BLIND SPOT INDICATOR ASSEMBLY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A BLIND SPOT INDICATOR ASSEMBLY, AND REAR-VIEW MIRROR COMPRISING SAID BLIND SPOT INDICATOR ASSEMBLY

Abstract

The blind spot indicator assembly 100 comprises a housing 110 including a first side having an aperture 145 closed by a lens assembly 170 and a cavity 120 with an interior surface. A printed circuit board (PCB) 180 has at least two connection pins 200 extending laterally such that when not protruding outward an edge of the PCB 180, a longitudinal dimension d.sub.1 of the aperture 145 is equal to or greater than the longitudinal dimension d.sub.3 of the PCB 180, and when connection pins 200 protrude outward an edge of the PCB 180, the longitudinal dimension d.sub.1 of aperture 145 is equal to or greater than a total dimension de comprising the longitudinal dimension d.sub.3 of the of the PCB 180 plus a projecting distance d.sub.4 the connection pins 200 project beyond the longitudinal dimension d.sub.3 of the of the PCB 180.

Claims

1. A blind spot indicator assembly for a motor vehicle, the assembly comprising: a housing including a first side having an aperture defined by a longitudinal dimension, the housing also having an interior cavity defined by an interior surface; a lens assembly arranged to close the aperture of the housing; and a printed circuit board having a longitudinal dimension and including at least two connection pins extending laterally on a first side of the printed circuit board; wherein when the connection pins do not protrude outward an edge of the printed circuit board, the longitudinal dimension of the aperture is equal to or greater than the longitudinal dimension of the printed circuit board, and when the connection pins protrude outward an edge of the printed circuit board, the longitudinal dimension of the aperture is equal to or greater than a total dimension that comprises the longitudinal dimension of the printed circuit board plus a projecting distance the connection pins project beyond the longitudinal dimension of the printed circuit board.

2. The blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first portion where the printed circuit board is placed, and a second portion extending laterally from the first portion and being configured to receive at least a first portion of a connector to be plugged into the connection pins.

3. The blind spot indicator assembly of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the housing is configured to receive at least a length of the connector when plugged into the connection pins.

4. The blind spot indicator assembly of claim 3, wherein the housing includes a projection extending from the interior surface towards the aperture, the projection being formed at a length apart from the second portion of the housing for acting as an end stop for insertion of the connector.

5. The blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the length of the connector that can be inserted within the first portion of the housing is at least 3 mm.

6. The blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is arranged between the connection pins and the lens assembly.

7. The blind spot indicator of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the housing is arranged spaced apart from the lens assembly.

8. The blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the housing includes a sealing means receiving portion for receiving a sealing means provided in the connector, the sealing means receiving portion extending along a length on an interior surface of the second portion of the housing to contact the connector when inserted within the second portion of the housing.

9. The blind spot indicator assembly of claim 8, wherein the length of the sealing portion is at least 2 mm.

10. Rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles, the mirror assembly comprising the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1 and a connector to be inserted into the second portion of the housing of the blind spot indicator assembly for electrical connection to the connection pins of the printed circuit board for powering supply to at least one or more light sources in the printed circuit board.

11. The rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 10, wherein it comprises a mirror head and a support arm for the attachment of the rear-view mirror to the vehicle, wherein the mirror head comprises a mirror housing for receiving therein a mirror frame, a mirror glass sub-assembly and a mirror glass regulator for adjusting the orientation of said mirror glass, the mirror glass sub-assembly further comprising a mirror glass, and a back plate to which the mirror glass is attached.

12. The rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 11, wherein the back plate is shaped for allowing the blind spot indicator assembly to be placed flush with the back plate in relation to the mirror glass.

13. The rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 10, wherein the mirror glass sub-assembly further includes reflective mirror and wherein no portion of the back plate is between the blind spot indicator assembly and the reflective mirror.

14. The rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 13, wherein a gap is defined between the second portion of the housing and the back plate towards the reflective mirror.

15. The rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 10, wherein the connector is at least 10 mm long.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure will be described in the following, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0037] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles including a blind spot indicator assembly;

[0038] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the rear-view mirror assembly in FIG. 1;

[0039] FIG. 3a is a sectional view of a rear-view mirror assembly showing the blind spot indicator assembly with back plate and mirror glass in a first example;

[0040] FIG. 3b is a sectional view of a rear-view mirror assembly showing the blind spot indicator assembly with back plate and mirror glass in a second example; and

[0041] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a rear-view mirror assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES

[0042] In the non-limiting example shown in the figures, a blind spot indicator assembly 100 is shown. The blind spot indicator assembly 100 is intended for warning of the presence of another vehicle or object in the vicinity of a motor vehicle. The blind spot indicator assembly comprises a housing 110.

