Mirror glass component with integrated illuminating means

• US 7,973,263 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Oehmann, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans; Geoffrey S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Vinod D
• Application Number:
  US10/560,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20070272672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,582 Days
• Field of Search: 219/209, 219/202, 219/201, 362/494, 362/155, 362/547, 362/285, 359/15, 359/839, 359/844
• US Class Current: 219/209
• 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 1/0602 comprising means for cleaning or deicing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators

Abstract

The invention concerns a vehicle outside mirror module with a heatable mirror glass assembly group, whereby the mirror glass assembly group exhibits at least one mirror glass and an at least one layered, foil-like heating foil, flexibly configured on the back side of said mirror glass, provided with power supply points. To this end, there are configured or integrated, on or in the heating foil, at least one means of lighting and at least one additional power supply point. On or in the heating foil, between the one or the several lighting means and the one or the additional power supply points, are configured or integrated conductive tracks providing current which contact said power supply points. Each lighting means has at least one main light exit surface whose spectral centroid lies above the mirror back surface.

With the current invention, a vehicle outside mirror module is developed in which a mirror heater and at least one means of lighting are integrated and connected in such a manner that they can be simply and securely assembled while keeping the expenditure in cabling low.

Claims

1. A vehicle outside mirror module comprising:

a mirror glass (11) defining a front side (12), a back side and a mirror glass edge (14) extending thereabout, said front side (12) defining a plane;

a heating foil (20) flexibly configured on said back side of said mirror glass provided with power supply points (35) and including tabs (24) projecting out and away from said back side, wrapping around said mirror glass edge (14) and through said plane defined by said front side of said mirror glass (11), said heating foil receiving at least one heating element and at least one lighting source (60) disposed on one of said tabs (24) that extend beyond said mirror glass edge (14) and across said plane defined by said front side (12); and

at least one additional power supply point (38) integrated on said heating foil (20), having conductive tracks (31-33) extending between said light source (60) and said additional power supply points (38), said conductive tracks (31-33) providing current such that said light source (60) has at least one main light exit surface (61) whose spectral centroid lies forward of said plane of said front surface (12) and the mirror glass edge (14).

2. Vehicle outside mirror module according to claim 1, wherein said tabs (24) are long enough that they project over said front side (12) by at least one cross dimension of said light source (60).

3. Vehicle outside mirror module according to claim 2, thus characterized, that the mirror glass (11) is clamped in between a mirror glass support (50) and a mirror glass frame (51), secured to said support, embracing the mirror glass (11) on its front side (12).

4. Vehicle outside mirror module according to claim 3, thus characterized, that the mirror glass frame (51) exhibits a ring-shaped hollow chamber (58) leading along the edge of the mirror (14).

5. Vehicle outside mirror module according to claim 4, thus characterized, that the tabs (24) of the heating foil (20) equipped with said light source (60) are configured to exactly form-fit inside of the hollow chamber (58).

6. Vehicle outside mirror module according to claim 1 thus characterized, that the conductive tracks (31-33) are configured on the face of the heating foil (20) on which the heating element (30) is also configured.

7. Vehicle outside mirror module according to claim 1, thus characterized, that at least one part of the conductive tracks (32) leading to said light source (60) is designed as resistor wire (37).

8. Vehicle outside mirror module according to claim 1, thus characterized, that said light source (60) are a light emitting diode or a group of light emitting diodes on which a light wave guide (64) is formed.