EXTERIOR MIRROR REFLECTIVE ELEMENT SUB-ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. A mirror reflective element sub-assembly suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element sub-assembly comprising:
- a mirror reflective element;
said mirror reflective element comprising a transparent glass substrate having a front side and a rear side;
a mirror reflector disposed at one of the front side and the rear side of said glass substrate;
a mirror back plate comprising a plastic molding formed in a plastic injection molding operation;
said mirror back plate comprising a first side and a second side and having a plate thickness therebetween;
wherein said mirror back plate is disposed at the rear side of said glass substrate with said second side of said mirror back plate being closer than said first side to the rear side of said glass substrate;
said mirror back plate comprising a mirror actuator attaching portion that is established at said first side by said plastic injection molding operation;
wherein said mirror actuator attaching portion comprises structure for attaching said mirror back plate to a mirror actuator of an exterior rearview mirror assembly, and wherein said mirror actuator comprises an electrically operable mirror actuator;
wherein said mirror back plate comprises an aperture extending from said first side to said second side through the plate thickness of said mirror back plate;
said mirror back plate comprising walls established at said first side of said mirror back plate by said plastic injection molding operation, said walls at least partially circumscribing said aperture and extending outward from said first side of said mirror back plate;
a heater pad disposed between the rear side of said glass substrate and said second side of said mirror back plate;
wherein said heater pad has a light transmitting portion that is generally aligned with said aperture of said mirror back plate;
wherein said mirror reflector comprises a light-transmitting portion thereof that is generally aligned with said light transmitting portion of said heater pad;
an indicator comprising at least one light emitting diode activatable to emit light;
wherein said indicator is associated with a blind spot detection system of a vehicle equipped with an exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said mirror reflective element sub-assembly;
wherein said walls at least partially circumscribing said aperture and extending outward from said first side of said mirror back plate comprise walls of a housing accommodating said indicator;
wherein said indicator is adhesively attached at the rear side of said glass substrate; and
wherein, when the exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said mirror reflective element sub-assembly is mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle and with said at least one light emitting diode activated, light emitted by said at least one light emitting diode passes through said light transmitting portion of said heater pad and through said light-transmitting portion of said mirror reflector and exits said mirror reflective element to provide a visual icon visible to a driver of the equipped vehicle who is driving the equipped vehicle and who is viewing said mirror reflective element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mirror reflective element sub-assembly suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror back plate. The mirror back plate includes an aperture extending therethrough and includes walls established at a first side of said mirror back plate by the plastic injection molding operation, with the walls at least partially circumscribing the aperture and extending outward from the first side of the mirror back plate. A heater pad is disposed between the rear side of the glass substrate and the second side of the mirror back plate. The heater pad has a light transmitting portion that is generally aligned with the aperture of the mirror back plate and with a light-transmitting portion of the mirror reflector. The walls include walls of a housing accommodating an indicator associated with a blind spot detection system of the vehicle.
0 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A mirror reflective element sub-assembly suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element sub-assembly comprising:
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a mirror reflective element; said mirror reflective element comprising a transparent glass substrate having a front side and a rear side; a mirror reflector disposed at one of the front side and the rear side of said glass substrate; a mirror back plate comprising a plastic molding formed in a plastic injection molding operation; said mirror back plate comprising a first side and a second side and having a plate thickness therebetween; wherein said mirror back plate is disposed at the rear side of said glass substrate with said second side of said mirror back plate being closer than said first side to the rear side of said glass substrate; said mirror back plate comprising a mirror actuator attaching portion that is established at said first side by said plastic injection molding operation; wherein said mirror actuator attaching portion comprises structure for attaching said mirror back plate to a mirror actuator of an exterior rearview mirror assembly, and wherein said mirror actuator comprises an electrically operable mirror actuator; wherein said mirror back plate comprises an aperture extending from said first side to said second side through the plate thickness of said mirror back plate; said mirror back plate comprising walls established at said first side of said mirror back plate by said plastic injection molding operation, said walls at least partially circumscribing said aperture and extending outward from said first side of said mirror back plate; a heater pad disposed between the rear side of said glass substrate and said second side of said mirror back plate; wherein said heater pad has a light transmitting portion that is generally aligned with said aperture of said mirror back plate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a light-transmitting portion thereof that is generally aligned with said light transmitting portion of said heater pad; an indicator comprising at least one light emitting diode activatable to emit light; wherein said indicator is associated with a blind spot detection system of a vehicle equipped with an exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said mirror reflective element sub-assembly; wherein said walls at least partially circumscribing said aperture and extending outward from said first side of said mirror back plate comprise walls of a housing accommodating said indicator; wherein said indicator is adhesively attached at the rear side of said glass substrate; and wherein, when the exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said mirror reflective element sub-assembly is mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle and with said at least one light emitting diode activated, light emitted by said at least one light emitting diode passes through said light transmitting portion of said heater pad and through said light-transmitting portion of said mirror reflector and exits said mirror reflective element to provide a visual icon visible to a driver of the equipped vehicle who is driving the equipped vehicle and who is viewing said mirror reflective element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A mirror reflective element sub-assembly suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element sub-assembly comprising:
