AUTOMOTIVE REARVIEW MIRROR WITH CAPACITIVE SWITCHES
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular rearview assembly that has a rounded outer perimeter edge to satisfy safety standards and contains an EC element having a complex peripheral ring, a front surface that is fully observable from the front of the assembly, and a user interface with switches and sensors that activate and configure, in cooperation with electronic circuitry of the assembly, pre-defined function(s) or device(s) of the assembly in response to the user input applied to the user interface. A complex peripheral ring may include multiple bands the structures of which is adapted to provide for specified optical characteristics of light, reflected off of the ring. Electrical communications between the electronic circuitry, the mirror element, and the user interface utilize connectors configured to exert a low contact force, onto the mirror element, limited in part by the strength of adhesive affixing the EC element to an element of the housing of the assembly.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A vehicular rearview assembly having a front, the assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic (EC) element including a first glass substrate having first and second surfaces, the first surface configured as an outer surface of the EC element and corresponding to the front of the assembly, wherein the first substrate includes an annular peripheral region having a radius of at least 2.5 mm, the second surface carrying a transparent electrically-conductive layer thereon; a second glass substrate having third and fourth surfaces, the third surface carrying a reflective-and-electrically-conductive layer thereon, and wherein the first and second substrates are disposed in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship with the second and third surfaces facing each other and an EC medium disposed therebetween and bounded by the perimeter seal; at least one electrical contact portion in electrical communication with one of the transparent electrically-conductive layer and the reflective-and-electrically-conductive layer, a mounting element adapted to support the EC element, the mounting element having an extended portion that is juxtaposed with the EC element and a passageway allowing an electrical link therethrough; an adhesive element disposed between the EC element and the mounting element to adhere the EC element to the mounting element with a bond strength; a housing shell configured to mechanically engage the mounting element; electronic circuitry disposed behind the mounting element and inside the housing shell, the electric circuitry at least in part providing power to operate the EC element; and a first electrical connector having first and second electrical contact portions, wherein the first electrical contact portion is in contact with the at least one electrical contact portion of the EC element and the second electrical contact portion is in contact with a contact portion on the electronic circuitry, wherein the electrical connector is at least partially disposed in the mounting element opening, wherein the electrical portion of the first electrical connector that is in contact with the at least one electrical contact portion of the EC element provides a force that (1) is sufficient to maintain said contact between the electrical portion of the first electrical connector and the at least one electrical contact portion of the EC element and (2) is less than the bond strength adhering the EC element to the mounting element. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A vehicular rearview assembly having a front, the assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic (EC) element including a first glass substrate having first and second surfaces, the first surface configured as an outer surface of the EC element and corresponding to the front of the assembly, the second surface carrying a transparent electrically-conductive layer thereon; a second glass substrate having third and fourth surfaces, the third surface carrying a reflective-and-electrically-conductive layer thereon, and wherein the first and second substrates are disposed in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship with the second and third surfaces facing each other and an EC medium disposed therebetween and bounded by the perimeter seal; at least one electrical contact in electrical communication with one of the transparent electrically-conductive layer and the reflective-and-electrically-conductive layer, a mounting element adapted to support the EC element, the mounting element having an extended portion that is juxtaposed with the EC element and a passageway allowing an electrical link therethrough, and wherein the mounting element further includes a side portion cooperating with the extended portion along a periphery thereof and protruding from behind the second substrate towards the first substrate when the EC element is supported by the mounting element, and wherein a front peripheral region of the side portion does not engage the first surface of the EC element and has a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm; an adhesive element disposed between the EC element and the mounting element to adhere the EC element to the mounting element with a bond strength; a housing shell configured to mechanically engage the mounting element; electronic circuitry disposed behind the mounting element and inside the housing shell, the electric circuitry at least in part providing power to operate the EC element; and a first electrical connector having first and second electrical contact portions, wherein the first electrical contact portion is in contact with the at least one electrical contact of the EC element and the second electrical contact portion is in contact with a contact portion on the electronic circuitry, wherein the portion of the first electrical connector that is in contact with the at least one electrical contact of the EC element provides a force that (1) is sufficient to maintain said contact between the electrical portion of the first electrical connector and the at least one electrical contact portion of the EC element and (2) is less than the bond strength adhering the EC element to the mounting element. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A vehicular rearview assembly having a front and, the assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic (EC) element including a first glass substrate having first and second surfaces, the first surface configured as an outer surface of the EC element and corresponding to the front of the assembly, the second surface carrying a transparent electrically-conductive layer thereon; a second glass substrate having third and fourth surfaces, the third surface carrying a reflective-and-electrically-conductive layer thereon, and wherein the first and second substrates are disposed in a spaced-apart and parallel relationship with the second and third surfaces facing each other and an EC medium disposed therebetween and bounded by the perimeter seal; wherein the peripheral edges of first and second glass substrates define a curved profile with a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm; and at least one electrical contact in electrical communication with one of the transparent electrically-conductive layer and the reflective-and-electrically-conductive layer, a mounting element adapted to support the EC element, the mounting element having an extended portion that is juxtaposed with the EC element and a passageway allowing an electrical link therethrough; an adhesive element disposed between the EC element and the mounting element to adhere the EC element to the mounting element with a bond strength; a housing shell configured to mechanically engage the mounting element; electronic circuitry disposed behind the mounting element and inside the housing shell, the electric circuitry at least in part providing power to operate the EC element; and a first electrical connector having first and second electrical contact portions, wherein the first electrical contact portion is in contact with the at least one electrical contact of the EC element and the second contact portion is in contact with a contact portion on the electronic circuitry, wherein the first electrical connector is at least partially disposed in the opening of the mounting element, wherein the portion of the electrical connector that is in contact with the EC element provides a force that (1) is sufficient to maintain said contact between the electrical portion of the first electrical connector and the at least one electrical contact portion of the EC element and (2) is less than the bond strength adhering the EC element to the mounting element. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification