Filtering viewing element forming a front or rear windshield of a road vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11485200-B2
Application number	US-201716334633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2016
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A filtering vision element forming a windshield or rearview mirror of a road vehicle includes a lower region and an upper region. The filtering vision element is designed so that a difference in attenuation between two linear polarizations of an incident radiation has values that are of opposite signs in the lower and upper regions. The two linear polarizations may respectively be horizontal and contained in a vertical plane. Blinding of the driver caused by a spot of reflected light produced on a road by headlights of an external vehicle may thus be decreased or prevented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A filtering vision element forming a windshield or rearview mirror for a road vehicle on which the element is mounted, at least a filtering portion of a vision surface of the element being configured to transmit or reflect a radiation towards a driver of the vehicle, the radiation having, outside the vehicle and before reaching the vision surface, a linear polarization parallel to a filtering direction which is fixed relative to the vehicle, with a lower attenuation compared to another radiation having, outside the vehicle, a linear polarization contained in a plane perpendicular to the filtering direction,
the vision surface including a lower region and an upper region which is located higher than the lower region relative to the vehicle and a mounting position of the filtering vision element in said vehicle, said filtering portion corresponding to one of the lower region and the upper region,
the other one of the lower region and the upper region, which does not correspond to said filtering portion, being configured to transmit or reflect towards the driver both radiations having, outside the vehicle, the linear polarizations respectively parallel to the filtering direction and contained in the plane perpendicular to said filtering direction, so that a difference in attenuation between said linear polarizations has distinct values in the lower region and the upper region,
wherein the lower region of the vision surface is configured to transmit or reflect towards the driver a radiation having, outside the vehicle and before reaching the vision surface, a horizontal linear polarization with greater attenuation compared to a radiation having, outside the vehicle, a linear polarization contained in a vertical plane relative to the vehicle and the mounting position of the filtering vision element in said vehicle,
wherein the upper region of the vision surface is configured to transmit or reflect towards the driver the radiation having, outside the vehicle and before reaching the vision surface, the horizontal linear polarization with less attenuation compared to the radiation having, outside the vehicle, the linear polarization contained in the vertical plane, and
wherein the upper region and the lower region each comprise a respective polarizing film.

2. The filtering vision element according to claim 1 , wherein the respective polarizing films are each efficient in a respective one of the lower region and the upper region of the vision surface, to produce the value of the difference in attenuation between the linear polarizations for said respective lower region or the respective upper region.

3. The filtering vision element according to claim 2 , wherein a boundary between the lower region and the upper region of the vision surface, or an intermediate region between said upper region and the lower region, is positioned between one-tenth and one-half of a dimension of said vision surface in a vertical plane relative to the vehicle and the mounting position of the filtering vision element in said vehicle, the one-tenth and one-half of the dimension being measured from a lower edge of the vision surface.

4. A method for improving vision for a driver of a road vehicle, wherein the vehicle is equipped with the filtering vision element according to claim 3 .

5. A method for improving vision for a driver of a road vehicle, wherein the vehicle is equipped with the filtering vision element according to claim 2 .

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein vehicles, external to the vehicle in which the filtering vision member is mounted, are equipped with respective lighting and signalling light assemblies that produce light either with linear polarization contained in a vertical plane when said external vehicle is a vehicle with more than two wheels or with horizontal or natural linear polarization when said external vehicle is a vehicle with two wheels.

7. The filtering vision element according to claim 1 , wherein a boundary between the lower region and the upper region of the vision surface, or an intermediate region between said upper region and the lower region, is positioned between one-tenth and one-half of a dimension of said vision surface in a vertical plane relative to the vehicle and the mounting position of the filtering vision element in said vehicle, the one-tenth and one-half of the dimension being measured from a lower edge of the vision surface.

8. A method for improving vision for a driver of a road vehicle, wherein the vehicle is equipped with the filtering vision element according to claim 7 .

9. A method for improving vision for a driver of a road vehicle, wherein the vehicle is equipped with the filtering vision element according to claim 1 .

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a height or tilt of the filtering vision element is adjusted, relative to the vehicle and the mounting position of the filtering vision element in said vehicle, so that a boundary between the lower region and the upper region of the vision surface or an intermediate region between said lower and upper regions is superimposed in angle of elevation, for the driver's vision, on an apparent level of contact between a pavement on which the vehicle is located and wheels of an external vehicle also located on the pavement but in front of or behind the vehicle, with a difference in angle of elevation that is less than or equal to 10° in absolute value, when said vehicle and said external vehicle are 40 m apart from each other.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein vehicles, external to the vehicle in which the filtering vision member is mounted, are equipped with respective lighting and signalling light assemblies that produce light either with linear polarization contained in a vertical plane when said external vehicle is a vehicle with more than two wheels or with horizontal or natural linear polarization when said external vehicle is a vehicle with two wheels.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein vehicles, external to the vehicle in which the filtering vision member is mounted, are equipped with respective lighting and signalling light assemblies that produce light either with linear polarization contained in a vertical plane when said external vehicle is a vehicle with more than two wheels or with horizontal or natural linear polarization when said external vehicle is a vehicle with two wheels.

13. A filtering vision element forming a windshield or rearview mirror for a road vehicle on which the element is mounted, at least a filtering portion of a vision surface of the element being configured to transmit or reflect a radiation towards a driver of the vehicle, the radiation having, outside the vehicle and before reaching the vision surface, a linear polarization parallel to a filtering direction which is fixed relative to the vehicle, with a lower attenuation compared to another radiation having, outside the vehicle, a linear polarization contained in a plane perpendicular to the filtering direction,
the vision surface including a lower region and an upper region which is located higher than the lower region relative to the vehicle and a mounting position of the filtering vision element in said vehicle, said filtering portion corresponding to one of the lower region and the upper region,
the other one of the lower region and the upper region, which does not correspond to said filtering portion, being configured to transmit or reflect towards the driver both radiations having, outside the vehicle, the linear polarizations respectively parallel to the filtering direction and contained in the plane perpendicular to said filtering direct

Assignees

• Office National Detudes Rech Aerospatiales

Inventors

• Haïdar Riad
• Maine Sylvain
• Vincent Gregory
• Primot Jérôme
• Lachaud Hervé

Classifications

• B60J3/06 Primary

  using polarising effect · CPC title

• B60R1/083 Primary

  Anti-glare mirrors, e.g. "day-night" mirrors · CPC title

• G02B5/3025

  Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence) · CPC title