Vehicular rearview mirror having composite housing structure

• US 6,899,438 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exon Science, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exon Science, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Kuei-Hung, Su, Wen-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lavarias, Arnel C.
• Application Number:
  US10/431,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20040223239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 359/839, 359/838, 359/844, 359/868, 359/871, 359/601, 359/602, 359/603, 359/604, 359/605, 359/606, 359/607, 359/608, 359/883, 359/265, 359/514, 359/872, 362/494
• US Class Current: 359/844
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicular rearview mirror includes a mirror for showing thereon an image; a first housing structure made of a first material, and accommodating therein the mirror with a portion of the mirror exposed to show the image; and a second housing structure made of a second material, and disposed between and keeping in contact with the first housing structure and the exposed portion of the mirror. The second material has a flexibility higher than that of the first material.

Claims

1. A vehicular rearview mirror, comprising:

a mirror for showing thereon an image;

a first housing structure made of a first material, and accommodating therein said mirror with a portion of said mirror exposed to show said image;

a second housing structure made of a second material having a flexibility higher than that of said first material, and disposed between and keeping in contact with said first housing structure and said exposed portion of said mirror, and

a plurality of buffering posts having a rigid portion protruding from said first housing structure and having an elastomeric portion urging said mirror against said second housing structure for securing said mirror in position.

2. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 1 wherein said first housing structure includes a front piece and a rear piece combined with each other to hold said mirror therein.

3. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 2 wherein said plurality of buffering posts are disposed on said rear piece.

4. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 2 wherein said front piece is of a ring shape for exposing said portion of said mirror.

5. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 4 wherein said second housing structure is of a ring shape in conjunction with said front piece of said ring shape.

6. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 5 wherein said second housing structure has a slot on an outer circumference thereof for partially receiving said front piece, and a curved portion on an inner circumference thereof for close contact with said portion of said mirror.

7. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 4, wherein said second housing structure is formed by injection molding to said front piece.

8. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 1 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of rubber and resin.

9. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 8 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, silicone rubber and epoxy resin.

10. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 1 wherein said first material is selected from the group consisting of engineering plastic, metallic material, carbon fiber and wood.

11. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 1 wherein said mirror is a partially reflective mirror, an electrochromic mirror or a liquid crystal display.

12. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 1 wherein said mirror is a planar, a convex or an aspheric mirror.

13. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 1 wherein said mirror is combined therewith a thin film display.

14. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 13 wherein said thin film display is a thin-film electro-luminescence (EL) digit display, a light-emitting diode (LED), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD).

15. A vehicular rearview mirror, comprising:

a mirror for showing thereon an image;

a rear housing structure having an opening for receiving therefrom said mirror;

a front housing structure combined with said rear housing structure to confine said mirror therebetween, and including an outer hollow portion in conjunction with said rear housing structure made of a first material and an inner hollow portion in contact with said mirror made of a second material, said second material having a flexibility higher than that of said first material; and

a plurality of buffering posts each having a rigid portion protruding from said rear housing structure and having an elastomeric portion urging said mirror against said inner hollow portion of said front housing structure for securing said mirror in position.

16. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 15 wherein said rear housing structure is made of said first material.

17. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 16 wherein said first material is selected from the group consisting of engineering plastic, metallic material, carbon fiber and wood.

18. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 15 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of rubber and resin.

19. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 18 wherein said second material is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, silicone rubber and epoxy resin.

20. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 15 wherein said inner hollow portion has a slot on an outer circumference thereof for engaging with an inner circumferential edge of said outer hollow portion.

21. The vehicular rearview mirror according to claim 15 wherein said inner hollow portion has a curved portion on an inner circumference thereof bent toward said mirror for close contact with said mirror.

22. The vehicle rearview mirror according to claim 15 wherein said inner hollow portion is formed by injection molding to said outer hollow portion.