Vehicle rearview mirror assembly containing a fluid light controlling medium
First Claim
1. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- a casing having a substantially transparent window plate which forms a window to the casing and also forms a fluid seal with the casing, the window plate having an outer surface of relatively low light reflectivity,a reflector plate of relatively high light reflectivity disposed within the casing, the reflector plate confronting the inner surface of the window plate when the reflector plate is in a first (day) position in juxta-position with the window plate,and fluid control means for injecting an optically dense light attenutating fluid between said window plate and said reflector plate when said relfector plate is in said first (day) position, to move said reflector plate to a second (night) position within the casing spaced apart from said window plate,and wherein in said second (night) position the optically dense light attenuating fluid forms a masking layer between said window plate and said reflector plate to substantially extinguish light reflections by said reflector plate,said reflector plate being adapted to return to said first (day) position as the optically dense light attenuating fluid is removed from between said window plate and reflecting plate;
said fluid control means including a fluid chamber for holding a quantity of the light attenuating fluid, an electrically operated pump for pumping the fluid from said fluid chamber and injecting it between said window plate and said reflector plate, and control means for maintaining the fluid under pressure between the window plate and the reflector plate to maintain said reflector plate in said second position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A casing has a transparent window plate sealed therein. A reflector plate is mounted on a diaphram which forms a sealed chamber with the rearwall of the casing. The casing is mounted on a conventional mirror adjustment mechanism. A plurality of conical compression springs urge the reflector plate against the inside surface of the window plate in the day position of the reflector plate. To move the reflector plate from a day position to a night position, a pump draws an optically dense light attenuating fluid from a reservoir and pumps it into an annular chamber and between the window plate and reflector plate, to move the reflector plate rearwards so that the fluid forms a masking layer between the reflector plate and window plate. The masking layer extinguishes reflections from the reflector plate in the night position. A solenoid valve prevents return of the fluid to the reservoir in the night position.
36 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:
-
a casing having a substantially transparent window plate which forms a window to the casing and also forms a fluid seal with the casing, the window plate having an outer surface of relatively low light reflectivity, a reflector plate of relatively high light reflectivity disposed within the casing, the reflector plate confronting the inner surface of the window plate when the reflector plate is in a first (day) position in juxta-position with the window plate, and fluid control means for injecting an optically dense light attenutating fluid between said window plate and said reflector plate when said relfector plate is in said first (day) position, to move said reflector plate to a second (night) position within the casing spaced apart from said window plate, and wherein in said second (night) position the optically dense light attenuating fluid forms a masking layer between said window plate and said reflector plate to substantially extinguish light reflections by said reflector plate, said reflector plate being adapted to return to said first (day) position as the optically dense light attenuating fluid is removed from between said window plate and reflecting plate; said fluid control means including a fluid chamber for holding a quantity of the light attenuating fluid, an electrically operated pump for pumping the fluid from said fluid chamber and injecting it between said window plate and said reflector plate, and control means for maintaining the fluid under pressure between the window plate and the reflector plate to maintain said reflector plate in said second position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
- 25. In a vehicle rearview mirror assembly of the day/night type containing a fluid light controlling medium, the method of changing the mirror assembly from the day mode to the night mode comprising the step of;
- 26. pumping an optically dense light attenuating fluid from a sealed chamber for the fluid in said assembly between a window plate and a reflector plate when the reflector plate is in a first (day) position, to move the reflector plate to a second (night) position spaced from said window plate, such that the optically dense light attenuating fluid forms a masking layer between the window plate and reflector plate to substantially extinguish light reflections by the reflector plate while subjecting the reflector plate to a suction force to aid in moving the reflector to the night position, said suction force being created by the transfer of the fluid under the influence of the pump from the sealed fluid chamber to the region of the reflector plate and window plate interface.
-
29. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:
-
a casing including a substantially transparent window having an outer surface of relatively low light reflectivity which forms a window to the casing;
said casing including means forming a fluid seal around the perimeter of said window and a relatively flexible diaphragm;a reflector of relatively high light reflectivity mounted on said diaphragm of said casing, said reflector movable with said diaphragm between a first position in which said reflector engages the inner surface of said window and a second position in which said reflector is spaced from said inner surface of said window by a layer of optically dense light attenuating fluid forming a masking layer to substantially extinguish light reflections by said reflector; electrically operated pump means for injecting the optically dense light attenuating fluid under pressure within said casing between said window and reflector to move said reflector from said first position to said second position; biasing means for returning said reflector to said first position when the pressure of said fluid between said window and reflector is released; and suction means for pulling said reflector away from said window during operation of said pump means. - View Dependent Claims (31)
-
Specification