Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Automobile
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-02
2004-06-08
Cariaso, Alan (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Automobile
C362S142000, C362S183000, C362S396000, C362S419000, C362S486000, C362S528000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06746140
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rear-view mirror mounted in the cabin of a vehicle and to an interior lighting system for a vehicle including a room lamp and a map lamp.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ordinarily, a lighting device known as a map lamp is mounted above an area between a driver's seat and a passenger seat in the cabin of a vehicle. The map lamp can be used, for example, as a light in order to view a map inside the vehicle at night.
The map lamp is often mounted at a roof panel of the vehicle. However, in a convertible whose roof is sometimes removed, there is no roof panel for mounting the map lamp, and thus, the map lamp is often mounted near an upper edge of a windshield glass (a front glass). In particular, the map lamp is often integrated with a rear-view mirror.
The conventional map lamp is fixed to the roof panel or the edge of the windshield glass of the vehicle, and whereby the map lamp can only illuminate a direction that is fixed (e.g., a lower direction with respect to the vehicle). For this reason, when the map lamp is used to view a map inside the vehicle, the map needs to be moved under the map lamp. Similarly, when the map lamp is used to illuminate things other than a map or the user (passenger) himself/herself, the object to be illuminated needs to be moved to the position illuminated by the light, i.e., a position under the map lamp.
As the riding environment of cabins has improved, there has been an increasing demand for further improvements in the facility of the cabins. In short, there has been a demand for a map lamp that can be used to illuminate not only a position in the lower direction of the vehicle, but many directions as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain an interior lighting system, which can illuminate not only a fixed position but many positions in accordance with the position desired to be illuminated, and a rear-view mirror for a vehicle that includes the interior lighting system.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a rear-view mirror for a vehicle comprises a mirror body, mounted at a suitable position inside the vehicle, for holding a mirror having a reflecting surface oriented toward a predetermined direction; and lighting devices, detachably disposed at the mirror body, for illuminating, with the lighting devices illuminating a first illumination direction when the lighting devices are mounted to the mirror body.
According to the rear-view mirror having the above-described structure, the mirror body to which the mirror is fixed is mounted at a suitable position inside the vehicle. By viewing the mirror fixed to the mirror body, the direction toward which the mirror is oriented can be viewed. For example, when the reflecting surface of the mirror is oriented toward a substantially rear direction of the vehicle, the substantially rear direction of the vehicle can be viewed in the mirror.
The lighting devices are provided at the mirror body. When the lighting device emits light, the first illumination direction is illuminated.
Further, the lighting device can be mounted to and detached from the mirror body. When the lighting device is detached from the mirror body and oriented in a desired direction toward a desired position, the desired position can be illuminated by the lighting device.
In this manner, when the lighting device is detached from the mirror body, not only the initial (first) illumination direction but other directions as well can be illuminated. As a result, facility of the lighting device, i.e., facility of the rear-view mirror, is improved.
In the rear-view mirror of the present invention, preferably, the lighting device includes a lamp house containing a light source, with an opening being formed at the lamp house to enable light inside the lamp house to be transmitted in a predetermined direction, and a holding member for holding the lamp house at a predetermined position in the mirror body.
According to the rear-view mirror having the above-described structure, the light source is contained inside the lamp house which can be mounted to and detached from the mirror body. When the lamp house is mounted to the mirror body and the light source emits light, the light is transmitted through the opening of the lamp house in the first illumination direction, whereby the first illumination direction is illuminated.
Further, when the lamp house is detached from the mirror body and the opening is oriented in a desired direction toward a desired position, the desired position can be illuminated by the lighting device.
More preferably, the rear-view mirror of the present invention further comprises an electrical feeder for supplying electricity from an electric source to the light source, the electrical feeder having one end and the other end, with the one end being directly or indirectly connected to the electric source through the inside of the mirror body and the other end being connected to the light source through the inside of the lamp house, wherein the electrical feeder is accommodated at at least one of the mirror body and the lamp house when the lamp house is mounted to the mirror body.
According to the rear-view mirror having the above-described structure, the electrical feeder connected to the light source is connected to the electric source outside the mirror body through the inside of the lamp house and the inside of the mirror body. Mirror bodies and lamp houses are of necessity relatively compact due to the position at which they are disposed within the cabin. For this reason, when an electric source is accommodated in such a mirror body and lamp house interior, necessity dictates that only an electrical source having a small capacity can be accommodated therein. In contrast, the light source in the present invention is connected to the electric source outside the mirror body and the lamp house via the electrical feeder. Thus, an electric source having a relatively large capacity can be accommodated.
Still more preferably, the rear-view mirror of the present invention further comprises a battery for supplying electricity to the light source to enable the light source to emit light, with the battery being contained in the lamp house in a state in which the battery is electrically connected to the light source.
According to the rear-view mirror having the above-described structure, the light source is made to emit light by the battery contained in the lamp house. Therefore, when the lamp house is detached from the mirror body, the lamp house can be freely moved without restriction.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, an interior lighting system for a vehicle comprises a housing mounted at a suitable position inside the vehicle; and lighting devices, detachably disposed at the housing, for illuminating, with the lighting devices illuminating a first illumination direction when the lighting devices are mounted to the housing.
According to the interior lighting system having the above-described structure, the lighting devices are provided at the housing mounted at a suitable position inside the vehicle. When the lighting device emits light, the first illumination direction is illuminated.
Further, the lighting device can be mounted to and detached from the housing. When the lighting device is detached from the housing and oriented in a desired direction toward a desired position, the desired position can be illuminated by the lighting device.
In this manner, when the lighting device is detached from the housing, not only the initial illumination direction but other directions as well can be illuminated. As a result, facility of the interior lighting system is improved.
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patent: 4443831 (1984-04-01), Godfrey et al.
patent: 4511954 (1985-04-01), Marcus et al.
patent: 4733336 (1988-03-01), Skogler et al.
patent: 4734831 (1988-03-01), Keyser et al.
patent: 4974129 (1990-11-01), Grieb et al.
patent: 5070434 (1991-12-01
Aoki Masakazu
Ejiri Tadashi
Hosono Masami
Ichikawa Takashi
Jinushi Kenichi
Cariaso Alan
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
Nixon & Peabody LLP
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