| US 7,494,231 B2 | ||
| Vehicular signal mirror | ||
| Desaraju V. Varaprasad, Holland, Mich. (US); Hamid Habibi, Holland, Mich. (US); Ian A. McCabe, Holland, Mich. (US); Niall R. Lynam, Holland, Mich. (US); Mingtang Zhao, Holland, Mich. (US); and Craig A. Dornan, Grand Haven, Mich. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Donnelly Corporation, Holland, Mich. (US) | ||
| Filed on Dec. 12, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/954,982. | ||
| Application 11/954982 is a continuation of application No. 11/655096, filed on Jan. 19, 2007. | ||
| Application 11/655096 is a continuation of application No. 11/244182, filed on Oct. 06, 2005. | ||
| Application 11/244182 is a continuation of application No. 10/971456, filed on Oct. 22, 2004, granted, now 7,004,592, filed on Feb. 28, 2006. | ||
| Application 10/971456 is a continuation of application No. 09/954285, filed on Sep. 18, 2001, abandoned. | ||
| Application 09/954285 is a continuation of application No. 08/957027, filed on Oct. 24, 1997, abandoned. | ||
| Application 08/957027 is a continuation of application No. 08/429643, filed on Apr. 27, 1995, granted, now 5,724,187, filed on Mar. 03, 1998. | ||
| Application 08/429643 is a continuation in part of application No. 08/238521, filed on May 05, 1994, granted, now 5,668,663, filed on Sep. 16, 1997. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0094684 A1, Apr. 24, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. G02B 17/00 (2006.01); G02B 27/10 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 359—603 [359/601; 359/618] | 13 Claims |
| 1. A signal mirror for a vehicle comprising:
a reflective mirror element having a front side and a rear side;
said reflective mirror element comprising a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting substrate;
wherein visible light transmission through said reflective mirror element is at least about 3% visible light transmission;
wherein visible light reflectance by said reflective mirror element is at least about 40% visible light reflectance for visible
light incident upon the front side of said reflective mirror element;
wherein said reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light
incident upon the front side of said reflective mirror element and wherein said reflective mirror element does not exhibit
substantial spectral selectivity in its transmission of visible light incident upon the rear side of said reflective mirror
element;
said semitransparent mirror reflector comprising a metal thin film layer, wherein said metal thin film layer is overcoated
with an overcoating layer and wherein at least one of (a) said overcoating layer comprises another metal thin film layer of
visible light reflectance higher than that of said metal thin film layer, (b) said overcoating layer comprises a transparent
electrically conductive metal oxide layer, (c) said metal thin film layer is undercoated with an undercoating layer, (d) said
metal thin film layer is undercoated with an undercoating layer comprising a transparent electrically conductive metal oxide
layer and (e) said metal thin film layer is undercoated with an undercoating layer comprising a transparent indium thin oxide
conductive metal oxide layer having a layer thickness of at least about 50 angstroms; and
at least one of (a) a turn signal light display that emits visible light upon actuation of a turn signal by a driver of a
vehicle equipped with said reflective mirror element, said turn signal light display disposed to the rear of the rear side
of said reflective mirror element and configured so that said light emitted by said turn signal light display passes through
said metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of said
reflective mirror element and wherein said turn signal light display exhibits, when electrically powered and when operated
in the vehicle during daytime driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 30 foot lamberts as measured with
said turn signal light display placed behind, and emitting light through, said reflective mirror element and (b) a blind-spot
indicator light display that emits visible light upon a detection by a blind-spot detector that is part of a vehicle equipped
with said blind-spot indicator light display, said blind-spot indicator light display disposed to the rear of the rear side
of said reflective mirror element and configured so that said light emitted by said blind-spot indicator light display passes
through said metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front
of said reflective mirror element and wherein said blind-spot indicator light display exhibits, when electrically powered
and when operated in the vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 30 foot lamberts
as measured with said blind-spot indicator light display placed behind, and emitting light through, said reflective mirror
element.
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