Dimming rearview mirror

Abstract

A dimming rearview mirror, comprising a housing assembly (200), a dimming lens (100), a first photosensitive element (300), and a master control circuit board (400). The dimming lens (100) is arranged on the housing assembly (200) and comprises a liquid crystal cell (101). The liquid crystal cell (101) has a first light-transmitting area (110) and a second light-transmitting area (120). The first photosensitive element (300) is at least partially located within a cavity of the housing assembly (200) and is arranged opposite the second light-transmitting area (120). The master control circuit board (400) is arranged in the cavity of the housing assembly (200), and is electrically connected to both the liquid crystal cell (101) and the first photosensitive element (300), so as to separately adjust the light transmittance of the first light-transmitting area (110) and the light transmittance of the second light-transmitting area (120).

Description

Dimming rearview mirror

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202322521200.9 filed on September 15, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to, but are not limited to, rearview mirror technology, and particularly to dimming rearview mirrors. Background Art

[0004] With the increasing popularity of automobiles, driving safety is receiving increasing attention. Rearview mirrors play a crucial role as a safety aid, reflecting what's behind the vehicle and expanding the driver's field of vision. However, if strong light from vehicles behind strikes the rearview mirror, the intensity of the light entering the driver's eyes can be too high, causing glare and potentially posing a significant safety hazard. Therefore, anti-glare rearview mirrors are essential.

[0005] Traditional dimming rearview mirrors have a frame, and the light-sensing device is usually located on the frame, which makes the rearview mirror look bulky and less aesthetically pleasing. Frameless dimming rearview mirrors are increasingly popular with consumers for their simple appearance. However, the light-sensing device used to detect ambient light behind the vehicle in frameless dimming rearview mirrors is usually located between the dimming lens and the housing. Therefore, the dimming lens may affect the accuracy of the light-sensing device in detecting ambient light.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a dimming rearview mirror includes: a shell assembly; a dimming lens, which is arranged on the shell assembly and includes a liquid crystal box, the liquid crystal box having a first light-transmitting area and a second light-transmitting area; a first photosensitive element, the first photosensitive element is at least partially located in a cavity of the shell assembly and is arranged to be opposite to the second light-transmitting area; and a main control circuit board, which is arranged in the cavity of the shell assembly and is electrically connected to both the liquid crystal box and the first photosensitive element to respectively adjust the transmittance of the first light-transmitting area and the transmittance of the second light-transmitting area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG1 is an exploded view of a dimming rearview mirror according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a side front view of a dimming rearview mirror according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG3 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal cell in a dimming rearview mirror according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] 4 is a schematic diagram of an assembly of a plurality of first conductive strips, a liquid crystal layer, and a plurality of second conductive strips in a liquid crystal cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG5 is a side rear view of a dimming rearview mirror according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] List of Figure Numbers:

[0014] 100 dimming lens, 110 first light-transmitting area, 120 second light-transmitting area, 130 first area, 140 second area, 101 liquid crystal cell, 102 semi-transparent and semi-reflective mirror film, 1011 first substrate, 1012 liquid crystal layer, 1013 second substrate, 1014 first conductive strip, 1015 second conductive strip;

[0015] 200 housing assembly, 210 front housing, 220 rear housing, 201 through hole;

[0016] 300 first photosensitive element; 400 main control circuit board; 500 second photosensitive element; 600 adhesive layer; 700 movable bracket. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0018] It should be noted that if this disclosure refers to directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, and back), such directional indications are intended solely to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of components in a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications may change accordingly. Furthermore, if this disclosure refers to modifiers such as "first" and "second," these modifiers are intended solely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed to indicate or imply the relative importance or order of the technical features they refer to.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a dimming rearview mirror according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a dimming lens 100, a housing assembly 200, a first photosensitive element 300, and a main control circuit board 400. The dimming lens 100 is disposed on the housing assembly 200. The dimming lens 100 may include a liquid crystal cell 101. The liquid crystal cell 101 has a first light-transmitting area 110 and a second light-transmitting area 120. The first photosensitive element 300 is at least partially located within the cavity of the housing assembly 200 and is disposed opposite the second light-transmitting area 120. The main control circuit board 400 is disposed within the cavity of the housing assembly 200, electrically connected to both the liquid crystal cell 101 and the first photosensitive element 300, and capable of adjusting the light transmittance of the first light-transmitting area 110 and the second light-transmitting area 120, respectively.

