Reflective mirror assembly

An interior rearview mirror assembly adapted for mounting to an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a reflective element assembly comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween;
• wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed between said front substrate and said rear substrate in a cavity established by a perimeter seal that connects said front substrate to said rear substrate and that spaces said front substrate apart from said rear substrate;
• wherein said rear substrate has a smaller dimension across a dimension of said rear substrate than a corresponding dimension across said front substrate such that said front substrate defines a first overhang region at a first perimeter edge of said front substrate that extends beyond a corresponding first perimeter edge of said rear substrate and a second overhang region at a second perimeter edge of said front substrate that extends beyond a corresponding second perimeter edge of said rear substrate;
• wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, said second surface facing said electrochromic medium;
• at least one first electrically conductive layer disposed on said second surface of said front substrate, wherein said at least one first electrically conductive layer comprises a transparent electrically conductive layer;
• wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, said third surface facing said electrochromic medium;
• at least one second electrically conductive layer disposed on said third surface of said rear substrate, wherein said at least one second electrically conductive layer includes a metallic reflective layer;
• a substantially non-transparent perimeter band disposed at said second surface of said front substrate and around a perimeter border region of said second surface of said front substrate, wherein said perimeter band is not specularly reflective to visible light that passes through said first substrate and is incident on said perimeter band, and wherein said perimeter band renders said perimeter seal at least substantially not noticeable to a driver of a vehicle normally operating the vehicle and viewing said reflective element assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;
• a first electrical connection at said first electrically conductive layer at said first overhang region;
• a second electrical connection at said second electrically conductive layer at said second overhang region;
• and
• wherein said perimeter band is dimensioned so as to render the presence of said perimeter seal and said first and second electrical connections substantially not noticeable to a driver normally viewing said reflective element assembly when the vehicle is normally equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly.

An interior rearview mirror assembly adapted for mounting to an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a reflective element assembly comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween;
• wherein said electro-optic medium is disposed between said front substrate and said rear substrate in a cavity established by a perimeter seal that connects said front substrate to said rear substrate and that spaces said front substrate apart from said rear substrate;
• wherein said front substrate defines a first overhang region at a first perimeter edge of said front substrate that extends beyond a corresponding first perimeter edge of said rear substrate;
• wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, said second surface facing said electro-optic medium;
• at least one first electrically conductive layer disposed on said second surface of said front substrate, wherein said at least one first electrically conductive layer comprises a transparent electrically conductive layer;
• wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, said third surface facing said electro-optic medium;
• at least one second electrically conductive layer disposed on said third surface of said rear substrate, wherein said at least one second electrically conductive layer includes a metallic reflective layer;
• a substantially non-transparent dark colored perimeter band disposed at said second surface of said front substrate and around a perimeter border region of said second surface of said front substrate, wherein said perimeter band is not specularly reflective to visible light that passes through said first substrate and is incident on said perimeter band, and wherein said perimeter band renders said perimeter seal at least substantially not noticeable to a driver of a vehicle normally operating the vehicle and viewing said reflective element assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;
• a first electrical connection at said first electrically conductive layer at said first overhang region;
• a second electrical connection at said second electrically conductive layer;
• wherein said perimeter band is dimensioned so as to render the presence of said perimeter seal and at least said first electrical connection substantially not noticeable to a driver normally viewing said reflective element assembly when the vehicle is normally equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• and
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an interior video mirror assembly adapted for mounting to an interior portion of the vehicle, said interior video mirror assembly comprising a video display disposed to the rear of said reflective element assembly, and wherein said video display is operable, on demand, to be viewable by a driver viewing said reflective element assembly of said interior video mirror assembly when mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle.