Dimming rear-view mirror containing light absorbing liquid and having pump means

• US 3,259,017 A
• Filed: 09/19/1962
• Issued: 07/05/1966
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tillo Faulhaber
• Original Assignee: Tillo Faulhaber
• Inventors: TILLO FAULHABER
• Application Number:
  US04/224,865
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• US Class Current: 359/603
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/089 using a liquid filtering layer of variable thickness

Claims

1. IN A REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR A VEHICLE, IN COMBINATION:

(A) A HOUSING FORMED WITH AN OPENING THEREIN;

(B) A TRANSPARENT PLATE MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID OPENING AND HAVING AN INNER FACE IN SAID HOUSIONG;

(C) A REFLECTING PLATE MEMBER IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A FACE OPPOSITE SAID INNER FACE, SAID PLATE MEMBERS HAVING RESPECTIVE PERIPHERAL PORTIONS EXTENDING ABOUT THE CORRESPONDING FACES;

(D) SEALING MEANS OF PLIABLE MATERIAL CONNECTING SAID PERIPHERAL PORTIONS FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE MEMBERS BETWEEN A FIRST PORTIONS IN WHICH SAID FACES THEREOF ARE CLOSELY ADJACENT EACH OTHER AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID FACES ARE REMOTE FROM EACH OTHER, SAID SEALING MEANS AND SAID PLATE MEMBERS IN SAID SECOND POSITION DEFINING THEREBTEWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY SEALED CHAMBER HAVING ONE TRANSPARENT WALL AND ONE REFLECTING WALL;

(E) A LIGHT ABSORBING LIQUID SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID CHASMBER WHEN SAID PLATE MEMBERS ARE IN SAID SECOND POSITION THEREOF;

AND (F) PUMP MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER FOR WITHDRAWING SAID LIQUID THEREFROM AND FOR THEREBY MOVING SAID PLATE MEMBERS TOWARD SAID FIRST PORTION, AND FOR RETURING THE LIQUID TO SAID CHAMBER FOR THEREBY MOVING SAID PLATE MEMBERS FROM SAID FIRST TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION THEREOF, WHEREBY A DIMMED REFLECTED IMAGE APPEARS ON THE SURFACE OF SAID TRASPARENT PLATE MEMBER IN SAID SECOND POSITION ON THE PLATE MEMBERS, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY BRIGHTER IMAGE APPEARS ON SAID SURFACE IN SAID FIRST POSITION OF THE PLATE MEMBERS, (1) SAID PUMP MEANS INCLUDING A PUMP AND A CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID PUMP WITH SAID CHAMBER, THE INTERNAL VOLUME OF SAID CONDUIT BEING SMALLER THAN THE VOLUME OF SAID CHAMBER.