Plastic glass interior mirror with variable reflectivity

• US 8,919,971 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Bruhnke, Ulrich, Eder, Oliver, Wilfinger, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapel, Derek S
• Application Number:
  US12/417,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 362135-144, 362/494, 359267-273, 359/602, 359/603, 359/608
• US Class Current: 359/604
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/083 Anti-glare mirrors, e.g. "day-night" mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

The invention is related to an interior rear view mirror that is constructed by front plastic glass shaped in u-form and a mirror housing. The mirror comprises a second plastic glass which crate a inter glass space for a device which changes the reflectivity of the mirror.

Claims

1. A rear view mirror assembly comprising:

a non-transparent mirror housing;

a front plastic element being optically transmissive, and closer to a user than the non-transparent mirror housing, said front plastic element defining a front face surface and a front face side piece in U-shaped configuration in cross section, wherein said front face side piece extending out to a rounded edge with said front face side piece extending beyond said rounded edge to engage said non-transparent mirror housing such that said front plastic element is a single piece that closes said non-transparent mirror housing;

a second plastic element fixedly secured to said front plastic element to create an inter-element space, said second plastic element including a surface with a reflective layer covering said surface of said second plastic element;

a light module disposed within a cavity formed by said mirror housing and said front plastic element behind said second plastic element and adjacent said front plastic element in an orientation such that said light module emits light out through only said front face side piece for edge illumination away from said front face surface of said front plastic element and said reflective layer of said second plastic element; and

means for adaptively modifying reflectivity of said rear view mirror assembly.

2. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein said reflective layer covers said surface of the second plastic element outside said inter-element space.

3. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means for adaptively modifying reflectivity of said rear view mirror assembly is an electro-wetting cell.

4. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means for adaptively modifying reflectivity of said rear view mirror assembly is an electrochromic device.

5. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 4 wherein said electrochromic device is polymer chemical material set with ionic liquid as electrolyte substance.

6. A rear view mirror assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the electrochromic device is a solid chemical material set.

7. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein said front face side piece extends around a periphery of said front face surface.

8. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein the means for adaptively modifying reflectivity of said rear view mirror assembly includes a reflective layer of a switchable mirror material based on hydrogen absorbance.

9. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 wherein said light module has at least two light emitting diodes (LEDs) illuminating areas adjacent to the mirror.