US 2019/0168672 A1Published application

Interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle

AssigneeMagna Mirrors of America, Inc.

InventorsDarryl P. De Wind, Michael J. Baur, Timothy G. Perkins

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Abstract

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing and an electro-optic mirror reflective element. The front glass substrate of the reflective element has a planar first surface, a planar second surface and a periphery surface extending therebetween. The mirror casing includes a central mounting element and two spaced apart attachment surfaces. The rear glass substrate of the reflective element is adhesively attached at the attachment surfaces. The central mounting element includes a pivot element that pivotally mounts at a mounting structure. A central cavity exists between the central mounting element and the rear glass substrate. The mirror assembly includes a curved outer surface that provides a rounded transition between the planar first surface of the front glass substrate and a less-curved outer surface of a side all of the mirror casing. No part of the mirror casing encroaches onto the planar first surface of the front glass substrate.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a plastic mirror casing formed via a plastic injection molding process;
an electro-optic mirror reflective element comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate spaced apart from said front glass substrate by a perimeter seal, wherein an electro-optic medium is sandwiched between said front glass substrate and said rear glass substrate and bounded by said perimeter seal;
wherein said front glass substrate has a planar first surface and a planar second surface separated from said planar first surface by a thickness dimension of said front glass substrate;
wherein said front glass substrate comprises a periphery surface extending between said planar first surface and said planar second surface and spanning the thickness dimension of said front glass substrate, said planar first surface facing a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein a transparent electrically conductive coating is disposed at said planar second surface and is in contact with said electro optic medium;
wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, and wherein said third surface of said rear glass substrate is coated with a mirror reflector, and wherein said mirror reflector is in contact with said electro-optic medium;
wherein said mirror casing comprises a central mounting element and two spaced apart attachment surfaces that are all formed during the plastic injection molding process that forms said mirror casing;
wherein said rear glass substrate of said electro-optic mirror reflective element is adhesively attached at said attachment surfaces;
wherein said central mounting element comprises a pivot element that pivotally mounts said mirror casing and said electro-optic mirror reflective element at a mounting structure, and wherein said mounting structure is configured to attach at an interior surface of the equipped vehicle;
wherein a central cavity exists between said central mounting element and said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate of said electro-optic mirror reflective element;
wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a curved outer surface that provides a rounded transition between said planar first surface of said front glass substrate and a less-curved outer surface of a side wall of said mirror casing;
and
wherein no part of said mirror casing encroaches onto said planar first surface of said front glass substrate.

10 more elements

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a plastic mirror casing formed via a plastic injection molding process;
an electro-optic mirror reflective element comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate spaced apart from said front glass substrate by a perimeter seal, wherein an electro-optic medium is sandwiched between said front glass substrate and said rear glass substrate and bounded by said perimeter seal;
wherein said front glass substrate has a planar first surface and a planar second surface separated from said planar first surface by a thickness dimension of said front glass substrate;
wherein said front glass substrate comprises a periphery surface extending between said planar first surface and said planar second surface and spanning the thickness dimension of said front glass substrate, said planar first surface facing a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein a transparent electrically conductive coating is disposed at said planar second surface and is in contact with said electro-optic medium;
wherein said front glass substrate has a reflective perimeter band established along a perimeter border region of said planar second surface of said front glass substrate to render covert said perimeter seal to a person viewing said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the equipped vehicle;
wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, and wherein said third surface of said rear glass substrate is coated with a mirror reflector, and wherein said mirror reflector is in contact with said electro-optic medium;
wherein said mirror casing comprises a central mounting element and two spaced apart attachment surfaces that are all formed during the plastic injection molding process that forms said mirror casing;
wherein said rear glass substrate of said electro-optic mirror reflective element is adhesively attached at said attachment surfaces;
wherein said central mounting element comprises a pivot element that pivotally mounts said mirror casing and said electro-optic mirror reflective element at a mounting structure, and wherein said mounting structure is configured to attach at an interior surface of the equipped vehicle;
wherein a central cavity exists between said central mounting element and said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate of said electro-optic mirror reflective element;
wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a curved outer surface that provides a rounded transition between said planar first surface of said front glass substrate and a less curved outer surface of a side wall of said mirror casing;
wherein the periphery surface of said front glass substrate comprises said curved outer surface;
wherein said curved outer surface of said front glass substrate is exposed to, is contactable by and is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the equipped vehicle;
and
wherein no part of said mirror casing encroaches onto said planar first surface of said front glass substrate.

13 more elements

An interior rearview Mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a plastic mirror casing formed via a plastic injection molding process;
an electrochromic mirror reflective element comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate spaced apart from said front glass substrate by a perimeter seal, wherein an electrochromic medium is sandwiched between said front glass substrate and said rear glass substrate and bounded by said perimeter seal;
wherein said front glass substrate has a planar first surface and a planar second surface separated from said planar first surface by a thickness dimension of said front glass substrate;
wherein said front glass substrate comprises a periphery surface extending between said planar first surface and said planar second surface and spanning the thickness dimension of said front glass substrate, said planar first surface facing a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein a transparent electrically conductive coating is disposed at said planar second surface and is in contact with said electrochromic medium;
wherein said front glass substrate has a reflective perimeter band established along a perimeter border region of said planar second surface of said front glass substrate to render covert said perimeter seal to a person viewing said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the equipped vehicle;
wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, and wherein said third surface of said rear glass substrate is coated with a mirror reflector, and wherein said mirror reflector is in contact with said electrochromic medium;
wherein said mirror casing comprises a central mounting element and two spaced apart attachment surfaces that are all formed during the plastic injection molding process that forms said mirror casing;
wherein said rear glass substrate of said electrochromic mirror reflective element is adhesively attached at said attachment surfaces;
wherein said central mounting element comprises a pivot element that pivotally mounts said mirror casing and said electrochromic mirror reflective element at a mounting structure, and wherein said mounting structure is configured to attach at an interior surface of the equipped vehicle;
wherein a central cavity exists between said central mounting element and said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate of said electrochromic mirror reflective element;
wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a curved outer surface that provides a rounded transition between said planar first surface of said front glass substrate and a less curved outer surface of a side wall of said mirror casing;
wherein said curved outer surface comprises part of said mirror casing;
and
wherein no part of said mirror casing encroaches onto said planar first surface of said front glass substrate.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/258,789Filed 28 Jan 2019
Priority: 23 Apr 2009
Published: 6 Jun 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

B60R 1/04
Rear-view mirror arrangements: mounted inside vehicle
B24B 9/02
Machines or devices designed for grinding edges or bevels on work or for removing burrs; Accessories therefor: characterised by a special design…
B24B 9/08
Of non-metallic inorganic material, e.g. stone, ceramics, porcelain: of glass
B24B 13/00
Machines or devices designed for grinding or polishing optical surfaces on lenses

Family

Application61/172,022Us provisional application · filed 23 Apr 2009
Application61/187,112Us provisional application · filed 15 Jun 2009
Application61/249,300Us provisional application · filed 7 Oct 2009
Application61/261,839Us provisional application · filed 17 Nov 2009
Application13/265,613Continuation · filed 21 Oct 2011
Application13/964,136Continuation · filed 12 Aug 2013
Application14/641,813Continuation · filed 9 Mar 2015
Application15/338,779Continuation · filed 31 Oct 2016
Application16/258,789Continuation
Application13/265,613Continuation in part
US 10,189,407 B2Related patent
US 10,632,921 B2Related patent
US 2012/0038964 A1Published application
US 2013/0321940 A1Published application
US 2015/0175074 A1Published application
US 2017/0043721 A1Published application
US 8,508,831 B2Related patent
US 8,976,439 B2Related patent
US 9,481,303 B2Related patent
US 2019/0168672 A1This patent

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

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