Patents Assigned to FICO
  • Publication number: 20180274665
    Abstract: The shift by wire gear shift actuator includes a selector knob rotatable by the user for selecting a gearshift position for controlling a vehicle transmission, and a display arrangement associated with the selector knob for sequentially and dynamically providing optical indications according to gearshift positions simulating a rotational movement of the selector knob. This informs the user about an auto park feature when the vehicle transmission is being automatically driven into a park gearshift position under a determined condition such as for example when a person intends to exit the car, when the vehicle is turned off, when the driver's door is open with the safety belt unlatched, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: FICO TRIAD, S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Dominguis BOTELLA, Jaume Ferre RIPOLL
  • Patent number: 10077001
    Abstract: A foldable rear-view mirror assembly comprises a base member to be mounted on a motor vehicle, a mirror housing, a motor component, drive means comprising a ring gear assembly engaging the motor component with the base member for rotation of the mirror housing thereto between mirror operative and folded conditions, and a spring element positioned substantially tangential to the ring gear assembly to cooperate therewith such that in a first direction of rotation the mirror housing is allowed to rotate to the base member and in a second reverse direction of rotation the mirror housing is prevented from being rotated relative to the base member, where the spring element resiliently abuts a stop surface formed in the ring gear assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventors: Juan Linares Casals, José Mendoza Vicioso
  • Patent number: 10046704
    Abstract: A fold rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a base member, a mirror head, and a motor component for rotating, through a drive means comprising a gear wheel assembly, the mirror housing relative to the base member between a mirror operative condition and a mirror folded condition, and vice versa. The gear wheel assembly comprises a first and second gear wheels coupled to each other through first coupling means. The first gear wheel engages a motor component through a second coupling means and the second gear wheel in turn engages the base member through a third coupling means. The first coupling means allow the first and second gear wheels to be rotated together in one direction, and allow the first gear wheel to be rotated relative to the second gear wheel in the reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.U.
    Inventors: José Mendoza Vicioso, Juan Linares Casals
  • Patent number: 10035459
    Abstract: A rear view mirror assembly having a base portion to be fixed on the motor vehicle and a movable portion attached to the base portion. Said portions can be positioned at least in an operating position and in a folded position and define an interface having teeth for raising and lowering the base portion relative to the movable portion when they are rotated. A biasing mechanism may also be provided for holding the base portion against the movable portion. Contact areas protrude from said teeth that may provide additional resistance against rotation of the movable portion to the base portion through an angle of rotation ? of at least about 10° from the folded position to the operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS FRANCE S.A.S.
    Inventor: Daniel Louis Millot
  • Patent number: 9950670
    Abstract: A rear-view mirror assembly comprises a fixed base member, a mirror housing that can be rotated relative to the base member, a shaft, an elastic element for applying a force on the base member and the mirror housing through the shaft, shaft axially retaining means, and safety means for preventing the shaft from being released comprising a first and second stop portions formed in the mirror housing and the shaft respectively and arranged such that in different shaft angular positions the first and the second stop portions do not interfere with one another such that the shaft can be inserted in the shaft housing, or the first and second stop portions interfere with one another preventing the shaft from being released from the shaft housing by the action of the elastic element in case of failure of the shaft retaining means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.U.
    Inventor: Jose Mendoza Viciosa
  • Patent number: 9845054
    Abstract: A mirror base, a mirror housing rotatable to the mirror base between a non-driving retracted position and a driving protracted position around an axis (X), a non-metallic spring for providing an axial spring force between the mirror base and the mirror housing whose force differs at least between the non-driving retracted and the driving protracted positions; and a first guide portion for contacting a first contact area of the non-metallic spring, and a second guide portion for contacting a second contact area of the non-metallic spring. The guide portions are configured such that, during rotation of the mirror housing to the mirror base, at least one deformable portion of the non-metallic spring between the first and second contact areas is deformed in a direction (Y) substantially perpendicular to the mirror rotation axis (X).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventors: Adolfo Caballero Guirado, Miguel Ángel Gómez Castilla, José Manuel Espinosa Morales
  • Publication number: 20170313286
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention refers to a system for cleaning an external vehicle-mounted sensor surface. The system comprises an air nozzle arranged to discharge air onto a sensor surface; an air pump comprising a fluid inlet, an air outlet, an air-fluid interface and a variable volume compression chamber communicated with the air outlet; an air flow control device communicated with the air nozzle and the air outlet for controlling the flow of air therethrough; and a liquid pump communicated with the fluid inlet to supply a flow of pressurized liquid such that the volume of the compression chamber varies to generate a volume of pressurized air with an absolute pressure below 10 bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Applicant: FICO TRANSPAR, S.A.
    Inventors: Robert López Galera, Miguel Mota López, Carlos Esteller Pitarch, Jose Manuel Espinosa, Olallo Alcaide Hernández, Cristian Rodríguez Estévez
  • Patent number: 9758100
    Abstract: A base member fixed to a vehicle, a housing with a rearview mirror, a motor component to rotate the rearview housing relative to the base, two sets of ramps independent of each other, capable of sliding on corresponding fixed ramps of the base element and first and second resilient elements. The ramps of the first and second sets have different inclinations and the resilient elements have different spring rates from one another, depending on whether the drive housing is manually or motor driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventors: Josë Mendoza Vicioso, Daniel Crespo Febrero
  • Patent number: 9696000
    Abstract: An outer housing with a cover having a PVD coating; a lens; and an illumination device such as LEDs, light guides, light emitting surfaces and/or blinkers. The lens has a first area internal to the cover, and a second, transparent area extending to one side of the outer housing. The cover has a first cover element external to the lens and of a nature such that the illumination device is visible from the exterior when it is on and not visible from the exterior when it is off. The cover has a substantially opaque second cover element having an overlapping portion between the first area of the lens and the first cover element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventors: Sergio Hellin Navarro, Nestor Ruiz Ortega, Maria Luisa Novella, Carles Montero Foix, Josep Pujadas Beltran, Robert Lopez Galera, Jose Manuel Espinosa
  • Patent number: 9663027
    Abstract: An exterior rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle has a reflecting element, a clamping plate, a first adhesive element fixing the reflective element to the clamping plate, and a watertight illumination module. The watertight illumination module has a printed circuit board arranged within the watertight illumination module at an angle of 1 to 90 degrees relative to the clamping plate, at least one light emitting diode arranged on the printed circuit board, an inner reflective surface having a reflectivity coefficient of at least 30% and at least partially exposed to the light emitted by the at least one light emitting diode, and an outer portion with at least one hole with a sealing element engaged therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventors: Sergio Hellin Navarro, Nestor Ruiz Ortega, Maria Luisa Novella, Carles Montero Foix, Josep Pujadas Beltran, Robert Lopez Galera
  • Patent number: 9663047
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for inferring the behavior or state of the driver of a vehicle, use of the method and computer program for carrying out the method The method comprises evaluating a series of descriptive functions of the conditions of interaction of the driver with the vehicle based at least on information from inertial sensors of an autonomous computation device, by comparing such evaluation with reference information associated with a behavior of the driver that is considered normal. The system is suitable for implementing the method of the invention. The use is for detecting behavioral changes of a driver. The computer program is suitable for performing the steps of the method of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: FICO Mirrors, S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel Bande Martínez, Ariadna Bartra Cisa, Mireya Fernández Chimeno, Santiago Marco Colás, Juan Ramos Castro
  • Patent number: 9452700
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a suspension mat 1, the suspension mat 1 comprising at least one wire 10 for mounting the suspension mat 1 to a seat frame 100; the method comprising the steps of (a) pushing a plastic tube 20 in a first direction 52 onto an initially straight end portion 12 of the wire 10, while setting free an uncoated outer end 14 of the straight end portion 12; (b) bending the uncoated outer end 14 of the straight end portion 12 to form an uncovered hook 16; and (c) shifting the plastic tube 20 in a second, reverse direction 54 onto the bent hook 16, such that the plastic tube 20 surrounds the bent hook 16 and forms a plastic covered hook 18. The present invention also relates to a suspension mat 1 produced in accordance with the method and an apparatus 70 for manufacturing a suspension mat 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: FICO CABLES LDA
    Inventors: Pedro Joao Da Silva Lopes, Manuel Antonio De Castro Faria
  • Publication number: 20160236620
    Abstract: The assembly comprises a mirror housing including a half-mirror a display and a driving plate pivotally coupled to the housing adapted for attachment to an interior of the vehicle; an actuator switch lever pivotally attached to the driving plate for moving the housing in at least two angular positions causing the display to be switched on/off depending on the housing angular positions; and a mechanism for adjusting at least one of said mirror housing angular positions. The system comprises said assembly and a rear-view camera device for capturing images from the outside of the vehicle to be displayed on the display. The installation method includes the step of adjusting the positioning mechanism for determining at least one mirror housing angular position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventors: David GÓMEZ TIMONEDA, Frédéric LORIVAL, Robert LÓPEZ GALERA
