Exterior rearview mirror for vehicles, preferably for motor vehicles

• US 7,674,025 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Liesener, Alf
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunwiddie; Meghan K
• Application Number:
  US11/867,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20080112176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 362/487, 362/494, 362/498, 362/509, 362/540, 362/546
• US Class Current: 362/494
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/16 Making multilayered or multicoloured articles B29C45/0062 takes precedence; feeding colouring materials into the injection unit B29C45/1816
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0026 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/747 Lightning equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258

Abstract

The exterior rearview mirror has a mirror head, which is provided with a mirror glass and with at least one illuminant, which radiates light through at least one light permeable section to the exterior. Furthermore, the exterior rearview mirror has a mirror base. In order to provide the exterior rearview mirror, so that the light function is performed in an optimum manner through the simple provision of the mirror, at least part of the housing of the mirror head and/or of the mirror base is comprised of at least two plastic layers, having different light permeability. In the light permeable section, the plastic layer with the lower light permeability is missing, or it only has such thickness, that the light emitted by the illuminant radiates to the exterior with sufficient light intensity. The plastic layer with higher light permeability can be used as a light pane for the illuminant disposed behind it. The plastic layer with lower light permeability can be provided to provide the transparent section with a proper color.

Claims

1. An exterior mirror for vehicles comprising:

a mirror base having a base housing;

a mirror head secured to said mirror base, said mirror head having a mirror head housing defining a mirror glass opening and an illumination opening;

an illuminant disposed adjacent said illumination opening emitting light toward said illumination opening; and

a transparent section fixedly secured to said mirror head housing, wherein said transparent section includes a lens portion covering said illumination opening and a circumscribing section extending radially out past said lens portion and overlapping said mirror head housing such that the light emitted by said illuminant is transmitted out through said transparent section.

2. An exterior mirror as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mirror head housing including a layer (40) for mounting said illuminant to said mirror head.

3. An exterior mirror as set forth in claim 2 wherein said circumscribing section defines a circumscribing area and said lens portion defines a lens area such that said circumscribing area is greater than said lens area.

4. An exterior mirror as set forth in claim 3 wherein said transparent section extends through a curved plane defined by said mirror head housing.

5. An exterior rearview mirror according to claim 3, wherein said circumscribing area and said layer (40) are connected amongst each other through injection molding.

6. An exterior rearview mirror according to claim 5 wherein said layer (40) includes structures to mount said layer (40) to said mirror housing.

7. An exterior rearview mirror according to claim 6, wherein the structures are provided integrally with said layer (40).

8. An exterior rearview mirror according to claim 7, wherein the structures receive the illuminant.

9. An exterior mirror as set forth in claim 8 wherein said illuminant is secured to said structures.