Vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly with a mirror reflective element assembly having a main reflective element and an auxiliary wide angle reflective element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11833965-B2
Application number	US-202016948876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2020
Priority date	Aug 9, 2007
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element assembly. The mirror reflective element assembly includes a main reflective element backing plate and a main reflective element. The main reflective element includes a glass substrate having a mirror reflector coated at a surface thereof. The mirror reflector-coated glass substrate of the main reflective element is attached at the main reflective element backing plate. The mirror reflective element assembly includes an auxiliary reflective element backing plate and an auxiliary wide angle reflective element. The auxiliary wide angle reflective element is positioned on the auxiliary reflective element backing plate. The auxiliary reflective element backing plate is attached to the main reflective element backing plate via an attachment mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror reflective element assembly;
wherein the mirror reflective element assembly comprises a main reflective element backing plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element assembly comprises a main reflective element;
the main reflective element comprising a glass substrate having a mirror reflector coated at a surface thereof, wherein the mirror reflector-coated glass substrate of the main reflective element is attached at the main reflective element backing plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element assembly comprises an auxiliary reflective element backing plate;
wherein the mirror reflective element assembly comprises an auxiliary wide angle reflective element;
wherein the auxiliary wide angle reflective element is received at a receiving portion of the main reflective element backing plate, and wherein a lip extending from the main reflective element backing plate at least partially circumscribes the auxiliary wide angle reflective element at the receiving portion;
wherein one or more flexible tabs protrude from the lip and at least partially toward the receiving portion, and wherein, with the auxiliary wide angle reflective element received at the receiving portion of the main reflective element backing plate, the one or more flexible tabs overlap a rear side of the auxiliary wide angle reflective element to secure the auxiliary wide angle reflective element at the receiving portion; and
wherein the auxiliary reflective element backing plate is attached at the auxiliary wide angle reflective element and to the main reflective element backing plate via an attachment mechanism.

2. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary reflective element backing plate is attached to and closes over the receiving portion of the main reflective element backing plate.

3. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises one or more snaps.

4. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 3 , wherein the one or more snaps extend from either the main reflective element backing plate or the auxiliary reflective element backing plate and snap attach to one or more snap receiving portions on the other of the main reflective element backing plate or the auxiliary reflective element backing plate.

5. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises one or more tabs that attach the auxiliary reflective element backing plate to the main reflective element backing plate.

6. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the main reflective element backing plate comprises a polymeric substrate.

7. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary reflective element backing plate comprises a polymeric substrate.

8. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the main reflective element backing plate is flat, and wherein the mirror reflector-coated glass substrate of the main reflective element comprises a mirror reflector-coated flat glass substrate, and wherein the mirror reflector-coated flat glass substrate of the main reflective element is adhered at the flat portion of the main reflective element backing plate.

9. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the main reflective element backing plate is curved, and wherein the mirror reflector-coated glass substrate of the main reflective element comprises a mirror reflector-coated curved glass substrate, and wherein the mirror reflector-coated curved glass substrate of the main reflective element is adhered at the curved portion of the main reflective element backing plate.

10. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 9 , wherein the curved portion of the main reflective element backing plate is convex curved.

11. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the main reflective element backing plate and a curved surface of the auxiliary reflective element backing plate are shaped differently.

12. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary reflective element backing plate and the main reflective element backing plate adjust together in tandem when actuated on by an actuator such that operation of the actuator adjusts the main reflective element and the auxiliary wide angle reflective element together and in tandem.

13. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the main reflective element comprises a cutaway region, and wherein, with the auxiliary wide angle reflective element received at the receiving portion of the main reflective element backing plate, the auxiliary wide angle reflective element is disposed at the cutaway region of the main reflective element.

14. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 13 , wherein a demarcation element is integrally formed with the main reflective element backing plate, and wherein a perimeter portion of the demarcation element at least partially surrounds the auxiliary wide angle reflective element.

15. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 14 , wherein an outermost surface of the perimeter portion of the demarcation element is coplanar with a front surface of the auxiliary wide angle reflective element.

16. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein, with the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at a side portion of a vehicle, the auxiliary wide angle reflective element is disposed, relative to the side portion of the vehicle, at an upper outboard quadrant of the mirror reflective element assembly of the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly.

17. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the main reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element having a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate and an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween, and wherein the mirror reflector-coated glass substrate comprises the second glass substrate, and wherein the mirror reflector comprises a metallic reflective coating disposed at a front surface of the second glass substrate, the mirror reflector contacting the electro-optic medium.

18. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a demarcation element disposed at a perimeter region of the auxiliary wide angle reflective element.

19. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 18 , wherein the demarcation element comprises a metallic layer disposed at least partially around a perimeter region of the auxiliary wide angle reflective element.

20. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein a rear surface of the auxiliary wide angle reflective element has a darkened element established around its perimeter regions.

21. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an illumination source operable to at least occasionally illuminate or accent at least a portion of the auxiliary wide angle reflective element.

22. The vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 21 , wherein the illumination source at least partially circumscribes the auxiliary wide angle reflective element.

23.

Assignees

• Donnelly Corp

Inventors

• Foote Keith D
• Benthem Kevin P
• Lynam Niall R

Classifications

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60R1/00 Primary

  Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles · CPC title