Mirror coating, mirror utilizing same, and a mirror assembly

• US 6,005,724 A
• Filed: 10/05/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KW Muth Company
• Original Assignee: K W Muth Company Incorporated (K. W. Muth)
• Inventors: Todd, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spyrou, Cassandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US09/166,561
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 359/884, 359/883, 359/605, 359/608, 427/163.1, 427/164, 427/250, 427/257, 427/258, 427/271, 362/494, 362/540, 362/541
• US Class Current: 359/884
• 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 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

A mirror, mirror coating utilized with same, and mirror assembly are described and wherein the mirror coating has a primary region which reflects visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, and a secondary region or multiple secondary regions which passes a portion of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation while simultaneously reflecting a given percentage of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the average reflectance of the entire surface is greater than about 50%.

Claims

1. A mirror coating comprising:

a primary region which reflects visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, and a secondary region which passes a portion of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation while simultaneously reflecting a given percentage of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the average reflectance of the mirror coating is greater than about 50%;

wherein the primary region is substantially continuous, and the secondary region is discontinuous, and wherein the primary and secondary regions have a given surface area, and wherein the surface area of the secondary region is about 1% to about 80% of the surface area of the primary region; and

wherein the primary region passes less than about 1% of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, and the secondary region passes about 1% to about 65% of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation.

2. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary region is substantially continuous, and reflects less than about 80% of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation.

3. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 2, wherein the secondary region reflects at least about 35% of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation.

4. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 3, wherein the secondary region comprises a plurality of discrete apertures formed in a given pattern in the mirror coating.

5. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 4, wherein the discrete apertures have a given cross sectional area, and wherein the cumulative cross sectional areas of the given apertures comprise less than about 60% of the surface area of the secondary region.

6. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 4, wherein the discrete apertures are substantially round and have a diametral dimension of about 0.001 millimeters to about 0.015 millimeters, and wherein the apertures are spaced apart about 0.005 millimeters to about 0.050 millimeters when measured center-to-center.

7. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 5, and further comprising:

a light emitting assembly positioned adjacent to the secondary region and which emits visible light which is passed by the secondary region, and wherein the secondary region has a luminous output of about 0.5 to about 120 candelas.

8. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light emitting assembly comprises about 1 to about 30 light emitting diodes, and wherein the light emitting diodes, when energized, emit visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, the luminous output of light emitting diodes being about 1 to about 1000 candelas.

9. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light emitting assembly comprises a supporting substrate having a given light emitting surface area of about 10 to about 4000 square millimeters, and wherein about 1 to about 30 light emitting diodes are mounted on the supporting substrate, the supporting substrate and the light emitting diodes having a weight of less than about 100 grams.

10. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mirror coating and the light emitting assembly comprise an optical stack which has a thickness of less than about 25 millimeters.

11. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 10, wherein the light emitting diodes emit, when energized, less than about 18 milliwatts of heat energy per square millimeter of the supporting substrate.

12. A mirror coating as claimed in claim 11, wherein the primary region of the mirror reflects less than about 80% of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation and is substantially opaque.

13. A mirror comprising:

a supporting substrate having opposite surfaces; and

a mirror coating disposed on one of the surfaces of the substrate, and wherein the mirror coating defines a primary region which reflects less than about 80% of a given band of visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, and a secondary region through which said electromagnetic radiation passes, and wherein the secondary region reflects at least about 35% of the same given band of visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, wherein the average reflectance of the mirror coating is greater than about 50%.

14. A mirror as claimed in claim 13, wherein the primary region is substantially opaque, and wherein the secondary region has a given surface area which is about 1% to about 80% of the surface area of the primary region.

15. A mirror as claimed in claim 14, wherein the secondary region comprises a plurality of individual apertures having given cross sectional areas which are formed in the mirror coating, and wherein the supporting substrate is substantially transparent.

16. A mirror as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cumulative cross sectional areas of the individual apertures comprise less than about 60% of the secondary region through which visible electromagnetic radiation may pass.

17. A mirror as claimed in claim 16, wherein the secondary region passes about 1% to about 65% of the visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation.

18. A mirror as claimed in claim 17, and further comprising:

a light emitting assembly positioned adjacent to the secondary region, and which emits visible light which is passed by the secondary region of the mirror coating, and wherein the secondary region has a luminous output of about 0.5 to about 120 candelas.

19. A mirror as claimed in claim 18, wherein the secondary region passes about 1% to about 65% of the visibly discernible light emitted by the source of light, and wherein the light emitting assembly has a luminous output of about 1 to about 1000 candelas.

20. A mirror as claimed in claim 19, wherein the light emitting assembly comprises about 1 to about 30 light emitting diodes, and wherein the light emitting diodes are mounted on a supporting substrate which has a light emitting surface area of about 10 to about 4000 square millimeters, and wherein the light emitting diodes when energized emit less than about 18 milliwatts of heat energy per square millimeter of surface area.

21. A mirror as claimed in claim 20, wherein the substantially transparent substrate, mirror coating and light emitting assembly comprise an optical stack which has a thickness dimension of less than about 25 millimeters.

22. A mirror assembly comprising:

a substantially transparent substrate having opposite surfaces, and given surface area;

a mirror coating disposed on one of the surfaces of the substantially transparent substrate, and wherein the mirror coating defines a primary region which reflects less than about 80% of a given band of visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, and a secondary region through which said electromagnetic radiation passes, and wherein the secondary region comprises about 1% to about 80% of the surface area of the substantially transparent substrate and reflects at least about 35% of the same given band of visibly discernible electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the secondary region is defined by a plurality of discreet apertures formed in the mirror coating, wherein the average reflectance of the mirror coating is greater than about 50%; and

about 1 to about 30 light emitting diodes positioned adjacent to the secondary region and which, when energized, have a cumulative luminous output of about 1 to about 1000 candelas, and wherein the luminous output of the secondary region is about 0.5 to about 120 candelas.