EXTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. An exterior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- a casing portion;
wherein said casing portion comprises a variable reflectance mirror reflective element;
an attachment portion;
wherein said attachment portion is configured for attaching at a side of a vehicle;
wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates;
wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate;
wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of said third surface of said rear substrate;
wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least two thin films;
wherein at least one of said thin films is formed of a material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×
10−
2 ohm·
cm;
wherein at least one of said thin films comprises a thin metal film;
wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear substrate and said second surface of said front substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal;
wherein no part of said rear substrate extends beyond any part of said front substrate;
wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer;
wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one thin metal film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive;
wherein said perimeter layer generally conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of the vehicle normally viewing said front substrate when said exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle; and
wherein said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises a light source and wherein said light source is at least one of (i) disposed rearward of said mirror reflective element and, when actuated, illuminates through said mirror reflective element, (ii) disposed at said casing portion and (iii) disposed at said attachment portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a variable reflectance mirror reflective element. A mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element includes a stack of thin films having at least two thin films. At least one of the thin films is formed of a material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×10−2 ohm·cm, and at least one of the thin films is a thin metal film. An electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity of the mirror reflective element and is bounded by a perimeter seal. A reflective perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of a front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate. The perimeter layer generally conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of the vehicle normally viewing the front substrate when the exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle.
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Citations
83 Claims
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1. An exterior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a casing portion; wherein said casing portion comprises a variable reflectance mirror reflective element; an attachment portion; wherein said attachment portion is configured for attaching at a side of a vehicle; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least two thin films; wherein at least one of said thin films is formed of a material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×
10−
2 ohm·
cm;wherein at least one of said thin films comprises a thin metal film; wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear substrate and said second surface of said front substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein no part of said rear substrate extends beyond any part of said front substrate; wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer; wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one thin metal film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive; wherein said perimeter layer generally conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of the vehicle normally viewing said front substrate when said exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle; and wherein said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises a light source and wherein said light source is at least one of (i) disposed rearward of said mirror reflective element and, when actuated, illuminates through said mirror reflective element, (ii) disposed at said casing portion and (iii) disposed at said attachment portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An exterior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a casing portion; wherein said casing portion comprises a variable reflectance mirror reflective element; an attachment portion; wherein said attachment portion is configured for attaching at a side of a vehicle; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of a surface of said rear substrate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least a first thin film and a second thin film; wherein said first thin film is formed of a material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×
10−
2 ohm·
cm;wherein said second thin film is formed of a material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×
10−
2 ohm·
cm;wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear substrate and said second surface of said front substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein no part of said rear substrate extends beyond any part of said front substrate; wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer; wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one thin metal film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive; wherein said perimeter layer generally conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of the vehicle normally viewing said front substrate when said exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle; wherein said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises a light source; wherein said light source comprises at least one light emitting diode; and wherein said light source comprises a light source of an indicator. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. An exterior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a casing portion; wherein said casing portion comprises a variable reflectance mirror reflective element; an attachment portion; wherein said attachment portion is configured for attaching at a side of a vehicle; wherein said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises a driver-side exterior rearview mirror assembly; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least a first thin film and a second thin film; wherein said first thin film is formed of a material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×
10−
2 ohm·
cm;wherein said second thin film is formed of a material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×
10−
2 ohm·
cm;wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear substrate and said second surface of said front substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein no part of said rear substrate extends beyond any part of said front substrate; wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer; wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one thin metal film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive; wherein said perimeter layer generally conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of the vehicle normally viewing said front substrate when said exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a curved mirror reflective element having a more curved outboard region and a less curved inboard region; a demarcation that demarcates said more curved outboard region of said mirror reflective element from said less curved inboard region of said mirror reflective element; and wherein at least one of (i) said front substrate has a thickness of about 0.063 inches or less, (ii) said rear substrate has a thickness of about 0.063 inches or less, (iii) said front substrate has a thickness of about 0.063 inches or less and said rear substrate has a thickness of about 0.063 inches or less, (iv) at least one of said front substrate and said rear substrate has a thickness of about 0.043 inches or less, and (v) one of said front substrate and said rear substrate has a thickness of about 0.063 inches or less and the other of said front substrate and said rear substrate has a thickness of about 0.043 inches or less. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. An exterior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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a casing portion; wherein said casing portion comprises a variable reflectance mirror reflective element; an attachment portion; wherein said attachment portion is configured for attaching at a side of a vehicle; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface and wherein a transparent electrically conductive layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a stack of thin films and wherein said stack of thin films comprises at least a first thin metal film and a second thin metal film; wherein said first thin metal film is formed of a metal that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×
10−
3 ohm·
cm;wherein said second thin metal film is formed of a metal that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×
10−
3 ohm·
cm;wherein said electrochromic medium is disposed in an interpane cavity between said third surface of said rear substrate and said second surface of said front substrate and is bounded by a perimeter seal; wherein no part of said rear substrate extends beyond any part of said front substrate; wherein a perimeter layer is disposed at said second surface of said front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of said front substrate, and wherein said perimeter layer comprises a reflective perimeter layer; wherein said perimeter layer comprises at least one thin metal film and wherein said perimeter layer is electrically conductive; wherein said perimeter layer generally conceals said perimeter seal from view by a driver of the vehicle normally viewing said front substrate when said exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the vehicle; wherein said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises a light source; and wherein light that reflects off of said mirror reflector and passes through said electrochromic medium and said front substrate has a substantially untinted reflectant characteristic to a person normally viewing said front substrate of said mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to said electrochromic medium. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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Specification