Abstract:
A rearview mirror having an operating condition display which is positioned in the forward part of a driver&#39;s cabin and is disposed interiorly of the vehicle, the improved rearview mirror having an operating condition display comprises a speed display light which is provided so as to selectively illuminate a specific indicating portion when the vehicle is operated at a rate of speed within a particualr speed range, the display being electronically interconnected with the speedometer of an automobile.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a rearview mirror having an operating condition display and more particularly is related to the technology of display devices for automobiles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Heretofore, as an example of a structure for informing a pedestrian or an oncoming vehicle of the speed of a travelling automobile, there has been developed a structure in which a plurality of lights are mounted upon the front surface of hood of a truck, and wherein for example, one light is individually illuminated for each incremento vehicle speed of 20 km/h, however, equipment of this kind is not provided upon other vehicles including automobiles. 
     Accordingly, a judgment not only by means of a pedestrian but also by means of the operator of an oncoming vehicle was been extremely difficult to make in order determine how fast the approaching vehicle is travelling, and therefore unexpected accidents hace frequently occurred. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems and an object of this invention is to provide a rearview mirror having an operating condition display which informs a pedestrian or the operator of an oncoming vehicle of the operating condition of the approaching automobile, wherein the device is mounted upon the rear surface of the rearview mirror which is disposed interiorly of the vehicle and immediately in front of the vehicle windshield so as to be visible through the windshield. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Namely, the foregoing and other features and objectives of the present invention are achieved by means of a rearview mirror, have an operating condition display, which is disposed within the interior of the automobile so as to be disposed immediately in front of the driver&#39;s seat, and which include a speed display light provided upon the rear surface of a housing for the rearview mirror which is selectively illuminated at specific indicating portion thereof so as to indicate a preset speed range as a result of being interlocked with speedometer of the automobile. 
     Furthermore, it is preferable to provide both or either one of a turn direction indicating light that is illuminated as a result of being interlocked with the turn signal light of the automobile, and a brake display light that is illuminated as a result of being interlocked with the brake light of the automobile. 
     According to the foregoing construction, the speed display light of the operating condition display provided upon the rear surface of the rearview mirror is selectively illuminated according to a predetermined travelling speed range of the automobile, and such light may be recognized by means of a pedestrian or the operator an oncoming vehicle through the windshield of the first vehicle. The oncoming vehicle or the pedestrian may therefore be able to recognize or determine the speed of the on coming automobile by means of the indication device of the present invention and they can therefore take an appropriate countermeasure. 
     Moreover, in the case that the turn direction indicating light that is illuminated as a result of being interlocked with the turn signal light of the automobile and the brake display light that is illuminated as a result of being interlocked with the brake light of the automobile are provided in addition to the speed indicating light, the recognition of the operating condition of the automobile becomes more accurate and the forecast becomes more positive. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated from the following detailed description, when considered in view of the accompanying drawings in which like reference charcters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a rearview mirror with an operating condition display constructed according to this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the device of the present invention showing the interconnection of the speed, brake light, and left and right turn displays with the speedometer, brake light, and left and right turn output means of the vehicle. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An embodiment of the rearview mirror with having an operating condition display constructed according to this invention will now be described by referring to the appended drawings. 
     Reference numeral 1 denotes a box molded from a suitable synthetic resin, and a rearview mirror portion 3 comprising a conventional mirror 2 is provided upon the front surface of the substantially rectangular box or housing 1 while an operating condition display 4 is provided upon the rear surface (that is, the surface seen through the windshield) of the box 1, a support arm 6 formed with a mounting portion 5 for fixing the device to the chassis of a front ceiling portion of the driver&#39;s cabin of the automobile projecting upwardly from the surface of the upper wall of the box. The operating condition display 4 is composed of a speed display display portion 7 comprising a high speed display and a low speed, a right and left turn indicating portion 8, and a brake display portion, and is formed with light chambers 21, 21 . . . provided by means of sectioning the cavity of the box 1, each light chamber 21 being provided with a light bulb 10 (display lights 10a, 10b, . . . , 10e). In addition the front surface is covered by means of different filter lenses as will be described hereinafter. 
     
         ______________________________________combination of each display and filter lensdisplay          filter lens______________________________________speed display portion 7            yellow filter lens 11(high speed)speed display portion 7            blue filter lens 12(low speed)turn display portion 8            right arrow mark filter lens 13(right)turn display portion 8            left arrow mark filter lens 14(left)brake display portion 9            red filter lens 15______________________________________ 
    
     Furthermore, the light bulb 10 disposed within each light chamber 21 is connected to a conductor cable 17 which is introduced by means of a harness hole 16 of the mounting portion 5 so as to be routed through the support arm 6, and the speed display lights 10a, 10b are connected to a speedometer output 25 of the automobile A and a controller 18. The low speed side speed display 10b, which is provided with the blue filter lens 12, is illuminated as a result of turning a low speed side switch circuit 20b ON when the vehicle is travelling at a rate of which is within the range of 0˜50 Km/h by means of a speed signal inputted into a comparator 19 of the controller 18, and similarly, when the vehicle is travelling at a rate of which which is within the range exceeding 50 km/h, the high speed side speed display 10a provided with the yellow filter lens 11 is illuminated as a result of turning a high speed side switch circuit 20a ON by means of a speed signal conducted to comparator 19 of controller 18 from speedometer 25. Furthermore, the right and left directional turn display lights 10c, 10d are connected in parallel to the directional signal lights of the automobile A, and the right turn display light 10c connected with a right turn light output 26 and the right arrow mark filter lens 13, as well as the left turn display light 10d connected with a left turn light output 27 and the arrow mark filter lens 14 are connected by means of the conductor cable 17 to the vehicle power supply. Moreover, the brake display light 10e is connected in parallel to the brake light of the automobile side A, and the brake display light 10e connected with a brake light output 28 and the red filter lens 15 are similarly connected by means of the conductor cable 17. 
     The rearview mirror its operating condition display of the foregoing construction enables the pedestrian or the driver of an oncoming vehicle to recognize the operating condition display 4 provided upon the rear surface of the box and visible through the windshield of the automobile equipped with the device of the present invention whereby the same displays the operating condition of the vehicle, such as, for example the speed, turning, and braking condition of the vehicle to the pedestrian or the operator of the oncoming vehicle by mean of the selective lighting of the various components thereof which positively informs the pedestrian or other vehicle operator, by means of the filter colors and the arrow mark displays of the various operating conditions of the vehicle. 
     By the way, in the foregoing embodiment, the speed display portion 7 is indicated as being divided into two steps, that is, the high speed and the low speed ranges, however, such can also be displayed by dividing the same into many steps and in addtion, the speed itself can be digitally displayed. 
     As described in the foregoing, the rearview mirror having an operating condition display according to this invention may be able to convey accurate operating conditions of an automobile to the pedestrian or the operator of an oncoming vehicle as a result of being disposed in the forward portion of the automobile, that is, within the vicinity of the front windshield so as to be visible to the pedestrian or other vehicle operator, whereby such device can in fact facilitate judgmental decisions concerning vehicular traffic, whereby and the practical effect of this invention after putting the same into practice is extremely great. 
     It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the specfic showing in the drawings but also comprises any modifications there to within the scope of the appended claims. Consequently, within the scope of such appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.