Exterior mirror with integral spotter mirror and method of making same
First Claim
1. A method of forming a variable reflectance vehicular electro-optic rearview mirror reflective element assembly, said mirror reflective element assembly having a principal reflecting region and an auxiliary wide angle spotter region, said method comprising:
- providing a front substrate having a first surface that generally faces a driver of a vehicle equipped with a mirror assembly that incorporates said rearview mirror reflective element assembly, wherein said front substrate has a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said second surface of said front substrate has a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed thereat;
establishing a curved recess at a spotter portion of said second surface of said front substrate and establishing a mirror reflector coating at said curved recess;
providing a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, wherein said third surface has a conductive coating disposed thereat;
dispensing an uncured seal on a dispensing surface of said substrates, wherein said dispensing surface comprises one of said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate, and wherein said uncured seal has a first gap between terminal ends of said uncured seal;
wherein said uncured seal is dispensed substantially around said principal reflecting region of said reflective element assembly, and wherein said uncured seal is dispensed substantially around said auxiliary wide angle spotter region and defines a second gap between spaced apart portions of said uncured seal at an outboard region of said spotter region, and wherein a portion of said uncured seal is dispensed across said spotter region;
mating said front and rear substrates together to partially compress said uncured seal therebetween;
curing said uncured seal material to establish a cured seal;
wherein said seal, when cured, spaces said front and rear substrates apart and forms an interpane cavity therebetween at said principal reflecting region and wherein said first gap between said terminal ends of said seal provides a fill port for said mirror reflective element assembly when said front and rear substrates are mated together, and wherein said seal forms a spotter cavity therebetween at said spotter region, and wherein said second gap provides a vent port for said spotter cavity when said front and rear substrates are mated together, and wherein said portion of said seal that is dispensed across said spotter region is not compressed and does not engage both said third surface and the curved surface of said curved recess;
filling said interpane cavity with an electro-optic medium that flows into said interpane cavity through said fill port while not filling said spotter cavity with an electro-optic medium; and
plugging said fill port to substantially seal said electro-optic medium in said interpane cavity.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of forming a mirror reflective element assembly includes providing front and rear substrates and establishing a curved recess at a second surface of the front substrate and establishing a mirror reflector coating at the curved recess. An uncured seal is dispensed on a dispensing surface and has a first gap between terminal ends of said seal. The uncured seal is dispensed substantially around a principal reflecting region and a spotter region and defines a second gap between spaced apart portions of the uncured seal at an outboard region of the spotter region. A portion of the uncured seal is dispensed across the spotter region. The first gap provides a fill port for said mirror reflective element assembly when the front and rear substrates are mated together, and the second gap provides a vent port for the spotter cavity when the front and rear substrates are mated together.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of forming a variable reflectance vehicular electro-optic rearview mirror reflective element assembly, said mirror reflective element assembly having a principal reflecting region and an auxiliary wide angle spotter region, said method comprising:
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providing a front substrate having a first surface that generally faces a driver of a vehicle equipped with a mirror assembly that incorporates said rearview mirror reflective element assembly, wherein said front substrate has a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said second surface of said front substrate has a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed thereat; establishing a curved recess at a spotter portion of said second surface of said front substrate and establishing a mirror reflector coating at said curved recess; providing a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, wherein said third surface has a conductive coating disposed thereat; dispensing an uncured seal on a dispensing surface of said substrates, wherein said dispensing surface comprises one of said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate, and wherein said uncured seal has a first gap between terminal ends of said uncured seal; wherein said uncured seal is dispensed substantially around said principal reflecting region of said reflective element assembly, and wherein said uncured seal is dispensed substantially around said auxiliary wide angle spotter region and defines a second gap between spaced apart portions of said uncured seal at an outboard region of said spotter region, and wherein a portion of said uncured seal is dispensed across said spotter region; mating said front and rear substrates together to partially compress said uncured seal therebetween; curing said uncured seal material to establish a cured seal; wherein said seal, when cured, spaces said front and rear substrates apart and forms an interpane cavity therebetween at said principal reflecting region and wherein said first gap between said terminal ends of said seal provides a fill port for said mirror reflective element assembly when said front and rear substrates are mated together, and wherein said seal forms a spotter cavity therebetween at said spotter region, and wherein said second gap provides a vent port for said spotter cavity when said front and rear substrates are mated together, and wherein said portion of said seal that is dispensed across said spotter region is not compressed and does not engage both said third surface and the curved surface of said curved recess; filling said interpane cavity with an electro-optic medium that flows into said interpane cavity through said fill port while not filling said spotter cavity with an electro-optic medium; and plugging said fill port to substantially seal said electro-optic medium in said interpane cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A variable reflectance electro-optic rearview mirror reflective element assembly for a mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element assembly comprising:
