Rearview mirror assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327649-B2
Application number	US-201414202421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element having at least one glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said at least one glass substrate. The mirror assembly includes a display element disposed at the rear of the mirror reflective element and operable to emit light that is viewable through the mirror reflective element. The display element includes a printable light emitting diode. The mirror assembly may include at least one of (a) a printable electrically conductive layer at a surface of the at least one glass substrate, (b) a printable heater pad established at a rear surface of the at least one glass substrate, (c) a printable touch sensor and (d) a moldable light emitting diode element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror reflective element comprising at least one glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said at least one glass substrate;
a display element disposed at the rear of said mirror reflective element and operable to emit light that is viewable through said mirror reflective element;
wherein said display element comprises a printable light emitting diode;
a mirror back plate disposed at the rear of said mirror reflective element; and
wherein said mirror back plate comprises a three dimensional printed element and wherein said printable light emitting diode is established at said three dimensional printed element.

2. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said three dimensional printed element comprises a polymeric material and said printable light emitting diode comprises a pattern printable transparent conductive ink established at said three dimensional printed element.

3. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 2 , wherein said rearview mirror assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror assembly for mounting at an exterior side of a vehicle, and wherein said printable light emitting diode is established as one of (i) a printed integrated turn signal indicator and (ii) a printed integrated blind zone detection system indicator element.

4. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said rearview mirror assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror assembly for mounting at an exterior side of a vehicle.

5. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 4 , wherein said display element comprises a printable heater pad established at a rear surface of said at least one glass substrate.

6. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said display element comprises pattern printable transparent conductive ink established at a substrate.

7. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said display element comprises at least one of (i) a printable electrically conductive layer at a surface of said at least one glass substrate, (ii) a printable touch sensor and (iii) a moldable light emitting diode element.

8. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a single glass substrate.

9. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises an electro-optic mirror reflective element and wherein said at least one glass substrate comprises front and rear substrates joined together with an electro-optic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates.

10. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said display element is operable to display information for at least one of (i) a compass system of the vehicle, (ii) a driver assistance system of the vehicle, (iii) a back up assist system of the vehicle and (iv) a video display operable to display video images of image data captured by at least one camera of the vehicle.

11. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror reflective element comprising a glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said glass substrate;
a mirror back plate disposed at the rear of said mirror reflective element;
a display element disposed at said mirror back plate and operable to emit light that is viewable through said mirror reflective element;
wherein said display element comprises a printable light emitting diode that is printed at a surface of said mirror back plate;
wherein said rearview mirror assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror assembly for mounting at an exterior side of a vehicle; and
wherein said mirror back plate comprises a three dimensional printed element comprising a polymeric material and wherein said printable light emitting diode comprises a pattern printable transparent conductive ink.

12. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 11 , wherein said printable light emitting diode is established as one of (i) a printed integrated turn signal indicator and (ii) a printed integrated blind zone detection system indicator element.

13. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12 , wherein a printable heater pad is established at a rear surface of said at least one glass substrate.

14. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 11 , wherein said display element is operable to provide at least one of (i) a turn signal indicator and (ii) a blind zone alert.

15. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror reflective element comprising a glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said glass substrate;
a mirror back plate disposed at the rear of said mirror reflective element;
a display element disposed at said mirror back plate and operable to emit light that is viewable through said mirror reflective element;
wherein said display element comprises a printable light emitting diode that is printed at one of (i) a surface of said mirror back plate and (ii) a rear surface of said glass substrate;
wherein said mirror back plate comprises a three dimensional printed element, and wherein said three dimensional printed element comprises a polymeric material, and wherein said printable light emitting diode comprises a pattern printable transparent conductive ink established at said three dimensional printed element.

16. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 15 , wherein said display element comprises at least one of (i) a printable electrically conductive layer at said rear surface of said at least one glass substrate, (ii) a printable touch sensor and (iii) a moldable light emitting diode element.

17. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 15 , wherein said display element is operable to display information for at least one of (i) a compass system of the vehicle, (ii) a driver assistance system of the vehicle, (iii) a back up assist system of the vehicle and (iv) a video display operable to display video images of image data captured by at least one camera of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Habibi Hamid

Classifications

• B60Q1/34

  for indicating change of drive direction (B60Q1/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R1/088

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

• B60R1/06

  mounted on vehicle exterior {(B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R1/1207 Primary

  with lamps; with turn indicators · CPC title

• B60R2001/1215

  with information displays · CPC title