Rear-view assembly for a vehicle and an adaptor therefor

• US 5,691,849 A
• Filed: 02/18/1994
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Research Frontiers Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Glaverbel
• Inventors: Ledroit, Rene, Hecq, Andre, Thomas, Jean-Fran.cedilla.ois
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US08/198,769
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 359/608, 359/607, 359/606, 359/605, 359/604, 359/603, 359/601, 359/871, 359/872, 359/877, 359/602, 248/490, 248/491, 248/493, 248/495, 248/496, 248/497, 248/346.04
• US Class Current: 359/603
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A rear-view assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror and an anti-dazzle adaptor which is movably mounted in front of the mirror and which includes an optical cell having at least one electrically adjustable luminous characteristic selected from the group consisting of transmissivity and reflectivity. The anti-dazzle adaptor for a rear-view device of a vehicle includes an optical cell having at least one electrically adjustable luminous characteristic selected from the group consisting of transmissivity and reflectivity; and means for movably mounting the anti-dazzle adaptor on the rear-view device of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A rear-view assembly for a vehicle to provide a user with rearward vision during operation of the vehicle, comprising:

a mirror;

a housing which carries the mirror;

an anti-dazzle adaptor which is comprised of an optical cell having at least one electrically adjustable luminous characteristic selected from the group consisting of transmissivity and reflectivity, and which is movably mounted in front of the mirror in a line of sight between the user and the mirror so that the optical cell is movable out of the line of sight in the event of a malfunction of the optical cell and thereby to return rearward vision to the user via the mirror alone; and

a support frame which is movable and which carries the optical cell, the housing and the support frame being provided with co-operating releasable securing means to secure the support frame to the housing in a releasable manner.

2. The rear-view assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic circuit for controlling positioning of the optical cell.

3. The rear-view assembly according to claim 2, wherein the electronic circuit for controlling the positioning of the optical cell comprises at least one photo-sensitive optical device which detects incident light falling on the assembly.

4. The rear-view assembly according to claim 3, wherein the electronic circuit for controlling the positioning of the optical cell comprises at least two light detection devices including a first light detection device positioned to receive light coming from the rear of the vehicle and a second light detection device positioned to receive light coming from the front of the vehicle.

5. The rear-view assembly according to claim 2, wherein the electronic circuit for controlling the positioning of the optical cell is manually operable.

6. The rear-view assembly according to claim 5, wherein the electronic circuit for controlling the positioning of the optical cell is manually operable with the aid of one of a regulating potentiometer or a multi-position commutator.

7. The rear-view assembly according to claim 1, wherein the optical cell has the electrically adjustable luminous characteristic of reflectivity.

8. The rear-view assembly according to claim 1, wherein the optical cell includes at least one sheet of glass.

9. The rear-view assembly according to claim 8, wherein the optical cell comprises at least two sheets of glass and a layer of sensitive material sandwiched between two of the at least two sheets of glass.

10. The rear-view assembly according to claim 9, wherein the at least two sheets of glass each have an inwardly directed face, and wherein each of the inwardly directed faces are coated with an electrically conductive material.

11. The rear-view assembly according to claim 8, wherein one face of the at least one sheet of glass is provided with a reflective coating.

12. The rear-view assembly according to claim 1, wherein the optical cell comprises an electrochromic cell.

13. The rear-view assembly according to claim 1, wherein the optical cell comprises a liquid crystal cell.

14. The rear-view assembly according to claim 1, wherein the optical cell comprises a fluid suspension of minute particles which are capable of being oriented within the fluid suspension by an electric field.

15. The rear-view assembly according to claim 2, wherein adjustment of the optical cell allows continuous variation of the luminous characteristics thereof.

16. A rear-view assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a mirror;

an anti-dazzle adaptor which is movably mounted in front of the mirror and which is comprised of an optical cell having at least one electrically adjustable luminous characteristic selected from the group consisting of transmissivity and reflectivity;

a housing which carries the mirror; and

a support frame which is movable and which carries the optical cell, the housing and the support frame being provided with co-operating releasable securing means to secure the support frame to the housing in a releasable manner.

17. The rear-view assembly according to claim 16, further comprising co-operating connection means provided on the housing and on the movable support frame to provide electrical connection between the housing and the support frame.

18. The rear-view assembly according to claim 16, further comprising an electronic circuit for controlling positioning of the optical cell, at least part of the electronic circuit being positioned within the housing.

19. The rear-view assembly according to claim 16, further comprising an electronic circuit for controlling positioning of the optical cell, at least part of the electronic circuit being positioned within the support frame.

20. An anti-dazzle adaptor for a rear-view device including a mirror of a vehicle to provide a user with rearward vision during operation of the vehicle, comprising:

an optical cell having at least one electrically adjustable luminous characteristic selected from the group consisting of transmissivity and reflectivity; and

means for movably mounting the anti-dazzle adaptor on the rear-view device of the vehicle in front of the mirror including a support frame which is movable, which carries the optical cell, and which is provided with securing means to secure the support frame to the rear-view device of the vehicle in a releasable manner in use and in a line of sight between the user and the mirror so that the optical cell is movable out of the line of sight in the event of a malfunction of the optical cell and thereby to return rearward vision to the user via the mirror alone.

21. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 20, further comprising a support frame which is movable and which carries the optical cell.

22. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 21, further comprising an electronic circuit for controlling positioning of the optical cell, at least a part of the electronic circuit being positioned in the support frame.

23. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 22, wherein the electronic circuit for controlling the positioning of the optical cell comprises at least one photo-sensitive optical device which detects incident light falling on the anti-dazzle adaptor.

24. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 20, wherein the optical cell has the electrically adjustable luminous characteristic of reflectivity.

25. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 20, wherein the optical cell includes at least one sheet of glass.

26. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 25, wherein one face of the at least one sheet of glass is provided with a reflective coating.

27. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 20, wherein the optical cell comprises at least two sheets of glass and a layer of sensitive material sandwiched between two of the at least two sheets of glass.

28. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 27, wherein the at least two sheets of glass each have an inwardly directed face, and wherein each of the inwardly directed faces of the at least two sheets of glass are coated with an electrically conductive material.

29. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 20, wherein the optical cell comprises an electrochromic cell.

30. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 20, wherein the optical cell comprises a liquid crystal cell.

31. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 20, wherein the optical cell comprises a fluid suspension of minute particles which are capable of being oriented within the fluid suspension by an electric field.

32. The anti-dazzle adaptor according to claim 22, wherein the adjustment of the optical cell allows continuous variation of the luminous characteristics thereof.