VEHICLE DISPLAY MIRROR ASSEMBLY HAVING IMPROVED EFFICIENCY

• US 20170101059A1
• Filed: 10/12/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Weller, Andrew D., Dozeman, Gary J.
• Application Number:
  US15/291,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20170101059A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/086 using a mirror angularly movable between a position of use and a non-glare position reflecting a dark field to the user, e.g. situated behind a transparent glass used as low-reflecting surface; Wedge-shaped mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens

Abstract

A display mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror element having a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the mirror element has a refractive index R_M at the rear surface of the mirror element; a display having a front surface and a rear surface where the display is positioned behind the mirror element such that the front surface of the display is spaced apart from the rear surface of the mirror element, wherein the display has a refractive index R_D at the rear surface of the display; and an optical bonding layer disposed between, and in contact with, the front surface of the display and the rear surface of the mirror element, for bonding the mirror element to the display. The optical bonding layer has a refractive index refractive index of R_O between about ±10% R_D and ±10% R_M.

Claims

1. A display mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a mirror element having a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the mirror element has a refractive index R_M at the rear surface of the mirror element;

a display having a front surface where the display is positioned behind the mirror element such that the front surface of the display is spaced apart from the rear surface of the mirror element, wherein the display has a refractive index R_D at the front surface of the display; and

an optical medium disposed between, and in contact with, the front surface of the display and the rear surface of the mirror element, the optical medium having a refractive index of R_O between about ±

10% R_D and ±

10% R_M.

2. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical medium forms an optical bonding layer that bonds the display and the mirror element to one another.

3. The display mirror assembly of claim 2 and further including a shield positioned around a periphery of the display, the optical bonding layer extends between the mirror element and the shield to bond the shield to the mirror element.

4. The display mirror assembly of claim 2, wherein the optical bonding layer extends across and contacts substantially the entire front surface of the display.

5. The display mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein the optical bonding layer extends across and contacts substantially the entire portion of the rear surface of the mirror element that is juxtaposed the front surface of the display.

6. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical medium has a refractive index of R_O between 1.37 and 1.68.

7. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical medium is a liquid optically clear adhesive.

8. The display mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein the liquid optically clear adhesive is selected from the group consisting of silicone, epoxy, acrylic, and acrylated urethane.

9. The display mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical medium is an optically clear film adhesive selected from the group consisting of acrylic, aliphatic thermoplastic urethanes, ethylene vinyl acetate, ionoplast, and polyvinyl butyral.

10. A display mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a mirror element having a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the mirror element has a refractive index R_M at the rear surface of the mirror element;

a display having a front surface where the display is positioned behind the mirror element such that the front surface of the display is spaced apart from the rear surface of the mirror element, wherein the display has a refractive index R_D at the front surface of the display; and

an optical bonding layer disposed between, and in contact with, the front surface of the display and the rear surface of the mirror element, for bonding the mirror element to the display.

11. The display mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical bonding layer has a refractive index of R_O between about ±

10% R_D and ±

10% R_M.

12. The display mirror assembly of claim 10 and further including a shield positioned around a periphery of the display, the optical bonding layer extends between the mirror element and the shield to bond the shield to the mirror element.

13. The display mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical bonding layer extends across and contacts substantially the entire front surface of the display.

14. The display mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein the optical bonding layer extends across and contacts substantially the entire portion of the rear surface of the mirror element that is juxtaposed the front surface of the display.

15. The display mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical bonding layer has a refractive index of R_O between 1.37 and 1.68.

16. The display mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical bonding layer is made from a liquid optically clear adhesive.

17. The display mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein the liquid optically clear adhesive is selected from the group consisting of silicone, epoxy, acrylic, and acrylated urethane.

18. The display mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical bonding layer is made from an optically clear film adhesive selected from the group consisting of acrylic, aliphatic thermoplastic urethanes, ethylene vinyl acetate, ionoplast, and polyvinyl butyral.

19. A method of making a display mirror assembly comprising:

providing a mirror element having a rear surface;

providing a display having a front surface; and

bonding the front surface of the display to the rear surface of the mirror element using an optical bonding layer disposed between, and in contact with, the front surface of the display and the rear surface of the mirror element,

wherein the mirror element has a refractive index R_M at the rear surface of the mirror element, the display has a refractive index R_D at the front surface of the display, and the optical bonding layer having a refractive index of R_O between about ±

10% R_D and ±

10% R_M.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the optical bonding layer has a refractive index of R_o between 1.37 and 1.68.