Lighting element in the exterior mirror

• US 8,995,040 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Fritz, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US13/315,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20120147473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/267, 359/247, 359/253, 359/272, 359601-604, 359/839, 359/841, 359/842, 359/844, 359/846, 359/847, 359/877, 362/382, 362/494, 362/545, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/438, 340/463, 340/815.4, 340/904, 340/905, 348/118, 348/148, 348/E7.085, 349/1, 349/11, 349/56
• US Class Current: 359/253
• 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 1/006 Side-view mirrors, e.g. V-shaped mirrors located at the front or rear part of the vehicle combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08; side-view periscopes B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/07 based on electro-optical liquids exhibiting Kerr effect
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An exterior mirror assembly with an optical display is suggested, whereby a light opening (2) is provided on the exterior mirror assembly for the passage of light of a warning display. The optical display comprieses of a display housing (4), into which an active illuminated display element (10) is mounted as a light source.

Claims

1. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display, which comprises a mirror base and a mirror head, as well as at least one housing cover, which has a recess for a reflecting element, whereby on the exterior mirror assembly, a light opening is provided for the passage of light of an optical display, characterized in that the optical display consists of a display housing, into which an active illuminated display element is mounted exclusively of any other light source, wherein the active illuminated display element is configured to display a plurality of varied colors representing a warning notice, wherein the illuminated display element is configured to display a different one of the plurality of varied colors in succession to achieve gradual increments of a hazard warning of the displayed warning notice.

2. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the display housing is closed with an external cover pane.

3. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the display housing contains at least one optical lens.

4. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the display element is an element from the group consisting of LCD, TFT-LCD, TSTN, FST, OLED, and AMOLED with integrated background lighting.

5. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the active illuminated display element is a normally black mode display element.

6. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the active illuminated display element is a normally white mode display element.

7. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the active illuminated display element is configured to allow control of a color intensity or grayscale.

8. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the active illuminated display element is mounted in the side region of the at least one housing cover.

9. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the active illuminated display element is mounted in region of the mirror base.

10. Exterior mirror assembly with an optical display according to claim 1, characterized in that the active illuminated display element is mounted behind the reflecting element.

11. Exterior mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior mirror assembly with an optical display defining a mirror base and a mirror head, as well as at least one housing cover, which has a recess for a reflecting element, whereby on the exterior mirror assembly an active illuminated display element is configured to display a warning notice for a driver of the vehicle, wherein the illuminated display element comprises a liquid crystal display device and is configured exclusively of any other light source, wherein the liquid crystal display device displays colors forming the warning notice, and wherein the illuminated display element is configured to allow variation of one of the displayed colors to achieve gradual increments of a hazard warning scale of the displayed warning notice.