Interior rearview mirror assembly with circuitry at mirror mount

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

• a mirror mount configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, the mirror mount comprising a first pivot element;
• a mirror head comprising a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element attached at the mirror casing, the mirror head comprising a second pivot element;
• wherein the second pivot element pivotally attaches at the first pivot element forming a ball and socket joint to pivotally mount the mirror head at the mirror mount;
• wherein the mirror reflective element comprises an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element comprising (i) a front glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface, (ii) a rear glass substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface with an electrically conductive coating at the third surface, and (iii) an electro-optic medium disposed between and in contact with the transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface of the front glass substrate and the electrically conductive coating at the third surface of the rear glass substrate;
• a first electrically conductive terminal having (i) a proximal end that is electrically connected to the transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface of the front glass substrate and (ii) a distal end that extends rearward from the fourth surface of the mirror reflective element;
• wherein the first electrically conductive terminal comprises a metal terminal having a body portion that is disposed along the fourth surface, and wherein the proximal end of the first electrically conductive terminal is bent relative to the body portion to extend at least partially across a thickness dimension of the rear glass substrate, and wherein the distal end of the first electrically conductive terminal is bent relative to the body portion to extend away from the fourth surface of the rear glass substrate toward a connector that is integrated within the mirror casing;
• a second electrically conductive terminal having (i) a proximal end that is electrically connected to the electrically conductive coating at the third surface of the rear glass substrate and (ii) a distal end that extends rearward from the fourth surface of the mirror reflective element;
• wherein the second electrically conductive terminal comprises a metal terminal having a body portion that is disposed along the fourth surface, and wherein the proximal end of the second electrically conductive terminal is bent relative to the body portion to extend at least partially across a thickness dimension of the rear glass substrate, and wherein the distal end of the second electrically conductive terminal is bent relative to the body portion to extend away from the fourth surface of the rear glass substrate toward the connector that is integrated within the mirror casing;
• wherein the first and second electrically conductive terminals comprise respective extending portions that extend from and are perpendicular to the fourth surface of the mirror reflective element so that the distal ends of the first and second electrically conductive terminals are received at the connector that is integrated with the mirror casing when the mirror reflective element is attached at the mirror casing;
• and
• wherein, with the mirror head pivotally mounted at the mirror mount at the interior portion of the vehicle, an electrically conductive wire connects to the connector of the mirror casing to electrically connect circuitry for controlling an electro-optic mirror dimming feature of the mirror reflective element to the transparent electrically conductive coating and the electrically conductive coating via the first and second electrically conductive terminals, respectively.

A method for manufacturing a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, the method comprising:

• providing a mirror mount configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, the mirror mount comprising a first pivot element;
• providing a mirror head comprising a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element attached at the mirror casing, the mirror head comprising a second pivot element;
• wherein the mirror reflective element comprises an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element comprising (i) a front glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface, (ii) a rear glass substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface with an electrically conductive coating at the third surface, and (iii) an electro-optic medium disposed between and in contact with the transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface of the front glass substrate and the electrically conductive coating at the third surface of the rear glass substrate;
• disposing a first electrically conductive terminal at the mirror reflective element so that (i) a first body portion of the first electrically conductive terminal is disposed along the fourth surface of the rear glass substrate, (ii) a first proximal end of the first electrically conductive terminal is bent relative to the first body portion to extend at least partially across a thickness dimension of the rear glass substrate and to electrically connect to the transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface of the front glass substrate, and (ii) a first distal end of the first electrically conductive terminal is bent relative to the first body portion to extend away from the fourth surface of the mirror reflective element;
• disposing a second electrically conductive terminal at the mirror reflective element so that (i) a second body portion of the second electrically conductive terminal is disposed along the fourth surface of the rear glass substrate, (ii) a second proximal end of the second electrically conductive terminal is bent relative to the second body portion to extend at least partially across a thickness dimension of the rear glass substrate and to electrically connect to the electrically conductive coating at the third surface of the rear glass substrate, and (ii) a second distal end of the second electrically conductive terminal is bent relative to the second body portion to extend away from the fourth surface of the mirror reflective element;
• attaching the mirror reflective element at the mirror casing;
• wherein, as the mirror reflective element is attached at the mirror casing, the first and second distal ends of the first and second electrically conductive terminals are received at a connector that is integrated with the mirror casing;
• pivotally attaching the second pivot element at the first pivot element forming a ball and socket joint to pivotally mount the mirror head at the mirror mount;
• and
• wherein, with the mirror head pivotally mounted at the mirror mount and with the mirror mount attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, electrically connecting an electrically conductive wire to the connector of the mirror casing to electrically connect circuitry for controlling an electro-optic mirror dimming feature of the mirror reflective element to the transparent electrically conductive coating and the electrically conductive coating via the first and second electrically conductive terminals, respectively.