REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLE
First Claim
1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- an electrochromic reflective element comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate having an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal;
wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface;
wherein said first surface of said front glass substrate faces generally towards a driver of a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror assembly when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted and is viewed by the driver when normally operating the vehicle;
wherein said reflective element comprises a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate and wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear glass substrate;
wherein said electrochromic medium contacts said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front glass substrate and said mirror reflector at said third surface of said rear glass substrate;
wherein said reflective element comprises a resin material disposed at least at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate;
wherein, while said resin material is in its uncured state at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate, an electrical connector is engaged with said uncured resin material at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate; and
wherein said electrical connector is electrically conductively connected with said resin material and said electrical connector is substantially affixed at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate via curing of said resin material while said electrical connector is engaged with said resin material.
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Abstract
A rearview mirror assembly includes an electrochromic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween. The reflective element includes a resin material disposed at least at a portion of a fourth surface of the rear substrate. While the resin material is in its uncured state at the rear substrate, an electrical connector is engaged with the uncured resin material. The electrical connector is electrically conductively connected with the resin material and is substantially affixed at the fourth surface of the rear substrate via curing of the resin material while the electrical connector is engaged with the resin material. The electrical connector may establish electrical conductivity between the cured resin material and one of (i) a transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface of the front substrate and (ii) a mirror reflector at the third surface of the rear substrate.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate having an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface; wherein said first surface of said front glass substrate faces generally towards a driver of a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror assembly when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted and is viewed by the driver when normally operating the vehicle; wherein said reflective element comprises a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate and wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein said electrochromic medium contacts said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front glass substrate and said mirror reflector at said third surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein said reflective element comprises a resin material disposed at least at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein, while said resin material is in its uncured state at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate, an electrical connector is engaged with said uncured resin material at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate; and wherein said electrical connector is electrically conductively connected with said resin material and said electrical connector is substantially affixed at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate via curing of said resin material while said electrical connector is engaged with said resin material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate having an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface; wherein said first surface of said front substrate faces generally towards a driver of a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror assembly when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted and is viewed by the driver when normally operating the vehicle; wherein said reflective element comprises a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at said second surface of said front substrate and wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said electrochromic medium contacts said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate and said mirror reflector at said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said reflective element comprises a resin material disposed at least at said fourth surface of said rear substrate, and wherein said resin material comprises an electrically conductive silver epoxy; wherein, while said resin material is in its uncured state at said fourth surface of said rear substrate, an electrical connector is engaged with said uncured resin material at said fourth surface of said rear substrate; wherein said electrical connector is electrically conductively connected with said resin material and said electrical connector is substantially affixed at said fourth surface of said rear substrate via curing of said resin material while said electrical connector is engaged with said resin material; and wherein said electrical connector establishes, at least in part, electrical conductivity between said cured resin material and one of (i) said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate and (ii) said mirror reflector at said third surface of said rear substrate. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate having an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface; wherein said first surface of said front substrate faces generally towards a driver of a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror assembly when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted and is viewed by the driver when normally operating the vehicle; wherein said reflective element comprises a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at said second surface of said front substrate and wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said electrochromic medium contacts said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate and said mirror reflector at said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said reflective element comprises a resin material disposed at least at said fourth surface of said rear substrate; wherein, while said resin material is in its uncured state at said fourth surface of said rear substrate, an electrical connector is engaged with said uncured resin material at said fourth surface of said rear substrate; wherein said electrical connector is electrically conductively connected with said resin material and said electrical connector is substantially affixed at said fourth surface of said rear substrate via curing of said resin material while said electrical connector is engaged with said resin material; and wherein said resin material and said perimeter seal are cured via a common curing process. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate having an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface; wherein said first surface of said front glass substrate faces generally towards a driver of a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror assembly when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted and is viewed by the driver when normally operating the vehicle; wherein said reflective element comprises a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at said second surface of said front glass substrate and wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein said electrochromic medium contacts said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front glass substrate and said mirror reflector at said third surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein said reflective element comprises a resin material disposed at least at a perimeter region of said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate; wherein, while said resin material is in its uncured state at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate, an electrical connector is engaged with said uncured resin material at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate; and wherein said electrical connector is electrically conductively connected with said resin material and said electrical connector is substantially affixed at said fourth surface of said rear glass substrate via curing of said resin material while said electrical connector is engaged with said resin material. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification