface area is at a maximum on the free end (1a) of the mirror housing (1).

2. An outside rearview mirror for a vehicle, having a mirror housing (1) and a mirror base (4), the mirror housing (1) including a mirror (6) on its back side (2) and at least one lamp device (7), which has at least one light source;

the at least one light source being assigned at least one light opening having a lens (3), in the mirror housing (1), and being made of a plurality of distributed light-emitting diodes (12, 13),

wherein at least one further light-emitting diode (8) is provided, which is situated on the back side (2) of the mirror housing (1) with respect to the forward travel direction (F) of the vehicle, and directly radiates light in a rearward direction with respect to the travel direction (F).

3. The outside rearview mirror as recited in claim 2,

wherein the lamp device (7) is situated essentially in the lower region of the mirror housing (1), with respect to the vehicle (5).

8. The outside rearview mirror as recited in claim 2,

wherein the lamp device (7) is positioned essentially vertically with respect to the vehicle, in the center of the mirror housing (1).