Reflective coatings and mirrors using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017158138-A1
Application number	US-201715439188-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 22, 2017
Priority date	Jan 24, 2012
Publication date	Jun 8, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mirror having a backing plate or polymeric substrate being coated with a reflective coating, for example a chromium-based reflective coating. A mirror assembly includes a mirror housing, a reflective element having a first field of view, a reflective coating having a second field of view, the second field of view being wider than the first field of view, and a multi-function backing plate supported by the mirror housing and comprising a reflective element supporting region where the reflective element is supported by the multi-function backing plate and a reflective coating supporting region where the reflective coating is applied to the backing plate.

First claim

1 . A mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
a mirror housing; a reflective element having a first field of view; a reflective coating having a second field of view, the second field of view being wider than the first field of view; a multi-function backing plate being placed in the mirror housing and comprising a reflective element supporting region where the reflective element is supported by the multi-function backing plate and a reflective coating supporting region where the reflective coating is applied to the backing plate.

2 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating supporting region is convex so that the reflective coating is convex and provide a wider field of view.

3 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective element supporting region includes a recess for receiving the reflective element, and the reflective coating supporting region is thicker than the reflective element supporting region.

4 . The mirror assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a shoulder being provided between the reflective element supporting region and the thicker reflective coating supporting region.

5 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating is a chromium-based reflective coating.

6 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating is an alloy of chromium and a dopant material, the dopant material being selected from the hexagonally close-packed transition metals, the alloy having a crystal structure of a primary body-centered cubic phase in coexistence with a secondary omega hexagonally close-packed phase.

7 . The mirror assembly of claim 6 , wherein the alloy is a binary alloy of chromium and the dopant material.

8 . The mirror assembly of claim 7 , wherein the atomic percentage of the dopant material in the binary alloy is in the range of from about 1.9 at. % to about 5.8 at. %.

9 . The mirror assembly of claim 6 , wherein the dopant material is selected from the hexagonally close-packed transition metals zirconium, titanium, cobalt, hafnium, rubidium, yttrium and osmium.

10 . The mirror assembly of claim 6 , wherein the dopant material is selected from the hexagonally close-packed transition metals zirconium, titanium, cobalt, hafnium, rubidium, yttrium and osmium.

11 . The mirror assembly of claim 6 , wherein the alloy is a binary alloy and the dopant material is zirconium, and wherein the atomic percentage of the zirconium in the binary alloy is in the range of from about 4.5 at. % to about 5.8 at. %.

12 . The mirror assembly of claim 6 , wherein the alloy is a binary alloy and the dopant material is titanium, and wherein the atomic percentage of the titanium in the binary alloy is in the range of from about 1.9 at. % to about 5.8 at. %.

13 . The mirror assembly of claim 6 , wherein the alloy is a binary alloy and the dopant material is cobalt, and wherein the atomic percentage of the cobalt in the binary alloy is in the range of from about 1.9 at. % to 5.7 at. %.

14 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating has a thickness of 200 nm or less.

15 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the reflective coating is 100 nm or less.

16 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the reflective coating is in the range of from 40 nm to 80 nm.

17 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the reflective coating is in the range of from 50 nm to 70 nm.

18 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the reflective coating is about 60 nm.

19 . A mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:
a mirror housing; a reflective coating having a field of view; a multi-function backing plate being placed in the mirror housing and comprising a reflective coating supporting region where the reflective coating is applied directly to a surface of the backing plate.

20 . The mirror assembly of claim 19 , further comprising a reflective element, wherein the multi-function backing plate further comprises a reflective element supporting region and the reflective element is mounted to the reflective element supporting region.

21 . The mirror assembly of claim 19 , wherein the reflective coating is a chromium-based reflective coating.

22 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating supporting region of the backing plate is elevated with respect to and overlapping with the reflective element supporting region.

23 . The mirror assembly of claim 22 , further comprising an inclined shoulder that is provided between the reflective element supporting region and the reflective coating supporting region such that the reflective coating supporting region of the backing plate is elevated with respect to and overlapping with the reflective element supporting region.

24 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an inclined shoulder that is provided between the reflective element supporting region and the reflective coating supporting region such that the reflective coating supporting region of the backing plate is elevated with respect to and overlapping with the reflective element supporting region.

25 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating supporting region of the backing plate is formed as part of an actuator that is configured to separately control movement of the reflective coating with respect to the reflective element.

26 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflective coating supporting region and the reflective element supporting region are both flat and formed on adjacent surfaces, and the mirror assembly further comprises an intermediate support formed between the flat reflective coating supporting region for supporting the reflective coating.

27 . The mirror assembly of claim 26 , wherein the intermediate support has a convex outer surface so that the reflective coating is convex and provides a wider field of view.

Assignees

• Smr Patents Sarl

Inventors

• Field Simon David
• Herrmann Andreas

Classifications

• G02B1/02

  made of crystals, e.g. rock-salt, semi-conductors (G02B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R1/081 Primary

  avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors · CPC title

• B60R1/062

  with remote control for adjusting position {(B60R1/0607 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60Q1/381

  with several light sources activated in sequence, e.g. to create a sweep effect · CPC title

• B60R1/08 Primary

  involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots {, e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors (B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence)} · CPC title