US 11,691,567 B2Granted

Exterior rearview mirror assembly

AssigneeMagna Mirrors of America, Inc.

InventorsGregory A. Huizen, Robert L. Esser, Keith D. Foote, Darryl P. De Wind

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Abstract

An exterior rearview mirror assembly for mounting at a vehicle includes a base portion configured for attachment at a side of the vehicle, and a mirror head having a mirror reflective element, an attachment plate and an electrically-operable mirror actuator. The base portion extends through an aperture in the mirror head. The mirror actuator is attached at the attachment plate, which includes wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate and that circumscribes and spans a perimeter circumferential edge of a glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. The mirror actuator is electrically operable to adjust the mirror head relative to the base portion. The aperture allows for movement of the mirror head relative to the base portion during operation of the mirror actuator.

Claims53

Dependent claims

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a base portion having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the base portion is configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly to mount the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at the side of the equipped vehicle;
a mirror head comprising a mirror reflective element, an attachment plate and an electrically-operable mirror actuator;
wherein the base portion extends through an aperture of the mirror head so that the second end of the base portion is within the mirror head;
wherein the attachment plate comprises a front side and a rear side separated by a thickness dimension of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element is attached at the front side of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror actuator is attached at the rear side of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element comprises a glass substrate having a front surface and a rear surface separated by a thickness dimension of the glass substrate, and wherein a perimeter circumferential edge of the glass substrate spans between the front surface and the rear surface;
wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle, an outermost side of the mirror reflective element is exposed and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is operating the equipped vehicle;
wherein the outermost side of the mirror reflective element comprises the front surface of the glass substrate;
wherein the attachment plate of the mirror head comprises wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate;
wherein the wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate circumscribes and spans the perimeter circumferential edge of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element;
wherein the wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate does not encroach onto and does not overlap the front surface of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element;
wherein, when the mirror actuator is electrically operated, the mirror actuator, the attachment plate and the mirror reflective element of the mirror head move together and in tandem relative to the base portion;
wherein the mirror actuator, when electrically operated, adjusts the mirror head relative to the base portion to adjust a rearward field of view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing the mirror reflective element with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle;
and
wherein the aperture allows for movement of the mirror head relative to the base portion during operation of the mirror actuator.

13 more elements

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a base portion having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the base portion is configured for attachment at a side door of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly to mount the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at the side door of the equipped vehicle;
a mirror head comprising a mirror reflective element, an attachment plate and an electrically-operable mirror actuator;
wherein the base portion extends through an aperture of the mirror head so that the second end of the base portion is within the mirror head;
wherein the attachment plate comprises a front side and a rear side separated by a thickness dimension of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element is adhesively attached at the front side of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror actuator is attached at the rear side of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element comprises a glass substrate having a front surface and a rear surface separated by a thickness dimension of the glass substrate, and wherein a perimeter circumferential edge of the glass substrate spans between the front surface and the rear surface;
wherein the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element comprises a mirror reflector-coated glass substrate;
wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side door of the equipped vehicle, an outermost side of the mirror reflective element is exposed and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is operating the equipped vehicle;
wherein the outermost side of the mirror reflective element comprises the front surface of the glass substrate;
wherein the attachment plate of the mirror head comprises wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate;
wherein the wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate circumscribes and spans the perimeter circumferential edge of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element;
wherein the wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate does not encroach onto and does not overlap the front surface of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element;
wherein, when the mirror actuator is electrically operated, the mirror actuator, the attachment plate and the mirror reflective element of the mirror head move together and in tandem relative to the base portion;
wherein the mirror actuator, when electrically operated, adjusts the mirror head relative to the base portion to adjust a rearward field of view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing the mirror reflective element with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side door of the equipped vehicle;
and
wherein the aperture allows for movement of the mirror head relative to the base portion during operation of the mirror actuator.

14 more elements

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a base portion having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the base portion is configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly to mount the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at the side of the equipped vehicle;
a mirror head comprising a mirror reflective element, an attachment plate and an electrically-operable mirror actuator;
wherein the base portion extends through an aperture of the mirror head so that the second end of the base portion is within the mirror head;
wherein the attachment plate comprises a front side and a rear side separated by a thickness dimension of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element is adhesively attached at the front side of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror actuator is attached at the rear side of the attachment plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electrochromic medium disposed between the front glass substrate and the rear glass substrate and bounded by a perimeter seal;
wherein the front glass substrate has a front surface and a rear surface separated by a thickness dimension of the front glass substrate, and wherein a perimeter circumferential edge of the front glass substrate spans between the front surface and the rear surface;
wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle, an outermost side of the mirror reflective element is exposed and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is operating the equipped vehicle;
wherein the outermost side of the mirror reflective element comprises the front surface of the front glass substrate;
wherein the rear glass substrate of the mirror reflective element comprises a mirror reflector-coated glass substrate;
wherein the attachment plate of the mirror head comprises wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate;
wherein the wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate circumscribes and spans the perimeter circumferential edge of the front glass substrate of the mirror reflective element;
wherein the wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate does not encroach onto and does not overlap the front surface of the front glass substrate of the mirror reflective element;
wherein, when the mirror actuator is electrically operated, the mirror actuator, the attachment plate and the mirror reflective element of the mirror head move together and in tandem relative to the base portion;
wherein the mirror actuator, when electrically operated, adjusts the mirror head relative to the base portion to adjust a rearward field of view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing the mirror reflective element with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle;
and
wherein the aperture allows for movement of the mirror head relative to the base portion during operation of the mirror actuator.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/451,187Filed 18 Oct 2021 · continuation
Priority: 23 Aug 2017
Published: US 2022/0032847 A13 Feb 2022
Granted: 4 Jul 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B60R 1/074
By electrically powered actuators: for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle
B60R 1/12
Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or…:…
B60R 1/1207
Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks: with lamps; with turn indicators
B60R 2001/1253
Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks: with cameras, video cameras or video screens

Family

Application62/549,102Us provisional application · filed 23 Aug 2017
Application62/674,057Us provisional application · filed 21 May 2018
PCT/US2018/047687Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Aug 2018
US 2022/0032847 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Feb 2022
Application16/640,553Parent of this continuation
US 11,148,596 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0353867 A1Published application
US 11,691,567 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.