Gentex Corporation

Packard Bell Nec

Other

Nec Corporation

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Snyder, Mark A.

Bonardi, Timothy A.

Braun, Randall S.

Beute, Randall J.

Timothy A Bonardi

John K Roberts

Robert R Turnbull

Frederick T Bauer

Bradley L Busscher

Randall S Braun

Randall J Beute

Wayne M Jordan

Kenton J Ypma

Daniel J Bostwick

Edward L DeNave

Gregory A Bosch

William L Tonar

Peter A Ojeda

Eric D Fuhs

John P Wagner

Bradley L Northman

Wayne L Griffin

Joseph S Stam

Darin D Tuttle

William C Hallowell

Mark D Bugno

Jeremy A Fogg

Elisa E Zappacosta

Timothy J Thomas

Bruce Wang

Jon Harold Bechtel

Kevin L Ash

John W Carter

Robert C Knapp

G Bruce Poe

Edward F Bulgajewski

Kathy E Roberts

David J Schmidt

Andrew J LeVesque

Jeremy A Walser

Mark W Newton

Mark A Snyder

William R Cubbage

Russell S Uithoven

Larry A Sparling

Donald L Tapley

Kenton Van Klompenberg

Gregg A Chandler

Russell M Niedzielski

Daniel R Carter

Michael U Hoffmann

Andy J LeVesque

Kazuhiko Nishijima

Timothy A Norris

The present invention relates to improvements in controlling the direction of light rays and apparatus incorporating the improvements.

Optics for controlling the direction of light rays and assemblies incorporating the optics

A mirror assembly includes a housing, an angularly adjustable power pack, wires for supplying power and mirror angle control, an electrochromic mirror subassembly including a heater, and a turn signal device. The components include individual connectors that plug into a multi-prong connector on the bundle of wires, or that piggyback into each other. Optionally, the heater incorporates an internal wire with end connectors for communicating power to opposite sides of the heater, and also includes layers of light-transmitting/diffusing material for diffusing light passing from the turn signal device through the diffusing material. A printed circuit board fits into a pocket in the panel-shaped carrier, and an integral retainer releasably secures the printed circuit board. The power pack is attached to the carrier via a ring of resilient fingers, and a continuous hoop flange prevents distortion of the carrier and in turn of the glass elements in the mirror subassembly.

Rearview mirror constructed for efficient assembly

A vehicle lamp assembly includes a housing and an LED lamp carried in the housing. A signal mirror includes a mirror and an LED lamp. The LED lamp includes a heat extraction member.

Indicators and illuminators using a semiconductor radiation emitter package

A rearview mirror assembly of the present invention includes a circuit board disposed behind the mirror. The circuit board may be a flexible circuit board and may include an LED mounted to project light through a transparent window in the flexible circuit board and through the mirror. The flexible circuit board may function as a mirror heater and may include conductive paths for connection to the LED and/or electrodes of an electrochromic mirror. The LED may include an LED chip mounted directly on the circuit board and encapsulated thereon by an encapsulant.

Rearview mirror assembly construction

The present invention relates to improvements in controlling the direction of light rays.

Rearview mirror assemblies are provided that incorporate a plurality of added features. In at least one embodiment, at least two devices are incorporated into a rearview mirror selected from a group comprising an interior illumination assembly, an illuminated operator interface and an information display. In at least one embodiment, the light rays emitted by the selected at least two devices comprise substantially the same spectral characteristics. In at least one embodiment, the spectral characteristics are operator selectable from a plurality of predetermined spectral characteristics.

Mirror assembly with multi-color illumination

A tire monitoring (TM) system includes a peak detector signal filter that is configured to substantially prevent impulse noise from increasing a data slicer threshold, while simultaneously allowing the data slicer threshold to follow the variations in a received message attributable to signal fading. The TM system also automatically determines the location of a plurality of vehicle tires relative to the vehicle, utilizes a single receiver to receive messages of multiple lengths and masks an alarm when a missing ID code corresponds to a stored ID code associated with a flat tire.

Tire monitoring system

A vehicle lamp assembly includes a housing and an LED lamp carried in the housing. A signal mirror, includes a mirror; and an LED lamp. The LED lamp includes a heat extraction member.

A switch assembly includes a plurality of electrical devices and a plurality of user activated switches. The plurality of electrical devices each include a control terminal. Each of the electrical devices causes a different distinguishable output to be provided when a control signal is asserted on the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices. The plurality of user activated switches include carbon-coated contacts. Each of the user activated switches when asserted provides the control signal to the control terminal of one of the plurality of electrical devices.

Low resistance switch using carbon contacts

An inside non-planar electrochromic mirror includes front and rear non-planar elements, a layer of transparent conductive material, a reflector and a perimeter sealing member which bonds the front and rear non-planar elements in a spaced apart relationship. The front and rear non-planar elements each include front and rear surfaces. A layer of transparent conductive material is disposed on the rear surface of the front non-planar element. The reflector can be disposed on either side of the rear non-planar element. When the reflector is on the rear surface of the rear non-planar element then the front surface of the rear non-planar element contains a layer of transparent conductive material. When the reflector is on the front surface of the rear element it must be constructed of conductive material. The perimeter sealing member bonds the front and rear non-planar elements and defines a chamber therebetween. The chamber contains at least one electrochromic material. The reflector is effective to reflect light through the chamber and the front non-planar element when light reaches the reflector after passing through the front non-planar element and the chamber.

Non-planar interior electrochromic rearview mirror for a vehicle

A rearview mirror assembly is disclosed for use in a vehicle that includes a mirror housing, a mounting structure for pivotally mounting the mirror housing to the vehicle such that the mirror housing may be both vertically and horizontally tilted, a compass sensor disposed in the mirror housing and coupled to a compass processing circuit, and a tilt detector for detecting when the mirror housing has been tilted from a prior position and for generating and transmitting a tilt detection signal to the compass processing circuit. The compass processing circuit may then respond to the reception of the tilt detecting signal by compensating the compass reading and/or display or by recalibrating the compass. The compass may be recalibrated using a variety of techniques, which may include, for example, comparing the sensor output values immediately prior and immediately after a tilt detection signal has been received and adjusting the calibration point by an amount corresponding to any difference between the sensor output levels.

Rearview mirror assembly with internally mounted compass sensor

Growing community of inventors

Buchanan, MI, United States of America

Timothy A Bonardi