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a mirror reflective element; said mirror reflective element comprising a transparent glass substrate having a front side and a rear side; a mirror reflector disposed at one of the front side and the rear side of said glass substrate; a mirror back plate comprising a plastic molding formed in a plastic injection molding operation; said mirror back plate comprising a first side and a second side and having a plate thickness therebetween; wherein said mirror back plate is disposed at the rear side of said glass substrate with said second side of said mirror back plate being closer than said first side to the rear side of said glass substrate; said mirror back plate comprising a mirror actuator attaching portion that is established at said first side by said plastic injection molding operation; wherein said mirror actuator attaching portion comprises structure for attaching said mirror back plate to a mirror actuator of an exterior rearview mirror assembly, and wherein said mirror actuator comprises an electrically operable mirror actuator; wherein said mirror back plate comprises an aperture extending from said first side to said second side through the plate thickness of said mirror back plate; wherein said aperture is established through said mirror back plate by said plastic injection molding operation; said mirror back plate comprising walls established at said first side of said mirror back plate by said plastic injection molding operation, said walls at least partially circumscribing said aperture and extending outward from said first side of said mirror back plate; a heater pad disposed between the rear side of said glass substrate and said second side of said mirror back plate; wherein said heater pad has a light transmitting portion that is generally aligned with said aperture of said mirror back plate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a light-transmitting portion thereof that is generally aligned with said light transmitting portion of said heater pad; an indicator comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes activatable to emit light; wherein said indicator is associated with a blind spot detection system of a vehicle equipped with an exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said mirror reflective element sub-assembly; wherein said walls at least partially circumscribing said aperture and extending outward from said first side of said mirror back plate comprise walls of a housing accommodating said indicator; wherein said indicator is adhesively attached at the rear side of said glass substrate; and wherein, when the exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said mirror reflective element sub-assembly is mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle and with said at least one light emitting diode activated, light emitted by said plurality of light emitting diodes passes through said light transmitting portion of said heater pad and through said light-transmitting portion of said mirror reflector and exits said mirror reflective element to provide a visual icon visible to a driver of the equipped vehicle who is driving the equipped vehicle and who is viewing said mirror reflective element. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A mirror reflective element sub-assembly suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element sub-assembly comprising:
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a mirror reflective element; said mirror reflective element comprising a transparent glass substrate having a front side and a rear side; a mirror reflector disposed at the front side of said glass substrate; a mirror back plate comprising a plastic molding formed in a plastic injection molding operation; said mirror back plate comprising a first side and a second side and having a plate thickness therebetween; wherein said mirror back plate is disposed at the rear side of said glass substrate with said second side of said mirror back plate being closer than said first side to the rear side of said glass substrate; said mirror back plate comprising a mirror actuator attaching portion that is established at said first side by said plastic injection molding operation; wherein said mirror actuator attaching portion comprises structure for attaching said mirror back plate to a mirror actuator of an exterior rearview mirror assembly, and wherein said mirror actuator comprises an electrically operable mirror actuator; wherein said mirror back plate comprises an aperture extending from said first side to said second side through the plate thickness of said mirror back plate; said mirror back plate comprising walls established at said first side of said mirror back plate by said plastic injection molding operation, said walls at least partially circumscribing said aperture and extending outward from said first side of said mirror back plate; a heater pad disposed between the rear side of said glass substrate and said second side of said mirror back plate; wherein said heater pad has a light transmitting portion that is generally aligned with said aperture of said mirror back plate; wherein said mirror reflector comprises a light-transmitting portion thereof that is generally aligned with said light transmitting portion of said heater pad; an indicator comprising at least one light emitting diode activatable to emit light; wherein said indicator is associated with a blind spot detection system of a vehicle equipped with an exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said mirror reflective element sub-assembly; wherein said walls at least partially circumscribing said aperture and extending outward from said first side of said mirror back plate comprise walls of a housing accommodating said indicator; wherein said indicator is adhesively attached at the rear side of said glass substrate; wherein, when the exterior rearview mirror assembly utilizing said mirror reflective element sub-assembly is mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle and with said at least one light emitting diode activated, light emitted by said at least one light emitting diode passes through said light transmitting portion of said heater pad and through said light-transmitting portion of said mirror reflector and exits said mirror reflective element to provide a visual icon visible to a driver of the equipped vehicle who is driving the equipped vehicle and who is viewing said mirror reflective element; and wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a non-transflective mirror reflective element and wherein said light-transmitting portion of said mirror reflector comprises a light-transmitting window established through said mirror reflector. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification