Interior rearview mirror assembly for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12005840-B2
Application number	US-202218048883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2022
Priority date	Apr 22, 2013
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting assembly. The mirror casing includes a sidewall having an outer end region that circumscribes an open portion of the mirror casing. The outer end region includes a rounded outer surface curving between the open portion and a less-curved outer surface of the sidewall. The mirror reflective element is disposed at the open portion of the mirror casing. The mirror reflective element has a glass substrate having a rounded perimeter edge of at least 2.5 mm and a thickness of less than 2 mm. Curvature of the rounded outer surface of the outer end region of the sidewall matches curvature of the rounded perimeter edge of the glass substrate to provide a curved transition between a flat region at the front surface of the glass substrate and the less-curved outer surface of the sidewall of the mirror casing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror head comprising a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element;
a mounting assembly configured to mount at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, wherein the mirror head is adjustable relative to the mounting assembly via a pivot joint;
wherein the mirror casing comprises a sidewall having a wall thickness spanning between an inner surface of the sidewall and an outer surface of the sidewall;
wherein the sidewall comprises an outer end region that circumscribes an open portion of the mirror casing;
wherein the outer end region of the sidewall comprises a rounded outer surface curving between the open portion of the mirror casing and a less-curved outer surface of the sidewall;
wherein the mirror reflective element is disposed at the outer end region of the sidewall at the open portion of the mirror casing;
wherein the mirror reflective element comprises at least a first glass substrate, and wherein the first glass substrate has a front surface and a rear surface and a substrate thickness spanning between the front surface of the first glass substrate and the rear surface of the first glass substrate;
wherein, with the mounting assembly mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, the front surface is closer than the rear surface to a driver of the vehicle who is operating the vehicle;
wherein the first glass substrate comprises a flat region at the front surface and a rounded perimeter edge circumscribing the flat region and extending between the flat region and the rear surface;
wherein the rounded perimeter edge of the first glass substrate has a first radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm, and wherein the substrate thickness of the first glass substrate is less than 2 mm;
wherein, with the mounting assembly mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, the rounded perimeter edge of the first glass substrate is contactable by and is viewable by the driver of the vehicle;
wherein curvature of the rounded outer surface of the outer end region of the sidewall matches curvature of the rounded perimeter edge of the first glass substrate; and
wherein the rounded outside surface of the outer end region of the sidewall and the rounded perimeter edge of the first glass substrate combine to provide a curved transition between the flat region at the front surface of the first glass substrate and the less-curved outer surface of the sidewall of the mirror casing; and
wherein a circuit element is disposed in the mirror casing, and wherein the circuit element comprises a planar substrate and supports circuitry thereon, and wherein a plane of the planar substrate of the circuit element is non-parallel to a plane of the rear surface of the first glass substrate.

2. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein no portion of the mirror casing encroaches onto the rounded perimeter edge.

3. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rounded outer surface of the outer end region of the mirror casing has a second radius of curvature, and wherein the second radius of curvature matches the first radius of curvature.

4. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rear surface of the first glass substrate abuts at least a portion of the open portion of the mirror casing.

5. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mounting assembly comprises a single pivot joint mounting assembly.

6. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 5 , wherein the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprises circuitry disposed in the mirror casing, and wherein, with the mounting assembly mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, a wire harness is routed through the pivot joint to electrically connect the circuitry to a power source of the vehicle.

7. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mirror reflective element comprises an electro-optic mirror reflective element assembly comprising the first glass substrate and a second glass substrate, and wherein the rear surface of the first glass substrate has a transparent conductive coating established thereat, and wherein the second glass substrate has a mirror reflector disposed at a surface thereof, and wherein an electro-optic medium is sandwiched between and contacts the transparent conductive coating of the first glass substrate and the mirror reflector of the second glass substrate, and wherein the electro-optic medium is bounded by a perimeter seal.

8. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7 , wherein a first electrical connector is in electrically conductive continuity with the transparent conductive coating at the rear surface of the first glass substrate, and wherein a second electrical connector is in electrically conductive continuity with the mirror reflector at the second glass substrate, and wherein the first electrical connector comprises (i) a connector attaching portion for attaching the first electrical connector at the electro-optic mirror reflective element assembly and (ii) a conductor attaching portion for soldering or welding an electrical conductor to the first electrical connector, and wherein the conductor attaching portion is spaced from a plane of the connector attaching portion, and wherein an electrical conductor is electrically connected between the first electrical connector and reflectance control circuitry that is operable to vary the reflectance of the electro-optic mirror reflective element assembly.

9. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the interior portion of the vehicle comprises a region of a windshield of the vehicle.

10. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mirror reflective element comprises a prismatic mirror reflective element.

11. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror head comprising a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element;
wherein the mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element assembly comprising a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate, and wherein the first glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface and a first substrate thickness spanning between the first surface of the first glass substrate and the second surface of the first glass substrate, and wherein the second glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface separated by a thickness of the second glass substrate;
wherein the second surface of the first glass substrate has a transparent conductive coating disposed thereat, and wherein the third surface of the second glass substrate has an electrically conductive mirror reflector coating disposed thereat, and wherein an electrochromic medium is sandwiched between and contacts the transparent conductive coating of the first glass substrate and the electrically conductive mirror reflector coating of the second glass substrate, and wherein the electrochromic medium is bounded by a perimeter seal;
a mounting assembly configured to mount at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, wherein the mirror head is adjustable relative to the mounting assembly via a pivot joint;
wherein the mirror casing comprises a sidewall having a wall thickness spanning between an inner surface of the sidewall and an outer surface of the sidewall;
wherein the sidewall comprises an outer en

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Uken John T
• Larson Mark L
• Blank Rodney K
• Suchecki Joseph D
• Kendall Craig

Classifications

• B60R1/088 Primary

  using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors · CPC title