Rearview mirror assembly for vehicle

A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a mirror head, said mirror head comprising a mirror casing and an electro-optic mirror reflective element adhesively attached at an attachment portion of said mirror head;
• wherein said mirror casing is formed in a plastic molding operation, said mirror casing comprising a plastic-molded sidewall and an open end;
• wherein said sidewall of said mirror casing has wall thickness spanning between an inner surface of said sidewall and an outer surface of said sidewall;
• wherein said sidewall comprises a terminal end region that circumscribes said open end of said mirror casing and terminates at a terminal end edge of said mirror casing;
• wherein said electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element;
• wherein said electrochromic mirror reflective element is disposed at said open end of said mirror casing;
• wherein said electrochromic mirror reflective element comprises a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate;
• wherein said first glass substrate has a front surface and a rear surface;
• wherein said rear surface of said first glass substrate has a transparent conductive coating established thereat;
• wherein said second glass substrate comprises a front surface and a rear surface, and wherein said second glass substrate has a mirror reflector disposed at said front surface of said second glass substrate;
• wherein an electrochromic medium is sandwiched between and contacts said transparent conductive coating of said first glass substrate and said mirror reflector of said second glass substrate, and wherein said electrochromic medium is bounded by a perimeter seal;
• wherein no part of said second glass substrate extends beyond any part of said first glass substrate;
• wherein said first glass substrate has a substrate thickness spanning between said front surface of said first glass substrate and said rear surface of said first glass substrate at a central region thereof;
• wherein said attachment portion comprises a protrusion that circumscribes said electrochromic mirror reflective element and is disposed between a periphery of said first glass substrate of said electrochromic mirror reflective element and said terminal end edge of said mirror casing;
• wherein said protrusion comprises an outer rounded surface that curves between said terminal end region of said mirror casing and said front surface of said first glass substrate;
• wherein said outer rounded surface of said protrusion has a radius of curvature;
• wherein the substrate thickness of said first glass substrate is less than said radius of curvature of said outer rounded surface of said protrusion of said attachment portion;
• and
• wherein said outer rounded surface of said protrusion provides a curved transition between said front surface and said outer surface of said sidewall of said mirror casing.

A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a mirror head, said mirror head comprising a mirror casing and an electro-optic mirror reflective element adhesively attached thereat;
• wherein said mirror casing is formed in a plastic molding operation, said mirror casing comprising a plastic-molded sidewall and an open end;
• wherein said sidewall of said mirror casing has wall thickness spanning between an inner surface of said sidewall and an outer surface of said sidewall;
• wherein said sidewall comprises a terminal end region that circumscribes said open end of said mirror casing and terminates at a terminal end edge of said mirror casing;
• wherein said terminal end region of said sidewall comprises a rounded end region surface curving between said terminal end edge of said mirror casing and said outer surface of said sidewall;
• wherein said electro-optic mirror reflective element is disposed at said open end of said mirror casing;
• wherein said electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate;
• wherein said first glass substrate has a front surface and a rear surface;
• wherein said rear surface of said first glass substrate has a transparent conductive coating established thereat;
• wherein said second glass substrate comprises a front surface and a rear surface, and wherein said second glass substrate has a mirror reflector disposed at said front surface of said second glass substrate;
• wherein an electro-optic medium is sandwiched between and contacts said transparent conductive coating of said first glass substrate and said mirror reflector of said second glass substrate, and wherein said electro-optic medium is bounded by a perimeter seal;
• wherein no part of said second glass substrate extends beyond any part of said first glass substrate;
• wherein said first glass substrate comprises a rounded circumferential perimeter region extending at least partially between said front surface of said first glass substrate and said rear surface of said first glass substrate;
• wherein said first glass substrate has a substrate thickness spanning between said front surface of said first glass substrate and said rear surface of said first glass substrate at a central region thereof;
• wherein said rounded circumferential perimeter region of said first glass substrate has a first radius of curvature and said rounded end region surface of said terminal end region of said mirror casing has a second radius of curvature;
• wherein said first radius of curvature is at least 2.5 millimeters and wherein said second radius of curvature is at least 2.5 millimeters;
• wherein the substrate thickness of said first glass substrate is less than said first radius of curvature;
• wherein said rounded end region surface of said terminal end region of said mirror casing and said rounded circumferential perimeter region of said first glass substrate combine to provide a curved transition between said front surface and said outer surface of said sidewall of said mirror casing;
• wherein the combined curved transition has a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm;
• wherein said terminal end region of said sidewall of said mirror casing circumscribes said second glass substrate and said perimeter seal of said electro-optic mirror reflective element;
• and
• wherein no portion of said mirror casing encompasses said rounded circumferential perimeter region of said first glass substrate.