Mirror pane with a substrate of plastic, a method for its manufacture and an external mirror having such a mirror pane

• US 20080239530A1
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Inventors: Lang, Werner, Bauer, Jochen, Felbinger, Willi
• Application Number:
  US12/077,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20080239530A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0602 comprising means for cleaning or deicing
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2214/02 Heaters specially designed for de-icing or protection against icing
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/84 Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/845 specially adapted for reflecting surfaces, e.g. bathroom - or rearview mirrors

Abstract

A mirror pane comprising a substrate of plastic having a front side and a rear side, each having a metal coating, and a surface heating apparatus with at least one resistance heating strip and electric connection contacts, wherein the metal coating placed on the front side of the substrate serves as a reflective mirror surface, and the at least one resistance heating strip possessing the electrical connection contacts is located within recesses in the rear side of the recesses reproducing a negative image of the at least one resistance heating strip and being furnished with connection contacts.

Claims

1. A mirror pane comprising:

a substrate of plastic having a front side and a rear side, each having a metal coating, and a surface heating apparatus with at least one resistance heating strip and electric connection contacts, wherein the metal coating placed on the front side of the substrate serves as a reflective mirror surface, and the at least one resistance heating strip possessing the electrical connection contacts is located within recesses in the rear side said recesses reproducing a negative image of the at least one resistance heating strip and being furnished with connection contacts.

2. A mirror pane in accord with claim 1, wherein the metal coating is an electrically deposited metal layer.

3. A mirror pane in accord with claim 1 wherein the resistance heating strip is covered with an insulation coating.

4. A mirror pane in accord with claim 1, wherein the rear side of the plastic substrate is provided with projections.

5. A mirror pane in accord with claim 4, wherein at least two of the projections are provided with the metal coating and form the electric connection contacts for the surface heating apparatus.

6. A mirror pane in accord with claim 4, wherein at least one of the projections is designed as a fastening element.

7. A mirror pane in accord with claim 1, wherein the metal coating consists of a plurality of coatings.

8. A mirror pane in accord with claim 7, wherein the outermost coating consists of chromium.

9. A mirror pane in accord with claim 1, wherein the at least one resistance heat strip is meandering in shape.

10. A method for the manufacture of a mirror pane having the following steps of operation:

providing a substrate of plastic with a front side and a rear side;

providing a negative image of at least one resistance heating strip with electrical connection contacts;

coating the rear side of the substrate in such a manner that no metal is deposited within the surface of said negative image; and

subjecting the plastic substrate to electrical deposition current so that the front side and the rear side of the substrate, with the exception of the negative images, receive a metal coating.

11. A method in accord with claim 10, wherein the treatment of the negative image of the at least one resistance heating strip includes covering of the negative image with insulation material.

12. A method for the manufacture of a mirror pane having the following steps of operation:

making available a substrate of plastic with a front side and a rear side having a negative image, receiving at least one resistance heating strip with electrical connection contacts;

subjecting the substrate to an electric deposition procedure, so that the front and the rear sides of the substrate receive a metal coating at least partially removing the metal coating on the rear side of the substrate from the negative image of the at least one resistance heating strip with electrical connection contacts.

13. A method in accord with claim 12, wherein the metal coating is removed by an appropriate etching solution.

14. A method in accord with claim 12, wherein the metal coating is removed by a laser beam.

15. A method in accord with claim 12, wherein:

an electrical insulation layer is installed over the at least one resistance heating strip.