Interior rearview mirror assembly

• US 20050078389A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Karner, Lee, Kulas, Jerry M., Andreozzi, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,249,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks

Abstract

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a reflective element and a casing. An attachment plate is secured to the reflective element and an electronic circuitry element, such as a printed circuit board, is attached to the attachment plate. The attachment plate includes at least one mounting member protruding through the circuit board for engaging a mounting assembly that mounts the mirror assembly to an interior portion of the vehicle and directly supports the attachment plate, along with the printed circuit board and the reflective element at an end of the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly may comprise a toggle assembly for a prismatic reflective element.

Claims

1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a reflective element;

a mounting assembly that is configured to mount said mirror assembly to an interior portion of the vehicle;

an attachment plate secured to said reflective element; and

an electronic circuitry element attached to said attachment plate, said attachment plate including at least one mounting member protruding at least partially through said electronic circuitry element when said electronic circuitry element is attached to said attachment plate;

wherein a portion of said mounting assembly engages said at least one mounting member.

2. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises a prismatic reflective element.

3. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 2, wherein said mounting assembly includes a toggle portion.

4. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 3, wherein said mounting assembly includes a cam actuator.

5. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein said at least one mounting member comprises a first mounting member protruding at least partially through said electronic circuitry element and a second mounting member protruding at least partially through said electronic circuitry element.

6. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein said portion of said mounting assembly comprises a portion of said toggle portion, said portion of said toggle portion pivotally engaging said first mounting member protruding at least partially through said electronic circuitry element.

7. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein said first mounting member comprises a pair of receiving members for pivotally receiving respective portions of said toggle portion.

8. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein said cam actuator pivotally engages said second mounting member.

9. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 8, wherein said cam actuator engages said mounting assembly.

10. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 9, wherein said cam actuator includes a receiving portion that receives a guide portion of said toggle portion.

11. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element.

12. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 including an accessory pod attached to said mounting assembly.

13. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein said accessory pod comprises a compass pod receiving compass circuitry therein.

14. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein said accessory pod includes circuitry therein, said circuitry being electrically connected to said electronic circuitry element.

15. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein said accessory pod comprises a unitarily formed pod that receives circuitry therein and closes to substantially retain said circuitry within said pod.

16. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said electronic circuitry element comprises a circuit board.

17. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said circuit board comprises a substantially rigid circuit board.

18. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said circuit board comprises a flexible circuit board.

19. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said electronic circuitry element comprises a printed circuit board.

20. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a reflective element;

at least one attachment plate attached to said reflective element, said at least one attachment plate having first and second mounting members protruding from said at least one attachment plate; and

a mounting assembly that is configured to mount said mirror assembly to an interior portion of the vehicle, said mounting assembly including a toggle portion and a cam actuator, said toggle portion pivotally mounting to said first mounting member and said cam actuator pivotally mounting to said second mounting member, said toggle portion engaging said cam actuator such that pivotal movement of said cam actuator relative to said second mounting member imparts a pivotal movement of said toggle portion relative to said first mounting member.

21. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said reflective element comprises a prismatic reflective element.

22. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said cam actuator includes a receiving portion that receives a guide portion of said toggle portion.

23. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 22, wherein said receiving portion comprises an arcuate channel, whereby pivotal movement of said cam actuator imparts movement of said guide portion along said channel to impart pivotal movement of said toggle portion relative to said first mounting member.

24. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said first mounting member comprises a pair of receiving members for receiving respective portions of said toggle portion.

25. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 24, wherein said respective portions comprise non-circular projections that are insertable through respective narrowed channels and into generally circular receiving openings of said receiving members.

26. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 25, wherein said toggle portion is pivotable relative to said receiving members to position said toggle portion generally along said at least one attachment plate when said cam actuator is engaged with said second mounting portion.

27. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 26, wherein said non-circular projections are not readily removable from said receiving members when said toggle portion is positioned generally along said at least one attachment plate.

28. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 24, wherein said second mounting member comprises a receiving portion for pivotally receiving a portion of said cam actuator.

29. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20 including an electronic circuitry element attached to said at least one attachment plate, at least one of said first and second mounting members protruding at least partially through said electronic circuitry element when said electronic circuitry element is attached to said at least one attachment plate.

30. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said electronic circuitry element comprises a circuit board.

31. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 30, wherein said circuit board comprises a substantially rigid circuit board.

32. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 30, wherein said circuit board comprises a flexible circuit board.

33. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said electronic circuitry element comprises a printed circuit board.

34. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 20 including an accessory pod attached to said mounting assembly.

35. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 34, wherein said accessory pod comprises a compass pod receiving compass circuitry therein.

36. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 34, wherein said accessory pod receives circuitry therein, said circuitry being electrically connected to an electronic circuitry element of said mirror assembly.

37. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 34, wherein said accessory pod comprises a unitarily formed pod that opens to receive circuitry therein and closes to substantially retain said circuitry within said pod.