[0020] The first photosensor 300 is disposed between the dimming lens 100 and the housing assembly 200. It can detect the ambient light intensity from behind the vehicle and input a corresponding signal to the main control circuit board 400 based on the detected ambient light intensity. The main control circuit board 400 can apply a corresponding voltage to the dimming lens 100 based on the signal from the first photosensor 300, thereby adjusting the transmittance of the dimming lens 100 according to the ambient light intensity behind the vehicle, switching the dimming lens 100 between a transparent state and a dark state. This can prevent the dimming lens 100 from reflecting strong light, which may cause the driver to lose visibility of the road ahead.

[0021] As described above, the dimming rearview mirror according to the disclosed embodiments uses a liquid crystal cell as a dimming lens. Because the liquid crystal cell has a wide dimming range and a fast response time to adjusting light transmittance, the dimming rearview mirror can meet the driver's anti-glare needs in environments with varying light intensities, thereby improving driving safety.

[0022] To minimize the adverse effects of the dimming lens 100 on the ambient light intensity detected by the first photosensor 300 located behind it, the liquid crystal cell 101 is provided with a first light-transmitting area 110 and a second light-transmitting area 120. For example, the area of ​​the first light-transmitting area 110 is significantly larger than that of the second light-transmitting area 120. The first photosensor 300 is positioned opposite the second light-transmitting area 120. The main control circuit board 400 can apply different voltages to the first and second light-transmitting areas 110, 120, respectively, to control the light and dark states of the first and second light-transmitting areas 110, 120, respectively. This minimizes the adverse effects of the dimming lens 100 on the ambient light intensity detected by the first photosensor 300 while maintaining the overall integrity of the dimming lens 100.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the liquid crystal cell 101 includes a first substrate 1011, a first conductive layer, a liquid crystal layer 1012, a second conductive layer, and a second substrate 1013, which are stacked in sequence. The first and second conductive layers are both electrically connected to the main control circuit board 400. For example, the first and second substrates 1011 and 1013 can both be polyester substrates. The liquid crystal layer 1012 can include one of a guest-host (GH) effect liquid crystal material, a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal material, an electrically controlled birefringence (ECB) effect liquid crystal material, and a Pi-cell liquid crystal material.

[0024] In at least one embodiment, the first conductive layer may include a plurality of first conductive strips 1014 spaced apart along a first direction on a side of the first substrate 1011 near the liquid crystal layer 1012. The second conductive layer may include a plurality of second conductive strips 1015 spaced apart along a second direction on a side of the second substrate 1013 near the liquid crystal layer 1012. The first direction is different from the second direction. Thus, the plurality of first conductive strips 1014 and the plurality of second conductive strips 1015 may form a plurality of electrode pairs on the liquid crystal layer 1012. Each first conductive strip 1014 and each second conductive strip 1015 is electrically connected to the main control circuit board 400. For example, each first conductive strip 1014 and each second conductive strip 1015 may be formed of a transparent conductive material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or nanosilver.

[0025] In at least one embodiment, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. A plurality of first conductive strips 1014 are arranged at uniform intervals on the first substrate 1011, and a plurality of second conductive strips 1015 are arranged at uniform intervals on the second substrate 1013, so that the plurality of first conductive strips 1014 and the plurality of second conductive strips 1015 form a plurality of electrode pairs uniformly distributed on the liquid crystal layer 1012.

[0026] For example, during operation, the main control circuit board 400 can consistently apply a constant voltage to at least one electrode pair in the second light-transmitting region 120 among the multiple electrode pairs, thereby maintaining the second light-transmitting region 120 in a constant transparent state. This allows ambient light incident on the second light-transmitting region 120 from behind the vehicle to substantially pass through the transparent second light-transmitting region 120 and strike the first photosensitive element 300, which is positioned opposite the second light-transmitting region 120. This reduces the adverse effect of the liquid crystal cell 101 on the ambient light intensity detected by the first photosensitive element 300. The first photosensitive element 300 then inputs a corresponding signal to the main control circuit board 400 based on the detected ambient light intensity. Based on the signal from the first photosensitive element 300, the main control circuit board 400 can apply a corresponding voltage to the electrode pair in the first light-transmitting region 110 among the multiple electrode pairs. In this way, the transmittance of the first light-transmitting area 110 can be adjusted according to the ambient light intensity behind the vehicle detected by the first photosensor 300, so that the first light-transmitting area 110 can be switched between a transparent state and a dark state, thereby adjusting the light and dark state of the liquid crystal box 101 as a whole.

[0027] As another example, the first conductive layer includes a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion, which are disposed opposite the first light-transmitting region 110 and the second light-transmitting region 120, respectively, and are electrically insulated from each other. The second conductive layer includes a third conductive portion and a fourth conductive portion, which are disposed opposite the first light-transmitting region 110 and the second light-transmitting region 120, respectively, and are electrically insulated from each other. The first conductive portion, the second conductive portion, the third conductive portion, and the fourth conductive portion are all electrically connected to the main control circuit board 400.

[0028] For example, both the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer may be in the form of sheets. When the liquid crystal cell 101 is divided into the first light-transmitting region 110 and the second light-transmitting region 120 by laser etching or other methods, the first conductive layer is etched into a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion corresponding to the first light-transmitting region 110 and the second light-transmitting region 120, respectively. The second conductive layer is etched into a third conductive portion and a fourth conductive portion corresponding to the first light-transmitting region 110 and the second light-transmitting region 120, respectively.

[0029] For example, during operation, the main control circuit board 400 can consistently apply a constant voltage to the second and fourth conductive portions corresponding to the second light-transmitting region 120, thereby maintaining the second light-transmitting region 120 in a constant transparent state. This allows ambient light incident on the second light-transmitting region 120 from behind the vehicle to substantially pass through the transparent second light-transmitting region 120 and strike the first photosensor 300, which is positioned opposite the second light-transmitting region 120. This reduces the adverse effect of the liquid crystal cell 101 on the ambient light intensity detected by the first photosensor 300. The first photosensor 300 then inputs a corresponding signal to the main control circuit board 400 based on the detected ambient light intensity. Based on the signal from the first photosensor 300, the main control circuit board 400 can apply a corresponding voltage to the first and third conductive portions corresponding to the first light-transmitting region 110. In this way, the transmittance of the first light-transmitting area 110 can be adjusted according to the ambient light intensity behind the vehicle detected by the first photosensor 300, so that the first light-transmitting area 110 can be switched between a transparent state and a dark state, thereby adjusting the light and dark state of the liquid crystal box 101 as a whole.

[0030] In at least one embodiment, as shown in FIG1 , the dimming lens 100 may further include a translucent mirror film 102, disposed on a side of the liquid crystal cell 101 adjacent to the housing assembly 200. The translucent mirror film 102 has a first region 130 and a second region 140. The first region 130 and the second region 140 are opposite the first light-transmitting area 110 and the second light-transmitting area 120, respectively, such that the first photosensitive element 300 is disposed opposite the second region 140. The light transmittance of the second region 140 is higher than that of the first region 130. By ensuring that the portion of the translucent mirror film 102 facing the first photosensitive element 300 has a relatively high light transmittance, the adverse effects of the liquid crystal cell 101 on the first photosensitive element 300 detecting ambient light can be further reduced.

[0031] In at least one embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the dimming rearview mirror may further include a second photosensor 500. The second photosensor 500 is disposed on a side of the housing assembly 200 away from the dimming lens 100 and is configured to detect the ambient light intensity from the vehicle's front. The second photosensor 500 is electrically connected to the main control circuit board 400. This allows the second photosensor 500 to collaborate with the first photosensor 300, enabling the dimming rearview mirror to detect a wider range of ambient light intensities, better meeting the driver's anti-glare needs in varying light intensity environments and improving driving safety.

[0032] In at least one embodiment, as shown in FIG1 , the dimming lens 100 and the housing assembly 200 may be bonded together via an adhesive layer 600 . For example, the adhesive layer 600 may be an optically clear adhesive (OCA) layer. The adhesive layer 600 may have a through hole disposed opposite the first photosensitive element 300 .

[0033] In at least one embodiment, as shown in FIG1 , the housing assembly 200 may include a front housing 210 and a rear housing 220, wherein the front housing 210 is fixedly connected to the rear housing 220. A through hole 201 is defined in the front housing 210, and the through hole 201 is positioned opposite the first light sensor 300, enabling the first light sensor 300 to detect the ambient light intensity from behind the vehicle. For example, the front housing 210 and the rear housing 220 may each be provided with a buckle and a slot, allowing the front housing 210 to be securely connected by simply pressing the front housing 210 onto the rear housing 220. Alternatively, screws or the like may be used to securely connect the front housing 210 to the rear housing 220.

