Magnifying mirror having focused annular illuminator

• US 6,158,877 A
• Filed: 04/03/1998
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zadro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zlatko Zadro
• Inventors: Zadro, Zlatko
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/055,114
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 362/135, 362/138, 362/216, 362/551, 362/311, 362/410, 362/414, 359/839
• US Class Current: 362/216
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 42/10 illuminated

Abstract

A mirror device includes a frame comprising a circular ring-shaped light transmissive body which supports a concave magnifying mirror plate. The body has a front beveled annular light exit surface which angles inwardly and rearwardly from the outer side wall of the body to the inner side wall of the body, which has an annular shoulder flange which supports the peripheral edge of the mirror plate. The outer and inner side walls of the body curve longitudinally rearwardly and inwardly, terminating in an annular-shaped rear leg portion located behind the mirror plate. The rear leg portion has an inner, longitudinally disposed, cylindrical light entrance surface within which is located a ring-shaped lamp. Light rays entering the cylindrical light entrance surface are piped forward by total internal reflection within the support body to exit from the beveled front annular light exit surface, which is beveled at an angle which causes an annular cone of light to be focused near the focal point of the mirror plate, thereby effectively illuminating a face or other object placed close to the mirror.

Claims

1. A mirror device comprising;

a. a mirror plate having a reflective surface,

b. a frame having a front portion which at least partially encircles the periphery of said mirror plate, said frame comprising a ring-shaped body for conducting light from an entrance surface to an exit surface thereof, said body being made of a material which is at least partially light-transmissive, said body having a front ring-shaped light exit surface, a rear light entrance surface, and an intermediate portion disposed between said front and rear surfaces, said intermediate portion having an arcuately curved, convex outer surface which is inclined to light rays entering said rear light entrance surface at an angle greater than the critical angle for total internal reflection of said material, and

c. a light source effective in introducing light rays through said rear light entrance surface into said intermediate portion of said body, said rays impinging on said curved outer surface at an angle greater than said critical angle, whereby said rays are conducted from said rear light entrance surface to said front light exit surface by total internal reflection.

2. The mirror device of claim 1 wherein said front ring-shaped light emitting surface is further defined as being inclined radially inwardly and rearwardly from the front outer peripheral edge of said ring-shaped body towards the periphery of said mirror plate whereby a normal to said light emitting surface intersects the longitudinal axis of said mirror plate at a location in front of said mirror plate.

3. The mirror of claim 1 wherein said light is conducted from said rear light entrance surface through said intermediate portion of said body to said front light exit surface at least partially by total internal reflection.

4. The mirror of claim 1 wherein said mirror plate is further defined as having a convex arcuately curved perimeter edge.

5. The mirror of claim 1 wherein said mirror plate is further defined as having a circular outline.

6. The mirror of claim 5 wherein said mirror plate is further defined as having a concavely curved front surface.

7. The mirror of claim 6 wherein said front ring-shaped light exit surface is further defined as being a beveled annular surface which courses radially inwardly and rearwardly from the front outer circumferential edge of said frame body to the peripheral edge of said mirror plate.

8. A mirror device comprising;

a. a mirror plate having a reflective surface and a circular peripheral edge,

b. a frame for said mirror plate comprising a ring-shaped support body for conducting light from a light source to an exit surface of said support body, said support body being made of a material which is at least partially light transmissive and which at least partially encircles said peripheral edge of said mirror plate, said support body having a front annular light exit surface which circumscribes said mirror plate, a ring-shaped intermediate longitudinal portion which protrudes rearwardly from said front annular light exit surface, and a rear ring-shaped leg portion, said leg portion having a ring-shaped light entrance surface, said intermediate longitudinal portion having an arcuately curved, convex outer surface which is inclined to light rays entering said ring-shaped light entrance surface of said ring-shaped rear leg portion at an angle greater than critical angle for total internal reflection of said material, and

c. a ring-shaped light source adjacent to said light entrance surface, said light source being effective in introducing light rays through said rear light entrance surface into said intermediate portion of said body, said rays impinging on said curved outer surface at an angle greater than said critical angle, whereby said rays are conducted from said rear light entrance surface to said front light exit surface by total internal reflection.

9. The mirror of claim 8 wherein said ring-shaped intermediate longitudinal portion of said support body is further defined as having longitudinally disposed inner and outer side walls adapted to conduct by total internal reflection light rays from said light entrance surface to said front light emitting surface.

10. The mirror of claim 9 wherein said leg portion of said ring-shaped frame body is further defined as curving radially inwards towards the center of said body.

11. The mirror of claim 10 wherein said light entrance surface is further defined as being a longitudinally disposed, inner cylindrical surface of said leg portion of said body.

12. The mirror of claim 8 wherein said front annular light exit surface is further defined as being beveled, said beveled surface being inclined radially inwardly and rearwardly from the front outer circumferential edge of said body to the peripheral edge of said mirror plate.

13. The mirror of claim 12 wherein said mirror plate is further defined as having a concave front surface.

14. The mirror of claim 13 wherein said mirror plate is further defined as having a concave spherical front surface.

15. A magnifying mirror device comprising;

a. a circular reflective mirror plate having a concave front surface,

b. a frame for said mirror plate comprising a circular ring-shaped support body for conducting light from a light source into a region in front of said mirror plate, said support body being made of an at least partially light transmissive material and having a shape approximating that of a shallow circular pan with thick, outwardly bowed inner and outer side walls and a large circular, central coaxial portion of the base of the pan cut away to leave a radially inwardly protruding annular ring-shaped leg section having on the inner circumferential edge thereof a longitudinally disposed, cylindrically-shaped light entrance surface, the support body having a front annular light exit surface disposed transversely from the outer longitudinal side wall to the inner longitudinal side wall of said body, said outwardly bowed outer side wall of said support body being inclined to light rays entering said cylindrically-shaped light entrance surface at an angle greater than the critical angle for total internal reflection of light rays in said material, and

c. a ring-shaped lamp having a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of said cylindrically-shaped light entrance surface, said lamp being located coaxially and at least partially longitudinally within said cylindrically-shaped light entrance surface said rays impinging on said outwardly bowed outer side wall of said support body at an angle greater than said critical angle, whereby said rays are conducted through said support body from said entrance surface to said exit surface thereof by total internal reflections.

16. The mirror device of claim 15 wherein said front annular light exit surface is further defined as being a beveled surface which is inclined radially inwardly and rearwardly from the front corner edge of the outer side wall of said body to the front inner corner of the inner side wall of said body.

17. The mirror device of claim 16 wherein the annular intersection between said beveled annular light exit surface and said inner side wall of said body has formed therein a recess having a transversely disposed wall comprising an annular shoulder flange on which is seated the peripheral edge of said mirror plate.

18. The mirror device of claim 15 wherein said cylindrical light entrance surface, said inner and said outer side walls of said body are shaped and arranged relative to one another so that a substantial portion of light rays which enter said body through said light entrance surface impinge internally on said inner and outer wall surfaces at incident angles greater than the critical angle of said light transmissive material from which said body is made.

19. The mirror device of claim 18 wherein said beveled light exit surface is further defined as being inclined at that angle to the longitudinal axis of said mirror plate that causes central normal rays emitted from said light exit surface to intersect said longitudinal mirror axis at an intersection region proximate the focal point of said mirror.

20. The mirror device of claim 19 wherein said intersection region is further defined as being between said mirror plate and its focal point.