Vehicular exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly
First Claim
1. An exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly comprising:
- an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element;
wherein said electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element comprises a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear glass substrates;
wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate;
wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of said third surface of said rear glass substrate;
wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film;
wherein said first metal thin film is formed of a first metal material and said second metal thin film is formed of a second metal material;
wherein said first metal material of said first metal thin film is different than said second metal material of said second metal thin film;
wherein said mirror reflector provides at least 55 percent photopic reflectance measured in accordance with Society of Automotive Engineers test procedure SAE J964a;
wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear glass substrate and said second surface of said front glass substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal;
wherein width of said perimeter seal is at least 0.5 mm;
wherein no part of said rear glass substrate extends beyond any part of said front glass substrate;
wherein at least a perimeter edge portion of said rear glass substrate is inward of a corresponding perimeter edge portion of said front glass substrate by at least 0.1 mm;
wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front glass substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer;
wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one metal thin film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive;
wherein said perimeter layer conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle normally viewing said front glass substrate when said exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly is mounted in an exterior mirror assembly attached at an exterior portion of the vehicle;
wherein at least a portion of said mirror reflector extends from under said perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of said perimeter edge of said rear glass substrate;
wherein light that reflects off of said mirror reflector and passes through said electrochromic medium and said front glass substrate has an untinted reflectant characteristic to a viewer normally viewing said front glass substrate of said electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to said electrochromic medium; and
wherein said rear glass substrate has a thickness of 0.063 inches or less.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element includes front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate. The perimeter layer conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of the front substrate. At least a portion of the mirror reflector disposed at at least a portion of the third surface of the rear substrate extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films that includes at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film.
1578 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly comprising:
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an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element; wherein said electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element comprises a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear glass substrates; wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate; wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of said third surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film; wherein said first metal thin film is formed of a first metal material and said second metal thin film is formed of a second metal material; wherein said first metal material of said first metal thin film is different than said second metal material of said second metal thin film; wherein said mirror reflector provides at least 55 percent photopic reflectance measured in accordance with Society of Automotive Engineers test procedure SAE J964a; wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear glass substrate and said second surface of said front glass substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein width of said perimeter seal is at least 0.5 mm; wherein no part of said rear glass substrate extends beyond any part of said front glass substrate; wherein at least a perimeter edge portion of said rear glass substrate is inward of a corresponding perimeter edge portion of said front glass substrate by at least 0.1 mm; wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front glass substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer; wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one metal thin film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive; wherein said perimeter layer conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle normally viewing said front glass substrate when said exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly is mounted in an exterior mirror assembly attached at an exterior portion of the vehicle; wherein at least a portion of said mirror reflector extends from under said perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of said perimeter edge of said rear glass substrate; wherein light that reflects off of said mirror reflector and passes through said electrochromic medium and said front glass substrate has an untinted reflectant characteristic to a viewer normally viewing said front glass substrate of said electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to said electrochromic medium; and wherein said rear glass substrate has a thickness of 0.063 inches or less. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly comprising:
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an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element; wherein said electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element comprises a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear glass substrates; wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate; wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of said third surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film; wherein said first metal thin film is formed of a first metal material and said second metal thin film is formed of a second metal material; wherein said first metal material of said first metal thin film is different than said second metal material of said second metal thin film; wherein said mirror reflector provides at least 55 percent photopic reflectance measured in accordance with Society of Automotive Engineers test procedure SAE J964a; wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear glass substrate and said second surface of said front glass substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein width of said perimeter seal is at least 0.5 mm and wherein width of said perimeter seal is not greater than 3 mm; wherein no part of said rear glass substrate extends beyond any part of said front glass substrate; wherein at least a perimeter edge portion of said rear glass substrate is inward of a corresponding perimeter edge portion of said front glass substrate by at least 0.1 mm; wherein the at least a perimeter edge portion of said rear glass substrate is inward of the corresponding perimeter edge portion of said front glass substrate by no greater than 2 mm; wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front glass substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer; wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one metal thin film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive; wherein said perimeter layer conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle normally viewing said front glass substrate when said exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly is mounted in an exterior mirror assembly attached at an exterior portion of the vehicle; wherein at least a portion of said mirror reflector extends from under said perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of said perimeter edge of said rear glass substrate; and wherein light that reflects off of said mirror reflector and passes through said electrochromic medium and said front glass substrate has an untinted reflectant characteristic to a viewer normally viewing said front glass substrate of said electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to said electrochromic medium. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly comprising:
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an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element; wherein said electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element comprises a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear glass substrates; wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate; wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of said third surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film; wherein said first metal thin film is formed of a first metal material and said second metal thin film is formed of a second metal material; wherein said first metal material of said first metal thin film is different than said second metal material of said second metal thin film; wherein said mirror reflector provides at least 55 percent photopic reflectance measured in accordance with Society of Automotive Engineers test procedure SAE J964a; wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear glass substrate and said second surface of said front glass substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein width of said perimeter seal is at least 0.5 mm and wherein width of said perimeter seal is not greater than 3 mm; wherein no part of said rear glass substrate extends beyond any part of said front glass substrate; wherein at least a perimeter edge portion of said rear glass substrate is inward of a corresponding perimeter edge portion of said front glass substrate by at least 0.1 mm; wherein the at least a perimeter edge portion of said rear glass substrate is inward of the corresponding perimeter edge portion of said front glass substrate by no greater than 2 mm; wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front glass substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer; wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one metal thin film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive; wherein said perimeter layer conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle normally viewing said front glass substrate when said exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly is mounted in an exterior mirror assembly attached at an exterior portion of the vehicle; wherein at least a portion of said mirror reflector extends from under said perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of said perimeter edge of said rear glass substrate; wherein light that reflects off of said mirror reflector and passes through said electrochromic medium and said front glass substrate has an untinted reflectant characteristic to a viewer normally viewing said front glass substrate of said electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to said electrochromic medium; and wherein electrically conductive epoxy is in electrical contact with said at least a portion of said mirror reflector that extends from under said perimeter seal outward towards said at least a portion of said perimeter edge of said rear glass substrate. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification