Mirror assembly

• US 5,207,492 A
• Filed: 05/02/1991
• Issued: 05/04/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: K W Muth Company Incorporated (K. W. Muth)
• Original Assignee: K W Muth Company Incorporated (K. W. Muth)
• Inventors: Roberts, John K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEYMAN, LEONARD
• Application Number:
  US07/694,884
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/83.1, 362/135, 362/296, 362/290, 362/26, 362/32, 340/475, 340/468
• US Class Current: 362/30
• 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 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1246 with clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1284 with communication systems other than radio-receivers, e.g. keyless entry systems, navigation systems; with anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/20 Dichroic filters, i.e. devices operating on the principle of wave interference to pass specific ranges of wavelengths while cancelling others
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A mirror assembly including an enclosure having an aperture, and defining a cavity, a light source or lamp for emitting light in predetermined wavelengths or an instrument for emitting or receiving light having predetermined characteristics, borne by the enclosure and positioned in the cavity; and a dichroic mirror borne by the enclosure and disposed in substantially occluding relation relative to the aperture, the dichroic mirror reflecting ambient visible light and being substantially transparent to the light emitted by the light source and instrument, or received by the instrument as the case may be.

Claims

1. A mirror assembly comprising:

an enclosure having an aperture;

a dichroic mirror borne by the enclosure and substantially occluding the aperture and operable to pass a predetermined narrow spectral band of light, and reflect a broad spectral band of visible light; and

means borne by the enclosure for emitting light in the predetermined narrow spectral band of light passed by the dichroic mirror, and wherein the dichroic mirror is both an excellent reflector of visible light and an excellent transmitter of the predetermined narrow band of light.

2. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the enclosure defines a chamber, and wherein the emitting means includes a light source which is mounted in the chamber, and wherein the enclosure is operable to direct the light through the aperture.

3. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 2 and wherein the light source includes a lamp.

4. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the emitting means includes an instrument.

5. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the emitting means includes a lamp and an instrument.

6. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 5 and wherein an operator utilizing the mirror assembly has a line of sight and the dichroic mirror reflects ambient light forming an image into the line of sight of the operator.

7. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 4 and wherein an operator utilizing the mirror assembly has a line of sight and the dichroic mirror reflects visible light forming an image into the line of sight of the operator, and wherein a baffle assembly is borne by the enclosure and permits the light emitted by the instrument to travel along a transmission path which is generally oriented along the line of sight of the operator.

8. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 6 and wherein the lamp is located in a predetermined position in the enclosure, and wherein a baffle assembly is disposed in partially occluding relation relative to the aperture and permits the light emitted by the lamp to travel along a first transmission path which is outside the line of sight of the operator, and wherein the light emitted by the instrument is not affected by the baffle assembly and travels along a second transmission path which is generally oriented along the line of sight of the operator.

9. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 2 and wherein the dichroic mirror selectively transmits light in a predetermined spectral band which does not exceed 150 nanometers in width, and wherein the light source generates light waves including the wavelengths in the 150 nanometer wide band.

10. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 5 and wherein the dichroic mirror selectively passes light in a spectral band which does not exceed 150 nanometers in width, and wherein the preponderance of the light emitted by the lamp and the instrument lie within the same 150 nanometer wide band which is passed by the dichroic mirror.

11. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 5 and wherein the dichroic mirror selectively passes light in discrete spectral bands which do not exceed 150 nanometers in width, and wherein the lamp and the instrument individually emit light lying within discrete 150 nanometer wide spectral bands.

12. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 11 and wherein the dichroic mirror includes areas which pass the light in the discrete spectral bands, and wherein the areas are individually disposed in substantial alignment with the instrument and light source, respectively.

13. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 10 and wherein the dichroic mirror reflects an average of substantially 70% of light within the visible spectrum, and passes an average of substantially 58% of the light within the discrete band emitted by the lamp and the instrument, and wherein the lamp and the instrument emit light having wavelengths longer than those in the visible spectrum, and wherein the longer wavelengths constitute radiant heat energy, and wherein the dichroic mirror substantially transmits the longer wavelengths thereby inhibiting the accumulation of heat within the enclosure.

14. A mirror assembly comprising:

an enclosure having an aperture, and defining a cavity;

a light source borne by the enclosure and disposed in the cavity for emitting light in predetermined wavelengths;

an instrument borne by the enclosure and positioned in the cavity for emitting light in predetermined wavelengths;

a baffle assembly borne by the enclosure and positioned in partially occluding relation relative to the aperture and oriented in substantial alignment with the light source; and

a dichroic mirror borne by the enclosure and disposed in substantially occluding relation relative to the aperture, the dichroic mirror reflecting ambient visible light, and passing the predetermined wavelengths of light emitted by the lamp and the instrument.

15. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 14 and wherein the mirror assembly is mounted on an overland vehicle having a longitudinal line of reference, an operators position, and forward and rearward portions, and wherein the enclosure is mounted in a location forward of, and in non-coaxial alignment with, the operators position, and wherein an operator located in the operator'"'"'s position has a line of sight whereby the operator can, by viewing along the line of sight, see rearwardly of the overland vehicle, and wherein the apparatus has a transmission path which is generally oriented about the longitudinal line of reference, and wherein the baffle assembly is located between the dichroic mirror and the light source and which permits light emitted by the light source to escape the enclosure and travel along the transmission path, and further substantially inhibits light emitted by the light source from traveling along the line of sight and into the view of the operator, and wherein the light emitted by the instrument is not affected by the baffle assembly and escapes the enclosure whereby the operator, by viewing along the line sight, can see the visible light emitted by the instrument while simultaneously viewing rearwardly of the overland vehicle.

16. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 15 and wherein the baffle assembly includes a light control film having a plurality of substantially equally spaced louvers which are oriented in a predetermined position to permit the light emitted by the light source to escape the enclosure and travel along the transmission path, and wherein the light source produces light in a band which is not greater than 150 nanometers wide, and wherein the dichroic mirror transmits the light emitted by the light source.

17. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 16 and wherein the dichroic mirror reflects an average of 70% of light within the visible spectrum wavelengths, and transmits an average of 58% of the light in the spectral band emitted by the light source, and wherein the light source emits wavelengths of light which constitute radiant heat energy, and wherein the dichroic mirror substantially passes the wavelengths of light which comprise the radiant heat energy thereby substantially inhibiting the accumulation of heat within the enclosure.

18. A mirror assembly comprising:

an enclosure having an aperture and defining a cavity;

an instrument which emits light in predetermined wavelengths borne by the enclosure and positioned in the cavity;

a baffle assembly borne by the enclosure and disposed in a predetermined position relative to the instrument to direct the light emitted by the instrument along a predetermined transmission path; and

a dichroic mirror borne by the enclosure and disposed in occluding relation relative to the aperture, the dichroic mirror reflecting ambient visible light, and passing the predetermined wavelengths of light emitted by the instrument.

19. A mirror assembly for an overland vehicle which has a longitudinal line of reference, and forward and rearward portions, and wherein an operator utilizing the mirror assembly has a line of sight, the mirror assembly comprising:

an enclosure having a cavity and defining an aperture, the enclosure mounted on the overland vehicle and within the line of sight of the operator;

a light source and an instrument each mounted on the enclosure and positioned in the cavity, the light source and the instrument each emitting light having wavelengths which fall within a predetermined spectral band;

a dichroic mirror mounted on the enclosure and disposed in substantially occluding relation relative to the aperture and substantially reflecting an average of 70% of the light having visible spectrum wavelengths, and passing an average of substantially 58% of the light having wavelengths which fall within the predetermined spectral band; and

a light control film having a plurality of louvers and which is borne by the enclosure, the light control film permitting the light emitted by the light source to escape the enclosure and travel along a first transmission path rearwardly of the vehicle, and wherein the louvers are operable to substantially block light emitted by the light source from traveling along the line of sight and into the operator'"'"'s view, and wherein the light emitted by the instrument escapes the enclosure and travels along a second transmission path which is within the line of sight of the operator.

20. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 19 and wherein the light source and the instrument each emit light within a spectral band which is not greater than 150 nanometers in width.

21. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 19 and wherein the light source and the instrument each emit light within discrete spectral bands which are not greater than 150 nanometers in width.

22. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 21 and wherein the dichroic mirror includes areas which are each operable to pass the respective bands of light emitted by the light source and the instrument, respectively.

23. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 19 and wherein the light control film is positioned in partially occluding relation relative to the aperture and in substantial alignment relative to the light source.

24. A mirror assembly as claimed in claim 19 and wherein the light control film substantially occludes the aperture and has individually discrete portions, and wherein the individually discrete portions are operable to pass the light emitted by the light source and the instrument along their respective transmission paths.

25. A mirror assembly for reflecting light forming a perceivable image into the line of sight of an observer and for emitting electromagnetic radiation which forms various signals comprising:

an enclosure defining an aperture;

a dichroic mirror borne by the enclosure and positioned in substantially occluding relation relative to the aperture, the dichroic mirror reflecting a broad band of electromagnetic radiation within the visible light spectrum while simultaneously permitting a predetermined narrow band of electromagnetic radiation to pass therethrough; and

an assembly borne by the enclosure and operable to emit signals formed of electromagnetic radiation within the narrow band passed by the dichroic mirror.