Exterior mirror with supplement turn signal

• US 6,264,353 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KW Muth Company
• Original Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Youngs, John D., Caraher, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Laura K.
• Application Number:
  US09/197,608
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 362/494, 362/492, 362/800, 362/543, 362/544, 362/545, 340/475, 340/478
• US Class Current: 362/494
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0266 Local curing for repairing B29C73/34
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/243 Partially cured
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A mirror apparatus for displaying a supplemental turn signal includes a housing, a reflective mirror glass, and a display section. The display section is positioned to direct a chevron-like display having a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes which produce a light signal such as a flashing turn signal through the mirror glass. By locally removing selective portions of the reflective surface, the mirror glass provides a reflective view in the conventional manner and the transparent portion allows direct transmission of the light signal from the display section. In another embodiment the mirror apparatus takes advantage of a flexible circuit board to conform the LEDs to the shape of the housing such that the light signal is displayed adjacent to the mirror glass.

Claims

1. A rear view mirror apparatus for a motor vehicle comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted on the vehicle, said housing provided with an inner surface portion having a predetermined curvalinear contour;

a mirror glass providing a reflective view, said mirror glass mounted in said housing and having an outer edge portion spaced inwardly from said inner surface portion of said housing; and

a display section for selectively generating a light signal, said display section positioned between said inner surface portion of said housing and said outer edge portion of said mirror glass;

said display section including a plurality of LEDs arranged in a predetermined pattern on a flexible circuit board, said circuit board supported within said housing such that said board flexes to substantially conform to said predetermined curvalinear contour of said mirror housing.

2. The mirror apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing has an inboard side and an outboard side, said display section having a light emitting diode canted toward said outboard side.

3. A rear view mirror apparatus for a motor vehicle comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted to the exterior of the vehicle;

a mirror glass mounted in said housing, said mirror glass including a reflective surface portion and a plurality of individual, substantially transparent windows formed therein, the windows arranged in a predetermined pattern to provide a vehicle turn signal indicator; and

a display section mounted within a module behind said mirror glass for selectively generating a light signal, said display section including a plurality of LEDs corresponding to the number of said windows, said LEDs being arranged in said predetermined pattern and being positioned such that each LED directs light through a separate one of said windows to generate said turn signal indicator.

4. A rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 3 wherein at least one of said windows is generally elliptical with a generally horizontally extending major axis.

5. A rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the one LED associated with said one elliptical window is canted to direct light outwardly away from the vehicle through said one elliptical window.

6. A rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said predetermined pattern is a chevron pattern.

7. A rear view mirror apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said module is removably attached to the backside of said mirror glass.