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a principal reflecting region and an auxiliary wide angle spotter region; a front substrate having a first surface that generally faces a driver of a vehicle equipped with a mirror assembly that incorporates said rearview mirror reflective element assembly, wherein said front substrate has a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said second surface of said front substrate has a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed thereat; a curved recess established at a spotter portion of said second surface of said front substrate, wherein a mirror reflector coating is established at said curved recess; a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, wherein said third surface has a conductive coating disposed thereat; a seal disposed substantially around said principal reflecting region of said reflective element assembly and substantially around said auxiliary wide angle spotter region and wherein a portion of said seal is disposed across said auxiliary wide angle spotter region; wherein said seal has a first gap between terminal ends of said seal and wherein said seal has a second gap between spaced apart portions of said seal at an outboard region of said auxiliary wide angle spotter region; wherein said seal is compressed between said front and rear substrates and wherein said seal spaces said front and rear substrates apart and forms an interpane cavity therebetween at said principal reflecting region; wherein said seal forms a spotter cavity between said front and rear substrates at said spotter region; wherein said first gap between said terminal ends of said seal provides a fill port for said mirror reflective element assembly; wherein said second gap provides a vent port for said spotter cavity; wherein said portion of said seal that is disposed across said spotter region is not compressed and does not engage both said third surface and the curved surface of said curved recess; and wherein said interpane cavity is filled with an electro-optic medium via said fill port and said spotter cavity is not filled with said electro-optic medium. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of forming a variable reflectance vehicular electrochromic rearview mirror reflective element assembly, said mirror reflective element assembly having a principal reflecting region and an auxiliary wide angle spotter region, said method comprising:
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providing a front substrate having a first surface that generally faces a driver of a vehicle equipped with a mirror assembly that incorporates said rearview mirror reflective element assembly, wherein said front substrate has a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said second surface of said front substrate has a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed thereat; establishing a curved recess at a spotter portion of said second surface of said front substrate and establishing a mirror reflector coating at said curved recess; providing a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, wherein said third surface has a conductive coating disposed thereat; dispensing an uncured seal on a dispensing surface of said substrates, wherein said dispensing surface comprises one of said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate, and wherein said uncured seal has a first gap between terminal ends of said uncured seal; wherein said uncured seal is dispensed substantially around said principal reflecting region of said reflective element assembly, and wherein said uncured seal is dispensed substantially around said auxiliary wide angle spotter region and defines a second gap between spaced apart portions of said uncured seal at an outboard region of said spotter region, and wherein a portion of said uncured seal is dispensed across said spotter region; mating said front and rear substrates together to partially compress said uncured seal therebetween; curing said uncured seal material to establish a cured seal; wherein said seal, when cured, spaces said front and rear substrates apart and forms an interpane cavity therebetween at said principal reflecting region and wherein said first gap between said terminal ends of said seal provides a fill port for said mirror reflective element assembly when said front and rear substrates are mated together, and wherein said seal forms a spotter cavity therebetween at said spotter region, and wherein said second gap provides a vent port for said spotter cavity when said front and rear substrates are mated together, and wherein said portion of said seal that is dispensed across said spotter region is not compressed and does not engage both said third surface and the curved surface of said curved recess; filling said interpane cavity with an electrochromic medium that flows into said interpane cavity through said fill port while not filling said spotter cavity with an electrochromic medium; plugging said fill port to substantially seal said electrochromic medium in said interpane cavity; and plugging said vent port to substantially seal said spotter cavity. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification