US 4,281,898 AGranted

Automatic antiglare rearview mirror

AssigneeMurakami Kaimeido Co., Ltd.

InventorsAkio Ochiai, Noriyuki Iida, Yasumasa Yoshimura

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A mirror assembly capable of providing an image of high or low brightness is pivotally supported by a housing or other stationary support, for movement between two operating positions to provide the high and low brightness images. For automatic actuation of the mirror assembly, a light sensitive element is provided which on sensing a change in the intensity of incident light, energizes an electromagnet or electromagnets affixed to either of the mirror assembly and the stationary support. The energized electromagnet or electromagnets attract and/or repel a permanent magnet or magnets affixed to the other of the mirror assembly and the stationary support. Normally, the core of the electromagnet or of one of the electromagnets is held attracted by the permanent magnet or by one of the permanent magnets to retain the mirror assembly in a selected one of the operating positions.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A mirror mechanism for selectively producing an image of high or low brightness depending upon the intensity of incident light, comprising:

(a) support means;
(b) a mirror assembly supported by the support means for pivotal motion between two predetermined operating positions to provide the high and low brightness images;
(c) permanent magnet means secured to either of the support means and the mirror assembly;
(d) electromagnet means secured to the other of the support means and the mirror assembly in opposed relationship to the permanent magnet means;
(e) the electromagnet means including core means normally coacting with the permanent magnet means to hold the mirror assembly in a selected one of the operating positions;
(f) sheets of magnetic rubber attached to at least one of said permanent magnet means and said electromagnet means to effect noise reduction;
(g) a light sensitive element arranged to sense the intensity of light impinging on the mirror assembly;
and
(h) electric circuit means responsive to the sensing by said light sensitive element of a change in the intensity of the incident light, for energizing the electromagnet means for a preset length of time for causing the pivotal motion of the mirror assembly from one to the other of the operating positions by virtue of magnetic attraction and/or repulsion between the permanent magnet means and the electromagnet means;
(i) whereby the energization of the electromagnet means is required only for moving the mirror assembly between the operating positions.

7 more elements

A mirror mechanism for selectively providing an image of high or low brightness depending upon the intensity of incident light, comprising:

(a) support means;
(b) a mirror assembly supported by the support means for pivotal motion between two predetermined operating positions to provide the high and low brightness images;
(c) permanent magnet means secured to either of the support means and the mirror assembly, said permanent magnet means comprising a pair of permanent magnet assemblies each including a yoke of comparatively high magnetic permeability and a permanent magnet molded integrally with said yoke from a material selected from the group consisting of magnetic rubber and magnetic plastic;
(d) electromagnet means secured to the other of the support means and the mirror assembly in opposed relationship to the permanent magnet means;
(e) said electromagnet means comprising a pair of electromagnetic assemblies disposed opposite to the respective permanent magnet assemblies and coacting with said permanent magnet assemblies normally to hold the mirror assembly in a selected one of the operating positions, each of electromagnetic assemblies comprising a core, an electromagnet around said core and a yoke of comparatively high magnetic permeability connected substantially integrally to said core, the yoke of each permanent magnet assembly and the yoke of said corresponding electromagnetic assembly being relatively movable into and out of contact with each other and serving conjointly to increase the attractive and repulsive forces between said permanent magnet and electromagnet assemblies;
(f) a light sensitive element arranged to sense the intensity of light impinging on the mirror assembly;
and
(g) electric circuit means responsive to the sensing by said light sensitive element of a change in the intensity of the incident light, for energizing the electromagnet means for a preset length of time for causing the pivotal motion of the mirror assembly from one to the other of the operating positions by virtue of magnetic attraction and/or repulsion between the permanent magnet means and the electromagnet means;
(h) whereby the energization of the electromagnet means is required only for moving the mirror assembly between the operating positions.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.