High-mounted stoplight for motor vehicle

• US 4,945,456 A
• Filed: 12/22/1988
• Issued: 07/31/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Kakidaira, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cox, D. M.
• Application Number:
  US07/288,343
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/80.1, 362/367, 362/343, 362/346, 362/359
• US Class Current: 362/503
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window

Abstract

A rear-deck stoplight for automotive use is designed such that light emitted therefrom and reflected from the interior and exterior surfaces of the rear window passes beneath the rearview mirror of the vehicle so as to not hinder the driver'"'"'s vision while braking. The light is separated from the rear window by a gap. A lens covering the lamp is generally angled with respect to the rear window, and a shade at least partially bounds said lens. The gap size, the lens angle and particularly the shade height are selected so as to limit reflected light to a region below the height of the rearview mirror.

Claims

1. A high-mounted stoplight for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a body, a front lens attached to an open front of said body;

a light source provided in said body, said lens and said one front being located at the center rear of said vehicle inside a rear window thereof and spaced from said window; and

means for ensuring that light emitted from said light source, transmitted from the foremost point of said lens and along an upper portion of shade means of said stoplight at the vertical central longitudinal section of said stoplight and reflected by said rear window toward the front of said vehicle does not proceed to a rearview mirror of said vehicle or is not reflected by said mirror toward the eyes of the driver of said vehicle, said ensuring means being spaced from said window.

2. A high-mounted stoplight as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ensuring means comprises said shade means.

3. A high-mounted stoplight as claimed in claim 1, wherein aid ensuring means comprises shade means having a predetermined height above said lens, said lens being located at a selected angle with respect to and distance from said rear window.

4. A high-mounted stoplight as claimed in claim 3, wherein said height, said angle and said distance are collectively set such that all light reflected from said rear window passes beneath said rearview mirror.

5. A high-mounted stoplight as claimed in claim 3, wherein said height, said angle and said distance are collectively set such that light reflected from said rear window at a maximum possible reflection angle passes below said rearview mirror.

6. A high-mounted stoplight as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lens is concave facing said rear window.

7. A high-mounted stoplight as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lens is generally convex facing said rear window.

8. A high-mounted stoplight as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shade means abuts against an upper surface of said lens, and protrudes beyond the upper surface of said lens toward said rear window.