Rearview mirror with integrated frame

• US 20040196577A1
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Fogg, Jeremy A., Ypma, Kenton J., Rumsey, Wayne, Carter, John W., Bostwick, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/182 for mirrors

Abstract

An electrochromic mirror includes an integrated internal plate frame with an electrochromic mirror subassembly adhered to its flat front surface, electrical components supported on a rear with the frame acting as a heat sink and EMI/RFI shield, and a back cover supported on the plate frame. The subassembly is uniformly supported across the front surface of the plate frame for good mirror impact resistance. The mirror is supported by an angularly adjustable ball-and-socket connection. In one embodiment, the ball is formed integrally on the plate frame. The present mirror is surprisingly thin, with at least 50% of the depth dimensions being less than about 3.0 centimeters.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

an integrated plate frame;

an electrochromic mirror subassembly including at least one glass element and electrochromic material, the subassembly being supported on a front of the plate frame;

a circuit configured to operate the electrochromic material supported by the plate frame; and

a cover supported by the plate frame and covering at least one of the rear and edges of the plate frame.

2. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the cover encloses and covers a rear of the plate frame, and including a bezel that covers an edge of the glass elements of the electrochromic mirror subassembly.

3. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the EC mirror subassembly is supported against a flat front surface of the plate frame.

4. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the electrochromic mirror subassembly is adhered to a flat front of the plate frame.

5. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, including adhesive attaching the mirror subassembly to the plate frame.

6. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the rearview mirror comprises an internal rearview mirror and including a mount operably attached to plate frame of the mirror for adjustably supporting the mirror.

7. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the plate frame includes one of a ball section and socket for forming an adjustable connection for supporting the mirror.

8. The rearview mirror defined in claim 7, wherein the plate frame includes the ball section, with the ball section extending from a rear of the plate frame.

9. The rearview mirror defined in claim 8, including a wireway hole through the ball section.

10. The rearview mirror defined in claim 9, wherein the plate frame includes stem, and includes an aperture in stem for lateral passage of wires.

11. The rearview mirror defined in claim 7, wherein the ball section is integrally formed from material of the plate frame.

12. The rearview mirror defined in claim 7, wherein the plate frame includes an aperture for passthrough of wires.

13. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the circuit includes an electrical power-using device mounted directly to plate frame.

14. The rearview mirror defined in claim 13, wherein the plate frame acts as one of a heat sink and a ground for the electrical power-using device.

15. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the plate frame includes an aperture that forms a window, and including a display positioned in the window for viewing from a front of the mirror.

16. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, including a button mounted on the plate frame.

17. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the plate frame is made of metal.

18. The rearview mirror defined in claim 17, wherein the plate frame is made of steel.

19. The rearview mirror defined in claim 17, wherein the plate frame is made of one of deep-draw steel and magnesium.

20. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the plate frame extends at least 80% of a total width of the mirror subassembly and at least 80% of a total height of the mirror subassembly and the cover.

21. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, including an electrical device supported on the plate frame that gives off EMI/RFI emissions, and wherein the plate frame acts as an EMI/RFI shield to block the EMI/RFI emissions.

22. The rearview mirror defined in claim 21, wherein the plate frame includes a tab bent from the plate frame that forms an overhang over the electrical device to block the EMI/RFI emissions.

23. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the plate frame includes a wire-management structure for containing and managing wires and for assisting in the routing of the wires.

24. The rearview mirror defined in claim 23, wherein the wire-management structure includes a channel.

25. The rearview mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the cover is concavely-shaped and comprises a back cover that encloses at least a rear of the plate frame.

26. A rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

an internal metal structural backing plate having a flat front surface; and

an electrochromic mirror subassembly including front and rear glass elements and electrochromic material therebetween, the subassembly being uniformly supported on the front surface of the metal backing plate for impact resistance.

27. The rearview mirror defined in claim 26, wherein the electrochromic mirror subassembly is adhered to the backing plate.

28. The rearview mirror defined in claim 26, including double-sided adhesive tape adhering the electrochromic mirror subassembly to the backing plate.

29. The rearview mirror defined in claim 26, including electrical devices mounted to the backing plate.

30. The rearview mirror defined in claim 29, wherein the backing plate acts as a heat sink for the electrical devices.

31. The rearview mirror defined in claim 29, wherein at least some of the electrical devices generate EMI and RFI emissions, and wherein the backing plate acts as an EMI/RFI shield.

32. The rearview mirror defined in claim 26, wherein the backing plate includes wire-management features for managing and locating wires and for assisting in routing the wires.

33. The rearview mirror defined in claim 26, wherein the backing plate includes a channel formed therein.

34. The rearview mirror defined in claim 26, wherein the backing plate includes one of a ball section and a socket for forming a ball-and-socket connection for adjustably attaching the backing plate to a support component.

35. The rearview mirror defined in claim 34, wherein the one of the ball section and the socket of the ball-and-socket connection is integrally formed from material of the backing plate.

36. The rearview mirror defined in claim 26, including a bezel covering edges of the backing plate and the mirror subassembly.

37. A rearview mirror apparatus for vehicles comprising:

a mirror including an internal frame having a front surface, and an electrochromic mirror subassembly supported on the front surface;

a mount adapted to support the mirror in a vehicle; and

an angularly-adjustable connector adjustably supporting the mirror on the mount, the angularly-adjustable connector including a ball section and a socket-defining section, with the ball section being formed on one of the internal frame and the mount, and the socket-defining section being formed on the other of the internal frame and the mount;

the socket-defining section receiving and supporting the ball section for angular adjustment, but engaging the ball section with sufficient force and friction to hold the mirror in a selected angular position once the mirror is released by a vehicle driver.

38. The apparatus defined in claim 37, wherein the socket-defining section includes a casing connected to plate frame and a bearing positioned within the casing.

39. The apparatus defined in claim 38, wherein the casing is formed of material that is contiguous and continuous with material of plate frame.

40. The apparatus defined in claim 39, wherein the plate frame material is deep-draw material, and the casing is a tubular section deep-drawn from the material of the plate frame.

41. A rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

an internal metal plate;

an electrochromic mirror subassembly supported in front of the plate; and

an electrical circuit supported by the metal plate and operably connected to the electrochromic mirror subassembly, the metal plate having heat conduction properties and acting as a heat sink for the circuit.

42. A rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

an internal metal plate;

an electrochromic mirror subassembly supported in front of the plate; and

an electrical circuit supported by the metal plate and operably connected to the electrochromic mirror subassembly, the electrical circuit including electrical devices that generate at least one of EMI emissions and RFI emissions, and the metal plate having an integrally-formed section shaped to at least partially cover and shield the electrical device to reduce EMI and RFI emissions.

43. A rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

a mirror subassembly;

a frame supporting the mirror subassembly;

a cover attached to the frame and covering a back and edges of the mirror subassembly; and

the mirror subassembly forming a front surface and the cover forming a rear surface of the mirror, the front and rear surfaces including areas defining a plurality of different depth dimensions, with at least 50% of the depth dimensions being less than about 3 centimeters.

44. The rearview mirror defined in claim 43, wherein each end section is 25% of total width, and each end section is less than 3-cm depth.

45. The rearview mirror defined in claim 43, wherein at least 50% of the depth dimensions are less than about 2 centimeters.

46. A rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

an internal plate;

a back cover supported by the plate and covering a rear of the plate;

an electrochromic mirror element supported in front of the plate;

at least one button operably supported by the plate; and

an electrical circuit supported by the plate and operably connected to the button for controlling an electrical feature of the vehicle.

47. A plate frame adapted for use in a rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

an internal plate frame including a smooth front surface adapted for supporting a rearview mirror element; and

an integrally-formed protrusion extending rearwardly from the plate, the protrusion including a stem and a ball section on an end of the stem that is adapted to form a ball-and-socket connection for angularly and adjustably supporting the internal plate and mirror elements attached to and supported by the internal plate.

48. A mirror comprising the frame defined in claim 47, and including an electrochromic mirror subassembly attached to the smooth front surface and further including a mount having a socket operably engaging the ball section for angular adjustment.

49. A plate frame adapted for use in a rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

an internal plate frame including a smooth front surface adapted for supporting a rearview mirror element;

an integrally-formed tubular section extending rearwardly from the plate; and

bearings forming a socket in an end of the tubular section, the bearings being adapted to receive a ball section to form a ball-and-socket connection for angularly and adjustably supporting the internal plate frame and the rearview mirror element on a mirror mount having the ball section.

50. A rearview mirror for vehicles comprising:

an internal plate frame having a smooth front surface;

a reflector layer on the front surface;

an electrochromic material covering the reflector layer; and

a glass element on the electrochromic material that contains the electrochromic material on the reflector layer against the front surface.

51. The mirror defined in claim 50, including an electrical circuit supported by the plate frame and operably connected to the electrochromic material for controlling the electrochromic material of the vehicle.