Mirror assembly with spring-loaded electrical connectors
First Claim
1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- an electro-optic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween, said front substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium, said rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface with an electrically conductive coating at said third surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium;
a first electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate;
a second electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said electrically conductive coating at said third surface of said rear substrate;
a back plate attached at said reflective element, said back plate having first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed in first and second passageways established through said back plate;
a circuit element having electro-optic control circuitry established thereat, said circuit element having first and second electrically conductive traces in electrical connection with said electro-optic control circuitry;
wherein, with said circuit element attached at said back plate attached at said reflective element, (i) said first spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said first electrically conductive trace to said first electrically conductive element and (ii) said second spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said second electrically conductive trace to said second electrically conductive element; and
wherein said first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors are longitudinally movable within and partially along said first and second passageways, respectively.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes an electro-optic reflective element with first and second conductive pads established at a fourth surface of the reflective element and in electrical connection to respective electrically conductive coatings of the reflective element. A back plate has first and second spring-loaded connectors disposed in passageways established through the back plate. A circuit element includes first and second conductive traces in electrical connection with the electro-optic control circuitry. With the circuit element attached at the back plate, (i) the first spring-loaded connector contacts and is biased into engagement with the first conductive pad and the first conductive trace to electrically connect the first conductive trace to the first conductive pad and (ii) the second spring-loaded connector contacts and is biased into engagement with the second conductive pad and the second conductive trace to electrically connect the second conductive trace to the second conductive pad.
54 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
-
an electro-optic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween, said front substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium, said rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface with an electrically conductive coating at said third surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium; a first electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate; a second electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said electrically conductive coating at said third surface of said rear substrate; a back plate attached at said reflective element, said back plate having first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed in first and second passageways established through said back plate; a circuit element having electro-optic control circuitry established thereat, said circuit element having first and second electrically conductive traces in electrical connection with said electro-optic control circuitry; wherein, with said circuit element attached at said back plate attached at said reflective element, (i) said first spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said first electrically conductive trace to said first electrically conductive element and (ii) said second spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said second electrically conductive trace to said second electrically conductive element; and wherein said first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors are longitudinally movable within and partially along said first and second passageways, respectively.
-
-
2. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
-
an electro-optic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween, said front substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium, said rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface with an electrically conductive coating at said third surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium; a first electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate; a second electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said electrically conductive coating at said third surface of said rear substrate; a back plate attached at said reflective element, said back plate having first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed in first and second passageways established through said back plate; a circuit element having electro-optic control circuitry established thereat, said circuit element having first and second electrically conductive traces in electrical connection with said electro-optic control circuitry; wherein, with said circuit element attached at said back plate attached at said reflective element, (i) said first spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said first electrically conductive trace to said first electrically conductive element and (ii) said second spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said second electrically conductive trace to said second electrically conductive element; and wherein said first spring-loaded electrical connector is disposed in said first passageway and retained therein via a flange of said back plate in said first passageway and a pair of spaced apart flanges of said first spring-loaded electrical connector. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
-
-
5. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
-
an electro-optic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween, said front substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium, said rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface with an electrically conductive coating at said third surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium; a first electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate; a second electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said electrically conductive coating at said third surface of said rear substrate; a back plate attached at said reflective element, said back plate having first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed in first and second passageways established through said back plate; a circuit element having electro-optic control circuitry established thereat, said circuit element having first and second electrically conductive traces in electrical connection with said electro-optic control circuitry; wherein, with said circuit element attached at said back plate attached at said reflective element, (i) said first spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said first electrically conductive trace to said first electrically conductive element and (ii) said second spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said second electrically conductive trace to said second electrically conductive element; and wherein a length dimension of said first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors when extended is greater than a thickness dimension of said back plate at said passageways.
-
-
6. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
-
an electro-optic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween, said front substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium, said rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface with an electrically conductive coating at said third surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium; a first electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate; a second electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to said electrically conductive coating at said third surface of said rear substrate; a back plate attached at said reflective element, said back plate having first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed in first and second passageways established through said back plate; a circuit element having electro-optic control circuitry established thereat, said circuit element having first and second electrically conductive traces in electrical connection with said electro-optic control circuitry; wherein, with said circuit element attached at said back plate attached at said reflective element, (i) said first spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said first electrically conductive trace to said first electrically conductive element and (ii) said second spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said second electrically conductive trace to said second electrically conductive element; and wherein said first spring-loaded electrical connector comprises a first electrically conductive body portion and a second electrically conductive body portion movable relative to said first electrically conductive body portion and in electrical conductivity therewith. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
-
an electro-optic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween, said front substrate having a first surface and a second surface with a transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium, said rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface with an electrically conductive coating at said third surface and in contact with said electro-optic medium; an electrically conductive element established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate and in electrical connection to one of (i) said transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface of said front substrate and (ii) said electrically conductive coating at said third surface of said rear substrate; a back plate attached at said reflective element, said back plate having a spring-biased electrical connector disposed therethrough and protruding from opposite sides of said back plate; wherein a length dimension of said spring-biased electrical connector when not compressed is greater than a thickness dimension of said back plate at said spring-biased electrical connector; a circuit element having electro-optic control circuitry established thereat, said circuit element having an electrically conductive trace in electrical connection with said electro-optic control circuitry; and wherein, with said circuit element attached at said back plate attached at said reflective element, said spring-biased electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said electrically conductive trace to said electrically conductive element. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
-
a reflective element having a glass substrate having a rear surface; a first electrically conductive element established at said rear surface of said glass substrate and in electrical connection to an electrically powered element; a second electrically conductive element established at said rear surface of said glass substrate and in electrical connection to said electrically powered element; a back plate attached at said reflective element, said back plate having first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors disposed in first and second passageways established through said back plate; wherein a length dimension of said first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors when extended is greater than a thickness dimension of said back plate at said passageways; wherein said first and second spring-loaded electrical connectors are longitudinally movable within and partially along said first and second passageways, respectively; a circuit element having control circuitry established thereat, said circuit element having first and second electrically conductive traces in electrical connection with said control circuitry; and wherein, with said circuit element attached at said back plate, (i) said first spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said first electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said first electrically conductive trace to said first electrically conductive element and (ii) said second spring-loaded electrical connector contacts and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive element and is biased into electrical contact with said second electrically conductive trace to electrically connect said second electrically conductive trace to said second electrically conductive element. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification