Vehicle rearview mirror assembly containing a fluid light controlling medium

A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a casing having a substantially transparent window plate which forms a window to the casing and also forms a fluid seal with the casing, the window plate having an outer surface of relatively low light reflectivity,
• a reflector plate of relatively high light reflectivity disposed within the casing, the reflector plate confronting the inner surface of the window plate when the reflector plate is in a first (day) position in juxta-position with the window plate,
• and fluid control means for injecting an optically dense light attenutating fluid between said window plate and said reflector plate when said relfector plate is in said first (day) position, to move said reflector plate to a second (night) position within the casing spaced apart from said window plate,
• and wherein in said second (night) position the optically dense light attenuating fluid forms a masking layer between said window plate and said reflector plate to substantially extinguish light reflections by said reflector plate,
• said reflector plate being adapted to return to said first (day) position as the optically dense light attenuating fluid is removed from between said window plate and reflecting plate;
• said fluid control means including a fluid chamber for holding a quantity of the light attenuating fluid, an electrically operated pump for pumping the fluid from said fluid chamber and injecting it between said window plate and said reflector plate, and control means for maintaining the fluid under pressure between the window plate and the reflector plate to maintain said reflector plate in said second position.