1. A lighted exterior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said lighted exterior rearview mirror system comprising:
an exterior rearview mirror assembly adapted for mounting to a side of a vehicle;
said exterior mirror assembly including a reflective element;
said exterior rearview mirror assembly including a breakaway joint assembly;
said breakaway joint assembly including a stationary member and a pivoting member;
said pivoting member comprising a bracket;
said bracket supporting an electrically-operable actuator for positioning said reflective element about at least one axis;
said reflective element provided with an electrically powered heater operable to remove ice or dew from said reflective element;
said exterior rearview mirror assembly including a light;
said light comprising a light source;
said light comprising one chosen from a) a ground illumination light and b) a signal light;
said light fixedly included in said exterior rearview mirror assembly and unaffected by operation of said actuator;
wherein said breakaway joint assembly includes a wire-way through which a wire cable passes;
said wire cable carrying vehicle control signals and electrical power; and
wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.
2. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said light comprises a reflector and a lens.
3. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said light comprises a lens.
4. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 3, wherein said lens comprises a segmented lens.
5. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 3, wherein said lens comprises a prismatic lens.
6. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 3, wherein said lens comprises a Fresnel lens.
7. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said light comprises a light pipe.
8. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element.
9. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 8, wherein said electro-optic reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element.
10. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 8, wherein signals to control the level of reflectivity of said electro-optic reflective element pass via said wire cable.
11. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein signals to control said actuator pass via said wire cable.
12. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 11, wherein said signals comprise a first set of signals to bidirectionally pivot said actuator in one axis and a second set of signals to bidirectionally pivot said actuator in another axis opposite said one axis.
13. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein light emitted by said light when said light source is actuated when said exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the side of the vehicle does not substantially directly intercept the driver of the vehicle.
14. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 13, wherein a minor intensity of light emitted by said light when said light source is actuated when said exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the side of the vehicle provides awareness to the driver of the vehicles of the actuating of the light.
15. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 14, wherein said light comprises a turn signal indicator light.
16. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 15, wherein said minor intensity comprises 10%.
17. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a casing, said light comprising a turn signal indicator light having a lens portion that faces rearward of the vehicle and a lens portion that wraps around an outward side of the casing of said exterior rearview mirror assembly.
18. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said light emits red light when actuated.
19. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said light emits amber light when actuated.
20. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said light emits white light when actuated.
21. A lighted exterior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said lighted exterior rearview mirror system comprising:
an exterior rearview mirror assembly adapted for mounting to a side of a vehicle;
said exterior mirror assembly including a reflective element;
said exterior rearview mirror assembly including a breakaway joint assembly;
said breakaway joint assembly including a stationary member and a pivoting member;
said pivoting member comprising a bracket;
said bracket supporting an electrically-operable actuator for positioning said reflective element about at least one axis;
said reflective element provided with an electrically powered heater operable to remove ice or dew from said reflective element;
said exterior rearview mirror assembly including a light;
said light comprising a light source;
said light comprising a turn signal indicator light;
wherein said breakaway joint assembly includes a wire-way through which a wire cable passes;
said wire cable carrying vehicle control signals and electrical power;
wherein light emitted by said light when said light source is actuated when said exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the side of the vehicle does not substantially directly intercept the driver of the vehicle; and
wherein a minor intensity of light emitted by said light when said light source is actuated when said exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the side of the vehicle provides awareness to the driver of the vehicles of the actuating of the light.
22. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said light comprises a reflector and a lens.
23. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said light comprises a lens.
24. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said light comprises a light pipe.
25. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element and wherein signals to control the level of reflectivity of said electro-optic reflective element pass via said wire cable.
26. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein signals to control said actuator pass via said wire cable and wherein said signals comprise a first set of signals to bidirectionally pivot said actuator in one axis and a second set of signals to bidirectionally pivot said actuator in another axis opposite said one axis.
27. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said minor intensity comprises 10%.
28. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a casing, said turn signal indicator light having a lens portion that faces rearward of the vehicle and a lens portion that wraps around an outward side of the casing of said exterior rearview mirror assembly.
29. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said light emits at least one chosen from red light, amber light and white light when actuated.
30. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.
31. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said light is fixedly included in said exterior rearview mirror assembly and unaffected by operation of said actuator.
32. A lighted exterior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said lighted exterior rearview mirror system comprising:
an exterior rearview mirror assembly adapted for mounting to a side of a vehicle;
said exterior mirror assembly including an electro-optic reflective element;
said exterior rearview mirror assembly including a breakaway joint assembly;
said breakaway joint assembly including a stationary member and a pivoting member;
said pivoting member comprising a bracket;
said bracket supporting an electrically-operable actuator for positioning said reflective element about at least one axis;
said reflective element provided with an electrically powered heater operable to remove ice or dew from said reflective element;
said exterior rearview mirror assembly including a light;
said light comprising a light source;
said light comprising a turn signal indicator light;
said light fixedly included in said exterior rearview mirror assembly and unaffected by operation of said actuator;
wherein said breakaway joint assembly includes a wire-way through which a wire cable passes;
said wire cable carrying vehicle control signals and electrical power;
wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode;
wherein signals to control the level of reflectivity of said electro-optic reflective element pass via said wire cable; and
wherein said light comprises a light pipe.
33. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 32, wherein said light comprises at least one of a reflector and a lens.
34. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 32, wherein signals to control said actuator pass via said wire cable and wherein said signal comprise a first set of signals to bidirectionally pivot said actuator in one axis and a second set of signals to bidirectionally pivot said actuator in another axis opposite said one axis.
35. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 32, wherein light emitted by said light when said light source is actuated when said exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the side of the vehicle does not substantially directly intercept the driver of the vehicle.
36. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 34, wherein a minor intensity of light emitted by said light when said light source is actuated when said exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the side of the vehicle provides awareness to the driver of the vehicles of the actuating of the light.
37. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 32, wherein said exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a casing, said light comprising a turn signal indicator light having a lens portion that faces rearward of the vehicle and a lens portion that wraps around an outward side of the casing of said exterior rearview mirror assembly.
38. The lighted exterior rearview mirror system of claim 32, wherein said light emits at least one chosen from red light, amber light and white light when actuated.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A snowmobile comprising a vehicle body:
an engine supported by the vehicle body, the engine having a cooling system through which a coolant flows;
a generator driven by the engine;
an electric power supply charged by the generator;
a radiator through which at least a portion of the coolant from the engine passes;
a fan disposed to draw air across at least a portion of the radiator, the fan having a fan motor;
a steering handle coupled to the vehicle body, the steering handle including at least one hand grip heated by a heater;
a sensor detecting the temperature of the coolant; and
a control unit receiving a signal from the sensor and controlling operation of the fan motor and the heater based upon the signal received from the sensor.
2. The snowmobile of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a fan motor control section configured to control operation of fan motor under at least some operating conditions of the engine and based upon at least the signal from the sensor.
3. The snowmobile of claim 2, wherein the control unit further comprises a heat control section configured to control electric power supplied to the heater under at least some operating conditions of the engine and based upon at least the operating condition of the fan.
4. The snowmobile of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a heat control section configured to control electrical power supplied to the heater base at least upon an operating condition of the fan motor and a control signal provided by a manually operated heat level control switch.
5. The snowmobile of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the electrical power supplied to the heater based at least in part upon at least one maximum electrical power property value of either the battery or the generator.
6. The snowmobile of claim 1, wherein the fan motor has at least a first operating condition, in which the fan motor runs, and second operating conditions, in which the fan motor is turned off, and the control unit is configured to operate the heater in a power saving mode under the first operating condition of the fan such that the power supplied to the heater is reduced to a ratio relative to the power supplied to the heater in the second operating condition.
7. The snowmobile of claim 6 additionally comprising at least one control switch to establish a plurality of maximum power levels for the heater, and the control unit being configured to reduce the heater’s maximum power levels, during the fan motor’s first operating condition, by a predetermined ratio relative to the maximum power levels in the second operating condition of the fan motor.
8. The snowmobile of claim 7, wherein the snowmobile further comprises a sensor detecting the rotational speed of the engine.
9. The snowmobile of claim 8, wherein the heat control section sets the maximum electric power supplied to the heater based on predetermined maximum power levels changing in accordance with the signal from the sensor detecting engine rotational speed.
10. The snowmobile of claim 7, wherein the electric power is supplied to the heater based at least upon on the maximum power level selected by the control switch.
11. A snowmobile comprising a vehicle body, an engine supported by the vehicle body, the engine having a cooling system through which a coolant flows, a generator driven by the engine, a radiator through which at least a portion of the coolant from the engine passes, a fan disposed to draw air across at least a portion of the radiator, the fan having a fan motor, a steering handle coupled to the vehicle body, the steering handle including at least one hand grip heated by a heater, a sensor detecting the temperature of the coolant, and power management means for reducing electrical power to the heater of the hand grip when the fan motor is running.
12. The snowmobile of claim 11, wherein said power management means further varies electrical power to the heater based upon an input signal from a temperature level control switch that is manually operated.