  • Patent number: 9393909
    Abstract: A mirror pane, a mirror pane carrying element, a cover, and a supporting device associated with the carrying element and the cover includes supporting elements formed on an inner surface of the cover extending perpendicular to an inner surface of the mirror pane. It may also include reinforcing ribs in portions of the mirror pane to be received into slots of the carrying element. A clipping device is provided for coupling the mirror pane to the carrying element which includes a number of flanges and a number of corresponding openings whose plane is mutually perpendicular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventors: Jose Manuel Espinosa Morales, Adolfo Caballero Guirado, Robert Lopez Galera, Jose Angel Tornero Jaen
  • Publication number: 20160137131
    Abstract: A mirror base, a mirror housing rotatable to the mirror base between a non-driving retracted position and a driving protracted position around an axis (X), a non-metallic spring for providing an axial spring force between the mirror base and the mirror housing whose force differs at least between the non-driving retracted and the driving protracted positions; and a first guide portion for contacting a first contact area of the non-metallic spring, and a second guide portion for contacting a second contact area of the non-metallic spring. The guide portions are configured such that, during rotation of the mirror housing to the mirror base, at least one deformable portion of the non-metallic spring between the first and second contact areas is deformed in a direction (Y) substantially perpendicular to the mirror rotation axis (X).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventors: Adolfo CABALLERO GUIRADO, Miguel Ángel GÓMEZ CASTILLA, José Manuel ESPINOSA MORALES
  • Publication number: 20150344001
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a vehicle-mounted optic surface, including a housing, the housing including an opening adapted to fit an optic surface, a fluid inlet arranged to take in washer fluid, an at least one fluid discharge port arranged to discharge washer fluid onto the optic surface, a first passage in fluidic communication with the fluid inlet and the at least one fluid discharge port so as to guide the washer fluid from the fluid inlet towards the at least one fluid discharge port and a protruding part that substantially surrounds the opening so as to define an inner wall. A cleaning system and a vehicle-mounted sensor can include an optic surface and the cleaning device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Fico Transpar, S.A.
    Inventors: Robert LOPEZ GALERA, Carlos Esteller Pitarch, Miguel Mota Lopez
  • Patent number: 9200680
    Abstract: A clutch mechanism preferably used in a vehicle door mirror with a high durability and which allows reaching, in a fast and simple way, a preset compression level owing to the existence of two limiting surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: FICO MIRRORS, S.A.
    Inventor: Moisés Caballero Tapia
  • Patent number: 9139094
    Abstract: It comprises an operating device (gearshift command) for at least browsing and selecting one or more functions, and output device (e.g. a display) for sending information to an user about at least the selected function. Gearshift command is suitable for further setting a corresponding status of said function (on/off status, adjustable status). Functions comprise at least a function related to driving and other functions (comfort, multimedia, etc). The operating device may be provided with locking device for enabling or disabling operation of functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: FICO TRIAD, S.A.
    Inventors: Jordi Aubert Solà-Morales, Jordi Jornet Vidal, David Tuset Danís
  • Publication number: 20150217695
    Abstract: A rear view mirror assembly having a base portion to be fixed on the motor vehicle and a movable portion attached to the base portion. Said portions can be positioned at least in an operating position and in a folded position and define an interface having teeth for raising and lowering the base portion relative to the movable portion when they are rotated. A biasing mechanism may also be provided for holding the base portion against the movable portion. Contact areas protrude from said teeth that may provide additional resistance against rotation of the movable portion to the base portion through an angle of rotation ? of at least about 10° from the folded position to the operating position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: FICO MIRRORS FRANCE S.A.S.
    Inventor: Daniel Louis MILLOT
  • Patent number: 8997604
    Abstract: An anchoring device including a support member having a slot open out at one edge thereof for receiving a first cylindrical portion of the sheath terminal, a retainer for receiving and retaining a second cylindrical portion of the sheath terminal, and a guide for guiding the retainer as the second cylindrical portion of the sheath terminal is received therein, the guide including guide members that are formed integrally with the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Fico Triad, S.A.
    Inventors: Santiago Gimeno Grané, Juan Manuel Doña Contero, Jaume Prat Terradas