Luminaire for installing in the cover cap of an exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles

A luminaire for installing in the cover cap of an exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles, has a luminaire housing and an electrical lamp arranged therein. The housing is entirely or partly of transparent design, such that in the installed state light exit surfaces of the housing are arranged both on the front side and on the rear side of the exterior rearview mirror. The lamp has a tubular, sealed lamp vessel, at least a portion of the lateral surface of the lamp vessel and an end face of the lamp vessel being of transparent design. Light directing elements for focusing the light emerging from the lateral surface and for deflecting the light emerging from the end face are provided such that the light emerging from the end face is directed toward a light exit surface arranged opposing the light emerging from the lateral surface.

I. TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a luminaire for installing in the cover cap of an exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles having a luminaire housing and an electrical lamp arranged therein, the luminaire housing being entirely or partly of transparent design, such that in the installed state light exit surfaces of the luminaire housing are arranged both on the front side and on the rear side of the exterior rearview mirror.

II. BACKGROUND ART

Such a luminaire is disclosed, for example, in German laid-open patent application DE 199 33 724 A1. This document describes a side flasher luminaire for installing in the cover cap of an exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles. The side flasher luminaire has a luminaire housing with a plurality of lamps and reflectors arranged therein, in order to focus the light emitted by the lamps into the main direction of emission. The main direction of emission of the light emitted by the lamps is the rear side of the exterior rearview mirror pointing in the driving direction. In addition, the side flasher luminaire has a further lamp with a reflector in order to direct light toward the front side of the exterior rearview mirror such that the side flasher luminaire also emits light counter to the driving direction that is visible from positions behind the vehicle.

III. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide an electric luminaire for installing in the housing of an exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles that manages with as few light sources as possible and whose light is visible both in positions that lie in front of the vehicle and positions that lie behind the vehicle.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a luminaire for installing in the cover cap of an exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles, having a luminaire housing and an electrical lamp arranged therein, said luminaire housing being entirely or partly of transparent design, such that in the installed state light exit surfaces of the luminaire housing are arranged both on the front side and on the rear side of said exterior rearview mirror, whereinthe lamp has a tubular, sealed lamp vessel, at least a portion of the lateral surface of the lamp vessel and an end face of the lamp vessel being of transparent design, andlight directing means for focusing the light emerging from said lateral surface and for deflecting the light emerging from said end face being provided such that the light emerging from the end face is directed toward a light exit surface arranged opposing the light emerging from the lateral surface.

Particularly advantageous designs of the invention are described in the subclaims.

The luminaire according to the invention is provided for installing in the cover cap of an exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles and has a luminaire housing that is entirely or partly of transparent design and has an electric lamp arranged therein such that in the installed state light exit surfaces of the luminaire housing are arranged both on the front side and on the rear side of the exterior rearview mirror. According to the invention, the lamp has a tubular, sealed lamp vessel, at least a portion of the lateral surface of the lamp vessel and an end face of the lamp vessel being of transparent design, and the luminaire has light directing means for focusing the light emerging from the lateral surface and for deflecting the light emerging from the end face such that the light emerging from the end face is directed toward a light exit surface arranged opposing the light emerging from the lateral surface.

Owing to the abovementioned properties of the luminaire according to the invention, it is achieved with only a single lamp that the luminaire emits light both in the driving direction of the vehicle and counter to the driving direction. In particular, the luminaire according to the invention can therefore be perceived both by oncoming vehicles and by following vehicles.

The light directing means advantageously comprise an optical conductor arranged on the end face of the lamp vessel, because it is possible with the aid of said optical conductor to deflect the light emerging from the end face of the lamp vessel with low losses. The light directing means also advantageously comprise a reflecting coating that is applied to the lateral surface of the lamp vessel such that a transparent aperture extending in the longitudinal direction is formed on the lateral surface, in order to direct the light emerging from the lateral surface in the direction of a light exit surface of the luminaire. The reflecting coating converts the lamp into an aperture lamp such as is known from copiers, and permits the light emerging through the aperture from the lateral surface to be focused into the main direction of emission of the luminaire pointing in the driving direction of the motor vehicle.

The luminaire according to the invention is preferably designed as a direction indicator or as a parking luminaire. It contributes in these functions to improving traffic safety, since it is arranged in the exterior rearview mirror and thus at an exposed position in the motor vehicle.

IV. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT OF THE INVENTION

The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of a preferred exemplary embodiment.

The FIGURE shows a highly schematic longitudinal view through the preferred exemplary embodiment of the luminaire according to the invention and its arrangement in the right-hand exterior rearview mirror of a motor vehicle. This luminaire is designed as a direction indicator and has a luminaire housing1made from a transparent, orange colored plastic, a discharge lamp2with a tubular vitreous lamp vessel, a holder3for the discharge lamp2and an optical conductor4. The luminaire housing1is adapted to the outer contour of the cover cap5of the exterior rearview mirror such that the luminaire can be inserted into a corresponding cutout in the cover cap5, as is described, for example, in the laid-open patent application DE 199 33 724 A1. The mirror surface6of the exterior rearview mirror is also depicted schematically in the figure in order to illustrate the arrangement of the luminaire according to the invention. The luminaire housing1has a light exit surface11arranged on the front side of the exterior rearview mirror, and a light exit surface12arranged on the rear side of the exterior rearview mirror. The light exit surface11pointing in the driving direction of the motor vehicle and arranged on the front side of the exterior rearview mirror forms the main direction of light emission of the luminaire. The luminaire housing1has an end13facing the vehicle body in which the holder3for the discharge lamp2is mounted, and an end14averted from the vehicle body that is of curved design and which has the light exit surface12arranged on the rear side of the exterior rearview mirror. The discharge lamp2is an excimer lamp with a base on one end and filled with xenon, in which a dielectrically impeded gas discharge is used to generate UV radiation that is converted into light by means of phosphors. The discharge lamp2is also designed as an aperture lamp. The aperture23is produced by means of an optically reflecting coating24on the lateral surface21of the lamp vessel. The aperture23extends in the longitudinal direction on the lateral surface21and faces the light exit surface11of the lamp housing1. The lamp vessel has a transparent end face22at the end of the lamp2facing away from the holder3. The light emerging from the end face22is directed to the light exit surface12of the luminaire housing1by means of the optical conductor4. The optical conductor4is arranged for this purpose on the end face22and bent in the direction of the light exit surface12. The luminaire or the lamp2arranged in the luminaire is supplied with energy by the motor vehicle network via the connection of the exterior rearview mirror to the vehicle body (not depicted).