Rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle

• US 20020027727A1
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Inventors: Centmayer, Stefan, Lang, Heinrich, Seiboth, Wolfgang
• Application Number:
  US09/760,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20020027727A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/879
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

Proposed is a rearview mirror in which a reflective coating (16) is found on the outer side (12) of a mirror carrier (6). This carrier (6) then, no longer serves for the support of a separate mirror element, for instance, a glass plate or the like and further the carrier (6) is not provided on its own inner surface (14) with the reflective coating (16). In other words, the carrier (6), that is, the material of the carrier (6), need not show any special qualities of an optical nature. Thus, preparatory steps for the machining and finishing of the inner surface (14), such as polishing, before application of the reflective coating (16), which steps are expensive in time and cost, can be dispensed with, since the reflective coating (16) is, in the present invention, directly on the outside (12) of the said carrier.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror, especially for motor vehicles, with

a support arm

a housing (4) affixed to said support arm

a mirror element placed on or within said housing (4),

which said mirror element has a plastic carrier (2, 6) possessing a outer, or front side (12) proximal to the outside of the housing 4 and possessing an inner, or back side (14) proximal to the interior of the housing (4), and upon which carrier a reflective coating (16) is applied, therein characterized, in that the reflective coating (16) is applied on the said front side (12).

2. A rearview mirror in accord with claim 1, therein characterized, in that the reflective coating (16) is covered by a transparent protective layer, especially a layer of silicate.

3. A rearview mirror in accord with claim 1 or claim 2, therein characterized, in that the reflective coating (16) is comprised of chromium, aluminum, titanium or alloys of said elements.

4. A rearview mirror in accord with one of the foregoing claims, therein characterized, in that, the carrier (6) possesses one-piece, integrally molded securement elements (8, 10) for attachment on or within the housing (4).

5. A rearview mirror in accord with one of the foregoing claims, characterized by a positioning adjustment mechanism for the pivoting of the housing (4) together with the mirror element (6, 16) or alternately for the pivoting of the said mirror element (6, 16) within the housing (4).

6. A rearview mirror in accord with one of the foregoing claims, therein characterized, in that the carrier (6) is composed of an opaque plastic.