Electrochromic mirrors and devices
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrochromic rearview mirror element for a motor vehicle comprises a first substantially transparent front substrate having a first and a second surface (and with a substantially transparent conductive electrode on its second surface) and a rear substrate having a third and a fourth surface. The rear substrate is positioned in spaced-apart relationship with the front substrate and with its third surface opposing the second surface of the front substrate. A mirror reflector is disposed on the third surface and a seal is positioned toward a peripheral edge of the substrates forming a cavity therebetween. An electrochromic medium is disposed in the cavity. The mirror reflector preferably comprises a metal layer that reflects at least about 70% of visible light. A display device can be disposed behind the rear substrate. The display device preferably exhibits, when electrically powered, a display luminance of at least about 30 foot lamberts as measured with the display device placed behind, and emitting light through, the electrochromic medium and with the electrochromic medium in its bleached state.
189 Citations
153 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
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17. An electrochromic rearview mirror element suitable for use in a motor vehicle, said electrochromic mirror element comprising;
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(a) a first substantially transparent front substrate having a first and a second surface and with a substantially transparent conductive electrode disposed on its second surface;
(b) a rear substrate having a third and a fourth surface, said rear substrate positioned in spaced-apart relationship with said front substrate and with the third surface of said rear substrate opposing the second surface of said front substrate;
(c) a reflecting mirror reflector disposed on the third surface of said rear substrate;
(d) a seal positioned toward a peripheral edge of each of said front substrate and said rear substrate and forming a cavity therebetween;
(e) an electrochromic medium disposed in said cavity and contacting said substantially transparent conductive electrode of said front substrate and said reflecting mirror reflector of said rear substrate;
(f) said mirror reflector comprising at least one metal layer, said metal layer reflecting at least about 70% of visible light incident thereon;
(g) a display device disposed behind said fourth surface of said rear substrate such that light emitted by said display device passes through said rear substrate, through said electrochromic medium and through said front substrate when said display device is electrically powered; and
(h) said display device exhibiting, when electrically powered, a display luminance of at least about 30 foot lamberts as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, said electrochromic medium and with said electrochromic medium in its bleached state. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. An electrochromic rearview mirror element suitable for use in a motor vehicle, said electrochromic mirror element comprising;
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(a) a first substantially transparent front substrate having a first and a second surface and with a substantially transparent conductive electrode disposed on its second surface;
(b) a rear substrate having a third and a fourth surface, said rear substrate positioned in spaced-apart relationship with said front substrate and with the third surface of said rear substrate opposing the second surface of said front substrate;
(c) a reflecting mirror reflector disposed on the third surface of said rear substrate;
(d) a seal positioned toward a peripheral edge of each of said front substrate and said rear substrate and forming a cavity therebetween;
(e) an electrochromic medium disposed in said cavity and contacting said substantially transparent conductive electrode of said front substrate and said reflecting mirror reflector of said rear substrate;
(f) said mirror reflector comprising at least one metal layer;
(g) a display device disposed behind said fourth surface of said rear substrate such that light emitted by said display device passes through said rear substrate, through said electrochromic medium and through said front substrate when said display device is electrically powered;
(h) wherein said metal layer is undercoated with an undercoating layer, said undercoating layer disposed closer to the third surface of said rear substrate than said metal layer; and
(i) wherein said undercoating layer comprises a conductive metal oxide layer. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115)
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116. An electrochromic rearview mirror element suitable for use in a motor vehicle, said electrochromic mirror element comprising;
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(a) a first substantially transparent front substrate having a first and a second surface and with a substantially transparent conductive electrode disposed on its second surface;
(b) a rear substrate having a third and a fourth surface, said rear substrate positioned in spaced-apart relationship with said front substrate and with the third surface of said rear substrate opposing the second surface of said front substrate;
(c) a reflecting mirror reflector disposed on the third surface of said rear substrate;
(d) a seal positioned toward a peripheral edge of each of said front substrate and said rear substrate and forming a cavity therebetween;
(e) an electrochromic medium disposed in said cavity and contacting said substantially transparent conductive electrode of said front substrate and said reflecting mirror reflector of said rear substrate;
(f) said mirror reflector comprising at least one metal layer;
(g) wherein said front substrate and said rear substrate are generally sized and shaped so as to be generally flush in said spaced-apart relationship, and wherein said front substrate is dimensioned larger than said rear substrate so that peripheral edges of said front substrate extend beyond corresponding peripheral edges of said rear substrate when said front substrate and said rear substrate are joined by said seal; and
(h) wherein said rearview mirror element comprises a vehicular exterior rearview mirror element having an area greater than about 140 square centimeters and wherein said front substrate has a substrate thickness of less than about 0.075″ and
wherein said rear substrate has a substrate thickness of less than about 0.075″
. - View Dependent Claims (117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153)
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143-1. The electrochromic mirror element according to claim 116, wherein one of said front substrate and said rear substrate is thinner than the other of said front substrate and said rear substrate.
- 145. The electrochromic mirror element according to claim 144, wherein the substrate thickness of said one of said front substrate and said rear substrate is about 0.043″
Specification
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Current AssigneeDonnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
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Original AssigneeDonnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
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InventorsHabibi, Hamid, Zhao, Mingtang, V. Varaprasad, Desaraju, A. McCabe, Ian, R. Lynam, Niall, A. Dornan, Craig
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Granted Patent
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Time in Patent OfficeDays
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Field of Search
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US Class Current359/604
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CPC Class CodesB32B 17/06 comprising glass as the mai...B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass ...B32B 17/10293 Edge features, e.g. inserts...B32B 17/10513 Electrochromic layerB60J 3/04 adjustable in transparencyB60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighti...B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R...B60R 1/082 using a single wide field m...B60R 1/088 using a cell of electricall...B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined ...B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indic...B60R 2001/1215 with information displaysG02F 1/1516 comprising organic materialG02F 1/1524 Transition metal compoundsG02F 1/1525 characterised by a particul...
