Exterior mirror element with auxiliary reflector portion
First Claim
1. A mirror reflective element suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element comprising:
- a glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
wherein said glass substrate has a thickness between said first surface and said second surface of less than 3 millimeters;
wherein said mirror reflective element has a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion;
wherein said auxiliary reflector portion comprises a curved recess established at said second surface of said glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating;
wherein said curved recess has a cross-dimension size that is in the range from about 30 millimeters to about 80 millimeters;
wherein said curved recess comprises a radius of curvature that is in the range from about 200 millimeters to about 1,000 millimeters;
wherein said curved recess has a maximum recess depth that is in the range from about 0.11 millimeters to about 2.26 millimeters;
a metallic reflector established at said curved recess;
a principal mirror reflector established at said principal reflector portion; and
wherein said mirror reflective element comprises one of (a) an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a front substrate and rear substrate, and wherein an electrochromic medium is disposed between said front and rear substrates, and wherein said electrochromic medium is bounded by a seal, and wherein said glass substrate comprises said front substrate, and wherein said principal mirror reflector is established at a surface of said rear substrate, and (b) a fixed reflectance non-electro-optic mirror reflective element and wherein said principal mirror reflector is established at said second surface of said glass substrate.
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Abstract
An exterior mirror reflective element includes a glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The mirror reflective element has a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion, with the auxiliary reflector portion having a curved recess established at the second surface of the glass substrate. The curved recess has a cross-dimension size that may be less than about 80 millimeters and a radius of curvature that may be less than about 1,000 millimeters and a maximum recess depth that may be in the range from about 0.11 millimeters to about 2.26 millimeters. A metallic reflector is established at the curved recess and a principal mirror reflector is established at the principal reflector portion. The mirror reflective element may be an electrochromic mirror reflective element, or may be a fixed reflectance non-electro-optic mirror reflective element.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A mirror reflective element suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element comprising:
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a glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface; wherein said glass substrate has a thickness between said first surface and said second surface of less than 3 millimeters; wherein said mirror reflective element has a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion; wherein said auxiliary reflector portion comprises a curved recess established at said second surface of said glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating; wherein said curved recess has a cross-dimension size that is in the range from about 30 millimeters to about 80 millimeters; wherein said curved recess comprises a radius of curvature that is in the range from about 200 millimeters to about 1,000 millimeters; wherein said curved recess has a maximum recess depth that is in the range from about 0.11 millimeters to about 2.26 millimeters; a metallic reflector established at said curved recess; a principal mirror reflector established at said principal reflector portion; and wherein said mirror reflective element comprises one of (a) an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a front substrate and rear substrate, and wherein an electrochromic medium is disposed between said front and rear substrates, and wherein said electrochromic medium is bounded by a seal, and wherein said glass substrate comprises said front substrate, and wherein said principal mirror reflector is established at a surface of said rear substrate, and (b) a fixed reflectance non-electro-optic mirror reflective element and wherein said principal mirror reflector is established at said second surface of said glass substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A mirror reflective element suitable for use in a passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element comprising:
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a glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface; wherein said glass substrate has a thickness between said first surface and said second surface of less than 3 millimeters; wherein said mirror reflective element has a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion; wherein said auxiliary reflector portion comprises a curved recess established at said second surface of said glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating; wherein said curved recess has a cross-dimension size that is less than about 80 millimeters; wherein said curved recess comprises a radius of curvature that is less than about 1,000 millimeters; wherein said curved recess has a maximum recess depth that is in the range from about 0.11 millimeters to about 2.26 millimeters; wherein said glass substrate comprises a curved glass substrate having a radius of curvature and wherein said radius of curvature of said curved glass substrate is larger than said radius of curvature of said curved recess; a metallic reflector established at said curved recess; a principal mirror reflector established at said principal reflector portion; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a fixed reflectance non-electro-optic mirror reflective element and wherein said principal mirror reflector is established at said second surface of said glass substrate; and wherein said mirror reflective element is configured so that, when a passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with said mirror reflective element is normally mounted at the passenger side of a vehicle, said curved recess is generally disposed at an outboard upper region of said mirror reflective element relative to the passenger side of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A mirror reflective element suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element comprising:
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a glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface; wherein said glass substrate has a thickness between said first surface and said second surface of less than 3 millimeters; wherein said mirror reflective element has a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion; wherein said auxiliary reflector portion comprises a curved recess established at said second surface of said glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating; wherein said curved recess has a cross-dimension size that is in the range from about 30 millimeters to about 80 millimeters; wherein said curved recess comprises a radius of curvature that is in the range from about 200 millimeters to about 1,000 millimeters; wherein said curved recess has a maximum recess depth that is in the range from about 0.11 millimeters to about 2.26 millimeters; a metallic reflector established at said curved recess; a principal mirror reflector established at said principal reflector portion; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a fixed reflectance non-electro-optic mirror reflective element and wherein said principal mirror reflector is established at said second surface of said glass substrate; wherein a heater pad is disposed at said second surface of said glass substrate; and wherein said mirror reflective element is configured so that, when an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with said mirror reflective element is normally mounted at the side of a vehicle, said curved recess is generally disposed at an outboard upper region of said mirror reflective element relative to the side of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A mirror reflective element suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element comprising:
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a glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface; wherein said glass substrate has a thickness between said first surface and said second surface of less than 3 millimeters; wherein said mirror reflective element has a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion; wherein said auxiliary reflector portion comprises a curved recess established at said second surface of said glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating; wherein said curved recess has a cross-dimension size that is less than about 80 millimeters; wherein said curved recess comprises a radius of curvature that is less than about 1,000 millimeters; wherein said curved recess has a maximum recess depth that is in the range from about 0.11 millimeters to about 2.26 millimeters; wherein said first surface of said glass substrate is generally planar and wherein said second surface of said glass substrate is generally planar other than at said curved recess; a metallic reflector established at said curved recess; a principal mirror reflector established at said principal reflector portion; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a fixed reflectance non-electro-optic mirror reflective element and wherein said principal mirror reflector is established at said second surface of said glass substrate; and wherein said mirror reflective element is configured so that, when an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with said mirror reflective element is normally mounted at the side of a vehicle, said curved recess is generally disposed at an outboard upper region of said mirror reflective element relative to the side of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A mirror reflective element suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element comprising:
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a glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface; wherein said glass substrate has a thickness between said first surface and said second surface of less than 3 millimeters; wherein said mirror reflective element has a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion; wherein said auxiliary reflector portion comprises a curved recess established at said second surface of said glass substrate by at least one of grinding and ablating; wherein said curved recess has a cross-dimension size that is less than about 80 millimeters; wherein said curved recess comprises a radius of curvature that is less than about 1,000 millimeters; wherein said curved recess has a maximum recess depth that is in the range from about 0.11 millimeters to about 2.26 millimeters; a metallic reflector established at said curved recess; a principal mirror reflector established at said principal reflector portion; wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a fixed reflectance non-electro-optic mirror reflective element and wherein said principal mirror reflector is established at said second surface of said glass substrate; and wherein said curved recess is inboard of a perimeter edge of said glass substrate, and wherein said principal reflector portion of said mirror reflective element surrounds said curved recess of said mirror reflective element. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification