EC mirror assembly

• US 7,813,024 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magna Donnelly Engineering GmbH (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Donnelly Engineering GmbH (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Drummond, John P., Dowling, Patrick J., McGarry, Martin, Desmond, John P., Fletcher, Sean, Powell, David, Coady, Garret
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben; Loha
• Application Number:
  US12/093,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20090097097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 359265-275, 359601-604, 359/632, 359/839, 359/844, 359/872, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/461, 340/475, 340/815.4, 362/140, 362/494, 439/816, 439/830, 439/861, 250/205, 250/225.25, 250/239
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices

Abstract

The present invention provides an EC mirror assembly including an EC mirror cell and a control for controlling the reflectivity of the mirror cell, the assembly also including a pair of contact elements independently displaceable relative to the mirror cell while maintaining an electrical connection with the control, the contact elements also being engageable with opposite edges of the mirror cell in order to provide an electrical connection between the control and the mirror cell.

Claims

1. An EC mirror assembly comprising:

an EC mirror cell;

control means for controlling at least the reflectivity of the mirror cell; and

a contact member for providing an electrical connection between the control means and the mirror cell;

wherein the contact member is displaceable towards and away from an edge of the mirror cell while maintaining an electrical connection with the control means.

2. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 1 in which the contact member comprises a pair of contact elements independently displaceable relative to a respective edge of the mirror cell.

3. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 2 in which each contact element comprises a first end for contacting a terminal of the control means, and a second end for contacting the respective edge of the mirror cell.

4. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 3 in which the second end of each contact element comprises at least one resilient finger which may be resiliently biased against the respective edge of the mirror cell in order to maintain an electrical connection therewith.

5. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 3 in which the second end of each contact element comprises a pair of resilient fingers.

6. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 2 in which the assembly comprises a guideway along which the pair of contact elements are displaceable.

7. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 6 in which the guideway comprises a pair of guideways, one for each contact element.

8. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 6 in which the guideway comprises locking means operable to releasably lock each of the contact elements in one of a plurality of positions.

9. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 1 in which the assembly comprises a connector for effecting external electrical connection to the control means.

10. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 1 in which the assembly comprises a housing for receiving the control means.

11. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 10 in which the assembly comprises a guideway and wherein the guideway is formed integrally with the housing.

12. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 1 in which the control means comprises a microchip assembly comprising a pair of photo-sensor elements, both photo-sensor elements facing in substantially the same direction.

13. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 12, in which the assembly comprises a housing for receiving the control means, and in which the housing comprises a pair of windows optically coupled with the pair of photo-sensor elements.

14. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 13 in which the housing is adapted to receive and retain a light-pipe in optical coupling with one of the windows.

15. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 1 in which the assembly comprises a mounting zone adapted to facilitate the mounting of the assembly to a vehicle windshield.

16. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 15, in which the assembly comprises a housing for receiving the control means, and in which the housing is fixed to the mirror cell at the mounting zone.

17. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 1 comprising a printed circuit board on which the control means are substantially provided, the printed circuit board being positioned such that the contact member is substantially located between the printed circuit board and the mirror cell.

18. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 17, in which the contact member comprises a pair of contact elements independently displaceable relative to a respective edge of the mirror cell, and in which each contact element comprises a first end for contacting a terminal of the control means, and a second end for contacting the respective edge of the mirror cell, and in which the printed circuit board comprises a pair of openings through which the contact elements project to contact the terminals of the control means.

19. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 18 in which each terminal is located about the respective opening in the printed circuit board.

20. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 18 in which each opening comprises an elongate slot.

21. An EC mirror assembly according to claim 1 in which the assembly comprises at least one zone selected from the group comprising a light zone, a button zone, a compass zone, a communications zone, a remote control zone and a display zone.