Signaling assembly

• US 7,273,307 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Muth Mirror Systems LLC (K. W. Muth)
• Original Assignee: KW Muth Company
• Inventors: Mathieu, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne; Sharon E.
• Application Number:
  US11/257,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20070091631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 362/540, 362/541, 362/542, 362/497, 362/498, 362/499, 362/506, 362/516, 340/468, 340/463, 340/471, 340/384.4, 359/629, 359/634, 359/265
• US Class Current: 362/540
• 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: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A signaling assembly is described which includes a semitransparent mirror, an opaque layer attached to the semitransparent mirror, a reflector member positioned within an aperture defined by the opaque layer; a circuit board defining an aperture through which visible light can pass, and which is positioned in spaced relation relative to the semitransparent mirror; and an electromagnetic radiation emitter mounted on the rear surface of the circuit board and which emits visible light which is passed by the circuit board and an opaque layer and which is reflected from the reflector member so as to form a visibly discernable signal which is passed by the semitransparent mirror.

Claims

1. A signaling assembly comprising:

a semitransparent mirror having first forward and first rearward facing surfaces;

an opaque layer attached to the rearward facing surface of the semitransparent mirror, and which defines a first aperture through which visible light may pass;

a reflector member positioned, at least in part, within the aperture which is defined by the opaque layer, and which further has a surface which reflects visibly discernable light;

a circuit board having a second forward, and a second rearward facing surface, and defining a second aperture through which visible light may pass; and

an electromagnetic radiation emitter mounted on the second rearward facing surface, which is defined by the circuit board, and which is positioned in substantially coaxial alignment relative to the second aperture, which is defined by the circuit board, and which, when energized, emits visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation which passes through the first and second apertures, which are defined by the opaque layer, and the circuit board, and which further is reflected, at least in part, by the reflector member so as to pass through the semitransparent mirror to form a resulting visible signal.

2. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the reflector member is received, at least in part, within the second aperture, which is defined by the circuit board.

3. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the circuit board is positioned in spaced relation relative to the rearward facing surface of the semitransparent mirror, and wherein the circuit board is juxtaposed, at least in part, relative to the opaque layer and the reflector member.

4. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

a cover member which is hingedly mounted to the reflector member and which is affixed to the opaque layer, the cover member defining a cavity, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitter is received, at least in part, within the cavity.

5. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the opaque layer comprises, at least in part, an adhesive layer which positions the reflector member, and the circuit board in an appropriate orientation relative to the semitransparent mirror.

6. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitter is a reverse gull-wing mounted light emitting diode.

7. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the semitransparent mirror is selected from the group which comprises dichroic mirrors, electrochromic mirrors, and substantially neutrally chromatic mirrors.

8. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the circuit board is affixed, at least in part, to the reflector member.

9. A signaling assembly comprising:

a semitransparent mirror having first forward and first rearward facing surfaces;

an opaque layer mounted on the rearward facing surface of the semitransparent mirror and which defines a first aperture which facilitates the passage of visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation therethrough;

a cover defining an internal cavity and which rests in covering relation relative to the first aperture, which is defined by the opaque layer;

a circuit board received within the cavity of the cover and which is further juxtaposed, at least in part, relative to the opaque layer, and wherein the circuit board has a second rearwardly facing surface and defines a second aperture through which visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation may pass;

a light emitting diode mounted on the second rearwardly facing surface, which is defined by the circuit board, and positioned in partially occluding relation relative to the second aperture, which is defined by the circuit board, and which, when energized, emits visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation which passes through the second aperture, which is defined by the circuit board; and

a reflector member hingedly mounted to the cover, and wherein the circuit board is juxtaposed, at least in part, relative to the reflector member, and wherein the reflector member partially occludes the first and second apertures, which are defined by the opaque layer and the circuit board, and wherein the light emitting diode, when energized, emits electromagnetic radiation which is reflected by the reflector, at least in part, so as to pass through the semitransparent mirror to form a resulting visibly discernable signal.

10. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the reflector member is positioned in rested relation, at least in part, thereagainst the opaque layer, and the rearward facing surface of the semitransparent mirror.

11. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the light emitting diode, when energized, emits visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation which is reflected, at least in part, by the reflector portion.

12. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the reflector member is received, at least in part, within the second aperture, which is defined by the circuit board, and wherein the reflector member has at least one reflecting surface which reflects a portion of the emitted electromagnetic radiation so as to cause the emitted electromagnetic radiation to pass through the semitransparent mirror in an acutely angulated orientation.

13. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the reflector member is received, at least in part, within the cavity defined by the cover;

the first aperture, which is defined by the opaque layer; and

the second aperture, which is defined by the circuit board.

14. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the reflector member has a substantially non-planar reflecting surface, and wherein a portion of the reflector member rests thereagainst the first rearward facing surface of the semitransparent mirror.

15. A signaling assembly, comprising:

a semitransparent mirror having a first forward and a first rearward facing surface;

a layer of material borne by the first rearward facing surface of the semitransparent mirror, and which defines a first aperture which facilitates the passage of visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation;

a reflector member positioned in partially occluding relation relative to the first aperture, and which rests, at least in part, thereagainst the rearward facing surface of the semitransparent mirror, and thereagainst the layer of material;

a circuit board having second forward and second rearward facing surfaces and which is positioned, at least in part, in juxtaposed relation relative to the layer of material, and the reflector member, and which defines, a second aperture which facilitates the passage of visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation therethrough;

a light emitting diode borne by the second rearward facing surface, which is defined by the circuit board and which is positioned in partially occluding relation relative to the second aperture, which is defined by the circuit board, and which when energized, emits visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation which passes through the first and second apertures defined by the layer of material and the circuit board, and wherein a portion of the reflector member is received, at least in part, in partially occluding relation relative to the second aperture, which is defined by the circuit board; and

a cover hingedly mounted to the reflector member, and which defines a cavity, and wherein the cover rests thereagainst the layer of material, and receives the circuit board and a portion of the reflector member.

16. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 15, and wherein the layer of material is an adhesive foam, and wherein the circuit board and the cover are affixed to the adhesive foam.

17. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 15, and wherein the cover is affixed to the layer of material and substantially occludes the aperture defined by the layer of material.

18. A signaling assembly as claimed in claim 15, and wherein the circuit board mounts a plurality of light emitting diodes, and wherein the reflector member further defines a reflector pocket defining a plurality of reflecting surfaces which is operable to direct the emitted visibly discernable electromagnetic radiation in a plurality of acutely angulated orientations relative to the semitransparent mirror.