US 11,833,972 B1
Vehicle overhead console with cooling fan
Martin Solar, Erlenbach (DE); and Christopher H. Curtis, Frankfurt am Main (DE)
Assigned to Magna Mirrors Holding GmbH, Sailauf (DE)
Filed by Magna Mirrors Holding GmbH, Sailauf (DE)
Filed on May 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/315,594.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/365,512, filed on May 31, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/364,658, filed on May 13, 2022.
Int. Cl. B60R 1/12 (2006.01); B60R 1/04 (2006.01); B60R 11/04 (2006.01); B60R 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 1/12 (2013.01) [B60R 1/04 (2013.01); B60R 11/04 (2013.01); B60R 2001/1253 (2013.01); B60R 2011/0026 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular windshield electronics module, the vehicular windshield electronics module comprising:
a housing configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular windshield electronics module, wherein the housing accommodates a camera, and wherein, with the housing attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, the housing includes a front portion extending partially along an in-cabin side of an upper region of a windshield of the vehicle and a rear portion rearward of the front portion and extending partially along a roof portion of an interior cabin of the vehicle;
wherein the camera is disposed at the front portion of the housing and, with the housing attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, views forward of the vehicle through the upper region of the windshield of the vehicle, and wherein the camera, when operated to capture image data, generates heat within the housing;
wherein electronic circuitry is disposed at the rear portion of the housing, and wherein the electronic circuitry comprises at least one heat generating electronic component that, when electrically operated, generates heat within the housing;
an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at the housing, the interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head;
wherein the interior rearview mirror assembly comprises at least one heat generating electronic component that, when electrically operated, generates heat within the mirror head;
wherein the housing comprises a plurality of ducts;
an electrically operable fan that, when electrically operated, generates cooling air flow within the housing, wherein the air flow passes into the housing and out from the housing via respective ducts of the plurality of ducts; and
wherein, when the electrically operable fan is electrically operated to generate the cooling air flow, air flow passes (i) along the camera at the front portion of the housing to dissipate heat generated by the camera, (ii) along the electronic circuitry at the rear portion of the housing to dissipate heat generated by the at least one heat generating electronic component of the electronic circuitry and (iii) along the mirror head to dissipate heat generated by the at least one heat generating electronic component of the interior rearview mirror assembly.