Outside sideview mirror assembly with reduced wind noise

• US 20020125737A1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chu, Tun-Jen, Pavao, Leo W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,025,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly includes a body, which is adapted for mounting to a vehicle, and a reflective element supported in the body'"'"' cavity and positioned in an opening of the body which faces rearward of a vehicle when the mirror assembly is mounted to a vehicle. The body has a forward facing side, with at least a portion of the forward facing side including decorative film molded therewith. The portion of the forward facing side includes a surface discontinuity formed therein to reduce the wind noise of the sideview exterior mirror assembly when mounted to a vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly comprising:

a body adapted for mounting to a vehicle, and said body having a mirror case wall defining a cavity and an opening for facing rearward of a vehicle, when said mirror assembly is mounted to a vehicle;

a reflective element supported in said cavity and positioned in said first opening for rearward viewing of the vehicle; and

said body having a forward facing side, at least a portion of said forward facing side including decorative film molded therewith, said portion having a surface discontinuity formed therein to reduce the wind noise of said sideview exterior mirror assembly when mounted to a vehicle.

2. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said body includes a shell mounted to said forward facing side, said shell having said decorative film molded therewith and including said discontinuity.

3. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 2, wherein said decorative film is pre-formed with a discontinuity generally following said surface discontinuity to reduce stretching of said film when molded with said shell.

4. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said surface discontinuity comprises a ridge.

5. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein said ridge is substantially continuous having a pair of terminal ends.

6. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 5, wherein said terminal ends are tapered.

7. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein said ridge is generally arcuate.

8. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 4, wherein said recessed area includes a perimeter edge, said shell member having a perimeter edge, said shell member and said case wall defining a substantially continuous exterior surface with a groove formed between said perimeter edge of said recessed area and said perimeter edge of said shell member, and said ridge being spaced from said groove.

9. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 7, wherein said ridge has a longitudinal extent generally parallel with said groove.

10. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 7, wherein said case wall includes a perimeter edge extending around said opening, said groove being spaced a groove distance from said perimeter edge of said case wall, and said ridge being spaced a ridge distance from said groove, wherein said ridge distance is at least said groove distance.

11. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 7, wherein said ridge forms a step in said substantially continuous surface.

12. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 11, wherein said step has a maximum height in a range of 0.5 to 5.0 mm.

13. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 12, wherein said step has a maximum height in a range of 1.0 to 2.0 mm.

14. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said body comprises an engineering polymer resin.

15. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 14, wherein said body comprises a reinforced polymer resin.

16. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 15, wherein said body comprises a filled nylon material.

17. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 16, wherein said body comprises a mineral filled nylon material.

18. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said shell member comprises an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene material.

19. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 1, wherein said decorative film has a pre-molding thickness in a range of 0.1 to 0.25 mils.

20. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 19, wherein said decorative film has a pre-molding thickness in a range of 0.125 to 0.15 mils.

21. A vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly comprising:

a reflective element;

a mirror case being adapted to mount to a vehicle and having a mirror case wall defining a cavity and an opening for facing rearward of a vehicle when said vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the vehicle, said mirror case being adapted to mount to a vehicle, said reflective element housed in said cavity in said first opening for rearward viewing of the vehicle; and

a decorated shell member positioned exteriorly over a portion of said mirror case, said shell member defining a gap between said shell member and said mirror case, said shell member being adapted to secure to said case wall, said decorated shell member having an exterior surface discontinuity spaced from said gap to reduce the wind noise of said vehicle sideview exterior mirror assembly.

22. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said decorated shell member comprises a shell substrate and a decorative film molded therewith.

23. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said surface discontinuity comprises a ridge.

24. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 23, wherein said mirror case has a lateral extent, said ridge having a longitudinal extent extending along at least a portion of said lateral extent.

25. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said shell member and said case wall define a substantially continuous exterior surface, said discontinuity defining a step in said substantially continuous exterior surface.

26. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 25, wherein at least a portion of discontinuity includes a ramp along at least a portion of said step to further enhance the wind noise reduction of said vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly.

27. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said mirror case includes a perimeter edge, said ridge being spaced from said perimeter edge and generally following at least a portion of said perimeter edge.

28. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 27, wherein at least a portion of said ridge is generally parallel with said perimeter edge of said mirror case.

29. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said recessed area includes a perimeter edge, said shell member having a perimeter edge, said shell member and said case wall defining a substantially continuous exterior surface with said gap formed between said perimeter edge of said recessed area and said perimeter edge of said shell member.

30. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 29, wherein said gap is spaced a gap distance from said perimeter edge of said case wall, said ridge being spaced a ridge distance from said gap, wherein said groove distance is at least said gap distance.

31. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 29, wherein said continuity forms a step in said substantially continuous surface.

32. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 31, wherein said step has a maximum height in a range of 0.25 to 5.0 mm.

33. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 32, wherein said step has a maximum height in a range of 1.0 to 2.0 mm.

34. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said mirror case comprises an engineering polymer resin.

35. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 34, wherein said mirror case comprises a reinforced polymer resin.

36. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 35, wherein said mirror case comprises a filled nylon material.

37. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said shell member comprises an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

38. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said decorative film has a pre-molding thickness in a range of 0.125 to 0.15 mils.

39. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, further comprising an actuator, said actuator adjusting an orientation of said reflective element in said opening.

40. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 39, wherein said actuator supports said reflective element in said mirror case.

41. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 21, wherein said mirror case includes a lateral extent for extending outwardly from the vehicle when said mirror assembly is mounted to a vehicle discontinuity comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves extending generally orthogonal to said lateral extent of said mirror case.

42. A vehicular side view exterior mirror assembly comprising:

a reflective element;

a mirror case being adapted to mount to a vehicle and having a mirror case wall defining a cavity in an opening for facing rearward of the vehicle when said vehicular side view exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the vehicle, said reflective element housed in said cavity in said first opening for rearward viewing of the vehicle when said vehicular side view exterior mirror assembly is mounted to the vehicle; and

a shell member positioned exteriorly over a portion of said mirror case, said shell member being adapted to secure to said case wall and having a decorative film molded therewith to enhance the aesthetic appearance of said vehicular side exterior mirror assembly and an exterior surface discontinuity to reduce the wind noise of said vehicular side view exterior mirror assembly.

43. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 42, wherein said surface discontinuity comprises a ridge.

44. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 43, wherein said ridge extends laterally across a forward facing portion of said mirror case.

45. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 43, wherein said shell member defines a gap between said shell member and said mirror case, said ridge being spaced from said gap.

46. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 43, wherein said mirror casing includes a perimeter edge, said ridge being spaced from said perimeter edge and generally following at least a portion of said perimeter edge.

47. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 42, wherein said discontinuity comprises a step in an exterior surface of said shell member.

48. The vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly according to claim 47, wherein said discontinuity includes a lateral extent, said step having a varying height along said lateral extent.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein said providing a decorative film substrate includes pre-forming the decorative film substrate.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein said providing a pre-formed decorative film substrate includes providing a pre-formed decorative film substrate with a surface discontinuity formed therein to reduce the stretching of the film substrate when molded in mold cavity.

53. A The method according to claim 52, wherein said pre-forming comprises pre-forming by vacuum pressing the film substrate into the pre-forming shape.

54. The method according to claim 49, wherein the mold cavity includes a flange cavity portion, the flange cavity portion forming a flange in the composite shell, the flange providing a mounting flange for the composite shell.

55. The method according to claim 54, further comprising extending the film substrate over at least a portion of the flange to provide an anchoring surface for the film substrate.

56. The method according to claim 49, wherein conforming the film substrate and the polymer resin includes forming a ridge across at least a portion of the composite shell.

57. The method according to claim 55, wherein forming a ridge includes forming a step in the exterior surface of the composite shell.

58. The method according to claim 57, further comprising forming a ramp on a portion of the step.

59. The method according to claim 56, wherein forming a ridge includes forming a ridge spaced from a perimeter from the composite shell.

49. A method of forming a composite shell member for a vehicular sideview exterior mirror assembly, said method comprising:

providing a mold assembly with a mold cavity, said mold cavity including a discontinuity having an edge definition for forming a discontinuity in the composite shell and having a first molding surface and a second molding surface, the first molding surface for forming an inner surface of the composite shell, and the second molding surface for forming an outer, exterior surface for the composite;

positioning a decorative film substrate in said mold cavity on said second mold surface;

injecting a polymer resin in said mold cavity over said decorative film substrate; and

conforming said film substrate in said polymer resin to said mold cavity whereby said film substrate and said polymer resin conform to the mold cavity and, further, substantially conform to the edge definition of the discontinuity.