EXTENDED FIELD OF VIEW EXTERIOR MIRROR ELEMENT FOR VEHICLE
First Claim
1. An exterior sideview mirror assembly suitable for vehicular use, said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprising:
- a mirror housing;
a mirror backing plate element;
wherein said mirror backing plate element is movable within said mirror housing by an electrically-operable actuator;
a main plano mirror element fixedly disposed at a first portion of said mirror backing plate element;
said main plano mirror element having a first primary field of view rearward of a vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview mirror assembly;
an auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element fixedly disposed at a second portion of said mirror backing plate element;
wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a convex-curved substrate coated with a metallic reflector coating;
wherein said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element are adjacently disposed at said mirror backing plate element in a side-by-side relationship and are not superimposed with one mirror element on top of the other mirror element;
wherein said mirror backing plate element comprises a polymeric molding;
wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is convex-curved;
wherein said reflector-coated convex-curved substrate of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a spherical curvature, and wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element has a curvature at least partially matching said spherical curvature;
said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element having a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element;
wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element that is at said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is angled relative to said main plano mirror element that is at said first portion of said mirror backing plate element;
wherein said mirror backing plate element mounts to said actuator such that movement of said mirror backing plate element by said actuator simultaneously and similarly moves said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element;
wherein said main plano mirror element comprises one of (a) a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating and (b) a generally flat polymeric substrate having a thin glass element applied to a surface thereof and with an opposing surface thereof having a reflecting layer applied thereto;
wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 2 degrees and about 20 degrees;
wherein, when used in an exterior sideview mirror assembly of an equipped vehicle, said main plano mirror element has a rearward field of view that subtends an angle of less than about 20 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle views into a blind spot in a side lane adjacent the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached, and wherein said blind spot is outside the rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element when said main plano mirror element is viewed by a driver of the equipped vehicle when said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached at the side of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said main plano mirror element has a fixed reflectance;
wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a fixed reflectance; and
wherein said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprises a driver-side exterior sideview mirror assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular exterior sideview mirror assembly includes a main mirror element having a first primary field of view rearward of the vehicle and an auxiliary curved mirror element having a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the vehicle. The main mirror element and the auxiliary mirror element are adjacently disposed at a mirror backing plate element in a side-by-side relationship. The first primary field of view of the main mirror element may overlap the second auxiliary field of view of the auxiliary mirror element by between about 2 degrees and about 20 degrees. When used in an exterior sideview mirror assembly of a vehicle, the main mirror element may have a rearward field of view that subtends an angle of less than about 20 degrees relative to the side of the vehicle.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An exterior sideview mirror assembly suitable for vehicular use, said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprising:
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a mirror housing; a mirror backing plate element; wherein said mirror backing plate element is movable within said mirror housing by an electrically-operable actuator; a main plano mirror element fixedly disposed at a first portion of said mirror backing plate element; said main plano mirror element having a first primary field of view rearward of a vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview mirror assembly; an auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element fixedly disposed at a second portion of said mirror backing plate element; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a convex-curved substrate coated with a metallic reflector coating; wherein said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element are adjacently disposed at said mirror backing plate element in a side-by-side relationship and are not superimposed with one mirror element on top of the other mirror element; wherein said mirror backing plate element comprises a polymeric molding; wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is convex-curved; wherein said reflector-coated convex-curved substrate of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a spherical curvature, and wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element has a curvature at least partially matching said spherical curvature; said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element having a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle; wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element that is at said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is angled relative to said main plano mirror element that is at said first portion of said mirror backing plate element; wherein said mirror backing plate element mounts to said actuator such that movement of said mirror backing plate element by said actuator simultaneously and similarly moves said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element; wherein said main plano mirror element comprises one of (a) a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating and (b) a generally flat polymeric substrate having a thin glass element applied to a surface thereof and with an opposing surface thereof having a reflecting layer applied thereto; wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 2 degrees and about 20 degrees; wherein, when used in an exterior sideview mirror assembly of an equipped vehicle, said main plano mirror element has a rearward field of view that subtends an angle of less than about 20 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle; wherein said second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle views into a blind spot in a side lane adjacent the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached, and wherein said blind spot is outside the rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element when said main plano mirror element is viewed by a driver of the equipped vehicle when said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached at the side of the equipped vehicle; wherein said main plano mirror element has a fixed reflectance; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a fixed reflectance; and wherein said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprises a driver-side exterior sideview mirror assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An exterior sideview mirror assembly suitable for vehicular use, said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprising:
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a mirror housing; a mirror backing plate element; wherein said mirror backing plate element is movable within said mirror housing by an electrically-operable actuator; a main non-plano curved mirror element fixedly disposed at a first portion of said mirror backing plate element; said main non-plano curved mirror element having a first primary field of view rearward of a vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview mirror assembly; wherein said main non-plano curved mirror element comprises a convex-curved substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating; an auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element fixedly disposed at a second portion of said mirror backing plate element; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a convex-curved substrate coated with a metallic reflector coating; wherein said main non-plano curved mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element are adjacently disposed at said mirror backing plate element in a side-by-side relationship and are not superimposed with one mirror element on top of the other mirror element; wherein said mirror backing plate element comprises a polymeric molding; wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is convex-curved; wherein said reflector-coated convex-curved substrate of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a curvature, and wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element has a curvature at least partially matching said curvature; said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element having a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle; wherein said first primary field of view of said main non-plano curved mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element that is at said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is angled relative to said main non-plano curved mirror element that is at said first portion of said mirror backing plate element; wherein said mirror backing plate element mounts to said actuator such that movement of said mirror backing plate element by said actuator simultaneously and similarly moves said main non-plano curved mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element; wherein said first primary field of view of said main non-plano curved mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 2 degrees and about 20 degrees; wherein said second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle views into a blind spot in a side lane adjacent the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached, and wherein said blind spot is outside the rearward field of view of said main non-plano curved mirror element when said main non-plano curved mirror element is viewed by a driver of the equipped vehicle when said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached at the side of the equipped vehicle; wherein said main non-plano curved mirror element has a fixed reflectance; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a fixed reflectance; and wherein said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprises a passenger-side exterior sideview mirror assembly. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An exterior sideview mirror assembly suitable for vehicular use, said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprising:
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a mirror housing; a mirror backing plate element; wherein said mirror backing plate element is movable within said mirror housing by an electrically-operable actuator; a main plano mirror element fixedly disposed at a first portion of said mirror backing plate element; said main plano mirror element having a first primary field of view rearward of a vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview mirror assembly; an auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element fixedly disposed at a second portion of said mirror backing plate element; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a convex-curved glass substrate coated with a metallic reflector coating; wherein said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element are adjacently disposed at said mirror backing plate element in a side-by-side relationship and are not superimposed with one mirror element on top of the other mirror element; wherein said mirror backing plate element comprises a polymeric molding; wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is convex-curved; wherein said reflector-coated convex-curved substrate of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a spherical curvature, and wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element has a curvature at least partially matching said spherical curvature; said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element having a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle; wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element that is at said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is angled relative to said main plano mirror element that is at said first portion of said mirror backing plate element; wherein said mirror backing plate element mounts to said actuator such that movement of said mirror backing plate element by said actuator simultaneously and similarly moves said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element; wherein said main plano mirror element comprises a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating; wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 2 degrees and about 20 degrees; wherein, when used in an exterior sideview mirror assembly of an equipped vehicle, said main plano mirror element has a rearward field of view that subtends an angle of less than about 20 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle; wherein said second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle views into a blind spot in a side lane adjacent the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached, and wherein said blind spot is outside the rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element when said main plano mirror element is viewed by a driver of the equipped vehicle when said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached at the side of the equipped vehicle; wherein said main plano mirror element has a fixed reflectance; wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a fixed reflectance; wherein said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprises a driver-side exterior sideview mirror assembly; and wherein the overall rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element combined with said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is at least about 25 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the overall rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element combined with said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is less than about 50 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification