Vehicular rearview mirror elements and assemblies incorporating these elements

• US 7,602,542 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Neuman, George A., Cammenga, David J., Tonar, William L., Poll, David L., Anderson, John S., Stray, Joel A., Ypma, Kenton J., Busscher, Bradley L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz; Jordan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/478,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20070024947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/161 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells; Filling or closing of cells

Abstract

The present invention relates to improved electro-optic rearview mirror elements and assemblies incorporating the same. Area of the effective field of view of the electro-optic mirror element substantially equals to that defined by the outermost perimeter of the element.

Claims

1. A variable reflectance mirror element, comprising:

a first substantially transparent substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface and an optical thin-film band of material disposed circumferentially at a periphery area of said first substrate so as to match a spectral distribution of ambient light reflected from the periphery area of the first substrate with a spectral distribution of ambient light reflected from inside the periphery area of the first substrate;

a second substantially transparent substrate comprising a third surface and a fourth surface; and

a layer of ruthenium proximate at least one surface selected from the group consisting of said first surface, said second surface, said third surface, and said fourth surface.

2. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 1 further comprising

a curable plug material positioned between said first substantially transparent substrate and said second substantially transparent substrate such that light impinging onto the plug material through the first substrate is attenuated upon propagation between the first surface and the curable plug material more that light impinging onto the plug material through the second substrate upon propagation between the fourth surface and the plug material.

3. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 1, wherein a reflectance value associated with the periphery area is greater than a first element reflectance value associated with a minimum element reflectance state and less than a second element reflectance value associated with a maximum element reflectance state.

4. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 1, wherein said first substantially transparent substrate comprises a periphery portion comprising an adhesion promotion material proximate a second layer, the second layer having a higher bulk reflectance than the adhesion promotion material.

5. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 1 configured within a rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle and further comprising a light source positioned to project light from said second substrate through said first substantially transparent substrate.

6. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 1 further comprising an epoxy proximate at least one of said first substantially transparent substrate and said second substrate, said epoxy comprising a plurality of silver flakes.

7. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 1, further comprising at least one electrical clip, wherein the at least on electrical clip is in electrical communication with at least one material layer, deposited on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and electro-optic medium.

8. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 7, wherein the at least one electrical clip contains apertures therethrough.

9. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 2, wherein the plug material is UV curable through the second substantially transparent substrate.

10. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 4, wherein the adhesion promotion material comprises at least one of chrome, aluminum, gold, copper and copper-gold alloy.

11. A variable reflectance mirror element as in claim 6, wherein the epoxy is in direct contact with an adhesion promotion material disposed proximate a second layer, the second layer having a higher bulk reflectance that the adhesion promotion material.