REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY

• US 20130088884A1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: De Wind, Darryl P., Brummel, Mark R., Huizen, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,475,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/494
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

A rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element, a front mirror casing portion configured to receive the mirror reflective element, a rear mirror casing and a mirror backplate. The mirror backplate includes a generally planar attachment portion for attaching at a rear surface of the mirror reflective element and includes a perimeter flange circumscribing a perimeter of the generally planar attachment portion. The perimeter flange is partially received in the rear mirror casing portion and partially received in the front mirror casing portion, and the perimeter flange couples the front and rear mirror casing portions to the mirror backplate.

Claims

1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror reflective element;

a rear mirror casing;

a mirror backplate;

wherein said mirror backplate includes a generally planar attachment portion for attaching at a rear surface of said mirror reflective element and includes a pivot element for pivotally mounting said interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle, and wherein said pivot element and said generally planar attachment portion are integrally formed to establish a unitary mirror backplate;

wherein said pivot element comprises a socket element for receiving a ball member of a mirror mounting assembly; and

wherein said mirror backplate comprises a perimeter flange and wherein said rear mirror casing is configured to at least partially receive said perimeter flange and is configured to attach to said perimeter flange.

2. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, comprising a front casing portion configured to at least partially receive a front portion of said perimeter flange of said mirror backplate and configured to attach to said perimeter flange.

3. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 2, wherein said front casing portion comprises a plurality of tabs that are received in respective apertures established at said perimeter flange to attach said front casing portion to said mirror backplate.

4. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 3, wherein said rear mirror casing comprises a plurality of tabs that are received in respective apertures established at said perimeter flange of said mirror backplate to attach said rear mirror casing to said mirror backplate.

5. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said rear mirror casing comprises a plurality of tabs that are received in respective apertures established at said perimeter flange of said mirror backplate to attach said rear mirror casing to said mirror backplate.

6. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, comprising a perimeter lighting device operable to illuminate at least one of (i) a perimeter region of said rear mirror casing and (ii) a perimeter region of said mirror reflective element, wherein said perimeter lighting device comprises at least one illumination source and a light directing element configured to direct light emitted by said at least one illumination source generally toward said at least one of (i) a perimeter region of said rear mirror casing and (ii) a perimeter region of said mirror reflective element.

7. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror reflective element;

a front mirror casing portion configured to receive said mirror reflective element;

a rear mirror casing portion;

a mirror backplate;

wherein said mirror backplate includes a generally planar attachment portion for attaching at a rear surface of said mirror reflective element and includes a perimeter flange circumscribing a perimeter of said generally planar attachment portion; and

wherein said perimeter flange is partially received in said rear mirror casing portion and partially received in said front mirror casing portion, and wherein said perimeter flange couples said front and rear mirror casing portions to said mirror backplate.

8. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said rear mirror casing portion comprises a plurality of tabs that are received in respective apertures established at said perimeter flange to attach said rear mirror casing portion to said mirror backplate.

9. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 8, wherein said front mirror casing portion comprises a plurality of tabs that are received in respective apertures established at said perimeter flange to attach said front mirror casing portion to said mirror backplate.

10. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said rear mirror casing portion comprises a forward opening for partially receiving said perimeter flange and said front mirror casing portion comprises a rearward opening for partially receiving said perimeter flange, and wherein a forward perimeter edge portion of said rear mirror casing portion is configured to mate with a rearward perimeter edge portion of said front mirror casing portion when said perimeter flange couples said front and rear mirror casing portions to said mirror backplate.

11. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said forward perimeter edge portion of said rear mirror casing portion and said rearward perimeter edge portion of said front mirror casing portion are configured to limit movement of said front mirror casing portion relative to said rear mirror casing portion when said front and rear mirror casing portions are coupled to said mirror backplate.

12. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said mirror backplate includes a pivot element for pivotally mounting said interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle, and wherein said pivot element and said generally planar attachment portion and said perimeter flange are integrally formed to establish a unitary mirror backplate.

13. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, comprising a perimeter lighting device disposed at least partially about a periphery of said mirror reflective element and operable to illuminate at least one of (i) a perimeter region of said front mirror casing portion and (ii) a perimeter region of said mirror reflective element.

14. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror reflective element;

a mirror casing;

a mirror backplate;

wherein said mirror backplate includes a generally planar attachment portion for attaching at a rear surface of said mirror reflective element; and

a perimeter lighting device disposed at least partially along a periphery of said mirror reflective element, wherein said perimeter lighting device is operable to emit light so as to generally illuminate at least one of (i) a perimeter region of said mirror casing and (ii) a perimeter region of said mirror reflective element.

15. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein said mirror backplate comprises a perimeter flange and wherein said mirror casing is configured to at least partially receive said perimeter flange and is configured to attach to said perimeter flange, and wherein said mirror casing comprises a plurality of tabs that are received in respective apertures established at said perimeter flange to attach said mirror casing to said mirror backplate.

16. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, comprising a front mirror casing configured to at least partially receive said mirror reflective element therein, wherein said perimeter flange is partially received in said front mirror casing, and wherein said perimeter flange couples said front mirror casing and said mirror casing to said mirror backplate, and wherein said front mirror casing comprises a plurality of tabs that are received in respective apertures established at said perimeter flange to attach said front mirror casing to said mirror backplate.

17. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said mirror casing comprises a forward opening for partially receiving said perimeter flange and said front mirror casing comprises a rearward opening for partially receiving said perimeter flange, and wherein a forward perimeter edge portion of said mirror casing is configured to mate with a rearward perimeter edge portion of said front mirror casing when said perimeter flange couples said front mirror casing and said mirror casing to said mirror backplate.

18. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 17, wherein said forward perimeter edge portion of said mirror casing and said rearward perimeter edge portion of said front mirror casing are configured to limit movement of said front mirror casing relative to said mirror casing when said front mirror casing and said mirror casing are coupled to said mirror backplate.

19. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein said mirror backplate includes a pivot element for pivotally mounting said rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle, and wherein said pivot element and said generally planar attachment portion and said perimeter flange are integrally formed to establish a unitary mirror backplate.

20. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein said perimeter lighting device comprises at least one light emitting diode and a light guiding element, and wherein, when said at least one light emitting diode is energized, said light guiding element guides the emitted light to and along at least a portion of the periphery of said mirror reflective element so as to a glow at at least a portion of the periphery of said mirror reflective element.

21. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said perimeter lighting device is disposed behind said mirror reflective element.