Exterior sideview mirror system

An exterior sideview mirror assembly suitable for vehicular use, said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprising:

• a mirror housing defining a primary opening;
• a single mirror backing plate element within said minor housing and disposed adjacent to said primary opening;
• said single mirror backing plate element movable by an electrically-operable actuator;
• a main piano mirror element fixedly secured to and supported by said single mirror backing plate element and disposed within said primary opening for providing a view rearward of a vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview mirror assembly through a first primary field of view;
• an auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element fixedly secured to and supported by said single mirror backing plate element and disposed adjacent to said main piano mirror element, said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element defined by a curvature differing from said main plano mirror element such that said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element provides a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview mirror assembly;
• wherein said first primary field of view of said main piano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element;
• wherein said single minor backing plate element comprises a generally rigid polymeric molding able to support said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element;
• wherein said single mirror backing plate element comprises a generally flat portion for supporting said main plano mirror element and a curved portion for supporting said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element;
• wherein said curved portion of said single mirror backing plate element for supporting said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element is angled relative to said generally flat portion of said single mirror backing plate element for supporting said main plano mirror element in a manner such that, when a driver of a vehicle equipped with said exterior side view mirror assembly aligns the rearward field of view of said main piano mirror element, the rearward field of view of said main piano mirror element is aligned downwardly relative to a vehicle body side to which said exterior side view mirror assembly is attached;
• wherein said main piano mirror element comprises one of (a) a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating and (b) a generally flat polymeric substrate having a thin glass element applied to a surface thereof and with an opposing surface thereof having a reflecting layer applied thereto;
• and
• wherein said curved portion of said single mirror backing plate element defines an auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element backing plate element radius of curvature substantially equal to said curvature of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element.

An exterior sideview mirror assembly suitable for vehicular use, said exterior sideview minor assembly comprising:

• a minor housing defining a primary opening;
• a single mirror backing plate element within said mirror housing and disposed adjacent to said primary opening;
• said single mirror backing plate element movable by an electrically-operable actuator;
• a main piano minor element fixedly secured to and supported by said single mirror backing plate element and disposed within said primary opening for providing a view rearward of a vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview minor assembly through a first primary field of view;
• an auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element fixedly secured to and supported by said single mirror backing plate element and disposed adjacent to said main piano mirror element, wherein said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element comprises a reflector-coated spherically curved substrate and has a spherical radius of curvature with substantially a single radius of curvature differing from said main piano mirror element such that said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element provides a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview mirror assembly;
• wherein said first primary field of view of said main piano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element;
• wherein said single mirror backing plate element comprises a generally rigid polymeric molding able to support said main piano mirror element and said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element;
• wherein said single mirror backing plate element comprises a generally flat portion for supporting said main piano mirror element and a curved portion for supporting said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element;
• wherein said main plano mirror element is fixedly secured to said generally flat portion of said single mirror backing plate element and said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element is fixedly secured to said curved portion of said single mirror backing plate;
• wherein said curved portion of said single mirror backing plate element for supporting said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element is angled relative to said generally flat portion of said single mirror backing plate element for supporting said main piano mirror element in a manner such that, when a driver of a vehicle equipped with said exterior side view mirror assembly aligns the rearward field of view of said main piano mirror element, the rearward field of view of said main piano mirror element is aligned downwardly relative to a vehicle body side to which said exterior side view mirror assembly is attached;
• wherein said main piano mirror element comprises one of (a) a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating and (b) a generally flat polymeric substrate having a thin glass element applied to a surface thereof and with an opposing surface thereof having a reflecting layer applied thereto;
• and
• wherein said curved portion of said single mirror backing plate element defines an auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element backing plate element radius of curvature substantially equal to said single radius of curvature.

An exterior sideview mirror assembly suitable for vehicular use, said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprising:

• a mirror housing defining a primary opening;
• a single mirror backing plate element within said minor housing and disposed adjacent to said primary opening;
• said single mirror backing plate element movable by an electrically-operable actuator;
• a main piano mirror element fixedly secured to and supported by said single mirror backing plate element and disposed within said primary opening for providing a view rearward of a vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview minor assembly through a first primary field of view;
• an auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element fixedly secured to and supported by said single minor backing plate element and disposed adjacent to said main piano minor element, said auxiliary non-plano curved minor element defined by a curvature differing from said main plano mirror element such that said auxiliary non-plano curved minor element provides a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview minor assembly;
• wherein said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element comprises a reflector-coated spherically curved substrate and has a spherical radius of curvature with substantially only one radius of curvature;
• wherein said first primary field of view of said main piano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element;
• wherein said single mirror backing plate element comprises a generally rigid polymeric molding able to support said main piano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element;
• wherein said single mirror backing plate element comprises a generally flat portion for supporting said main piano mirror element and a curved portion for supporting said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element;
• wherein said main piano mirror element is fixedly secured to said generally flat portion of said single mirror backing plate element and said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element is fixedly secured to said curved portion of said single mirror backing plate;
• wherein said curved portion of said single mirror backing plate element for supporting said auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element is angled relative to said generally flat portion of said single mirror backing plate element for supporting said main piano mirror element in a manner such that, when a driver of a vehicle equipped with said exterior side view mirror assembly aligns the rearward field of view of said main piano mirror element, the rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element is aligned downwardly relative to a vehicle body side to which said exterior side view mirror assembly is attached;
• wherein said main piano mirror element comprises one of (a) a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating and (b) a generally flat polymeric substrate having a thin glass element applied to a surface thereof and with an opposing surface thereof having a reflecting layer applied thereto;
• and
• wherein said curved portion of said single mirror backing plate element defines an auxiliary non-piano curved mirror element backing plate element radius of curvature substantially equal to said substantially only one radius of curvature of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element.