Rearview Device and Vehicle With Such Rearview Device

Abstract

An external rearview device for a motor vehicle includes a housing, and one or more of at least one light emitting or a receiving device, including one or more of at least one light producing device or at least one camera device arranged within the housing, and at least one at least partially transparent element closing an opening provided by the housing, the at least partially transparent element being provided in form of a first module attached to the housing, and the one or more of the light producing device or the camera device being provided in form of a second module attached to the first module, the first module and the second module being mechanically releasably coupled.

Claims

1. An external rear view device for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing; and at least one light emitting and/or receiving device, the at least one light emitting and/or receiving device comprising at least one light producing device and/or at least one camera device arranged within said housing, and at least one at least partially transparent element closing an opening provided by said housing, wherein the at least partially transparent element is provided in form of a first module attached to the housing, wherein the at least one light producing device and/or the camera device is provided in form of a second module attached to the first module, wherein first module and the second module are mechanically releasably coupled, wherein the first module is formed with a main body and an extension, and wherein either (1) the main body provides a shoulder from which an arm forming the extension extends, and the arm provides a head at a free end, with the second module being arranged between the shoulder and the head, or (2) the extension provides a recess or cavity into which the second module is at least partly inserted.

2. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein the first module provides at least one first contact surface facing to an interior side of said housing, engaging at least one wall of said housing, at least one second contact surface facing to the second module, engaging said second module, and at least one light exit surface facing to the outside of said housing in case the second module comprises the light producing device and/or at least one light entrance surface facing to the outside of said housing in case the second module comprises the camera device.

3. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said main body acts as a lens that serves to focus or disperse light.

4. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a casing with at least one wall and a bezel.

5. The rear view device according to claim 4, wherein the second module is supported by the at least one wall and/or the bezel, with the housing together with the first module providing a tight unit.

6. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein at least one reflective element, in form of a mirror element, is fixed to the housing or is moveable relative to the housing.

7. The rear view device according to claim 5, wherein the first module protrudes from at least one outer surface of said housing, over an imaginary contour line that connects the outer surface of the at least ones wall and the outer surface of the bezel.

8. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein the first module is flush with an outer surface of the housing.

9. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein the light producing device includes at least one light source, and a body within which the at least one light source is arranged.

10. The rear view device according to claim 9, wherein the body includes a printed circuit board, a lower half and an upper half, wherein at least one of: the upper half is transparent, the lower half is formed together with the printed circuit board, or the circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling said light source.

11. The rear view device according to claim 10, wherein the body has at least one at least partially transparent portion provided by the upper half and/or engaging the first module.

12. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein the light producing device comprises at least one optical fibre for guiding light emitted from at least one light source to a dome-shaped end portion which is coupled to the first module.

13. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein the light producing device comprises at least one light source having a dome-shaped exit surface coupled via a coupling element to at least one optical fibre, with the coupling element having a H-shaped cross-section.

14. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein the light producing device comprises at least one light source having a light exit surface provided by an inner protrusion surrounded by an outer ring-shaped wall for coupling to at least one optical fibre.

15. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of first modules is provided, with each first module being coupled to a separate second module or to a common second module.

16. The rear view device according to claim 1, wherein a single first module is coupled to a plurality of second modules and/or is provided with a plurality of light trunks for inputting or outputting light, with each trunk being coupled to a separate second module or to a common second module.

17. A vehicle, with at least one rear view device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] The present invention will be better understood from the following description of preferred embodiments which are described by way of example with respect to the schematic drawing, in which:

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a part front view of a rearview device according to a first embodiment;

[0061] FIG. 2A shows a first example of the section II-II in FIG. 1;

[0062] FIG. 2B shows a second example of the section II-II in FIG. 1;

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a part front view of a rearview device according to a second embodiment;

[0064] FIG. 4 shows the section Iv-Iv in FIG. 3;

[0065] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a light producing device usable in the first or second embodiment of the rearview device;

[0066] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of components of another light producing device usable in a third or fourth embodiment;

[0067] FIG. 7 shows a section such as in FIG. 2 of a rearview device according to the third embodiment;

[0068] FIG. 8 shows a section such as in FIG. 4 of a rearview device according to the forth embodiment;

[0069] FIG. 9 shows another perspective view of the components according to FIG. 6;

[0070] FIG. 10 shows a cross-section of a light emitting diode coupled in a first manner to an optical guide shown in FIG. 9;

[0071] FIG. 11 shows a cross-section of a light emitting diode coupled in a second manner to an optical guide shown in FIG. 9; and

[0072] FIG. 12 shows a front view of a rearview device according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The term “rearview” is here defined as a view of the surrounding area, which is not in the field of view of a driver, i.e. the directions opposing, left, right, below and above of the viewing direction, but can also comprise the view in the direction of the viewing direction of the driver and/or any combinations of the directions.

[0074] The term “driver” and “driver of the vehicle” relates here to the person controlling the main parameters of the vehicle, such as for example direction, speed and/or altitude, e.g. normally the person located in the location specified for the controlling person, for example a seat, but can also relate to any other person or entity within or outside of the vehicle.

[0075] FIG. 1 depicts a rearview mirror indicated at 1, being a rearview device according to a first embodiment. The rearview mirror 1 comprises a light producing device 10, arranged within a housing being made up of a hollow shell or casing a wall 12 of which is shown in the sectional view of FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B. In the example of FIG. 2A, part of the housing is also a bezel 14, in a known manner, wherein a transparent lens-like element 16 is arranged between the wall 12 and the bezel 14, to complement these two parts when forming the overall housing, preferably in manner for the housing to be tight. For instance, the transparent element 16 can be clamped between the wall 12 and the bezel 14. The transparent element 16 can be formed out of glass, or produced by molding transparent plastic material, and in all examples herein is fully transparent, but could as well be only portion-wise transparent as long as its function explained hereinafter is fulfilled.

[0076] In the example of FIG. 1 with the cross-sectional example of FIG. 2A, the transparent element 16 has a first outer (exit) surface 16a that is flush with the outer surface of the wall 14. Further, there is a second outer (exit) surface 16b of the transparent element 16 that is flush with the front portion of the rearview minor 1, namely an extremity of the bezel 14 and a mirror element 18 held by and in the bezel 14 wherein the minor element 18 is fixed to the housing via the bezel 14. A third outer (exit) surface 16c of the transparent element 16 connects the first and second surfaces 16a and 16b providing a smooth, flattened edge, or corner, of the transparent element 16. The transparent element 16 has an arm 16-1 extending from a main body to engage on one side an inner surface of the wall 12 and on the opposite side the light producing device 10. In detail, the arm 16-1 is providing between a shoulder and hook-shaped head at the opposite side in order to hold the light producing device 10 there between. Since the bezel 14 also abuts against the light producing element 10, the same is stably held within the rearview minor 1.

[0077] In another example, a different cross-sectional view of the section II-II of FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 2B. In this example, the bezel 14 acts as a mounting plate, without extending beyond the mirror element 18 such that the bezel 14 is not extending between the minor element 18 and the transparent element 16. In this example, all other features are similar to the features described in reference with FIG. 2A but the bezel 14 is hidden behind the minor element 18 rather than positioned between the mirror element 18 and the transparent element 16 as is the case with the FIG. 2A example.

[0078] The surface 10a of the light producing element 10 engaging the arm 16-1 is hold between said head and shoulder. The light producing element 10 is configured to emit light via, or through, said surface 10a to the exterior, and thus to couple that light into the arm 16-1. The arm 1-1 act as a light guide which is guiding at least a part of the in coupled light to the outer exit surface(s) 16a, 16b, 16c such that the light of the light producing element 10 can exit the housing through the transparent element 16.

[0079] The overall arrangement described with respect to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A or 2B is suited to be built up from individual modules: one module for the light producing element 10, which can be the same for any kind of rearview mirror, and one module in the form of the transparent element 16, which can be individually fit and tailor-shaped for use in different kinds of housing and, thus, different rearview mirrors.

[0080] A second embodiment of a rearview mirror 1′ is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This second embodiment makes usage of a mirror element which can move relative to the housing, in contrast to the fixed mirror solution of the first embodiment. Therefore, the bezel 14 of the second embodiment has a beveled portion, with a leg thereof terminating at a surface 14a, that faces to the lateral side of the rearview mirror 1′ and does not engage the mirror element 18 in order to keep the mirror element 18 displaceable.

[0081] The transparent element 16 of the second embodiment is clamped between the wall 12 and the bezel 14, but it protrudes over an imaginary contour line 20 that would most naturally link the outer surfaces of the wall 12 and the outer surface 14a. It can be seen from the front view in FIG. 3 that the transparent element 16 protrudes over the general contour of the housing, in contrast to the flush solution of the first embodiment, see in particular FIG. 1.

[0082] In both rearview mirrors 1 and 1′, the first as well as the second embodiment, the light producing device 10 is provided as a compact entity or unit and, thus, in form of a module as depicted in FIG. 5. At the heart thereof is a printed circuit board 22 that bears at least one light emitting device (LED) 24. The printed circuit board 22 is held in a lower half 26 of the light producing device 10 that is covered by an entirely transparent upper half (cover) 28. Ports 30 enable the supply of electrical energy to the printed circuit board 22. The printed circuit board 22 includes all elements necessary for controlling the LED 24, like a control unit and impedance matching elements (not shown). The LED 24 is suited for being intermittently operated (flashing) under such control, in order to provide a side turn indicator unit of the rearview mirror 1, 1′. Instead of using separable halves 26, 28, the printed circuit board 22 can be integral with the remainder of the body, such as can be obtained by molding with, e.g., a resin.

[0083] FIGS. 6 and 9 show alternative light producing devices 40 to be used with a third and fourth embodiment of a rearview device 101′, 101″. Each one of said alternative light producing devices 40 is more or less bullet shaped. In both alternatives the light producing devices 40 are provided with at least one optical fiber 48 for guiding light emitted from a not shown LED to a pin 44 that terminates in a dome-shaped end portion 42. Fixing means 46 e.g. in form of clamping arms are optional.

[0084] FIG. 7 depicts the third embodiment incorporating a fixed mirror solution. The housing of the rearview device 101′ according to FIG. 7 makes usage of the elements 12, 14 already described with respect to FIG. 2. But the transparent element 16 of the third embodiment differs from the one shown in FIG. 2, by providing a cavity for accommodating the dome-shaped end portion 42 of the light producing device 40.

[0085] FIG. 8 depicts the forth embodiment incorporating a moving mirror solution. The housing of the rearview device 101′ according to FIG. 8 makes usage of the elements 12, 14 already described with respect to FIG. 4. But the transparent element 16 of the forth embodiment is provided with a cavity for accommodating the dome-shaped end portion 42 of the light producing device 40 in analogy to the third embodiment.

[0086] The transparent element 16 of the third as well as the forth embodiment protrudes over an imaginary contour line 20 as already described with reference to the second embodiment of FIG. 4.

[0087] In order to have light exiting the dome-shaped end portion 42, at least one LED needs to emit light into the light guiding optical fiber 48, shown in FIG. 6 or 9. A first variant of a respective light coupling is depicted in FIG. 10, and a second one in FIG. 11.

[0088] FIG. 10 shows an LED 50 with a lens portion 52, enabling to fix a coupling element 60 of H-shaped cross section thereto. In detail, the coupling element 60 is provided with ring-shaped walls on two opposite sides to form the H-shape. While one side of the coupling element 60 engages the lens portion 52, the other one engages optical fiber 48 in an analogue manner.

[0089] FIG. 11 shows an LED 70 which itself is formed with a ring-shaped wall 72, surrounding a cavity 74 that in turn surrounds a convex protrusion 76 at an end portion of light emitting diode 70. The ring-shaped wall 72 allows the light guiding optical fiber 48 to be accommodated therein.

[0090] The four embodiments described so far all make usage of a single transparent element 16 co-operating with a single light producing device. It is also possible to use several transparent elements in one rearview mirror or to us one transparent element together with several light producing devices as shown in FIG. 12.

[0091] FIG. 12 shows a fifth embodiment of a rearview minor 201, which makes usage of a more or less ring-shaped transparent element 216 following the contour of the wall 212 of the housing. Said transparent element 216 is formed with three input trunks 218 for light, with each of said trunks 218 being suited to be coupled to one common light producing device, like the light producing device 10 of FIG. 5. Alternatively, to each of the inputs 218, one optical fiber 48 as shown in FIG. 6 or 9 can be coupled, wherein the optical fibers receive light from one or more light sources, for instance LEDs. This allows the realization of a multitude of light effects. The transparent element 16 might not only assist in emitting light, but can also function as a bezel. It might even be transparent only in certain portions to allow for a plurality of design alternatives.

[0092] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawing, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilized for realizing the invention in diverse forms thereof.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

[0093] 1, 1′ Rearview device (mirror) for a vehicle [0094] 10 Light producing device [0095] 10a Contact surface of light producing device [0096] 12 Wall of housing [0097] 14 Bezel of housing [0098] 14a Surface of bezel 14 [0099] 16 Transparent element [0100] 16-1 Arm of transparent element 16 [0101] 16a, 16b, 16c Outer exit surface of transparent element 16 [0102] 18 Mirror element of rearview device [0103] 20 Imaginary contour line [0104] 22 Printed circuit board [0105] 24 Light emitting diode [0106] 26 Lower half of body of light producing device 10 [0107] 28 Upper half of body of light producing device 10 [0108] 30 Contact ports of light producing device 10 [0109] 40 Light producing device [0110] 42 Dome-shaped end portion [0111] 44 Pin [0112] 46 Fixing means [0113] 48 Optical fibre [0114] 50 Light emitting diode [0115] 52 Lens portion of light emitting diode 50 [0116] 60 Coupling element [0117] 70 Light emitting diode [0118] 72 Ring-shaped outer wall at end portion of light emitting diode 70 [0119] 74 Cavity [0120] 76 Convex protrusion at end portion of light emitting diode 70 [0121] 101′, 101′ Rearview device (mirror) for a vehicle [0122] 201 Rearview device (mirror) for a vehicle [0123] 212 Wall of housing [0124] 216 Transparent ring [0125] 218 Light input trunks