Rear view mirror unit

• US 5,617,245 A
• Filed: 10/27/1995
• Issued: 04/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bending Light, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Peter J. Milner
• Inventors: Milner, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US08/129,194
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 359/833, 359/837, 359/838, 359/737, 359/402
• US Class Current: 359/402
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/10 Front-view mirror arrangements; specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; Periscope arrangements , i.e. optical devices using combinations of mirrors, lenses, prisms or the like specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; for viewing traffic-lights B60R1/005; Other mirror arrangements giving a view from above or under the vehicle

Abstract

A rear view mirror unit of the type in which light from a region behind an observer is directed to the observer'"'"'s eye by an optical system including a reflecting component and a refracting component in which the refracting component of the optical system includes a plurality of refracting interfaces inclined to one another and including first and second interfaces of an objective refractor, which converge towards a first side of the longitudinal median plane of the unit and third and fourth interfaces of an ocular refractor which converge towards a second side of the longitudinal median plane of the unit opposite the first. The ocular retractor is transversed twice by the light in its path to the observer'"'"'s eye from the object, and the refractors may be formed as Fresnel prisms.

Claims

1. A rear view mirror unit in which the light from a region behind an observer is directed to the observer'"'"'s eye by an optical system, comprising:

means for reflecting;

means for refracting having a first refractor and a second refractor;

said first refractor having at least one first substantially planar refractor face and at least one second substantially planar refractor face, said at least one first and second substantially planar refractor faces being inclined to one another at a non-zero angle less than 90°

, said first refractor operating to direct light incident on said at least one first face thereof towards said second refractor;

said second refractor being positioned such that light from said first refractor is incident thereon and having at least one first substantially planar refractor face operating to direct light arriving from said first refractor towards said means for reflecting and to direct light arriving from said means for reflecting, after having been reflected thereby, towards said observer; and

said at least one first substantially planar refractor face of said second refractor being traversed by said light twice, once in each of two substantially opposite directional senses, before reaching said observer.

2. A rear view mirror unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said second refractor has at least one second substantially planar face inclined at a non-zero angle less than 90°

with respect to said at least one first substantially planar refractor face of said second refractor.

3. A rear view mirror unit of claim 2, wherein at least one surface of at least one of said first refractor and said second refractor is formed as a plurality of elementary faces each spaced from the adjacent said plurality of elementary faces such that adjacent elementary faces are not coplanar.

4. A rear view mirror unit of claim 2, wherein said means for reflecting of said unit is formed as a reflecting component separate from said first refractor and said second refractor thereof.

5. A rear view mirror unit of claim 2, wherein said means for reflecting is formed as a reflecting surface of said second refractor.

6. A rear view mirror unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for reflecting of said unit is formed as a reflecting component separate from said first refractor and said second refractor thereof.

7. A rear view mirror unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for reflecting is formed as a reflecting surface of said second refractor.

8. A rear view mirror unit of claim 1, wherein said second refractor is formed as a Fresnel refractor with plurality of elementary faces defining at least one surface thereof.

9. A rear view mirror unit of claim 8, wherein said plurality of elementary faces define said surface of said second refractor nearest said observer and an opposite surface of said second refractor is formed with a reflective coating.

11. A rear view minor unit as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second refractor faces of said first refractor converge towards one lateral side of the path of light incident on said first refractor in passing through said unit and said first and second refractor faces of said second refractor converge towards the opposite lateral side of the path of light incident on said second refractor in passing through said unit.

10. A rear view mirror unit of 1, wherein said first refractor is formed as a Fresnel refractor with a plurality of elementary faces defining at least one surface thereof.

12. A rear view mirror unit in which the light from a region behind an observer is directed to the observer'"'"'s eye by an optical system, comprising:

means for reflecting;

means for refracting having an objective refractor and an ocular refractor from which light passing through said unit is directed towards said observer;

said objective refractor having at least one first objective face and at least one second objective face, said first and second objective faces being inclined with respect to one another at a non-zero angle less than 90°

such that light incident on said at least one first objective face is transmitted through said objective refractor to said at least one second objective face without reflection in its passage through said objective refractor,

said ocular refractor having at least one first ocular face and at least one second ocular face, said first and second ocular faces being inclined with respect to one another at a non-zero angle less than 90°

such that light arriving at said ocular refractor from said objective refractor and entering through said at least one first ocular face is directed thereby towards said means for reflecting,

the orientation of said means for reflecting being such that after reflection said light passes a second time through said ocular refractor and exits through said at least one first ocular face towards the observer.

13. A rear view mirror unit of claim 12, wherein said ocular refractor is formed as a Fresnel refractor with a plurality of elementary faces defining at least one surface thereof.

14. A rear view mirror unit of claim 12, wherein said objective refractor is formed as a Fresnel refractor with a plurality of elementary faces defining at least one surface thereof.

15. A rear view mirror unit of claim 12, wherein a plurality of elementary faces define a surface of said ocular refractor nearest said observer and an opposite surface of said ocular refractor is formed with a reflective coating.

16. A rear view mirror unit of claim 12, further comprising:

a refractor prism positioned in the path of light from said ocular refractor to said observer.

17. A rear view mirror unit as recited in claim 12, wherein said first and second inclined refractor faces of said objective refractor converge towards one lateral side of the path of light, incident on said objective refractor and said first and second inclined faces of said ocular refractor converge towards the opposite lateral side of the path of light incident on said ocular refractor.

18. A rear view mirror unit in which light from a region behind an observer is directed to the observer'"'"'s eye by an optical system comprising:

means for reflecting;

means for refracting having an objective refractor and an ocular refractor from which light passing through said unit is directed towards said observer,

said ocular refractor defining a refracting interface which is traversed twice by said light passing through said unit;

said unit further comprising a refractor prism positioned in said path of light from said occular refractor to said observer;

wherein said objective refractor, said ocular refractor and said refractor prism form a substantially triangular configuration.

19. A rear view mirror unit in which light from a region behind an observer is directed to the observer'"'"'s eye by an optical system, comprising:

means for reflecting;

means for refracting having a first refractor and a second refractor;

said first and second refractors being positioned and oriented such that incident light passes through and is refracted by said first and second refractors in turn before being reflected by said means for reflecting and then passes through and is refracted by said second refractor a second time on its way towards the observer;

said second refractor at least substantially compensating for chromatic dispersion of said light introduced upon transmission through said first refractor.