Multi-zone mirrors

• US 8,035,881 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Perron, Lansen M., Williams, Jeffrey N., Neuman, George A., Anderson, John S., Luten, Henry A., Forgette, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez; Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US12/370,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 359/267, 359/265, 359/275, 359/271, 359/272, 359/273, 359/601
• 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: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3663 specially adapted for use as mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/185 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5833 Ion beam bombardment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5873 Removal of material

Abstract

A multi-zone reflector having an opaque zone and a transflective zone. The reflector includes a supporting base, a lower reflecting layer disposed adjacent the supporting base, and an upper reflecting layer extending over the opacifying layer and the transflective zone of the reflector. The lower reflecting layer substantially completely covers the transflective zone, and the opacifying layer is disposed substantially outside the transflective zone adjacent to the lower reflecting layer. Over at least a portion of the transflective zone, the upper and lower reflecting layers have a common surface.

Claims

1. A multi-zone reflector comprising:

a substantially transparent supporting base;

a lower reflecting layer disposed adjacent the supporting base, the lower reflecting layer substantially completely covering a first transflective zone of the reflector;

an opacifying layer having a lower surface facing the supporting base and an upper surface, the opacifying layer disposed substantially outside the first transflective zone adjacent to the lower reflecting layer of the reflector; and

an upper reflecting layer extending substantially completely over the opacifying layer and the first transflective zone of the reflector, the upper reflecting layer and the lower reflecting layer having a common surface over at least a portion of the first transflective zone,

wherein the supporting base includes a base layer deposited on a substantially transparent substrate.

2. A reflector according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the upper surface of the opacifying layer is inclined with respect to the lower surface of the opacifying layer.

3. A reflector according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion of the upper surface of the opacifying layer bridges the opaque and first transflective zones of the reflector.

4. A reflector according to claim 1, wherein the multi-zone reflector has at least one optical characteristic that is substantially unvarying across the reflector.

5. A reflector according to claim 4, wherein the at least one optical characteristic includes a reflectance spectrum.

6. A reflector according to claim 1, wherein the opacifying layer has an aperture at the first transflective zone of the reflector.

7. A reflector according to claim 1, wherein the upper reflecting layer extends substantially completely over a second transflective zone of the reflector, the second transflective zone being disjoined from the first transflective zone.

8. A reflector according to claim 1, wherein the upper reflecting layer has substantially uniform thickness.

9. A reflector according to claim 1, further comprising

a flash layer of material interposed at the opaque zone between the upper continuous reflecting layer and the upper surface of the opacifying layer, the flash layer substantially completely covering the opacifying layer.

10. A reflector according to claim 9, wherein the flash layer has thickness increasing in a direction from the transflective zone to the opaque zone.

11. An electrochromic mirror comprising a reflector according to claim 9.

12. A reflector according to claim 9, wherein the reflector has a substantially uniform reflectance exceeding at least 50 percent across the reflector.

13. A reflector according to claim 12, wherein the opaque zone has transmittance below 0.5 percent and the transflective zone has transmittance level below 25 percent.

14. A reflector according to claim 1, wherein the base layer includes a thin-film stack having a quarter-wave optical thickness.

15. A reflector according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower reflecting layers have a common surface over at least a portion of the transflective zone of the reflector.

16. An electrochromic mirror comprising a reflector according to claim 1.

17. A multi-zone reflector comprising:

a supporting base;

an opacifying layer disposed on the supporting base substantially outside a transflective zone of the reflector, the opacifying layer having a lower surface facing the supporting base and an upper surface, the opacifying layer having thickness increasing with displacement in a first direction from the transflective zone to an opaque zone of the reflector, the thickness of the opacifying layer increasing at a first rate; and

an upper continuous reflecting layer substantially completely covering the upper surface of the opacifying layer and the transflective zone, the upper continuous reflecting layer having thickness decreasing with displacement in a second direction from the transflective zone to the opaque zone of the reflector, the thickness of the upper continuous reflecting layer decreasing at a second rate.

18. A reflector according to claim 17, further comprising a lower continuous reflecting layer interposed between the supporting base and the lower surface of the opacifying layer.

19. A reflector according to claim 17, wherein the first and second rates are different.

20. A reflector according to claim 17, wherein a region of decreasing thickness of the upper continuous reflecting layer bridges the opaque and transflective zones of the reflector.

21. A reflector according to claim 17, wherein spectral content of light reflected from the opaque zone and that of light reflected from the transflective zone differ by no more that 5 units of Δ

E* per centimeter.

22. A reflector according to claim 21, wherein spectral content of light reflected from the opaque zone and that of light reflected from the transflective zone differ by no more that 2.5 units of Δ

E* per centimeter.

23. A reflector according to claim 21, wherein spectral content of light reflected from the opaque zone and that of light reflected from the transflective zone differ by no more that 1 unit of Δ

E* per centimeter.

24. A reflector according to claim 17, further comprising a quarter-wave thin-film stack interposed between the opacifying layer and the supporting base, said quarter-wave thin-film stack substantially completely covering the supporting base, and wherein the second rate is zero.

25. A multi-zone reflector comprising:

a substantially transparent supporting base;

a lower reflective layer substantially continuously covering a transflective zone of the supporting base; and

a thin-film stack disposed on the lower reflective layer, the thin-film stack including

a first opacifying layer having a lateral bound and deposited adjacent the lower reflective layer so as to define a first zone of the stack that is free of the first opacifying layer, the first opacifying layer having thickness decreasing in a direction towards the first zone; and

a second opacifying layer deposited adjacent the first layer so as to extend over the first opacifying layer and beyond the lateral bound of the first opacifying layer, the second opacifying layer defining a second zone of the stack that is free of the second opacifying layer, the second zone characterized by a lateral extent that is smaller than a lateral extent of the first zone, the second zone being partially aligned with the first zone along a direction perpendicular to the stack.

26. A reflector according to claim 25, further comprising:

an upper reflective layer deposited on the second opacifying layer, the upper reflective layer being substantially spatially coextensive with the lower reflective layer.

27. A reflector according to claim 25, wherein the second opacifying layer has uniform thickness.

28. A reflector according to claim 25, wherein the second zone is defined by a hard-edge in the second opacifying layer.

29. A multi-zone reflector comprising:

a substantially transparent supporting base;

a lower reflective layer substantially continuously covering the supporting base; and

a thin-film stack deposited on the supporting base, the thin film stack including

a first opacifying layer deposited adjacent the lower reflective layer and a second opacifying layer deposited adjacent the first opacifying layer, the first opacifying layer characterized by a first opening therein, the second opacifying layer characterized by a second opening therein, the first opacifying layer having a graded portion characterized by thickness increasing in a direction away from the first opening, the second opacifying layer extending over at least part of the first opening.

30. A reflector according to claim 29, wherein the graded portion of the first opacifying layer defines a transition region of the multi-zone reflector, the transition region having spatially monotonic distribution of at least one optical characteristic.

31. A reflector according to claim 30, wherein the at least one optical characteristic includes a reflectance spectrum.