[0043] Also, a rear-view mirror assembly 10 is shown. The rear-view mirror assembly 10 further includes a connector 300 to be inserted into the housing 110 of the blind spot indicator assembly 100 for electrical connection to connection pins 200 of a printed circuit board, PCB, 180 for powering supply to at least one or more light sources 190 therein as it will be described in detail below.

[0044] The housing 110 of the blind spot indicator assembly 100 has a first side with an aperture 145 extending along a longitudinal dimension d.sub.1. The housing 110 has an interior surface 125 defining an interior cavity.

[0045] In use, the above-mentioned aperture 145 of the housing 110 is closed by a lens assembly 170. As stated above, a printed circuit board, PCB, 180 is provided for powering supply to said light sources 190. The PCB 180 has a longitudinal dimension d.sub.3.

[0046] Two connection pins 200 are arranged extending laterally on a first side 185 of the PCB 180. In the example shown, the connection pins 200 are at least 5 mm long. The PCB 180 is arranged between said connection pins 200 and the lens assembly 170. A double side adhesive tape is provided in contact with an opposite, second side 186 of the PCB 180 and the lens assembly 170.

[0047] In a first condition when the connection pins 200 of the PCB 180 do not protrude outward an edge of the PCB 180, the longitudinal dimension d.sub.1 of the aperture 145 is equal to or greater than said longitudinal dimension d.sub.3 of the PCB 180, that is, when the connection pins do not protrude outward an edge of the PCB, d.sub.1d.sub.3.

[0048] In a second condition when the connection pins 200 of the PCB 180 protrude outward an edge of the PCB 180, the longitudinal dimension d.sub.1 of the aperture 145 is equal to or greater than a total dimension do that comprises the longitudinal dimension d.sub.3 of the PCB 180 plus a projecting distance d.sub.4 the connection pins 200 project beyond the longitudinal dimension d.sub.3 of the PCB 180. Thus, when the connection pins protrude outward an edge of the PCB, then d.sub.1 do wherein d.sub.6=d.sub.3+d.sub.4.

[0049] The housing 110 comprises a first portion 115a on which the PCB 180 is placed. The housing 110 further comprises a second portion 115b extending laterally from said first portion 115a. The second portion 115b of the housing 110 is configured to receive the above mentioned connector 300. In use, the connector 300 is plugged into the connection pins 200 of the PCB 180. In the present example, the connector 300 is 10 mm long.

[0050] The connector 300 has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the connector 300 is intended to be passed through the second portion 115b of the housing 110 and to be received into the first portion 115a of the housing. The second portion of the connector 300 is received in said second portion 115b of the housing 110.

[0051] The housing 110 also includes a projection 210 extending from the interior surface 125 of the housing towards the aperture 145 of said housing 110. Said projection 210 is formed at a length apart from the second portion 115b of the housing 110. The projection 210 is configured as an end stop for insertion of the connector 300.

[0052] The connector 300 can be inserted a length d.sub.2 within the first portion 115a of the housing 110 when plugged into the connection pins 200 of the PCB 180. In the present example, d.sub.23 mm. Also in this example, d.sub.75 mm, preferably d.sub.75.5 mm, and optimally d.sub.76 mm, with d.sub.7 being a length corresponding to length d.sub.2 including a distance to a sealing means receiving portion 220 that will be described below.

[0053] The second portion 115b of the housing 110 is arranged spaced apart from the lens assembly 170. Said second portion 115b of the housing 110 includes in the present example a sealing means receiving portion 220 configured for receiving a suitable sealing means 225 that are provided in said second portion of the connector 300. Said sealing means receiving portion 220 extends along a length d.sub.52 mm, on an interior surface of the second portion 115b of the housing 110 to contact the connector 300 when inserted within the second portion 115b of the housing 110. Said second portion 115b of the housing 110 has a connector engaging portion 116. The connector engaging portion 116 axially retains the connector 300 when inserted therein.

[0054] Reference is made to FIGS. 3a, 3b where a mirror glass sub-assembly is shown. The rear-view mirror assembly 10 comprises a mirror head, illustrated in detail in the exploded view of FIG. 4 of the drawings, and a support arm, not shown, for the attachment of the rear-view mirror assembly 10 to the vehicle.

[0055] The mirror head comprises a mirror housing 15, preferably for receiving therein a mirror frame 16, a mirror glass sub-assembly, and a mirror glass regulator 17 for adjusting the orientation of said mirror glass 12. The mirror glass sub-assembly further comprises a mirror glass 12 and a back plate 18 to which the mirror glass 12 is attached. In the example shown in FIG. 3a, a portion of the back plate 18 is arranged under the second portion 115b of the housing 110 while in the example shown in FIG. 3b, any portion of the back plate 18 is arranged under the second portion 115b of the housing 110. As shown in the example of FIG. 3b, a lower part of the back plate 18 extends outwards from an end portion of the blind spot indicator assembly 100. Therefore, there is no portion of the backplate 18 between the blind spot indicator assembly 100 and the mirror 12, as a result of which the assembly of the blind spot indicator assembly 100 is possible along a single axis, that is, an assembly direction D, with the blind spot indicator assembly 100 abutting a heater 19, that is described below, with the backplate 18 arranged on the blind spot indicator assembly 100 and also abutting said heater 19.

[0056] As sated above, a heater 19 is provided including a heating element which in use acts as resistive heating of the mirror glass 12 as an electric current flows through. The heater 19 includes an adhesive for attaching the mirror glass 12 to the back plate 18. A blind spot indicator assembly 100 is in turn attached to said heater 19. The back plate 18 is shaped for allowing the blind spot indicator assembly 100 to be placed flush with back plate 18 in relation to the mirror glass 12. In this case the back plate 18 is configured for receiving a rear portion of the blind spot indicator assembly 100 which extends towards the back plate 18. Further, the back plate 18 is shaped to match the blind spot indicator assembly 100 without interaction between them.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, further, in use, at least one side 186 of the PCB is comprised on the backplate thickness close to a side thereof that is attached to the heater 19.

[0058] In these examples of FIGS. 3a, 3b, an outermost side of the lens assembly 170 located furthest away from housing 110 is arranged, in use, in line with a closest surface to the mirror glass 12 of the back plate 18. In particular, at least one side 185, 186 of the PCB 180, as explained above, is comprised on the backplate thickness that includes the surface that is located closest to the mirror glass 12 of the back plate 18. The back plate 18 also includes an opening on its surface that is closest to the mirror glass 12. Said opening is greater than the dimension of the blind spot indicator assembly 100 in any direction. For that reason, the mirror glass sub-assembly could be assembled in only one direction, fixing the heater 19 to the mirror glass 12, and after that, fixing in the same direction the back plate 18 and blind spot indicator assembly 100 to the heater 19.

[0059] A portion of the blind spot indicator assembly 100 is arranged furthest from the mirror glass 12 in relation to the portion of the back plate 18 that comprises the closest surface to the mirror glass 12. At least 50-75-100% of the blind spot indicator assembly 100 in a plane perpendicular to the mirror glass 12 is between the back plate 18 and the mirror glass 12.

[0060] The blind spot indicator assembly 100 is received within said opening of the back plate 18. In this respect, in use, a gap between the blind spot indicator assembly 100 and the back plate 18 in direction to towards the mirror glass 12 is defined between the second portion 115b of the housing 110 and the back plate 18 for facilitating the insertion of the connector 300 to the blind spot indicator assembly 100.

[0061] The blind spot indicator assembly 100 is assembled arranging the housing 110 with its aperture 145 perpendicular to the direction of gravity, that is, vertical or substantially vertical, or in an assembly direction D, and further away to the ground than a second side of the housing 110 opposite a first side of the housing 110, and with the second side 186 of the PCB 180 further away to the ground than the first side 185 of the PCB 180.

[0062] The PCB 180 is then arranged within the aperture 145 of the housing 110 and with the lens assembly 170 closing the aperture 145 of the housing 110. A double side adhesive tape, not shown, is provided on the second side 186 of the PCB 180 and on an external surface of the aperture 145 of the housing 110. A double side adhesive tape is attached to the lens assembly 170 with the lens assembly 170 in turn attached to the housing 110 and the PCB 180.

[0063] A compression pressure may be applied if required to both the housing 110 and the lens assembly 170 in an assembly direction D, at least substantially perpendicular to lens assembly 170.

[0064] In this way, the above-mentioned parts of the blind spot indicator assembly 100 can be assembled in the same axis. i.e. in the assembly direction, in an automatic process.