Reflective element holder for rearview mirror

• US 20050152054A1
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Fogg, Jeremy A., Carter, John W., Rumsey, Wayne J.
• Application Number:
  US11/005,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20050152054A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/879
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

A rearview mirror subassembly for a vehicle comprising a housing and a reflective element in the housing. An elastomer abuts against at least a portion of the reflective element to thereby maintain the reflective element in position within the housing.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror subassembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing;

a reflective element in the housing, the reflective element having a perimeter; and

an elastomer abutting at least a portion of the perimeter of the reflective element to thereby maintain the reflective element in position within the housing.

2. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 1, wherein:

the housing includes a carrier plate located adjacent a rear of the reflective element.

3. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 2, wherein:

the housing includes a bezel located adjacent a front of the reflective element.

4. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 3, wherein:

the elastomer is on the carrier plate.

5. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 3, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

6. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 2, wherein:

the elastomer is on the carrier plate.

7. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 6, wherein:

the elastomer is co-molded with the carrier plate.

8. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 6, wherein:

the elastomer is located at a top edge and a bottom edge of the carrier plate.

9. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 6, further including:

a circuit board connected to the carrier plate.

10. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 9, wherein:

an elastomeric material is located between the carrier plate and the circuit board.

11. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 10, wherein:

the elastomer and the elastomeric material are co-molded with the carrier plate.

12. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 9, wherein:

the carrier plate includes pegs inserted into openings in the circuit board to connect the circuit board to the carrier plate.

13. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 1, wherein:

the housing includes a bezel located adjacent a front of the reflective element.

14. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 13, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

15. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 13, wherein:

the housing includes a rear housing section located adjacent a rear of the reflective element.

16. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 15, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

17. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 15, wherein:

the elastomer is on the rear housing section.

18. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 1, wherein:

the reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror subassembly including a front glass element and a rear glass element, with electrochromic material located between the front glass element and the rear glass element.

19. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 1, wherein:

the elastomer also abuts at least a portion of a central area of the reflective element to thereby assist in maintaining the reflective element in position within the housing.

20. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 1, wherein:

the elastomer abuts a top edge and a bottom edge of the reflective element.

21. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 20, wherein:

the elastomer abutting at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge of the reflective element is continuous.

22. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 20, wherein:

the elastomer abutting at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge of the reflective element is interrupted.

23. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 1, wherein:

a force of the elastomer against the reflective element is constant for all temperatures.

24. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 1, wherein:

the elastomer is directly deposited on the reflective element.

25. A rearview mirror subassembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing;

a reflective element in the housing; and

an elastomer abutting at least a portion of the reflective element to thereby compress the reflective element between a portion of the housing and the elastomer;

wherein the compression of the reflective element is constant for all temperatures.

26. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 25, wherein:

the housing includes a carrier plate located adjacent a rear of the reflective element.

27. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 26, wherein:

the housing includes a bezel located adjacent a front of the reflective element.

28. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 27, wherein:

the elastomer is on the carrier plate.

29. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 27, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

30. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 26, wherein:

the elastomer is on the carrier plate.

31. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 30, wherein:

the elastomer is co-molded with the carrier plate.

32. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 30, wherein:

the elastomer is located at a top edge and a bottom edge of the carrier plate.

33. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 30, further including:

a circuit board is connected to the carrier plate.

34. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 33, wherein:

an elastomeric material is located between the carrier plate and the circuit board.

35. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 34, wherein:

the elastomer and the elastomeric material are co-molded with the carrier plate.

36. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 33, wherein:

the carrier plate includes pegs inserted into openings in the circuit board to connect the circuit board to the carrier plate.

37. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 25, wherein:

the housing includes a bezel located adjacent a front of the reflective element.

38. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 37, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

39. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 37, wherein:

the housing includes a rear housing section located adjacent a rear of the reflective element.

40. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 39, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

41. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 39, wherein:

the elastomer is on the rear housing section.

42. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 25, wherein:

the reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror subassembly including a front glass element and a rear glass element, with electrochromic material located between the front glass element and the rear glass element.

43. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 25, wherein:

the elastomer also abuts at least a portion of a central area of the reflective element to thereby assist in maintaining the reflective element in position within the housing.

44. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 25, wherein:

the elastomer abuts a top edge and a bottom edge of the reflective element.

45. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 44, wherein:

the elastomer abutting at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge of the reflective element is continuous.

46. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 44, wherein:

the elastomer abutting at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge of the reflective element is interrupted.

47. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 25, wherein:

the elastomer abuts at least a portion of a perimeter of the reflective element.

48. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 25, wherein:

the elastomer is directly deposited on the reflective element.

49. A rear view subassembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing; and

a reflective element in the housing;

an elastomer in the housing abutting the reflective element with a first compression force, the elastomer having an initial contact area with the reflective element while the reflective element is abutted against the elastomer with the first compression force, the elastomer having a compression contact area with the reflective element while the reflective element is abutting against the elastomer with a second compression force, the second compression force being greater than the first compression force and the compression contact area being greater than the initial contact area;

wherein the elastomer adheres to the reflective element over the compression contact area while the reflective element is abutted against the elastomer during the second compression force.

50. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 49, wherein:

the housing includes a carrier plate located adjacent a rear of the reflective element.

51. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 50, wherein:

the housing includes a bezel located adjacent a front of the reflective element.

52. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 51, wherein:

the elastomer is on the carrier plate.

53. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 51, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

54. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 50, wherein:

the elastomer is on the carrier plate.

55. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 54, wherein:

the elastomer is co-molded with the carrier plate.

56. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 54, wherein:

the elastomer is located at a top edge and a bottom edge of the carrier plate.

57. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 54, further including:

a circuit board connected to the carrier plate.

58. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 57, wherein:

an elastomeric material is located between the carrier plate and the circuit board.

59. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 58, wherein:

the elastomer and the elastomeric material are co-molded with the carrier plate.

60. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 57, wherein:

the carrier plate includes pegs inserted into openings in the circuit board to connect the circuit board to the carrier plate.

61. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 49, wherein:

the housing includes a bezel located adjacent a front of the reflective element.

62. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 61, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

63. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 61, wherein:

the housing includes a rear housing section located adjacent a rear of the reflective element.

64. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 63, wherein:

the elastomer is on the bezel.

65. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 63, wherein:

the elastomer is on the rear housing section.

66. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 49, wherein:

the reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror subassembly including a front glass element and a rear glass element, with electrochromic material located between the front glass element and the rear glass element.

67. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 49, wherein:

the elastomer also abuts at least a portion of a central area of the reflective element to thereby assist in maintaining the reflective element in position within the housing.

68. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 49, wherein:

the elastomer abuts a top edge and a bottom edge of the reflective element.

69. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 68, wherein:

the elastomer abutting at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge of the reflective element is continuous.

70. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 68, wherein:

the elastomer abutting at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge of the reflective element is interrupted.

71. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 49, wherein:

the elastomer abuts at least a portion of a perimeter of the reflective element.

72. The rearview mirror subassembly of claim 49, wherein:

the elastomer is directly deposited on the reflective element.

73. A method of making a rearview mirror subassembly for a vehicle, the rearview mirror subassembly including a reflective element within a housing, the method comprising:

co-molding a first portion of the housing and an elastomer;

positioning the reflective element within the housing; and

compressing the reflective element between the elastomer and a second portion of the housing to thereby maintain the reflective element in position within the housing.

74. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 73, wherein:

the housing includes a carrier plate; and

further including positioning the carrier plate adjacent a rear of the reflective element.

75. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 74, wherein:

the housing includes a bezel; and

further including positioning the bezel adjacent a front of the reflective element.

76. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 75, wherein:

the first portion is the carrier plate.

77. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 75, wherein:

the first portion is the bezel.

78. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 74, wherein:

the first portion is the carrier plate.

79. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 78, wherein:

co-molding the first portion of the housing and the elastomer comprises molding the elastomer along a top and a bottom edge of the carrier plate.

80. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 78, further including:

connecting a circuit board to the carrier plate.

81. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 80, further including:

positioning an elastomeric material between the carrier plate and the circuit board.

82. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 81, further including:

co-molding the elastomeric material with the carrier plate.

83. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 80, wherein:

the carrier plate includes pegs; and

further including inserting the pegs into openings in the circuit board to connect the circuit board to the carrier plate.

84. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 73, wherein:

the housing includes a bezel; and

further including positioning the bezel adjacent a front of the reflective element.

85. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 84, wherein:

the first portion is the bezel.

86. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 84, wherein:

the housing includes a rear housing section; and

further including positioning the rear housing section adjacent a rear of the reflective element.

87. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 86, wherein:

the first portion is the bezel.

88. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 86, wherein:

the first portion is the rear housing section.

89. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 73, wherein:

the reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror subassembly including a front glass element and a rear glass element, with electrochromic material located between the front glass element and the rear glass element.

90. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 73, further including:

abutting at least a portion of a central area of the reflective element with the elastomer to thereby maintain the reflective element in position within the housing.

91. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 73, further including:

abutting the elastomer against a top edge and a bottom edge of the reflective element.

92. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 91, wherein:

co-molding the first portion of the housing and the elastomer includes molding the elastomer continuously along at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge of the first portion.

93. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 91, wherein:

co-molding the first portion of the housing and the elastomer includes interrupting the elastomer along at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge of the first portion.

94. The method of making the rearview mirror subassembly of claim 73, wherein:

compressing the reflective element between the elastomer and a second portion of the housing includes abutting at least a portion of a perimeter of the reflective element with the elastomer.