Vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly with blind zone indicator
A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mounting structure, a mirror reflective element, a mirror back plate, a heater element, and a blind zone indication module. The heater element is disposed between the mirror back plate and the mirror reflective element. The blind zone indication module includes a diffuser and a housing that houses a circuit element and a light source. The circuit element includes electrically conductive terminals that are in electrical connection with circuitry of the circuit element and that are disposed at a connector portion of the housing that is configured to connect to a wire harness to electrically power circuitry of the circuit element when the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at a vehicle and used. The blind zone indication module is associated with a blind spot detection system of the vehicle at which the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted.
1 . A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mounting structure configured for attaching at a side region of a vehicle to mount said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at the vehicle;
a mirror reflective element;
a mirror back plate;
wherein said mirror back plate comprises an aperture formed therethrough;
said mirror back plate comprising a front side and a rear side separated from the front side by a thickness dimension of said mirror back plate;
wherein the front side of said mirror back plate is attached at a rear side of said mirror reflective element;
a heater element disposed between the front side of said mirror back plate and the rear side of said mirror reflective element;
wherein the rear side of said mirror back plate is attached at an electrically operated mirror actuator;
wherein, with said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the vehicle, and when said mirror actuator is electrically operated, said mirror back plate and said mirror reflective element move in tandem relative to said mounting structure to adjust a rearward view of a driver of the vehicle who is viewing said mirror reflective element;
a blind zone indication module comprising a circuit element with circuitry disposed thereat, wherein said circuitry comprises a light source;
wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes;
said blind zone indication module comprising a diffuser;
wherein said blind zone indication module is located at the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein said blind zone indication module adhesively attaches at the rear side of said mirror reflective element via the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein said blind zone indication module includes a housing that houses said circuit element and said light source therein;
wherein said circuit element comprises a plurality of electrically conductive terminals in electrical connection with circuitry of said circuit element;
wherein said plurality of electrically conductive terminals is disposed at a connector portion of said housing and is accessible thereat;
wherein said circuitry is operable to electrically power said light source;
wherein said connector portion of said housing is configured to connect said plurality of electrically conductive terminals to a wire harness to electrically power circuitry of said circuit element when said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle and used at the vehicle;
wherein said light source, when electrically powered by said circuitry, emits light having a brightness of at least 11,000 nits when at least 9 volts DC is provided to said circuitry; and
wherein said blind zone indication module is associated with a blind spot detection system of the vehicle at which said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted.
2 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rear side of said mirror back plate comprises an indicator receiving portion located at the aperture formed through said mirror back plate, and wherein said indicator receiving portion at least partially receives said housing.
3 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 2 , wherein said indicator receiving portion at the rear side of said mirror back plate at least partially circumscribes the aperture formed through said mirror back plate.
4 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said connector portion extends from a side wall of said housing, and wherein said connector portion of said housing and said plurality of electrically conductive terminals extend over the rear side of said mirror reflective element.
5 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said housing comprises an inner surface, and wherein the inner surface comprises a diffusely light reflecting surface for reflecting light incident thereon to enhance intensity of light that exits said blind zone indication module.
6 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein each light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes is associated with a respective icon of an indicia element disposed at an end portion of said blind zone indication module that is at said mirror reflective element.
7 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of light emitting diodes comprises three triangularly arranged light emitting diodes.
8 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7 , wherein said blind zone indication module comprises first, second and third louvers established between respective pairs of light emitting diodes of said three triangularly arranged light emitting diodes.
9 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror back plate comprises a plastic mirror back plate.
10 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said heater element comprises a light transmitting portion that corresponds to the aperture formed through said mirror back plate when the front side of said mirror back plate is attached at the rear side of said mirror reflective element.
11 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said heater element comprises an aperture that corresponds to the aperture formed through said mirror back plate when the front side of said mirror back plate is attached at the rear side of said mirror reflective element.
12 . A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mounting structure configured for attaching at a side region of a vehicle to mount said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at the vehicle;
a mirror reflective element;
a mirror back plate;
wherein said mirror back plate comprises an aperture formed therethrough;
said mirror back plate comprising a front side and a rear side separated from the front side by a thickness dimension of said mirror back plate;
wherein the front side of said mirror back plate is attached at a rear side of said mirror reflective element;
a heater element disposed between the front side of said mirror back plate and the rear side of said mirror reflective element;
wherein said heater element comprises an aperture that corresponds to the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein the rear side of said mirror back plate is attached at an electrically operated mirror actuator;
wherein, with said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the vehicle, and when said mirror actuator is electrically operated, said mirror back plate and said mirror reflective element move in tandem relative to said mounting structure to adjust a rearward view of a driver of the vehicle who is viewing said mirror reflective element;
a blind zone indication module comprising a circuit element with circuitry disposed thereat, wherein said circuitry comprises a light source;
wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes;
said blind zone indication module comprising a diffuser;
wherein said blind zone indication module is located at the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein the rear side of said mirror back plate comprises an indicator receiving portion that at least partially circumscribes the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein said blind zone indication module adhesively attaches at the rear side of said mirror reflective element via the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein said blind zone indication module includes a housing that houses said circuit element and said light source therein;
wherein said circuit element comprises a plurality of electrically conductive terminals in electrical connection with circuitry of said circuit element;
wherein said plurality of electrically conductive terminals is disposed at a connector portion of said housing and is accessible thereat;
wherein said circuitry is operable to electrically power said light source;
wherein said connector portion of said housing is configured to connect said plurality of electrically conductive terminals to a wire harness to electrically power circuitry of said circuit element when said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle and used at the vehicle;
wherein said light source, when electrically powered by said circuitry, emits light having a brightness of at least 11,000 nits when at least 9 volts DC is provided to said circuitry; and
wherein said blind zone indication module is associated with a blind spot detection system of the vehicle at which said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted.
13 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12 , wherein said connector portion extends from a side wall of said housing, and wherein said connector portion of said housing and said plurality of electrically conductive terminals extend over the rear side of said mirror reflective element.
14 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12 , wherein said housing comprises an inner surface, and wherein the inner surface comprises a diffusely light reflecting surface for reflecting light incident thereon to enhance intensity of light that exits said blind zone indication module.
15 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12 , wherein each light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes is associated with a respective icon of an indicia element disposed at an end portion of said blind zone indication module that is at said mirror reflective element.
16 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12 , wherein said plurality of light emitting diodes comprises three triangularly arranged light emitting diodes.
17 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16 , wherein said blind zone indication module comprises first, second and third louvers established between respective pairs of light emitting diodes of said three triangularly arranged light emitting diodes.
18 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12 , wherein said mirror back plate comprises a plastic mirror back plate.
19 . A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mounting structure configured for attaching at a side region of a vehicle to mount said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at the vehicle;
a mirror reflective element;
a mirror back plate;
wherein said mirror back plate comprises an aperture formed therethrough;
said mirror back plate comprising a front side and a rear side separated from the front side by a thickness dimension of said mirror back plate;
wherein the front side of said mirror back plate is attached at a rear side of said mirror reflective element;
a heater element disposed between the front side of said mirror back plate and the rear side of said mirror reflective element;
wherein the rear side of said mirror back plate is attached at an electrically operated mirror actuator;
wherein, with said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the vehicle, and when said mirror actuator is electrically operated, said mirror back plate and said mirror reflective element move in tandem relative to said mounting structure to adjust a rearward view of a driver of the vehicle who is viewing said mirror reflective element;
a blind zone indication module comprising a circuit element with circuitry disposed thereat, wherein said circuitry comprises a light source;
wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes;
said blind zone indication module comprising a diffuser;
wherein said blind zone indication module is located at the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein the rear side of said mirror back plate comprises an indicator receiving portion that at least partially circumscribes the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein said blind zone indication module adhesively attaches at the rear side of said mirror reflective element via the aperture formed through said mirror back plate;
wherein said blind zone indication module includes a housing that houses said circuit element and said light source therein;
wherein said housing comprises an inner surface, and wherein the inner surface comprises a diffusely light reflecting surface for reflecting light incident thereon;
wherein said circuit element comprises a plurality of electrically conductive terminals in electrical connection with circuitry of said circuit element;
wherein said plurality of electrically conductive terminals is disposed at a connector portion of said housing and is accessible thereat;
wherein said circuitry is operable to electrically power said light source;
wherein said connector portion of said housing is configured to connect said plurality of electrically conductive terminals to a wire harness to electrically power circuitry of said circuit element when said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle and used at the vehicle;
wherein said light source, when electrically powered by said circuitry, emits light having a brightness of at least 11,000 nits when at least 9 volts DC is provided to said circuitry; and
wherein said blind zone indication module is associated with a blind spot detection system of the vehicle at which said vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted.
20 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 19 , wherein said connector portion extends from a side wall of said housing, and wherein said connector portion of said housing and said plurality of electrically conductive terminals extend over the rear side of said mirror reflective element.
21 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 19 , wherein each light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes is associated with a respective icon of an indicia element disposed at an end portion of said blind zone indication module that is at said mirror reflective element.
22 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 19 , wherein said plurality of light emitting diodes comprises three triangularly arranged light emitting diodes.
23 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 22 , wherein said blind zone indication module comprises first, second and third louvers established between respective pairs of light emitting diodes of said three triangularly arranged light emitting diodes.
24 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 19 , wherein said mirror back plate comprises a plastic mirror back plate.
25 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 19 , wherein said heater element comprises a light transmitting portion that corresponds to the aperture formed through said mirror back plate when the front side of said mirror back plate is attached at the rear side of said mirror reflective element.
26 . The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 19 , wherein said heater element comprises an aperture that corresponds to the aperture formed through said mirror back plate when the front side of said mirror back plate is attached at the rear side of said mirror reflective element.