[0034] In at least one embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5, the dimming rearview mirror may further include a movable bracket 700. One end of the movable bracket 700 is disposed on a side of the housing assembly 200 away from the dimming lens 100. The movable bracket 700 is movably connected to the housing assembly 200, allowing the housing assembly 200 to rotate relative to the bracket 700 within a certain angle range. This allows the dimming rearview mirror to be positioned on the vehicle's front windshield or roof, while also allowing the driver to adjust the dimming rearview mirror to a desired angle according to their needs.

[0035] Some embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above. Based on the teachings of this disclosure, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or equivalent substitutions may be made to these embodiments. Such modifications or equivalent substitutions should be within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A dimming rearview mirror, comprising: Shell assembly; A dimming lens, which is arranged on the housing assembly and includes a liquid crystal box having a first light-transmitting area and a second light-transmitting area; a first photosensitive element, the first photosensitive element being at least partially located in the cavity of the housing assembly and being arranged opposite to the second light-transmitting area; as well as A main control circuit board is disposed in the cavity of the housing assembly and is electrically connected to the liquid crystal box and the first photosensitive element to respectively adjust the transmittance of the first light-transmitting area and the transmittance of the second light-transmitting area.

2. The dimming rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein: The dimming lens further comprises a semi-transparent and semi-reflective mirror film, and the semi-transparent and semi-reflective mirror film is arranged on a side of the liquid crystal box close to the housing assembly; and The semi-transmissive and semi-reflective mirror film has a first region and a second region respectively opposite to the first light-transmitting region and the second light-transmitting region, and the light transmittance of the second region is higher than the light transmittance of the first region.

3. The dimming rearview mirror according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The liquid crystal box includes a first substrate, a first conductive layer, a liquid crystal layer, a second conductive layer and a second substrate stacked in sequence, and the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are both electrically connected to the main control circuit board.

4. The dimming rearview mirror according to claim 3, wherein: The first conductive layer includes a plurality of first conductive strips electrically connected to the main control circuit board, and the second conductive layer includes a plurality of second conductive strips electrically connected to the main control circuit board; and The plurality of first conductive strips are arranged at intervals along a first direction on a side of the first substrate close to the liquid crystal layer, and the plurality of second conductive strips are arranged at intervals along a second direction different from the first direction on a side of the second substrate close to the liquid crystal layer to form a plurality of electrode pairs on the liquid crystal layer.

5. The dimming rearview mirror according to claim 4, wherein: The plurality of first conductive strips and the plurality of second conductive strips are both formed of a transparent conductive material.

6. The dimming rearview mirror according to claim 3, wherein: The first conductive layer includes a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion disposed opposite to the first light-transmitting region and the second light-transmitting region, respectively, and the first conductive portion is electrically insulated from the second conductive portion; The second conductive layer includes a third conductive portion and a fourth conductive portion which are arranged to be opposite to the first light-transmitting area and the second light-transmitting area respectively, and the third conductive portion is electrically insulated from the fourth conductive portion; as well as The first conductive portion, the second conductive portion, the third conductive portion and the fourth conductive portion are all electrically connected to the main control circuit board.

7. The dimming rearview mirror according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a second photosensitive element, wherein the second photosensitive element is arranged on a side of the housing assembly away from the dimming lens and is electrically connected to the main control circuit board.

8. The dimming rearview mirror according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The housing assembly comprises a front housing and a rear housing, wherein the front housing is fixedly connected to the rear housing, and a first through hole is formed on the front housing, wherein the first through hole is arranged opposite to the first photosensitive element.

9. The dimming rearview mirror according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising an adhesive layer formed of an optically transparent adhesive, in, The dimming lens is adhered to the housing assembly through the adhesive layer.

10. The dimming rearview mirror according to claim 9, wherein: The adhesive layer is provided with a second through hole which is arranged opposite to the first photosensitive element.

11. The dimming rearview mirror according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a movable bracket, one end of which is arranged on a side of the shell assembly away from the dimming lens, and the movable bracket is movably connected to the shell assembly.

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