Exterior sideview mirror assembly

• US 8,591,047 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lynam, Niall R.
• Primary Examiner(s): AMARI, ALESSANDRO V
• Application Number:
  US13/776,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 359/866, 359/877
• US Class Current: 359/866
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0602 comprising means for cleaning or deicing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• 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 1/082 using a single wide field mirror or an association of rigidly connected mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/182 for mirrors
• 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

An exterior sideview mirror assembly includes a mirror housing and a mirror backing plate element that is movable within the mirror housing by an electrically-operable actuator. A main plano mirror element is fixedly disposed at a first portion of the mirror backing plate element and an auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is fixedly disposed at a second portion of the mirror backing plate element. The main plano mirror element and the auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element are adjacently disposed at the mirror backing plate element and are not superimposed with one mirror element on top of the other mirror element. The first primary field of view of the main plano mirror element may overlap the second auxiliary field of view of the auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 2 degrees and about 20 degrees.

Claims

1. An exterior sideview mirror assembly suitable for use on a vehicle, said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror housing;

a mirror backing plate element;

wherein said mirror backing plate element is movable within said mirror housing by an electrically-operable actuator;

a main plano mirror element fixedly disposed at a first portion of said mirror backing plate element;

said main plano mirror element having a first primary field of view rearward of a vehicle equipped with said exterior sideview mirror assembly;

an auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element fixedly disposed at a second portion of said mirror backing plate element;

wherein said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element are adjacently disposed at said mirror backing plate element in a side-by-side relationship and are not superimposed with one mirror element on top of the other mirror element;

wherein said mirror backing plate element comprises a polymeric molding;

said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element having a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element;

wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element that is at said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is angled relative to said main plano mirror element that is at said first portion of said mirror backing plate element;

wherein said mirror backing plate element mounts to said actuator such that movement of said mirror backing plate element by said actuator simultaneously and similarly moves said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element;

wherein said main plano mirror element comprises one of (a) a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating and (b) a generally flat polymeric substrate having a thin glass element applied to a surface thereof and with an opposing surface thereof having a reflecting layer applied thereto; and

wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 2 degrees and about 20 degrees.

2. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said main plano mirror element comprises a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating.

3. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, including a divider between said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element that visually demarcates said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element from said main plano mirror element.

4. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 3, wherein said mirror backing plate element includes a molded wall extending from a surface thereof and wherein said divider comprises at least a portion of said molded wall.

5. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein said molded wall generally circumscribes the circumferential edge of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element when said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is disposed at said mirror backing plate element.

6. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein said main plano mirror element comprises a generally flat glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating.

7. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said main plano mirror element comprises a generally flat polymeric substrate having a thin glass element applied to a surface thereof and with an opposing surface thereof having a reflecting layer applied thereto, and wherein said generally flat polymeric substrate is formed from an elongated sheet of substrate material comprising a polymeric resin material, and wherein said elongated sheet has a substantially transparent functional film applied at a surface thereof, and wherein said substantially transparent functional film provides at least one of (a) an anti-abrasion function, (b) a hydrophobic function and (c) a hydrophilic function, and wherein said functional film comprises an ultrathin glass material which is sufficiently flexible to be provided in a reel or roll, and wherein said functional film is sufficiently flexible to conform to said generally flat polymeric substrate of said main plano mirror element, and wherein said main plano mirror element comprises a reflective film disposed at a surface of said generally flat polymeric substrate opposite said substantially transparent functional film.

8. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said thin glass element comprises a thin flexible glass sheet, said thin flexible glass sheet existing as a pre-formed glass sheet that is separate from said generally flat polymeric substrate, said thin flexible glass sheet having an attaching surface, wherein said attaching surface is opposed to and adhered to said surface of said generally flat polymeric substrate when said thin flexible glass sheet is adhered to said exterior surface of said generally flat polymeric substrate, said thin flexible glass sheet providing an anti-abrasion function at said surface of said generally flat polymeric substrate when adhered thereto, said thin flexible glass sheet substantially conforming to said exterior surface of said generally flat polymeric substrate when adhered thereto, said thin flexible glass sheet having a thickness of less than approximately 0.8 mm and greater than approximately 0.3 mm.

9. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 8, wherein said generally flat polymeric substrate is cut from a molded or extruded or cast elongated sheet, and wherein said thin flexible glass sheet is laminated to said elongated sheet, and wherein said main plano mirror element comprises a reflective film applied to an inner surface of said generally flat polymeric substrate opposite said exterior surface, and wherein said reflective film comprises a polymeric reflective film at least one of laminated, adhered and applied to said inner surface of said generally flat polymeric substrate.

10. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 9, including a divider between said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element that visually demarcates said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element from said main plano mirror element.

11. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a reflector-coated convex-curved substrate.

12. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is convex-curved.

13. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a spherical curvature.

14. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element has a curvature at least partially matching said spherical curvature.

15. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein, when used in the exterior sideview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle, said main plano mirror element has a rearward field of view that generally subtends an angle of less than about 20 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle.

16. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein, when used in the exterior sideview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle, said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a rearward field of view that generally subtends an angle that is in the range from about 15 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle to about 50 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle.

17. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said main plano mirror element has an X-axis and a Y-axis and wherein, when disposed at said second portion of said mirror backing plate element, said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is at least one of (a) tilted generally downward with respect to the Y-axis of said main plano mirror element by an angle that is the range from about 0.75 degrees to about 5 degrees and (b) tilted generally forwardly with respect to the X-axis of said main plano mirror element by an angle that is the range from about 0.75 degrees to about 5 degrees.

18. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said second auxiliary field of view rearward of the equipped vehicle views into a blind spot in a side lane adjacent the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached, and wherein said blind spot is generally outside the rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element when said main plano mirror element is viewed by a driver of the equipped vehicle when said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached at the side of the equipped vehicle.

19. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein, when disposed at said second portion of said mirror backing plate element, at least one of (a) said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is tilted generally downward with respect to a Y-axis of said main plano mirror element by an angle that is the range from about 0.75 degrees to about 5 degrees and (b) said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is tilted generally forwardly with respect to an X-axis of said main plano mirror element by an angle that is the range from about 0.75 degrees to about 5 degrees.

20. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 19, wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a reflector-coated convex-curved substrate.

21. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a reflector-coated convex-curved glass substrate.

22. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element is convex-curved.

23. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 22, wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a spherical curvature.

24. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 23, wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element has a curvature at least partially matching said spherical curvature.

25. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 24, wherein the overall rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element combined with said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is at least about 25 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle.

26. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 25, wherein the overall rearward field of view of said main plano mirror element combined with said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is less than about 50 degrees relative to the side of the equipped vehicle.

27. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 26, wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 5 degrees and about 15 degrees.

28. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 26, wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 8 degrees and about 10 degrees.

29. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said main plano mirror element has a fixed reflectance and wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a fixed reflectance and wherein said fixed reflectance auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a curved glass substrate coated with a metallic reflector coating.

30. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said main plano mirror element is disposed at said mirror backing plate element by at least one of an adhesive attachment and a mechanical attachment and wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is disposed at said mirror backing plate element by at least one of an adhesive attachment and a mechanical attachment, and wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a bent glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating.

31. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said main plano mirror element comprises a glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating and wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating, and wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a bent glass substrate.

32. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said main plano mirror element comprises a substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating and wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating, and wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element comprises a curvature corresponding to a curvature of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element, and wherein said second portion of said mirror backing plate element comprises at least one of (a) a spherical curvature, (b) an aspherical curvature and (c) a multiradius curvature.

33. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a heater element operable to demist/deice the outmost surface of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element when said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is disposed at said mirror backing plate element and when said exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached and operated at the side of the equipped vehicle.

34. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprises a driver-side exterior sideview mirror assembly.

35. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 34, wherein, when attached at the side of the equipped vehicle, said driver-side exterior sideview mirror assembly provides to the driver of the equipped vehicle a total rearward field of view that generally subtends an angle of at least about 25 degrees with respect to the side of the equipped vehicle.

36. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the width of said main plano mirror element to the width of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element is greater than 1.5.

37. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said exterior sideview mirror assembly comprises a driver-side exterior sideview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle, and wherein at least one of said main plano mirror element and said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a glass substrate having a surface coated with a metallic reflector coating, and wherein said metallic reflector coating is selected from the group consisting of (i) a chromium coating, (ii) a titanium coating, (iii) a rhodium coating, (iv) a metal-alloy coating, (v) a nickel alloy coating, (vi) an aluminum coating and (vii) a silver coating.

38. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element has a fixed reflectance and wherein said fixed reflectance auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element comprises a spherically bent glass substrate coated with a metallic reflector.

39. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 5 degrees and about 15 degrees.

40. The exterior sideview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said first primary field of view of said main plano mirror element overlaps said second auxiliary field of view of said auxiliary non-plano curved mirror element by between about 8 degrees and about 10 degrees.