Lighting assembly with safety and signalling functions for motor vehicles

• US 7,690,823 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miguel Sanz, Santiago, Novella Requena, Maria Luisa, Bande Martinez, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US11/547,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20080219020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 362/494, 362/492, 362/135, 362/136, 362/546, 362/509, 362/543, 362/544, 362/545, 359/606, 340/475
• US Class Current: 362/494
• 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: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/26 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255

Abstract

Comprises in combination: at least one light source; a support plate for the light source, which is at least one; a protective cover that permits the light emitted by the light source to reach the outside; at least one wall which, in combination with the cover, forms a casing to hold the said light source, in which at least the said support plate has a black coloured surface facing the said cover; and in which the position of said light source, which is at least one, in relation to the casing, is such that it emits the light directly to the exterior.

Claims

1. A lighting assembly with safety and signalling functions for motor vehicles comprised of, in combination:

at least one light source;

a support plate for the light source, which is at least one;

a protective cover that permits the light emitted by the light source to reach the outside;

at least one wall which, in combination with the cover, forms a casing to hold the said light source,

in which at least the support plate has a black coloured surface, under said at least one light source, and facing said cover;

in which the position of said at least one light source, in relation to the casing, is such that said at least one light source emits the light directly to the exterior; and

said cover, plate and wall providing along with said at least one light source a module with safety or signalling functions to be fitted to an exterior rear-view mirror assembly of a motor vehicle.

2. The assembly, according to claim 1, in which said wall, which is at least one, has a surface facing the cover, at least in part black in colour.

3. The assembly, according to claim 1, in which said wall, which is at least one, has a surface facing the cover, all of which is black in colour.

4. The assembly, according to claim 1, which furthermore comprises an intermediate part, placed between said wall and said cover, which has a black surface facing the cover.

5. The assembly, according to claim 1, in which the cover is of a material that transmits a predetermined percentage of light from the light source, which is at least one, so that there is a reduction of the parasitic reflections derived from the environmental light that shines on the exterior surface of the cover and at the same time reduces the visibility of said light source.

6. The assembly, according to claim 5, in which the interior surface of said cover has a geometry that enables directed, amplified or uniform distribution, through said cover, of the light proceeding from the light source, which is at least one.

7. The assembly, according to claim 6, in which the interior surface of said cover has a geometry that enables directed, amplified or uniform distribution, through said cover, of the light proceeding from the light source, which is at least one, and in which the power of said light source, which is at least one, is determined by the characteristics of the material of said cover, the geometry of its internal face or both.

8. The assembly, according to claim 5, in which said material is synthetic material with additives that define the percentage of light transmission.

9. The assembly, according to claim 5 in which said material is synthetic material with additives that define the said percentage of light transmission, and in which said synthetic material provides a quality of darkening equivalent to that of “

smoked glass”

.

10. The assembly, according to claim 1, in which at least part of the components of said assembly have been obtained by injection moulding.

11. The assembly, according to claim 1, comprised of several of the light sources.

12. The assembly, according to claim 11, in which at least one of the light sources constitutes a turn indicator for a motor vehicle.

13. The assembly, according to claim 11, in which at least one of the light sources constitutes a turn indicator for a motor vehicle, and in which said light source which acts as a turn indicator emits with a predetermined intensity and horizontal and vertical angles through an area of the said cover.

14. The assembly, according to claim 1, in which said light source is of the LED type.

15. The assembly, according to claim 14, in which, furthermore, the front of the light source of LED type includes an optical element to generate the optical effects of amplification, dispersion, diffusion or multiplication of the light emitted.

16. The assembly, according to claim 14, in which, furthermore, the front of the light source of LED type includes an optical element to generate the optical effects of amplification, dispersion, diffusion or multiplication of the light emitted, and in which said optical element is a transparent polyhedral prism, at least in part.

17. The assembly, according to claim 14, in which, furthermore, the front of the light source of LED type includes an optical element to generate the optical effects of amplification, dispersion, diffusion or multiplication of the light emitted, and in which said optical element is a truncated conical structure whose smaller base is fitted with a lens facing the light source.

18. The assembly, according to claim 14,in which, furthermore, the front of the light source of LED type includes an optical element to generate the optical effects of amplification, dispersion, diffusion or multiplication of the light emitted, and in which said optical element is a lens.

19. The assembly, according to claim 14, in which, furthermore, the front of the light source of LED type includes an optical element to generate the optical effects of amplification, dispersion, diffusion or multiplication of the light emitted, and in which said optical element is a Fresnel lens.

20. The assembly, according to claim 14, in which, furthermore, the front of the light source of LED type includes an optical element to generate the optical effects of amplification, dispersion, diffusion or multiplication of the light emitted, and in which said optical element is comprised of a combination of any of the following elements:

a transparent polyhedral prism, at least in part, a truncated conical structure, in whose smaller base there is a lens, facing the light source, a lens or a Fresnel lens.

21. The assembly, according to claim 1, in which said support plate of said light source, which is at least one, is a support for a printed circuit which includes at least a means of connection for said light source.

22. The assembly, according to claim 4, in which said support plate of said light source, which is at least one, is a support for a printed circuit which includes at least a means of connection for said light source, and in which said support plate of said light source is supported by the said intermediate part.

23. The assembly, according to claim 1, in which said support plate of said light source, which is at least one, is a support for a printed circuit which includes at least a means of connection for said light source, and in which said support plate of said light source is supported by the said wall.

24. The assembly of an exterior rear-view mirror for a motor vehicle that includes a lighting assembly according to claim 1.

25. Use of a light source according to claim 11 to constitute an exterior rear-view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle.

26. The assembly, according to claim 2 in which said wall, which is at least one, has a surface facing the cover, all of which is black in colour.

27. The assembly, according to claim 4, in which said support plate of said light source, which is at least one, is a support for a printed circuit which includes at least a means of connection for said light source.